HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY – EYES EVER TO THE SKY!!!! May 13, 2013

My amazing friend (and brilliant critique partner), Katie French, releases her second book today. It’s a cool YA sci-fi tale with PLENTY of romance!  If you like fast-paced, edge of your seat stories, be sure to check this one out! Love the cover too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Hugh wakes up in a smoldering crater—no memory, no clothes—a single thought echoes in his head…trust no one. Frightened and alone, with no memory of who he is, he stumbles upon a grisly murder scene and is fatally shot. He wakes, only to find he can heal himself. He has superpowers, and he’s going to need them.

 

Desperate and bleeding, Hugh stumbles upon fifteen-year-old Cece, who’s got enough troubles of her own. Between caring for her bipolar mother and trying not to get evicted from her run-down trailer, Cece may be the only person struggling as much as Hugh. Drawn to Hugh, Cece finds a love she’s never known. But when the real killer—a man-hunting beast—chooses another victim, Hugh and Cece realize they must unlock the clues to their past if they have any chance at a future.

 

 

 

Katie French imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher. In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. Though her social life suffered, her love for literature thrived. She studied English at Eastern Michigan University, where she veered from writing and earned an education degree. She spent nine years teaching high school English. Currently she is a school counselor, doing a job that is both one of the hardest things she’s ever done and the most rewarding. In her free time she writes, reads great books and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She is a contributor and co-creator of Underground Book Reviews, a website dedicated to erasing the boundaries between traditional and non-traditional publishing. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.For more information about Katie you can check her out on Goodreads, Facebook or on her website, Katie French Books.  Eyes Ever to the Sky is available on Amazon.

Write, Learn, Revise, Rinse, Repeat – A Guest Post by Amy Reichert May 6, 2013

 

 

When you are a new writer you are naïve.  You think once you put the final word on the page, your manuscript is complete.  But really, once “The End” is written,  the real work has just begun.  Revisions and edits are key to making any manuscript golden.  It’s in this process we learn where the true story is, and how to bring it to the forefront. By “killing our darlings,” and cutting extra words, we make a manuscript tighter and much more enjoyable to read. But as with anything in writing, those edits/revisions are painful, and it’s hard to know what to cut and what to keep.

 

Today, I’ve asked writer Amy Reichert to share her revision process.  Her manuscript, THE CAKE EFFECT, has gone through many revisions and edits.  And as she explains, those cuts have been tough. But even though the changes have been painful, she admits they have made her work stronger – so strong, she recently signed with agent, Rachel Ekstrom.  Amy’s story is proof that although revisions take time, and at times can be brutal, the process can reap great benefits.

 

 

Write, Learn, Revise, Rinse, Repeat

By Amy Reichert

The best and worst thing about writing is you can always improve.

 

I can always find new problems to fix, or new techniques to try. I’m a revision enthusiast. Nora Roberts said, “I can’t fix a blank page.” I love that. No author, ever, has written the perfect book on the first try. Maybe an author revises each sentence as she writes, maybe she spews forth an entire book than goes back and rewrites, or maybe she has a method somewhere in between. But either way, words never meet the page perfectly. Writers must revise. Full stop. End of story. Learn to love it.

 

Without embracing revision, I wouldn’t have gotten an agent (Hi Rachel!), and I’d never be the tiny bit closer to publishing that I am now.

 

At the beginning of 2012, the draft of The Cake Effect I thought was ready — that my husband, my mom and several well-read friends had read, that I’d polished until I thought it gleamed — sucked. It was a case of I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I had written those first few drafts by instinct. While my plot was solid, the writing had so many newbie mistakes, including classics like telling instead of showing, too much backstory, and way too much unnecessary detail (no one cared why the news stand guy had three clocks – you never see him again).

 

But how did I get from that level of suckiness to an agent-ready manuscript? Revision, learn, revision, learn, revision, learn. And some more revision. I don’t have a creative writing background, so the art of story-telling was something I winged, pulling from my experience as a reader and academic writer. Well folks, let me tell you, intuition only gets you so far.

 

I, fortunately, had wonderful author and good friend, Ann Garvin (http://www.annwertzgarvin.com) to help me in my hour of need. I met her at a pitch workshop in New York and she agreed to read a few chapters. Ann, bless her blunt heart, gave it to me straight. I had the voice, I had the story, but my writing needed a lot of work. She gave me a few resources to study and some needed encouragement. A switch flipped in my head and I understood what I lacked. I lacked a foundation in creative writing.

 

Now, let me be very clear here. You DO NOT need to get a degree or even take classes in creative writing. But just like any profession from a plumber to an attorney, you do need to learn and you do need to study. And also like any other profession, you should always strive to learn more and improve your work. There are many fantastic books, magazines, and websites with oodles of useful information.

 

So, I started with a subscription to Writer’s Digest and bought On Writing by Stephen King. I bookmarked several websites and focused my energies on the issues Ann commented on, like basic plot development, superfluous details, and exposition. I read up on these topics, then tackled my manuscript. I rewrote over half of it and tweaked the other half. I would take little rules and follow them religiously — like not having backstory before page 100, avoiding the passive voice, and using simple dialogue tags. These aren’t hard and fast rules, and there are very good reasons to break them, but they helped me tell my story better.

 

After this major revision, The Cake Effect was much improved. The characters had more life, the story started faster, and readers weren’t distracted by unnecessary details. It still needed a lot of work, but now I knew how to improve.

 

I finally met some fellow authors who would beta read for me, and I was fortunate to get a revise and resubmit from an agent. The feedback she gave me brought my manuscript to the next level. I had a few new chapters, some relationships were clarified, and some scenes had heightened tension. Again, I had learned some new writing skills and implemented them in my manuscript.

 

So, if I were to summarize my revision process, it would be that I learn something new about writing then apply it.

 

As a result, I’ve done many, many, many drafts, and I’ll probably do a few more. But I also realize these new skills I’m acquiring will mean fewer drafts on future novels. Just like practicing a sport or an instrument, muscle memory will take over and I’ll automatically show not tell, use more active words, and avoid clichés.

 

So, here are a few nuggets of wisdom about revision in list form – cause everyone loves a list.

 

FIND BETAS YOU CAN TRUST

 

Betas are not the friends you have coffee with or your mom. Most likely they are other writers, people who will ask you to read their manuscripts and give them feedback. This relationship is a two-way street, people. I’ve learned more from reading other people’s manuscripts than writing my own. It helps you hone the muscles that send up the “something isn’t working here” flag. You want people who will help bring your novel to the next level, who will point out the plot flaws and character problems, and gently explain how you overuse commas.

 

 

BE WILLING TO CUT

 

Your manuscript contains no sacred cows. Repeat that until you believe it. I don’t care how much you love a turn of phrase or a plot point. If it doesn’t work, cut it. I have a file where I save all my lost treasures. It is all about the big picture.

 

 

BE OPEN TO IDEAS

 

People are going to share ideas with you, and believe it or not, some will be good. Use these ideas to make your manuscript better. Just because you didn’t think of it, doesn’t mean you can’t mold it to your purposes. That’s why there are acknowledgment pages in books.

 

 

LEARN TO ACCEPT CRITICISM

 

The road to publication is paved with criticism and rejection, so toughen up, buttercup. You need to be willing to hear the truth. I know, you want to hear how great your book is and that nothing needs to change and it’s perfect as it is. But if someone tells you that, he is either lying or not a good beta reader – don’t use him again. A book can always be improved. Always. (OK, there might be exceptions to this, but chances are, you aren’t one of them).

 

 

ALWAYS TRY TO IMPROVE

 

You need to learn, be it by studying other writers (yay! that means you get to read), reading articles and books, or taking a class. There is always more to learn about the art of writing. Never stop. Ever.

 

 

 

Amy Reichert is a first time novelist, life-long Wisconsin resident, mother of two (three if you count the dog – and you should), beloved wife, spectacular procrastinator, die-hard Harry Potter fan, and amateur baker. She earned her MA in English Lit from Marquette University and worked for several years as a technical writer. When she’s not writing, she’s taking the children somewhere, putting off cleaning the house, or researching new vacation spots. She loves to read, collect more cookbooks than she could possibly use, and sample new ciders. Represented by Rachel Ekstrom at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. For more on Amy follow her on Twitter or Tumblr.

W.O.W. – Writer Odyssey Wednesday with Maggie Hall April 24, 2013

 

 

 

One thing I always ask in the W.O.W. is how critique partners affect a writer‘s work.  I can only count on one hand the number of writers who have told me they do not use CPs.  How they do it, I don’t know.  CPs and beta readers, I believe, are critical to the writing process and today’s featured writer, Maggie Hall agrees.

 

Maggie is part of a group blog called the YA Misfits.  This group supports one another through the writing, revising, querying and eventual submission process.  They are proof that with a great support network, any writer can reach their potential.

 

Many thanks to Maggie for sharing her writing journey…

 

 

Amy: You don’t see a lot of YA International Thrillers in the current marketplace. What inspired you to write The ELITE?

 

Maggie: Mostly that there weren’t a lot of YA International Thrillers in the marketplace! I read a lot of adult International Thrillers and love the genre, and always wished there was more like it in YA, so when the idea for this one came to me, I knew I had to write it. Plus, I love traveling and it was really fun to get to use some of my experience in writing this book.

 

 

Amy: How many completed manuscripts did you query before THE ELITE?

 

Maggie: This is my very first manuscript, so none!

 

 

Amy: I know you are part of the blog group, YA Misfits.  How did you connect with them, and how has knowing them affected your writing?

 

Maggie: Twitter, contests, forums…we met all over the place online, essentially. I met the first Misfits I knew through seeing each others’ entries on WriteOnCon then connecting through Twitter, and then met their friends, and they met mine, and soon we had this wonderful group of writers, and thought hey, wouldn’t it be fun if we started a group blog? And so YA Misfits was born.

 

Most of my critique partners are Misfits, and CPs in general changed my writing life. There’s only so much you can do to your writing on your own, and they have been incredibly helpful. And besides help on my actual MS, I would never have made it through the publishing process without them to lean on and vent to and freak out with…everyone needs a few good CPs!

 

 

Amy: Did your query for THE ELITE come easily or did it go through many drafts?

 

Maggie: It went through quite a few drafts. I started messing with the query well before the MS was done, so I had time to let it evolve naturally, and to get lots of advice! I had friends read it, posted it on forums…I have a tendency to ramble on, and the first couple drafts definitely showed that!

 

 

Amy: How many agents did you query for THE ELITE? Did you receive immediate responses or did you have to wait a while for replies?

 

Maggie: I queried 14 agents. Most of them were actually very quick–I got lucky!

 

 

Amy: Can you give a short summary of your call with your agent, Claudia Ballard? How did you know she was the right agent for you? 

 

Maggie: I knew Claudia was the right agent when she told me what was wrong with the book. Some agents aren’t very editorial (which is fine!) but I love having an agent who made me confident that she wouldn’t send my book out on sub until she thought it was really ready. And besides the edits, she was incredibly supportive, too. I came out of our first call knowing she loved the book and could see good things happening for it.

 

The rest of the call with her was pretty standard, I suppose–we talked about what she was looking for out of me, what I wanted out of my future as a writer, etc!

 

 

Amy: As most writers know, publishing is a very difficult business. What was the one thing you think you did to garner agent interest?

 

Maggie: I think the fact that my MS was different from what agents usually see in the slush pile was the most important factor in hooking them initially. Agents see so many queries, anything that makes your story stand out in a good, exciting way is really going to help you.

 

 

Amy: Was there ever a time you thought about giving up on your writing dream? If so, what motivated you to keep writing?

 

Maggie: All the time. I thought I’d never get my draft finished, then I thought I’d never think it was good enough to query, then when I was revising with my agent, I definitely doubted my ability to make it good enough to go on sub. Doubt, doubt, and more doubt. I was ready to throw in the towel a million times.

 

And what motivated me to go on? First of all, see my answer about CPs, above…my amazing CPs have encouraged me, been a shoulder to cry on, and kicked my butt into gear more times than I can count. If it weren’t for them being there for me through thick and thin, I very well might have quit at some point. And also, the love of writing. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Every time I tried to ignore my writing, or thought of giving up, it would be there, nagging at me, and I know there’s no way I could really quit. Maybe writers really are a little crazy!

 

 

More on THE ELITE:

 

 

Sixteen-year-old Avery West’s newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Elite, and they think Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Now some of the Elite want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead. 

 

To unravel the mystery putting her in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the crypts of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul and through a web of ancient legends and lies. And even more complicated are the two boys she’s with—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack—who might be part of the solution, or who might be her undoing…because the conspiracy goes deeper than anyone could have guessed. 

 

Maggie Hall is a former bookstore events coordinator and world traveler, who has petted tigers in Thailand, eaten her way through Italy, and taken thousands of miles of trains across India. When she’s not on the other side of the world, she likes to watch USC football and blog about young adult literature for YA Misfits. She recently relocated from Albuquerque to New Orleans with her husband and three cats.

 

 

Maggie is represented by Claudia Ballard at William Morris Endeavor and the first book in her YA International Thriller trilogy, currently called THE ELITE, will be published by Putnam/Penguin in fall 2014. You can add it to Goodreads here. For more on Maggie, check out her website, blog or follow her on Twitter @MaggieEHall

W.O.W. – Writer Odyssey Wednesday – Andrea Hannah April 17, 2013

 

 

What is the one take away you’ll get from today’s W.O.W. with Andrea Hannah? Honesty.  Yes, I truly love this interview for the honest knowledge Andrea imparts about the publishing business.  When I asked her about the one piece of  writing advice she got early on, and still uses today, I was floored by her answer.  She gives it to you straight about how difficult the publishing marketplace can be.  But along with that honesty, she also imparts a “never give up” attitude – which I love.  She’s definitely right about one thing, if you’re a writer “own it” and keep working until your dream comes true.

 

Here is Andrea’s inspiring story…

 

Amy: What drew you to write YA fiction?

 

Andrea: Honestly, I never even considered writing anything else. I’d dabbled in a variety of genres over the years, but as soon as I decided to get serious I immediately knew it would be YA all the way. I’ve always gravitated toward those books. I always flick on MTV when I’m looking for something to watch. I used to teach creative writing to middle schoolers. It just seemed like the natural progression.

 

 

Amy: How many manuscripts had you completed prior to THE DIARIES OF ELLA GRAHAM?

 

Andrea: One and a half. Both were paranormal (which is why I stopped halfway through the second; I realized that reapers and angels and all that were dead on arrival). The first one took me almost a year to write and revise, and I had some success on the contest circuit before ultimately shelving it. I was in the middle of the second one when I had this crazy intense dream about ELLA. In the dream, someone whispered to me, “You’re going to write a book about two sisters, one is missing. You’re going to call it THE DIARIES OF ELLA GRAHAM.” Not even joking! I stumbled out of bed, jotted it down, and gave up on the other book mid-draft. I couldn’t shake ELLA from that moment on, and the rest is history.

 

 

Amy: Did you have critique partners or beta readers that helped you polish THE DIARIES OF ELLA GRAHAM? How did that influence your writing process?

 

Andrea: Yes! I only worked with one critique partner on ELLA. And while she’s an excellent CP, and we still work together, the difference between the “final product” on ELLA and my new thriller, THE DESTRUCTION OF STARS AND LIES, is huuuuge. Huge. I’m a really big advocate of wrangling in a bunch of CPs and betas, all with different preferences and styles. I write thrillers and dark mysteries, so I give my manuscript to friends who write in that genre, but also to friends who write romances. I like the perspective I get from both sides. To give you an example of how effective this is, when I signed with Victoria for ELLA, I went through a LOT of pretty substantial revisions with her before it was ready to go on sub. With STARS & LIES, I had two rounds with five CPs/betas before I even sent Victoria the manuscript. And I think because of that, the revisions I’m working through with her now are much quicker and definitely less painful.

 

 

Amy: Did your query for THE DIARIES OF ELLA GRAHAM come easily or did it go through many drafts?

 

Andrea: Query writing is my super-secret skill. (I’m expecting ALL the emails about this now, haha). I don’t know how, I don’t know why, but I’m pretty good at summing up my story in 3-4 paragraphs. I wrote the query for ELLA in two drafts and then it went out into the world.

 

 

Amy: How many agents did you query for THE DIARIES OF ELLA GRAHAM?

 

Andrea: A very, very small amount. Twelve, I think it was? I queried a few dream agents, and a few mid-listers, but they were all people I would have been thrilled to work with. I was just kind of testing the waters before I sent out a wider second round. But, I had a lot of success (a 70% success rate! WOOT) and my dream agent offered, so I didn’t send out anymore after that.

 

(I just want to add here that I am an anomaly. This doesn’t normally happen. Remember, all it takes is ONE yes, so if the rejections are rolling in, keep going, keep trying. You’ll get there. <3)

 

 

Amy: Did you receive instantaneous response or did you have to wait for requests/rejections?

 

Andrea: I got a couple of quick form rejections, like within a week. The requests for partials and fills came in about 3-4 weeks later. And the offers came about 3-4 weeks after that. The whole process took about two months for me, from first query sent to acceptance of offer. (Once again, I now that’s not standard. I realize how lucky I was with the whole thing.)

 

 

Amy: As many writers know the publishing business is very hard to break into. What was the one thing you did to help garner agent attention?

 

Andrea: I started to ease my way into the community as I grew more confident about my writing. While I was querying, I was also becoming active on Twitter, entering contests, and checking out forums and blogs. I will say I wasn’t exactly awesome in this aspect. I honestly felt like I didn’t have anything to offer to social media until I had an agent. (This is very, very WRONG, by the way.) So my platform building and connecting with publishing people didn’t really take off until after I’d been signed.

 

The main thing I did to garner agent attention? Queried a really polished book and followed their submission guidelines.

 

 

Amy: Can you give a short summary of “your call” with your agent Victoria Marini?

 

Andrea: My call with Victoria was pretty much the best phone call of my life! She was actually my third offer of rep, and I had been so nervous for the first two. Victoria was my dream agent, and she was the last agent with my manuscript. I was really holding out for her! As fate would have it, I was super pregnant while I was waiting and went into labor, so I didn’t have time to sweat over Victoria as much as I had been for the past week. I had my son at 12AM, and Victoria called (my hospital phone!) at 10AM to offer rep. So, I’d had a lot of morphine, you know? I can’t remember the specific details other than I was not nervous AT ALL, and I remember Victoria saying, “I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!” I’d say it was a pretty spectacular day.

 

 

Amy: What was one piece of advice you got during your early writing stages that has stuck with you to this day?

 

Andrea: Most of the technical advice I’ve been given has been really helpful, but I think what’s stuck with me most is this: “Nothing is ever a given in publishing.” And it’s so true, to the point of being painful. So many writers think that if they can just write that book that will snag an agent, their careers will take off and they’ll be “real writers.” But I’m here to tell you that the cycle never, ever ends. (I’m so sorry!) You write that book, and you get an agent. Then that book goes on submission, and sometimes it actually doesn’t sell, even though you kind of thought it was a given (I know I did.) Then you write another book, and there’s always the possibility that your agent won’t like it and won’t submit it. Then you start all over again. Or let’s say that book sells. You still have to write another one, and there’s always the very real possibility that your editor will tell you to scrap that one. It’s scary and frustrating and requires a good amount of bravery and perhaps a touch of crazy, too. But the good news is since there’s never a “level” that you can reach to become a “real writer,” you can start calling yourself one right now. Do you write? Then you’re a writer, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Blog about it, dive into the writing community, tell your friends and family about your passion. Go ahead and own your badass, wordy self.

 

 

Andrea Hannah is a YA writer represented by Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider. She writes stories about criminals, crazy people, and creatures that may or may not exist. When she’s not writing, Andrea teaches special education, runs, spends time with her family, and tries to figure out a way to prevent her pug from opening the refrigerator (still unsuccessful). Oh, and she tweets a bajillion times a day, mostly about inappropriate things.
You can find her on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/andeehannah
Drop her an email @: andeehannah@gmail.com
And visit her website @: http://www.andreahannah.com/

W.O.W. – Writer Odyssey Wednesday – Bethany Crandell April 10, 2013

 

 

 

I love an author with a sense of humor.  Even though the rejections come, they joke about it and then move on.  I think everyone could learn a lesson from today’s featured author, Bethany Crandell.  She is very candid about the ups-and-downs of getting an agent, but spreads over the rough patches with great levity - which I really appreciate.  Her debut novel, SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS, went through many revisions before attracting the attention of an agent, and through it all she kept the whole publishing process in the proper light. Her journey is inspiring and I hope, that like her, I can keep the entire submission process in the right perspective, even if I do feel like a chimp scribbling with crayons sometimes (yes, I know odd, but read on and you’ll understand!)

 

 

Amy: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

 

Bethany: I think there’s a big difference between loving to write, and wanting to be a writer. I’ve loved to write since I could pick up a pen, but I didn’t know that I wanted to pursue writing as a career (complete with rejections, beta reads, critiques, rejections, rejections…) until I was thirty-four. Maybe that’s when my thick-skin finally grew in.

 

 

Amy: Was SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS your first completed manuscript?

 

Bethany: No. It was my first good, completed manuscript, but not the first.

 

 

Amy: How long did it take to complete?

 

Bethany: I finished the first draft in about five months. Then, after some many failed query attempts, put another couple of months into heavy revisions. So, all together I’d say seven months.

 

 

Amy: Did you use critique partners for SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS?

 

Bethany: No. Not officially, anyway. At that point, I was still big-toe-dipping my way into the writing pool. I didn’t have any writer friends, and the thought of someone actually critiquing my work was beyond terrifying. I relied on the opinions of a couple of trusted friends, and my mom and sisters. Of course, friends and family mean well, but they’re impressed that you can parallel park your car—their opinions aren’t always as subjective as they need to be. Ironically, the best critique I received was from an agent who rejected my work, but was kind enough to give me honest feedback and direction, not to mention an abundance of encouragement. To this day she’s still cheering me on, and I will forever be in her fan club. *Nods to the amazing Nicole Resciniti*

 

 

Amy: When you first wrote your query for SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS did it come easily or did it go through many drafts?

 

Bethany: That depends…is 1,000 considered a lot? Ha.

 

Yeah. Many drafts. Many, many, many drafts. Condensing your 60,000 word book into three paragraphs isn’t easy. You can usually tell if you’ve got something that’s going to work after 10 submissions. If nobody bites—it probably needs reworking. I queried almost 90 agents, so I guess you can tell I didn’t get it right on the first try.

 

 

Amy: What was your call like with your agent, Rachael Dugas? How did you know she was a good fit for you?

 

Bethany: Ah…that was a good day. Rachael had emailed me several days before we spoke (the day before my birthday!), informing me that she loved the book and would like to represent me. (That was smart on her part. Had she called me out of the blue, I likely would have wet myself). Until that call, I had received lots of praise for the book but never from someone who could actually do anything about it. Hearing that she believed in my book as much as I did was an incredible feeling! Besides that, she answered nearly every question I planned to ask before I could even ask it, and did so in her Disney princess voice.

 

There was one other agent who was interested in representing me; however she had a different vision for the book than I did. In the end, that’s what sold me on moving forward with Rachael. It’s important for your agent to believe in your voice and the story you’re trying to tell.

 

 

Amy: Was there ever a time you thought about giving up on your writing dream? If so, what helped you push through that moment?

 

Bethany: Uh…yeah. Plenty of times. And still do.

 

There are definitely days when it feels like stepping away from writing would make my life easier, but those moments are fleeting. Of course, it’s hard to dust yourself off after 10 rejections in two hours (seriously, do agents have a rejection schedule they all work under?!) but deep down, you just know you can’t give up. It might be easier for the moment, but when you’re infected with a passion for something—there’s no escaping it.

 

My amazing writer friends keep me going through the darkest, scariest times. And trust me, those continue even after you have an agent and a publishing deal. Beyond that, I spend a lot of time on my knees. Prayer is a writer’s greatest tool.

 

 

Amy: If you met a fellow writer on the street and they told you they were on the brink of giving up on their publishing dream, what advice would you give them?

 

Bethany: I guess I’d say, “IF IT WAS EASY, EVERYBODY WOULD DO IT.”

 

Rejections are hard SUCK! They can strip you of your confidence, and have even the greatest of writers feeling like a chimp scribbling with crayons. (A smart chimp, but a chimp none the less). But I can honestly tell you that all those painful NOs fly out the window the very second you get that one YES.

 

 

Bethany and her husband Terry live in San Diego with their two daughters and a chocolate Labrador who has no consideration for personal space. She writes Young Adult novels because the feelings that come with life’s ‘first’ times are too good not to relive again and again. Bethany eats too much guacamole, thrives on tear-inducing laughter, and is still waiting for Jake Ryan to show up at her door. For more information on Bethany check out her website, or follow her on Twitter – @rookieriter.

Moving On, But Not Giving Up – A Guest Post by MarcyKate Connolly April 8, 2013

 

The drawer. The seedy cobwebs of an old internal hard drive. The back of an old steamer trunk.  These are all the places we send our old stories to live.  They’re our starter novels. Our first attempt at a short story or a piece of flash fiction.  Basically, they are the bike with the training wheels before we really learn to ride.

 

If you’ve been writing long enough you know what I mean. Personally, I have two manuscripts lovingly set aside.  A paranormal romance (the first book I ever wrote) and a sci-fi/alternate history novel.  I literally feel like I gave over a piece of  my soul to develop both those books and I hope one day they will be published. I just know that time is not right now.

 

Do I think about them all the time? Yes. Do I wish I could get them published? Of course.  But see, that’s the thing, most of us cherish those first pieces, but after a long string of rejection we’re forced to store them away. Yet even as we do, those characters, storylines and plots still speak to us. We move on and create something new.  Maybe something we can sell.  And still,  those works speak to us. Urging us to dig them out of oblivion and work on them again – praying for a second chance. And yes, it’s very hard to let go.

 

Today, I’ve asked MarcyKate Connolly to share how she put aside a beloved novel to work on something new. Her thoughts resonate with me for so many reasons. Like her, I queried the heck out of a novel I loved without reaching that illustrious publishing finish line.  It’s a hard pill to swallow, especially after you’ve poured your heart and soul into something you’re sure readers would love. But after reading MarcyKate’s words, I realized that one day there may be hope for that beloved “trunked” novel after all.

 

 

 

Moving On, But Not Giving Up

The tricky thing about any creative endeavor is that it is difficult at best to separate ourselves from the work we create. As writers, we spend years pouring our souls into our books. When it comes time to send our babies out into the world we often do so with a mix of trepidation and hope.

 

And then we get shot down. A lot.

 

Some lucky few secure representation or a book deal with that first novel. But most of us will eventually run out of agents and realize that this novel, however much we love it, is not “The One.” This isn’t an easy decision to make, and it is often downright heartbreaking. All that work and time, and it’s going to just sit on your shelf (or hard drive).

 

MONSTROUS was the 7^th novel I wrote, and the 4^th I queried. I set three manuscripts aside before I got to the one that garnered representation and a book deal. It never got easier–if anything, it got worse. You see, with each manuscript I got better and closer, and having to fold when you feel as though you’re so, so close, is nothing less than painful and depressing.

 

But sometimes it needs to be done. Success is built from the building blocks of our failures.

 

My first novel still haunts me. The plot, the characters, the fantasy world all still live in my brain. I wrote it in 2008 and early 2009, and queried pretty much every agent who might possibly look at fantasy. And every single one rejected it.

 

I spent countless hours revising and refining that book, but I just couldn’t quite get it right. The story in my head wasn’t translating onto the page in the way it needed to and eventually the feedback from agents made that very clear. It took about a year and half for me to realize it wasn’t going to be The One, but what finally made me feel OK about putting it aside was that I was certain it wasn’t the only story in me.

 

Fast forward to the 3^rd book I queried. This was now the 4^th novel I’d written. I’d finally figured out voice (my biggest hurdle in the first few books), and there was a ton of interest. I’d promised myself that this time I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high. I’d be realistic and I’d work on other projects. But when the requests kept rolling in, I couldn’t help it. I was so sure this book would be The One.

 

It wasn’t.

 

A year and well over 100 agents queried later, I came to the decision that I needed to set it aside. The first book I could chalk up to being a beginner, but this time it felt like real failure. I’d learned so much and yet still I just couldn’t get it right. Something was broken with it and despite all the kind (and often very contradictory) feedback I received from agents, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

 

At first, much denial ensued (I may have a bit of a stubborn streak…:P). I’d send off queries to every new or obscure agent I could find who wanted YA. And I still got requests…and more rejections.

 

Finally I did put it aside for real (with more than a few tears) and focused on my next project. I had started writing it while querying that 3rd book. I’d written it for me, because the main character charmed me from her very first words. But I was so heartsick from querying various books for 3+ years, that I wasn’t sure I would even bother sending out this next one. It was just for me, my weird little book that was probably far too strange and rule-breaking to make it either. Eventually, after revising obsessively for months, I decided to give it a go.

 

That book was MONSTROUS.

 

Here’s the thing. Putting aside a book you’ve spent months or years working on is never going to be easy. But it shouldn’t be confused with giving up.

 

Giving up means deleting every electronic copy and burning every print out. Giving up means you stop writing altogether.

 

Shelving on the other hand, leaves room for hope. So that book didn’t turn out right the first time. Maybe you weren’t ready to write that story yet. Maybe you just hadn’t developed your skill to the point where you could do it justice. Maybe you need some serious distance (I’m talking years here) to see the weak points more clearly.  This was the case for my first novel and I’m hopeful that I’ll eventually be able to rewrite it from scratch.

 

Shelving also isn’t necessarily permanent. When you do find that right combination of book and agent, talk to your agent (ideally before you sign on the dotted line) about your other projects. If there’s a book you love and have polished within an inch of its life, but it just didn’t quite get there, maybe they’ll be willing to work with you on it. Now, I’m not saying you should throw every trunked book you’ve written at your shiny new agent, but if there’s one story you just can’t let go of, bring it up in The Call. There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to make the book publishable, but it won’t hurt to try. (*Disclaimer: this should go without saying, but if you do present your agent with a book that has been around the block and pitched to editors as well as agents, be sure to be honest and up front with said agent about its submission history.)

 

I’m lucky that my agent was willing to look at the project I set aside just before Monstrous as a possible next book, and I’m doubly lucky that she’s helped me identify where I was going wrong. I may still have to set aside again if I can’t fix it or if it doesn’t sell, but there’s hope, and sometimes that’s enough.

 

So if you have a project you love that you’ve almost queried out, take heart. And write another book.

 

 

MarcyKate Connolly is an author and arts administrator who lives in New England with her husband and pugs and writes weird little books. She’s also a coffee addict, voracious reader, and recurring commuter. She blogs about all those things and more at MarcyKate.com, and can often be found on Twitter. Her work is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media, and her debut upper MG/Tween fantasy novel, MONSTROUS, will be published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Writers: Don’t Go It Alone March 29, 2013

I recently read a post on a writing forum where a person was rejoicing after getting a full request.  It was awesome! The author got so many comments of congratulations and I loved it. But then as I read further down in the thread my stomach started to knot. The person had written the entire MS and queried it without any beta readers or critique partners.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, this author could be the next Hemingway for all I know, but in my personal opinion not having another person look at your manuscript is NOT the best idea.  Even if the story is pristine, it could always use another set of eyes to locate a misspelled word or a missing comma.  Or on a grander scale, where the dialogue is awkward or the pacing slow.

 

My point?  It always helps to have other people look at your work.  Sure your sister and Grandma can give you great feedback, but what really helps is having another writer take a look at your manuscript.  Someone who understands the ferocity of the publishing world and can help you make your work a hundred, maybe even a thousand times better!

 

So where do you find a beta reader or critique partner?

 

1) You can start on the writing forums like AgentQueryConnect or AbsoluteWrite and a new one I recently found, CP Seek.

 

2) YA writer Maggie Stiefvater has a critique partner hook-up on her website as does literary agent, Mary Kole.

 

3) Local writing associations like Romance Writers of America (RWA) and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) also have local websites which allow you to connect with other writers in your community.

 

4) Twitter is an amazing place to find like minds! Just type in #amwriting or #writingtip and you’ll see how many talented authors tweet every day. Some may even offer up tweets looking for critique help.

 

The best thing about finding a really good beta reader or a critique partner? They get you.  They understand the daunting process of getting published and can be a great source of not only inspiration, but support as you write the next amazing novel.

 

Fellow writers, do you know of other sources where a writer can find a beta reader or critique partner? If so, let me know in the comments!

Change How You Create To Please The Market? March 25, 2013

There has been a ton of controversy over the last several days regarding the release of Beyoncé’s latest single, “Bow Down.” Many feel the song makes it seem like women should be subservient to men, while others complain about the lyrics.  Record industry insiders say this is Beyoncé trying to change her image, wanting to look tougher and stronger after having a baby.

 

Here’s the thing, I wonder if this was a conscious decision on her part to do something controversial to stir up the market (and sell more records) or if it was her creative muse urging her to do something new.

 

It’s the age-old question that has lived on the threads of all the writing boards for years.  Should you stop creating for yourself and start writing to the market so you can sell something?

 

Those who are die-hard creative-types say you are “selling out” when you try to write to the market, while others claim if they could “just get something published” they would have more leeway to publish the stories they really love.

 

Personally, I stand firmly in the camp of write what you love and not to the market for several reasons:

 

1) My work won’t be as strong because I am not fully committed to the characters and plot

 

2) If I actually sold the work, I’m not sure I’d be motivated enough to do a bang-up job of promoting it

 

3) Chances are, even if I sold the work, agents and/or publishers still would not consider my previous manuscripts

 

I suppose the question then becomes are you willing to put in all the time and hard work, knowing what you create may never see the light of day?  For me, I can honestly say I will keep writing what makes me happy.  I’ve got a YA dystopian book that I’m 25K into. Will I put it away because the market is over saturated and agents are no longer looking at this type of story?  Maybe – but I’ll come back to it eventually and query it – because I love it.

 

The thing is none of us can predict what will be the next hot thing. Perhaps it will be this latest crazy thing I’ve heard called “Vampire Steampunk.” No matter the focus, the best work comes from those who are truly committed to what they are writing – trend or not.

 

What about you fellow writers?  Have you ever written anything because it was “hot” in the publishing marketplace? Or do you stick to your favorite genres because that is what your muse is telling you to write?

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

W.O.W. Wind Back – Mindee Arnett & Elsie Chapman March 20, 2013

While there have been several big name authors who have had book releases in the past few weeks, there have also been some notable debuts.

 

I recently read Mindee Arnett’s THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR and Elsie Chapman’s DUALED and can honestly say I was blown away by both these books.  Not only are the characters well-drawn and compelling, but the plot and pacing are perfection.

 

These two authors were kind enough in the past to share their writing journeys with me and I wanted to share them again to highlight their road to successful publication. And if you enjoy intense, thrilling Young Adult reads be sure to check out both these books.

 

 

 

 

When I first started researching queries, I looked all over the internet for a great example of how to formulate the perfect pitch.  I went to many sites: Writer’s Digest, Agent Query Connect, etc… looking for one that really stood out and spoke to me on many levels.  Basically, I just wanted to be inspired to write something brilliant.  I searched endlessly and then I came upon the following:

 

 

 

 

16-year-old Dusty Everhart might make a regular habit of breaking into houses late at night, but she’s no criminal. She is a Nightmare, a magical being who must feed on the dreams of others, and in doing so experience those dreams, too. But when her latest dreamer, Eli Booker, the hot guy from her old high school, turns out to be dreaming about a murder which shortly comes true, she goes from non-criminal to reluctant crime fighter.

 

Dusty learns that together she and Eli posses the rare ability to predict the future through dreams. They are soon enlisted by the magickind government to help identify the person killing students at Dusty’s high school, Arkwell Academy, a secret school for magickind. Now Dusty and Eli must follow the clues both within Eli’s dreams and out of them to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what they’re up to and marks them as the next target.

 

 

This was Mindee Arnett’s pitch for The NIGHTMARE AFFAIR, which garnered her attention from super agent, Suzie Townsend.  Now back then, I didn’t know who Mindee was, I just knew I admired her writing style.  I dug back through my archives and found her name and tracked her down, because I knew I wanted to hear about her writing journey.  Her story taught me that you can have many amazing ideas and manuscripts and the writing to back them up but sometimes they don’t take.  Eventually though, you hit upon a stellar idea and it all just clicks.  Again, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, – it’s all about perseverance and the drive to make your dream a reality.

 

 

I learned a lot from reading Mindee’s odyssey and I hope you will too!

 

Amy: When did you first begin writing?

 

Mindee: I wrote my very first short story in the sixth grade. My teacher presented the class with a writing prompt, and we had one week to write a story from it. I had always been an avid reader, but I’d never before realized I could write my own stories. It was as if she had opened a door for me to this secret, magical world. And once I stepped through, I never turned back. I’ve been writing ever since.

 

 

Amy: Have you always written YA fiction?

 

Mindee: No, not consciously, although many of my stories and early novels could easily be considered YA. The Nightmare Affair is definitely the first time I knew when I started that I was going to be writing a young adult novel. But this wasn’t a calculated decision on my part by any means. For me, the story is always boss, and Nightmare wanted to be set in a magical high school. The rest just fell into place.

 

 

Amy: How many completed manuscripts did you query before one garnered interest?

 

Mindee: Before signing with my agent, I completed four novels. And by complete I mean they had a beginning, middle, and end, but weren’t necessarily polished and ready to be out in the world. Like most writers just getting started, I submitted material way too soon.

 

The first book was a high fantasy. I submitted it to a single publisher that accepted unsolicited and unagented manuscripts. It was rejected, of course, but by the time I received it, I was already halfway through the next book, an adult horror. This one I submitted to around twenty agents. I received a couple of partials and one full request, all of which were rejected. Again, by the time these came in, I had already moved on to the next book, an adult sci-fi. The sci-fi never went on submission. I took the book to my first and only writing conference where I received feedback from an editor. It was an incredibly disheartening experience, one awful enough that I abandoned the book completely. The next novel was an adult paranormal. This one I queried to approximately 50 agents with some partial and full manuscript request, all ultimately rejected.

 

 

Amy: If one manuscript was continuing to get rejected, how did you know it was time to move onto a new project?

 

Mindee: For me, the answer was to always start the next project as soon as the old was finished. This was the only way for me to deal with the stress of being on submission to agents (and later to editors). And of course with five novels under my belt, writing has become a daily habit and something I do compulsively. As far as determining when to stop querying, I just went with my gut feeling. With the book prior to Nightmare, the adult paranormal, I stopped querying once the heartbreak grew to be too much and when my desire and motivation to continue to revise/rewrite had fizzled out. Sometimes you just know when the tale has gone sour.

 

 

Amy: Did your query for THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR come easily or did it go through many drafts?

 

Mindee: Writing a query letter is never easy. And personally, I would be suspicious of any query that I was able to write without days and days of agonizing and restarts and general flailing. A query letter and a synopsis are by far the hardest piece of writing an author will ever do. The query for Nightmare, which you can read here [http://www.mindeearnett.com/query-letter-example-and-tips-2/], went through multiple variations. By the time I finished writing it, I had fifteen pages of rejected content. Fifteen! That’s a lot of writing.

 

 

Amy: Did you have critique partners for THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR? If you did, how critical were they to your writing process?

 

Mindee: Yes, I most definitely have critique partners and they were/are absolutely critical to the writing process. Prior to Nightmare, the majority of my feedback had come from family members and friends. They were all readers, but most were not writers. This is the key difference. Readers tend to be far less critical and forgiving than reader-writers. It took me a long time to learn this (ahem, 4 books). But with Nightmare, I actively started searching for critique partners online, and I was fortunate enough to find them. One in particular—Lori M. Lee [http://lorimlee.blogspot.com/ ] —has been invaluable to my success. She is both encouraging but critical and as sharp as they come. If you’re writing a book, you need a Lori. Trust me. You do. And once your find yours, your world will change.

 

 

Amy: How many agents did you query for THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR? Did you receive immediate responses or did you have to wait a while for replies?

 

Mindee: I queried less than ten agents before signing with Suzie, and it happened very quickly. Within seven days of submitting my query, she offered representation. But honestly, quickness of response is not really an indicator of success. So much of it depends on luck. For me, Suzie had an assistant working for her at the time, and so the query received notice very quickly. But this is not always the case. A lot of the time an agent won’t see your query at all for days and even weeks.

 

 

Amy: What can you tell me about “the call” with your agent, Suzie Townsend?

 

Mindee: It was amazing. I was incredibly nervous about it, and I talked way too fast, but really, it was probably the best phone call of my life. Fortunately, Suzie did most of the talking. She was very professional. She had prepared a list of why she loved the book as well as a couple of questions she had about it and minor areas where she would like to see it revised. I took notes and did a lot of pacing.

 

 

Amy: Was there ever a time you thought about giving up on your writing dream? If so, what motivated you to keep writing?

 

Mindee: No. There were times when I despaired about no longer submitting my work to agents, but I knew in my heart I could never give up writing. Writing, and more specifically story-telling, is an integral part of who I am. I could no sooner turn away from writing stories then I could make myself stop reading books or watching movies and TV shows.

 

 

Many thanks to Mindee for taking the time to share her story.

 

Mindee Arnett is the author of two young adult series. The first book in her contemporary fantasy series, The Nightmare Affair is out now from Tor Teen (Macmillan) while her YA sci-fi thriller, Avalon debuts Winter 2014 from Balzer+Bray (HarperCollins). She lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. For more information on Mindee check out her website or follow her on Twitter.

 

 

 

 

When I came up with the idea for this series I had no idea how many incredible authors I would get to interview.  Heck, I wasn’t even sure the authors I emailed would even write back.  So far I’ve been very lucky to talk with and interview many amazing authors who truly do inspire me to be a better writer.  One of those inspiring people is today’s featured author – Elsie Chapman.

 

What I enjoyed most about my discussion with Elsie was her candor about her writing.  She wasn’t afraid to talk about the rejection she encountered on the way to getting her debut novel, DUALED, published.  I must also mention that I am a bit jealous of Elsie because she lives in one of my most favorite cities in the world, Vancouver. One day I am determined to write a book with Vancouver as the setting just so I can go back and visit research the city.

 

Many thanks to Elsie for allowing me to share her journey.

 

Amy: When did you first know you wanted to write young adult fiction?

 

Elsie: I didn’t make the active decision to write young adult, it’s just the voice that came most naturally. I’d love to try middle grade one day, but I don’t know if that’s possible.  Readers can easily tell what doesn’t sound right.

 

 

Amy: How many manuscripts had you completed prior to DUALED?

 

Elsie: Just one. It was a paranormal, and it will forever remain trunked unless I ever decide to go mine it for parts. But I don’t regret the time it took me to write it. It taught me how to complete a full manuscript, as well as taking me through the querying process for the first time.

 

 

Amy: What was your first query process like?

 

Elsie: I burned through many, many agents before I realized that it was time to pull the manuscript. While it was hard, it also made me take a closer look at what I could work on for the next ms.

 

 

Amy: Did you have crit partners or beta readers that helped you polish DUALED?  How critical were they to the process of completing the manuscript?

 

Elsie: Actually, I didn’t. My agent was the first to read it, and then my editor. Only after it sold and I met some fantastic YA authors online who I now call friends did anyone else see it.  It’s definitely not the typical way of going about it! And I still have a very up and down relationship with DUALED. I’m very excited when people tell me they want to read it; at the same time, I feel very exposed.

 

 

Amy: If you had preliminary rejections, how did you deal with that feedback and continue to write?

 

Elsie: I kept in mind that it only takes one agent, and one editor, to fall in love with your work to make it all happen. Writing is such a subjective thing, as well—not everyone’s going to love the same book. Someone once said each rejection is like a scar you earn in battle, and it’s a great way to look at it.

 

 

Amy: How many agents did you query for DUALED?

 

Elsie: Too many, as I didn’t do it systematically but instead just sent out query letters to those agents I thought might be interested. It probably wasn’t the smartest way to go—if there are problems with your query letter or sample pages, most agents won’t take a second look. But I was incredibly fortunate that it worked out for me, as I ended up having multiple agents to pick from.

 

 

Amy: Did you receive instantaneous response or did you have to wait for requests/rejections?

 

Elsie: It was all over the board, from minutes to weeks. My latest rejection for representation came just a couple of months ago—about a year after DUALED sold.

 

 

Amy: What was your call like with The Chudney Agency?  How did you know they were the right fit for you?

 

Elsie: Steven sent me an email saying he loved DUALED, wanted to offer rep, and for me to give him a call. It was one of the craziest weeks of my life, getting in touch with other agents who had fulls and speaking with each of them on the phone. While they were all fantastic and I couldn’t have gone wrong with any of them, in the end I went with Steven. He was the first to contact me, which meant a lot, and his enthusiasm was contagious.

 

 

Amy: As many writers know, the publishing world is very hard to break into.  What was the one thing you did to help garner agent attention and sell your book?

 

Elsie: I don’t know if I did any one thing, except to just keep trying. I just wrote the best query letter I could, wrote the best book I could, and hoped someone would help me take the next step.

 

 

Amy: If you met an aspiring author on the street, and they told you they were on the brink of giving up on writing, what kind of advice would you give them to encourage them to press on?

 

Elsie: I think I’d ask why they felt like giving up. How long had they been writing for, how far into the process had they gone? Because publishing doesn’t always work out for everyone. It’s perfectly okay to just write for yourself and not feel like you didn’t accomplish something if you don’t get published. I think every writer is brave just for making the choice to write, even if we all end up taking different paths and end up in different places.

 

 

You can learn more about Elsie on her website elsiechapman.com, her blog, or follow her on twitter.

 

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

 

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

 

 

“Behind the Curtain” – A Guest Post by Michelle Krys January 21, 2013

As an aspiring writer I’m always educating myself about the publishing process.  In all my research, there remains one murky area: what happens after “the call”? This step always seems to be shrouded in mystery. It’s hard to find out exactly what happens between when someone signs on the “dotted line” with an agent and gets a fabulous announcement in Publisher’s Marketplace about their sale.

 

Today, I have asked author, Michelle Krys to take us “behind the curtain,” and share with us the exact details of what happens after the ink is dry on an agent contract. Her thoughtful post shares the intricate details of the process and reveals what it takes to actually get a book submission-ready.  It is a revealing look at the path to publication and an education on how the work doesn’t end once you get an agent – it only just begins…

 

 

The wonderful Amy Trueblood has asked me here today to speak a bit about my experience going on submission. For those of you who aren’t deeply entrenched in the publishing business, I’m not referring to some kinky 50 Shades of Grey stuff, but to the process whereby an agent sends an author’s book out to editors in the hopes of landing a book deal.

 

Before going out on sub myself, I didn’t really know much of anything about the process. All of my focus had been on landing an agent. And then once that happened (I mean after I Carlton-danced around the house, called everyone I knew, and bragged excessively on the interwebs), I blinked at the computer screen, wondering what comes next.

 

See the thing is, no one really talks about going on submission. I guess you’re not supposed to or something. Well, here I am, talking about it. Today, I will share with Amy’s lovely readers my experience, beginning from the moment after I accepted my agent’s offer of representation.

 

*hides from agent and editor*

 

It was within the first week after the call with my fancy new agent, Adriann Ranta, that I received her edit letter. It was short (a few small paragraphs), and it outlined her suggested changes to the manuscript. We’d already touched on these changes during our phone call, so nothing came as a surprise. It took me just a couple of days to complete. A few weeks later, we were on submission.

 

Initially, I was pretty calm about sending my book baby out into the world. But it wasn’t long before I was cyber-stalking editors like a madwoman. Oh, the stalking! And then I stumbled across Mindy McGinnis’ SHIT series (Submission Hell—It’s True), and really tortured myself. I was cautioned against comparing myself to other writer’s experiences, but that didn’t stop me from becoming completely obsessed with the series. One moment, I was a failure because I hadn’t gone to auction in the first week and Fox hadn’t bought my film rights, like one author, and the next I was still doing ok because another author had been on sub eight months before they got their deal. Sounds horrible, but if I could go back, I wouldn’t do it any differently (I challenge you not to read Mindy’s SHIT series while on submission. It’s impossible).

 

My agent forwarded along my rejections as they came in, which was something I really appreciated because I have the patience of a housefly. And actually, for some inexplicable reason, I was exhilarated any time I heard back, even when it was a rejection. I lived for those emails. (Have I mentioned I checked my email about 32,000 times a day? Because I did).

 

I was often advised by fellow writers to dive into a new writing project to distract myself, but that just wasn’t possible. I couldn’t concentrate, knowing that any moment I could hear back from Adriann and my life would change forever. Going out didn’t help either—I just thought about when I could check my email next. Chocolate didn’t help. Neither did wine (Okay the wine helped a little bit). This was the part that sucked. That feeling of being in total limbo. There’s not a whole lot you can do about it that wouldn’t qualify you for AA. It just sucks.

 

And then I got a book deal.

 

Allow me to set the scene. I was at work. It was a busy day in the neonatal intensive care unit. We were a month into submission, and it was the last day for offers on HEXED, which we were accepting until 12 noon. I’d already struck out with 6 out of 10 of the houses I was out to.

 

All morning, like any self-respecting writer, I compulsively checked my email any chance I got. My agent emailed me at about twenty to 12 to say we’d received rejections from another three of the houses, and no word from the last house. Adriann remained incredibly optimistic and let me know we’d go out for another round soon, but I was pretty shattered. However I was at work, so I sucked it up and put on a brave face.

 

But in a turn of events straight out of the movies, not twenty minutes later I got another email from Adriann, saying that she’d heard from the last editor and could I call her? I went into a quiet hallway to make the call. Wendy Loggia of Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, had made an offer for a two-book deal. I was euphoric! Except I couldn’t really jump for joy since, you know, I was at work and it’s a hospital and what not.

 

After the call, I went into the bathroom to compose myself and do some deep breathing exercises before going back into the NICU. When I walked back inside, another nurse casually asked what the call was about, and I broke down and ugly cried in front of all my coworkers and the babies’ parents, who had no clue what was going on and looked quite startled.

 

Wendy and I spoke on the phone later that week. She was incredibly warm and easy to talk to, and so enthusiastic about my project that I just couldn’t help loving her immediately (and not just because she bought my book!).

 

It’s been a while since then (almost a year), but as I recall we chatted about what aspects of the book she liked and then got into the revisions she had in mind. I was lucky because I completely, wholeheartedly agreed with her ideas (that woman is a genius), and it seemed we shared the same vision for the book. We also chatted about timeframes for when I would likely receive my editorial letter, and what the road to publication might look like for me.

 

I got my revision letter about 4 months after that initial phone call—pretty average in the business. The letter was 4.5 single-spaced pages. It expanded on what Wendy and I had already discussed, plus a few more things we hadn’t discussed but that I totally agreed with. My deadline was six weeks, and I finished just under that without too much stress. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed when I got another revision letter not long after, but this one was just a page or so in length, and the fixes were so easy it took me just a few weeks, maybe less, to complete.  Copyedits came a few months later, which took a day or two.

 

Which leads me to last week.

 

So there you have it, folks. I hope my lengthy diatribe has been helpful to some poor author out there on submission. Or at least, that it hasn’t made anyone question their self-worth too much.

 

 

Michelle Krys lives with her husband and son in Northwestern Ontario. She loves bad reality television, celebrity gossip, dance music, and nachos, and is not ashamed of any of it (though she probably should be). Her debut novel HEXED is forthcoming from Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books in Spring 2014. She thinks it would be swell if you followed her on twitter.

 

 

Many thanks to Michelle for pulling back the curtain and sharing the details of her submission journey. I learned a lot and hope you did as well!