This week we've talked about preparing to submit our work to agents and editors. Today is the final installment, the nitty-gritty details to attend to before you send out your work.
Here are several questions to ask yourself before you submit. This is not the definitive list, but it covers the basics.
1. Is my manuscript formatted correctly? Most agents and editors expect to see it double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and in a twelve-point font such as Courier or Times New Roman. They also expect the header to include the title of your manuscript and your last name. Page numbers should be either in the header or the footer. Be sure to give each new chapter its own page.
2. Is my query personalized? Address the query to a real person. You can find the names of editors and agents through their websites or in a publication such as Writer's Market.
3. Does my query include contact information? Include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and your blog's URL and website's URL if you have either.
4. Am I submitting this correctly? You may have to print and send your query, or you may have to e-mail the query, depending on the agent's or editor's guidelines.
If you are sending the query through the mail, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for them to reply to you.
If you are e-mailing your query, include your name and intent in the subject line and do not send the query as an attachment. The subject might look something like Jill Kemerer: Query, or, if they've requested something, Jill Kemerer: Requested Partial and Synopsis.
Don't give them any reason to reject you before they've even read your query. Tess Hilmo recently posted about how agents and editors need a recognizable name in order to open an e-mail file. Avoid using a vague e-mail address.
5. Have I included everything? When you're submitting a query, usually the query letter is all you need. However, when someone requests a partial or a full, there are other important items to include.
I prefer to include a brief cover letter, which is a shorter version of the query. It contains the title of the book, the word count, the genre, and a brief blurb. All of my contact information is in the cover letter. Then, I include a synopsis, a cover page for the manuscript, and the requested chapters. The cover page is the title of the book, the word count, and my contact information.
Again, depending on who is requesting, I may have to send a printed out copy of all of this, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope, or I may have to e-mail it. If e-mailing, find out the person's policy--whether they want it in an attachment or not.
What do you think? Have I forgotten anything? I'm sure I have! Please let me know your tips on the nitty-gritty of preparing a submission.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Showing posts with label editors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editors. Show all posts
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Preparing to Submit: Part Two
If you've ever sent a query letter to an agent or editor, you know how exciting and stressful the act is. If you haven't, I want to help you mentally prepare for the submission process.
On Monday, we talked about the basic preparations writers take when preparing to submit their work. If you've finished your book, polished it until it shines, researched agents and editors, studied their submission guidelines, and written your synopsis and query, you're ready to send that baby out.
You are...aren't you?
When I started seriously pursuing publication, I'd read many articles about how competitive the publishing business was, but it didn't really register. After all, no editor or agent had read my work. New authors' books hit store shelves all the time. Maybe my first one wouldn't sell, but surely the editor would see my potential?
Oh, those were the days. I'm still chuckling at that one.
Yeah, it didn't work out like that. I earned my college degree in science--not arts. Did I ever stop to think about that? Of course not! So I polished my book as much as my meager skills allowed, wrote a query, sent it off, and the publisher requested a partial. This was it!
Although the publisher's website clearly stated it would be six to twelve weeks before I would hear from them, I stalked the mailbox every day. A giddy expectation arose every time the postal truck chugged by.
Twelve weeks later... I opened the mailbox and it came--a form rejection. Huh? No problem. They'll love the next book.
Three books later... An entire twelve months passed between my submission of book number three and the day I received the lovely rejection on it. And the letter was lovely; I still get happy chills thinking about it. But in the meantime, a spirit of humility had spread through me. I realized my writing wasn't at a publishable level--far from it.
Why am I telling you all this? Certainly not to discourage you. I learned priceless lessons by submitting my work. Each rejection told me something, and my more recent rejections, while painful, were especially enlightening. If it's a form rejection, it might just mean it's not the right book for them, or it could mean your craft needs developing. I realized pretty quickly that my craft needed work!
Some of you are going to submit your work, and you are going to have a very short journey to publication. Some of you are going to submit and will have many rejections before an editor will take a chance on you.
Here's part two of preparing to submit:
Are you psychologically prepared to get rejected? If you get a rejection, will it destroy your confidence? Cause you to quit writing?
Rejection hurts.
But... Don't think you only have one shot at impressing an agent or an editor. That's not the case. They want talented writers, whether you submitted a less than stellar manuscript three years ago or not. In some ways, you're building a relationship with agents and editors while you're unpublished. If you continue to query each new project, they will recognize your name, so be professional. If you get rejected, don't bad-mouth the agent or editor in any form of media. Accept their decision and move on.
For all you writers who are seasoned at submitting, do you think it's important to consider the possibility of getting rejected before you submit? How do you handle rejections?
Join me on Friday when we'll discuss the nitty-gritty details of preparing to submit.
On Monday, we talked about the basic preparations writers take when preparing to submit their work. If you've finished your book, polished it until it shines, researched agents and editors, studied their submission guidelines, and written your synopsis and query, you're ready to send that baby out.
You are...aren't you?
When I started seriously pursuing publication, I'd read many articles about how competitive the publishing business was, but it didn't really register. After all, no editor or agent had read my work. New authors' books hit store shelves all the time. Maybe my first one wouldn't sell, but surely the editor would see my potential?
Oh, those were the days. I'm still chuckling at that one.
Yeah, it didn't work out like that. I earned my college degree in science--not arts. Did I ever stop to think about that? Of course not! So I polished my book as much as my meager skills allowed, wrote a query, sent it off, and the publisher requested a partial. This was it!
Although the publisher's website clearly stated it would be six to twelve weeks before I would hear from them, I stalked the mailbox every day. A giddy expectation arose every time the postal truck chugged by.
Twelve weeks later... I opened the mailbox and it came--a form rejection. Huh? No problem. They'll love the next book.
Three books later... An entire twelve months passed between my submission of book number three and the day I received the lovely rejection on it. And the letter was lovely; I still get happy chills thinking about it. But in the meantime, a spirit of humility had spread through me. I realized my writing wasn't at a publishable level--far from it.
Why am I telling you all this? Certainly not to discourage you. I learned priceless lessons by submitting my work. Each rejection told me something, and my more recent rejections, while painful, were especially enlightening. If it's a form rejection, it might just mean it's not the right book for them, or it could mean your craft needs developing. I realized pretty quickly that my craft needed work!
Some of you are going to submit your work, and you are going to have a very short journey to publication. Some of you are going to submit and will have many rejections before an editor will take a chance on you.
Here's part two of preparing to submit:
Are you psychologically prepared to get rejected? If you get a rejection, will it destroy your confidence? Cause you to quit writing?
Rejection hurts.
But... Don't think you only have one shot at impressing an agent or an editor. That's not the case. They want talented writers, whether you submitted a less than stellar manuscript three years ago or not. In some ways, you're building a relationship with agents and editors while you're unpublished. If you continue to query each new project, they will recognize your name, so be professional. If you get rejected, don't bad-mouth the agent or editor in any form of media. Accept their decision and move on.
For all you writers who are seasoned at submitting, do you think it's important to consider the possibility of getting rejected before you submit? How do you handle rejections?
Join me on Friday when we'll discuss the nitty-gritty details of preparing to submit.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Preparing to Submit: Part One
Writers are not all on the same path. Some are published. Some have been submitting for a long time and are ready to be published. Some want to be published but aren't ready to submit their work yet, and others may not desire to be published and will never submit their work.
How do you know if you're ready to submit your work? Here are a few basic tips I've learned on my journey.
1. Complete the book. Editors and agents expect unpublished fiction authors to have a finished book before they submit. That does not mean they want to see the writer's entire book, but if they like your query and request either a partial or the full, you should have your book 100% complete.
Also, do your best to fit your word count into their requirements. Young adult books have different word counts than category romance. Single title mysteries have different word counts than single title fantasies. An agent may not request your 125,000 word romantic suspense, whereas the same agent might jump on your 125,000 word fantasy novel.
2. First drafts are just that--drafts. Get a great self-editing book, read blogs, and find every editing tip you can find. Then apply the knowledge to your book. Go over your manuscript until it shines.
When I started writing, I barely edited due to two big problems: arrogance and ignorance. The books I wrote weren't garbage, but they certainly weren't at a publishable level either. Only after I began studying the writing craft, asking for feedback from fellow writers, and entering a few contests, did I gain enough perspective to produce a good book.
3. Know the market. It's never to early to start researching agents and publishers appropriate for your writing. Create a list of possible targets and add to the list whenever you come across new possibilities.
As you get closer to submitting, check their websites to find their submission process. Many agents want e-mail queries; others only want snail mail queries. Some have a policy that no answer means they aren't interested, while others state a range of when you can expect to hear from them.
4. Prepare a synopsis and query letter. There are tons of great blogs that break down how to write them. Do some research. When I found Camy Tang's blog, The Story Sensei, I devoured her tips. The Seekers blog gives great advice too. You can find samples of a synopsis and query letter at eHarlequin.com.
Your query letter should not be more than one page. A good length for a synopsis is two page, double-spaced. I often write two versions: a two-page, double-spaced and a four-page, double-spaced synopsis. You may need a much longer synopsis or a chapter outline, but that depends on who you're submitting to.
These are the most basic steps of preparing to submit your work.
On a side note: a warm welcome to all the new followers!
Join me on Wednesday when we'll discuss part two of preparing to submit.
How do you know if you're ready to submit your work? Here are a few basic tips I've learned on my journey.
1. Complete the book. Editors and agents expect unpublished fiction authors to have a finished book before they submit. That does not mean they want to see the writer's entire book, but if they like your query and request either a partial or the full, you should have your book 100% complete.
Also, do your best to fit your word count into their requirements. Young adult books have different word counts than category romance. Single title mysteries have different word counts than single title fantasies. An agent may not request your 125,000 word romantic suspense, whereas the same agent might jump on your 125,000 word fantasy novel.
2. First drafts are just that--drafts. Get a great self-editing book, read blogs, and find every editing tip you can find. Then apply the knowledge to your book. Go over your manuscript until it shines.
When I started writing, I barely edited due to two big problems: arrogance and ignorance. The books I wrote weren't garbage, but they certainly weren't at a publishable level either. Only after I began studying the writing craft, asking for feedback from fellow writers, and entering a few contests, did I gain enough perspective to produce a good book.
3. Know the market. It's never to early to start researching agents and publishers appropriate for your writing. Create a list of possible targets and add to the list whenever you come across new possibilities.
As you get closer to submitting, check their websites to find their submission process. Many agents want e-mail queries; others only want snail mail queries. Some have a policy that no answer means they aren't interested, while others state a range of when you can expect to hear from them.
4. Prepare a synopsis and query letter. There are tons of great blogs that break down how to write them. Do some research. When I found Camy Tang's blog, The Story Sensei, I devoured her tips. The Seekers blog gives great advice too. You can find samples of a synopsis and query letter at eHarlequin.com.
Your query letter should not be more than one page. A good length for a synopsis is two page, double-spaced. I often write two versions: a two-page, double-spaced and a four-page, double-spaced synopsis. You may need a much longer synopsis or a chapter outline, but that depends on who you're submitting to.
These are the most basic steps of preparing to submit your work.
On a side note: a warm welcome to all the new followers!
Join me on Wednesday when we'll discuss part two of preparing to submit.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
What Agents Want: RWA National Conference 2009
At RWA Nationals, I was fortunate enough to listen to a panel of agents tell exactly what they're looking for right now. It was interesting to hear what's hot and what's not. Also, I couldn't help but get the scoop from other writers. Whether they learned something from an agent pitch or their published friend, they shared the latest info.
Paranormal is still really huge. Almost every agent wants paranormal. However, I'm going to hone in on the bits and pieces I gleaned from them. (This is only my opinion based on the comments I listened to in workshops.) There's an oversaturation of writers emulating the Twilight series. Agents are getting bombarded with vampire stories, but many of the books aren't original. So yes, keep sending paranormals, but try to set yourself apart with a truly unique idea, and maybe stay away from vampires for a while.
Next wave of the future? STEAM PUNK. I heard this term over and over from agents. They see the next hot trend as steam punk aimed at young adults. Think historical settings with steam-powered modern technology. If you're confused about this, rent Wild Wild West.
Also, post-apocalyptic thrillers, like Cloverfield, seemed to excite a few agents.
For all you inspirational writers out there: do your agent research. Four out of six agents on a panel I listened to specifically said they DO NOT WANT INSPIRATIONAL. It seems to be a hot-button genre. Either the agents want it or they don't. And many agents don't. So please, verify what genres the agent represents before you query. Why waste your time and theirs?
Historical is still hot. Chick-lit is not. If you're writing contemporary romance, you need to have a high concept or "upmarket women's contemporary fiction" to get someone to take a chance on you right now. Upmarket women's fiction is a more literary story. Think Jodi Picoult, not Sophie Kinsella. (Although both are tremendous writers!)
As always, every agent is looking for an extremely well-written book. So don't be afraid to take a chance with a lukewarm genre if your writing is phenomenal. They want fresh ideas and great writing.
If you have any questions about this topic, please ask. I don't know all the answers, but I'll be happy to share anything I learned.
Happy Writing!
Paranormal is still really huge. Almost every agent wants paranormal. However, I'm going to hone in on the bits and pieces I gleaned from them. (This is only my opinion based on the comments I listened to in workshops.) There's an oversaturation of writers emulating the Twilight series. Agents are getting bombarded with vampire stories, but many of the books aren't original. So yes, keep sending paranormals, but try to set yourself apart with a truly unique idea, and maybe stay away from vampires for a while.
Next wave of the future? STEAM PUNK. I heard this term over and over from agents. They see the next hot trend as steam punk aimed at young adults. Think historical settings with steam-powered modern technology. If you're confused about this, rent Wild Wild West.
Also, post-apocalyptic thrillers, like Cloverfield, seemed to excite a few agents.
For all you inspirational writers out there: do your agent research. Four out of six agents on a panel I listened to specifically said they DO NOT WANT INSPIRATIONAL. It seems to be a hot-button genre. Either the agents want it or they don't. And many agents don't. So please, verify what genres the agent represents before you query. Why waste your time and theirs?
Historical is still hot. Chick-lit is not. If you're writing contemporary romance, you need to have a high concept or "upmarket women's contemporary fiction" to get someone to take a chance on you right now. Upmarket women's fiction is a more literary story. Think Jodi Picoult, not Sophie Kinsella. (Although both are tremendous writers!)
As always, every agent is looking for an extremely well-written book. So don't be afraid to take a chance with a lukewarm genre if your writing is phenomenal. They want fresh ideas and great writing.
If you have any questions about this topic, please ask. I don't know all the answers, but I'll be happy to share anything I learned.
Happy Writing!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Editor and Agent Appointments
Today I get to pitch my latest and greatest to an editor and an agent. It's a queasy stomach day, a trembling fingers day, a can't-wait-until-it's-over day. Sure, I've practiced my pitch. I've picked out a terrific dress to wear--very professional, very chic.
But what if I start talking and a little spittle flies out of my mouth and lands on her arm? Or I don't realize it but toilet paper is stuck to my shoe? Or, horror of all horrors, my dress gets caught up in my pantyhose, revealing a lot more than I planned?
And what if I freeze up and can't even remember the names of my characters? Or other pertinent information? Or worse, what if I start talking and don't let her get a word in edgewise?
I used to work as a professional. I've given presentations and enjoyed intelligent conversations with company heads. Those days are long past.
Tonight, I'll celebrate my bravery, but until then, I'll be a nervous train wreck waiting to happen. Wish me luck. I won't be able to check your comments until I get back, but please leave one and say a little prayer for my nerves! Thanks so much!!
But what if I start talking and a little spittle flies out of my mouth and lands on her arm? Or I don't realize it but toilet paper is stuck to my shoe? Or, horror of all horrors, my dress gets caught up in my pantyhose, revealing a lot more than I planned?
And what if I freeze up and can't even remember the names of my characters? Or other pertinent information? Or worse, what if I start talking and don't let her get a word in edgewise?
I used to work as a professional. I've given presentations and enjoyed intelligent conversations with company heads. Those days are long past.
Tonight, I'll celebrate my bravery, but until then, I'll be a nervous train wreck waiting to happen. Wish me luck. I won't be able to check your comments until I get back, but please leave one and say a little prayer for my nerves! Thanks so much!!
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