Subtitles:
Liz Needs Arse Kick - Too Many Blips - Freaks of Nature Who Can't Spell? - The YADS Parade - Back to Carla and Wendy - Six Pinots of Author Salon
What the heck, I've already spent at least three thousand or more on various writer conferences over the years (yes, yes, I know, but it was worth it), including travel, etc., etc., so what is the big deal? AAS is what? $89 for a whole year. As a contributing editor at AAS, Michael Neff, points out to me: would you rather spend nearly ten thousand on the Stanford program and come away with a useless pile of amateur opinions led by a teaching instructor who has zero familiarity with genre fiction?
Well, for ten thousand I get the Stanford Novel Writing Certificate, or whatever. Cool. It gives me some form of CV legitimacy, right? Right? Regardless, I don't have to rush on and spill my literary guts too quickly. I'm tempted though by their agent news blips, lots and lots of request-for-ms blips, publisher and agent yummy blips. Is it too good to be true? The ya-yas clamor for "No, Liz, it's not too good, it's sensible because it really works. Look at Carla and Wendy!"
Someone online at a writer homeless shelter referred to AAS as a YADS? I thought of Book Country and recalled breezing through there and seeing the golden lads and lasses as chimney sweeps coming to dust while kissing each others butts sooooo profusely, telling each other that their horrible novels were certainly ready to publish! On to the agent query? Argh! I thought I would gag, gag, gag! Then I stumbled onto WAE Network run by Jeff Herman and it reminded me of a cheap dating site I once used. Then something else for MFA grads which was more or less a social club (and they deserve it, poor darlings), and not much else, and back to the wonderland of Algonkian's Author Salon.
I'm misting over ... Could I become an author there? Would they take me under their wings of salon and transform me into a published writer with a real contract???
Author Salon has already born considerable lit fruit. So how did they do it? I saw Caitlin Alexander on the mast, and some other NYC types, and little voices whisper that the site is operated by wizards with extreme contacts in the publishing biz (no wonder the mutant was bitter!), and that must be true. Any site without those contacts and no fracking way they could have collected so many requests so early, no way. Just doesn't happen.
ONE MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK GODS!
Will I break open my Pinot Noir piggy bank for ten Pinots worth of Algonkian Author Salon, at least? Most likely. Freedom to choose means nothing left to lose. I read their craft articles and realized I needed a better antagonist. That's the key to plot line. I hope they will be kind to me, tough love to me. I need tough love. At least they have a sense of humor.
Is my much needed butt kick is coming at last?
I just hope I can feel it through all the thick hide!
Some Algonkian Author Salon links:
Author Salon - Where Writers Work Towards Publication
www.authorsalon.com/
The Algonkian Novel Writing Program, Writer Community, Craft Library and Agent ... Algonkian Author Salon has defined a high quality group of literary agents ...
Algonkian Novel Writing Program - Algonkian Writer Conferences
novelwriting.algonkianconferences.com/
These novel writing courses were brainstormed by the faculty of Algonkian Writer .... faculty and affiliate Author Salon, have created this competitive novel writing ...Author Salon Reviews, New York Pitch, Algonkian Writer Conferences ...
www.the-writers-block.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=35
Jun 7, 2016 - Forums for Author Salon reviews, alums and discussions involving writer issues, craft,Author Salon nuances, and the new novel writing ...Algonkian Author Salon Commercial Novel Writing Program in ...
writing.shawguides.com/AuthorSalon
Program Description, The Algonkian Author Salon Novel Writing Program does one thing: realistically preps and edits a novel manuscript in any stage for ...Will Author Salon Take Me To Agent Query Land? - Arts and Palaver
artsandpalaver.blogspot.com/2012/07/will-author-salon-take-me-to-agent.html
Jul 7, 2012 - It's all in their news section, Carlin: Algonkian Author Salon News. Any news ... This bit on writing fiction narrative just posted on Author Salon.Algonkian Novel Writing Courses and Program ... - The Writer's Edge
writersedgeinfo.blogspot.com/2013/09/author-salon-novel-writing-program.html
The Writer's Edge Publishes An Interview With Lois Gordon About Her Writing Life. TITLE: DEATH AT IRON .... Labels: advice for authors, Algonkian Novel Writing Courses, Algonkian Novel WritingProgram, reviews .... Algonkian Author Salon.Underground Book Reviews – Algonkian Author Salon
https://www.undergroundbookreviews.org/peer-review/algonkian-author-salon/
The Algonkian Author Salon and its companion novel writing program evolved out of a desire on the part of the Algonkian Writer Conferences and New York ...Algonkian Author Salon - Getting Writers Published - Facebook
www.facebook.com › Places › Los Angeles, California
Algonkian Author Salon - Getting Writers Published, Los Angeles, CA. 2682 likes · 2 talking about this. Pre-MFA, Post-MFA, or No MFA - Get Your Novel...
I'm an Author Salon-ite who was one of a few dozen writers to have received requests for submissions from agents via the Author Salon agent query process. It wasn't easy getting to that stage, but I'm grateful for my editors and peers who have tough loved me so far. I took classes long ago with Richard Brautigan before he died, and most recently with Orson Scott Card. And now I'm on the verge. A long, long slog.
ReplyDeleteI was just nudged about all their recent contract successes. It's all in their news section, Carlin: Algonkian Author Salon News. Any news re your novel?
DeleteBtw, to anyone who is interested, Algonkian has now taken full ownership of Author Salon.
DeleteGod bless these guys.
Author Salon looked like YADS at first, but the nonstandard articles and the stringent critique rules didn't follow the YADS formula. I'm forming a peer group there now.
ReplyDeleteSince Algonkian became more influential they're emphasizing the 16 part novel writing program. Just FYI. I've been through it and it is GRUELING!!! What I needed. All my illusions about what it takes to write a novel are now dispelled.
DeleteA friend of mine improved her novel dramatically, I'd say, after joining Author Salon. But it's not for me. I don't know whether I'm afraid of it, like you seem to be, or I'm just ignorant. But I did add a better antagonist to my plot, as they advise on the site. It's clicking now. I'm hanging out on writer chat boards and that's getting old. The advice is mostly bad and the rump smooching is intense, and in some cases, just silly.
ReplyDeleteNot afraid of it, as such, anonymous. I've "recovered" I believe and no longer shriveled.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post.
Eva and Carlin: hope to see you there!
Liz, just rant into this on the Author Salon:
ReplyDelete"Writers on Author Salon never have to go it alone. It's always a group effort, and in a sense, analogous to the production and direction of a film. The writer is the director, while Author Salon is the producer, and it's mods, admins, fellow writers and faculty editors play roles as assistant producers, gaffers and key grips, film editors and assistant directors, and so forth, based on each writer's needs and each project's strengths and weaknesses."
As Dr. S would say, fascinating. I like it.
Oy, Liz! This bit on writing fiction narrative just posted on Author Salon. I saw it on their Connect form just minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm hardly at stage two! OMG.
I used this effectively also.
DeleteI've been on Author Salon for months and missed all this, and never heard of anything like it. It's not surprising since the forums are divided into many nations and niches.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't be happier with my experience at Author Salon. I'm off the hamster wheel of writer conferences. Yay!
ReplyDeleteI echo that entirely. I've learned more at Author Salon in three months, courtesy their technique guides and reviews, than I did after two years at Iowa at 1000X the expense.
ReplyDeleteNow try the novel writing program.
DeleteNot everyone is willing to benefit from the tough process at Author Salon. The self-publishers aren't willing to learn and now you have a new generation of eBookers, i.e., neophyte writers lured by small eBook "publishers" masquerading as real publishers--but all they're doing is checking the writer's number of blog followers or Facebook friends before offering them a contract. The eBookers and self-publishers snub an authentic editorial and critique process because it tells them what they don't want to hear, and they fall back on "going with their heart" and that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteThere is a clear dividing line between the groups working towards real commercial publication and everyone else. You can go on any number of writer forums and see the eBookers (usually cliche women's fiction or some type of fantasy) chirping away about their upcoming publications and after you check out the background of the publisher, you see why they're getting "published" so quickly.
Not just fantasy and cliche women's fiction, ahem, but just about any genre. I agree, lots of romance and fantasy, but the indignant and entitled come in a wide variety of genres. It's just the fantasy types who F-Bomb you!
ReplyDeleteLiz, I'm in the Algonkian program for writing novels. It's, well, the best thing I've found online. Just passing it along.
ReplyDeletehttp://novelwriting.authorsalon.com
Your Friend Maya
Liz honey, have you seen all the contracts writers are landing over there? If only... wahhhhhh!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Sarah. If only! I've been through the novel writing program and it helped me immensely, but I still have some glitches. The ms is with an editor now.
Delete