This is a Q&A with Sage Cohen, the author of The Productive Writer and Writing the Life Poetic, both from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her writing has appeared in publications including Writer’s Digest Magazine, Poet’s Market 2011, Cup of Comfort for Writers, The Oregonian, and How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth. Sage blogs and teaches at pathofpossibility.com.
Before we get started with the Q&A, two quick announcements:
1. Sage is giving away three signed copies of The Productive Writer. I read it and it’s great! To enter the contest, simply post a comment below. Sage will randomly draw three lucky winners from among the commenters!
2. Also, don’t forget that tonight is the free teleclass Using Fear as Fuel When Writing and Querying, taught by none other than Sage Cohen. Visit the Teleclasses page to get more info and sign up.
Can you tell us how you landed this awesome book deal with Writer’s Digest Books?
Sure. It was a mix of luck, timing, good professional relationships and an effective query.
My first book, Writing the Life Poetic, was published by Writer’s Digest Books. When I learned that another editor at WDB wanted to publish a book focused on organization for writers, I pitched it and they bought it. As we got under way, the topic fanned out a bit and morphed from “organization” to “productivity.” It’s been a really fun and relevant topic for me, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to share my ideas with readers.
What got you interested in productivity for writers?
I’ve been working with writers as a coach, teacher and editor for nearly 20 years now. I realized recently that what I’ve been trying to accomplish in everything I do is simply: to help people align themselves with possibility–by following desire into effective action. What I’ve found is that we’re so used to getting in our own way, we may have no idea how very likely our dreams and intentions may be. My goal is to help writers find a greater alignment between their writing and their lives–by tending all that is possible along the way. By focusing on productivity, writers can hone the attitudes and skills that will make the possible far more probable.
What does productivity mean to you? Is it all about getting more work done faster?
Productivity, as I see it, is about knowing who you are, how you think and process information, what your best skills and strengths are, what you fear, and how you resist. From there, it’s a matter of working with this unique constellation to cultivate the systems, strategies and attitudes what will serve you best in accomplishing what matters most to you in your writing life.
What is the most common productivity problem you see in freelance magazine writers?
I think the most universal challenge for every writer–and every person, for that matter–is fear. Fear shows up in the many disguises of: procrastination, perfectionism, and everything a writer doesn’t attempt (or repeat) for fear that s/he is not yet expert or knowledgeable enough to try.
The fact of the matter is this: While you’re busy obsessing about not knowing enough about a particular topic or market (and therefore not taking the appropriate steps toward developing your expertise, understanding your marke
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