A Word Please #4 — The *Monthly Newsletter of The Writing Prof
In which TWP resumes its monthly newsletter campaign.
This is a photo of busyness.
Greetings from The Writing Prof. We are still here, and we are still growing.
If you have signed up to be a writer with The Writing Prof, please consider submitting your fine essays to me. This is a small operation, but a good one, focused on providing publication opportunities to new(er) as well as experienced writers. Your work will be treated respectfully. I offer feedback and editing expertise for all submissions.
New Substack (FREE) Newsletter
I have started a FREE substack newsletter — “My Own Private Waste Land: T. S. Eliot, Mental Illness, and the Making of a Memoir.” Please subscribe, even if you don’t intend to read it.
I am growing an audience in order to increase my chances of publication.
I assure you, however, the newsletter is riveting, chock full of fun, sad, poignant, touching, exciting stories taken from my memoir.
You can also follow my editing process/progress and my journey toward traditional publication.
Follow along at https://leehornbrook.substack.com/
My Memoir . . . is Done! (Sort of)
I have completed my memoir — My Own Private Waste Land. At first it was 203,000 words. I knew that was too long. I cut it down to 168,000 words, still too long. But I sent that copy to some beta-readers. The deafening silence indicates a problem — either with my manuscript or the busy world.
So now I’m cutting the manuscript so that it’s less than 100,000 words, a sort of psychological block for agents and editors. Anything over 100,000 words is a risk in the publishing world for anybody other than established writers.
As of this writing (April 8), my manuscript sits at 134,000 words. Great progress! But there is more to be done. Stay tuned.
Atlanta Writers Conference Here I Come
At the beginning of May, I will attend the Atlanta Writers Conference, where I will meet with at least two editors for a manuscript review and a couple more agents for pitch sessions.
I have prepared a query letter, a synopsis, and the first 19 pages of my manuscript.
I hope to at least earn a read from one of the editors or get a referral to someone more suitable for my material. At the very least, I hope to learn about the intangibles of the publishing business so that I can query my manuscript with agents/editors successfully and confidently after the conference.
Submit to The Writing Prof
Please submit your stories on Medium directly to The Writing Prof. Share this newsletter with others. Let’s build a great community of writers who help each other, exhibit kindness, sending our words out into the world for everyone’s enjoyment.
Stories for March 2022
When Writing Goes Wrong, and How to Fix it
How to Develop a Writing Habit (The Startup)
Write for the Writing Prof — For the Sake of Your Everlasting Soul
4 Surefire Ways to Find Ideas to Write About
The One Book to Read If You Want to be a Better Writer
Practice Makes Perfect — Wait, What?
I Lost My Cell Phone and the World Didn’t Stop Spinning
That’s all for now.
Just keep writing!
Lee G. Hornbrook is an expert in the writing process who taught college English for 25 years. He is the editor of The Writing Prof.
Follow his progress in getting his memoir published at his FREE newsletter “My Own Private Waste Land: T. S. Eliot, Mental Illness, and The Making of a Memoir.”
If you like my stories and wish to support me as a writer, consider signing up to become a Medium member. Just $5 a month will give you unlimited access to stories on Medium. If you sign up using my link, I’ll earn a small commission.
