Want to Know How I Got Published? The Punk Way by @cdetler

When I was in college, I had the coolest professor ever. She taught history and politics through early hip-hop culture, where the human beat-box and the flattened breakdance cardboard were tools of the revolution. She taught philosophy through a book—a zine, practically—called Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing. That book introduced me to DIY as a commitment, a lifestyle. Do It Yourself, ironically, has led to my success in getting big-house published.

What is the Punk Rock Ethos? 

Tales of a Punk Rock Nothing’s take on DIY is different than the glossy, wood-grained version competing with HGTV on cable. Punk’s DIY ‘tude has its roots in screw the ignore the system. You don’t need ties and money and hair gel to get a thing done; you need your own brain and fingers. I’m no punk rocker, so don’t quote me, but…I think punk’s DIY ethos might flip off frown at the costly cameras filming the DIY Network’s projects. And also at my dreams of New York Times bestseller status.

But if we’re doing it our own selves, we should be making up our own goals, amirite? Doesn’t punk ethos respect individuality? My individual goal is to be a bestseller. Yours too? Here’s how: plan to do it all yourself.

How Did I Combine Punk With Publishing? 

My YA memoir The Dead Inside, currently a #1 new release on Amazon, was published by Sourcebooks, currently the 10th biggest publisher in the U.S. How’s that DIY? Well. It was originally self-published as Straightling. And I logged a trillion DIY hours to get that bitch that thing into a position where it would snag me an agent, a publishing contract, and a mega-lunge closer to my non-punk goal.Want to Know How I Got Published? The Punk Way by @cdetler via @badredheadmedia, BadRedheadMedia.com, BadRedhead Media, Publishing, Punk, Writing, Book Marketing

In a nutshell, that’s my big, vital piece of advice, if your goal’s the same as mine: expect nothing from anyone. Expect to work your ass off and to do it, to do everything, for yourself.

How Did I Get Published? Brace Yourself 

Here’s a short list of things I did, as a self-published author, that helped land me where I am today:

A: I got up at 4:30 in the morning, every morning, and wrote. For five years. I’m sorry. It’s true.

B: I ruthlessly cut every scene, every line, every word, every comma, that seemed excessive, that clanged wrong. I slaughtered my words to get my manuscript so sharp, your man could shave his throat with it.

C: I reached out—humbly, sincerely—to authors whose work I love. I told them exactly why I love their work. I told them I wondered if they’d consider blurbing my book.

D: When those authors wrote back, as 99.9% of them did, to say “Thank you, I wish I could, but I’m drowning in my own writing,” I took it as a miracle win. My frigging hero just wrote to me! The impossible is possible! I used that energy to keep on DIYing, even when there was 0% “success” to be seen.

E: I found an up-and-coming graphic designer whose work I loved, and whose fee I could afford, to design, tweak and perfect a standout cover.

F: I took an online course with a book publicist, and followed her instructions meticulously…which netted me print coverage and a spot on NPR.

G: I voraciously read the blogs of the publishing and marketing experts—Jane Friedman, Nathan Bransford, Chuck Wendig, BadRedheadMedia Rachel. I took notes and did what they said.

H: As a result of the above, I got my chops up and—following the experts’ advice—meticulously followed agency protocols, and wrote personalized query letters to only the agents whose interests matched my genre. Within a week of sending my three queries, I had two requests for partials. Within a few weeks of sending out my fulls, I had an agent….

I: …who used the 20-page manifesto I wrote, explaining how engaging, no-B.S. YA is the fix we need in our ailing public schools, to snag me a two-book-option-for-a-third publishing contract.

Who Do I Depend On? Me.

I’ve been obsessive with this book thing for a decade now. I have like one friend, and a husband who’s hanging on by a thread. I don’t go on vacation, to the movies, or to the gym. I write, I do book promo stuff, and I sleep. So not punk rock. But it’s working. I’m getting there. I’ll have a life, maybe, when my book’s on the bestseller list. Or maybe when book number two is. Or…you know.

Like the early rappers making music with their fists, like the first British punks spiking their hair with egg, I know one thing for sure: I’ve gotta do what it takes to get what I want. Emphasis, extra heavy, on the I’ve. You wanna get up here with me? Fool Friend, do like all the renegades before us, and start doing it for your damn self.

 

Cyndy EtlerWant to Know How I Got Published? The Punk Way by @cdetler via @badredheadmedia, BadRedheadMedia.com, BadRedhead Media, Publishing, Punk, Writing, Book Marketing  (@cdetler) is the author of Amazon bestselling YA memoir The Dead Inside (Sourcebooks Fire). The Dead Inside takes readers into Straight Inc., a treatment program described by the ACLU as “a concentration camp for throwaway teens.”

 

 

 

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4 Comments

  1. Brenda | BrendaHaire.com on April 17, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Love, love, love this! As a fellow writer, I can relate! Thanks for the links and tips! I started following you on bloglovin!

    • Cyndy Etler on April 18, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Thank you, Brenda! Would love to hear which bits most resonated….or anything else you have to say, too, probably. Anybody who digs the DIY ethos, I interested in.

  2. Melissa on April 17, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    Love this post, Cyndy
    “Expect nothing from anyone. Expect to work your ass off and to do it, to do everything, for yourself.” – words to live by for sure! (And totally punk rock)

    • Cyndy Etler on April 18, 2017 at 2:26 pm

      Melissa, I’m having one of those “It’s 6 AM. Can I have a drink?” days. At least I was. Until I saw your comment. My liver thanks you.

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