Monday Musings: What I think about crits.

I’ve been neglectful of my little blog lately.  :(  I’m so sorry, guys. I hope to keep it up from here on out, but I don’t think I’ll be doing daily posts.  I’ll try to blog at least twice a week, but they’ll be probably be pretty random on the actual days I post during the week. 

I wanted to talk today about crits and expectations with those crits. I’ve been doing (receiving and giving) them since I started writing and I spend a lot of time on them.  I want the person I’m criting to not only have a great MS, but to learn something in the process. Something they can take with them on their next round of edits and future manuscripts.  Granted I know, especially with beginning writers, that I can’t teach them everything I know (probably not even most) in just one crit, but I do what I can.

I’m also sure that most people who crit are pretty much the same.  We’re not out to make ourselves feel better by tearing your (using the all encompassing you and this is pointing at no one in particular) stuff apart.   We’re not trying to chase you away from writing so we can take your spot.  And we’re definitely not jealous (in the bad way) of you.  We want to help you get better.  We want to help you find that agent or editor and when it is we can say with pride that we’re proud of you and excited for you and that we knew you when.  LOL. 

I’ve also been on the other side where even the tiniest constructive criticism felt like an arrow to the soul.  Where it’s sometimes hard to see past all the red to see the intention behind why a critter has said something.  But, in order to keep going--to keep improving—we need to get passed that.  We need to learn that we are not our writing. The critter isn’t attacking us personally; they’re not even attacking our manuscript.  They’re trying to help us improve. 

Even if all you see is criticism on the page and the critter hasn’t taken the time to tell you what they’ve liked, it’s not because they want to make you feel bad. Take some time to let it sit. A few days, maybe even weeks before you go back and re-read the crit. Try looking at the things they didn’t say anything about.  They more than likely liked the parts that aren’t marked up, and there’s probably more white than red, even if it doesn’t appear so.  Take a look at what they’ve said didn’t work for them.  Then ask yourself these questions.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?  Have others said the same?  Even if you don’t want to change it, what would you do to fix it and would it make the story better? 

Another problem I’ve seen is people taking everyone’s advice.  Someone says do this and they do it, but don’t really think about whether or not they agree.  Whether it works for the story or not.   Whether or not it really should be changed.

Really think about your crits.  People put a lot of time into critting it and you should take as much, if not more, time working with the notes.

One last thing I want to add is make sure the person (or people) you are working with are the right ones for you and your story. Some people crit very harshly, and are very Simon Cowell-ish.  Some just say they love your work and move on.  Personally, I’m a little in-between and that’s how I want to be critted.  And that’s something you have to think about when working with someone new.  How do they crit?  Can you live with it?  Can you handle it? 

There was a person who was doing crits a month or two back as part of their book deal news (UGH! I can’t remember who it was.  If you all remember, please let me know so I can link to it.  Thx.) and I LOVED how they handled this problem.  They set levels for people to choose from.  It was something like you were a peach if you had a relatively thin skin and wanted a gentle critique.  An apple if you can handle a fairly comprehensive crit, but can still be bruised. And a coconut for people who can take a pretty tough critique.  I think all critters should probably ask this before they do critiques and if you are getting a crit and the critter doesn’t ask what style you are, tell them. That way both of you can back off if you don’t think you can work together. 

It’s also probably not a good idea to work with someone who doesn’t write in your genre.  Certain things that aren’t okay in one genre are what make another work and vice versa.  True that certain “rules” carry out through all genres, like grammar and spelling. Punctuation.  However, things like sentence structure and tone, even POV can be completely different.  Especially between adult (where sentences are usually full and complete and the preferred POV is Third) and Young adult (where you can get away with more sentence fragments and first POV is more prevalent.)

Anyway, that’s just my $.02.  Feel free to salt to taste and ignore any advice you don’t agree with.  :D 

BTW, what the heck is up with blogger? Take a few weeks off and everything has changed.  o.O

Tip Thursday: Advice: Sorting the wheat from the chaff

 

Normally I'm all about providing you with tips that helped me on my journey to get published (even if I'm not quite there yet), then I stumbled across a blog today that got my hackles up.  I won't post a link to the blog, or give specifics, but here was this person, spreading his "advice" like it was gospel around the interwebs and from my experience at least three-quarters of it was wrong.

Then it got me thinking, don't I spew advice every week and isn't my experience different from everyone else's.  Who's to say my advice is better than any one else's.  And to honestly answer that question, I'd have to say no, it's not.  But, and this is the theme for today's writing, I only post advice that has worked for me, or other (smarter than me) people have said.

So, since the Internet is so large and any monkey with a keyboard (including myself.  :) ) can blog, how do we determine what's good advice and what isn't in regards to publishing?  Here are my "rules" to what advice I take and what I don't.

1.  Money flows TO the author:  If a blog or person suggests anything that will COST you money (beside postage or paper or something), then you need to tread with caution.  For instance, the blog I ran into actually suggested hiring a freelance editor before sending your work to agents/publishers.  While not necessarily a to-don't it's definetely not a hard and fast rule that you have to or even that you should.  In fact, in my opinion,   while an editor can be helpful, it's necessary to know how to edit your own work. Agent,  Rachel Gardner, says:

Many agents and editors are uncomfortable with writers having too much outside editorial help prior to being contracted, because it can mask a writer's true abilities. I'd hate to get you a 3-book contract with a publisher based on that stellar first book, only to find out that you had a ton of help with it and are not able to deliver that quality of book a second time.

2.  Always check credentials:  Take in mind who and where that person is in publishing.  Advice from an editor at one of the big 5 is going to be different than a free lance editor who edits for aspiring authors.  Agent advice is going to be different than an author.  And a veteran author's advice is going to be different than a newbie.  While each of these people can have great advice, personally I'd listen to those "in the know" before someone who doesn't have the experience yet.  (And yes, I'm including myself in this.  If you read an article by say my agent, disagreeing with everything I'm saying, than please, feel free to ignore me.  :)  However, most of my advice comes from hearing it over and over again from those professionals, so I'm pretty sure I'm safe in saying she won't disagree with me.  :D  Which brings me to my next point. )

3.  Where have I heard this before?  How many times have you heard/seen this advice?  If you've never heard it before, chances are you can disregard it if you disagree.  If you've heard it a LOT, then you probably want to do some more research on why they've said it, then chose at that point to disregard or not.  Who the advice giver is important here because sometimes you have herd mentality, where one person says something and a lot of yes men will agree. It doesn't mean it's the truth.

4.  Beware the agenda.  Be sure to read between the lines and see why a person is saying a particular thing.  If a person is saying all aspiring authors should hire a freelance editor and they're a freelance editor, then you might want to check in a few other places to make sure.

5.  What time is it anyway?  Make sure to check when something was said.  For such a slow industry, the rules change quickly.  Something said ten years ago may not be relevant today.

And lastly because this post could really go on forever, beware anyone tells you to "lower your expectations."  Publishing is hard enough to keep your motivation up without someone telling you that.  Granted you need to make sure your expectations are realistic, not everyone is like Stephenie Meyer.  (See my post here.)  But there's no reason not to shoot for the stars.  Publishing is one of those quirky businesses where anything is possible.

 Anyway, there's a ton more things, but if you take all advice with a grain of salt and use common sense,  you should be all right.

Tip Thursday: Passive vs Active Voice

On another of my posts, I've had some social commentary from a reader who corrected me on something I said to another commenter about passive vs active voice.  Ultimately she was correct, what I'd originally said was active was, in fact, not active voice. However, I disagreed with the example she used to demonstrate her point, as it didn't use the original examples and confused other readers who emailed me to ask what in the heck she was talking about.  :)  So I decided to do a post on passive vs active voice. 

In my search for references, I went to my trusty grammar divas who already covered this topic.  Since they said it better than I could, I'm just going to copy and paste it below, with a few more links to places that have posted on this.

Passive voice is one of the most difficult grammar issues fiction writers struggle with every day. It’s the redheaded stepchild because it’s awkward, wordy, and generally vague. Active voice tends to be crisp and direct. Ergo, to ensure your readers understand what you’re trying to say and enjoy doing so, active voice is your best bet.

You’d think knowing what voice to use would be easy because there are only two: active and passive. However, many a writer has ground teeth, pulled hair, and/or stomped feet trying to rewrite a sentence into active voice that his or her editor or critique partner has marked as “passive”.

The voice of a verb shows the strength of the subject of the sentence. Not physical strength, perception strength. Editors feel active voice is more direct, dynamic, and—literally and figuratively—active because attention is directed at the “doer” of the action. Passive is, well, too passive for most commercial fiction.

In the active voice, the subject of the sentence takes the action of the verb, i.e., is the actual “doer” of the action. Let’s use a familiar joke to explain.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

The chicken is the subject of the sentence, i.e., the doer of the action. This is active voice.

Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

Here, the chicken is the doer of the action, but not the subject of the sentence. The subject of the sentence is the road and is receiving the action. This is passive voice.
Now, let’s illustrate the difference using sentences a reader might find in commercial fiction.

Active voice is when the subject of the sentence takes the action of the verb, i.e., is the actual “doer” of the action.

John threw the ball across the road.

The spider bit Samuel under his swimsuit.

Passive voice is when the subject of the sentence is acted upon.

The ball was thrown by John across the road.

Samuel was bitten under his swimsuit by the spider.

Passive voice is not any use of to be (in any form). The key to identification is:

Must Have #1: form of “to be” + past participle = passive voice. (Does past participle sound like the latest energy drink? Think a verb form ending in –ed that expresses completed action. Of course, there are a few exceptions like paid, thrown, bitten, and driven.)

Must Have #2: A receiver of the action (a direct object) that is the subject of the sentence.

May Have #3: The doer of the action is in a prepositional phrase that begins with by or sometimes for. Why may have?

A body was found last night. = passive voice

Not all passive voice sentences contain by or for.

The prince’s generosity surprised Summer. = active voice

Summer was surprised by the prince’s generosity. = passive voice

Adrianne’s coming-out party was a blast. = active voice

Adrianne’s coming-out party was held by her parents. = passive voice

Tired of editors, contest judges, and/or critique partners circling every was and marking it passive? What they forget is that only transitive verbs (those taking objects) have a passive voice form.

John threw the ball across the road. = active voice

The ball was thrown by John across the road. = passive voice

However, linking verbs (not helping forms) only suggest state of being and can’t have a passive voice form—though some people interpret a state of being as a passive form. Well, maybe, but it’s not a grammatical VOICE form.

John was a teacher. = active voice

The teacher was John. = active voice

Confused? Remember, a linking verb does not show action. It connects a word or words in the predicate (the verb and any objects, modifiers, or complements associated with the verb) to the subject in the sentence. Forms of to be (am, are, is, was, were) are common linking verbs. Others include grow, look, became, appear, look, taste, and remain. Because linking verbs don’t show action, they can’t be active or passive.

Why is avoiding passive voice so important? Passive voice is a grammar issue the fiction writing community—especially within the romance genre—takes seriously. Passive voice is not grammatically wrong, but most editors feel active voice is more direct, dynamic, and—literally and figuratively—active because attention is directed at the doer of the action. They see passive voice as passive writing bleeding onto the page. They see an author unwilling to grab a hold of their prose and commit to producing strong, aggressive writing.

Passive voice can also drive a reader insane with its contorted, artificial structure. And we don’t want to drive our readers crazy, do we?

How to Fix Passive Voice
It’s easy. Simply switch the sentence order to make the doer and the subject one.

The tablecloths were discarded after the party by Cheri.

Remember, in passive voice the subject of the sentence receives the action, not the actual “doer” of the action. Here, the subject of the sentence—the tablecloths—receives the action—were discarded. Who’s the actual “doer” of the action? Cheri.

Cheri discarded the tablecloths after the party.

OR

After the party, Cheri discarded the tablecloths.

That’s better.

Jackson was wanted by every woman in the bar.

Subject of the sentence? Jackson. What’s the action? Wanted. Actual “doer” of the action?

Every woman in the bar. Ready? Switch!

Every woman in the bar wanted Jackson.

That’s better.

Is Passive Voice Ever Okie-Dokie?

Sometimes the object of the action is the important thing, not the doer. Here, passive voice is the better way to go.

That maniac turned Mysia’s car upside down on Tuesday. = active voice

On Tuesday, Mysia’s car was turned upside down by that maniac. = passive voice

Sometimes you have a sentence with two clauses. Here, passive voice creates a shift in subject that makes the sentence flow.

As the Laird surveyed his lands, his enemies plotted treachery. = active voice

As the Laird surveyed his lands, treachery was plotted by his enemies. = passive voice

Sometimes the doer of the action is unknown and therefore we must use passive or rewrite the sentence.

Burglars stole the jewels last night. = active voice

The jewels were stolen last night. = passive voice

Sometimes the detachment between the subject of the sentence and the doer of the action works for stronger prose.

“He’s round sunburned face was marked by a certain watchful innocence.” Reflections in a Golden Eye, Carson McCullers.

Here, the emphasis is on innocence. Rewriting the sentence into active voice would ruin the author’s intent.

“You can be defeated and disoriented by all these feelings.” Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott.

Here, the emphasis is on you. A rewrite would kill Anne’s masterpiece.

“The body lay on the back, the head toward the door. A candlestick was yet clutched in the right hand.” Wilderness, Robert Penn Warren.

The last sentence, in passive voice, delivers a dramatic punch.

Jane was taken to the cleaners.

Idiomatic phrases allow us some liberties. Not many editors would poo-poo a sentence like this one.

What About Passive Voice in Dialogue?

That’s between you and your character. If active voice suits the speaking style you’ve created for a character, go active voice. If you need to show a character’s indecision, hesitation, or discomfort, go with passive voice. Just remember to distinguish character indecision or hesitation from author indecision or hesitation.

Final Tips on Passive Voice

1) Write the way you speak and your writing will be more lively, powerful, and engaging than writing the way you think writing should sound.

2) Still not sure whether to go passive voice or active voice?

3) Try both and decide what sounds smoother.

4)Still, still not sure? When in doubt, go active voice.

5) Don’t worry about passive voice until you’re in the editing stage of your manuscript!

Remember, write first; edit later.

List of other sites that talk about passive vs active voice.

Ask an editor
Words fail me
Grammar Divas (worksheet)
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mr. Edit
Patricia Wrede
Fiction Writers Mentor
Online English Class (worksheets)

Tip Thursday: Inspiration Amnesia

If you're like me, then you've gotten ready for bed and, just as you're about to doze off, your mind gives off a gem that's absolutely perfect for your WIP, or a story you're plotting, or something.  Whether that be dialogue, the whole plot, or the missing piece of the puzzle.  Of course, you commit it to memory and go back to sleep.  When you wake up, it's gone!  You know you had something, but you can't remember what that something was. 

Inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient times.  Just like a cold or an unwanted relative.  Fortunately, there's help for inspiration amnesia.  Here's a few tips I found to help you, whether you're in the car or in bed (the full article can be read here): 

• Keep a dashboard clipboard with a small notepad in your car
  
  
• Carry a small notepad in your purse, briefcase, or pocket
  
  
• Keep a notebook on your bed stand
  
  
• Or if you prefer, use a micro cassette recorder
  
  
• A handheld computer or PDA can also be great for catching ideas; especially when you are in public.
  
  

However you decide to capture your ideas, you must do so as soon as possible.  Immediately, if you can.  This applies even at night--perhaps even more so at night.  At no time is an idea likely to be more vivid than at night, and at no time is it likely to fade faster.  If you wake up in the middle of the night to a great idea, you really need to write it down.  Get yourself a drink of water, jot the thing down as completely as you can, and go back to sleep.  In the morning you will be in a much better position to judge whether the idea holds any real promise.  This is much better than waking up certain that you had the inspiration for the next Great American Novel last night--and now you can't remember what it was!

So...let's have it.  What's your advice for inspiration amnesia?

Tip Thursday: Verb Tenses

I’ve been working with my son on verb tenses and I realized how confusing it could get, so I decided to do a post on verb tense.

Verb Tense

Verb tenses give a hint to the reader when your story took place (i.e.  past, present, future.  Futurue will probably only take place in dialogue.  I can’t imagine writing an entire story in future tense.  :D) 

Most stories are written in past tense, but some recent stories have been written in present tense (my latest for example.  Hunger Games trilogy for a better example.)  It’s important to learn tenses because you must stick to the same tense for the entire story.  The only exceptions are: internal thoughts and dialogue are written in present tense, even if you’re in past. And flashbacks are allowed to be in past tense during a present tense story (though it can pull your reader out if you don’t have a good transition.)

Types of Verb Tenses:

• Present Tense
• Present Continous Tense
• Past Tense
• Past Participle Tense
• Future Tense

   

Present Tense

Present tense shows an action is taking place now (i.e. the present), but does not say when the action(s) will end.

Examples:		We go to the store.
		They study at the university.

You usually use present tense to discuss a book, poem, or an essay for review, even if written in past tense.

Example:

Bella is not happy when she moves from Arizona to Washington state in Twilight.

 

Present Continuous Tense

Present continuous tense shows something is happening in the present, but will have a definite end.

Examples:		We are going to the store now.
		They are studying at the university.

 

Past Tense

The past tense shows that something was completed in the past.

Examples:		We went to the store yesterday.
		They studied at the university in 1980.

 

Past Participle Tense

Past participle tense shows something was done in the past before another action takes place. Usually, past participle and past tense are used in the same sentence.

Examples:	We had gone to the store when she arrived.
	They had studied at the university before they found jobs.

 

Future Tense

The future tense shows something will happen in the future.   (Usually only used in dialogue, but I mention it, because it’s important to remain consistent in your tenses, even in dialogue.)

Examples:	We will go to the store later today.
	They will study at the university in the coming September.

To Nudge or Not to Nudge. That is the question.

Okay my fine friends, just a quick post today.  I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about response times and when to nudge.  I guess they figure I should know since I made it through the gauntlet of agents.  LOL.  Yeah.  Uh.  Hate to tell you this, but…all agents are different.  ;)

However, I can give you a few pointers.  The worst time to query in regards to response times is the summer. Now I’m not suggesting to not send just before or during the summer months, I’m just letting you know to not expect a response until well after school starts.  And then they'll still move in order of "first come, first serve."

If you sent a query in May, the time to START looking for a response is late September to early October. For a partial or full, start looking around mid- to late October.

For the rest of the year, here’s a pretty good timetable (obviously these only reply to agents/agencies that don’t have a no response=no policy):

Query only:  4-8 weeks.  It’s okay to nudge after this time has passed.  Then once more after another month has passed.  If they still don’t respond they are probably not interested.

Partial:  3 months minimum. Follow the same pattern as above, but I’d say you should be able to status query a total of 3 times.  It is a partial after all.  Unless, of course, that partial was a part of that initial query stage.

Full:  6 months minimum with the same status query pattern.  Once a month after the initial nudge for a total of 3 nudges.

Obviously, this was just my pattern and something else may work better for you, but you don’t want to go overboard and look like you’re a prima donna or high maintenance, so status query with discretion. 

Also, I would think it okay to nudge once on a no response=no agent/agency.  Sometimes things happen and things get lost in the transit.  So I always suggest getting a confirmation from the post office for snail mail.

Join me tomorrow where I’ll talk about how to send that requested full/partial. 

To take advice or not to take advice. That is the question.

Several times now I’ve stressed the importance of getting beta readers and crit partners, but I’ve never talked about how to decide what advice to take.

If you’re just starting out and you haven’t found your voice yet, there’s no shame in taking all the advice and trying it out.  You’ll learn quickly what works for you and what doesn’t. 

And there’s also absolutely no reason TO take all the advice you’re given.  Unfortunately everybody is going to have a different vision of where you’re going.  Some will agree with yours, others won’t. 

The best thing I can tell you to do is to read ALL the advice and sleep on it.  Take as long as you need to really digest what they’re telling you.  Even if you completely agree with the advice, take some time.  You’ll find that you may not agree with it, or not completely, after you’ve thought about it for a while or just the opposite, you’ll find that that advice you thought was complete bunk was PERFECT. 

Sometimes you may even find that the advice is great, but it’s just not going to work with your story.  Sometimes you need an unreliable narrator or you want to have a hero/heroine that’s unlikeable. 

There is no cookie cutter in writing.  Everyone’s story should be different.  SO while you should take in all the advice you’re given the true skill to writing is determining which advice to take and which to leave on the wayside.

The First 250 words

Okay, so I talked last week about your queries.  Today I’m taking just a moment—as I’m in a crunch with MI at the moment (Some edits that I need to get to my agent pronto!)—to talk about those all important first 250 words, which is approximately 1 page of writing. 

As in all things, there are no specific rules, but you need to grab the readers attention.  You don’t want the reader (whomever it may be) to look at the first sentence and go “BORING!  Why would I read more?”

Remember, you want your first sentence to really hook them.  Think about what you did for your query letter. 

Use your first sentence to hook them, then use the rest of the paragraph to reel them in, and use the rest of the first page to anchor them to that book. 

Here’s a few things to consider while you’re writing that all important first line.  (People who’ve read my blog from the beginning will recognize this from another earlier post.)

1. Sentence Style.  Basically what this means is that the sentence must be concise.  This doesn't mean it can't be long, but it needs to make sense.  It definitely needs to be structured correctly so that the reader doesn't feel as if it's a mouthful.
2. It should make the reader ask a question.  Basically this part is your hook.  This doesn't necessarily need to be in the very first sentence, but if not it needs to be in the first paragraph.  Give your reader a reason to keep reading.  Let it be a hint of what's to come and set the tone for the book.  If it's a comedy, open with something funny.  If it's a horror, something scary, etc.
3. It needs to be relevant.  Since this line sets the tone for the rest of the book, don't just add in something that sounds interesting or funny, but has nothing to do with the story.  It'll only cause your readers to stop reading that much faster.  Readers are smart, they'll figure it out.
4. It needs to allow for setup.  You shouldn't toss your readers in the middle of a scene where no one knows what's going on.  It's distracting, chaotic, and of course another reason not to keep going.  People don't like feeling confused.  They want to feel like they've got a good handle on something before they continue.

There are people who say not to start off with dialogue.  Or description, but as in all thing writerly, you have to follow your instinct.  If dialogue fits better.  USE IT!  If it needs to start with description.  Do it!  But make sure it’s EXCITING! 

It’s your hook.  If it doesn’t make the reader go. “Oh my!  I have to keep reading now!”  Then it’s not enough.  Try something else.

What’s just as important as that first line?  The last one.  In this case it would be the last line before you end at 250 words.  Make sure to end on another hook.

If you can make the agent go, okay, I liked the query, but I LOVE this page and I have to know what happens next, then you’re golden! 

So, you have a few days now to make your queries and first 250 shine, so get to it.  I’ll see you back here on the first!

~JA

The Query: Putting it all together

Just a quick post today.  Here's what my query letter looked like all put together when I sent it to my agent.

Dear Natalie Fischer:  (SALUTATION:  REMEMBER TO PERSONALIZE THIS HERE.  DO NOT MASS EMAIL.  SEND TO ONE AGENT AT A TIME!!)

You'd think imagining a handsome stranger in your rearview mirror, crashing through a guardrail, careening into murky waters, and then being rescued by the same imaginary boy--who gives his name as Jackson--would be bad enough. But for seventeen-year-old Lily Baker, that’s just the start of her problems. (HOOK:  GRAB THE READERS ATTENTION)

After coming home from the hospital, Jackson starts showing up in reflective surfaces — mirrors, puddles, windows, you name it. Lily, fearing others will think she’s crazy, keeps the visions to herself. After all, they’ll just go away if she ignores them, right? Not if Jackson has anything to say about it. And it isn’t long before he convinces her he’s real. The more time she spends staring into her mirror, the more she realizes she’s falling in love with a boy her family and friends insist is nothing more than shadows in her mirror and the hallucinations of her healing head injury.  (SYNOPSIS:  EXPLAIN ENOUGH OF THE BOOK TO GET THEIR INTEREST.  END ON A HOOK)

MIRROR IMAGE is a science fiction romantic young adult novel, complete at 83,000 words. With a mix of Alice In Wonderland, The Phantom of the Opera, and Romeo & Juliet, this is a story of love that knows no bounds. Time, space, even the very fabric of reality cannot stop it.  (BOOK DETAILS)

My young adult book, under the working title FALLEN, has been offered a contract from XXX. We are currently undergoing negotiations. I am a member of the RWA and CFRW.  (PERSONAL BIO)

(PERSONALIZATION WOULD NORMALLY GO HERE)

Per your guidelines, I have enclosed a synopsis and the first 50 pages.  Thank you for your generous time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.  (TELL THEM WHAT YOU ARE INCLUDING AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME.)

Sincerely,

(MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION.)

         As you can see, it’s pretty easy. Mostly.  :D

         Here’s some fantaboulous resources to help you. 

         Absolute Write

         Query Tracker

         Agent Query

         And my own agent’s template. 

         I’ll add more agent’s onto this as I find them, so check back throughout the day.

Query Letter: The conclusion

And we’re back for Part 4 of my query letter workshop. As always, remember what worked for me, may not work for you as all agents are different and want different things.  ALWAYS read the agents/editors guidelines for their recommendations.

Let’s talk about your bio.  First the things you can and should include .  Other manuscripts, short stories, poems, articles that you’ve published.  List the title and whom you sold it to.  If it’s a book, make sure to list sales numbers.  They’re going to want to know you write something that sells. 

Also include if you belong to any writers groups like the RWA (Romance Writer’s of America), the SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), MWA (Mystery Writers Association), HWA (Horror Writers Association), SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers association), etc. (I suggest joining one or a few of these organizations, because they offer great support and information.  My RWA chapter gives wonderful workshops once a month, which has really helped my writing.)

If you’re an expert in something that’s pertinent to what you’ve written.  For instance, you were in the army for 20 years and went to Afghanistan and you’ve written a book about a corporal in the Army who’s been deployed to that same area.  They’re going to want to know that. 

Things NOT to include in your query:  what your English grades were in school.  That this is your first ever “fiction novel”.  That you’re the next JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Steven King, etc.  That you’re in prison.  This list goes on and on.

When in doubt, leave it out.  If they offer representation and want to know, they’ll ask. 

If you have no relative experience, you’ve never published anything, don’t belong to any official writer’s groups, and therefore have no official bio, leave this area blank.  It’s better to not list anything than to list the fact that you’re a newbie.  

At the time, I was considering a contract for my book, THE EXILED (then titled FALLEN).  Since it didn’t work out for various reasons, I never signed, but this is what my bio looked like when I queried my agent.

My young adult book, under the working title FALLEN, has been offered a contract from XXX publisher. We are currently undergoing negotiations. I am a member of the RWA and CFRW.

And now onto the salutation.  All you want to do here is thank them for their time and let them know you look forward to hearing from them.  Don’t add what you have to offer them, like an offer for the full or partial, or a synopsis.  They know—or hope—that you have a full manuscript ready and polished for them and they’ll request whatever it is that they normally request. 

If they want a certain number of pages, make sure to let them know you’ve followed their guidelines and have included xx number of pages. 

Here’s what mine looked like:

Per your guidelines I have enclosed a synopsis and the first 50 pages.  Thank you for your generous time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Then you want to close the letter with “Sincerely” and your name and contact information. 

Then include whatever they’ve requested and you’re done. 

Tomorrow, I’ll show you what the whole thing should look like, if  you’ve followed my advice and  a list of resources you can use to help you write that letter if you don’t want to follow my advice, including my own agent’s template for how she wants to see queries. 

Until tomorrow…

They Query: Part 3-Deets and Personalization

Welcome back!  This is #3 in my query “workshop.” As always, remember what worked for me, may not work for you as all agents are different and want different things.  ALWAYS read the agents/editors guidelines for their recommendations. Today we’re going to focus on the ms details section and personalizing your letter.

When I’m talking about the details, this is the nitty gritty section that lets the agent/editor know how long, what genre, and who your target audience for your book is.  I try to spice up this section a little so it’s not boring.  We still want to keep the readers attention here. 

Also, you want to make sure your title is in all caps. 

Here’s an example of the one I used for Mirror Image:

MIRROR IMAGE is a science fiction romantic young adult novel, complete at 83,000 words. With a mix of Alice In Wonderland, The Phantom of the Opera, and Romeo & Juliet, this is a story of love that knows no bounds. Time, space, even the very fabric of reality cannot stop it.

Now there is some speculation on whether or not you should actually say the work is a mix of blah and blah, but it worked well for me.  It has been said that it’s better to say that the book will appeal to readers of blah and blah instead.  I’ll leave that up to you.

As I look as this, I realize I’ve come close to doing one of the no no’s in the industry.  You NEVER want to refer to your book as a “fiction novel.”  It’s redundant.  If it’s fiction, then yes it’s a novel.  If I were still querying, I would try to reword that first sentence to make it better, but as they say, “hindsight is twenty-twenty.” 

Now onto personalization.  If at all possible, thoroughly research the agents you want to submit to, then, and only then, submit to them.   With the research you’ve obtained you want to add one or two sentences to your query so they know you’ve done your research.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find enough information on my agent (at the time) to really personalize it, but here’s an example of something you could do.

Since you represent such and such author’s book, TITLE HERE, which is similar to mine, for these reasons (list 1 or 2 reasons), I hope you’ll agree my book is a good fit for your list.

There are, of course, other ways to do it.  For instance, reading their guidelines and mentioning that since they are looking for such and such book, you think that YOUR BOOK would be a good fit.

Or you read in such and such interview that they were looking for, or they said something. 

The potential here is limitless and, if you do your research, this should be the easiest part of the query. 

Tomorrow, will be on your bio and the closing of the letter.  Until then, Ciao!

Query letters-Part 2: The Synopsis

Hello and welcome back for another installment on my query letter writing “workshop.”  Please remember that all agents are different and what works for me, may not work for you! 

So, now onto the next part of your letter.  They synopsis.  So you’ve drawn in the agent with your hook and they want to keep reading and find out what’s going on with your book.

This is the most difficult part of the letter for me.  Because you want to give the agent enough to realize what the plot is, but not so much you give it all away.  Basically, you want to have a back of the book blurb here. You also want to end this on a hook.  And in this particular synopsis you don’t want to give the ending away.  Make it sweet and simple, yet fascinating. 

Grab the agent’s attention and make them want to read the pages you’ve included or make them want to request them if they only have the query.

However, avoid using rhetorical questions.  Agents tend to frown on it. 

Most people say the synopsis should be no more than a paragraph, but it’s probably okay to have two if you absolutely need it.  Try for one though, if you can.  Remember there’s still more you need to include in letter besides the book stuff, and you only get a page to do it. 

Here’s an example of the synopsis I used for Mirror Image:

After coming home from the hospital, Jackson starts showing up in reflective surfaces — mirrors, puddles, windows, you name it. Lily, fearing others will think she’s crazy, keeps the visions to herself. After all, they’ll just go away if she ignores them, right? Not if Jackson has anything to say about it. And it isn’t long before he convinces her he’s real. The more time she spends staring into her mirror, the more she realizes she’s falling in love with a boy her family and friends insist is nothing more than shadows in her mirror and the hallucinations of her healing head injury.

As you can see that even though my story is written in first person, past tense, the synopsis needs to be in third person, present tense.  Always.  I can’t think of any exception to that rule. 

Also, note there’s a lot of my character’s voice in this.  Lily is funny and a smart alec, but she has a romantic side, too.  Not to mention a bit of stubbornness.  If I’ve done this part right, you can see all this. 

This is what you strive for.  You want to SHOW the agent what your book is about.  If it’s a comedy don’t just say it’s funny.  Show that in your letter.

Okay, tomorrow, the details about your manuscript and personalization.

Query letter: The Beginning

As promised here’s day one of my Query letter writing “workshop” for my secret agent contest.  Since it’s the beginning, I figured it was only fitting to talk about beginnings.

Keep in mind there is no secret formula to writing queries, all my knowledge comes from my own writing and what I found worked for me.  Each agent is different, and each agent will want different things.

Also, keep in mind that while you want to catch the agent’s attention, you don’t want to be gimmicky.  Avoid using colored paper, glitter, or sending cookies or anything else with the letter.  It should be just as professional as if you were writing a cover letter for a job interview. 

Margins should be 1” wide all around and the letter should be no longer than one page, single-spaced.  Don’t forget to include your contact information somewhere in your letter.  Usually below your signature.

In normal circumstances, it’s important to do some research before submitting, don’t just carbon copy everyone in the writing business.  Personalize each query to each individual agent and send each query separately.

 Use Query Tracker, absolute write, editors and preditors, and Agent Query to locate, research their preferences, and check into agents.  For the purpose of this contest we’ll just personalize the query letter with Dear Secret Agent:

Now onto the first paragraph.  Some like to say why they’re querying right here, but I don’t agree.  The top of the letter is valuable real estate!  You want to make it as eye catching as possible. And most agents know why you're querying them.  You want them to offer representation!  

So, I suggest opening your book with your hook. 

Since the query for Mirror Image is what eventually got me my agent (along with the manuscript pages) I’ll use that as an example:

“You'd think imagining a handsome stranger in your rearview mirror, crashing through a guardrail, careening into murky waters, and then being rescued by the same imaginary boy--who gives his name as Jackson--would be bad enough. But for seventeen-year-old LILY BAKER, that’s just the start of her problems.”

As you can see, I only give a little bit of information here, but it’s enough to capture said agent’s attention and hopefully make him/her keep reading. 

That’s the goal here folks, is to make the reader (whomever it may be) to keep reading.

Here’s another example of a hook.  This is one from my new WIP. 

"For EMILY BRIAR the rules are simple: life is short, death is never-ending and absolute, and second chances are almost never given. But when teenagers start walking around without their souls, that’s all about to change."

Do you see something interesting about the names?  Names in the synopsis and query are in all caps the first time they are mentioned, as is the title of the MS. 

Also, it’s important that you double, even triple check your query for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors.  Even have another person read it to make sure it’s perfect.  Nothing turns people off like errors in your query and it’s a good way to get an auto-reject.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the synopsis of the query.