To be clear before I start: I AM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT READING. I like to read, and I like that so many people want to submit material to me. Just the thing is, as I mentioned in my last post, agents can get overwhelmed fairly easily when dealing with submissions from people that we have no knowledge of or stake in. See, if
writes to me a million times or asks follow up questions or gives me a bunch of stuff to read at once, well... I'd tell them to knock it off, probably, but I'd mean it with love, and they'd know that. If a stranger does it, the much more likely response is automatic shutdown of my brain systems.
So my suggestion is, to query with what you think is your VERY STRONGEST piece of work, and only that. You may choose to mention (in one brief sentence, at the very end of your query) that you have other picture books, or another MG work in progress, or whatever, but this is not a must and don't hit it too hard.
When the agent falls in love with that piece of work and has an email or phone call with you, you can talk about some of the other projects you have cooking, and they will likely ask to read some, particularly if they are picture books. At this point they already like you and are paying attention, so they are going to go into reading the material with a positive attitude.
Now, while you are querying, you should be polishing up some of that other work, so that you have more material with which to dazzle. If your quest doesn't work out the first time around, you will have another VERY STRONGEST thing to offer, and you can begin again.
(that was a siren noise). The following scenario happens all the time.
respond to the rejection of the first book by saying "that's OK, I've revised it, here's a newer version!" or "that's ok, what about this one?" and attaching another manuscript(s). Even if we've said we'd be happy to consider something else in the future. Not only is this exhausting (didn't we JUST get done thinking about this and saying no? Seriously?) - but if you are responding to the rejection, you are likely to just end up getting thrown away because we won't know it is a new thing. And if you are going to query a revision, make sure it is really
different now - that is not something that I will believe can be done overnight.
Give it some time. Allow our feeble brains the opportunity to recuperate from thinking. Then, after a month or two (or six, or twelve), take another shiny arrow out of your quiver, and aim again.
Q: I queried an agent back in June, and she requested a full MS of my YA novel. I sent it along. When I hadn't heard from her four months later, I emailed and gave her a polite nudge. She wrote right back and said she was still interested in reading it but hadn't gotten there yet, and she asked me to nudge her again in a month if she hadn't contacted me. A month later, I nudged her again, and she didn't respond. She still hasn't gotten back to me, and she's had the MS for seven months now. Should I give up on her and consider myself rejected, or should I keep emailing? At what point does it stop being reasonable and start being annoying? (I have, of course, been submitting elsewhere in the mean time.)
This is a tough one. On the one hand, maybe she has lost your manuscript in the shuffle, maybe you should give her the benefit of the doubt. On the other, if she isn't responding to your emails, maybe she isn't worth your time worrying about. And I hate to even say this, but...
...I totally have manuscripts that I've had since over the summer. Am I proud of this? NO! It is, in fact, a constant source of worry and stress for me. Seriously. But reading non-client manuscripts isn't my job. It is not even in my job description. My job is to take care of my existing clients - searching for new ones is cool, but it is the last thing on my plate, and it will get shoved off the plate entirely if there are client issues taking up all the room.
The amount that I have to read varies a lot from week to week, but what doesn't vary is, I only really have time to read during non-work hours. As of right now I've read about 1,000 pages this week. At the moment I have about 4,000 more pages of manuscripts that I absolutely MUST read before I tackle anything else. That is several client manuscripts, that I have to not only read, but think about, and give detailed feedback on. Also a couple of non-client manuscripts where I know the author in some capacity so I can't keep them waiting too long. A couple of non-client who have revised for me. And something where I know the author has other offers, so I am going to read as quickly as I can.
That is not counting the 30 or so regular fulls that I have waiting for me, all of which I do read a great deal of, if not all of, and most of which I also give notes on (so hopefully it is worth the long wait.) These fulls have to come after everything else. That doesn't mean I am not interested in them - obviously I saw something there if I requested the full. It just means, you know, I'm busy. I try to read these fulls in order. Though again, if I am really fascinated by the premise, or you have another offer, or I know you, you'll get bumped up in line. It's triage.
When you status query me, I'll say something like "Still haven't gotten to it, sorry" -- but honestly, if I
had gotten to it, wouldn't you know? Now maybe I read it and just am still thinking about it, or whatever, but if I'd made a decision about it, you'd be the
first to know. If you keep status querying me... I am probably going to stop answering, because there is only so many times I can say "still haven't gotten to it, sorry" without feeling like a jerk. It won't make me move any faster, it will just pour salt in the wound of how jerky I feel.
Does that mean you should assume that I passed? Well... kinda.
Other agents may disagree, but here's what I'd suggest. If it has been more than three or four months, DO send a polite and friendly status query.
Q: I've seen some submission guidelines that seem to be using "synopsis" interchangeably with "blurb", as in, sometimes when an agent requests a query letter and synopsis, it sound like they might actually mean a query letter that includes a brief (1- or 2-paragraph) description of what the book is about.
My question is, would agents ever use these words interchangeably? Or does the term "synopsis" always, always mean a step-by-step description of the entire plot, ending included (2 to 5 pages, etc.).
An example is an agent who said: "Please send me a query letter and brief synopsis. One page only, please."
I'd say the agent probably means exactly what they said: A query letter, and also a one-page synopsis. Part of your confusion might stem from mixing up terms. I hear people calling jacket copy or pitches "blurb" all the time. I know that it might seem silly or pedantic of me to point all this out. But the fact is, you're a professional writer, talking to publishing professionals. You aren't some random person off the street. THEY can call flap copy a blurb - YOU oughtn't. So it is definition time:
Synopsis: A straightforward "what is this book about", from beginning to end. You might be asked for a short synopsis, no more than a page, or a long version, 3-5 pages. Yes, synopses can be a bit of a chore to write. I don't ask for them personally, but I understand why people do, and it is probably a good idea to have one prepared just in case.
Query Letter: A letter written to an agent (or editor) asking if they want to read your material. Query letter generally has three portions.
The intro, where you very briefly explain why you chose to query me (if you like) and what it is that I'm about to be looking at.
The pitch, where you talk about the book and entice me to read it.
Your bio, in which you tell me any previous publication history and similar. It may vary a bit, depending on the project, but those are the basic building blocks of a standard query letter.
Pitch: Can be in writing, as in the example above, as part of a query letter. OR can be in-person, as described in the blog entry from yesterday. I try and make my written pitches about the tone and length of jacket copy - definitely no longer. Again, you are trying to get people to read on - you're telling them 'the hook', who the main characters are, what their conflicts are, but not every detail of the plot. This is not a synopsis or a blurb.
Flap (or Jacket) Copy: This is the paragraph or so of description on the inside jacket or back of a finished book that gets people to want to pay money for it (hopefully!). This is not a synopsis or a blurb.
Blurb: Blurbs are accolades heaped on your book by other writers, usually to be printed on your book jacket or website.
"Susan Quartermaster is a master of pitch-perfect dialogue and crackling wit; Chickens in the Peapatch is a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page." -- Stephen King. That's a blurb.
Lots of you are getting ready for SCBWI-NY, so this seems like as good a time as any to follow up on Conference Tips Part 1.
HOW DO I PITCH MY BOOK!?
First of all, "pitching" should not be the goal. I personally hate it when people creep up to me and say "I wanna pitch my book to you!" - What happened to "hello"? How about you just talk to me like a person, and let me ask you about your work?
But let's say that you have a one-on-one pitch session scheduled. Or you have chatted me up at a cocktail party and I've ended up asking you the question: What is your book about?
This shouldn't be a summary of your book. I don't need to know the main character's childhood nickname or favorite food or where they went to middle school. In your real voice, in real words, NOT in a canned speech, just briefly tell me what it this thing, and why I should care. That's the taste of the story that will make me want the whole thing… something that will make me say WOW, sounds fun, I want to read that.
You aren't giving a speech, you are having a conversation with a real person. So keep the "pitching" part brief, pay attention to social cues just like you would in any conversation. I might want to ask you for more information. Be ready to answer follow up questions about yourself or your story. That means, BE LISTENING.
This is a chance for you to talk about something that you are very passionate about, and know more about than anything in the world. You are the world’s foremost expert on this book. Literally nobody on th
An editor friend (who wishes to remain anonymous, but um, you would totally know who it is, and no I am not going to tell you) writes:
I admit that when I’m considering a project, I google the writer (sometimes I don’t have to because the agent volunteers blogs and such). A couple times recently, I’ve watched writers lament over how long it’s taking their agent to sell something (making me wonder if the agent knows their client is whining about them on the blog) but most often, they just talk about how close they’ve come and, in reading the posts, I realize the project’s been out on submission for some time. And then I go: Hmmm. I wonder if the agent wants that known. Especially when the pitch I just got says, “Hey, I’m just going out with this great new project….” Nothing wrong with that. I know it’s part of the game. Still, I’m just curious if an agent has ever said, “Listen, I know you’re anxious about this but let’s not talk about this too much on the blog until it’s sold….”
Obviously I can't speak for every agent. But personally, it makes me cringe when I see writers publicly discussing where they've been rejected, how many times, how long a project has been on submission, and the like. (AFTER the book is sold, if you want to share war stories, that is a different matter - I am talking about while a book is actually on submission). Worse, I've seen blogfuls of complaints, real rejection letters posted, rants about how long the wait times are and how idiotic editors are and how useless agents are and how publishing is going to hell. Yikes!
See here's the thing: Part of what I am selling when I sell your book is the promise of something special. I try to target editors pretty darn specifically. They are one of the chosen few that is reading this book. When they choose to buy it, it will be a coup, because it is something fresh and new that hardly anyone else got the chance to see, that they
discovered. I am also assuring them that you are a pleasant person, easy to work with, with a good attitude. Please don't undermine that.
For me, the same goes for putting sample chapters of unsold material up on your blog or website. I'd rather see nothing, or at most, a one-paragraph description of the work, rather than sample chapters. My concern, again, is that when I am sending stuff out to editors, if they google you and see that this chapter has been up on your blog for the past two years, it makes you look wedded to an old, tatty, unedited story. Sorry, but it does. Yes, I know that there are some people who have gotten editor and agent interest that way. There are also
some models who were 'discovered' at age 13 by scouts at the mall... but that isn't MOST models by any stretch.
I understand that you have the best of intentions here, and no, I'm not the blog police. I do ask
my own clients to be circumspect about what they post while we are on submission. And that might be something for you to consider, too.
I get questions from clients and non-clients alike all the time, wanting to know what "good times for subbing" are, or suggesting that there is a time when "publishing grinds to a halt." Once again it came up on the last Open Thread: "The end of the year is typically a busy time for all of us, but, in general, is there a better time of year to query agents?"
Since I am on my way to a holiday, this seemed like an apt time to revisit the question.
The fact is, yes, of course, lots of people go on vacation in August, and the week of Thanksgiving, and the time between Hanukkah and January 4 or so. This is true in publishing as well as pretty much every other profession. I'm not quite sure why this is surprising to anyone.
However, when you are just querying agents, it doesn't matter when you do it. You are (usually) submitting unsolicited material, aka "slush", which most agents read in whatever spare time they can muster, in the order in which it is received. So what the hell, who cares when you query an agent? When your material is ready, send it out and get in line. If you wait until a good time, you'll be waiting till the crack of doom.
The only exception to this is the rare agent who takes a query holiday where they are closed to submissions entirely - if that is the case, though, it should be clearly posted on their website.
The other side of the coin: When I am subbing material to editors, I am usually pitching it to them in person (or via phone or email) first, and so generally avoid the week of Christmas/New Years, the last two weeks of August, and any time when there is madness like BEA or Bologna going on. This is partly because I don't want my material to get lost in the shuffle... and partly because I am too busy during those times!
But if I avoided all the federal holidays, all the Jewish holidays, all the Christian holidays, all the book fairs and conferences and scbwi events and and and... dude, I'd have like two non-consecutive viable weeks per year in which to submit. The fact is, publishing is a very slow business. Very. Very. Slow. As far as publishers go, it takes many people to make an offer, and to make a real book, and at least one of those people is ALWAYS on vacation or at a conference.
That said, I have gotten offers from publishers in the doldrums of August, and the week before Christmas, and at night, and on weekends, too. And I have offered representation to people during all those times. I've offered representation to people while I was vacationing in Hawaii. I've rejected people from airplanes (and I am sure I will do it again today!)
Do prepare, of course, but don't overthink it. When you are ready, press "send."
Okay, here are more questions I've received lately. I'll warn you right now, my answers are NOT FUNNY. They are, in fact, boring. Sorry.
JR Beasley said:
I have queried multiple agents. One agent has requested a full manuscript and three others are reviewing partials. When offered representation by an agent, what is the proper protocol regarding the other agents?
First, congrats! That's a terrific situation in which to find yourself. When you're offered representation and other agents have requested partials, send them each an email to let them know and give them an opportunity to respond before accepting representation from the first agent. Exception: If the agent who offers representation is ME, just say yes and forget the rest. :-)
Missives From Suburbia asked...
What writing conferences are the most beneficial to writers who want to learn about the query process, either by learning to write better queries or getting face-to-face feedback from agents who have read their pages?
I don't think you can choose a particular conference based on their teaching of queries. You'll have to look at the faculty list and the schedule of workshops offered for each conference, and decide which one looks like it offers what you want. Even better, you might want to look for online workshops and webinars that specifically teach queries.
Patti said...
I am a published author of a trilogy, several anthologies and short stories. Do I need an agent at this point (I've gotten good reviews & only two rejections ever-I'm stunned it isn't two thousand!)and would any agent be interested in me?
This is one of those questions that can't be answered generally. Are your books any good? Have they sold decent numbers? Do you have lots of good ideas for future books? And more importantly, have you identified why you might want an agent at this point and what you hope they can do for you? If you want an agent, the process is the same as for anyone else: send out some queries with not only your pitch for your next book but also your publishing history (including sales figures), and see what happens.
MamaBear said...
I have a gift book idea that would also fit as a scrapbook 'kit' or instant scrapbook. I've not had any success finding agents who represent that type of work. Should I be looking somewhere else other than regular publisher/agent lists and if so, where?
You might be having difficulty finding agents because what the heck type of book idea is that? Okay, kidding. (Don't anybody accuse me of ridiculing an author! I happen to like scrapbooking.) In all seriousness, craft books are difficult to sell, plus there are a lot of scrapbooking products already on the market. Your book might not even be appropriate for publishers but instead, scrapbooking companies.
If you think it really is a "book", then you should be scouring Writers Market Online and Publishers Marketplace as well as Amazon to identify all the publishers (and agents) who do those kinds of books, and approach them. The scattershot approach isn't going to work with a specialized book like that. Visit the craft section at your bookstore and look in the Acknowledgments of craft books and write down all the agent names you find.
Tom Dowler asked...
Would you recommend pre-converting sample pages to Kindle format and attaching them to a query or is that the sort of obnoxious brown-nosing that annoys more than endears?
Forget the Kindle conversion. Have your manuscript printed on chocolate bars (a white chocolate sans serif font looks great on dark chocolate) and send those. Failing that... no, please don't convert your MS to Kindle format. (1) We don't need that, we simply send the Word doc to our e-readers; and (2) many agents don't have Kindles, they have iPads or Sony Readers or Nooks or um, they print it out and read it on paper.
Justajo said...
I foolishly had my bo
Kati Patrianoceu asked...
Do you get tired of writing about the same things on your blog over and over? Do you enjoy writing dozens of blogs about good-and-bad-queries, or does it drive you nuts?
I like writing the same things over and over. I like writing the same things over and over. I like writing the same things over and over. I like writing the same things over and over. I like…who am I kidding? It drives me nuts.
Steven Till asked...
Does getting your book on the front table in a bookstore have something to do with how much a publisher will pay for that spot? I've always heard that's valuable real estate, and publishers compete for those spots to promote their titles.
That’s an urban legend. Books are chosen for the front table based solely on how well they stack. Also, the attractiveness of the author photo on the back cover. Okay, maybe that's not exactly accurate. Yes, publishers pay for that very expensive real estate, so if "front table" is in your marketing plan, you should require all other authors bow and genuflect in your presence.
Terri Tiffany asked...
Ok --here's a dumb question but I know others have asked this. If you write 77,000 words, do you list it as 75,000 when querying? Do you round up or down?
Always round to the nearest Harry Potter Book. In your case, you’d say, “My novel is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone-ish words long.” Agents love this. But if (gasp!) you don't have the entire Harry Potter series on your shelf with which to compare your book, simply round to the nearest thousand. So 77,000 is fine.
CFD Trade said...
What do you think of authonomy.com? Do they really fish the great ones or is this another form of slush, only done where everybody can see?
It’s a great place for authors who are truly dedicated to the craft of building unrealistic expectations. But occasionally the process works and someone gets a publishing contract. Not anyone I've ever met or heard from firsthand, but people tell me this is true, and I believe everything I hear.
Lynette Benton asked...
When an agent surprises you by asking to see a manuscript in passing, is it okay to say you're (truly) revising it, and would it be okay to send it in a month?
It’s probably best just to admit you haven’t actually written the book yet. (Good rule of thumb: the truth, whatever it happens to be.)
Walt M wondered...
I want to understand why, even though I've set up a writing space within my house, I still get more done if I leave the house and go to my favorite coffee shop.
Because your house was built over a cemetery and the ghosts don’t like your writing voice so they’re always trying to distract you from writing. Either that, or your muse is invigorated by the scent of coffee and yuppie desperation. Plus you need a handy excuse to get away from your family. Hey, you're the one leaving home, not me.
Daryl Sedore asked...
Why do agents use cartoon avatars on Twitter? Are they ashamed? Hiding? Is this a joke? Is the industry laughing at itself?
Those aren’t cartoons. Those are actual photographs, and here you are making fun of them. I bet you laugh at dead puppies on the side of the road, too.
Anonymous said...
I wonder if editors are more receptive to unagented submmissions now. I see a lot more editors who work for top publishers attending writer's
Today I'm offering some thoughts on a few of the one-sentence summaries that were entered in the contest. Sometimes it's helpful to see what's not quite working, in order to learn how to do it better. Maybe these examples will help you spot something you can improve with your own pitch. We'll group them according to common problems.
Issue: Not using specific language. Many pitches suffer from being a bit too vague to effectively build interest.
When things are not what they seem, Kimberly must overcome many obstacles in her life, to find herself again...at any costs.
>>Notice the general, not specific words. “things are not what they seem.” “overcome many obstacles.” “find herself.” They lack real meaning and don't give us anything to visualize. After this pitch, we still don't know what the story is about.
When a lonely scientist’s nightmares become reality, she must embrace her magical abilities to save her planet from an invading alien force.
>>I don't know what the nightmares are about, there is no clue as to the nature of her magical abilities, and the alien force could be darn near anything. Just a few carefully chosen words could make this more visual and draw my interest.
After the world she grew up in is irrevocably altered, a girl named Evernow determines to live by her own rules in the fractured world she’s been left with, even if that means treading a fine line between species and the battles taking place between them.
>>Again, use of non-specific words makes it impossible to understand what this story is really about. “irevocably altered.” “live by her own rules.” “treading a fine line.” These are amorphous terms, they're not visual or compelling, so there's nothing I can actually picture happening in this story.
Note: Although I didn't include any examples here, quite a few of the contest entries had a character needing to "deal with" something. Be careful of that language. To "deal with" something is again, vague and non-visual.
Issue: Confusing or just doesn't make sense.
A Bible belt of California teen, hell-bent to choreograph a Moby Dick modern dance masterpiece, is blown off course by the true love of a purity-ring wearing eco-warrior.
>>Unfortunately this doesn't convey a coherent story. The danger, besides not making anyone want to read the book, is that someone might assume the problem isn't just a muddled pitch, it's a muddled book.
When the ship carrying Marcus Reider sailed into Lemaigne, the city's Observer had no idea this would overturn his loyalty to the Security Corps, and his sense of reality.
>>I couldn't make heads or tails of this. There's nothing to grab on to.
Reviewing the origins and impact of today’s dichotomy, a new paradigm is offered for the relationship between social action and evangelism in 21st century Christianity.
>>What is "today's dichotomy"? Starts off confusing, and feels like jargon. It also uses the passive voice. This pitch is unclear and doesn't make the book sound interesting.
A kick-ass heart surgeon, hung-up on a terminal patient, is thwarted by a hot researcher who is not sharing his discovery until it is stolen and they are fighting for their own lives.
>>This is confusing and the language is unspecific. What does “kick ass” actually say about the heart surgeon? And by “hung up” do you mean
Over the weekend I asked my Twitter followers to send me questions. Here are some of them, with my brief answers.
Kennectto asked:
Do publishers sometimes accept queries and/or manuscript ideas from writers without agents?
Some publishers accept unagented queries and proposals, but most of the majors don't unless an editor met the writer at a conference and requested the material. ("Manuscript ideas" are not saleable with or without an agent.)
WriteOnRideOn asked:
For an experienced journalist writing books, is it worth it to seek agent+publisher or better to self-publish? And how does someone with numerous writing credits find an agent for book proposals?
Like all writers seeking to publish books, it's your choice whether to seek commercial publication or self-publish. The fact that you're an experienced journalist with lots of credits doesn't really change the game. You should only self-publish if you have the ability to sell large numbers of books yourself. If you decide to seek an agent, you do it the same way everyone else does. Query, go to conferences, etc.
BonnieBLatino asked:
Are you open to queries for novels that aren't Christian market, per se, but don't contradict Christian world-view?
Yes.
bexDK asked:
I would be very interested in recommended resources for the fiction writer's book shelf-- beyond dictionary and thesaurus.
Check my blog sidebar under "Find Posts on This Blog" and click "Books for Writers."
KCBOOKS asked:
Will agents represent an author who writes in different genres, fiction & nonfiction?
Some do, some don't. It's not uncommon for an author to have one agent for fiction and another for nonfiction. If you are a new, unpublished author, remember it's usually best to break-in with one thing, then branch out as you're able. So get an agent for the project you want to do first.
reginaldstjohn asked:
Do you think the market for literary fiction will increase in the near future?
I think the term literary fiction has different meanings to different people, and it's difficult to generalize using this term. However, since literary fiction is generally not light reading, it doesn't offer thrills on every page, and tends to require more from the reader, my sense is that it won't regain popularity with consumers anytime soon. I think there will always be a market for it, but it will be a small, niche market. (Much like there is a market for small, thoughtful, well-made indie films, but their popularity can't compare to the blockbusters.)
Alex_Moore asked:
Regardless of multiple reads/edits, I noticed (just as I hit send) that I misspelled a word in a query. What do I do?
I guess you break out in a cold sweat, feel mortified, and berate yourself mercilessly. What you DON'T do is send the query again, or email the agent apologizing for a misspelled word. If the agent can't see past a single misspelled word to detect your brilliance, they're not the agent for you.
paire asked:
As an unpublished author should I sign with the first agent that will take me? If so, how long am I stuck with them?
This is one of those times when I think a marriage analogy is fitting. Will you marry the first person who will take you? (Or do you think you might want to actually make a proactive decision about whether you like this person or not?) And do you think it's productive to go into a relationship wondering how long you're going to be "stuck" there? If you feel like that, perhaps it's not the best relationship to be in. Anyway, the agreement with your agent (whether written or verbal) will specify the term of the relationship.
karenshaydunn asked:
Which should an author have first for non-fiction, a platform or a manuscript?
For non-fiction (except memoir) you don't always need a whole manuscript, but instead you need a proposal and three sample chapters. In this competitive market however, having a complete manuscript can be an advantage. In any case, you need both a platform and a manuscript or proposal so there's no rule on which comes first. I assume in most cases you would probably need to be building your platform long before you are ready to query, so that might come first.
RKCharron asked:
I've read that it is better to take no advance at all when first getting published. Is this true?
If you're unagented and negotiating with a publisher, you're free to work out any kind of deal you like. If you want to skip the advance and start getting royalties sooner, by all means, go for it. (A better idea might be to take a small advance and spend it on marketing your book.) If you have an agent, it's highly unlikely they're trying to get you a no-advance book deal since it means they'd be working countless hours for you but not getting paid for a year or two (or more). Those of you who go to a job and get paid for the work you did that week... think about it.
Elizaosborn asked:
Where are the best online communities for Christian fiction writers, published an unpublished?
This one's for my readers! Where do you hang out online with other writers? Tell us in the comments.
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Thank you for the answer to the trilogy question. What I am working is something that I knew was a trilogy within weeks of starting the initial draft, and I now have early drafts and blocked out plot lines for all three books. It is good to know I have not been wasting my time!
(... which it never would be because i Like writing this world so much)
I'm with Dunx. I too am working on a series and have been wondering exactly how much of it I need to have worked out before querying an agent with my first book. This helps me more than anything else I've found while perusing the world wide web. Thank You! Back to the writing board...
Why "no for fiction and yes for non-fiction" to Carlene's question? That's one I've wondered myself.
This was a great post. Good questions that were well-answered and provided a writer's educational experience.
Lee
Tossing It Out and the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2011
What you said about starting book 2 of a series (trilogy) is interesting. Most agents whose blogs I've read have said the opposite, that working on the 2nd book puts you in the position of wasting the work if book 1 doesn't sell.
I'm glad you addressed the website vs. blog thing, too, because sometimes it's hard to figure out exactly where to focus your time and effort.
Thanks for this.
Thank you for answering my question! It was more of a curious thing than anything else. Thanks for the other answers, too!
Helpful stuff. Thanks.
Excellent answers.
I think with the series question, most discussions I've seen that don't recommend writing the rest of the series focus on writers who write every book of the series before/while sending out book 1. There is a big difference between starting book 2 and having 5 books of a series written. One thing to consider is that if the series sells, book 1 will receive edit notes that may require large changes with the possibility of making the drafts written on the rest of the series barely useable. Or that's how I've seen the topic discussed.
Ta.
"there's no need for a novelist to have a website before having a contract."
Actually, I can think of one reason. Because they don't want junk showing up in their search results, search engines frequently give preference to older established websites. Granted, the time between signing the contract and actual publication is most likely a long enough time to get past that probation period, but the website needs to be established before it is actually needed. Even if the author doesn't connect it to a website, he will want to register the URL earlier rather than later. URLs are sold like trading cards. People will register URLs on risk, hoping that they can sell them later.
Great information, Rachelle. Thank you, as always, for being so forthcoming and generous. :)
Great info. Thanks.
I wanted to also address the "how many queries" question...because it's not like finding your lost glasses/keys/cellphone. Your agent doesn't always come from your final query. So keep sending until you run out of agents who *might* be right for you and your book.
Love the response on the trilogy. I’m with the others above about being told to start something new in the event the first book doesn’t sell. I’ve been working on a trilogy, though it didn’t start out that way. The ideas for books two and three developed as I wrote the first one. I wrote partial drafts on books two and three and was designing them to be stand-alone. However, several friends suggested that I should put away the trilogy (as I haven’t sold the first book) and write something new. I finally did so, but it was tough to do.
Great questions! I wish there was a magic number for the query submission.
Thanks Rachelle!
Wow! I am really enjoying your blog and inspired by the information.
Great, concise Q & A. This blog is a tremendous resource for writers.
Wondering if it can work against a fiction writer to have a website?
Thank you for answering those questions, very helpful! :)
Good questions, informative answers. I hadn't considered reserving a domain name -- hope no one else is a Michelle DeRusha out there! Thanks for the suggestion...
Fantastic questions and answers - thanks, Rachelle! :) Your insight is helpful as always.
Great info!
Thanks again, Rachelle.
The answers to several questions surprised me. Thanks for posting them.
I love that you answer general questions periodically. It gives me great information and reminds me that you're the kind of person who's responsive to your audience. (And your how many queries answer was awesome--I promise to stop after 67.)
I've heard the same thing as Josin as well, that all your work on book #2 could be wasted if book #1 doesn't sell, or if it sells too poorly for there to be a book #2 (assuming you didn't get a multi-book contract). But it's one of those things where I suppose multiple agents will have different advice, and so working on #2 is a calculated risk.
I would say, no matter what, that book #1 should be self-contained enough that readers won't feel cheated if books #2 and 3 don't get to happen.
Thanks. You answered my question about creating a website.
Thank you for answering my question about the website, Rachelle. I think like many others, reading your blog has been essential in preparing for all aspects of a new writer's career. Thank you so much!