Publishing Blogs Weekly Round-Up August 29, 2008

First off I’d like to thank everyone who shared their stories or linked into THIS POST about books that were lifesavers to you. I was amazed at how many people shared and their willingness to be open about the pain books have eased.

 

Onward now to this week’s Round-Up.

 

Jessica Faust at BookEnds did a great blog on “What Your Posse Says About You.” They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps. Can you judge a talent by the writers she hangs with?

 

Poets and Writers did an absolutely amazing interview with Molly Friedrich HERE. If you click on one post this week — this is the one. She’s been in the business over 30 years and definitely has insight every writer should hear.

 

As always, Nathan Bransford has some wonderful posts this week. Unagented Revisions - what they are, what they mean and what you should consider.

 

The lovely ladies of Fog City Divas are ending their blog Dishing With the Divas. Check them out and say a sad farewell.

 

A little off topic, but I love the History Hoydens and they’ve Amanda Elyot has done a blog on —– 1770’s hair.  You’ve seen it in the movies, read about it in books, but do you have any idea what went into those insane hair-sculptures?  If you have any interest in worldbuilding, check this out — because really, the “norm” is only what we’re doing right now.

 

Summer Reads: The Writer’s Books and On Writing, Stephen King August 28, 2008

I was planning on doing a day on books for writers as one of my Summer Reads, but then my dear friend Kaige did a wonderful job revamping her Writer’s Resources page — she’s my go to girl for the HONEST opinion of how helpful a craft book is (or isn’t) — Not only does she give description and Amazon links, but she also links back to her writer’s journey blog posts referencing the books — did I mention she’s Honest lol

 

Hey, I’m not above borrowing here, I mean – why re-create the wheel when I can give a shout out!

 

So, if you’re a young writer – go check them out — hey, if you’re any kind of writer, go check them out.

 

Personally, for those just starting that want to see the world through a writer’s eyes, I’d recommend On Writing, by Stephen King. I didn’t think I’d be a believer (as much as I adore the man’s writing) when I tried to read the book four time — I guess I didn’t expect the memoir aspect of it in the beginning, I just wanted to somehow download the genius that is the Man.  Then, one day I was going to have to run “an errand” and the drive was three hours each way.  So I dashed to the local library and got On Writing in CD format.  Hearing him tell his story, his understanding of his life and how it shaped his writing. And then – his writing.

 

If you’re new to writing, this book is a must read. Before the craft books, before the industry books — read On Writing. 

 

Oh yeah, then go read the craft books.

Summer Reads: JACOB I HAVE LOVED, by Katherine Paterson August 25, 2008

I try not to get to overly personal in my blogging – I blog about my writing and the path its taking me on, but as I came back this month and decided I’d do one last week of Summer Reads, I glanced at my bookshelf and pulled down Jacob I Have Loved and found that I couldn’t blog about it — Oh, you think I’m blogging about it, but I’m not. I’m blogging about the lifesaving act that sometimes writing a book can be.

 

Jacob I Have Loved has remained on my bookshelf for years for one very simple reason: Katherine Paterson (as she shows in every single book she writes) UNDERSTANDS.

 

Louise’s journey and my own so clearly run parallel in some ways it’s almost frightening. I was the forgotten child in my family, the one judged more harshly, the one misplaced — you know the story the families joke around about forgetting one child on a trip and having to go back – raise your hand if you have some type of family folktale like that you’d also like your parents (but mostly your siblings) to stop retelling.

 

I was nerdy, awkward, ungraceful, shy and introverted – glasses, braces, freckles, underweight, last to develop. Wow, what a cliche — but the saddest part is, looking back, a lot of that can be attributed to many things Louise struggled with as well – a sibling who not only was beautiful and (wrongly) considered perfect, but the words and actions of others that reinforced that (although sometimes accidentally).

 

My brother, like Louise’s sister Caroline, was condescending to me publicly and hurtful privately – although I suspect (also like Caroline) he loved me in his own way. But while I was smart and successful and kind – he was everything you needed to be to be successful in high school then – good looking, athletic and ruthless. My parents adored him – when they caught him with drugs, when the caught him with girls, when they caught him stealing. Of course, if you were me, leaving a sweater on the floor got you grounded.  I know these words are enough to convey the differences – that large groups of us survived that same childhood and (like Louise) grew up to be the person others look to – smart, successful, and kind – only now these things are what matter. 

 

Like Louise – I escaped the island and built my own life, making myself a beautiful place in the world where I’m happy and content. But it took leaving – which, maybe, I learned from Louise. People from my childhood meet me again and say one of two things “I never would have recognized you” or “You’re exactly the same.” I guess outwardly I’m very different, but I doubt inwardly I’ve changed that much, so I guess they’re both right.

 

What got me through is what got most people like me through: BOOKS. Every single book I could get my hands on let me into a world where I could escape and (flaws and all) triumph. I could see things that in my small town were outside my reach, but not my scope. I could stand on my own without being compared to a sibling who I had a difficult time respecting even if I loved him with all my heart.

 

Books are a portal and a shield – a friend and a mentor – a mirror and a sword – a companion and a map. Books change our lives in ways we don’t even see until far later in life.

 

So, looking back on Jacob I Have Loved, I couldn’t bring myself to make that painful journey with Louise again – I couldn’t allow myself to feel the ache of being the overlooked, misunderstood one even though in the end it is Louise who is a good, strong and loving woman who sees the world clearly.

 

But I can tell you this, if I never open that book again, it will remain on my bookshelf with the other Books of Honor – those that are portal, shield, friend, mentor, mirror, sword, companion and map – it will sit there with some of the greatest works of literature and some complete unknowns. Why? Because it was not only all those things to me, but also a lifesaver because Katherine Paterson UNDERSTANDS.

 

So, other Rescued Souls – to what writer, to what book, do you owe your salvaged childhood?

Publishing Blogs Weekly Round-Up August 22, 2008

As you may have noticed – I didn’t blog this week. It was a good switch up and allowed me to do the final polish on Markbearer and send it to a couple people to breeze through before sending my partials and the full requested out. And now, without further ado, the Round Up:

 

Jessica Faust at BookEnds did a great blog this week: a publishing dictionary. And right on time – we were just arguing the semantics of query versus proposal!

 

This week Janet Reid asked: Do you read electronically?  When I voted, 68% had said ‘no’ so far. So do you? Go vote!

 

Because it amused me: Liz Gorinsky did a great summary of amusing SFnal acronyms - as a new way to report on an event.

 

Ask Daphne takes a run at the YA versus MG (for those visiting: young adult V middle grade) – specifically dealing with it in your query. Also, check out the answers, she (Kate Schafer) doe a wonderful job answering them.

 

Fangs, Fur, & Fey opened a discussion around character naming.  Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE naming characters – so check out their take.

 

Any highlights from this week you’d like to add? Put the link in your comment!

Rule to Blogging I’m living by this week: August 19, 2008

If you need to be writing…..

 

 

….. Blogging is procrastinating. Get the requested submissions in – go write.

Rule of Writing I’m Living by This Weekend August 16, 2008

 

If you think you can probably cut it……

 

 

……. You can.

Publishing Blogs Weekly Round-Up August 15, 2008

What’s a girl to do when her blog disappears when she hits save?  Start over I guess.

 

The first line was originally something like this: Before we get started on the Weekly RU, I have to take a fan girl moment to jump up and down and say “Richard Curtis commented on my blog! Richard Curtis commented on my blog!”

For those of you playing along at home, you know how I feel about Dawn Cook. Mr. Curtis is not only Dawn Cook’s agent, not only an agent I hear amazing things about, but also a blogger check out E-Reads.

 

Speaking of blogging, Nathan Bransford (who it’s hard NOT to quote each week or just say, “go read NB’s blog”) did a day on Author Websites and the next day on Do Blogs Really Sell Books.

 

Want to look into some online workshops? Kaige over at Impulsive Hearts did a TT last week on her top 13 picks. Kaige does a great job of summarizing craft books and sources – she’s definitely a site to browse.

 

Author MBA has done a “First Impressions” thing this week. Check out how to put your best foot forward with your marketing tools.

 

And lastly, Kristen Nelson has discussed “Agent’s Behaving Badly.” I have to say, I myself have only seen two splits at close range. IMO one was obviously the author’s doing and the other the agent’s.  So, lets all stop playing us and them and all do our best to have professional working partnerships on both sides of the agent-author relationship.  But what do I know just starting the agent search and all

 

That’s it for this week – If you saw something great you want to share, post it in the comments!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes YA, YA — Continuing the discussion August 13, 2008

So, there’s been a lot of chatter on the forum I write on (and a little here) to answer that question. Thanks to everyone who has jumped in. 

 

Here’s what I’ve surmised:

 

It isn’t age.  At least two popular college series are classified as YA (one may have been shifted with the third book – I need to get to a B&N to see grab one off the shelf and check out its info.)

 

It isn’t innocence. Otherwise Gossip Girls wouldn’t exist as well as a bunch of books that actually ARE realistic.

 

It isn’t genre. YA runs the gamut (as we discussed elsewhere) but I do feel there are books that could be considered YA but made a sprint at their genre shelf instead.

 

It isn’t the issues. YA covers everything from sweet crushes, to sex, to prejudice, to abuse or rape, drugs, alcohol, recovery, running away, sticking it out, marriage, pregnancy, work, college, high school, dropping out, making the grade, parents being absent, parents being too involved, parents who are independent or dependent of their children, fears and phobias, social stigmas, moving up in the world, wanting more, needing things to stay the same or change…. Anyway, I think we can say, it isn’t issues.

 

It isn’t just for girls. I feel like there has been a campaigning for people to start writing “lad lit” — BUT I’m wondering how much of that is just marketing schemes? I mean, jumping back at the whole “It isn’t genre” category, most guys I know read a lot of non-YA stuff but it was genre specific. So for all those books that were originally considered by their genre and are now being herald YA — One example that springs to mind is Ender’s Game.

 

It isn’t cost. Have you priced out the newest “big books” in the YA section?

 

It isn’t appeal. YA has a broader appeal than the age bracket (s) it’s said to be written for.

 

So, what is it?  More opinions? Jump in!

Hey Teen Readers — What makes YA, YA? August 12, 2008

So, my fantasy is going through a major re-write. Basically, a fantasy judge suggested I do what I wanted to do in the first place and, really now, who doesn’t like to do what they want to do.  The downside of the suggestion is that the wordcount bounced way above the 65K everyone says YA should be (I disagree with this “standard”, but that’s another blog.)

 

So, people (all of which haven’t read the book) keep saying “why don’t you just pitch it as fantasy?”

 

Good question, easy answer – to me at least.

 

This book is YA. The story, the characters and the voice are all YA driven. I know adults have enjoyed it, but is it truly YA. In my head at least. Everyone who has read it hasn’t asked about moving it to adult, so what’s the divide on that?

 

But that brings up some interesting ideas. I LOVE Dawn Cook and am constantly adding “please have Dawn Cook write a third book to the Decoy Princess series” on my prayer list. I would call her fantasy (well I’d call them awesome) but I’d also call them YA. But there they are in the “adult” fantasy section.  Which seems odd because when someone asks me for the “compare yourself” thing (which, just like every other writer, I hate) I say, “think midway between Dawn Cook and Tamara Pierce.”

So, let’s get right to the question: What makes YA, YA?

 

Is it the voice? The characters? The situation? What’s dealt with on the page? The page count?!?

 

Tell me what you think – tell me why you think it. Rant! Rave! Compare!  I’m dying to know.

Breaking Dawn, Alternate Cover August 11, 2008

The cover as it came out:    

 

 

 

 

What I posted last week:    

 

Deltay asked where I got the alternate cover – So, for those of you curious, I wanted to post a side by side. If you click on it, it SHOULD bring you to the site (let me know if it doesn’t.) To be honest, I love the red trapped inside the crystal heart.

 

I believe the alternate cover is some type cover “fan fic” – there were tons of them out there. I was amazingly impressed by some of them. This one I felt captured the feel of the books as well as staying with the branding theme that they’ve used.  One thing that Little Brown (the publisher) has done that is amazing is BRAND these books. You know a Twilight Series book from 20 paces.  More houses need consider strong branding for their books like this.

 

ESPECIALLY for the younger generation – This generation was raised with over 5,000 media flashes A DAY (and that’s on a slow day) — they subconsciously recognize a strong brand when they see it.

 

Yeah, you have to write a FANTASTIC book (like I blogged about every single agent and editor saying last week) but a little help from the cover artists can go a long way!

Breaking Dawn: Getting on the ‘Not Getting On It’ bandwagon August 9, 2008

Show of hands – Who is avoiding all the Breaking Dawn gossip and rants and raves?

 

Last year Stephanie Meyer was coming to “speak” at the B&N by me. The one I write in every day. The manager was kind enough to explain the situation to me a few days before and I thought “What the heck, I’ll read the books and go hear her.”

 

Well, I found the first one a bit of a slow start, but was quickly sucked in. Emotional stripped and dragged along would be a better way to put it.  And at the end, I couldn’t wait for Breaking Dawn — even the INSANE 10,000 kids who had them shut down the B&N and the hi-way exit nearby didn’t dampen the reads. 

 

But then I got away from them, away from the intensity and it felt about a bit like that really bad, super-intense relationship you had in college (or maybe high school) where you life was all about the other person and you lost yourself (not in the good way) in them and that it didn’t matter what they did, it was the right thing and the next thing you know they’re defining you – telling you who you are and starting to change you in ways you never wanted to be changed —- Yeah, maybe that’s it, maybe all of us have had that relationship to some level — the symbiotic feeding and taking  that makes you less of a person in a lot of ways.

 

But, if you’re lucky, you escape that and, while coming off it might be a lot like struggling through the painful passage of drug withdrawal, the end result is an over-whelming relief and a re-finding of your own emotional grounding and a singleness that is, in itself, a new learning experience.

 

That’s how I feel about the Twilight series.  Being in it was an emotional high that pushed and dragged and forced me through the books with a desperation to hold on and see what would happen next – when I finished the last one at that moment I NEEDED the next one — but it wasn’t there. I returned to the high again, looking at  favorite passages, wondering how Meyer made me angsty and achy with heartbreak. But slowly, other books came along — Julia Quinn’s witty dialogue, Jay Asher’s real to life pain, regret and renewal, SEP’s arrogant but approachable jocks — And I found my need wasn’t as much. I still wanted to know what happens, but only if its the outcomes I want.

 

It was like bumping into a friend who had abused my friendship over and over but wanting her to be the friend I had first thought she was – to be what I needed her to be. And I did what any smart woman does. I said “Nice to see you” and turned and walked away.

 

And so, Breaking Dawn, I’m seeing you everywhere Dawn, but I’m not even reading the spoilers – In my world you are what I want you to be but you aren’t sucking me back into the overwhelming roller-coaster of turmoil you promise.  Everyone else can say “Oh, that’s just how Dawn is,” but not I.  I wish you luck, and maybe – one day when I’m emotionally a stronger person – I’ll let you visit and see if you play nice and not rip my heart out like your siblings.

RWA Nationals – Lisa Gardner on REVISION August 8, 2008

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to hear Lisa Gardner speak, well then, you’re pretty darn lucky. 

 

There was a ton in her workshop, and because there was so much, these are only my notes and impressions – I highly recommend that if you’re having trouble revising and my notes seem to scratch the surface, get the RWA mp3 of this session.   

Lisa (I’m going to just call her Lisa, since we’re so tight in that imaginary world in my head) started her career writing for Silhouette Intimate Moments as Alicia Scott. When it came time to make the jump, she wrote The Perfect Husband – and it got picked up by Bantam.  One of the best parts of Lisa’s talk was hearing about her “overnight success” – it was amazingly encouraging to learn that an already successful author, one who writes so amazingly sharp and clear, had to learn new things too – and was willing to pass them on.

 

Bantam gave her some direction on the book and she worked on it and then they redirected her and she worked on it and this went on until they liked it — two years after they bought it.

 

So, Lisa talked for most of her time about learning to analyze everything – not chapter by chapter, but scene by scene. Look at every sentence, why does it exist, does it earn the right to be in the book.

I loved that idea – the idea of being so right, that it EARNED THE RIGHT to stay in my book!

 

OPEN SCENE

Is this the most dramatic opening?

Is it going to push the reader forward?

Is it too big? —- Yes, she really asked us “is it too big” — you didn’t think you could open too big, did you.  Don’t open so big that everything else is a let down, that the tension is almost impossible to ratchet up, that everything, no matter who tense feels like a let down.  Even the ever over-emotional Twilight opens with a very normal scene of a girl moving from one parents home to another.

 

PLOT POINTS

A plot point is the discovery of something you didn’t know

Don’t take too long getting there OR between them

If it’s the logical thing, just get to it without killing time.

 

TURNING POINTS

Something happens so the readers understanding of the character or world opens up

The story turns in an unexpected direction

There is a fundamental change in the novel

More is at stake

It changes the action of the novel (such as moving geographically, character is seen completely differently, the world shifts)

 

BLACK MOMENT

This should be your key moment of tension almost to the end of the novel

It MUST have emotional power

They need to be able to rise out of the ashes

And it needs to set you up for your climatic ending

 

CLIMACTIC ENDING

This is where the MC’s overcome the Black Moment and close out after all that rising tension

Do all the sections above do what they’re supposed to?

 

Lisa threw a TON of amazing information at us and I’m sure more than an hour would have been welcomed by the people with their butts in the seats, and on the floor, and standing in the foyer, and listening from the hall (yes, the hall – hint to conference groups – if you get LISA GARDNER to speak at your conference, praise your stars and DO NOT PUT HER IN THE SMALLEST ROOM YOU HAVE)

The points from here, are questions and comments she made that I scribbled down as quickly as possible in hopes of looking at my stuff with them in mind later.

 

Are you discovering new layers of information?

Emotionally, is there more at stake?

Variety – tension is good, but there is such a thing as Tension Burnout. Make sure to have lighter moments so the reader can rest and the contrast is more noticeable.

Come up with the Right Way to communicate info to the reader:

She discussed how she kept giving important information over the phone and it often lost its impact. 

Make sure you know how/who/when/what medium you use to give info. Is it that person’s POV or an outside POV (as an aside, I do several scenes that have surprised people by taking the outside POV – play with new things!) Maybe discussion isn’t the way – what should we actually watch happen?

Learn when to tell and when to show.

Don’t change POV to often — or not enough.

Do you stay in the POV to long? Sometimes considering keeping the scene and breaking the POV

Scene and Sequel

Make sure the last line of your chapter is a WHOA! and the first line of the next chapter is an OH! –> that’s an immediate hook

Track them – see where your ‘ah-ha’ moments are

Sweat EVERY scene

Cut the 2 sentences that just reviewed what happened (it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who has to do this!)

 

KNOW YOUR PROCESS

Do you write long and edit? Do you have to add something: detail/dialogue/action/description/etc? Do you write too big/small? Do you need to analyze with index cards? Plot out ahead of time?

Knowing what’s going to happen in your process lets you embrace it and it won’t surprise you. Don’t convince yourself you’re a plotter if you hate plotting

 

Lastly, she mentioned Syd Field’s “Screenwriter’s Workbook” twice – hey, Lisa Gardner mention it once would have been enough for me!

 

So, Revision Hints? What are yours?

RWA Nationals – Agent/Editor Panel #2 – The Agent Cartel August 7, 2008

Just like yesterday, today’s notes come with a disclaimer: THESE ARE MY NOTES AND SUMMARIES. FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE AGENTS BELOW, SEE THEIR WEBSITE.

 

Now, on to the show.

 

Kristen Nelson moderated a 2 workshop session of a group lovingly dubbed “The Agent Cartel.” These woman each came with a “Five Things” list. Below are their quick lists:

 

PAM AHERN – 5 Things you can do to help your agent help you

1.  Keep your expectations realistic for your level — Different houses do things differently. Also, don’t compare your paperback pub to a hard cover release. Someone who has 20 successful books is going to be handled differently than someone releasing her first hopeful.

2.  Keep your Agent informed with what goes on in your Writing Career

3.  Honest & Open communications – with needs/problems as well

4.  Read in your field – don’t expect your Agent to be your expert in everything. You should know what’s going on in your speciality

5.  Remember, your Agent is human too & show appreciation.

 

ROBERTA BROWN - 5 Things an unpublished author do in queries to get noticed

First she stressed showing yourself to be intelligent, professional, concise and intriguing.

1.  Know her name – and whether she’s a he or a she

2.  Hook or Tagline – 1 sentence/paragraph, title, wordcount, genre

3.  Summary – expand hook — Main characters/problems & conflicts/how adversity changes their lives

4.  Writer’s Bio – List any affiliations (RWA) it shows you’re serious/ DON’T apologize for being new

5.  Closing – Thank her for her time & make sure to mention the completed manuscript is available upon request

 

LUCIENNE DIVER - 5 Things that make you more attractive to agents

1.  Write a fantastic novel (If you didn’t get to Nationals – this seems to be the most repeated phrase. This or “Have you met Gwen?”) — Know you have quality and where the marketing possibilities are

2.  Work on your tagline – Have a juicy soundbite

3.  Platform – Do you have a way to show and convince her where it will standout in the marketplace

4.  Contest wins – get your foot in the door

5.  Personality

 

ELAINE ENGLISH – 5 Things you need to know to write for two separate houses

1.  Clear picture – why are you doing it – what do you want to accomplish at each house?

2.  Be realistic – about your ability and commitments

3.  Coordinate your delivery and publication dates

4. Cross-promote when you can

5.  Talk about all of this with your agent — if for some reason your agent isn’t involved in one of the deals, she should still know the details

 

MICHELLE GRAJKOWSKI - 5 Ways to nail that personal pitch

Michelle openly admitted to cheating on the numbering

1.  Short/concise/attention grabbing

2.  Genre

3.  Wordcount

4.  Is it complete?

5. Target house

6.  Hook/Blurb – what’s the hero & heroine’s conflicts

7.  Let them ask questions

8.  What are you’re career goals?

9.  Writing qualifications

 

CAROLYN GRAYSON – 5 Ways to manage the business of being an author

1.  Author creates new assets – if you aren’t writing, what are your assets?

2.  Have a business plan — Write books that are the best investment of our time. Don’t plagiarize someone else’s business plan, what works for her may not work for you

3.  The book is not the sale – the contract isn’t either.  Those are the end of the beginning

4.  Treat your earnings appropriately – Brand seriously, use your book money to up your ROI (return on investment)

 5.  Be aware of changes in the business environment / publishing

 

PAM HOPKINS – 5 Things unpubs do that inhibits getting published

1.  Revise and rewrite forever

2.  Stop writing while waiting “to hear”

3.  Make entering contests a career

4.  Let critique groups stifle your voice

5.  Ignore agents advice

 

JENNIFER JACKSON - 5 Things you should know about an agent before you sign

What’s her super POWER?

P – Passion — how enthusiastic about you and your book is she?

O – Open minded — is she in it for the long haul, open to new or multi-genre, changing houses?

W – Writing editorial feedback — how involved is she- what do you want from her and will she provide it?

E – Expectations of agent — What do they expect productivity wise?

R – Responsiveness – How often and how will you both communicate?

 

NATASHA KERN – 5 Things agents do beyond getting the deal

1.  Develop and maintain a good team

2.  Marketing and PR plans

3.  Book related materials

4.  Long-term planning

5.  These were all so tied together, that one is 2

 

PATTI STEELE-PERKINS – 5 Ways to do things to the detriment of your career

1.  Rant and Rave online – The Internet is forever

2.  Consistently failing to deliver on time

3.  Getting drunk at RWA and announcing your deal points — deal points are right up there with your SSN, no one’s business but yours

4.  Using “FU” instead of “stet” in your answer to edits – always remain professional

5.  Burning bridges – We’ve all seen it done in lots of places in our lives. If there’s one thing that became obvious at this conference it is that agents, editors and writers are NOT insular. They talk.

 

So, there you have it, straight from their mouths to my notebook to my blog – but still, fairly direct, right? 

 

WHAT’S THE BEST TIDBIT AND AGENT/EDITOR/PUBBED AUTHOR EVER GAVE YOU?

RWA Nationals – Agent/Editor Panel #1 August 6, 2008

Most of my time at nationals was spent listening in on Agent/Editor panels. There were a couple of agents there who currently have my partial and at least one I knew I was pitching to.  Also, I’ve been lucky enough to go to several craft workshops and retreats so, beyond Lisa Gardner’s revision workshop (which, if you haven’t heard Lisa’s big “overnight success” story – hunt it down) most of my time was spent learning about industry.

Ah yes, I hear all those “So what did you learn”s being whispered into screens.

So, PLEASE take the following information for what it is, my summarized high-points of my transcribed notes from Agent/Editor Panels.  THIS IS NOT THE FINAL SAY – MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THEIR WEBSITES TO SEE HOW/WHAT/WHERE TO SEND THEM STUFF.  Ok, disclaimer done

 

One of the questions was “Who represents African-American lit?”

While all the agents seem to agree they’d consider rep’ing anything that struck them and was really well done, Barbara Poelle and Jennifer Schober both said they’d love to look at AA lit.

 

One questions I thought was interesting and never would have had the guts to ask was: “Do you have a weeder reader?”

Barbara Poelle said yes, she JUST got one this spring. She seems really pleased with him and how well he grasps her ideals.

Laura Bradford, Nathan Bransford, Laurie Mclean and Jennifer Schober all read everything sent to them. In addition, Ms Schober often reads the founding agent, Karen Solem, queries as well.

 

One of the best questions in there centered around: How do you see your role as an agent.

The general consensus was that being a Business Partner is the most all encompassing answer – their willing to get “elbow deep” working with your work if that’s what you want (or need)

Laura Bradford added that she’s personally looking to work with people who are serious about their career as an author and have a plan.

  

Someone asked what they want to see – the answers varied so I’m going to be lazy and say: Look it up. They have sites, agentquery and querytracker.

 

The final question for that panel: Response times

All ask that we remember these are not hard and fast rules as they (just like us) are balance work-life and life-life.

Laurie Mclean: 1-8 weeks

Barbara Poelle: 6-8 weeks

Laura Bradford: Tries to keep the current turnaround time on her website, she’s pretty caught up right now, but check there

Nathan Bransford: That day – 2 weeks

Jennifer Schober: 6-8 weeks

 

One last thing, everyone is constantly asking each other “Will Nathan Bransford take this or that?” He stressed again to just query him and then cleared that up a little on his super-awesomeness blog HERE.

 

Tomorrow I’ll summarize what I learned from….. The AGENT CARTEL (pretend that was in movie announcer guy voice)

 

What have you heard from your agent or editor that people should know?

RWA Nationals – Agent/Editor Moments August 5, 2008

“As per” yesterday’s promise (you didn’t think I’d go there, did you?) here is my agent pitch car wreck story.

 

I was lucky enough to get a pitch with “Agent” who reps fantasy – like real fantasy – old school stuff like I’m attempting to write.

 

Now, anyone who has gone to a conference knows that you’re going to run yourself ragged, it’s the nature of the beast. There are workshops and talks and networking and party crashing of huge publishing parties — I mean, visiting the publisher’s place of celebration in a show of support for their great year. And then there is the sleepless night before your pitch.

 

Ok, sleepless might be an exaggeration – I’ve come to the conclusion I slept some where between 8 and 20 mins. I was exhausted and over-caffeinated walking in to that room of over-vibed nervous energy, all three combined to make my hands shake like LA did the day we flew in.

 

So, after Agent told me not to worry and we talked about how big a pitch feels at Nationals even though it’s the same as at a regional thing, the 8 mins went kind of like this (all agent quotes are paraphrased and fuzzy due to potential black out moments I had. I know I told the whole story to my wonderful support people when I came out, but the further from it I get, the less I remember —- thank goodness.)

 

ME: I’m so excited to get to pitch to you. I write Fantasy and am really impressed with all the true fantasy your house represents. And then I saw you speak yesterday.

 

Agent in a nervous voice: Oh. And?

 

ME: And I was even more excited to speak to you. (she’d been amazingly straightforward with the good the bad and the ugly in her talk)

 

Agent: What kind of fantasy to do you write?

 

ME: Traditional Epic but in a YA voice.

 

Agent: Wow. What made you write this.

 

OK, lets take a moment here to just stop and say THIS QUESTION WAS NOT ON MY “HOW MY PITCH WILL GO WITH THE AGENT” piece of paper I held grasped in my hand. Maybe I should have forwarded the script I expecter her to follow to her the night before. I totally did not know what to do, but some how got up on the soapbox I hadn’t realized I’d brought into the room with me and away I went. In the back of my mind I heard the little voice screaming “SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP” but, the little voice had lost all control of the outer voice. It was sad.

 

ME: Well, you know if you’re a fantasy reader as a kid there’s a lot of amazing stuff out there to read. And the more kids I meet that read fantasy the more I realize a lot of them read above their age group because they read so much. And so they fly through things like Snyder’s “Below the Root” series and then third or fourth grade is over and they have nothing to read without going to the adult shelf.

 

*She was kind enough to nod here.*

 

ME: And so the next thing you know, your 12 and reading ritualized incestual sex.

 

*Yes. Yes I really did say that out loud in a pitch*

 

AGENT nods again: Bradley.

 

ME: Right. And then I thought when Eragon came out that the market for that age-specific fantasy would open up for traditional, epic or quest stuff.

 

AGENT: But then Twilight came along and slapped that genre down.

 

ME: EXACTLY!!!!

 

AGENT nods more and says stuff that seemed to be in agreement with me or maybe it was just she didn’t know what else to say at this point. She also referenced some other big jump from children’s to adult that bypassed the YA age bracket and then the One Minute Warning Bell from You-know-where-that-rhymes-with-BELL range and I hadn’t pitched my stupid book yet!!!!

 

ME talking fast even for a Bostonian: My fantasy Markbearer –

 

AGENT: Mark hearer?

 

ME: Markbearer. *thinks to self, I can’t even say the name clearly!!!!* Is a reinvention of the coming of age of Helen of troy…..launches into very short version of pitch while answering her questions about world and time and place — all of which excited me because they were the exact right questions to ask for my genre.

 

She ended up requesting 3 chapters and I’m wondering if my query letter should start:

Dear AGENT, I’m the crazy girl who went on the rampage about the huge whole in the fantasy market and couldn’t shut up. . . .hopefully she blacked out as much of my rambling as I did!

 

Luckily I had 3 other easier situations. One I wasn’t even there for, but my CP pitched my book so well that an agent I haven’t met wants to see it. An agent I met a 15 months ago after I’d been writing for only a month asked me why she hadn’t seen my fantasy yet. That same agent soft-pitched me in an introduction to a editor who I thought wouldn’t want me because I break all their guidelines but asked to see it anyway….so all in all it was a very successful week for me – some times embarrassing, but definitely successful.

 

So, let’s hear’um. . . the good the bad and the ugly. I’d love to hear YOUR editor/agent stories. Bring them on, I mean, really – can it be worse than shouting out “ritualized incestual sex” so that you walk out of the room to where your CP’s first words are “you said what???”

 

On a completely different note, never have I felt so loved than in the moments before and after my pitch. I’d give shout outs here, but it just dawned on me I’m not sure who uses real names and who uses writing names, but to the three amazing divas, my cp and my blind-date roommate who all came down to support me during that 20 mins on each side of the 8 min car wreck, you ladies are amazingly brilliant, beautiful inside and out, and the inspiration that will keep me moving forward in the next three weeks on these speed-typing rewrites – Thank you so much!