Marcia Meier's Blog
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Feb.14.2011
I blog every week - sometimes more often - on writing, books, publishing and my journey through a master of fine arts in creative writing program. Visit my website to read my latest blog: http://www.marciameier.com/blog.
Also, friend me on Facebook (Marcia Meier) or follow me on Twitter (...
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Feb.01.2011
“That’s an interesting idea,” my agent friend said.
Interesting, yes, and admittedly unusual. I had just explained to him that I decided to do a master of fine arts in creative writing program, primarily to force myself to finish the memoir I’ve been trying to write for three years. I finished a...
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Nov.15.2010
Paula Davis, the book editor at commitmentnow.com, recently asked me to answer some questions on publishing for their constituency. My responses will be posted on that site soon, but I also thought I'd share what I wrote with RedRoom, since there are so many writers hoping to find publication...
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Oct.29.2010
One of the questions that frequently comes up when I am talking with writers groups about self-publishing is the role of bookstores in promoting your book.
Bookstores are essentially places where publishers rent shelf space and then pay a commission to the store for selling their books. Publishers...
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Oct.26.2010
It’s a beautiful morning! Sun is streaming through the front windows and door. The dogs have finally settled at my feet after breakfast and their morning romp through the house. I’m thinking about writing and an age-old problem: When do you find the time?
Nearly all of my clients struggle with this...
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Aug.11.2010
Do you know what SMM is? You should. It stands for social media marketing, and as a writer, it’s crucial for you to understand how to use and benefit from the various social media in existence today.
There are five reasons to get social media marketing savvy:
You can build a platform (...
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May.26.2010
Fear. Can you feel it? Right there in the pit of your stomach. It's a gnawing, knotty presence that makes your pulse quicken and your mouth go dry. Fear has taken the nation hostage.
It's a collective anxiety rooted in 9/11 and fueled by years of war on two fronts. Add to that the collapse of many...
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May.24.2010
Had a great time at the party Saturday for the launch of my new book, Navigating the Rough Waters of Today’s Publishing World, Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders. Despite a bit of a breeze, it was warm and sunny in the Santa Ynez Valley. (See photos here.) Thanks go to our hosts,...
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May.03.2010
I had the privilege recently of helping celebrate the works of Langston Hughes at an annual National Poetry Month event organized by one of Santa Barbara’s exceptional poets and teachers, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle.
Rolle had asked me to talk about what lessons Hughes’ lifelong work might hold for...
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Apr.21.2010
Most writers I know struggle with finding the time, and energy, to complete their writing projects. Many of us hold day jobs or have busy family lives that interfere with quality writing time. One thing I learned from nearly 20 years in the newspaper business is the value of a deadline. There’s...
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Mar.28.2010
Dianne Dixon’s debut novel, The Language of Secrets, is destined to become this year’s The Memory Keeper’s Daughter and a perennial book club favorite. Part mystery, part psychological thriller, Dixon’s novel is an absorbing, provocative and, ultimately, satisfying read from the first page.
The...
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Nov.02.2009
Trying to get published can be an extraordinarily frustrating experience. The key is to not get discouraged. Too often writers get a few rejection slips and give up. That is not the way to get published! You have to keep at it. Send out those lit mag submissions. Send out your latest poem. Send...
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Jul.07.2009
(Reposted from The Huffington Post)
Michael Jackson died in the early afternoon on Thursday, June 25. I remember because my daughter texted the news to me from her summer college class about 2:45, when she was ostensibly listening to her professor.
That’s not so remarkable. What is remarkable is...
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Oct.31.2008
It's overcast and chilly - perfect weather for writing. Here we are again, my writing buddies and I, on the Central California coast in our favorite spot - lovely Avila Beach). This time I splurged and got an ocean-front room. What a difference it makes to be able to look out on the ocean (rather...
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Jun.29.2008
Well, another Santa Barbara Writers Conference has come and gone, and a lot of happy, exhausted writers have traveled back home, inspired, motivated and ready to tackle another year of writing and, it is hoped, publication. I get such pleasure from watching the writers who come for the conference...
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About Marcia
Marcia Meier is an award-winning journalist, author, poet, photographer, teacher, and former director of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
Meier wrote and edited for daily newspapers for twenty years; was marketing and communications director...
Marcia’s Favorite Books
Tolkien's Trilogy, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, Peace Like a River by Leif Unger, The Curious Incident of...