Writing is My Job, Really by Sherri Shackelford

Sherri Shackleford

Have you experienced situations where people haven’t understood that being a writer doesn’t mean you have a hobby or that you have countless hours of free time?  Take encouragement from the fact that you’re not alone! Author Sherri Shackleford shares a personal experience.  ~ Dawn

Writing is My Job, Really

My husband has always been wonderful about my writing career. He was supportive during the four years when I was writing and earning no money. He was supportive after I finally published and started earning a little bit of money. He respects my writing time, and he encourages me to attend conferences—even though conferences can be expensive.

Recently, though, I had to explain that Writing Is My Job, Really. 

I had a super tight deadline. I was behind on the book when my editor asked me to participate in another project. The timing meant I needed my current book signed, sealed and delivered ASAP. Unfortunately, I was writing one of THOSE books. You know THAT book. The one that just won’t come together no matter how hard you try?

The deadline was looming and I had a long…long…long way to go. Despite everything, the kids were in school and I had my time blocked down to the minute. I could make the deadline if I worked hard. Then my youngest son caught the flu. There was no way I was making my deadline while watching a sick kid.

I told my husband I had to work, and he took the day off. Great, right? Then he said, “Don’t go on Facebook or anything. I told everyone at work you were sick.”

Whaaaaat?

Um. No. I’m not sick. I’m working.

When the kids are sick, or have appointments, or have days off school—I handle things. Sure, my job is more flexible, I work from home, and I make about 1/10th of my husband’s income. No problem. 

But writing is a job. It’s my job. Really.

That’s when my husband and I had a talk. Even though my job is flexible and creative, it IS a job. I have people who count on me: editors, agents, art departments. My job is work. If someone thinks it’s not work, then I dare that person to write a 70,000-word book in two months. Trust me, it’s work.

If I were a doctor who had to stay late, or an engineer with a big project, or an accountant during tax season, he wouldn’t say I was ‘sick’. He’d say, “Sherri can’t take the time off work right now. She’s really swamped. I have to stay home with my sick child.”

But a writer with a deadline? Nope. That doesn’t count. She’s sick.

I have deadlines, on average, two or three times a year. Okay, usually two times a year. Let’s be honest. I’m one of those people who works right up until the deadline. I can always fix or rework something. The manuscript must be pried out of my fingers, or I’ll never let go. Twice a year, I’m swamped with work.

I realize I’m not Dan Brown or JK Rowling or Stephen King, but here’s what I asked my husband. “Do you think Tabitha King has would ever call in and said, “Stephen is sick” instead of “Stephen has a deadline”? If I was an accountant during tax season would you say, “Sherri is sick” or “Sherri can’t take time off work right now”?

As an author and a woman, I fight two battles. I fight the battle of being the primary care giver of the children, and I fight for respect of my job. A job a lot of people don’t always take seriously. After our talk, I think my husband had one of those ‘lightbulb’ moments. I think we’re on the right track again.

Writing is a job. It’s my job. Really.

I’m not sick. I’m working. 

The Engagement Bargain

The Engagement Bargain

Make-believe betrothal

Rock-solid and reliable, confirmed bachelor Caleb McCoy thought nothing could rattle him—until he discovers he needs to pose as Anna Bishop's intended groom. After saving her life, his honorable code bid Caleb watch over the innocent beauty. And a pretend engagement is the only way to protect her from further harm.

Raised by a single mother and suffragist, Anna doesn't think much of marriage—and she certainly doesn't plan to try it herself. But playing Caleb's blushing bride-to-be makes her rethink her independent ways, because their make-believe romance is becoming far too real…

 Prairie Courtships: Romance on the range

Sherri Shackelford is an award-winning author of inspirational, Christian romance novels for her dream publisher, Harlequin.

 A wife and mother of three, Sherri’s hobbies include collecting mismatched socks, discovering new ways to avoid cleaning, and standing in the middle of the room while thinking, “Why did I just come in here?” A reformed pessimist and recent hopeful romantic, Sherri has a passion for writing. Her books are fun and fast-paced, with plenty of heart and soul.

Sherri is putting the final touches on three more books for her Cimarron Springs series, and will release all the details as soon as they are available.

You can learn more and connect with Sherri at these sites:

Website: http://www.sherrishackelford.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherriShackelfordAuthor       

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smshackelford

 

You Decided to Pursue Your Writing Dreams. Now What? by Dora Hiers

So you just wasted hours reading a book, flipping pages because at any point it had to get better, right? Finally, you slammed the book closed, tempted to hurl it across the room.

Even you could have written that book better! your inner voice screamed.

Instead, you toss it on the table, dismissing the book, but the idea refuses to be squelched. Could you really? Write a book? And the more you try to let go of that thought —after all, you have a full time job, young children, piles of laundry that reach to the ceiling, and an endless to-do list demanding your attention— it persists. Starting as a tiny seed, the idea blossoms and expands until you’re reaching for your smart phone in the middle of the night to record scenes straight out of your dream. Perhaps you can even picture your name splashed across a perfectly designed book cover.

Do you see yourself here? Confession time. Waving my hand in the air. I was there.

So what do you do about it? Should you sit down at your laptop and start pounding out your story? You could, but what happens when you finish the manuscript? Will you send it directly to a publisher, and if so, which one? Many if not most publishing houses require submissions via a literary agent unless they have invited your submission, such as a result of a pitch during a writer’s conference. Does your target publisher require an agent? Do you even know your target publisher/s?

Hadn’t thought that far ahead, huh?

Before your fingers dance across that keyboard, do some hands-on research. Peruse your personal library of favorite books. Without peeking at the spine or inside the book, could you guess the publisher just by looking at the cover? Who published the majority of the books you enjoyed?

Every publisher has different submission guidelines, as well as various word count ranges and genres. Here are a few examples of publishers within the inspirational romance genre that accept unagented submissions: (in no particular order, well, OK, I did list my publisher first :) )

Pelican Book Group: At some point during the story, their protagonists must eventually “realize that faith is a cornerstone of love.” Books must contain a faith element that doesn’t come off preachy, and no profanity. No explicit love scenes, but natural sexual tension is acceptable and sensitive topics are not off limits. They accept stories ranging from 10-80k words.

Harlequin's Love Inspired: Community and family are major elements within the LI lines, and their heroes and heroines are expected to meet as early as possible in the book. Romance is all about emotional intimacy, and authors must integrate a faith element that “shows rather than tells.” Their books range between 55-60k words.

Desert Breeze Publishing: They would like to see inspirational stories with “real world flair,” acknowledging the challenges of being a Christian in today’s society. They prefer a sexual tension buildup minus the details. They accept manuscripts from 25-100+k words, but prefer 55-80k.

So you decided to pursue your writing dreams.

What will your first step be? If you're further along on your journey, we'd love to hear how you started. Was your goal to catch an agent's interest first or did you submit directly to a publisher?

Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way. ~Ps 16:11 The Message

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Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy.

But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When love triumphs...

When Love Triumphs releases in November with Pelican Book Group as part of their newly launched Pure Amore line. One Pure Amore sweet romance releases each month with a paid subscription. Subscriptions start as low as $48 (that includes one book a month for an entire year), and you may choose digital, print, or a combination of formats. Check out all twelve gorgeous covers and intriguing blurbs here. 

Dora Hiers is a multi-published author of Heart Racing, God-Gracing romances. She’s a member of RWA, ACFW, and the Treasurer for ACFW-Charlotte Chapter. Connect with her here on Seriously Write, her personal blog, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

The Bumpy Road to Publication by Margaret Daley

The names of the Genesis semi-finalists were announced this week. Congratulations to all who made it on the list! Unfortunately so many of my writer friends did not. If you are suffering discouragement and battling frustration and fatigue, wondering if you will ever sign a contract or final in a contest, wondering if it's worth the time and effort, I hope and pray Margaret's story encourages and refreshes you to continue on your journey. Love you all! Dora

Scorned Justice
Purchase Link

This last year was my thirtieth year since my first book came out from Silhouette Romance called Second Chance on Love. 

I thought once I sold my first book, things would become easy. I would continue to sell, and I wouldn't receive the rejections I did before I sold my first book. It didn't take me long to see the folly in that thinking. My second book was harder to sell than my first one. After finally selling it, I was fortunate to continue to sell eighteen more. 

Then came the eight-year dry spell. The publisher I was selling to the last few years before the dry spell stopped publishing their category series line--Dell Ecstasy. I was out of a job. I tried to sell books, but I had hit a wall. I'd come close, but I couldn't get the contract.

After eight years I went to RWA National Conference in Dallas and heard about a new line opening called Kensington's Precious Gems line. I had a book, and when I got home from the conference, I sent it to them. That was the start of my comeback. 

I sold five books to them and four more to a small press before I found my true home--Christian romances and romantic suspense. In 2000, I sold to Harlequin's Love Inspired and since then, I have been blessed to sell to date fifty-four more books to Love Inspired, Summerside Press and Abingdon Press. But even that journey had its ups and downs, and I'm still receiving rejections.

Rejections are the red badge of courage for a writer. It proves you have written a book and pursued a publisher. Many writers don't get that far. They never quite finish writing the complete book, or if they do, they rewrite their story over and over rather than send it to a publisher and possibly get a rejection. I'm not going to deny getting a rejection isn't hard. It is. I have a huge file of them, but I have survived it. I won't kid you. They often caused me to doubt myself as a writer, but I wouldn't let them stop me from writing. If I had, I would never have gone on after my dry spell to sell sixty-two books.

So the moral of this journey is not to give up. Perseverance and determination are half the battle to become a published writer. You've got to learn the craft, tell a good story and have a bit of good luck and timing, but it is possible with a lot of hard work to become a published writer. 

On that bumpy road to publication, I have sold eighty-four books over a thirty-year span. Check out my website at http://www.margaretdaley.com and read some of my excerpts from my books. 

Dora here. What about you? 

Where are you on your writing journey?

How do you perceive rejections?

Margaret Daley, an award-winning author of eighty-four books, has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret visit her website at http://www.margaretdaley.com.