How I Found the Write Path Blog Fest Announcement

To celebrate her third blogiversary  in May, the awesomely talented Carrie Butler wants to do something different—something to pay it forward—but she needs our your help.

It involves a blogfest, new writers, and pretend time travel. Intrigued yet?

She wants to compile a free e-book for writers who are just starting on their road to publication, using advice from the most brilliant, up-and-coming voices in the industry: you guys!

Here’s what it would involve:

THE PROMPT:

Please write a letter/note to yourself when you first started writing toward publication. The only thing Carrie asks is that you keep it under 800 words, including as many (or as few) of these elements as you like:

 - A lesson you learned the hard way

 - Something you didn’t expect about the industry (positive/negative)

 - A writing-related resource you could never do without now

 - One thing you’d change about your journey

 - One thing you’re glad you did

 - Your number one tip for pursuing publication

 - Anything else you feel is worth passing on

INFORMATION: - The name you wish to be credited as - The title (if any) you wish to follow your name, i.e. author of the series - One major link where people can find you, i.e. website, blog, Twitter, etc. 

PLEASE INCLUDE: - Whether or not you give Carrie permission to use your entry in the e-book compilation. Don’t feel bad if you don’t want in. We’d still love to read what you have to say!

Please note: Carrie won’t be editing the entries, other than to proofread for misspellings or duplicate words. Try to have it pub-ready when you post it. :)

Anticipated FAQs 

Q: Do I have to be published in order to participate?

A: It may be easier to answer the questions if you’ve been published (either independently or traditionally), but it’s certainly not a requirement. We’re just looking for friends with experience navigating the authorial waters. You do not have to be published.

Q: Do I need a blog to participate?

A: No, you do not need a blog to participate. Feel free to e-mail me your letter directly or post it via a social media like Facebook or Google+.

Q: How will the book be available?

A: Carrie will format it in PDF, MOBI, and EPUB, and then Carrie will make those files available for us all to share. If you guys want, Carrie could also make it a free EPUB on Smashwords, and then distribute it to a few other retailers that accept free titles.

Q: When should I post my letter?

A: Anytime during the week of May 19th!

Q: What can I do in the meantime?

A: Kindly spread the word! You can do this by posting, utilizing your social media channels, rocking the button in your sidebar with a link to this post, etc. Also, Carrie would really appreciate it if you used the link-up on her blog to sign up. It will help her compile everyone's posts the week of May 19th. She would hate to miss anyone!