We spend a lot of time at Sub It Club discussing submissions to agents and book publishers; however, agents and publishers aren't the only way to get your work in front of readers. Long before they became best-selling authors, the likes of Steven King and Elizabeth Gilbert honed their skills in magazines. Long after they... Continue Reading →
When the call is not THE call but becomes THE CALL that changes everything
If you’ve been around this business for even the shortest amount of time, you have heard people talk about THE call. It’s the call every writer dreams of. The call where an agent, a real-life professional in the publishing industry, calls you, the fabulous but vastly underappreciated writer, to offer representation. In this dream scenario,... Continue Reading →
Babies, the Beach, and Submission Amnesia
Sometimes, when I really stop to think about it, I am convinced that we writers are certifiable. We put ourselves out there; our hearts and souls and words sliced open and served up to the entire world. We optimistically send our work out over and over again, only to be hit in the face with... Continue Reading →
Thinking Like a Coach
It’s Fall and in the Dixon house, that means it’s soccer season! A few years ago, I somehow started coaching. It was one of those things where someone is asking for volunteers, and no one is stepping up, and your head is saying, “No way, no how, not possible, you’re crazy…” and yet, before you... Continue Reading →
A Psychology Lesson from Koala
So I was reading this picture book the other day. It is the story of a child and a terrible stuffed koala that WON’T. GO. AWAY. He tries everything he can to escape Koala. But he can't. And as I watched and giggled and turned the pages, it hit me. This may be a book... Continue Reading →
Information Overload!
After discovering we were pregnant with our first child 15 years ago, my husband Rob and I rushed out to the bookstore (remember those?) and picked up a stack of books on raising children. We were so excited to read them and learn everything we could about this business of having a child. We had... Continue Reading →