July 30, 2010

Over the weekend, I hope you’ll have time to check out some very helpful and thought-provoking blogs I read this week.

Kick back, relax, and enjoy these gems!

Gems of Wisdom

**Agent Wendy Lawton wrote a series called “Career Killers.” Full of wise advice! One post is on speed writing. Other “career killers” included impatience, playing “around the edges,” sloppiness, and skipping the apprenticeship. If you avoid these mistakes in your career, you’ll be miles ahead of the average writer.

**Are you trying to combine babies with bylines? Try “Writing Between Diapers: Tips for Writer Moms” for some practical tips.

**Is your writing journey out of whack because you have unrealistic expections? See literary agent Rachelle Gardner’s post “Managing Expections.”

**Critique groups are great, but you–the writer–must be your own best–and toughest–editor. See Victoria Strauss on “The Importance of Self-Editing.”

**We’re told to set goals and be specific about what success means to us. Do you have trouble with that? You might find clarity with motivational speaker Craig Harper’s “Goals and Anti-Goals.”

**And finish with Joe Konrath’s pithy statements in “A Writer’s Serenity Prayer.” You may want to print them out and tape them to your computer!

Share a Gem!

What have you read lately–online or off–that you felt was particularly insightful or helpful or thought-provoking? I’d love to have you share a link of your own!

May 14, 2010

Don’t you wish you could be a spy at a publishing house? You could eavesdrop as the “powers that be” make publishing decisions, accepting this manuscript but rejecting another one.

Wouldn’t you love an inside track so you can understand the process behind acquisitions at traditional publishing houses?

Now’s Your Chance

You can do that today! Several publishing houses have given us a glimpse of what goes on during their publication board meetings. I hope you’ll take time to read these “behind the scenes” descriptions.

Here’s what happens at Peachtree Publishers.

And a Little, Brown editor shares her view.

Author and editor Harold Underdown explains the acquisitions process so well!

Taking the Fear Out

Sometimes the best thing you can do as a new writer is to educate yourself about the publishing process. So get yourself a cup of coffee or bowl of popcorn, settle back, and devour these articles.

The process may sound complicated–even daunting–the first time you read about it. But knowledge is power–and knowing what goes on behind closed doors at publishing houses can only help you in your quest for a traditional publisher.

May 10, 2010

When I’m frustrated, it’s usually a sign that I’m trying to control something I can’t control. This can be a person or a situation or an event. The process can churn your mind into mush until you can’t think.

On the other hand, making a 180-degree switch and focusing on the things I can control (self-control) is the fastest way out of frustration. This concept certainly applies to your writing life.

Words of Wisdom

Remember the Serenity Prayer? It goes like this: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

How about reducing frustration with your writing life by applying that wisdom to your career? Here are some things to accept that you cannot change:

• How long it takes to get a response from editors and agents
• Rejections
• Editors moving before buying the manuscript they asked to see
• Size of print runs
• Reviews
• Publisher’s budget for your book’s publicity and promotion

Trying to change anything on the above list is a sure-fire route to frustration and wanting to quit.

However, do you have courage to change the things you can? Here are some:

• Giving yourself positive feedback and affirmations
• Reading positive books on the writing life
• Studying writing craft books
• Writing more hours
• Reading more books in the genre where you want to publish
• Attending local, state, regional and national conferences you can afford
• Joining or forming a critique group

Wisdom to Know the Difference

If you’re battling frustration and discouragement with the writing life, chances are good that you’re trying to control something beyond your control. It will make you crazy! The fastest way back to sanity is to concentrate on what you can control about the writing life.

Choose anything from that second list–or share an additional idea in the comments below–and get on with becoming a better writer. In the end, that’s all you can do–and it will be enough.

May 7, 2010

A question from a blog reader asked, “Would you consider using a newly formed publishing company? What questions should a writer ask a new publisher to ensure they are getting appropriate care for their book?”

I’ve had one experience with a newly formed publisher–which I’ll write about below–but first let me mention a blog post on this subject on Writer Beware! The post is two years old, and due to the economy, it is even MORE true today than it was when posted. I hope you’ll read the entire post, but this is the bottom line summary:

“So unless you are absolutely, 100% positive that the publisher is staffed by people with substantial publishing experience–and maybe even then–it’s a good idea to wait until a new publisher has been in business for at least a year, and has published a number of books, before submitting. Not only does this assure you that the publisher can take books all the way through the production process, it lets you evaluate important things like physical and editorial quality, how the books are distributed, and how they are marketed. It also allows time for complaints, if there are any, to accumulate.

Tempting as it may be to join the rush to get in on the ground floor when a new publisher opens its doors, watching and waiting is a much better strategy.”

My Own Experience

My first mystery series fifteen years ago was my only experience with a brand new publisher. The man who started it had great credentials, and we met when speaking on a panel at a writer’s conference. It was professional from beginning to end, although his advance was a lot smaller than I was used to.

The first two books came out on time, but the sales were pretty low. (Thankfully I had had several mysteries published by that time because the “editor” I got knew nothing about mysteries and was an unpublished aspiring writer.) The third mystery ran into one snag after another, but since that happens sometimes, I wasn’t worried. I knew he was working on other books too and accepted the explanations for delays.

One Eye-Opening Day

I had several school visits approaching and needed copies of the third book, so when I had to be in his city for something else, I decided to just stop by the publishing house and pick up the books, as he’d said they were finished and boxed up.

When I finally located the address, I felt surely it must be wrong. It wasn’t in the business area of town–it was a residence. His home. No one answered the door, so I walked around the back and peeked in the window of the basement.

There were stacks of books and piles of papers everywhere. Evidently this was the publishing “house.” Literally! And it turned out that this man was the entire “staff” and he was out of money. Any books sold would be up to me. (This was prior Internet marketing, so I was stuck with the books and no way other than school visits to sell them.)

Needless to say, I wished I had asked a lot more questions early in the process. The books weren’t reviewed and fell through the cracks.

(Reminder: do read the full article on Writer Beware!) And please become a regular reader of their blog. It will save you years of headaches and heartaches!

Questions to Ask

If you are still considering submitting to a newly formed company, ask them:

1. How many titles are you publishing this year?
2. If there are published titles already, buy one or two and read them. (Look for quality of editing, typos, quality of art work, etc.)
3. Contact other authors who have published with them. Ask about editing, sales, art work, whether the publisher answers their emails, etc. Thanks to the Internet and Facebook and Twitter, you can find almost anyone online.
4. What constitutes your staff? (You may find that the publisher is also the editor, layout designer, promoter, sales rep, publicist, and delivery man.) If these jobs are “hired out,” who does these jobs? Are they qualified?

Google the new company too and check for complaints in blogs and message boards.

Forewarned

I know several writers who have signed with new publishers over the last few years. Every time, it’s been a dismal, frustrating experience–and resulting in so few sales.

If you don’t ask these questions before you query, at least get answers you’re happy with before you sign ANYTHING. As the blog title says, writer beware!

May 15, 2009

Surprise! I just returned from ten days in England!

We visited homes of famous authors, Chepstow and Goodrich castles, the Tintern Abbey ruins, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, and Oxford. We hiked in Wales along the Wye River, rode trains, navigated the Underground in London, and learned to drive on the left side of the road. My absolute favorite times were visiting Jane Austen’s homes in Bath and Chawton Village, plus a 90-minute private tour of C.S. Lewis’ home by the wonderful warden of The Kilns. (More about the Lewis home later.)

Our super-generous children gave us plane tickets to the U.K. last year for our annivesary, and I planned and saved for this trip all year. I didn’t mention it before we left because I’d heard that burglars were high tech now and read blogs to find out when people would be leaving their homes unattended. I left my computer behind, and a friend posted my pre-written blog entries. (Thank you, Joanna!) I didn’t even check email when gone. I wanted to immerse myself in the worlds of Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis–and it was pure heaven on earth.

Kinship of Writers

Jane’s home in Chawton was where she revised Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice for publication. Here she also wrote Emma, Persuasion, Mansfield Park and part of another novel before becoming ill. After visiting Jane’s house in Chawton, I felt a kinship with her. She lived in the kind of home I would have loved (see below): several hundred years old, two stories, cozy fireplaces in every room, big flower and vegetable gardens, set on a cobblestone street lined with tiny shops and thatched-roof cottages.

Her writing desk (above–seen behind glass) was tiny. I was struck by the contrast between her small desk, just big enough for her paper and ink well, and my two desks back home covered with computers, printers, books, notebooks, and assorted junk. Jane had no shelves of how-to writing books, no writing room of her own, no Internet or cell phone.

She wrote in the mornings, after breakfast, before helping her mother and sister with household tasks or visiting or entertaining numerous nieces and nephews. She put her writing first in her day, before it got taken over by friends or family or other obligations. There was a lesson for me!

She also wrote about what she knew and experienced–and what interested her–despite pressure from her publisher to write what would make more money. They wanted gothic and historical romances, not her “simple little stories” about her everyday village life and how several families affected each other. (Remember: although her books are historical to her present-day fans, she was writing contemporary fiction.) Her heroes and heroines who learned about their character flaws and overcame them–like Darcy’s pride and Lizzie’s tendency toward hasty judgments–were considered too tame for the reading public.

Write Your Passion

I loved reading Jane’s responses to the publisher’s pressure. Her replies (there were photocopies of her letters) basically said that she could only write what they wanted if she were literally starving, and even though historical romances might be more popular or profitable than her “domestic stories of country villages…I would be hung before I could finish the first chapter…No, I must keep to my own style and go on in my own way, though I may never succeed again.” Wouldn’t that same publisher be astounded today to see the thousands of fans who still flock to the Jane Austen walking tours in Bath, the Jane Austen Centre, and her home in Chawton, who buy her books and watch movies made of them? Isn’t there a lesson for all writers here?

Perhaps this is what Jane was thinking when she wrote (in Mansfield Park): “We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.”

(I hope this blog makes sense. I’ve been up since 2 a.m. My body still thinks it’s in England–or wishes it was!)

March 2, 2009

Rejection is no fun for anyone, but it’s even harder when we don’t know why we got rejected. It doesn’t matter if it’s your boyfriend who dumps you in high school or the agent (or editor) who rejects your manuscript with no reason.

We want reasons! We want to know why so we can “fix” the problem. (Or we want to argue them out of their decision.)

From the Horse’s Mouth.

I read several articles lately by an agent (Rachelle Gardner) on why agents and editors don’t tell you why your manuscript, query, or proposal is being rejected. The blog posts are good food for thought. I think you’ll find the information helpful, both in understanding the form rejection and seeing what NOT to do if you get a personal rejection with an explanation.

Here’s the view from the other side of the desk:

• “Why It’s Hard to Tell the Whole Truth”
• “Frustrated with Your Rejections?”
• “Rejection Without a Reason”

I think Rachelle’s advice about finding a critique group or partner, or a paid critique editor, is an excellent idea. I’ve found both very valuable–and I get honest feedback that way.

Where do YOU find honest feedback for stories and queries?

December 15, 2008

It’s time for the rubber to meet the road. While it was fun to write like the wind during NaNoWriMo, it’s time to get down to work and re-shape the messy rough draft into a publishable book manuscript. I ran into trouble right away with a main character I loved–but who was decidedly limp and forgettable on the page. How could I make her memorable? I found help in an unexpected source: a market guide.

In Book Markets for Children’s Writers 2009, I read an article called “Characters in Control: Charismatic, Flawed, Memorable.” Compiled from interviews with editors from major publishing houses and well known agents, the article shed some very helpful light on what to do with my main character and her sidekick.  Much of the advice in the article shows writers how to develop the type of character that readers love to root for.

Advice from the Pros

“I love character-driven fiction because I want to get into that character’s head and breathe their air, experience the world through their eyes…” says Delacorte Press Executive Editor Wendy Loggia. “Action can happen anywhere. A juicy character can make even the most mundane aspects of life entertaining.”

“Characters’ lives can become almost as real to us as our own,” explains Rachel Orr, a literary agent at the Prospect Agency and former editor at HarperCollins. A successful character is someone whom readers connect with, but “these characters are far from being types. They have original ways of looking at the world, unusual quirks, strong passion, and most importantly, flaws…. Perfect, preachy characters are not only flat and unrealistic, but they’re no fun for anyone to read about, particularly if you’re a tween or teen reader.”

And Michelle Poploff, Vice President and Editorial Director of Bantam, Delacorte Dell Books for Young Readers, explains, “Underdog characters appeal to readers, whether it’s a quirky character, or someone trying to do their best but sometimes falling short. If a reader sees him or herself in the characters that adds appeal.” (FYI: I have permission to use the quotes from the article.)

Quirky Characters: Yes or No?

Last Friday, I talked about the characters in the book club discussion choice, The Egypt Game. The main character, April, was described like this when her friend first meets her: “Her hair was stacked up in a pile that seemed to be more pins than hair, and the whole thing teetered forward over her thin pale face. She was wearing a big, yellowish-white fur thing around her shoulders, and carrying a plastic purse almost as big as a suitcase. But most of all it was the eyelashes. They were black and bushy looking,and the ones on her left eye were higher up and sloped in a different direction.”

She certainly sounds quirky in that description, but without her very touching problems with her mother and her outstanding imagination, she would have just been an oddball. You don’t want “over-the-top, outlandish figures in the name of creativity or originality.”

Wendy Loggia (Delacorte) put it this way: “You can create the quirkiest character in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good character, or one that anyone will care about. Sometimes quirky just equals off-putting and weird.”

The article went on at length about how to create memorable characters, make the best use of character history, finding character motivation and voice, and more. After reading the article, I can spot quite a few weaknesses in my novel’s main character, and I know where to start to bring her to life.

Back to the keyboard!

April 11, 2008

There’s a wealth of information (both in writing books and online) about querying, creating proposals, finding an agent, and selecting the “just right” editor. Using this information, you send a query or pre-submit a proposal at a conference and meet with an editor. You finally get that exciting “go ahead.” For weeks you write like crazy, half excited and half terrified, not wanting to mess up this great chance.

Finally the book is written. You print it out and package it. You proudly write “requested material” on the outside of the envelope, on both sides for good measure. You mail it off, pray for patience, and wait. And usually wait some more. What’s happening now? There is little written about this special “requested manuscript” trip through the publishing house. Today at Editorial Anonymous, the mystery is solved with “The Heroic Journey of the Requested Manuscript.” I found the article encouraging. I was glad to have it explained why even a requested manuscript takes months for a response. Thanks to the anonymous editor of this blog!