Telling stories has been the main obsession of Bill's life since first grade. During summer camp in his early teens, he entertained fellow campers with tales around the campfire or at night after 'lights out.' In one memorable summer, he told the tale of "The Lord of the Rings," surrounded by dark forest where the nights' only light came from stars, flickering flames, and fireflies.

Somewhere along the way, he developed an intense desire to help other writers succeed. To that end, he developed and presented a free novel-writing course at the local library, took over organizing the largest writing group in West Tennessee for two years, and has met dozens of writers in person to answer questions and help any way that he can.

After majoring in English and History, with an emphasis on Creative Writing, at the University of Memphis, Bill realized that it's impossible to teach people what to write, and very difficult to teach them how. Studying the rules of writing, story structure, etc. are part of the continual learning process writers must embrace, but ultimately Heinlein's Rule #1 is the best way to improve: "You must write."

So as he (not so gracefully) ages in a modest home east of Memphis, TN, the desire to write books and tell stories remains as strong as it was 60 years ago. The big difference now is how much better the coffee tastes.

Follow Bill on social media:

Twitter: @jointhebrigade1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepyouupallnightbooks/

Telling stories has been the main obsession of Bill's life since first grade. During summer camp in his early teens, he entertained fellow campers with tales around the campfire or at night after 'lights out.' In one memorable summer, he told the tale of "The Lord of the Rings," surrounded by dark forest where the nights' only light came from stars, flickering flames, and fireflies.

Somewhere along the way, he developed an intense desire to help other writers succeed. To that end, he developed and presented a free novel-writing course at the local library, took over organizing the largest writing group in West Tennessee for two years, and has met dozens of writers in person to answer questions and help any way that he can.

After majoring in English and History, with an emphasis on Creative Writing, at the University of Memphis, Bill realized that it's impossible to teach people what to write, and very difficult to teach them how. Studying the rules of writing, story structure, etc. are part of the continual learning process writers must embrace, but ultimately Heinlein's Rule #1 is the best way to improve: "You must write."

So as he (not so gracefully) ages in a modest home east of Memphis, TN, the desire to write books and tell stories remains as strong as it was 60 years ago. The big difference now is how much better the coffee tastes.

Follow Bill on social media:

Twitter: @jointhebrigade1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepyouupallnightbooks/

Have Keyboard Will Type by William Alan Webb

So you want to write a book?

You're not alone. If you're like most people though, you probably don't know where—or how—to get started. Not everyone has an agent or a publisher in the family. So what do you do? Do what bestselling author William Alan Webb did to get started! Or, better yet, learn from his mistakes and jump out to an even quicker start!

Inside "Have Keyboard: Will Type" is everything that Bill Webb learned starting out, both the good and the bad. It's a frank discussion of what worked for him and the mistakes he made along the way (so you don't have to make them, too!)

From the very first query letters to pitching agents online, Bill takes you through the query process, showing you how to get a leg up on the competition. Then, once your book is in the publishing process, he shows you how to navigate social media, with actionable ideas to get ahead!

"Have Keyboard: Will Type" not only takes you through the publishing process, but also gives advice on other topics like reviews, acquiring mentors, and the various avenues for publishing available to you. One of the most important characteristics for a new author is coachability—if you're ready to learn, step inside! It's time to get published!

 

REVIEWS

  • "The book was so engaging I did not want to put it down."

    – Shawn Carey, Internet Reviewer

  • "William Webb lays out the trials and tribulations and the thrills and exhilaration of both traditional and indy publishing, in an amusing, but frank, style. If you're new to writing and want one source to build a good foundation, this is it."

    – Russ Tilton, Internet Reviewer

  • "There's a reason for almost everyone to read this one."

    – Zach Ritz, Internet Reviewer
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Great News! They Said No!

Rejections are part of the writing life. It sucks, but there's no way around it. Remember, I quit writing fiction in the first place because I got tired of all the rejections. This time around, my strategy for coping with rejections was to blog about it in a series titled My Journey to 200 Nos. This idea came from the network marketing world. I'll tell you now that watching videos from network marketing professionals is a great way to learn tolerance of rejection. You don't have to buy the products and you don't have to join a company, but without a doubt, the psychological teachings of that profession are exactly what a writer needs to hear, whether they be new or veteran.

A favorite mentor of mine in network marketing once figured out exactly how much a no was worth to him. See, in every sales organization (and make no mistake, a writer hawking a book is a salesperson), it's not hard to figure out how many nos it takes to get a yes. In other words, how many prospects do you have to engage with before you make a sale? It's a numbers game, nothing more, and it's the same exact thing as when you're trying to sell a book to an agent or publisher, because in trying to sell your book, or even a short story, you don't need a bunch of yeses you only need the right ONE.

So for me, I made the process of seeking publication into something of a contest, the perfect fodder for a blog about writing. Every time an agent or publisher refused the book, or even refused a query, it was a no. I treated it like a game. Along the way there were some agents who requested more information but ultimately rejected the book. That was a no. Others might see it as a yes, but for me only an offer of representation or a contract counted as a yes.

Agents are like everybody else in the world; some are nice, and some aren't. Some are very professional, while others act like rank amateurs. Some will hate your work on the surface of it because of topic, point of view, or maybe they ate some bad chili the night before. You can't let it bother you.

As I write these words on June 24, 2020, each no was worth more than $1,000 in my pocket. Since agents get 15 percent commission, that would have meant $150 in their pocket and only $850 in mine, so thanks for turning me down guys!