Devoted to publishing, publishers and to those who craft the written word

Chris Eaton wrote a whole book about a writer who dedicates his life to the all-consuming, painstaking, and unprofitable task of re-building a church tower out of words.

Without the support of a good editor, your writing career will feel just as thankless as the life of his obsessive hero. 

Today, novelist (of The Grammar Architect) and bandleader (of Rock Plaza Central) Chris Eaton explains how he found editors who believed in his work. Thanks to a scheduling crisis last Friday, I missed publishing the last installment of my interview with Eaton.

Here it is, part of my deceptively simple feature, Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical, unexpected advice about web publishing...

Jason Boog:
How did you find the editors and mentors who helped shape your work? In this age where publishing companies and print mediums are floundering, what's your advice for young writers?  Continue reading...

I wish I knew this, too. But when you find someone you can work with, don't ever let them go. Both of my novels ended up being edited by someone I have known for several years, which made the process easier.

I guess the main advice is to send your stuff to every single person on the planet and they'll find you. I don't know about mentors, but I was really encouraged when I was 13 and I wrote my first novel, a horrible fantasy novel that a 13-year-old boy would write, and I sent it to every fantasy publisher on the planet.

So many of them wrote back. Not because it was good but because I was 13. Editors and publishers should treat all writers like they're 13. Because in a lot of ways, all writers are innocent and vulnerable, and even a little attention could go a long way. You need a thick skin to keep going in writing. But you also need a slight caress every so often.