If you’re a follower of my blog, then Christina Katz needs almost no introduction. But I’m gonna do the formals, anyway!
Two years ago, I read a concise yet very informative article in Writer’s Digest on how to raise your kids while still raising your writing career. Writer Mama became a part of my vocabulary. I entered (and lost) Christina’s essay contest, which made me realize how much I needed that book. I became a regular visitor on the Writer Mama Riffs blog (before the book’s logo was even in the header!)
I applied for Christina’s scholarship to her Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class, and lost. I applied again and Won! That was the beginning of a whirlwind of writing-related successes for me.
See, everywhere I read or browsed, I’d see Christina’s name and I wanted that for myself. Never give up, ask lots of questions and heed the advice of those who’ve been there and are going where…you want to go!
Welcome Christina. And thanks for including Writers Inspired on …
The Writer Mama Two-Year Anniversary Blog Tour Giveaway!
Post #11 Success! The Verbal Offer
Jane Friedman called me on the Friday morning before Labor Day weekend to make me the offer on my proposed book. Along the way the name of the book got changed to Writer Mama. And thank goodness!
Which title do you think is better: The Busy Mom’s Guide to Freelance or Writer Mama?
I think Writer Mama is infinitely better. And the new title also opened up some exciting writing possibilities for me. You see the world really didn’t need another freelancing book. There are plenty already. But the world really needed a book that would tackle the idea of how to grow a writing career alongside your kids. And with this new focus, I was able to craft a totally unique book. A book not just based on my personal experience but also based on the wisdom of a larger group of successful mom writers.
So, now seems like a good time to bring up the issue of collaboration. When you self-publish a book, there is only one captain steering the ship. Some people think that this is preferable. But here’s the problem: there’s only one person steering the ship. Doesn’t any book benefit from input from multiple sources? I think so. And I think a problem in some self-published books is that they would have benefited from more editorial planning at the early stages.
Please note: I’ve seen some high-quality self-published books, as well. However, they might have benefited from help in other aspects of the process. Like a better cover design. Or the insight that the photos used would become dated. Or help with distribution, promotion, and shipping. There are so many aspects of book publishing. I could have never crafted a book that would go on to receive thirty favorable reviews on Amazon if I’d had to concern myself with these other issues.
So yes, once I struck a deal with Writer’s Digest, my book became a collaborative process. And it’s such a better book because of all of that collaboration. The fact that others were doing the heavy lifting on the book production end helped me keep my focus on writing the best book I could possibly write. And that was my primary objective.
Today’s Book Drawing: To enter to win a signed, numbered copy of Writer Mama, answer the following question in this blog’s comments:
How would you feel about collaborating with a publisher about such issues as title, cover design, book content, and marketing strategies? Are you up for it?
Thanks for participating! Only US residents, or folks with a US mailing address can participate in the drawing. Please only enter once per day.
Where will the drawing be tomorrow? Visit http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/ to continue reading the rest of the Writer Mama story throughout March 2009!

Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids by Christina Katz (Writer’s Digest Books 2007)
Kids change your life, but they don’t necessarily have to end your career. Stay-at-home moms will love this handy guide to rearing a successful writing career while raising their children. The busy mom’s guide to writing life, this book gives stay-at-moms the encouragement and advice they need including everything from getting started and finding ideas to actually finding time to do the work – something not easy to do with the pitter-patter of little feet. With advice on how to network and form a business, this nurturing guide covers everything a writer mama needs to succeed at her second job.
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