Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

Leah, you are on fire! Congrats, I am so happy for you.

Thank you!!

Anyway--I thought it was only fair to share this news with you all, since I wrote the story they bought as part of this challenge! Keep writing and submitting. If it can happen to me, it can definitely happen to you!!!

Wow! That’s awesome! And one of the challenge stories! Wishing you the best of luck for more successes!

Thanks for the motivation, too.

Way to go Leah! WOOT!

Congrats, Leah!

Congratulations Leah! I'm excited to read your story. How long until it is published?

Thanks, all! I believe they said it should be published in June or July. I will keep y'all up to date.

Congratulations, Leah! You, like others, have proven that what we are doing here in this little writing workshop WORKS. I look forward to reading your story, and I know it's an excellent professional sale. Well done!

Back to writing, Wulf Pack! Rewards await you! But first...your next exercise! Did you think I'd leave you with nothing to do for the weak while some of us head off to Superstars?

Beastmaster Moon

ASSIGNMENT: Read David Farland’s Writing Tips “Mapping Your Career Path.”
https://mystorydoctor.com/mapping-your-career-path/

Now please answer the following:

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?”

2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals?

David outlines one of the clearest writer paths I’ve ever seen. Let’s take a look at it.

THE NEWBIE

3. What is usually the goal of new writers?

4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there?

THE PROVEN WRITER

5. What is a “proven writer?”

6. Why do publishers seek them?

7. How do you become a proven writer?

8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland?

9. What three areas must you prove yourself in?

THE MIDLIST

10. What is a midlist author?

11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?”

LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status?

13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors?

14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author?

SUPER LEAD

15. What is a “super lead” author?

16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base?

17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about.

18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels?

19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base?

APEX WRITER

20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex?

21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer?

CONCLUSION:

Ask yourself where you are, and ask yourself what kind of writer you wish to be. Choose your target. Now write down what kind of habits you believe the author at each of those levels had to have to get there.

Make your own map, with plateaus going up the side of a mountaintop. At the top, write the level of writer you would be most happy at achieving. Now go down to the bottom of that mountain, and map out the level-ups you must acheive to reach to that ultimate destination. Dave just told them to you, but you need to personalize your own map, with your own perfect peak.

This map is personal. Make it nice. Keep it and refer back to it. But the answers to the questions above are not. Please post your answers while some of us are at Superstars trying to figure out what we need to do to get to the next level. Don’t worry, if you couldn’t make it, I’m having each Wulf Pack member write you a little report on what they learned...

BTW would anyone be interested in sharing flash for criticism every week or two? This would be flash after it was built back up from 250 to whatever amount around 999. I know I have one interested. I was also thinking we could aim to have a few guidelines for criticism eventually, but we could deal with that as we go along.

Hey oishisushi911, I would would be keen for this and could help out with organization if that helps. Having a lot of fun with the flash writes and also need to work on crit skills ... so, yeah, +1 😀

Hey oishisushi911, I would would be keen for this and could help out with organization if that helps. Having a lot of fun with the flash writes and also need to work on crit skills ... so, yeah, +1 😀

Let’s do it. I like the idea you proposed before: a shared folder on Google Drive. I think this could work as follows:

Writers would upload one story at a time. When they want to have their next story read and critiqued, they would remove their other story, presumably to send it off to a paying market, and replace it with a new one. Each writer would provide responses to each story uploaded within a week or so. If a writer needs a faster response, they should let the group know when they upload it.

Stories uploaded to this particular folder would be flash fiction that has been put through Wulf’s KYD exercise, written back up from the 250-word emotional core, and now finalized near 999 words and aiming at publication. We could always make a separate shared folder later when we want to share short stories.

With that in mind, I think we should reserve this for anyone that follows this thread and is at least aware of the KYD challenge, even if not officially participating in the challenge.

Anyone else that wants to join, comment and I’ll private message you our short email list. I’m not sure how many we’ll limit this to... Also, I did run this by Wulf, and he seemed cool with it. I mean the goal here is to support our challenge using what we’ve learned to bolster our critiques and motivate fellow members.

By the way, I’ll read the flash you sent me tomorrow on the train. I have to get ready for a job interview and day job first...

Let’s do it. I like the idea you proposed before: a shared folder on Google Drive. I think this could work as follows:

Good one Will talk off-line and good luck with the interview!

All the best for everyone going to SUPERSTARS
Assignment:

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?” They usually follow their heart.
2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals? Without a map, you will not know where you are going.
THE NEWBIE
3. What is usually the goal of new writers? Becoming a published writer.
4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there? self-publishing
THE PROVEN WRITER
5. What is a “proven writer?” You have harnessed the skills needed to be a writer.
6. Why do publishers seek them? You have reached a benchmark in the industry. They are not taking a punt on you are your abilities.
7. How do you become a proven writer? Gain a reputation amongst editors, either through publishing short stories and/or winning competitions.
8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland? The competition is a gatekeeper. Yes.
9. What three areas must you prove yourself in? Consitency, quality and large audience.
THE MIDLIST
10. What is a midlist author? A novelist who is taken seriously when submitting to editors.
11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?” continue building writing skills, winning award and figuring out how to become discovered.
LEAD AUTHOR
12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status? Is winning awards and has amassed an audience.
13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors? additional promotion.
14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author? 5 to 7
SUPER LEAD
15. What is a “super lead” author? Somewhat of a cash cow for the publisher. "Bankable"
16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base? Seasonal advertising budgets.
17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about. beyond David's list, I'm wondering if these are the writers who are 'pushed' on the big publisher's homepage??
18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels? They see you as an opportunity.
19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base? It is supported by the movie's exposure and advertising.
APEX WRITER
20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex? A shooting star in the sky (zoom in to the rocket-powered pickup).
21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer? Nope.

Sneaking in in the middle of the assignment: happy Monday morning, y'all! Today's Monday prompt is: COURAGE UNDER FIRE. Now, get ye gone and kill those darlings!

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?” We tend to follow our hearts. It's hard to plan a career path when having to start with short-term goals (e.g., making that first sale).
2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals? When you do reach milestones like making a sale, you'll have a plan for what to do next.
THE NEWBIE
3. What is usually the goal of new writers? Get your first story published.
4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there? Indie publishing.
THE PROVEN WRITER
5. What is a “proven writer?” A writer whose work is consistently publishable.
6. Why do publishers seek them? Publishers can rely on them to produce high quality work, so no time is wasted.
7. How do you become a proven writer? Write consistently well, sell stories to multiple editors, and/or build an audience of readers.
8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland? Winning the competition proves that an editor (DF) and multiple top authors like your work. Yes, winning WotF and other contests proved Dave could write; he received offers on novel proposals without having to complete a manuscript first.
9. What three areas must you prove yourself in? Write consistently, produce high quality work, and build an audience.
THE MIDLIST
10. What is a midlist author? A writer who can probably sell to almost any editor but won't get any special treatment beyond publication.
11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?” Midlist authors need to figure out how to build their audiences and sell more books. If they can reach a critical mass, it will prove to the publisher that their books are worth investing in through further promotion.
LEAD AUTHOR
12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status? Growing an audience or winning awards.
13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors? Promotion: advertisements, full covers displayed at bookstores, book clubs, secondary markets like grocery stores
14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author? 5-7
SUPER LEAD
15. What is a “super lead” author? An author whose sales make the publisher profitable.
16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base? Strategic placement in bookstores; longer marketing campaigns; selling at airports and newsstands; publicizing the author as a person through convention slots and TV ads.
17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about. Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Robert Jordan, and Danielle Steel. 10 million+
18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels? They see each of your readers as a guaranteed ticket. If the movie costs them less than the revenue they expect to get from your readers, it becomes an easy business decision to green-light.
19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base? It explodes!
APEX WRITER
20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex? An Apex author gets guaranteed large advances and top promotion thanks to projected fan appeal.
21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer? No. It isn't worth the investment from publishers. They aren't just promoting your new book - they're promoting your name and, thus, your future books.

ASSIGNMENT: Read David Farland’s Writing Tips “Mapping Your Career Path.”
https://mystorydoctor.com/mapping-your-career-path/

Now please answer the following:

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?”
Writers usually follow their hearts.
2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals?
To know where you want to go next. What milestones do you want to pass and to set goals for your career.
David outlines one of the clearest writer paths I’ve ever seen. Let’s take a look at it.

THE NEWBIE

3. What is usually the goal of new writers?
Getting published at all.
4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there?
They may self-publish.
THE PROVEN WRITER

5. What is a “proven writer?”
A proven writer consistently writes, and writes well.
6. Why do publishers seek them?
They know your work already, so they know your next work will be good as well.
7. How do you become a proven writer?
Winning contests and getting stories or novels accepted.
8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland?
Winning is something you can put on your resume. David Farland received offers of publication from having contest wins.
9. What three areas must you prove yourself in?
You must write well, and do it consistently. You should build up an audience for your work.
THE MIDLIST

10. What is a midlist author?
An author that has some work published. Publishers are paying attention to them, but but they still need to develop their skills.
11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?”
Working on their writing and winning awards as well as widening their audience.
LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status?
When they write well all the time, and their audience has grown, or they are winning awards.
13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors?
They begin to spend some money advertising you. They place your book better in bookstores, or feature you in promotions.
14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author?
5-7 books.
SUPER LEAD

15. What is a “super lead” author?
These are good, consistent writers who are able to focus on writing full time. They have a large audience for their books.
16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base?
They have a large advertising budget. This means more notice in bookstores as well as speaking at conventions etc.
17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about.
Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Robert Jordan, Danielle Steel.
18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels?
They begin to look at your books to make movies. Your books are popular enough that they seem a safe choice for a film.
19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base?
Your book receives more advertising, which allows your audience to grow even more.
APEX WRITER

20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex?
A writer who writes books that may be developed into a film before they come out.
21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer?
No, you need to develop those skills, promote your work and seek the next level.

ASSIGNMENT: Read David Farland’s Writing Tips “Mapping Your Career Path.”
https://mystorydoctor.com/mapping-your-career-path/

Here are my answers:
1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?” Most writers simply follow their hearts.

2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals? It's good to map things out so that you know where you're going and can also tell when you've arrived.

THE NEWBIE

3. What is usually the goal of new writers? Getting published at all, anywhere, even once.

4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there? self-publishing

THE PROVEN WRITER

5. What is a “proven writer?” An author who can consistently deliver a high quality story.

6. Why do publishers seek them? They don't have to guess if the story is going to be publishable; they know it will be.

7. How do you become a proven writer? If you begin selling short stories to major magazines, other editors will see you as a proven writer and it will consider your work more seriously.

8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland? Winning contests can help make you a "proven" writer, especially a large and well-respected contest like this one; David Farland got offers for publication based only on a proposal, after having won Writers of the Future.

9. What three areas must you prove yourself in? 1) Write consistently and turn in everything on time; 2)write high quality prose so you are a contender for awards; 3)establish a large audience so you have a shot at bestseller lists.

THE MIDLIST

10. What is a midlist author? An author whose work is considered publishable and editors take them seriously, but they still don't get special treatment or a ton of marketing/advertising

11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?” win awards and widen their audience.

LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status? Amass a large audience; win awards

13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors? additional advertising budget; better placement (books may be displayed face out rather than spine out); brighter and fancier covers; bigger push for expanding into additional markets

14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author? 5-7, enough to convince the publisher that you can continue to deliver consistent quality

SUPER LEAD

15. What is a “super lead” author? one whom the publisher considers "bankable;" working full-time as authors, turn in consistently high-quality books, massive audience to generate sales

16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base? invitations to speak at conventions, television commercials, display in lots of high-traffic places

17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about. Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Robert Jordan, Danielle Steel

18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels? they start to see your book as an appealing opportunity

19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base? millions of dollars' worth of advertising goes into the movie, which in turn spreads your name and widens your audience

APEX WRITER

20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex? One who writes big books on a regular basis; movie production may begin before the book is even released. And... what? Lol

21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer? Nope.

Courage Under Fire KYD is done! I really enjoyed this one a lot!
I answered the questions about David Farland's writing hints, but kept the answers to myself.
These exercises are very helpful, even to us lone wolves.

I completed the Courage under Fire exercise, now for Dave's stuff.

Hey folks, got a message from Moon as he can't get it to post on the forum:

Heading back from Superstars today. So much to share with our trusty wulf pack! Actually, I'm not going to share it, I'm putting your fellow beasties to work! No vacation for them! Each are going to share something from the prey they took down with all of you. Enjoy the ripe meat off the bone!

Are you going to eat that? No? Thanks! I'm always HUNGRY.

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?”
They follow their heart.

2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals?
You might fail at traditional publishing.

David outlines one of the clearest writer paths I’ve ever seen. Let’s take a look at it.

THE NEWBIE

3. What is usually the goal of new writers?
Getting published anywhere.

4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there?
Self publishing and promotion.

THE PROVEN WRITER

5. What is a “proven writer?”
An author publisher's trust to deliver a story of high quality.

6. Why do publishers seek them?
They seek writer's with credibility, proven money-makers.

7. How do you become a proven writer?
Sell stories.

8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland?
It provides exposure to reputable editors.

9. What three areas must you prove yourself in?
Write consistently with prose of high quality and establish a large audience.

THE MIDLIST

10. What is a midlist author?
One who doesn't get a huge push or special privileges.

11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?”
Keep honing your skills and upping your game.

LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status?
Writing well consistently.
Amassing a large audience.

13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors?
Provide extra advertising money.

14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author?
5,6,7, or even 8.

SUPER LEAD

15. What is a “super lead” author?
One that's bankable.

16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base?
Provides a healthy advertising budget.

17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about.
Robert Jordan, Stephen King, Danielle Steele, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown.

18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels?
Your books begin to look good enough to invest in.

19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base?
It spreads and widens your audience.

APEX WRITER

20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex?
One who writes big books regularly. I didn't see the ape statement.

21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer?
No, nada, probably not.

Now please answer the following:

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?”

2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals?

David outlines one of the clearest writer paths I’ve ever seen. Let’s take a look at it.

THE NEWBIE

3. What is usually the goal of new writers?

4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there?

THE PROVEN WRITER

5. What is a “proven writer?”

6. Why do publishers seek them?

7. How do you become a proven writer?

8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland?

9. What three areas must you prove yourself in?

THE MIDLIST

10. What is a midlist author?

11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?”

LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status?

13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors?

14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author?

SUPER LEAD

15. What is a “super lead” author?

16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base?

17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about.

18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels?

19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base?

APEX WRITER

20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex?

21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer?

CONCLUSION:

Ask yourself where you are, and ask yourself what kind of writer you wish to be. Choose your target. Now write down what kind of habits you believe the author at each of those levels had to have to get there.

Make your own map, with plateaus going up the side of a mountaintop. At the top, write the level of writer you would be most happy at achieving. Now go down to the bottom of that mountain, and map out the level-ups you must acheive to reach to that ultimate destination. Dave just told them to you, but you need to personalize your own map, with your own perfect peak.

This map is personal. Make it nice. Keep it and refer back to it. But the answers to the questions above are not. Please post your answers while some of us are at Superstars trying to figure out what we need to do to get to the next level. Don’t worry, if you couldn’t make it, I’m having each Wulf Pack member write you a little report on what they learned...
Wulf Moon http://driftweave.com
Q4 Vol 35 "Super-Duper Moongirl..."
Author page: http://amazon.com/author/wulfmoon
Critter Awards: Wulf Moon BEST AUTHOR 2019; "Super-Duper Moongirl" BEST SF&F STORY of 2019.

1. Follow their heart.
2. To see where you're going, how best to get there, and what to do once you reach a milestone.

THE NEWBIE

1. Getting published
2. Self-publishing

THE PROVEN WRITER
1. An author publishers trust to deliver a high quality story.
2. Publishers know the story will be "publishable."
3. You write short stories. Two or three editors buy work, other editors notice. When you turn in a novel manuscript, the editor will consider your work more seriously. You win contests.
4. It will convince editors, as it dod for Dave Farland, you're a "proven writer."
5. You must write consistently; write high quality prose, and establish a large audience.

THE MIDLIST

1. Your work is publishable. Editors take you seriously.
2. Continue working on skills, "up your game," win awards, widen audience, work hard to get discovered.

LEAD AUTHOR
1. Write consistently well.
2. Gather a large audience and/or win awards.
3. Extra advertising money; more space on advertising page/pages; Bigger push for promotion in book clubs; Bigger push to get paperbacks in grocery stores; Brighter covers on books or embossed foil; Full cover showing in bookstores as opposed to just the spines protruding; Buyers for chain stores can increase promotion three or four times in sales.
4. Five, six, or seven.

SUPER LEAD

1. Publishers consider you "bankable." Your writing is CONSISTENT VERY HIGH QUALITY. Each book generates enough sales to bank the future of the publishing company. Super leads are full-time novelists.
2. Hefty advertising budget. Books get promoted for the entire season. Special display cases advertised in store windows. They speak at conventions or television commercials. Huge advances in the millions of dollars. They can have 10 million fans.
3. Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Robert Jordan, Danielle Steel
4. Your books look good to them. One sold book equals 1 cinema seat.
5. Studios spend millions in advertising. Minor release, about 20 million; major release 100 million plus.

APEX WRITER

1. Writes big books on a regular basis. There's broad fan appeal. Film development begins before the book is released. Author can receive multimillion dollar ADVANCES. Some Apex Writers are J.K. Rowling, John Grisham and Stephanie Meyer.
2. NO.

Best,

Retro

SSIGNMENT: Read David Farland’s Writing Tips “Mapping Your Career Path.”
https://mystorydoctor.com/mapping-your-career-path/

Now please answer the following:

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?” Most writers, especially in the beginning, simply follow their heart.

2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals? You need to know where you want to take your writing, what indications will tell you whether you have arrived at each milestone, and what you need to accomplish to reach your next objective.

David outlines one of the clearest writer paths I’ve ever seen. Let’s take a look at it.

THE NEWBIE

3. What is usually the goal of new writers? Most newbies just want to get published once, no matter where.

4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there? Authors can always go the Indie (self-publishing) route.

THE PROVEN WRITER

5. What is a “proven writer?” A proven writer submits stories of such high quality that a publisher knows that they are publishable when they get them.

6. Why do publishers seek them? Proven writers deliver high quality, publishable pieces on a consistent basis and eliminate the guesswork for publishers.

7. How do you become a proven writer? Keep submitting your stories to editors. For example, after 2 or three editors buy your short stories, other editors will take notice and consider you a proven writer. If you then submit a novel, your manuscript garners more attention than someone with no prior publishing credits.

8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? Submitting stories every quarter helps you write and submit stories on a consistent basis. If you win awards, other editors will take notice and you may find it easier to publish other pieces. How did it help David Farland? After Winning WoTF (and several other contests), Dave Farland received several offers of publication based only on a proposal since he was now considered a “proven writer.”

9. What three areas must you prove yourself in? 1) consistent writing; 2) high quality writing; and 3) an established large audience so that helps stories show up on best-seller lists.

THE MIDLIST

10. What is a midlist author? As Dave Farland puts it: “your work is considered publishable and just about every editor will take you seriously when you submit a new book proposal.”

11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?” Continue working on skills, struggle to win awards, and work to enlarge your audience.

LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status? An author is consistently writing well and either amasses a large following or wins awards.

13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors? Publishers give lead authors a bigger advertising budgets than mid-listers; cooperative advertising (full cover of book rather than spine shown on the shelf), brighter covers (sometimes with embossed foil); and a bigger push for book club promotions and secondary markets (grocery stores etc.)

14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author? Dave Farland says that most publishers want to see 5 to 7 high quality books to show that you can produce consistently.

SUPER LEAD

15. What is a “super lead” author? A super lead author is considered “bankable” by publishers because they consistently turn in quality novels at a very high quality. They might be generating enough income for the entire publishing house.

16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base? The publisher gives super lead authors the biggest advertising budgets, entire season promotions, special display cases in bookstores, endcaps on book aisles, and front window displays.

17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about. Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Robert Jordan, and Danielle Steel

18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels? Movie producers estimate a one to one relationship between the number of books that sell and movie tickets. If they think that they can make a great profit, your book will look extremely attractive.

19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base? Publicity from the movie can attract new readers as well as boost current sales. Publicity and stills from the movie can make the book much more enticing to readers.

APEX WRITER

20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex? Authors who are consistently at the top of their game and writing big books on a regular basis. People like Stephen King, JK Rowling, and Danielle Steele have paid their dues developing skills and building loyal fan bases. They get perks like mega advances, huge publicity tours, etc.

21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer? No, an Apex writer is putting in the hours on a consistent basis rather than when the muse strikes.

CONCLUSION:

Ask yourself where you are, and ask yourself what kind of writer you wish to be. Choose your target. Now write down what kind of habits you believe the author at each of those levels had to have to get there.

Because I have placed in several contests, but not professionally published yet, I am still technically a newbie. My goal is to continue working on my skills and increasing my submissions. I plan to tackle each obstacle on the way until I am an Apex Writer.

Hi, beasties! Fun announcement: I've sold a short story to another anthology! I'm not allowed to say which until they say so, but it is a reputable place that pays pro rates. I think it was RSchibler who said a while back that when she received her acceptance she wasn't sure why it said "happy" since no one had been happy to reject her before. Well, that was exactly how it felt.

Anyway--I thought it was only fair to share this news with you all, since I wrote the story they bought as part of this challenge! Keep writing and submitting. If it can happen to me, it can definitely happen to you!!!

So happy for you!! Congratulations!

It's Monday again, beasties! This week's Monday prompt is: VITAL FLAW.

Hope you all had a blast at Superstars. I'm jealous but excited to hear whatever you'd like to share.

My answers after reading David Farland’s Writing Tips “Mapping Your Career Path.”
https://mystorydoctor.com/mapping-your-career-path/

1. Do most writers map out their career path, or do they simply “follow their heart?” Most just follow their heart.

2. Why might it be good to map out your career goals? Help by providing clear milestones. Having a map can provide a boost to motivation and confidence, it can provide support when you feel lost or depressed, and it can help you figure what to do next when you’ve managed to succeed at one small step in reaching for writing success.

THE NEWBIE
3. What is usually the goal of new writers? Get published at least once, anywhere you can.

4. If they can’t get traditionally published, what other route is there? Self-publishing.

THE PROVEN WRITER
5. What is a “proven writer?” An author who has proven to publishers that they will consistently produce publishable material.

6. Why do publishers seek them? They know that you can produce professional work that’s worth publishing.

7. How do you become a proven writer? Write consistently, write at a high quality (award-winning level), and/or build a audience large enough that your work appears on bestseller lists.

8. How can Writers of the Future help you with this? How did it help David Farland? The contest helps you learn to produce consistent quality work, and if you win at the contest, that proves to publishers that you are capable. Mr. Farland win in the Writers of the Future contest helped his novel proposal snag the attention of editors, and he quickly received offers to publish it.

9. What three areas must you prove yourself in? Consistency, quality, and a large base of readers.

THE MIDLIST
10. What is a midlist author? An author who produces publishable work and is taken seriously by editors.

11. What things should a midlist author be doing to “up their game?” Strive to win awards and expand their audience. Jump from a new release selling 20,000 books to one selling 50,000 books.

LEAD AUTHOR

12. What two ways does Dave list as to how an author reaches “lead author” status? Building a large audience or winning awards.

13. What bonuses do publishers give their lead authors? A little extra advertising money: a page devoted to the author for a month, full cover displayed at bookstores, and brighter, fancier covers. Also, more promotion in book clubs, paperbacks pushed to a larger audience. This advertising push can lead to doubling, even quadrupling sales.

14. How many books do you usually have to write and have success with before publishers will start considering you as their lead author? 5-7 books.

SUPER LEAD
15. What is a “super lead” author? A bankable author. Full-time author who has an audience large enough that their publisher can depend on their sales.

16. How does the publisher grow the super lead’s base? They give them a large advertising budget, promoting books for a whole season.

17. Name some super lead authors and the kind of fan base we’re talking about. Authors mentioned included Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Dan Brown, Robert Jordan, and Danielle Steel. Their fan base reaches more than 10 million.

18. What happens with movie producers when your books sell at these levels? They see potential in turning your book into a movie. If your book sold 6 million copies then the producer would expect the movie version of the book to make 60 million, so there’s no risk and worth doing.

19. When you get a blockbuster movie made from your book, what happens to your base? It grows even larger. You famous.

APEX WRITER
20. What is an “apex writer” and who put the ape in apex? An author who writes books so popular that movies are often planned before release of their books. John Grisham, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and Stephenie Meyer are some biggies.

21. Do you become an apex writer by being a hobby writer? Some spare time and a muse doesn’t get you there. Need to invest time in developing skills, learn to promote their work, grow their audience, and advance their career.

I really enjoyed the COURAGE UNDER FIRE prompt. As it seems to go with prompts, my story didn't end up having much to do with the prompt but I really enjoyed how it turned out.

Getting started on VITAL FLAW today

SUPERSTARS SUMMARY
Hey all, Wulf asked me to put together some notes on one of the sessions I attended at Superstars writing seminar last week. So here you go.

Lots of Eggs in Lots of Baskets - Dan Wells
This talk by Dan Wells was about diversification within the industry. He talked about how he saw his friend Brandon Sanderson make it big and just assumed that was going to happen to him. There was a point where his income dropped off significantly and he realized that he had no plan for how he wanted his career to go. So he started branching out to put more eggs in more baskets so that he didn't wind up in that situation again.

Dan Wells' brother was also a writer for a while and had a book on a bestseller list for several weeks, but was living on welfare (Dan's basement) at the time and eventually ended up going back to get a corporate job. So even being a bestseller isn't a guarantee of financial viability.
He described novels as a bit of a niche industry, but fiction as a huge umbrella. All pieces of the market are potential income streams. The goal being to branch out within the fiction umbrella so that if novels aren't doing particularly well, income is not completely reliant on that niche.

He said take a serious look at foreign rights. His serial killer series is wildly popular in Germany.

Genre diversity can be a boon, but has drawbacks. It can be really helpful if a particular genre dries up, but also means your backlist isn't as long for readers that are only interested in particular genres.

Ideas for diversification: Hit more genres, foreign rights, translations, self-pub, game tie-in fiction, game reviews, video games, audio books, audio shorts, and many more. Also Mark Leslie said with companies like Draft2Digital, you can get your e-books and audio books into library systems where you can get paid per checkout on apps like Hoopla.

Back to Dan. He said just look for things you love and want to do more of. Most of all, make a career plan. Don't assume if you just show up you'll get what you want. And put lots of eggs in lots of baskets.

Personal note:
So this talk was particularly aimed at making a living writing fiction, which I think is really great. But particularly for us forumites, I think there is a more direct application. Writers of the Future is an amazing contest. It has launched many careers. But at best it only launches 12 careers a year. Don't put all your eggs in the WotF basket. Make sure you are looking at other contests and other publications. And even if you get lucky enough to win, don't think that winning is going to launch your career for you. It will give you a boost for sure, but you have to be poised such that the boost actually does something for you.

Winning WotF is not a career plan, and it will not build your career without a lot of work on your part. So make a plan and start building your career now on your own. I think of WotF as being a bit like winning the lottery. You can't win if you don't buy a ticket, but buying a lottery ticket is not a good reason to quit your job. If you want to make money at writing, then writing is your job. So start building your writing career now. If you win the WotF lottery, great. But don't put all your eggs in the WotF basket. Having many eggs in many baskets is what will build your career.

Thanks for your notes from Superstars. What stuck out for me is the whole "don't put your eggs in one basket" which is just a great way to view life in general but apt for a writing career. Also, I think a lot of writers forget about trying to add their books to libraries or maybe think that it won't help with income flow.

SUPERSTARS SUMMARY
Hey all, Wulf asked me to put together some notes on one of the sessions I attended at Superstars writing seminar last week. So here you go.

Lots of Eggs in Lots of Baskets - Dan Wells
This talk by Dan Wells was about diversification within the industry. He talked about how he saw his friend Brandon Sanderson make it big and just assumed that was going to happen to him. There was a point where his income dropped off significantly and he realized that he had no plan for how he wanted his career to go. So he started branching out to put more eggs in more baskets so that he didn't wind up in that situation again.

Dan Wells' brother was also a writer for a while and had a book on a bestseller list for several weeks, but was living on welfare (Dan's basement) at the time and eventually ended up going back to get a corporate job. So even being a bestseller isn't a guarantee of financial viability.
He described novels as a bit of a niche industry, but fiction as a huge umbrella. All pieces of the market are potential income streams. The goal being to branch out within the fiction umbrella so that if novels aren't doing particularly well, income is not completely reliant on that niche.

He said take a serious look at foreign rights. His serial killer series is wildly popular in Germany.

Genre diversity can be a boon, but has drawbacks. It can be really helpful if a particular genre dries up, but also means your backlist isn't as long for readers that are only interested in particular genres.

Ideas for diversification: Hit more genres, foreign rights, translations, self-pub, game tie-in fiction, game reviews, video games, audio books, audio shorts, and many more. Also Mark Leslie said with companies like Draft2Digital, you can get your e-books and audio books into library systems where you can get paid per checkout on apps like Hoopla.

Back to Dan. He said just look for things you love and want to do more of. Most of all, make a career plan. Don't assume if you just show up you'll get what you want. And put lots of eggs in lots of baskets.

Personal note:
So this talk was particularly aimed at making a living writing fiction, which I think is really great. But particularly for us forumites, I think there is a more direct application. Writers of the Future is an amazing contest. It has launched many careers. But at best it only launches 12 careers a year. Don't put all your eggs in the WotF basket. Make sure you are looking at other contests and other publications. And even if you get lucky enough to win, don't think that winning is going to launch your career for you. It will give you a boost for sure, but you have to be poised such that the boost actually does something for you.

Winning WotF is not a career plan, and it will not build your career without a lot of work on your part. So make a plan and start building your career now on your own. I think of WotF as being a bit like winning the lottery. You can't win if you don't buy a ticket, but buying a lottery ticket is not a good reason to quit your job. If you want to make money at writing, then writing is your job. So start building your writing career now. If you win the WotF lottery, great. But don't put all your eggs in the WotF basket. Having many eggs in many baskets is what will build your career.

SUPERSTARS SUMMARY
Hey all, Wulf asked me to put together some notes on one of the sessions I attended at Superstars writing seminar last week. So here you go.

Thanks for that! It seems the life game of writer is not a trivial pursuit.

Great work on answering the questions, Wulf Pack! I have read the answers on every single one, and have enjoyed them all. Retro even gave us some bonus movie advertising budget info. : ) Do catch up if you haven't answered yet...marines, we are leaving! : ) Leah, if I failed to congratulate you on your second big sale, it's because I was going nuts trying to get the Mike Resnick tribute podcast done (it goes live at Future-SF.com on Wednesday, Feb 12th, or listen now as a Patreon supporter). Well done, Leah! Things like that don't happen without doing the work, and that includes studying the Secrets, writing fresh stories *regularly*, and sending them out like clockwork. Congratulations on reaping the rewards of your hard work!

Back to our regularly scheduled program. Why did I have you do the career path assignment? Most of us are just happy if we can get a personal rejection! Here's why. If you wish to become an apex writer, YOU must put the ape in apex. YOU have to become the 800 pound gorilla. How do you do that? By building up your writing muscles with smaller, reachable goals, but always with your eye on the future targets. Know what kind of writer you desire to be, map out the path like Dave did, and then look at the next plateau just above where you're at right now and ask yourself: What do I imagine that kind of writer does each day, what kind of habits does she have in place to attain and hold that position? When you figure that out, ask yourself about your own habits...and what I am trying to achieve with you here in this workshop/challenge. In truth, meeting the challenge goals I've set for you serve one purpose--to help you develop the skills necessary to become a professional writer. How far you take that is up to you...it's your career path, and you choose what you wish to define as success in the short term, and in the long term. But after analysis, set reasonable, reachable goals so you don't get discouraged, and build your writing and career skills.

Matthew, thank you for being the first to check in on the panel you picked for sharing with the group (while at dinner I had the Pack cite one by one the panel that they found most helpful, and gave them the assignment to make a report for those of you that could not attend.) I'm glad you shared this one. I agree with the philosophy, and I've been working on that very thing: many eggs in different baskets. Selling short stories. Freelance editing in both fiction and nonfiction. Voice acting. Sound engineering for podcasts. Multiple income streams to keep you floating so that when one thing isn't on fire, another is. It's great advice for those looking to work full time in the industry, and something to build toward.

It is true. Writers of the Future only has twelve slots a year. You must diversify and plan for a writing career, and Matt's advice is correct. Winning WotF is not the end game, it's only the start. The goal is to become a pro writer. Even if you don't win WotF, you will learn how to become a pro writer here if you really want it.

It is the purpose of this challenge. That, and to give you a pack of wolves to run with that have the same objective. I hope you form lifelong friendships here and continue to lift one another up as you reach new plateaus.

More reports to come! Do comment on what you enjoyed in each--those from here attending Superstars kindly agreed to write these to encourage you and to help you get the best from the best! It's nice to know you appreciate their efforts.

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

SUPERSTARS SUMMARY
Hey all, Wulf asked me to put together some notes on one of the sessions I attended at Superstars writing seminar last week. So here you go.

Lots of Eggs in Lots of Baskets - Dan Wells

Thanks so much for sharing some of what you learned there. I’m a big fan of Wells’ serial killer series. Interesting to hear it does so well in Germany. I think the many eggs in different baskets is a point a friend made to me last year, and maybe heard in a Wells conversation before on a podcast, but it definitely ties in with the recent career plan assignment and also a good reminder to continue submitting to other markets.