Networking Cards? Who Knew!

I'm sure the networking card is something many people in the corporate world are familiar with, but it was news to me until now. I recently joined the National Association of Professional Women, a huge networking organization for hard-workin' ladies, to increase my networking opportunities and receive mentoring from women who have already achieved a high level of success.

At my first NAPW event I discovered the best alternative to a business card, the networking card.

When you are brand new to an industry, fresh out of college or a career changer, it's hard to commit to a business card because things seem to be changing every few months. I may be an assistant this month and an entry-level editor six months down the line. But a contact I make today, may be even more valuable to me in the future, and I want the first impression I give them to have staying power.

If my job title or company phone number changes, then that business card is useless, and the contact is lost. So rather than pigeon-hole myself into a tight box, I kept it broad and simple. Instead of focusing on details that might change, I chose to highlight the things that stay relatively constant such as my personal contact information, key social networking sites, and a recent image of my face.

Last night I spent a few hours creating my first networking card on VistaPrint. I wanted something that would say "I am a professional". I needed the card to let people know where to reach me, or research more about me, and wanted them to be able to match my face with my name.

The front of my card has a small headshot, and it's the same one I use for all of my social media sites. This is a very simple way of branding myself, so that no matter where someone goes to look me up, they see the same smiling face. Next I included my professional email address and cell phone number, so if I relocate or change jobs, there's still a phone number where I can be reached directly.

In this modern job market, social media sites are likely to be one of the first places a potential employer visits to learn more about you. So I added the URL's for my Linkedin profile, my professional Facebook Page, and my Twitter account. Here they can see my work history, see the kinds of things I chat about, and get a feel for the the kinds of connections I'm making. (Just be careful, and make sure that you're a responsible social media user, no drunken pics, no rants about how stupid your current boss is, that kind of thing will come back to bite you.)

Finally on the back of my card I put a short invitation to visit this blog, along with the URL.

With just one small photo, a few URL's, an email and a phone number, the people that I meet have a clear and accurate picture of who I am, what I do, and how I can best serve them. The only challenge left is initiating the conversations that will land my card in their hands, and that will inspire them to learn more about me.

More on that next time, for now I'll just sit in the lobby staring at my mailbox, waiting for my little box of cards to arrive. Is that too nerdy?

~Michelle In Turn

Resumes Are Like Real Estate

Dear Potential Employer,


I am awesome. 


Stop wasting time and just hire me already, because while you may not know it yet, I'm the best in all the land. 


When do I start?


~Michelle In Turn

I am NOT a Literary Hustler!

Failure is Just a Mistake You Didn't Learn From

While I certainly cannot claim to have avoided failure all my life, I've fortunately managed to get at least a bit better at managing the chaos and rebounding quickly when it comes to potential failure.


If you ever have the chance to talk to my parents, I'm sure they'll be eager to tell you how I love to "learn things the hard way". Some people might view that as a negative, but I actually don't. You see, the reason I tend to learn the hard way is that I am of the breed who likes to take well-planned risks in an attempt to improve or enhance my life. Sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don't, but the key here is that I almost always choose to use those would-be failures as learning experiences and growth opportunities.


Take my recent endeavors for example. Here I am, at the start of a second career and eager to make a good name for myself in a tight job market and a tough economy. So in an effort to establish a reputation as a talented and capable publishing professional, I decided to put my talents, skills and passion out there as a "freelance editor". I thought this was a genius move, but yesterday I learned it was more like a ticking time bomb.


Man— I had NO IDEA that putting my name out as an editor without formal "in house" experience could be detrimental to my career and/or my professional reputation. Apparently literary professionals like in-house editors and literary agents actually steer their authors away from self-proclaimed editors like me, and after hearing my friend out, I was totally able to see her point.


But now that leaves me in a bit of a quandary, and here's why: 


I do have a very natural talent for editing in all its forms, and that natural talent was strengthened and honed via my years as an English teacher and my voracious reading. It was then validated through my internship at a literary agency, confirmed when I assisted a client with proofreading some client manuscripts, and even more so when I completed a manuscript for my first official editorial client. But at the end of the day, aside from my BA in English, I have no formal editing experience or credentials. 


While interacting with and guiding writers is something that brings me true joy, I wouldn't want to jeopardize a long and vibrant career by coming off like a literary hustler.


I am NOT a literary hustler! 


But, I am going to figure out how to make lemonade from this mess, and I've already started by revising my current job description on every site from LinkedIn to Facebook to Twitter to this blog. 


Until Next Time...


~Michelle In Turn

Rung #2

I'm happy to report that rung two on my publishing-career-ladder-to-success has officially been reached.

Shifting gears from teaching to publishing was a HUGE risk, and I knew that breaking into the industry wouldn't be easy for an "outsider" like me. But I'm of the mindset that thinks along the lines of "You've got to know the system, to beat the system." So, in a lot of ways I am still in learning mode— a sponge.

Over the past few months, since leaving my internship at FinePrint Literary Management, I've been fortunate enough to work with a pretty incredible woman: Stephanie Gunning. She's an independent book consultant, book coach, developmental editor, thought leader, innovator, self-publishing company partner and so much more. Partnering up with her has given me insight into the world of publishing that exists outside of the publishing house.

What I have seen so far is that the face of the publishing game is clearly changing, and only those who are innovators and one-step-aheaders will survive the complete overhaul of the old-school paradigm. I plan to be one of those stay-aheaders gosh darn-it!

One way I intend to reach my overall goals is to diversify. I think it would be foolish, at this stage of my life and in this state of industry-wide flux, to limit my experience to one specialty of mode or experience. So as I work as an independent contractor for Stephanie Gunning Enterprises, I'm also working to build my own freelance editorial business.

Presently, I am open to working with authors of both fiction and nonfiction in all genres. In fact, I've just had the pleasure of completing my first major freelance job for author Elizabeth Lions. Her first book, Recession Proof Your Life http://amzn.to/OSCaSV was a great success. Through Steph Gunning I was connected with Ms. Lions, and had the opportunity to edit the manuscript for her second book, I Quit! Working For You Is Not Working For Me. The subject of career change could not have been more appropriate, and the experience couldn't have been more validating.

I'll post a spot-light on the book when it's up and running, but for now I'll just keep smiling.

It's good to be back!

~Michelle In Turn

Closure and Next Steps

Today I have bitter-sweet news to share.

Tomorrow is my official last day as an intern @ FinePrint Literary Management in NYC.  My experience in their program has been invaluable, informative and above all else SO fun!  The staff at FinePrint is top notch, and they have given me so many new tools for my little publishing arsenal.  I will miss our day-to-day dearly, but treasure all the knowledge and 1:1 time they've given me.

On the sweeter side, I have also been fortunate enough to land a position as an independent contractor for the next three months.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I will be working with a fabulous, seasoned and diverse publishing professional on a host of projects.  Her twenty-plus years in the industry promise to give me tons of new experiences and tasks to add to my publishing repertoire.

While I am sad to see the first official chapter of my publishing career come to a close, I am very excited for this next chapter to begin.

As I mentioned when I initially started this blog, anyone who wants to break into the industry has to wait their turn, and work their way up the ranks.  Here's to rung #1 on my career ladder, and stepping up to rung #2.

Wish me luck!

~Michelle In Turn

Due Diligence

As a career changer with a budding new career in the broad field of publishing, I can't help but always have my ear to the ground in search of new and exciting opportunities.  The publishing industry is in the middle of a great shake-up.  With all the modern technology available today, writers are crawling out of the woodwork, and using unconventional methods to get their writing out to the masses. This is changing the game for a lot of publishing professionals, and means that someone like me has to work twice as hard to learn the old ways of doing things, as well as the new and upcoming.  However, in this ever-changing world of publishing you really must do your due diligence.

"What's due diligence" you ask?  Well, Miriam-Webster's website will give a good description (see below),  but basically it means CYA, or in explicit American slang, Cover Your Ass!


I've recently been presented with a great opportunity to learn a lot, and potentially earn a modest living, from a very successful writer, editor, and entrepreneur extraordinaire.  But with that opportunity comes the challenge of just how to handle this new opportunity.

I've spent hours (in truth, weeks) researching the various aspects of my new career path.  I've had to, because I'm putting both my reputation and my livelihood on the line.  I have worked too hard in my life to risk losing it all for an oversight or a poor decision.  So I guess that's where this post is directing me to today.

Regardless of what industry you are in, or seeking out, and what the job title or description is, be sure you know the ins and outs of it intimately, well before you jump in with both feet.  There will always be risk involved, as I'm a firm believer in the theory of no risk = no reward, but you can make these risks less frightening and more fruitful if you spend some time doing your homework, reaching out to others in your field and being certain you understand all legal ramifications.

As I embark on a new chapter in my life, and walk the road less traveled, I am always embracing the challenge of forging ahead in a world of uncertainty.

More reports on my new endeavor later,

~Michelle In Turn

due diligence

 noun

Definition of DUE DILIGENCE

1

: the care that a reasonable person exercises to avoid harm to other persons or their property

2

: research and analysis of a company or organization done in preparation for a business transaction (as a corporate merger or purchase of securities)

Contracts

Rapidly approaching the third month of my internship at a literary management agency in NYC, I am trying to focus my attention on several aspects of the business of being a literary agent that I haven't covered all that well just yet.

One of those aspects is the importance of understanding book contracts.  I had requested a workshop on this topic from the supervising agents, and they were wonderful enough to set up a discussion and several sample contracts etc.  However, it ended up being scheduled during day 3 of my post-eye-surgery agony, so I wasn't able to attend.  But all was not lost, since the newest agent in our office is the new contracts manager.  She was kind enough to carve out a few minutes to go over a general contract.

I was a bit relieved to find that generally speaking, the design of most book contracts are pretty similar and pretty straight forward.  While there can be shady bits from time-to-time, the beauty is they are relatively easy to spot if you are well versed in standard book contracts.  Anyway, here were a few tips handed down by my contracts mentor:

#1)  As the agent, your role in the process is getting the writer the best deal possible.  You are there to protect his/her interests.

#2)  As my father taught me when I was first learning to drive..."Look at the BIG picture."  A book contract is a long-term investment.  You'll naturally want to get the best deal for right now with the best advance, but more importantly, you want to give your author the best chance at future success as well.

#3)  Earning Out.  The writer will get an advance when the contract is completed, and you will get your commission, however, neither of you will be paid anything further until the book has sales that exceed the amount of the advance.

#4)  Agency Clause.  As a literary agent, your main role is to protect the writer.  But you must also protect your rights as well, so always be sure your agency clause is clearly written into the agreement.

While there are plenty of finer points, these are just a few of the basics to help get you started.

~Michelle In Turn

(p.s. Thanks Joy!)