Teresa Jade LeYung's BLOG

Posts Tagged ‘publishers’

Writers are asking me:  “Coach Teresa, how do I go about promoting myself, my writings/books/causes year-round and not run out of ideas?”

Let’s take this month – May

Did you know that May is:
•   National Arthritis Month
•    Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
•    Better Hearing and Speech Month
•    National Bike Month
•    International Business Image Improvement Month
•    Creative Beginnings Month
•    Family Wellness Month
•    Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month
•   Get Caught Reading Month
•    Gifts From the Garden Month
•    Haitian Heritage Month
•    Heal the Children Month
•    National Hepatitis Awareness Month
•    Jewish American Heritage Month
•    Latino Books Month
•    National Meditation Month
•    Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

•    National Mental Health Month
•    Motorcycle Safety Month
•    Older Americans Month
•    National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
•    Personal History Month
•    National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
•    National Salsa Month
•    National Stroke Awareness Month
•    Teen Self-Esteem Month
•    International Victorious Woman Month
•    Women’s Health Care Month

Whether you’re sending out press releases or blogging or broadcasting via social media, be sure to link your name and work to these recognized dates.

For example, I use my novel Love Made of Heart to inspire adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and to gain resources for their families. For my press release, my headline could be:  Author Honors Her Parent & National Mental Health Month with Love Made of Heart.

Cheers from Writing Career Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan!

To find more ways to link your name to recognized dates, get Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (paperback) $22.00

Introduce yourself and tell me about your writing project by submitting a comment to this post. To do that, click on the blue title bar of this post, fill in the boxes, then press the [ submit comment ] button.  See my examples below.

I cheer for you.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

author / manuscript consultant / writing career coach

author of Love Made of Heart (the story that inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas and to gain resources for their families)

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (the workbook that helps fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge)

Hello Writers,

I am Teresa LeYung Ryan. My clients call me Writing Career Coach Teresa. Who are my clients? They are writers just like you:

• authors who have invested years writing their projects and needed to hook agents with a marketing pitch in their query letters.

• authors who have self-published their books, and deserve more readers.

• writers of fiction and nonfiction, tired of rejections, tired of publishers telling them that they don’t have a platform or fanbase.

What is a platform anyway?

Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers who are likely to buy what you have to sell. Let’s hear that again.

Making your name stand for something (the themes/the subject matters/the issues in your writing)—to attract targeted consumers (people who buy the kinds of books you create ) who are likely to buy what you have to sell (your literary works).

Join the community of authors who write fiction (novels, short stories, graphic novels, novellas), narrative and creative nonfiction (autobiographies, biographies, memoirs, essays), prescriptive nonfiction (how-to books), poetry, speeches, and other genres . . .  and have gained a competitive edge with my workbook: Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW

What these authors have to say:

Ruth Silnes is a published author of three books, one of them a how-to book. Ruth says: “Thanks to Coach Teresa’s workbook I learned how to contact a star. Carol Channing wrote a review for my latest book.”

Kate Britton is looking for an agent for her novel; she’s also considering self-publishing.  She says: “Through Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days . . . you’ll find out some pretty interesting things about yourself and what your platform is really all about.”

Margaret Davis, a published novelist, says: “Instead of the usual pep talks, Coach Teresa’s workbook consists of a series of exercises which are thought-provoking, and always fun.”

Lynn Scott, author of narrative non-fiction (memoirs), says: “Coach Teresa is a whiz in the ways a writer can get noticed.”

Join these successful authors today!

Go to Amazon and search for Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days.  After you order my book, contact me through this blog post (click on the title bar of this post scroll down to get boxes, filled in the boxes, and click the “submit comment” button) and you will receive a free tip on platform building.

In the meantime, check out the resources at my website http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

I’ll see there!

And remember, “Reach out, not stress out.  Help your readers find you!” with Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

Sincerely,

Writing Career Coach Teresa 

I invite everyone referred to in this post (especially the authors who have been coached by yours truly,  22-Day Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan) to introduce yourselves by submitting a comment to this post. To do that, click on the blue title bar of this post, fill in the boxes, then press the [ submit comment ] button.  I cheer for you.

22-Day Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan helps authors with their pitches at "Speed Dating with Agents & Acquisition Editors" at WNBA's signature event

Andria Wagner
Barbara Brunetti
Belinda “Bee” Hylinski
Brittany Pettibone
Nicole Pettibone
Danny Garon
Diana Franco
Jennifer Hewitt
Joan Steidinger
Kimber Simpkins
Rasa Gustaitis
Ronnie Lovler

How to Pitch a Novel, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, or How-To Book to Agents and Acquisition Editors

Saturday March 26, 2011

This morning colleague Jane Glendinning and I had a chance to catch up since October last year when I met the delightful writers (and saw Sarah Clark!) at California Writers Club Berkeley Branch.

Jane and I had shared  an adventure when Oakland public libraries were in danger of severe budget cuts.  This morning 7:40am our walk from BART Embarcadero station to Sinbad’s Restaurant was another adventure in San Francisco.  Rain. Puddles.  We were on our way to help authors pitch their projects at the WNBA signature event “Meet the Agents & Acquisition Editors”

The reward was working with fellow members at Women’s National Book Association. Jane Glendinning and Birgit Soyka helped Meet-the-Agents Event Chair Judith Marshall and  Chapter President Lynn Henriksen set up while Treasurer Christopher Payne and beloved Vicki Weiland greeted attendees at registration.  VP Kate Britton had worked miracles pulling online registration data.  Mary Jo McConahay took photos (We are so happy for Mary Jo. Two years ago at this same event, Mary Jo met agent Andy Ross.  Her book, Maya Roads, will be published on August 1, 2011.)

Tanya Egan Gibson, Mary E. Knippel and yours truly Teresa LeYung Ryan helped authors fine-tune their pitches.

Karen Folger Jacobs & Diane LeBow I always get a kick seeing you two power-women.

Talking Tagline Coach Elisa Southard couldn’t be there because she was at the Bay Area Travel Writing planning retreat. Diane LeBow also headed to that meeting after the pitch fest.

Mathilde Schmidt and Carla Danziger – great seeing you both.   I met new member Janine Kovac.  Welcome aboard!

Valerie Mihalache, it was wonderful seeing you.

The 11 agents/acquisition editors/publishers included WNBA members Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen (who are co-founders of San Francisco Writers Conference and Writing for Change Conference), Laurie McLean, Jennifer Joseph, Amy Burkhardt, Andy Ross, Brooke Warner, Georgia Hughes, Gordon Warnock, Jeanette Perez, and Peter Beren!

Zoe Fitzgerald Carter, author of Imperfect Endings, gifted us with a candid talk about her publishing journal, the folks who helped her share her remarkable story with readers, and what she’s working on now.

Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan and Agent Laurie McLean

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  Read success stories (on Amazon) from writers who have finished the 22-day workbook I created to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-book-to-help-a-writer-build-platform-and-fanbase/

General Rules for 2011 Writing Contests from San Mateo County Fair Literary Arts Dept.

Entries must be received by 7:00 pm, Friday, April 29, 2011 or postmarked by April 25^th, 2011

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/competitive-exhibits/departments/literary-arts

After you go to above link, look at left side of the webpage and click on [ Entry Book Pages ] for general rules.

The Literary Arts Department at the San Mateo County Fair offering contests in these categories:

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/guide_book/creative_arts.pdf for the list of writing contests & descriptions (scroll to pages 64 -  70)

DIVISION 342 – THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY
Sponsored by Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of  Love Made of Heart http://lovemadeofheart.com

DIVISION 335 – “HEROES ARISE” SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY NOVEL CHAPTER
Sponsored by Laurel Anne Hill, author of  Heroes Arise www.laurelannehill.com

DIVISION 336 – SAN FRANCISCO/PENINSULA CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB:
THE MOST PROMISING WRITER OF THE YEAR SHORT STORY CONTEST

DIVISION 337 – THE VERNA DREISBACH “WHY WE RIDE” NONFICTION
Sponsored by Verna Dreisbach www.vernadreisbach.com

DIVISION 338 – THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEMOIR WRITERS: THE POWER OF MEMOIR www.namw.org

DIVISION 341– “I’M DYING TO TELL YOU” MYSTERY NOVEL CHAPTER
Sponsored by Frank M. Kahren, author of  Brand Loyalty www.fmkahren.com

DIVISION 324 – CHILDREN’S NOVEL CHAPTER OR STORY CONTEST
Sponsored by Parenting on the Peninsula www.ponthep.com

DIVISION 323 – THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Sponsored by the Peninsula Arts Council www.peninsulaartscouncil.org

The Capitol City Young Writers Award
Youth Grades 6-12  Sponsored by Verna Dreisbach, President and Founder http://www.capitolcityyoungwriters.org/ Young writers, also check out Capital City Young Writers’ website for other resources. For contest description and rules though, go to the San Mateo County Fair links:

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/competitive-exhibits/departments/literary-arts

After you go to above link, look at left side of the webpage and click on [ Entry Book Pages ] for general rules.

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/guide_book/creative_arts.pdf (scroll down to bottom of page 67 for this contest’s description)

Also, there are contests for essays, poetry, and more !

Thank you, Bardi Rosman Koodri, for orchestrating the Literary Arts Dept.:

LITERARY ARTS GENERAL RULES

PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for all literary contests (including the NDNU scholarship) is 7:00 pm, Friday, April 29, 2011. Registration to compete can be done online, but no literary entries via email will be accepted without three (3) copies of your written material as well, which can be mailed (must be postmarked by April 25^th, 2011) or delivered to the office by the deadline noted above.

GENERAL RULES:

1.   FORMAT: THREE (3) copies of your entry on 8-1/2″ x 11″ white paper with each page numbered and TYPED, double spaced.  Font point size may not be smaller than 12 pt.  Do not submit the original. For judging purposes, author’s name SHALL NOT appear on literary work.  For each piece, include a 3″ x 5″ card with the Author’s name, address, city, zip, home phone, day phone, email address, title, first sentence or line, word count, division, and class.  Literary arts entries must be contestant’s original work and written in English.  DO NOT RESUBMIT ANY LITERARY WORK PREVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO THE SAN MATEO COUNTY FAIR WHETHER IT WON A PRIZE OR NOT.

2.  NEW: Submissions can be made electronically as long as three (3) copies are also printed and mailed in time.

3.   JUDGING:  Literary arts will be judged off site.  Literary arts entries must have correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation in order for each entry to be judged on its own merit.

4.   RELEASE: Author retains all rights; however, the author agrees that all literary arts entries may be displayed; along with each division first prize winner’s name, title, and an excerpt of said winning work, and any/all may be used for publicity purposes at the sole discretion of the Fair management.

5.   RETURN: In keeping with current writing competition standards, no literary arts entries will be returned; for confidentiality, all printed material will be recycled.

6.   PRIZE RIBBONS: Ribbons may not be collected during the fair; they will be distributed after the end of the fair.

7.  AGE:  Age for senior citizen class (55 and older) is determined by having had a birthday on or before

April 1, 2011.

Even if work is electronically submitted, three (3) printed copies of each entry must also be mailed to:

San Mateo County Event Center/Literary contest submission

2495 S. Delaware Street

San Mateo, CA 94403

(650) 574-3247

Thank you, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, my fellow contest sponsors, and everyone involved in making these contests available.

I was a recipient of an award from the Jack London Writers Conference Writing Contest (category:  novel) in 1997.  Mentioning of that award attracted agents’ attention when I queried them.  I encourage writers to enter their work to reputable contests; I encourage writers to check out supportive organizations such as California Writers Club!

My best wishes to writers,

Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart, cheers for brave immigrants.

22-Day Coach Teresa

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  Read success stories (on Amazon) from writers who have finished the 22-day workbook I created to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-book-to-help-a-writer-build-platform-and-fanbase/

Are there employment opportunities at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York?

22-Day Coach Teresa here, just received an email from AAWW:

“We’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we’re sad to announce the departure of Workshop Managing Director Solmaz Sharif, the Iranian American poet and activist who read anti-war poems with us in 2009, dreamt up our speed-dating night, and generally made the Workshop awesome. The good news is we’re proud to announce that she’s won the “Discovery” / Boston Review Poetry Contest, one of the most prestigious national contests for emerging poets!

This also means we’re hiring for two positions: a Development Associate to fundraise for our socially progressive programs and a Program Director to help us put together our quirky yet curated literary events series. Click on the links and apply today!”

The Asian American Writers’ Workshop

110-112 W. 27th St
Suite 600
New York, NY 10001
P: 212-494-0061
E: desk@aaww.org

Also, the 2011 Asian American Short Story Contest will name one grand prize winner who will win a cash prize of $1000 and have the winning story published in an upcoming issue of Hyphen, one second prize winner who will win a cash prize of $350 and 8 finalists. http://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=3277

Cheers to job seekers and contest registrants!

Sincerely,

22-Day Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  Read success stories (on Amazon) from writers who have finished the 22-day workbook I created to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-book-to-help-a-writer-build-platform-and-fanbase/

How did Cat Mulan Author Margie Yee Webb create a fun book launch for Community?

A recipe for a fun book launch:

• 1. Consider your guests – audience – readers
• 2. Choose location location location
• 3. Pick a meaningful date

Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life

1. For Margie’s delightful gift book–cat lovers, pet lovers, friends of cat lovers, animal advocates.

2. The Market Place in Rancho Cordova, CA – lovely showroom setting in a home and garden improvement mall.  They provide cashiers. Plenty of parking.

3.  People for Animal Welfare in El Dorado County (PAWED), Animal Rescue League, FieldHaven Feline Rescue, and Sacramento SPCA were able to send representatives and bring felines to Margie’s book launch on March 12, 2011.

I met Shaun who was taking plenty of photos of author Margie Yee Webb, her festive exhibit, and the representatives and cats from above referenced organizations.

I met authors Kevin “James” Richardson and Don Ricardo.

I chatted with author Hazuki Kataoka of http://storycardtheater.com We had met when I presented “Build Your Name, Beat the Game” at the 2010 Northern California Publishers and Authors Conference (Margie had connected me with NCPA).

It was pure joy to see Margie interact with her old fans and new fans; it was delightful to see Margie’s mom, siblings, nieces and nephews.

Margie had created over half a dozen cat-theme gift baskets–raffle ticket donations support the animal organizations.

Lakshmi Kerner (LakshmiLove), thank you again and again for driving and cheering and staying to meet Kimberly A. Edwards (Lakshmi and Kimberly both write memoirs).

***  

Margie, I am so very happy for you and Cat Mulan.  Kimberly had the purrfect description of your event–Margie’s book launch is a model for authors.

Look what Angela Pang of AsianWeek wrote about Margie and Cat Mulan:

http://www.asianweek.com/2011/03/10/chinese-american-releases-new-inspirational-cat-book/

Margie Yee Webb promotes pet awareness and encourages people to make a difference in the lives of cats and other companion animals. A portion of every sale of Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings will be donated to animal welfare organizations and shelters.

Cat Mulan and Margie encourage you to support your local animal welfare organizations and shelters.

* * * * * * * * *

Is There a Writing Contest for Novels, Memoirs, Short Stories that Invites the Theme of the Immigrant Experience?

YES!

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/competitive-exhibits/departments/literary-arts After you go to above link, look at left side of the webpage and click on [ Entry Book Pages ]  for general rules.

The Literary Arts Department at the San Mateo County Fair offering contests in these categories:

http://www.sanmateocountyfair.com/pdf/guide_book/creative_arts.pdf for the list of writing contests & descriptions (scroll to pages 64 -  70)

DIVISION 342 – THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE: NOVEL, MEMOIR, OR SHORT STORY
Sponsored by Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of  Love Made of Heart http://lovemadeofheart.com

DIVISION 335 – “HEROES ARISE” SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY NOVEL CHAPTER
Sponsored by Laurel Anne Hill, author of  Heroes Arise www.laurelannehill.com

DIVISION 336 – SAN FRANCISCO/PENINSULA CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB:
THE MOST PROMISING WRITER OF THE YEAR SHORT STORY CONTEST

DIVISION 337 – THE VERNA DREISBACH “WHY WE RIDE” NONFICTION
Sponsored by Verna Dreisbach www.vernadreisbach.com

DIVISION 338 – THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEMOIR WRITERS: THE POWER OF MEMOIR www.namw.org

DIVISION 341– “I’M DYING TO TELL YOU” MYSTERY NOVEL CHAPTER
Sponsored by Frank M. Kahren, author of ?Brand Loyalty? www.fmkahren.com

DIVISION 324 – CHILDREN’S NOVEL CHAPTER OR STORY CONTEST
Sponsored by Parenting on the Peninsula www.ponthep.com

DIVISION 323 – THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Sponsored by the Peninsula Arts Council www.peninsulaartscouncil.org

The Capitol City Young Writers Award
Youth Grades 6-12  Sponsored by Verna Dreisbach, President and Founder www.capitolcityyoungwriters.org

Also, there are contests for essays, poetry, and more !

LITERARY ARTS GENERAL RULES

PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for all literary contests (including the NDNU scholarship) is 7:00 pm, Friday, April 29, 2011. Registration to compete can be done online, but no literary entries via email will be accepted without three (3) copies of your written material as well, which can be mailed (must be postmarked by April 25^th, 2011) or delivered to the office by the deadline noted above.

GENERAL RULES:

1.   FORMAT: THREE (3) copies of your entry on 8-1/2″ x 11″ white paper with each page numbered and TYPED, double spaced.  Font point size may not be smaller than 12 pt.  Do not submit the original. For judging purposes, author’s name SHALL NOT appear on literary work.  For each piece, include a 3″ x 5″ card with the Author’s name, address, city, zip, home phone, day phone, email address, title, first sentence or line, word count, division, and class.  Literary arts entries must be contestant’s original work and written in English.  DO NOT RESUBMIT ANY LITERARY WORK PREVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO THE SAN MATEO COUNTY FAIR WHETHER IT WON A PRIZE OR NOT.

2.  NEW: Submissions can be made electronically as long as three (3) copies are also printed and mailed in time.

3.   JUDGING:  Literary arts will be judged off site.  Literary arts entries must have correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation in order for each entry to be judged on its own merit.

4.   RELEASE: Author retains all rights; however, the author agrees that all literary arts entries may be displayed; along with each division first prize winner’s name, title, and an excerpt of said winning work, and any/all may be used for publicity purposes at the sole discretion of the Fair management.

5.   RETURN: In keeping with current writing competition standards, no literary arts entries will be returned; for confidentiality, all printed material will be recycled.

6.   PRIZE RIBBONS: Ribbons may not be collected during the fair; they will be distributed after the end of the fair.

7.  AGE:  Age for senior citizen class (55 and older) is determined by having had a birthday on or before

April 1, 2011.

Even if work is electronically submitted, three (3) printed copies of each entry must also be mailed to:

San Mateo County Event Center/Literary contest submission

2495 S. Delaware Street

San Mateo, CA 94403

(650) 574-3247

Thank you, Bardi Rosman Koodrin, my fellow contest sponsors, and everyone involved in making these contests available.

I was a recipient of an award from the Jack London Writers Conference Writing Contest (category:  novel) in 1997.  Mentioning of that award attracted agents’ attention when I queried them.  I encourage writers to enter their work to reputable contests; I encourage writers to check out supportive organizations such as California Writers Club!

My best wishes to writers,

Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart, cheers for brave immigrants.

22-Day Coach Teresa

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  Read success stories (on Amazon) from writers who have finished the 22-day workbook I created to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-book-to-help-a-writer-build-platform-and-fanbase/

Is there a writing contest for horror novels?

Thank you, publisher Christopher Payne, for bringing this to my attention.

JournalStone’s $2,000 advance in 2011 Publishing Contest  http://journalstone.com
Get your HORROR novel published and earn a $2,000 advance against future royalties.
JournalStone is holding its first HORROR publishing contest. Have you written a horror novel?  Would you like to be published?  Would you like to actually earn money for your efforts?
Submit your 75,000 words or more manuscript/novel to christophercpayne@journalstone.com on or before 11 p.m. Pacific time June 1, 2011, and you will be entered.  The winner will receive a $2,000 advance against future royalties and have his/her novel published by JournalStone.  Grammar counts, people.  Have it edited before you submit your entry.
The #1 winner is also eligible for active membership to the HWA (Horror Writers Association).  Have you always wanted to join, but haven’t met the criteria.  You can now become an active member with all of its benefits and prestige!
Scared about not winning?  Second prize gets a $500 advance and a published novel.  Yes, you have to sign a contract first.  Third place gets a $200 advance and for the last time, also gets a published novel.  Not one of the top three?  No worries, you might still be good enough to get your novel published, you will just have to earn your money on the royalties.  We only have so much to give out for free.

Details at:   http://journalstone.com/contest/2000-in-2011-horror-contest/

* * *

Christopher Payne and I are board members of WNBA-SF Chapter. If you’d like to meet us, we will be at the WNBA event “Meet the Agents & Acquisition Editors” on Saturday March 26, 2011   http://wnba-sfchapter.org

Sincerely,

22-Day Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan

Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  Read success stories (on Amazon) from writers who have finished the 22-day workbook I created the fun workbook to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/is-there-a-book-to-help-a-writer-build-platform-and-fanbase/

In the summer of 1999, I took 2 three-week leaves-of-absence from my full time day job to plunge into what I knew would be the final rewrite of my novel Love Made of Heart (the story inspired by my mother–a beautiful woman who suffered mental illness all her life).  Three writers (Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson, Susan Canale) read that draft and gave me the most helpful criticism.  I made the improvements.  That summer I queried about 60 agents. By autumn, four agents asked for an exclusive read… I followed protocol.

In December that year, Stacey Glick of Dystel Literary Management (now Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) gifted me with these words: “Teresa, you’re a talented writer.  I would like to represent you.”

An agent’s advocacy doesn’t guarantee landing a publisher.  After receiving 22 rejections from all the acquisition editors she pitched to, and another seven months had passed, Stacey had incredible news.  It’s now April 2001, editorial director John Scognamiglio of Kensington Publishing NY had called Stacey Glick; Kensington wanted to make me an offer–to buy the publishing rights of my novel.  Laurie Perkin was the publisher; Debbie Tobias was Sales Director; Lou Malcangi for lovely book cover; Libba Bray (who is now an author of young adult books) for book jacket copy; Jacquie Edwards for copy editing; everyone who helped in the publishing process. I’ll show my “Acknowledgments”  in Love Made of Heart as another blog post.

Fast forward (I had to deliver more rewrites) . . . eighteen months later on October 1, 2002 the hardcover edition of Love Made of Heart made its debut.  I had so many people to thank. And so many presentations to deliver.

In October 2003 the trade paperback edition of  Love Made of Heart was released.

The trade paperback edition has the same striking book cover as the hardcover.  The trade paperback has my Author’s Note to Reader that the hardcover edition doesn’t have.

Author’s Note to Reader

Thank you for letting me share Ruby Lin’s story with you.  Many readers have asked me what the characters in the novel have done for me.  My answer is this: I’ve learned that behind every face is a compelling story.

Please remember me as a writer who says YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence and child abuse.

Who is Mrs. Nussbaum?  She lives in all our hearts.  Just as we have the “child within,” we also have the “wise elder within.”  May you always embrace your compelling story and allow your Mrs. Nussbaum to embrace you.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

http://www.dystel.com/client-list/#r

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=6274

*********

Since 2007 I’ve been a writing career coach.  Since January 2010 I’ve been known as “22-Day Coach Teresa”   The new edition of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon.  I created the fun workbook to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge.  Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now!  http://writingcoachteresa.com