Not much. I've been on submission two weeks. I know that I'm not supposed to think about it. I'm supposed to be working hard on my next book and ignoring the fact that editors, somewhere out in the ether, are considering my work.
It would be easy (no, it IS easy) to careen off the rails and obsessively think, they hate it. they love it. they are using my ms to wrap their fish. Which is ridiculous, because I don't think people wrap their fish in manuscripts anymore, that's very last century.
There is SO much information on the querying and writing process, so much so that a newbie writer can become pretty sophisticated fast. But what happens between getting an agent and getting a book sold is a little murky.
It's almost a blessing that there isn't that much information on the submission process out there. It means that there's less to revisit and analyze compulsively. So I'm trying to change the way I think about being on submission. I'm trying not to think of it as a step - one that I'm hanging on to, precariously, praying that I make it to the next step. I'm trying to think of being on submission as a state of being, like being 40. (Crap. let that cat out of the bag) It's just what I am right now, and I have to get used to it and move on.
Having said that, I've included some links below on submission. I remember reading Natalie Whipple's post particularly and it helped me a) admire her more and b) understand the process more.
Agent Query
What to Expect When You're Submitting
And Natalie's amazing post on being on submission for a long time.
Nathan Bransford's How Long it Takes to Sell a Book
The biggest thing that's helped me so far? Talking to other writers in the same situation. You can cheer each other on and cry when it goes horribly pear-shaped. You can #sendsubmissionvibes. That's what's helped me the most get back to concentrating on my WIP.
When you get to Publisherland, there are a different set of challenges (which I'm completely ignoring for now.) For really great insight on what happens when you're working with your publisher's editor, check out Stephanie Knipper's recent blog series on what she's learned in the editing process. Really insightful
So, how do you deal with the writerly unknown?
Showing posts with label agents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agents. Show all posts
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
G is for Gatekeeper vs. Champion
Everyone's been subjected to the whims of a gatekeeper. It might be a judge in a competition, the teams picking sides for kickball, the bouncer at a nightclub or the guy who goes 'eeny meeny miney mo' at the door to Valhalla. It's frustrating to know that all your future happiness, or at least dance floor fun, is in the hands of the dude behind the velvet ropes.
That's what an agent is, right? S/he's the person who stops you at the door and checks out your outfit, finding your leopard print tights and go go boots wanting (What? Isn't that what everyone wears to go clubbing? It's been a while...) An agent seems to make arbitrary decisions based on indefinable criteria. You can make yourself absolutely loopy - I know, I've done it - trying to figure out WHY an agent has rejected your query/ms.
But it puts a different spin on things if you think of an agent, not as an adversarial gatekeeper trying to keep you out, but as a champion who is always on the look out for a writer and project they feel passionate about. Someone who opens up their email in the morning and thinks, man I hope I find it today.
That's what I think an agent should be, an advocate. Someone who loves your work almost as much as you do, gets excited about saying 'yes' and can't wait to talk about your work to whoever they can corner with the line "You've GOT to hear about this book I just read." Isn't that what you want? I do. And that's worth waiting for, the needle in the haystack. And that's why you can't ever give up.
And G is for Grizzly Bear:
That's what an agent is, right? S/he's the person who stops you at the door and checks out your outfit, finding your leopard print tights and go go boots wanting (What? Isn't that what everyone wears to go clubbing? It's been a while...) An agent seems to make arbitrary decisions based on indefinable criteria. You can make yourself absolutely loopy - I know, I've done it - trying to figure out WHY an agent has rejected your query/ms.
But it puts a different spin on things if you think of an agent, not as an adversarial gatekeeper trying to keep you out, but as a champion who is always on the look out for a writer and project they feel passionate about. Someone who opens up their email in the morning and thinks, man I hope I find it today.
That's what I think an agent should be, an advocate. Someone who loves your work almost as much as you do, gets excited about saying 'yes' and can't wait to talk about your work to whoever they can corner with the line "You've GOT to hear about this book I just read." Isn't that what you want? I do. And that's worth waiting for, the needle in the haystack. And that's why you can't ever give up.
And G is for Grizzly Bear:
Thursday, February 9, 2012
It's Not Really Right For Me
and other s**t agents and editors say. This made me laugh. Look, agents are people too. They're not demonic gatekeepers keeping you from your dream. They work hard and they deserve their wine, dammit.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
3 Unrelated Things I'll Try to Relate
It's surely a sign of a disorganized mind - and one that is sorely lacking in sleep - but I've got three disparate things buzzing in my head. I can't fix on one, so even though they don't go together, I'm going to smash them together anyway. I might have to use Gorilla Glue.
Downton Abbey
I'm officially obsessed. I can remember back in September when Tivo took the initiative and recommended an episode of DA. I watched 2 minutes and deleted it. Then, in December I saw
Michelle Dockery in this fabulous dress:
and thought, "Hmm. I can use some Edwardian fashion eye candy, maybe I'll get season one from the library." Two weeks ago husband and I began watching season one, first with relief that we liked it, then with growing interest. I think husband fell to obsession after he found out that Patton Oswalt is a fan and puts out some of the most hilarious tweets about DA. I felt myself fall into obsession this Monday morning. I woke up from a dream where Lady Grantham (Cora) and I opened up a tattoo parlor in a Brooklyn brownstone. Just imagine Elizabeth McGovern in a gorgeous beaded gown, but instead of opera length gloves, she's got an intricate tattoo sleeve gracing each arm. If You Were The Only Girl in the World played on the phonograph in the background. I swoon.
Making Myself Miserable
Littlest broke her finger a few days ago. She was dancing. On the dining room chair. She's fine, in fact, I don't think she remembers her splinted finger until it gets in her way. But at night, she's up two, three or more times. No one has been sleeping. And since I have preternatural hearing, I sleep even less. So this morning, even though husband let me sleep in a little, I was in a miserable mood. After eldest made her way to school and littlest had her breakfast, I opened up email and saw an email from Caryn Wiseman from Andrea Brown Agency. To recap briefly, I posted the first 5 pages of BookEnd during last summers writeoncon. Caryn requested the first three chapters. I sent them in September then heard nothing. In January, I screwed my courage to the sticking point and nudged her. Nothing until today. Now, I've had seven rejections in the last three weeks. I knew without opening it that this was going to be a rejection too. I just felt like someone punched me in the gut, yet still expected me to get out of my PJs and brush my teeth. I cried. Then I figured I might as well open the damn rejection up, stick it in my folder with the others and get on querytracker to collect my latest orange frownie face.
But it wasn't a rejection. Caryn said she hadn't received my email in September, but wanted to read my full now. And that's how you ruin your own morning, all by yourself.
Synopsis
Part of what Caryn Wiseman wants me to send is a synopsis. My existing synopsis is a five page hot mess. Luckily, my awesome beta reader pal, Sharon Bayliss, sent me a link to a great post on how to write a one page synopsis. I'm already half way through rewriting my synopsis. Couldn't have done it without this tip. Thanks Sharon!
So, what's been rattling around your brain this week?
Downton Abbey
I'm officially obsessed. I can remember back in September when Tivo took the initiative and recommended an episode of DA. I watched 2 minutes and deleted it. Then, in December I saw
Michelle Dockery in this fabulous dress:
and thought, "Hmm. I can use some Edwardian fashion eye candy, maybe I'll get season one from the library." Two weeks ago husband and I began watching season one, first with relief that we liked it, then with growing interest. I think husband fell to obsession after he found out that Patton Oswalt is a fan and puts out some of the most hilarious tweets about DA. I felt myself fall into obsession this Monday morning. I woke up from a dream where Lady Grantham (Cora) and I opened up a tattoo parlor in a Brooklyn brownstone. Just imagine Elizabeth McGovern in a gorgeous beaded gown, but instead of opera length gloves, she's got an intricate tattoo sleeve gracing each arm. If You Were The Only Girl in the World played on the phonograph in the background. I swoon.
Making Myself Miserable
Littlest broke her finger a few days ago. She was dancing. On the dining room chair. She's fine, in fact, I don't think she remembers her splinted finger until it gets in her way. But at night, she's up two, three or more times. No one has been sleeping. And since I have preternatural hearing, I sleep even less. So this morning, even though husband let me sleep in a little, I was in a miserable mood. After eldest made her way to school and littlest had her breakfast, I opened up email and saw an email from Caryn Wiseman from Andrea Brown Agency. To recap briefly, I posted the first 5 pages of BookEnd during last summers writeoncon. Caryn requested the first three chapters. I sent them in September then heard nothing. In January, I screwed my courage to the sticking point and nudged her. Nothing until today. Now, I've had seven rejections in the last three weeks. I knew without opening it that this was going to be a rejection too. I just felt like someone punched me in the gut, yet still expected me to get out of my PJs and brush my teeth. I cried. Then I figured I might as well open the damn rejection up, stick it in my folder with the others and get on querytracker to collect my latest orange frownie face.
But it wasn't a rejection. Caryn said she hadn't received my email in September, but wanted to read my full now. And that's how you ruin your own morning, all by yourself.
Synopsis
Part of what Caryn Wiseman wants me to send is a synopsis. My existing synopsis is a five page hot mess. Luckily, my awesome beta reader pal, Sharon Bayliss, sent me a link to a great post on how to write a one page synopsis. I'm already half way through rewriting my synopsis. Couldn't have done it without this tip. Thanks Sharon!
So, what's been rattling around your brain this week?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Writing Tip Thursday #10 - How to Write a Query Letter
Made you look. I don't actually know how to write a successful query letter. If I did, I'd have an agent and be one rung up from where I am. BUT I do need to figure out how to write a query letter - I have 10 days to write a good one - I figured we could learn together.
As to why I have 10 days to write one, that's because I'm a coward. Last year when I went to the Pennwriter's conference, I didn't do any agent pitches or anything where I was compelled to speak to humans. This year, I'm trying to do a little better. I signed up for networking lunches, cocktails, crits etc. But as for pitching to a flesh and blood agent, I quailed, dear reader. I chose the one agent who was doing a crit of a query letter and the first 10 pages of ms. instead of a pitch. I'm a slowly recovering coward.
At the bottom of this post are a bunch of links to resources for query letters. There's a ton out there, which is the good news. The bad news is that each query letter is so individual, so much a mix of a business letter and a personal plea that there's no formulaic way to write one* You have to craft the bugger.
First you have to figure out what the thing wot you wrote is about. Good luck with that. It's not always as easy as you think it is, and it's not always what you thought you were writing. To get myself to the nugget of what BookEnd is about, I snowflaked it. This is a method that you can use to outline your story before you write, or to get to the essentials of what your story is afterwards. I found it really useful after the fact, but not that useful before writing. Your results will vary, obviously.
Secondly, I've decided to leave the 'personalizing' part of the query letter last. Not that this isn't important. I understand that you need to have done research on the agent you are sending the query to, that you have to know why you are querying them and not every other agent on querytracker.com. Robo-querying is not the way to go. But I want to concentrate on the message of my query, since a query is essentially a pitch written down.
So, here's my first go - please please please throw me some suggestions, I need all the help I can get. I know that the letter should probably be longer. What more should I tell about the story?
The bold type is what I've changed, the rest is TK.
*Well, of course there is a formula. You can find one from Nathan Bransford here. But when you're done with it, it shouldn't feel formulaic.
Query Letter Writing Resources
Agent Query
Nathan Bransford
Query Shark - sometimes brutal but always effective advice by example - what works and what doesn't. check out her 'wins'
Writer's Digest
Pub Rants - Agent Kristin has a list of her client's queries that have (obviously) worked for her - and more importantly, how they worked.
Pimp My Novel also has an interesting (non agent) take on queries
As to why I have 10 days to write one, that's because I'm a coward. Last year when I went to the Pennwriter's conference, I didn't do any agent pitches or anything where I was compelled to speak to humans. This year, I'm trying to do a little better. I signed up for networking lunches, cocktails, crits etc. But as for pitching to a flesh and blood agent, I quailed, dear reader. I chose the one agent who was doing a crit of a query letter and the first 10 pages of ms. instead of a pitch. I'm a slowly recovering coward.
At the bottom of this post are a bunch of links to resources for query letters. There's a ton out there, which is the good news. The bad news is that each query letter is so individual, so much a mix of a business letter and a personal plea that there's no formulaic way to write one* You have to craft the bugger.
First you have to figure out what the thing wot you wrote is about. Good luck with that. It's not always as easy as you think it is, and it's not always what you thought you were writing. To get myself to the nugget of what BookEnd is about, I snowflaked it. This is a method that you can use to outline your story before you write, or to get to the essentials of what your story is afterwards. I found it really useful after the fact, but not that useful before writing. Your results will vary, obviously.
Secondly, I've decided to leave the 'personalizing' part of the query letter last. Not that this isn't important. I understand that you need to have done research on the agent you are sending the query to, that you have to know why you are querying them and not every other agent on querytracker.com. Robo-querying is not the way to go. But I want to concentrate on the message of my query, since a query is essentially a pitch written down.
So, here's my first go - please please please throw me some suggestions, I need all the help I can get. I know that the letter should probably be longer. What more should I tell about the story?
The bold type is what I've changed, the rest is TK.
Dear [Agent name],
I chose to submit to you because of your wonderful taste in [genre], and because you [personalized tidbit about agent].
Finial Smith is a teenager living in world where book characters, called QRs (Quasi-Reals), come to die or be recycled. But then Fin meets Anne, a QR who is more alive and real than anyone he's ever met. Now Fin has to decide to stand with his family and let Anne be destroyed, or to endanger everyone he loves to save her. Knowing Anne will forever change how Fin sees his world and teach him what it means to be Real.
BookEnd is a 70,000 word Young Adult novel. This is my first novel.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best wishes,
*Well, of course there is a formula. You can find one from Nathan Bransford here. But when you're done with it, it shouldn't feel formulaic.
Query Letter Writing Resources
Agent Query
Nathan Bransford
Query Shark - sometimes brutal but always effective advice by example - what works and what doesn't. check out her 'wins'
Writer's Digest
Pub Rants - Agent Kristin has a list of her client's queries that have (obviously) worked for her - and more importantly, how they worked.
Pimp My Novel also has an interesting (non agent) take on queries
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday! 3.30.11
Mixed bag of linkage today, friends:
Big Bad (and not so bad) Agents
I'm going to my first three day conference in a month so I'm trying to gather advice for conference season - here's a piece on the Philly Liar's Club site on how to pitch an agent at a conference.
And from agent Vickie Motter more tips on 'speed dating' an agent.
Continuing on the agent theme, GalleyCat has a listing of the best agents on twitter.
Contests!
Carolina Valdez-Miller has a cool contest to go along with the cool news that she got herself an agent - YEE-HA!
I know I mentioned this yesterday, but it's such a cool idea, looking at the first 101 words of your WIP closely. Hop over to Lesser Apricots and submit your first 101 for the chance to win a one page critique and lots of other goodies.
And under the topic of Authors Doing (sometimes strange) Things When Not Writing:
Laura Miller over at Salon ponders what would have become of reclusive authors of yore if they'd been compelled to do the kind of 'author platform building' and self-selling that is expected these days. As it is it's a miracle Edgar Allen Poe got published, but if he'd had to show up, sober and social, to a book signing? Nevermore.
As Nick the Stripper says, Flame ON! A tweet from Neil Gaiman shared a link to BigAl's Books and Pals and entreated all to NOT DO THIS. 'This' turned out to be a flaming war between reviewer, commenters and an author of several e-books. Salon rounds up and 'splains the shenanigans.
John Le Carre has turned down being nominated for the Man Booker International prize. Why? He doesn't compete for literary awards. Does he, perhaps, compete while playing darts or while Morris Dancing? Is this a fickle muse thing? What do you think about authors who take themselves out of the running for awards?
Lastly, but not leastly, there's an experiment on twitter. I call it an experiment because I can't figure out how it would work, but more power to them. It's a murder mystery on the Twitter. I will try to figure it out and follow. Starts tonight at 7pm EST and goes on for 3 hours.
Big Bad (and not so bad) Agents
I'm going to my first three day conference in a month so I'm trying to gather advice for conference season - here's a piece on the Philly Liar's Club site on how to pitch an agent at a conference.
And from agent Vickie Motter more tips on 'speed dating' an agent.
Continuing on the agent theme, GalleyCat has a listing of the best agents on twitter.
Contests!
Carolina Valdez-Miller has a cool contest to go along with the cool news that she got herself an agent - YEE-HA!
I know I mentioned this yesterday, but it's such a cool idea, looking at the first 101 words of your WIP closely. Hop over to Lesser Apricots and submit your first 101 for the chance to win a one page critique and lots of other goodies.
And under the topic of Authors Doing (sometimes strange) Things When Not Writing:
Laura Miller over at Salon ponders what would have become of reclusive authors of yore if they'd been compelled to do the kind of 'author platform building' and self-selling that is expected these days. As it is it's a miracle Edgar Allen Poe got published, but if he'd had to show up, sober and social, to a book signing? Nevermore.
As Nick the Stripper says, Flame ON! A tweet from Neil Gaiman shared a link to BigAl's Books and Pals and entreated all to NOT DO THIS. 'This' turned out to be a flaming war between reviewer, commenters and an author of several e-books. Salon rounds up and 'splains the shenanigans.
John Le Carre has turned down being nominated for the Man Booker International prize. Why? He doesn't compete for literary awards. Does he, perhaps, compete while playing darts or while Morris Dancing? Is this a fickle muse thing? What do you think about authors who take themselves out of the running for awards?
Lastly, but not leastly, there's an experiment on twitter. I call it an experiment because I can't figure out how it would work, but more power to them. It's a murder mystery on the Twitter. I will try to figure it out and follow. Starts tonight at 7pm EST and goes on for 3 hours.
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