Finding Your Path to Publishing

By Tina Holland

Have you finished a book and looking to get published?  Whether you want to go traditional, small press or indie, this book will help you find your path to publishing. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tina Holland
• Release date: Nov 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781540190222

Tina Holland

Tina Holland was born in Frankfurt, Germany to military parents, and is a self-proclaimed military brat. She has been writing since childhood and continues to be prolific at least in starting manuscripts. Tina began her career by attending a Romantic Times Convention in 2003, and writing a short story for Kathryn Falk’s Bordella series. Tina continues to write as her schedule allows. She is a member of Romance Writers of America Online. When Tina is not writing, she can be found enjoying her hobby farm in North Dakota. It may seem like a desolate place but with her husband, horses, cats, dog, and chickens, it’s rarely lonely. It’s the perfect fit for a wonderful imagination and an opportunity to be a little naughty.

Book preview

Foreward

The first time I met author Tina Holland, she asked me what I was doing as an author. She shared a genuine interest in my success and gave me several suggestions that I incorporated into my plans, which ultimately resulted in Rachel Wilder and I being offered our first publishing contract.

Tina’s passion for writing is second only to her passion for helping other writers succeed, to truly pay it forward in the writing world in a way that enriches and lifts up the people who come in contact with her. I first took her FEARS workshop, which stands for Finish, Edit, Analyze, Research, and Submit, several years ago and loved every minute of it. She makes what can be a bewildering array of options and tasks seem doable. She creates a clear path forward, whatever the writer’s ultimate goal – to land a New York contract, find an agent, publish with a small press, indie pub, or blog.

I’m as excited about Finding Your Path To Publishing as I was when I first met Tina, because it does exactly what the title promises: guides you, teaches you, inspires you, to find your path.

~ A. Catherine Noon, Author

www.noonandwilder.com

Founder of Writer Zen Garden

www.writerzengarden.com

Acknowledgments

I’d like to take the time to thank those who have made this book possible.  Special thanks to Writer Zen Garden and Founder A. Catherine Noon for encouraging me and reminding me I had something to offer the world.

Thank-you to Mary Jean Adams, Maddy Barone and Leslie Scott for consenting to be interviewed.  Their varied experience in small presses, as well as the exploration into Indie Press, add to the wealth of knowledge in this book. Kudos to Maddy for the cover art.  She did a wonderful job.

Thanks to my Critique Partner Holli Winters for giving this story one last look over. 

I can’t take any credit without honoring my tribes, F-M Word Weavers, Writer Zen Garden, and RWA Online.  The people involved in these groups have contributed to my writing career through their encouragement, knowledge, and support through all things writing related and personal struggles.

Last but not least, my husband Ken, whose love resonates in many of my heroes.  Not a single word could’ve been written without this man in my corner.  He doesn’t understand the publishing world, but he gets me which is far more important.  His knowledge as a pilot, engineer, military veteran, sportsman and all around renaissance man has helped me navigate waters unbeknownst to me. The fact that his own stories fuel my imagination and resonate in my heart is not lost on me. 

My fellow Readers and Writers - Thank You!  I’m grateful you have added this book to your library and hope you find the resources helpful in following your own publishing path.

Tina Holland

www.tinaholland.com

Introduction

Hello, my fellow writer!  Congratulations on writing your first book, or maybe even your fifth. 

My name is Tina Holland (a pseudonym).  I’ve written over ten books, am published with two houses and have been nominated for awards.  I write Contemporary, Paranormal and Fantasy Romance, and now I can add Non-fiction to the list.

Writing is a journey for many of us, myself included.  Very few of us navigate the sea of words without discovering more about our characters, the subject matter, or even ourselves.

This book is intended to help you navigate the publishing world to find the best home for your book, even if that home isn’t quite finished.

While I am not an expert on everything, I do have a healthy knowledge of the publishing industry, simply because it fascinates me.  I probably should’ve been an agent, but I love writing too much.  The business is changing rapidly and some of the material within will be dated within months of publication.  However, I hope to provide you with the basic principles and etiquette of the industry. 

I’ve divided the book up into two parts based on online classes I’ve taught.  Part One -  Overcoming your FEARS to get published will cover pre-publication.  Part Two - What to do after you hit SEND will cover after publication.  There is Homework at the end of each chapter to help you.

Since I myself don’t write in a bubble, I’ve interviewed my fellow authors for their writing processes and perceptions of the publishing industry.  They come from a variety of backgrounds and have chosen different paths, so hopefully, my stories and theirs will help you find your way.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Tina Holland

Finish the book

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The hardest part of the job for any writer is typing THE END

I don't think we can cover this topic without talking about Writer's Block.   Not all writers suffer from blocks, and some don’t even believe in them.  Here are some of my fellow writer’s  thoughts when I asked them if they’d ever had writer’s block

"Not writer’s block per se. I do have times when I can’t quite work out a story detail. It’s usually related to the timeline, e.g., I want my heroine to be at the burning of the Gaspee, but that happened too early to make it work.

I think what a lot of people call writer’s block is just mental and physical exhaustion. They don’t feel like writing. I suppose we all get that.

Relax and don’t take this world too seriously. Join a critique group – but make sure it’s one that really fits your style. I believe the wrong critique group can cause writer’s block instead of cure it. Then, eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep. Sugar makes me particularly groggy, so if I want to be at my best, I really need to avoid it." ~ Mary Jean Adams, Author of American Historicals.

"No, not really. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what should happen next, but what keeps me from writing is just not wanting to write.

I would suggest writing something else for a while. Maybe just something for fun, not publication. Maybe something in a different genre." ~Maddy Barone, Author of After the Crash Series.

"I have an unpopular opinion here:  but I never get writer’s block and I don’t believe in it. If you’re stuck... then something’s wrong within the story. This is your writer brain’s way of telling you there is a problem you need to fix before continuing.

Outline, even if it’s just a skeleton. This allows you to see the blueprint of your story, but still just sit down and write (fill in the gaps). And if you can see where the story is going you can knock out any problems before you get started... and then get stuck."~Leslie Scott, Author of The Finish Line.

Much like my fellow authors, I’m not a firm believer in creative blocks, but I think as authors we need to have a name for why we can’t finish a project and sometimes it's not simply butt in chair syndrome. In my opinion writer's block occurs in three forms.

●  Loss of Passion - you're just not as excited as you were