TOM BIRD'S WRITER'S ROUNDTABLE
Birdwise News from Tom Bird Seminars
September 2006
Another Opening Day for Authors
There was nothing that my close and dear friend Willie Stargell enjoyed more than the Opening Day of the major league baseball season. Even when he was well into his late thirties, a very ripe age for a big leaguer, he found it impossible to sleep the night before the team’s first game of the season. For that first game always symbolized to Willie a rebirth, the chance to start a new, to leave all that no longer fit behind and embrace whatever thrills life was once again going to offer him through what he loved doing most – playing baseball.
So important was Opening Day to Willie that he actually chose to wait, to continue to fight the affects of his dreaded kidney disease, holding off the inevitable, until passing into one more Opening Day, passing out of this life at 12:12 AM on the first day of yet another blessed baseball season.
As authors, we annually have days which are just as important to us as well. We too have Opening Days. Our Opening Days actually happen twice a year, during the weeks just after Labor Day and New Year’s Day. That is when the traditional publishing industry comes to life once again, when those within it return from well deserved breaks and vacations, leaving any ill effects of the past behind, when the acquisition of new books, new authors begin again and when they begin their searches for that next great groundbreaking best selling author. This is when they begin looking for you.
Whether you will show up for this present Opening Day is up to you. However, whether you show up or not, I can guarantee you that the industry will be looking for new authors such as you.
Last fall at this time marked the beginning of a banner year for my students when these new authors were routinely receiving upwards of seven times as many positive replies to their query letters as would have been the norm, a trend which has continued through to the present, and which I expect to continue this fall.
So what does showing up for this latest Opening Day for authors translate to? It can translate to a variety of actions.
It could translate to finally completing your query letter and sending it out to literary agents or publications, or resubmitting it.
It could translate to finally sending out your submission packages to agents who previously responded positively to your query letter and expressed an interest in receiving a submission package for you.
It could translate to finally finishing your book or finally starting it, either of which could easily be completed by the end of the year through the utilization of what you have already learned from my methods or could learn.
What it all comes down to though is you choose to show up for the latest Opening Day or not. Of course that decision is up to you and only you. However, if you’re feeling that odd yearning at the base of your soul, the same one I always feel this time of year and the exact one that my buddy Willie used to feel on the eve of an opening of another big league season, it’s your time. Again though, whether you choose to conclude your year by doing something about it or not is totally up to you.
If you don’t already have enough of a reason to take advantage of this time, I’ll be dropping you an email in the next week or so about the release of my latest Selective Guide to Literary Agents database. As always is the case this time of year, it will be my most complete and updated version, boasting of dozens of new agents just dying to receive queries from new authors such as yourself. As is a tradition as well, I’ll be offering it to those on my mailing list at a huge discount. So you may want to keep your eyes open for that offer.
In case you or someone you may know is ready to finally take advantage of this time of year and needs some follow up or first time instruction on how to do so, I’ll also be making teaching appearances at a variety of locations across the country over the next three months.
I’ll be having two new books on writing coming out in the next few weeks. I’ll drop you a note on them as well and offer you an opportunity to receive a free email copy or to purchase a hard copy for yourself or someone else at a discounted rate. So keep your eyes peeled for that email as well.
Everything seems to be just lining up behind you to make this move in your life, to embrace the possibilities and potential of this latest Opening Day. The question is whether you will choose to take advantage of this opportunity or not. Of course, you can always skip this Opening Day and instead plan to take full advantage of the next one. But if you wait, will you really take the necessary steps at that time, and can you really afford to wait until then?
The ball is in your court. The decision is up to you to make. Life is waiting. Choose wisely. Another life, another chance awaits you. This is what life is all about. What will you do? I can certainly tell you what my friend Willie, the wisest man I ever knew, would do. As can be illustrated even through his passing, he lived for these days.
My best, Tom
Five Spaces Coming Available
For any of you who are interested in being considered as candidates for Tom’s Individual Intensive Writing Course (IIWC), he will have five openings coming available in the next month. To be considered for one of the openings, feel free to either email Tom at TomBird@TomBird.com or call his office at 928-203-0265 to set up a no fee interview. The cost of the four month course is $350 per month.
Finding the Right Agent for You
If you would like Tom’s assistance in helping you land just the right literary agent for your book, Tom will have space to take on six more students in the coming month. For information regarding this program, feel free to contact us at either TomBird@TomBird.com or to call us at 928-203-0265.
New Website
Tom’s new website, which will offer all kinds of interactive options, will be complete within the next ten days. We’ll drop you a note when it is ready in case you would like to check it out.
Tom’s Upcoming Classes
Here’s Tom’s schedule for this upcoming fall. We hope to see you or someone you know at one of his classes.
Pima Community College
September 25, You Were Born to be Published
September 26, You Were Born to You Write
Phone: 520-206-4500
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
October 3, You Were Born to be Published
October 4, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 702-895-3394
Emory University
October 13, You Were Born to be Published
October 14, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 404-712-9515
University of New Mexico
October 20, You Were Born to be Published
October 21, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 505-277-2527
Chandler Gilbert Community College
October 25, You Were Born to be Published
October 26, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 480-732-7080
Scottsdale Community College
October 27, You Were Born to Be Published
October 28, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 480-423-6321
Paradise Valley Community College
November 1, You Were Born to Be Published
November 2, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 602-787-6800
University of Tennessee
November 10, You Were Born to be Published
November 11, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 865-972-0150
Mesa Community College
November 15, You Were Born to Be Published
November 16, You Were Born to Write
Phone: 480-461-7700
Tom’s Next Retreats
Tom’s next two retreats will both be in Sedona and are scheduled for just after the beginning of the new year. Descriptions on both of them follow. To reserve a spot in either retreat, contact us at Jill@TomBird.com or call Tom’s office at 928-203-0265.
“Releasing the Author Within” Retreat Sedona, Arizona
January 18-20, 2007
Specifically designed for the would-be author to finally get started on that long awaited book, this retreat focuses on the hands-on application of Tom’s amazing methods. Students attending this retreat walk away with a thorough and practical knowledge of how to connect with their Author’s Within; complete at least the first tenth of their books (which is normally the most challenging portion); and have their query letters completed and ready to be submitted to prospective agents. In fact, as part of this retreat, your query letters are actually submitted to literary agents for you.
Price of the three-day retreats is $695. As with all of Tom’s offerings, generous discounts are available for those who have attended his classes. There is an early registration fee discount of $100 if you register one month prior to the date of the retreat. Additionally, former class attendees receive a discount of $100; former retreat attendees receive a discount of $150; and Intensive Individual Writers Course students receive a $200 discount. More info can be acquired through his website, www.TomBird.com. or by calling his office at 928-203-0265.
“Become a Book Promoting Dynamo” Retreat Sedona, Arizona
February 1-3, 2007
A few times a year, Tom brings in a top level publicist to join him in preparing his students to become the book promoting dynamos they need to be. The first segment of the retreat will focus on presenting you with a full overview of everything you need to know about book publicity. The second half of this essential retreat focuses on media training. This is a retreat not to be missed.
Price of the three-day retreats is $1095. As with all of Tom’s offerings, generous discounts are available for those who have attended his classes. There is also an early registration fee discount of $150 if you register one month prior to the date of the retreat. Additionally, former class attendees receive a discount of $100; former retreat attendees receive a discount of $150; and Intensive Individual Writers Course students receive a $200 discount. More info can be acquired through his website, www.TomBird.com. or by calling his office at 928-203-0265.
