Get Published This Year!

2013 Writer's Market Deluxe

Make this the year you get published and get paid for your writing by picking up either the 2013 Writer's Market or Writer's Market Deluxe Edition and/or subscribing to WritersMarket.com. I just recently received my desk copies of the 2013 books, and they look great.

Click here to read my post on the WritersMarket.com blog about both books.

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Check out previous Not Bob posts:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer.
• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers.

Delivering the Good News

Over the past few months, I've been up to a lot in the publishing realm. In addition to releasing my second chapbook of poetry, I also saw the publication of the 2012 editions of Writer's Market and Poet's Market, and I'm excited by all of it.

Anywho, I've been noticing a good review here and a nice word there, so I wanted to sort of collect everything together in one post--as much for me as for anyone who might be interested in these recent releases.

Praise for ESCAPE
Monday Muse on Robert Lee Brewer's 'Escape,' by Maureen Doallas. This review on Writing Without Paper is really the coolest review I've ever received for anything, because Maureen totally got everything I was trying to accomplish with this collection. Great stuff!

Debbie Ohi took this cool image of ESCAPE. Thank you!

On poetry, language and Robert Lee Brewer's ESCAPE, by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. On Debbie's Inkygirl blog, she shares how--like many--she used to hate poetry. But I'm happy to report that she moved back toward the light and that she enjoys my poems: "They're full of emotion and music, and a joy to read."

Praise for both the 2012 Poet's Market and 2012 Writer's Market

Writer's Market & Poet's Market 2012, by Sandra Beasley. Over on Chicks Dig Poetry, Sandra dropped praise on both books--and on me. This review of the books is great not only because it says all manner of kind things about the books, but also because Sandra talks about her own experiences getting published in the beginning.


Poet's Market, Writer's Market & You, by Sage Cohen. And speaking of great reviews, Sage also throws out praise for the books while also relating her individual writing and publishing experiences. These reviews are great to read just from that point of view.

Best Poet's Market yet!

Praise for 2012 Poet's Market
2012 Poet's Market & More, by Collin Kelley. Collin shares the gospel about Poet's Market, Jessie Carty's Fat Girl, and some good news of his own.

2012 Poet's Market, by Nancy Breen. For those who don't know, Nancy was the editor of Poet's Market before I took the reins, and she was a great mentor. In fact, she was my co-founder and contributor to Poetic Asides back when it started. Anyway, this review is terrific.

Review: 2012 Poet's Market, by Jessie Carty. Jessie gives a terrific review of the 2012 Poet's Market (5 out of 5 stars).

2012 Poet's Market, by Chloe Yelena Miller. Chloe shares her excitement in being included in the 2012 Poet's Market.

How to Be a Poet, by Nin Andrews. Nin is one of my favorite poets, and this post includes a cool comic with the review. Super fun!

Good News Department, by Diane Lockward. On Blogalicious, Diane allows the 2012 Poet's Market to share the spotlight with some other great news. Plus, she shines her light on articles written by Taylor Mali and Sandra Beasley.

The 2012 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition offers the best value, because it includes a subscription to WritersMarket.com.

Praise for 2012 Writer's Market
Time To Purchase Your 2012 Writer's Market, by Christina Katz. Christina is one of the nicest writers around, and she wrote up a nice review here. I'm looking forward to rocking an AWP panel with her, Jane Friedman, and Seth Harwood in Chicago next year.

2012 Writer's Market, by Darcy Pattison. Quick review of Writer's Market: "The best in the industry."

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All of this praise is great, and I'm more than happy to accept it. However, I want to thank one very special person for always helping me to achieve everything, and that's my incredible wife Tammy Foster Brewer. From Poetic Asides to my poetry collections (and everything between and outside of those), she's always the person who I'm trying to impress and who gives me the most support--from making sure that I eat and sleep to giving me ideas for new experiments. I'm truly blessed to have such an amazing wife and best friend.

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ESCAPE, by Robert Lee Brewer

If you're interested in ESCAPE, you can still get a copy before they sell out. Click here to learn how.

Do You Have a Writing Routine?

The word routine has a bad reputation for many aspiring writers. It's almost as bad as the word outline, which I should address in a future post. Some writers think of writing routines as a way to go produce content by going through the motions. However, that's the wrong way to look at writing routines.

The only thing that needs to be routine about a writing routine is that you are consistently bringing your imagination to the table (or desk or laptop) and getting down on paper (or screen). After all, writing is kind of like a sport in many ways. You're trying to stretch and challenge yourself. As with sports, it's easier to reach new heights when you write consistently.

In the most recent free WritersMarket.com newsletter, I asked readers to share their thoughts on writing routines. Below are some of my favorite answers. Please contribute your own thoughts in the comments.

Lila Johnson: My day gets an early morning kick-off. I hit my local 24-hour, staffed gym at 2 a.m. I rock it out for an hour, pretending that I am Janet Jackson getting in shape for my next concert tour. Once I return home, have breakfast and shower, my mind is racing and ready to work. Ideas for articles, or that paragraph for my short story that has me stumped moves forward, and I feel free and productive for the rest of the day.

K. Dawn Byrd: My routine is not the norm. A few years ago, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I conquered! The challenge is to write a novel in 30 days. Ever since I met the challenge, it's become my normal writing routine. I'll take out a calendar and map out where I should be in my word count every day. Once I've met the 30-day challenge, I take a couple weeks to a month off and then go back and edit. Works for me! One great thing is that when I write a book so quickly, everything about it is fresh in my mind.

Anthony St. Clair: I don't worry about muses or inspiration or any of that. If they're along, nifty--but if they're not, I've still got words to get on the page. To that end, I have a daily task of "Write for 60 minutes or 5 pages or 1,000 words or 2 drafts per day," set in the Remember the Milk online task management service. I get up before my wife, clean up, have breakfast, and do my writing. I consider that my minimum. If that's all the writing I do all day, I'm good with it. The more the better, but once I've put in that time, I'm ready for the rest of the day knowing I've done my writing. Maybe inspiration comes to those who gently ask. Maybe inspiration comes to those who do. I don't know. I just know that by making sure I do that writing, every day I have something to show for it, assignments get done, and day by day my first novel is ever closer to ready.

William Bortz: I personally don't think writing has a routine. Good writing comes from the heart. It's the passion you feel. Whether that passion is coming from something that has been with you forever, or that split second when you see something that shakes you, and at that moment the story is already there, all you have to do is release it into this world.

Janet Church: Being a farmer I am used to getting up early but I also find this to be the most productive time of day. I am fresh mentally and can usually recall any interesting dreams from the night before. I find that I do some of my best thinking when I am asleep! I do not check my e-mail or turn on the news as it is too easy to be distracted and lose whatever creative inspirations I may have. If nothing new crops up, I will go back and re-read other work, particularly if I haven't reviewed in a while. Errors, awkward phrasing or meandering sentences seem to jump out and can be revised. I do this daily even if for just a few minutes. On Sundays I devote the entire morning as my "job"--until my three German Shepherds remind me of my real job of taking them for a walk.

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Myself? I don't have a specific time of day that I write, but I do write almost every single day. And even when editing work and family life get super hectic, I still write at least one poem a week for the Poetic Asides Wednesday Poetry Prompts.

But yeah, I write every day, whether it's a blog post, newsletter, poem, short story, or whatever. I never get tired of stringing words together.

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Need help with getting a writer routine down? Check these out:

• First Draft in 30 Days, by Karen Wiesner
• One Year to a Writing Life: Twelve Lessons to Deepen Every Writer's Art and Craft, by Susan M. Tiberghien
• Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days, by Victoria Schmidt
• Writer's Digest Weekly Planner, by Writer's Digest Editors

Learn How to Get Published, Book Give-away, and More!

I'm really excited and honored to be invited as a guest co-host over at The Freelance Writers Den. (Thank you, Carol Tice!)

Around 3 p.m. EST (noon on the West Coast) on Wednesday (8/17), I'll call into the show and answer questions that are sent in ahead of time. (Click here to leave your own question.)

To listen and participate, you'll need to join Freelance Writers Den. They've graciously offered a 1-week free trial to My Name Is Not Bob readers so that you can catch me talking about how to get published, find new markets, and anything else that crops up--for free. (Click here to get your free trial.)

Plus, one lucky participant will receive a free copy of the brand new 2012 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition--signed by me! So send in your questions and get registered now, and I'll see you on Wednesday.

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For more details and a previous recording, click here.

And check out the Den event calendar for news of what's coming up in the following weeks by clicking here.

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Interested in improving your business of writing skills? Then, check out these previous NOT BOB blog posts:

• Problem Pitches: Adjusting the Focus. Sometimes the idea isn't the problem as much as the focus.
• 11 Google+ Tips for Writers. Google+ is new, but I think it's definitely got staying power. Here are some tips for getting started.
• Negotiating Tips for Writers. I share some negotiating tips from my side of the desk (as an editor) to help you on your side of the desk (as a writer).

2012 Writer's Market and Writer's Market Deluxe Edition

Today, the advance copies of the 2012 Writer's Market and Writer's Market Deluxe Edition made their way into the Cincinnati office. I've been told that they look stunning, but I won't actually hold a copy until I get back from a road trip to see my grandmother in Tennessee this weekend. By then, many bookstores may already have copies on their bookshelves (though I know it may take longer for many locations).

The best edition of Writer's Market yet!

While I haven't held a copy, I am eager to see what I consider the best editions of the book yet. In addition to thousands of publishing opportunities, the book includes more than 200 pages of articles dealing with the business of writing, including whole sections devoted to Finding Work, Managing Work, and Promoting Work.

The Finding Work section includes articles on writing pitches and queries, finding work on the Internet, writing for online content providers and more. In Managing Work, there's the popular pay rate chart and articles on contract negotiation, money management, recordkeeping and pricing, protecting your data and more. Finally, the Promoting Work section includes interviews with successful writers such as Sandra Beasley, Nick Flynn, Jane Friedman, Chuck Sambuchino and Jessica McCann, while also including articles on blogging, book trailers, social media and, yes, more.

The publishing opportunities and articles are pretty exciting, but there's more: Both books come with access to an exclusive webinar (presented by yours truly) on platform development. Plus, Writer's Market Deluxe Edition comes with a one-year activation code for WritersMarket.com.

What's better than the best Writer's Market? The Deluxe Edition!

Anyway, I'm truly excited for the first time in a few years about the release of Writer's Market. I've been working on them since 2000, so I feel like a proud parent. I hope you'll check them out at a nearby bookstore soon as well.

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The 2012 Market Books are on their way to bookstores around the country throughout this month. If you're interested in getting your writing published, check one out.

• 2012 Writer's Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer
• 2012 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition, edited by Robert Lee Brewer
• 2012 Guide to Literary Agents, edited by Chuck Sambuchino
• 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, edited by Adria Haley
• 2012 Poet's Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer
• 2012 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, edited by Chuck Sambuchino