Forum: The Hook and Pitch

You’ve got a good story. No, a great story. You’ve polished it until it gleams and all your readers have patted you on the back for a job well done. If only it were that easy.

Now comes the shift from creative process to business process. Submissions, synopses, queries, platforms, social media. It can be overwhelming. Our heroine is approaching it inch by inch, trying to make it easier to swallow as a necessity, dear Reader.

Today we’re looking at the combination of hook and pitch, inextricably entwined. Can you boil your story down far enough to pitch it to an agent without losing its voice and individual flavor? Sure you can. It may just take some advice and a lot of practice. Here’s some advice:

Joseph Finder shares his initial experiences with pitching in his newsletter article What’s a Hook? The Art of the Pitch. Informative and engaging, Joe explains why being able to pitch is important for writers. What’s your story about? Your answer shouldn’t be “Um, er, well…”

I like this little article in Fiction City, Lisa Katzenberger‘s blog. The Pitch is about what she’s facing as she prepares for a writing conference. She gives some good advice and some good links as well. Take a look at both.

Gary Smailes of BubbleCow has an article titled How to Pitch Your Book with a Single Email. His style is direct and easy to follow. What’s his secret for a new writer? “Fight dirty.” He shows some ways to do that.

Always a great resource, The Book Deal‘s Alan Rinzler wrote Insider Tips for Preparing and Delivering a Winning Pitch. Absolutely terrific information and advice here. Read this one, bookmark it and use it.

There’s some remarkable advice on the net from people who are on either side of the pitching every day. The trick is in taking it, applying it and believing in both yourself and your book. You can do this. We both can.

Forum: Agent Advice and Info

If you haven’t already noticed, our heroine is here to tell you that there’s plenty of information to be had on the net about writing, dear Reader. Some of it is excellent. Some of it is awful. Some of it is even worse and can leave a writer demoralized. Let’s concentrate today on some of the more constructive sort, shall we?

I’ve elected to stick mainly with sites written by well-known literary agents. Their focus is answering questions to do with writing and publishing (gee, go figure!) and range pretty freely.

Rachelle Gardner‘s Rants and Ramblings has an article titled Random! Questions! Answered! which caught my eye. She asked on Twitter for followers to post questions to her. Choosing a variety, she answered briefly. The last question was turned over to the readers for input. Take a look for some insight into her approach to being an agent.

Bookends has an article similarly titled Random Questions. In it, Jessica Faust has taken a group of questions sent into the blog and answered them. They are, as the title suggests, not on a theme so do take the time to read through it. Plenty of good info and advice to be found here, too.

Now here’s a major resource for all authors, particularly writers new to publishing. Chip MacGregor wrote not one but three articles referring specifically to the most basic questions about publishing. Chip’s Blog starts with Basic Basic Basic Questions, moves to More on the Basic Basics and then wraps up with One More Look at Basic Basic Questions. I strongly suggest a good read of these posts. File away what doesn’t apply right now as you may find the info important later. By all means, bookmark these if you’re still getting on your feet in the business.

There’s plenty more to be had by well-known and great literary agents on the net. I’ll be adding agent sites to my links soon. What are your favorite informative sites for advice? Please let me know so I can add them to my bookmarks as well. Thanks!

Forum: Query Rejection

Query rejection is not our heroine’s favorite subject either, dear Reader. Nonetheless, it must be faced as a fact of life for a writer. It’s going to happen. If it doesn’t – let me know. I want to rub your head for luck.

We can learn from rejections. Even better, we don’t have to wait for our own to pile up. We can learn from the rejections of others. There are many sites devoted to the topic. I snagged a few that caught my eye.

Before we demonize agents who reject, let’s remember that they are human, too. They know what we put into these novels before we query and bite our nails until we hear back. They also taste rejection at times. Putting it all into perspective is Bookends‘ Jessica Faust with an article titled The Confusion of Rejection.

Janet Reid wrote a short but powerful article titled Feeling Rejected? regarding why and when she sends out form rejections. Form rejections can be the most depressing. Give this a read to better understand why they’re sent.

In the same spirit, Colleen Lindsay has an article in her The Swivet titled Why I may have rejected your query letter this week. Another straight shooter, Colleen gives the cold, hard facts. She points out that we have control over what goes into our queries. Paying attention to these items significantly increases our chances of being read.

For the mother of all query sites, I strongly recommend Query Shark. On it, you’ll see queries examined and thorough comments made. It’s not for the tenderhearted. Neither is querying, for that matter. If you plan to query, take a deep breath and read this site.

Now, Writers Relief Blog likes to sell stuff, but scroll down a little bit to find Top Query Letter Mistakes: Avoid these Amateur Errors. Everything from general mistakes like a cheesy lead to specific phrases to avoid. Will this keep you from getting rejections? No. It may help you avoid automatic ones.

Rejections sting. They always will. The point is to keep going and hone your query letter. Take advantage of the resources available to help you look at your query with fresh eyes.

Friday Forum: Grab Their Attention

Shakespeare began every play with something special. It was designed to grab the attention of those closest to the stage. If he could get The Pit’s attention, he was golden. It’s no different for a novel writer. The Law of the First Five applies for us. The first five lines must grab the attention of the reader and the first five pages must hold it. Many refer to it as setting the hook.

When an agent expresses interest in a manuscript, he or she usually asks for the first X number of pages. A writer must get that agent’s attention straight away or the pages will be tossed. The agent knows that if he or she isn’t interested immediately, neither will the reading public.

This topic is of particular interest to our heroine as she rewrites her series, dear Reader. My first pages are coming together but are not ready for prime time. I took a look around the net for inspiration.

Andrew Jack’s Writing Blog addresses The First Paragraph, inspired by literary agent Nathan Bransford‘s First Paragraph Challenge. This is a double duty referral. First of all, do take a look at everything to do with that First Paragraph Challenge. Nathan Bransford wrote about the good, the bad and the ugly regarding what was submitted. Andrew Jack’s article gives some simple rules and suggestions about the first paragraph, too.

Write It Sideways has an excellent article titled How to Write a First Chapter that Rocks. This one not only gives advice, it links to examples of various great first paragraphs and pages. The differences among them may surprise you. I found encouragement here. Every story can begin with its own form of bang. The collection of links here is fantastic and the advice serves to reinforce the lessons to be found.

If You Give a Girl a Pen has some great advice about going beyond that first paragraph and keeping the reader’s attention in Your First Five Pages. There are tips and strategies here you may not have considered. It’s important to treat the first pages with keen focus. This article shows some ways of doing just that.

If after all this you don’t buy into the theory of the First Fives, I suggest you read the next article. In fact, give it a read either way. There’s great information to be found in Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog‘s article 7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Paragraph. It’s a guest column by Livia Blackburne. She wastes no time when she lists and explains each point. Save yourself some time and nail biting. Double check with this list before submitting your work.

Shouldn’t every paragraph, every page, even every word count? By all means. By the time your novel reaches publication, they will. To get that far, it will have to garner the attention of someone who can make that happen. Pay special attention to the portions that will grab the agent or editor’s attention. After all, those are the portions that will convince someone to be one of your readers.

Friday Forum: Submission Details

With all the fuss of NaNoWriMo behind us, our heroine emphasizes again: December is not NaNoSubMo, dear Reader. Don’t submit your new precious until you’ve edited, tightened and polished that precious until it really is a gem. So why am I addressing details to do with submission today?

We all need something to set as our goal. For writers, that often is being published. Gee, how clever is our heroine to suss that one out? The step we take for that is daunting, however: submitting our work. That’s when we take the step from creative space into the business world of publishing. I don’t know about you, but I’m happy in creative space. The business world? Not so much. Gearing up for the transition well ahead of time makes the step from one to the other less of a jolt.

Thus, a few of the little details we need to know as we slowly approach letting our creations fly and be free.

Some are accused of focusing too heavily on word count. When in creation space, that could be a stumbling block for some. For myself, when creating a rough, it’s  a stepping stone. It doesn’t much matter either way because once the rough’s done, the editing commences. Your shiny gemstone at the end is perfect, right? I’ve got news for you: Your pretty gemstone’s word count has to fit within some guidelines for the business world of publishing. The Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog addressed this definitively. In fact, Chuck Sambuchino titled his article Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books: The Definitive Post. It was a great relief to find this. What’s your genre? It’s addressed here. Your shiny gemstone may need further editing to fit these guidelines.

Speaking of guidelines, have you researched your potential agents’ submission guidelines? It doesn’t take long to Google and check them out. Don’t assume they’re each like the other and whatever you do, don’t Tweet or Facebook message to ask. That shouts, “I’m lazy.” Here’s one view on the subject from Call My Agent! called Line Spacing and Synopses. I was particularly interested in the little mention of synopses. Those dread things. We’ll get back to them in a moment.

Here’s a great look at what one author does to prepare a submission once his shiny gemstone is ready to go out the door. Tell Me a Story‘s Anthony James Barnett wrote an article titled Writing Tips – Submission Guidelines. He puts many personal touches in each package that goes out. Mind you, not every query leads to the submission of a manuscript. Yes, sad to say, you won’t be doing this process on a daily basis. Keep this article handy for when it’s your turn. Again, as previously pointed out, your agent’s submission guidelines trump all.

Now, as to synopses, here’s a delightful look at them that blows the “dreaded” bit right out of the water. Ann Aguirre wrote an article titled  Dispelling Popular Fallacy on the subject. Hilarious and irreverent as ever, Ann takes on the whole concept of the synopsis and breaks it down to bare bones. She’s a hoot and not for the tender-hearted. You’ve been warned if you’re of a delicate nature.

Of course, NaNo isn’t the only reason we write novels. It’s passing rare that a NaNo makes it to the worthwhile gemstone phase. No, you may very well be on the precipice of submitting what is already a shiny gemstone. If so, a tip of the hat to you. I hope these links are some help. Best of luck with your submissions.

Regardless of where you are in the process, looking ahead helps you prepare. Yes, it can also intimidate. Don’t let it intimidate you out of finishing your project. Stick with it and get all the information you can. Let me help with that. What do you need, what do you want researched? Leave me comments and I’ll schedule the topics to include them.

NaNoWriMo 2009: Fun With Words

As NaNo draws to a close, our heroine saw wrimos put in extraordinary efforts the last few days, dear Reader. Incredible daily totals! Surely beyond what each person guessed could be done. Congratulations to all of you.

This is a link to a guest post from Michael Geffner‘s blog, Mike’s Writing Workshop and Newsletter. He kindly published an article I wrote about NaNoWriMo called The Shiny NaNo Secret. Whether you finished the 50k, but especially if you did not, I urge you to read it. I won’t go nuts on you here with my soapbox. Please, take a look and let me know what you think here in the comments?

As some of you know, I used the Fast Drafting method which Shannon Delany, author of 13 to Life (which is due out in June 2010!), described in an interview written in the Friday Forum: Plotting article. That meant I wrote a huge 5k per day, day in and day out. Those of you who put in massive efforts near the end to make your 50k know that’s not undoable. The day in and day out part is rough, though. I kept up the Fast Drafting beyond the 50k up until the rough draft was complete.

I learned to STOP after I realized I hit 5k. Sure, the enthusiasm was there, the drive and motivation were keen. I came to understand that going beyond that point made me less inclined to pick up the keyboard the next day. I encourage you to learn the total you can maintain daily and work with that. Writing daily is what it’s all about. Maintain your daily total or you’ll burn out and walk away.

I learned to STOP in mid-scene so that when I sat down to the manuscript I had built-in momentum. A new technique to me, it proved to be excellent at kick-starting the old gray cells while coffee was still being taken in. (Yes, I know, coffee is always being taken in. Pick a point and get to it.) This is not a technique that works for everyone. I’ve heard some say when they do that, they can’t find the rhythm they were in while they were writing that scene. Fair enough. The point is to be open to finding the techniques that work for you. The first time I heard the “mid-scene technique” mentioned, I scoffed. It stayed in the old noodle, so eventually I gave it a shot.

I strongly encourage you to finish your NaNo manuscript. My 2008 NaNo is gathering dust. I plan to shake said dust off it and finish it during breaks from editing my series in 2010. Finish it, edit it, polish it until it shines. Take the time that it deserves to turn it into the best novel it can be. (Unless it’s an homage to plot bunnies.) Remember, December is not NaNoSubMo — do not submit your NaNo until it is ready to go. Save yourself and the literary agents (and their interns) the trouble, please.

I hope you had a great time with your NaNo experience. It’s supposed to be fun. Words and more words, I just can’t get enough of them. Hopefully, you feel the same way and have been left with the joy of writing as regularly as possible. I look forward to reading your novels.

Friday Forum: Queries 101

When our heroine tentatively approached twitter, dear Reader, two manuscripts at her  back, she had no idea what she was doing.

In fact, I had no idea why I was approaching twitter. Seriously. Had never heard of an author’s platform, wasn’t looking to network within social media, knew nothing. Scary, eh? I’m no expert now. I’m still researching these topics I bring you on the Friday Forum and sifting through the links I find to give you the ones I think are useful.

I remind myself of these things often lately. Actually, a good friend is instrumental in my doing so. He recently came to the twitter writing hashtags with the same bright-eyed innocence I had. The other day, he was full of questions after an #askagent by @ColleenLindsay (thanks!) in which she said, “No query questions!” First question: What’s a query?

Ohmygoodness. Yes, I remember wondering, too. I also recognized that while I had a reasonably good idea what one was, I was in no way prepared to write one. So here we go.

We begin at BookEnds, LLC – A Literary Agency‘s blog for their article Definition of a Query for obvious reasons. While it’s not an exhaustive look at the subject, it does give an idea of what would be considered a query.

There’s an article at There Are No Rules by the amazing Jane Friedman titled 5 Elements of a Query Letter that I recommend highly. Not only is this article informative, it has a collection of links you’ll want to follow. You’ll likely bookmark several. (I did.) This is a blog to watch.

Bubblecow has an article by Gary Smailes called 3 Ways to Improve Your Query Letter. It’s a concise look at queries and basic ways to improve them. Do take a look, it’s worth it.

There is, of course, Query Etiquette. Rachelle Gardner‘s article in her blog Rants and Ramblings: On Life as a Literary Agent posted an article titled Querying Multiple Agents. You’ll definitely want to take a look at this one. Even if you’re testing the waters by just sending one, get the low down on query etiquette.

Now that we’ve brought up the idea of querying multiple agents, we bring up the idea of keeping track of them all. Let me emphasize here: I have not tested these. I’m only posting this one link as an example of what’s out there. Get some recommendations from friends, ratings from trusted sources and find out what works for you.

QueryTracker is a free database of literary agents and it tracks queries to multiple agents. Seems pretty handy-dandy when it comes to that sort of thing. Any Readers want to recommend something else? Please do! Leave a comment, I’d love to take a closer look into it.

Here’s an article I love. Johanna Harness has written an article titled Seven Things I’ve Learned from Querying. So worth the time to read! You’ll learn the lessons, too. Her writing style is delightful, so you’ll even enjoy the process of learning them. Of course, nothing says you won’t have to learn them the hard way yourself, but at least you’ll be forewarned.

So that’s a general look at queries. There were so so so many articles, really good ones, that I skipped in order to have some flow, to go step by step in my look at queries for you. Take a look around. If you’re on twitter, follow URL’s that are posted about queries. (If you’re not on twitter, why not? Seriously.)

I’d love to get your feedback, positive and negative. In the meantime, I wish you a good week and good writing.

Friday Forum: Get Read

Dear Reader, our heroine is perpetually amazed at the single-mindedness of the unpublished novelist, herself included. It brings on head shaking and wry laughter. Having not yet papered my office walls with rejection notices, I do not laugh bitterly. I do, however, take a look at articles with advice regarding how to get my novels read.

We’ll take on the dreaded queries and the loathsome synopses in the future, I assure you. Those are *major* hurdles to get the novel read. I’m not ignoring them. Each deserves a special article or three. In the meantime, I found other information I felt was useful.

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner‘s article Writing the BREAK-IN Novel is the kind of talking-to each and every novelist needs to hear, in my opinion. She puts it all into perspective. As a novelist, I tend to get wrapped up in each of my projects. I have favorites. Sometimes that’s based on whichever one I worked on most recently. Sometimes it’s due to it just plain being better than the others. I’m fickle that way. This article taught me to get past that and think like a publisher. Perhaps this is the first step between being solely a writer and diving into the great world of publishing?

FifthEstate‘s Daniel Clay posted an article titled A Winning Strategy for Escaping the Slush Pile. As you can imagine, I snapped that bookmark up in a hurry. It is exactly as advertised. That is to say, it is a strategy for that very goal and has been successful. YMMV. At the very least, there’s a good deal of good sense in the post. I hope you don’t miss out on it.

Surviving the Odds as a Debut Novelist on the Three Guys One Book blog is a good look at That Which Cannot Be Avoided: Social Media. Among other things, they discuss the importance of having a readership already in place. I’d never heard of several of the links and techniques they discuss, so I took notes.

Back to basics: Louise Wise posted an article simply titled Manuscript Layout. You may have written The Greatest Novel of This Century. If you’ve messed up the layout, it’s not likely to be read. In fact, you can just about count on it being skipped.

What to do if you’ve done everything correctly and it’s still not selling? Write Another Book, says Rachelle Gardner. She’s written a sensible, encouraging article on the matter. Don’t skip over this one. There’s a lot of good advice in this piece.

In fact, literary agent Janet Reid echoes some of the thoughts in her article How Soon Is Too Soon. This is the article that nudged me off the fence and got me busy writing the second book of my series. I’ve learned so much doing so that I see the first book can be edited into a better story. I was getting ready to query on the first book when I discovered this article. She saved me a lot of pain from rejection letters. More importantly, the decision led to the realization that I could write better novels.

Doing what needs done to get read does not mean forcing your story into some cookie cutter image that doesn’t suit you or the novel. No matter how important the other elements are (query, synopsis, web presence), it comes down to whether you’ve written a good novel. Write with abandon, edit well and take some of the good advice offered in these articles.

Friday Forum: Literary Agents

Our heroine has been, she confesses awkwardly, rather baffled by the great big world of literary agents. Dear Reader, it was with trepidation that she faced this down and tried to bring these larger-than-life icons of the publishing world down to almost-human size.

Seriously, the literary agent can make or break an author in this publishing world. Choosing the right one is as important as setting up a platform well. Naturally, choosing one means that one must have more than one asking to see your full manuscript and showing great interest in you to begin with. [cue aria here]

Rose Jensen, as a guest blogger for Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog, writes Five Signs a Literary Agent Is a Good Match for You. This is a simply written yet greatly informative guide into the big wide world. It brings it down to size. It makes the reader understand that it is not a case of scattershot querying, not at all, but rather good marksmanship and patience that brings about the best coupling between author and literary agent.

Rachelle Gardner, a well known literary agent, posted Querying Multiple Agents. It’s important to know the etiquette behind this process as well as being aware of your rights while doing so. Rachelle spells it all out. Be sure to look at her links in the right column and take a tour of her blog for more insight and information about literary agents.

For wonderful and down-to-earth insights about finding the right literary agent, take a look once again at Guide to Literary Agent‘s column How I Got My Agent. Many authors tell their stories. You may find amusement and shake-the-head wonder, but there’s little doubt you’ll find encouragement.

This serves as an introduction to a big topic. There are several issues that a writer must face down concerning the publishing world. It’s that or become overwhelmed by them and allow the fear to win. Speaking of fear, here’s a great article by Bob Meyer on FEAR. Take a look at other pages for good information on agents as well.

As always, please let me know if this article is of use to you.