On Tuesday we had the incredible fortune of chatting it up with two amazing authors, Meagan Francis and Amy Wilson, about writing, motherhood and balancing it all. These ladies are sharp and on it, not to mention incredibly funny. If you didn’t have a chance to join us live for the show, you can listen to it here again and/or download it to your iTunes. If you are thinking about writing a book, a blog or submitting your work on a freelance basis this Mommy ‘Bites’ radio show is not to be missed.

Meagan:  You need to give yourself the permission to be the mom you are – you may hate doing arts and crafts and that’s ok!

What is first step in writing a book?

Meagan:  Publishers want to know that you have an audience.  They don’t have budgets anymore to help you promote the book.  Starting a blog is a great first step.  How do you make yourself and your idea stand out?

Amy:  Having a blog, using twitter, pitching to Huffington Post – this is all free which levels the playing field

Amy:  Read the blogs you like and comment on them and become part of the community.  That could help drive people to want to see what you are writing about.

Meagan:  Networking is key. Twitter was a game changer for me. Twitter wasn’t the best for thing for me for bringing in an audience, but it’s been a great way to connect with other writers.

What is next step after initial stages?

Meagan:  Get your hands on a successful book proposal somebody else has written.  Start thinking about where your idea is going to fit.  You need to have a hook – something compelling that is going to make Barnes & Noble put it on their shelves.

Meagan:  See where people are with parenting right now. Look around. Take the pulse of what parents are talking about.

Amy:  You need to define why your voice is unique and in the mainstream of what people are talking about.

How do you find confidence as a writer?

Amy:  Just keep writing. You will have good days and bad days. The more you do it, the more good days you have. That is what makes a blog invaluable. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Meagan:  You could write something that bombed, but doesn’t mean you are a bad writer.  The more you have out there, the less that one thing that wasn’t so great hurts!

Meagan:  You need to find a posse that will be your support system and pump you up.

Meagan:  Don’t fixate on that one negative comment.  Doesn’t mean it was badly written.  Just means that they didn’t like what you said, which is OK.

Have you ever changed something in your book or an article based on someone’s comment?

Amy: Yes – on a chapter about breastfeeding in my book. A friend of mine felt judged by it so I completely rewrote it.

Meagan: I’m writing a ‘how to’ book and my editor told me I can’t use the word ‘should’! So I went back through and thought of other ways to say what I was trying to say and it worked.

How do you balance it all?

Amy: Demand the time that the work needs and set it aside for yourself.  You need to honor what you are doing enough to take the time. 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam is a great book. It’s about having more time than you think you have. There is also a blog – http://www.my168hours.com/.

Meagan: I’m a big proponent in creating SHORT deadlines – much more of a chance of getting it done.

What do you have going on now?

Amy: Pitching a TV show!

Meagan: I want to get into podcasting and writing e-books.

Hardest parenting moment:

Meagan: When my second son was born. My first son was very easy. Second son was not. I was part of a hard core militant attachment parenting network – not good and twisted. It was a very hard point in my life.

Best parenting moment:

Meagan: The time we were all sitting around the table and one of my kids say something funny and we all crack up. It’s the unexpected little stuff that is the best.

Any big “no-no’s” in the book writing process?

Meagan: Don’t take rejection personally. Don’t take a lot of time dwelling on it.

Amy: Make sure your proposals are checked and edited! Don’t give editors a reason to disregard you immediately.

Any great websites or books you recommend?

Amy:  Pen on Fire – book

Meagan:  www.freelancesuccess.com
The Renegade Writer – book
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

Contact information:
Amy:
www.amywilson.com
Twitter: @amywlsn
Facebook: When Did I Get Like This page

Meagan:
www.thehappiestmom.com
Twitter: @MeaganFrancis
Facebook: The Happiest Mom page