Writerly Help 5¢

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[malindalo]

(via malindalo) At a workshop not too many years ago a newer writer began to condemn a best selling novel, pointing out all its flaws and jagged edges. I listened for a long time, nodding. “All those things are true,” I said. And gave him the C.C. Finlay quote. “But until you learn what the good parts were that excited the reader, you’re always going to be bitterly upset about what is wrong with that bestseller. Learn to spot what worked in that book, and you’ll be able to move forward. And you’ll be a lot less upset all the time as well.”

Tobias Buckell on “The fate of today’s book bloggers”

The C.C. Finlay quote: “A novel doesn’t excite readers because you took all the bad stuff out of it, it excites them because of all the good stuff that’s in it, regardless of the bad.”

[bethrevis]

Making this rebloggable, since it seems to be a popular question…

I think the first thing you need to do is figure out your goals. Are you thinking about self-publishing or traditionally publishing? I’m not much help with self-publishing, as that was not the type of career I wanted. There are very valid reasons for people to self-publish: to have complete control of how the work is sold/presented, to ensure that a work not suitable for traditional publication is still published, etc., but none of those reasons applied to me, and I chose to go the traditional publishing route because that was the career I wanted. 

So: if you want to go the traditional publication route, here’s my suggestions:

Before you query, find strong critique partners. This can be very difficult to do, but you need to find people who are going to help you grow as a writer. Treat it as a business relationship rather than a friendships. Test potential crit partners with a query + 50 sample pages (which is how agents test potential clients). Don’t be afraid to tell someone who’s work is not a good match for you that you can’t work with them. Find someone who will point out both the good and the bad, who likes similar novels to the ones you like, and who has an eye for finding the things you can’t see.

Once you’ve critiqued their work (enabling you to better see how you yourself can improve and to get a sense of the structure of story) and they’ve critiqued yours—and you’ve revised based on those critiques…find another crit partner. Seriously. Someone brand new. Run the new, revised draft by them. You’ll get more comments—and you’ll find out if you really fixed the problems the first reader noticed, as well as discover new problems the first reader missed.

Do that a couple of times until you’re certain the book is as perfect as you can make it. It should NOT be “good enough.” “Good enough” is NEVER good enough. You need it to be the BEST. 

Research agents. I suggest starting at querytracker.net. Find the agents who represent books like you like. But don’t query yet. Because first you need to:

Write a query letter. It MUST be short, to the point, and well-written. It MUST include about a paragraph’s worth of description of the book. It MUST follow the guidelines in the agent’s requirements. Don’t get fancy. This is basically you proving that (a) you have a competent grasp of the English language and (b) you aren’t crazy. Glitter in the envelope, trying to be cute/funny, etc. are signs that you are crazy. Avoid that. 

Get your critique partners to critique your query. You want to make sure that pitch paragraph actually accurately describes your book. 

Get some people who have never heard of your book to critique your query. You want to make sure that someone who’s never heard of the book before (like an agent) will actually understand what you’re talking about. You’re too close to the book to realize this.

After all this…query. There are different ideas of the best way to do this, but here’s what I did: I would make a list of about 100 agents I liked. First round of queries, I sent to a couple of “quick responders”—agents who are online and have a reputation of answering quickly. In my day, this was Nathan Bransford, although he’s not an agent any longer. Get the quick responder responses and judge where you are. As long as you know your book is in this agent’s wheelhouse (i.e. right genre, age range), you can figure out some things based on the rejection. Form rejection? Your query sucks—rewrite it. Partial request, then rejection? Your opening pages aren’t strong enough. Rewrite them. Full request, then rejection? Look at the notes the agent gave you, and judge based on that what needs work. 

After you query some quick responders and have revised accordingly, start a wide query. I tended to do this: I’d pick the top ten “dream agents” I had, and query them. But I’d also pick the bottom ten agents—the ones who might be new, not that experienced, etc. I figured that this meant, if my book was good enough, I had a shot at the dream agent. But if it wasn’t good enough,  I’d have a shot that one of the lower agents would see potential and take me on based on that. And it also enabled me to keep up with the “revising based on rejection” thing—if they all rejected me, I moved on to the next top and bottom ten agents, and queried them after revising.

After about 100 rejections, weigh your options. This SUCKS. I wrote ten books before the 11th (Across the Universe) got picked for publication—that means I had about a THOUSAND rejections. I almost always gave up querying and shelved the novel after about a hundred rejections. This again links back to my goals: I wanted a career out of writing with the Big 6 publishers, and I figured if my book wasn’t good enough to get an agent, it wouldn’t be good enough for my goals of publication (your mileage may vary; if getting a traditional publishing contract with a large publisher isn’t your goal, this doesn’t apply). Shelving novels sucks, but it did help that I had a very strong, clear goal from the start that I wasn’t willing to change. For me, I would rather shelve a novel than give up the chance of the career I wanted.

Treat every book as a learned process. Chances are, if this is your first novel and you want a traditional publishing contract, you are NOT going to be published. Sorry. But that’s actually pretty common. So learn what you can from that novel and move on to the next—if you want the career, you have to be able to write more than one book. And when I say “move on to the next” I don’t mean a sequel to the rejected book. If Book 1 isn’t published, there’s little point in writing Book 2. Sometimes—very often, actually—a book is doomed from the start. The idea isn’t good enough. It’s not original enough, or it’s too strange to be marketable, or it’s kind of boring. This is certainly true of some of my shelved novels. No amount of editing or revising can save a bad idea—so move on to the next one. 

Don’t be in a rush. If you want a traditional publishing career, you need to be in it for the long haul. This means you have to be prepared to put the time in to make a book perfect—often a year or more—and when that doesn’t work, put the time in to make the best book perfect. It took me a decade. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

I hope this helps!

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

Author Beth Revis answers the perennial question: How do I get published?

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

What do you think of blogs for authors? 1) More helpful to have a life/book reviews blog? 2) Or is it better to have a professional blog about writing?

Authors should blog about what they want to blog about. Full stop. In other words, writers DO NOT HAVE TO BLOG ABOUT BOOKS OR WRITING. Actually, I think it’s better if they didn’t. How many writing blogs do we need? Especially from first-time writers who are offering advice to even newer writers. “Hello, blind. Here’s your blind tour guide. Have fun!”

I said something similar on Twitter months ago and have since here from a couple of writers that since they shifted their blogging to topics more closely related to what they’re writing—both fiction and nonfiction—their audiences have grown and they’re having so much fun doing it.

Don’t feel like you have to blog on writing. And especially don’t feel like you have to blog at all if it’s just a huge annoyance to you. I recommend that writers has a blog or website as their landing page, which connects all of their various social media accounts, as well as offering a clear bio and details of their work. But if blogging is pulling teeth for you, don’t do it. Focus your energy on something that will be more productive for you.

Everyone is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all social media plan for every writer. Heck, some writers would probably do better if they didn’t feel forced to do social media in general. For them, perhaps making a blog into a journal (removing the ability for comments and just posting their own thoughts without worrying about interacting with readers) might be a good compromise.

In summation: writers are not your target audience. Figure out who and where your readers are, and then speak to them.

A few examples from writers who let me know how things were going after taking that advice:

One writer switched to blogging about the outdoors because that’s what she wants to feature in her fiction and nonfiction writing. She’s doing amazingly well with her new blog and finding new readers.

Another writer decided to blog about science-related things, as that tied in with his MG/YA books. He’s really glad that he switched, in part because it’s so much more enjoyable for him.

And just this morning, I heard from a writer who is now blogging about teacher resources and has received a great response from readers. Plus, she’s having a lot of fun doing it.

Do what works for you and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. And ignore anyone who tells you that you have to do something a certain way in order to get published or build an audience. Every book and writer is different, so doesn’t it make sense that each of them will find success a different way as well?

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

I have had a revised ms in to an agent since August. The reworkings were all her suggestions. I have heard nothing since then - even with one 'gentle nudge". I have always heard to wait for the agent who suggested the changes to pass on it before moving on ---but do you think it is time to move on anyhow? Thanks!

Send a brief note that says you’re planning to query other agents in [give a specific time frame, a couple weeks or so] but you appreciated her suggestions and would like to give her a chance to answer before you contact anyone else. Once the time is up, move on. If she’s interested, she’ll respond before then.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

With the recent explosion of self-publishing, it's obviously making an impact on how authors approach publishing in general. Many are experimenting with the self-publishing market even as they continue to query agents in hopes of going the traditional route too. Since only a handful of self-published books do well enough to really tout as a success, how would one address a self-publishing venture with less than, say, 10-20K+ sales, in a query? Or would it be best not to mention it at all?

I frequently have writers query me with books they just self-published. Cart before the horse?

The biggest flaw I see in self-published work by new writers (read: new as in have only written one manuscript and haven’t spent years honing their craft) is that it’s an easy way to what they think will bring them success. It’s not gonna happen, folks, unless you are one of the lucky few. And I mean few. Maybe a dozen out of millions of books self-pubbed in the past few years have gone on to huge success.

Self-publishing can be great—if done well. Thing is, most writers don’t do it well, so they flit back to the slush pile because they realize they aren’t equipped to handle the full-time+ job of running your own publishing company, which is essentially what you do when you self-pub.

Instead of focusing on getting published, I encouraged writers to focus on the writing. Hard work, perseverance, determination, research … all of those other nasty things are the only way you will have long-term success. (Unless you’re a fluke, and then all the rest of us hate you.) Self-publishing is not the easy way out. In many cases, it might actually be harder.

So to answer the original question in a not-concrete-at-all way: self-publish only once you’ve done the research and are ready for what you’re diving into, because any book with an ISBN is tracked and will be associated with your name forevermore. Even if you don’t mention it in the query, they’ll find it easily with a quick search through Amazon or Bookscan.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

Would you consider historical young adult fiction novel a bit of a snoozefest? Something along the lines of Gossip Girl set in the early 1900s? Can teens today relate to a world without cars and computers?

Perhaps you should read some of the recent YA novels that have been published. A quick search on Goodreads brings up:

            And all but one or two of these is the beginning of a series. Once you start looking, it’s like falling down a rabbit hole of historical YA fiction, much of it from the Victorian Era through WWII. (Code Name Verity, anyone? Just the most talked-about YA of last year.)

This is why it is vital to read within the genre you’re writing in. A few key words, and I had a dozen or more books in a similar vein. That should tell you whether there is an audience for a certain kind of book. It should also tell you that you don’t need to ask an agent or editor when you can easily find these things on your own.

I’m not averse to answering questions, but really, do some of your own legwork, people. You’ll be amazed by what you can find when you research. Much better stuff than I can tell you, that’s for sure.

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Is it okay for an YA author to write different sub genres? Historial, fantasy, sci-fi, etc, but all under the YA umbrella... would a publisher be all right with that?

I certainly hope so, because I know a lot of authors who do. One well-known example: Kiersten White of Paranormalcy fame.

Take a peek at her books, including published, upcoming, and just contracted/still being written:

Paranormalcy series is paranormal romance.

Mind Games (out next week) is a psychological thriller.

This fall she has The Chaos of Stars, a fantasy involving the Egyptian gods.

I’d say that’s somewhat all over the board. Granted, she has a large following, which might influence some of the leeway she has with writing whatever she pleases, but there are numerous other YA authors writing in different genres all the time.

Yes, publishers want to capitalize on the audience that comes with a popular series of books. So of course they want books in a similar vein, because they are selling. But don’t let that stop you from writing great books, whatever the genre. If it’s good, it will sell.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

If getting an agent can be compared to dating, how do I metaphorically check my makeup and hair before walking up to one? What are they looking for in bios, Twitter feed, Facebook pages, blogs, etc.? In interactions outside their email, what do they take note of and not?

The best way to “check your makeup and hair” is through critique partners or group, or other writers who are a bit more experienced in the querying process. Always have someone double check the query letter and other materials before starting to submit to agents. They can see what you can’t, things like typos or potential missteps.

As for what to put in bio, and on blogs and social media, just remember that oversharing can potentially be detrimental. If it would make your eyebrows raise to see a blog post or Tweet from a professional, others will likely think the same, because like it or not, as a writer, everything you put out there is a reflection of you and your writing.

In tandem with that, keep bios in queries and such short and relevant to your writing and possibly your subject. I don’t need to know about your gerbil farm—unless you’re writing a story about gerbils. Even then, keep it succinct. I see queries all the time that have paragraphs of info on why an author wrote a book and how it’s based upon childhood experiences and why they should be published. At the query stage, none of that is important to me. What I want to know is if you have a good story and if it’s well-written. Deviate from that by much, and my eyes start to glaze over.

To sum up: Have fun online but keep in mind that interactions with other writers and editors and agents are the same as talking with colleagues after work. If you’d be embarrassed to share something with a group of co-workers, it’s probably not something you’d want an agent or editor to see, not to mention your future readers. The internet never forgets.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

If you are querying one book, and you have another MS on R&R with an up and coming publisher (but aren't necessarily looking for rep for that book), does it hurt or help your chances of getting representation to mention the R&R? Does an R&R with a publisher even matter to an agent when considering offering representation?

The only time you really need to mention that you have a manuscript with an editor or publisher is when an agent has requested material. Agents want to know who else has your work, even for a different manuscript.

Depending on the contract you sign, you could be tying up future manuscripts to that publisher, which will obviously affect whether an agent can sell the book you’re querying. It’s generally called Right of Refusal or First Right of Refusal, and it’s an important clause for every writer to evaluate before signing any contract. Publishers can possibly stick in there that they get first dibs on any manuscript you write in the future. That’s a big problem if you hope to get a book deal with a New York publisher.

So yes, mention it, but also be very attentive to everything in a contract before you sign. Some book deals are not worth the chance at publication. Writers who don’t know what they’re signing can easily get screwed over. Happens all the time, sadly.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

How important is it, for a fiction writer, to build a presence online? Not only Twitter/Facebook, but a website also? Does that play a role when you're deciding to take a client on, or only the story/writing matters?

I advise all writers to at least have a blog or website to act as home base for all of their information. By that I mean that there are so many social networking sites and multiple people with the same name, it can be tricky to know which Twitter or Facebook account is yours. (I still think that the Michelle Witte who is a professional clown is awesome.) Plus it (hopefully) ties all of your online presence together in an easy-to-navigate format so readers as well as agents and editors can find you. I always google prospective clients once I’ve decided I’d like to take them on, and a website that has their basic info, plus where else you can find them online, is most helpful.

As for fiction writers having a platform, it’s really not all that vital. Nonfiction, yes, it’s essential to have a good platform, but fiction generally stands out on its own. BUT if you do have a big platform or large following (in the tens of thousands or more), then do mention it, especially if it relates to the kind of books you write.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

I've just surfaced from revision hell, and now I don't know what to do! I've had two R&Rs from two separate agents, and now my MS is obviously different, and way better, than the one other agents have. Should I send an e-mail asking if they'd be interested in the revised ms? Or do I hold off to see what the agents who asked for the R&Rs think? I don't want to be a pain, but I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket either. Please help :|

I’d say one of the only times to send a revised manuscript to agents who’ve requested it is when you’ve made revisions based upon other editors or agents’ suggestions. So yes, email to let them know that after other agents’ advice, you’ve revised the manuscript and ask if they’d like to see the new version.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

I grew up in a wacky religious school (think "Jesus Camp" on steroids). My novel's first half is set in that world. I may be overthinking the query letters, but I'm stuck on whether to mention that I know the world because I grew up in it. Do normal people assume the product of such an environment is irredeemably fucked up? If I do mention it, do I need to say anything to assure this is NOT a revenge-for-my-childhood novel? I spent my 20s purging all this stuff. It's a great story.

1. No one is irredeemable. And someone who has overcome very difficult circumstances in childhood is proof that a person's character isn't determined by upbringing or circumstances in life. So don't label yourself as messed up before others have had a chance to know you. :)

2. The thing to be careful about when writing a novel that has a lot of similarities to your childhood is that those books often become thinly veiled memoirs. Writing is such a personal thing that it's easy to put a lot of yourself into your work—especially your first manuscript. Instead of a story with a great plot and interesting characters, these subconscious therapeutic works often become the writer's way to work through personal issues, thus turning fiction into a moralistic tale. I say subconscious because most of the time a writer doesn't realize they're doing it.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but I'd suggest putting this manuscript aside for a while and writing a new book instead of going out querying. Why? Because you are so close to it now that you can't objectively see it for what it is. It probably isn't a revenge novel, but a lot of things will have crept in that you didn't notice because the story was tied so much to your experiences and past. This book is you, and to receive rejection for it will be terribly painful. It will feel like agents are not only rejecting this book you wrote, but you as a person.

But by the time you start on a second—and undoubtedly better, more polished—manuscript, you've already worked through most of those issues and are now ready to tell a good story for the sake of telling a story.

I readily admit that I did the exact same thing with my first foray into fiction writing. Looking at it now, years later, I can plainly see where I unconsciously made the story about me, working through elements of my past that had always troubled me. That manuscript now sits on a dusty shelf where it awaits my butcher's axe to cannibalize it for future projects. It wasn't a bad book, but because I was too close to it, it wasn't a great book either.

If, despite these suggestions, you decide to move forward with querying this book, keep any mention of your similar background brief. Whenever I see a query where the writer says the book is based upon themselves or their upbringing, I inwardly cringe. I've yet to see one that I would consider representing. They are just too close to see it objectively. A writer must have enough separation from the book to see exactly where its faults lie so that they can be corrected and improved.

Edited to fix really bad typos. d'oh

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

Is it ever okay to have a question in a query? I know everyone says agents hate them, but what if it's not rhetorical and is about the choice your MC has to make?

It's good in general to avoid questions in a query—unless you also offer an answer. For instance:

With her friends trapped by Nessie's horde of sea monsters, however will she free them without starting a monster holocaust? With a harpoon gun and a whole lot of duct tape.

or 

It's up to George to stop the robbers from absconding with the queen's precious jewels, but fate isn't so much on the blind orphan's side. Can he set enough booby traps to trip up the thieves before the queen's bling blinks out forever? Maybe not, but by gem he's going to find out.

Now compare that to the questions I typically find in query letters:

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sail through outer space on the back of a humpback whale named Todd? Neither had Lilly, but that's exactly what...

The difference is in how they're approached. The goal is to not sound like one of those cheesy radio shows from mid-twentieth century. 

Will Batman rid himself of the dastardly Riddler? Find out next week . . .

or

Has Little Orphan Annie lost her will to live? Tune in next time . . .

It comes off trite and a bit condescending. So if you decide to use a question in your query, do so in a smart and interesting way that doesn't sound like you're setting us up for The Amazing Adventures of Sparky the Robo Gnat!

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

I've noticed that several agents on twitter seem mixed on their opinion of NA. Do you think it is a legitimate genre? Will it have its own rack in the bookstore soon? Would you explain how it differentiates from YA to A literature? Thanks!

Your second question actually answer the first in good part. There isn't a New Adult section in libraries or bookstore, so most publishers aren't going to focus on publishing books when no one will have a place to stick them.

For instance, B&N is so big that they have buyers for the entire corporation, and they're often divided into specialties. The gift book buyer doesn't deal with general fiction. The children's book buyer doesn't worry about adult. So when you have an emerging category that doesn't belong in one or the other, which buyer is going to take that book? Children's? Adult? As it is right now, those books get lost in the shuffle because no one has a special place to put them.

That said, a lot of e-only publishers are pushing for acquiring NA books. They don't have to deal with things like physical space. They can stick as many tags on a book as they wish and list it in several categories on the website. Without the limitations of stocking physical copies, they can be more flexible and be a bit adventurous.

What does that mean for NA? If enough NA books are published digitally, other publishers and bookstores will take notice. YA wasn't really its own category until the tsunami that is Twilight forced bookstores to create a new section to fill demand. The same could happen for NA, but I suspect it will be a steady if gradual increase over the next few months or years.

And for the final question: what makes a book YA, NA, or A. (If that isn't a tongue-twister). The biggest difference between them is the tone and feel of the book. That sounds vague, I know, but consider each of the age groups.

Teens tend to be rather angsty, they're experiencing a whole lot of things for the first time: dating, getting a license, menstruation for girls and hormonal overload for guys. At that point in life, everything feels like it's the most important thing in the world, and life as we know it will end if he doesn't text back after you texted him that you think he's hot. The emotions are volatile yet sincere. 

New adults (generally 18–25) are heading off on their own for the first time. They're just starting college or starting the first job after graduating or staying at home while friends move on with their lives.  It's very much a cliff that they're standing on the edge of, and the decision they make will affect the direction their lives will take. It's new and scary.

With adults, they've gone through a lot of those things. They've been working for a few years, many have settled down with a spouse and/or kids. The situations they face are difficult in their own way, but their decisions tend to be more thought out and analyzed than the impulsive actions they'd take when younger.

So age isn't the most discerning factor here, as there are plenty of adult books with teen protagonists that are not even close to what we'd consider YA.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

My contemporary romance novel takes place on an island in Southwest Florida. Should I query agents in that region only?

Um, no. I can't say that there are all that many agents in southwest Florida to start with. And probably even fewer publishers. Don't take the advice to "write what you know" so literally (or much at all, because why limit yourself that much). 

If writers were only allowed to set books in locations where they lived or had spent a great deal of time, literature would be a complete snoozefest. Sure, set your book in a location where you live or similar to your hometown, but you are just as capable of writing a wonderful story set in Africa. Or Russia. Or the south pole, and you need not have traveled to any of those locales as long as you're willing to put in the necessary research. 

That said, if an agent says, hey, I'd love to find a contemporary romance set on an island along the Gulf Coast, you'd best be after that one like the old man and his marlin.

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

I just wanted the chance to say thank you for your response and support.

Awww . . .

[writerlyhelp5cents-blog]

Is there a place other than bookjobs or twitter that internships are advertised? Especially remote ones? Are agencies less likely to let someone out of college intern for them?

There are a variety of resources other than bookjobs, but for publishing internships I'd stick with industry-related magazines. Publishers Weekly has their Job Zone. Media Bistro has their job section, though it also includes jobs and internships for newspapers, magazines and tv news. 

The best source, though, is probably college internship departments, or the English department counseling center. Even if you graduated several years ago, pretty much every university has a program set up to help alumni search for jobs and internships.

Other than that, look on the website of the publisher where you'd like to intern. They often have listings there that you can't find anywhere else. And keep in mind that having your resume on file can result in a job down the line when you least expect it. That's how I got my job as a newspaper copy editor right out of college. So you never know.

As for remote internships, those you just have to be connected with the online publishing community. Most of those are offered by agents, as publishers tend to want interns in the office. 

For the most part, how long you've been out of college doesn't make a huge difference—if you've been using that time to build up experience in related fields or getting some kind of training that will translate well to what you want to do. You just have to be confident—or at the least, appear confident—and show them that you are the perfect candidate no matter your status as a student, past, present, or future.