What's the deal with BOOK FAIRS? (Bologna, Frankfurt, subrights, etc...)

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

My Substack: michelleschusterman.substack.com And check out Publishing Confidential! kathleenschmidt.substack.com/

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

I do like the newsletter and did wonder about the pledge button on it but good to know how good it is!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks, Joey! (Do you have a newsletter??)

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

@Michelle Schusterman I do!! Its with mail chimp and sign up in my video description if you're interested!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@JoeyPaulOnline Done!

[@alwaysapirateroninace443]

I also recently found substack! I think the idea of paid "send me your query / pitch / 1st chapter" is a good idea. Writers are always looking for someone to review their stuff before they submit. I also struggle with what I would give people in return for subscribing to a paid newsletter, Pateron, etc. Of course I have zero internet presence, so this doesn't matter. I need to work on that . . .

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks!! I'm definitely considering it. And hey, don't feel bad about the internet presence. Maybe just start with a simple, static website? Something you don't have to update every day, that just has a bio and maybe a description of what you like to write?

[@alwaysapirateroninace443]

@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Similar to a blog? Yes, I will try that. Thanks!

[@reginaduke7451]

Migrating from Mail chimp???? I need to learn how to do this!!!! I am still there because I don't know how to migrate! Substack sounds a lot better.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

It was actually really easy! In Mailchimp, you export your contacts as a CSV file. Then when you sign up for Substack, you can import it.

[@reginaduke7451]

@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Thank you, Michelle!!! You have given me the courage to go for it.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@reginaduke7451 Oh yay! Send me a link when you've got it set up so I can subscribe :)

[@Avionne_Parris]

So glad you found your "happy place" platform with the newsletter, Michelle! I know how frustrating it can be. It's a good thing you powered through and persevered. Apologies in advance for the long comment. If you don't mind I was wondering if you have advice on overcoming mental stumbling blocks? I think I'm just overwhelmed with everything. And it's even tougher when you receive little family support. They try but I can tell they don't get it. The most they do is ask, "How's your book going?" And I'll say, "Good" but I have nothing to show for it. And even when I do send drafts for them to read, they don't (to be fair, my genre isn't their fave). But I had to explain the other day that I have several projects, not just one book since they're probably wondering, "how long does it take to write a book?" Between reading more books, learning writing craft, writing different WIPs, networking and making friends in writer forums, social media, learning Korean, family time, personal time, etc. I'm overwhelmed. Writing used to be such a fun escape but everyday I'm unpublished or have no drafting to edit, it's feeling like an unpaid internship or gaining exposure. I find myself thinking about how much time I will gain by giving up writing but I know in my gut that I was born to do this. I AM A WRITER. A beta once told me, "keep writing, you are good" and I always held onto that but now I'm thinking that was then (as it was a few years ago) and maybe I'm not good anymore. Please help. Have a great week, Michelle! Hi Rosa :-)

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

I'm so sorry you're feeling overwhelmed, Avi! So I have an answer in two parts: ~It's never fun when family members aren't supportive, but I really believe that's not necessary. In fact, aspiring authors who have super supportive family members run into another problem: the feedback they hear is always "this is fantastic!", their confidence is boosted, and they don't seek actual criticism from beta readers. Then when they start getting rejections, they think "but wait, my mom said I'm a prodigy!" (lol) So I would try not to worry too much about what your family thinks about your books or how long it's taking you. They may or may not be thinking those things, but in the end, it doesn't matter - because they aren't writers, they aren't interested in publishing, and so they don't understand the process (and they don't have to). ~It does sound like you have a lot going on. I was in a similar place in 2010. I'd managed to get an agent, but that book didn't sell. I'd co-founded a kidlit blog and was pouring a ton of time into that and growing my social media. I moved across the country. And I was in that endless revision hell with my second book that ultimately never even went on submission. I felt completely defeated. Well, the first thing I did was leave the kidlit blog. It was hard, because I'd put a lot of work into it, but I realized it was making me feel worse about my lack of process - here I was, writing blog posts about publishing, and I still wasn't published! The second thing I did was put that second book in the drawer and start on a new project - and only that project. Do you think it might help if you chose one WIP and focused only on that until you have a draft? You know I love balancing multiple projects at once, so I'm not saying that's a bad thing. But maybe just giving yourself a deadline - like a month, or "June 1" or something - where you dedicate all of your writing time to one WIP, and know the others will be waiting for you when you're done. You'll definitely see more/faster progress that way, and it might help give you the motivational boost you need!

[@Avionne_Parris]

@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Really great advice! I will take both if these things to heart. And what better time to pick one WIP to work on for Camp Nano? Thanks, Michelle ^_^

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

@@Avionne_Parris Oh man, I forgot it was Camp Nano month! That's excellent timing!

[@floragraves5167]

Subscribed to your new newsletter! I’ve been wanting to develop my own. I wonder how authors are able to decide which to place behind the payment subscription and which you don’t. It seems like such a cool app!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Thanks so much, Flora!! I'm curious about that too - I might pay to join a few, mostly to see what those writers are offering. It is a very cool app!

[@0Raiin0]

Looking back, do you regret not plotting from the get go? I remember you said you were doing the pantsing because you were burnt out from plotting, so did it help with that? Did it make you fall back in love with plotting? Or do you think it wasn't worth the sacrifice of now being semi-burnt out on an idea that like you said, could have been done by now. Just curious as a huge plotter who sometimes gets tempted to the dark side (aka discovery writing).

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

I don't regret it, no - both because it gave me that break, like I wanted, but also because I did learn some stuff about the book by pantsing that draft that I really don't think I would've figured out if I'd tried to outline it. I discovered stuff! So it served it's purpose (even if I'm frustrated with how long it's taking me haha)

[@HamidOulaidi-h4i]

To bé Frank , thé first Time I fins your vidéos. Interested in thé topics. I've juste finished my first draft. It needs to bé review but how I don't know....

[@PaulRWorthington]

I completed my novel that has EIGHT point of view characters. I think it really helped the story, and I think it worked overall, and my beta readers have all enjoyed it very much… But I will never do that again.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

YEAH I hear you on this one 🤣

[@nahlanoelle8825]

Love your videos, Michelle, but the light illuminating you is very bright. Any chance you can tone that down in future videos? Just asking because I usually get a headache from watching and have to lower down pretty much all brightness on my screen. Your videos didn't used to be like this so maybe it's an accidental setting. Thx!

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

Absolutely! I've noticed it too - the last few videos where I've sat down in front of the window, it's been overcast outside. The lighting looks totally normal on my camera, then when I get it on my laptop, I realize how bright it is! I'll close the blinds next time. :)

[@Panda_Amanda]

Lol. You saying how your Nano project is so different now from what it was is 10000% me. I always use Nano as the launchpad for my ideas, then it grows and morphs into something with the same heart, but (hopefully) vastly improved characters and a much more cohesive plot. Haha. Side note: I have seen you show us things in Scrivener before, and you mention how you use it here and there in your videos, but how do you feel about a more in-depth “tutorial” to show some of us newbs more practical tips about how a professional writer uses it? I am baffled by some of the smaller features, and Googling often doesn’t result in answers. I use it, but I know I am not getting to most out of it. Up until a couple months ago I was in Word, and honestly didn’t find it as bad as some say when my draft cracked 100k words. I understand Scrivener is better for much larger manuscripts, but have yet to uncover the tricks. Lovely video, as always! 😊

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

That's a great idea! I'll consider it for sure. Scrivener is so powerful, it can be intimidating. I know I only use a fraction of the tools on there. You've probably already seen this, but they have a lot of tutorials on their site. There's a ton of them, but the nice thing is that they're broken down into short videos so you can learn how to do one specific thing: www.literatureandlatte.com/learn-and-support/video-tutorials?os=macOS

[@tomgrant3893]

Is there a way I can privately contact you for advise about what other paths I can try. I know your busy, Thanks.

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

My email address is in the About section on my channel page - but I'm really slow to respond at the moment (currently in the process of moving)!

[@tomgrant3893]

@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor I sent u an email via yahoo, weather u get it or not I don't know. just letting u know.

[@kanashiiookami6537]

Your answer to the "why not write a child/adult life saga" just made me realise why I don't connect with child characters in adult books. 😂 I always thought the narration was too stiff and knowledgeable for the child, and now I know why. (I'd thought back then that the authors just sucked at writing kids. I didn't realise narration has to be more "reflecting on your past" than "in the present" mindset) It makes me wonder what others (who aren't neurodivergent like me) will see reading my stuff and if they'll think the narration is too ambiguous of age or "why is everything reading like a YA?", because, so far, I only have likeminded people (literally) in my life and don't know if I'd have to go on some forum or writing group with a weird ad like "hey, are you neurotypical or think you are? Wanna beta read an autistic/ADHD person's book....?". (Though I don't even know if that approach would work, because whether we know we're ND or not, we gravitate toward others who share a similar brain. In my 30 some odd years of life, I don't think I've met a single NT, at least in person) Anyway, sorry for the ramble. I'm glad you found a newsletter setup you like. I just figured the lack of newsletters (which I only realised after I got the most recent one. Considering ADHD is literally "out if sight out of mind"😅) was like breaks from KZbin where work + life = needing to step back and recharge. (It made sense, is what I'm getting at. And makes even more sense now that i know the true reason. I fully support "ugh, I hate this" as reason for searching out something better, and that one you said wouldn't let you save your draft? Horrible planning on the creator's part. What were they thinking?!🤦) Anyway, thank you for the video, the answers to great questions (did not know about the international book fair thing, glad to know the answer to that before I ever have to worry about a new stress. 😅❤) I hope your work is going well and I wish you the best of luck with your story writing/revisions. Hope you have a great rest of your week. ❤

[@MichelleSchustermanAuthor]

I definitely think that's the biggest thing writers miss about MG! I've seen many aspiring MG authors write something based of their childhood - which is fine - but they bring that adult, reflective perspective to it. And that's not MG. FWIW I don't think it would be weird if you were open about being ND when looking for betas! I bet you'd find lots of readers happy to volunteer. :) I hope your projects are going well!!