By: Monica Gupta,
on 8/6/2016
आकर्षक व्यक्तित्व – कुछ टिप्स क्लिक करिए और सुनिए 2 मिनट 13 सैकिंड का audio आकर्षक व्यक्तित्व – कुछ टिप्स How to become more beautiful. Motivational thoughts. अकसर हम अपने व्यक्तित्व को आकर्षक बनाना चाहते हैं पर tips नही पता कि how to make our Personality attractive… अगर आप भी जानना चाहतें हैं तो जरुर […]
The post आकर्षक व्यक्तित्व – कुछ टिप्स appeared first on Monica Gupta.
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Can’t Catch Calico Written by Elliot Carlson Illustrations by Kevin McHugh Createspace 7/31/2015 978-1-51709663-2 28 pages Ages 4—8 “Can’t Catch Calico is a richly illustrated southern tale geared towards kids with physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities. In this first episode, our protagonist finds himself in a pretty serious pickle. But …
Photo and window box by Vicky Lorencen
It’s okay. You can admit it. Reality TV is a guilty pleasure for a lot of people, and by people, I mean me, of course. But duh, it’s definitely not a go-to for deep insight. Well, not typically.
This week I caught “My Big Fat Fabulous Life.” Starring Whitney, a young, sassy, dance-loving woman, the show focuses on her challenges and triumphs while living with polycystic ovarian syndrome, which has caused Whitney to gain a dramatic amount of weight.
In this episode, after Whitney performed at the National Museum of Dance, she addressed the audience and said, Don’t wait until you have the confidence to do something that scares you. It’s doing the scary thing that gives you confidence. Maybe that seems simplistic or obvious to you, my Pumpkin Praline Muffin, but it’s borderline brilliant as far as I’m concerned. And sure, while Whitney applied her wisdom to dance, but it doesn’t take much of a leap (or grand jete’) to see how it could work for writers.
I’ve long ascribed to the adage “attitude follows action.” But I’m going to adopt a new one a la Whitney–“confidence follows action.”
And now, for the confession portion of this post –writing picture books scares me. They seem so simple. And maybe they are for you. But me? Hardly! So then, my muse (Edna) keeps dealing me these story ideas she knows I can’t resist. (That chick does not know the meaning of mercy.) Well, I’ve got news for Edna. I’m going to channel my inner Whitney and write my way to confidence. So there!
Ready to make a deposit in your confidence bank? Take action this week. G’head and do what makes your right eye twitch and your palms go clammy. You’re going to be amazing, my Butter Pat! I’m confident of it.
The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it. ~ J.M. Barrie
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By: Karen Cioffi,
on 2/9/2015
Goal setting, writing goals, marketing goals, life goals . . . everyone has heard of these terms, these strategies to creating and achieving goals. But, what’s involved in actually creating and achieving those goals? How do you get from an idea or desire to its fulfillment? To begin, you need to have the ‘right stuff.’ You need three essential elements. The first of which is confidence. 1.
By: Robin Brande,
on 4/21/2014
Guess what? From now until the end of the month, I’m going to be giving away one free copy of the DOGGIRL audio book every day! That’s ten free audio books. I know! I mean it!
To enter to win, just send me a note here on my contact page telling me one quick story about you and your love for animals. It can be a childhood memory, a quick story about a favorite pet of yours, or just an overall description of why animals make our lives so much better. Keep it short (I do have other work to do), but tell me.
That’s it! I’ll pick one winner every day and send you the secret code to download the book from Audible.com.
Sound easy? Of course it is. So go for it!
By: Robin Brande,
on 4/20/2014
I’m reading two great books right now by Jean Houston: The Possible Human : A Course in Enhancing Your Physical, Mental, and Creative Abilities
The premise of both is this: We’ve heard all our lives that we’re only using a tiny fraction of our brains, but then . . . we just accept that and move on. Why not instead retrain ourselves to use more of the hidden brain? Why not make the effort to access more of our potential in thought and behavior?
The thing I love about her books is she doesn’t make it hard. You don’t have to go to some boot camp of personality reconditioning where you sort out all your problems and your flaws and then sweat your way through getting rid of them.
Jean Houston’s books are relaxing. Her mental and visualization exercises are some of the best I’ve ever read and tried. I’ve turned other people onto her books, and they agree: it’s all so easy. And fun and (here’s that word again) relaxing. I’m into any self-improvement that makes me feel like I’ve been at a mental spa for half an hour, or even for five minutes. And some of her exercises take that little time.
One of my favorite visualization exercises of hers is walking up to a giant oak door that has a sign above it saying Room of the Skill. Deciding what skill you’d like to learn in there, then entering and feeling it in the air all around you. Maybe you’d like to learn to play the violin. You enter and violinness is already sealed into that room, and it starts seeping into your pores and you breathe it in and it sticks to your hair and it soaks into your bones.
There are other parts of the visualization that are important to gaining the skill–and I urge you to read the books to really get the full power of them–but I really love just that opening image of It’s already here. You’re already getting it. You don’t have to wait.
I’ve mentioned before my experiments in getting over my fears by just postponing when I want to feel them. The Jean Houston books open up another way of becoming what she calls The Possible Human. And what we’ll call The Possible You.
Let’s say you believe you have certain personality and physical traits: you’re shy. You’re not good at sports. You get angry easily. You’re a slob. You overeat. Whatever it is, I’m sure you could make up a list of four or five things right now with no effort.
What if you just decided Not anymore? And what if you also decided that there didn’t have to be any steps in between now and that next thing. You could just stop what you were doing before and start doing the new thing right now, right away, just decide.
Years ago I read a story in some Norman Vincent Peale book about a salesman who was having a really hard time. He couldn’t meet his sales goals, he felt awkward and ineffective around people–he was, in short, a failure.
And he got tired of that. Got tired of constantly having to stress over his paycheck and his bills, got tired of feeling so inadequate at a job where he actually meant to do well.
So one night he came home from another unsuccessful day on the road and decided That’s it. Enough. He peeled off his unsuccessful suit and took a bath. And decided during that bath that when he stepped out, he was a new man.
He threw away the old suit. Went out and bought a new, successful one (not expensive, just new. Different). And without waiting to go through some 9-step program of becoming a successful salesman, he just was one. He decided. He started behaving the way a successful salesman already does. No explanation to people who saw the change, no need to announce it to the world, just Do. Go. Be him.
By the end of the year he was the top salesman in the region. It looked like magic, but it was really just change. Deciding and then changing–right away.
I’ve done that, too. There was a time in my life when I got really tired of feeling shy. It was making me feel bad in social situations and even just stepping out my door into the world. I didn’t like it. It was a bad habit I’d picked up somewhere in my childhood, and I’d acted like it was just the way things were for the next however many years.
But one day I just told myself, “I’m not shy anymore.” And then in every single situation from then on, I made all my decisions based on that new law. I’d smile at people. Be friendly. Laugh when I felt like it. Little moments all day long, every day, when I let myself be different than I had been for years and years.
And what was key to pulling that off was I didn’t feel the need to explain the change to anyone. I got to skip all the steps of changing a little bit one day, a little bit more the next. I was like that salesman taking a bath and coming out a new person.
If anyone did ask me about the difference, I’d just say, “I’m not shy anymore” and move on. People don’t really need more explanation than that. They’re usually too busy thinking about their own lives.
I’ve also done the experiment with physical skills like athletic pursuits. Instead of telling myself “This is hard! It’s going to take a long time to learn this,” I’ve practiced just already being good at it. Letting it come easily instead of going through the performance of pretending to myself it’s difficult.
So much of what we do when we hold ourselves back really is performance. It’s theater. We’re so comfortable in our role of being shy, awkward, bad at math, a bad cook, bad at sports, ugly, scared (fill in your own blank) we just keep playing that part without ever realizing it’s only a part.
But if instead you start picturing The Possible You, the one who looks a certain way, is confident, has awesome skills, is friendly and happy (fill in your own blank), and then you just go ahead and begin being that version of you, right now, no middle steps, no announcements to the world–isn’t that a much better way of evolving into the next stage of you right now? Isn’t it time? Why do you have to wait?
In a way, it’s reverse-engineering your life. You think about how you’d like to be when you’re 80 or 60 or 19 or even a week from now, and rather than just hope you’ll turn out that way, you go ahead and become that right now. Skip all the time and skip all the steps.
The only steps you really do need to take are behaving the way that version of you behaves. Every moment of every day. And that includes reading the books that person reads, spending time with the people that person loves to be around, maybe taking the classes that person takes to learn the skills he or she loves to have.
And it means changing the things you hear yourself say. Because your ears are hearing it and your brain is taking it in. When you make a new choice and hear yourself say, even if it’s in a whisper just to you, “That’s right, because I’m not shy anymore,” it solidifies that new Possible You that you’ve become. Not “are” becoming, but “have become.” Because you already did that the moment you decided.
Why have I written this entire essay? For a couple of reasons: I’m not shy anymore. I love sharing my experiments and experiences with others. I’m completely confident writing in public and letting other people see my work.
I wasn’t always that way. But then I decided.
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By: Little Willow,
on 12/22/2013
Anything is possible, if you set your mind to it, work hard, and have your heart in the right place.
Little Mix, an awesome all-female vocal group and winner of The X Factor, reinforces these ideas in their new song "Little Me." The next time you're feeling down on yourself, turn this song on and remind yourself that the possibilities are endless, and that you can be anything you want to be.
If you can't see the video embedded above, click here to watch it on YouTube.
Wish I knew back then what I know now
Wish I could somehow go back in time
And maybe listen to my own advice
I'd tell her to speak up, tell her to shout out
Talk a bit louder, be a bit prouder
Tell her she's beautiful, wonderful,
Everything she doesn't see
You gotta speak up, you gotta shout out
And know that right here, right now
You can be beautiful, wonderful,
Anything you wanna be
Click here to read all of the lyrics.
By: Little Willow,
on 10/17/2013
.. Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds Dan Santat, illustrator Chronicle Books 6 Stars Inside Jacket: The lion is the king of the jungle! The great white shark is sovereign of the seas! The timber wolf is emperor of the forests! But . . . it’s lonely at the top of the food chain. It’s difficult to …
By: Linda Formichelli,
on 4/2/2012
Our free teleclass Become a Confident Writer last Friday went great! We had our biggest turnout ever — more than 110 people on the line, and our attendees asked some super questions via Twitter chat.
Diana and I discussed how to get over writer snafus like perfectionism, fear of rejection, fear of pitching, underconfidence, and more.
Missed the class? Don’t worry — you can listen to the recording here. (Unfortunately, the file isn’t downloadable, so you’ll need to listen to it online.) I hope you enjoy the class, and please drop by here and let us know what you thought!
Also: Don’t forget that Diana’s Become and Idea Machine and my Write for Magazines e-course start on Monday, April 9…that’s one week from today!
Diana’s students have broken into some impressive magazines with the ideas they generated in her course, including the New York Times, Parenting, Saveur, and Woman’s Day. And my students have landed assignments from publications like Spirituality & Health, Today’s Parent, Working Mother, Weight Watchers, and E: The Environmental Magazine.
Want some of that success for yourself? Check out our e-courses and sign up today! [lf]
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By: BookEnds, LLC,
on 10/13/2011
Whenever I compose an email to an editor I think about every word I type and how it will be perceived. For example, when following up on a submission, I never want to say I'm "just" getting in touch because it sounds like what I'm getting in touch about isn't that important. While certainly overthinking things can be dangerous and I don't want authors spending weeks laboring over each and every word, how we say things and the words we use are important. We already know that because as authors, you already spend weeks crafting the perfect paragraph or sentence in your manuscript, and the professional correspondence about that manuscript shouldn't be any different.
What inspired this post is that lately I've been noticing a real lack of confidence in emails to agents, or at least what I'm chalking up to lack of confidence. Authors aren't using the best word choices when querying, following up on queries, or getting in touch to tell of an offer. The words used are often coming across as either too weak or too strong, almost combative.
Certainly, we all read with our own issues. In other words, how I read something might not be read by someone else the same way, but I think when proofing and revising our letters we can often tell, pretty quickly, when a better word choice is needed. After all, it's our job as writers to understand and look for how what we're writing might be perceived. It's how we check to make sure our characters come across as likable, for example.
As an example, I've had a few authors check on submissions lately (and I'm not that far behind) by saying something along the lines of, "I'm checking on the status of my manuscript. If you are no longer interested please let me know." Why would you assume I'm no longer interested? Should I not be interested? Is this a challenge? Are you angry that it's taken me so long when in fact it hasn't?
The truth is this makes me not want to read more. If you don't think I should be interested, or are going to present yourself in this sort of angry and combative way in our first correspondence, how are you going to operate months down the line when we're working together? If you've done any research at all on me you know I reply to everything, and most definitely requested material, so this sort of tone seems especially unwarranted (especially if I know that I'm still well within my submission response time frame).
In another example, I've always encouraged authors to use an offer of representation to their advantage. Use it to make sure you can find the best agent for you and your work. That being said, when I'm contacted by an author I want to know that I'm actually requesting and reading the work because I'm one of the agents they are interested in hearing from, and not that they are simply contacting everyone because they were told they should.
There have been times when an author gets an offer of representation about the same time I've requested more material, but instead of saying something like, "I am attaching the material you requested. I have just received an offer so am asking to hear from all interested agents by Friday," the author says to me, "I just received an offer of representation and am waiting to hear back from agents who already have the material. Are you still interested?" I don't know. Should I be? It feels like you don't care whether I'm interested or not, like you've already made your decision, which, frankly, is fine. I'd rather that I'm only in the running if I'm really in the running. If you don't care to entertain an offer from me, let me know, if not out of respect for me and my time, then out of respect to your fellow writers, all of those waiting for me to read their material.
Think of it this way. How would you feel if you contacted an agent to tell her of an offer of representation and her response is something along the lines of, "Okay, I suppose you can send it to me." Why bother? Do you really want to send it after that?
What if an agent requested m
By: Little Willow,
on 9/18/2011
The readergirlz wanted to give a shout out to actress/singer Demi Lovato, who is speaking out about what happened to her and singing her heart out. Here's a quote from an Associated Press (AP) article:
"A year ago today ... I was not in a good place," the 19-year-old said at her concert Saturday night. "I needed help and I want anybody in this audience to know that if you're struggling with one of the issues that I dealt with or a different issue, that you can get help, that you can recover and it's possible if you just tell someone. [...] There are so many beautiful girls in this audience that don't know that they're beautiful, but they just are."
- and from a video to her fans:
"Life is what you make of it. My life began to change again, and I became happier, healthier, and stronger."
You go, Demi.
By: shelf-employed,
on 8/4/2011
Many school-related picture books have arrived on my desk in the last week or two, but these are the only two I've really liked. Put cat in backpackSome items (Eddie choosing in turn, the dog, goldfish, bird, and flat screen TV for show & tell), don't make the written list and are expressed only in the crisply drawn cartoon images on white space. Mom and the dog are featured throughout the story. Mom is happy and supportive, although root beer and cartoons for breakfast does try her patience a bit. So what does Eddie finally choose for a snack and show & tell? You'll never guess! This is a very funny back-to-school gem!
Hug Mom
Take cat out of backpack
Find something else for show & tell
I'll run and I'll run,Along the way, he loses a toe,
as fast as I can.
I can catch them! I'm their
Gingerbread Man!
I'll limp and I'll limp,and almost ends up as someone's snack,
as fast as I can. ...
I plopped on a sandwichThe story is told entirely in rhyme and presented comic style with panels and word bubbles. Cute and simple. Kids will eat this one up.
and chips with a crunch
OH NO! I cried out.
I'm in somebody's lunch!
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By: LuAnn Schindler,
on 3/9/2011
Entering a writing contest may be a big step for a writer, but it's an action that will enhance your writing.
by LuAnn Schindler. Read more of LuAnn's work at her website. Graphic design by LuAnn Schindler
(C) Copyright wow-womenonwriting.com
Visit WOW! Women On Writing for lively interviews and how-tos. Check out WOW!'s Classroom and learn something new. Find jobs on the Freelance Job Board. Enter the Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest. Open Now!
By: Linda Formichelli,
on 2/28/2011
You know why many writers don’t sell their ideas?
Because they don’t try.
I run into it time and time again: Students and clients of mine who say, “I don’t have enough clips to pitch [insert name of big magazine here].” Or “According to the editorial calendar my idea would have been perfect for their September issue, but it’s October now so I won’t bother pitching them.” Or “All of my clips are 10 years old because I took time off to raise my child, so I can’t pitch [insert name of another big magazine here].”
I tell these writers that they shouldn’t say No to themselves. Why second-guess yourself about what an editor wants? Send your work out there and let the editor decide whether she wants your idea — don’t decide for her.
Also, by thinking this way, writers underestimate editors’ reasoning powers, decision-making abilities, and capacity for understanding. If your clips are 10 years old because you left the field to raise your child, and you explain this in your query, an editor will understand. If your pitch is perfect for the magazine, an editor may be able find a space for it even if it would have been even more perfect for last September’s issue. If you send in a stellar idea with a brilliantly-written query but you have no clips to speak of, an editor can make the decision whether or not to take a chance on you. (And one of my students sold a short to SELF with absolutely no clips, which shows that sometimes the editor will take a chance on you.)
What I hear when writers give their reasons for not pitching their dream markets is, “I’m afraid of being rejected by an editor, so I’ll reject myself first to spare myself the grief.” And you know what? You will be rejected, sometimes. We all are. But is we persist and learn from rejection, the balance of acceptances versus rejections will shift.
Don’t say No to yourself — put your best work out there and give editors the chance to say Yes.
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By: Sherrie Petersen,
on 5/10/2010
I used to think that once I typed a story, that was it. The words could change a little and we'd call that an edit. I might move a sentence or two, clear up a question, add a beat. But the story that emerged, that was pretty much set in stone. After all, if that's the way it came out, that's how it was meant to be, right? That's what the characters were telling me to do and I had to listen to them. Right?
Not so much. At least, not this time around.
When I started writing Wish You Weren't, I had a pretty good idea where I wanted it to end up. I wasn't sure about all the in between stuff, what Avi calls "the muddle," but I knew the ending so I figured I could flail my way there.
Well, I did plenty of flailing. I wrote this weird, melodramatic, dark crap that I hated. I kept thinking if that's where the characters wanted to go, didn't I, as the author, have an obligation to follow them there?
I've decided that way of thinking is wrong, at least for me, and certainly, for this story. My characters are NOT the boss of me.
When it came right down to it, the problem was lack of confidence. I didn't think I was good enough to write the story the way I wanted it to be written, so I fell back on easier solutions. I gave the characters stupid obstacles to overcome and made it too easy for them, for ME, to find a way out. And it was boring. I hated the story so much I put it to the side and worked on other things.
But this story didn't want to go away. Thankfully, my subconscious kept working on it and when I came back to it months later, I ended up throwing away more than a third of what I had written. This time I took charge of the story. I made it the story I wanted it to be. And it was hard. I honestly wasn't sure if I was capable. I studied other writers and every time they awoke an emotion in me or made me smile or took be by surprise, I tore the writing apart to figure out how they did that so I could do it too. I learned from books that weren't even close to my genre, as well as from books you could say are like mine. And it helped, to not just read good books but to study them.
I think I showed my characters who the boss is, but the work of getting there has made the story stronger, made me a stronger writer.
Have you ever had characters try to hijack your story? Who wins: you or them?
By: Adventures in Children's Publishing,
on 4/22/2010
By: Adventures in Children's Publishing,
on 4/14/2010
By: Adventures in Children's Publishing,
on 4/12/2010
By: Darcy Pattison,
on 10/16/2009
Review of
British author and writing teacher Roz Morris has a new book out just in time to help you with that first draft of your new novel. You know, the one you’re going to write in November for National Novel Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo.
Morris writes with great wit and wisdom about the writing process, starting with those awkward moments when you actually admit, “Yes, I’m, uh, writing, well, you know, something a bit longer. Maybe, a, uh, a novel.”
Writing always begins here, by acknowledging the writer as a person with the usual insecurities. Morris address this directly by providing you with some structure. No, structure isn’t for everyone, but for beginners, structure can be a comfort and save them a lot of time. Her process involves a series of tasks, breaking down the process into smaller steps:
Authors embarking on the month-long adventure of writing 50,000 words in November will appreciate the first few tasks. Morris gives you direction on how to thicken the plot, find inspiration, decide what does NOT belong in the book, accept random input, and generally get the overall story thought out.
Research (Task 3) can flesh out details further:
“Research might throw up all sorts of interesting situations. For instance, I was commissioned to write a novel about people selling kidneys in India. Reading about the poverty in the villages inspired the start of the story – a young girl decides to sell her kidney to get her family out of debt. Of course, once she’s in the clutches of the butchers, she changes her mind, poor love. Meanwhile, her family are desperate to get her back.”
Overall, Morris’ experience enhances the book. This is a process she is intimately acquainted with and daily practices. Even if you’re experienced, I recommend the book as a review for concepts you already know. Because I think you’ll also find some unexpected nuggets. And for more nuggets, read Roz Morris’ blog, Dirty White Candy (Yes, a strange name for a blog, you say. Morris explains it on her home page). Example of her posts: How to Make Readers Root for Your Character
NaNoWriMo Special!
For three weeks, until 21 October, you can download the e-book of Nail Your Novel for 99p! That’s a whopping £2 off the usual price of £2.99. So if you’re preparing a book for NaNoWriMo this will help you firm up your plans, fill your plot holes – so you are ready to blast off on 1 November with confidence. Just click on the pic!
Related posts:
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By: [email protected] (Mark Blevis and Andrea ,
on 8/26/2009
Author: Vanessa Newton (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Vanessa Newton
Published: 2009 Chronicle Books (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9781934706909
Spot-on sixties-style illustrations, simple, springboard text and a soulful, sing along refrain shine a celebratory light on 18 individuals who stood tall and opened doors for generations.
More freedom reading on JOMB:
We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.
By: Sondra Santos LaBrie,
on 8/23/2009
By: [email protected] (Mark Blevis and Andrea ,
on 8/12/2009
Author: Kristen Tracy (on JOMB)
Published: 2009 Random House (on JOMB)
ISBN: 9780385736879
A big thanks to guest host Lucy (10) for joining Andrea today to discuss this book.
Life can be challenging and fair’s got nothing to do with it. Parents are people. Friendship’s a worthwhile risk. There’s a lot to think about when you’re ten in the real world. Which is why I’m so glad Lucy (10) and I read this fun and fabulously thought provoking book.
Mentioned in this chat:
More books including less-than-perfect families on JOMB:
We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our JOMB listener hotline, +1-206-350-6487, so we can include your audio in our show.
Thanks so much for writing this post! I have to write a follow-up email to an agent soon, and this was extremely helpful. The last thing I want to do is sound angry or unconfident.
I believe the lack of confidence you're experiencing is directly related to the knowledge the hopeful author has as to his odds of success. Everyone knows that the odds are about one in one thousand; or to put it another way, there's a 99.999% chance that you (or any agent, really) will pass on their project. This cannot be conducive to any measure of confidence.
They know this, you know it too. And as a result you get what you get.
On top of this, we're being told "don't be too strong in your query--don't come off as arrogant. Also, don't be too weak, or they'll eat you for breakfast."
This leaves the middle-ground of milquetoast queries. Which is what you're left with.
@Phil Hall -- I'm not sure what's left is "milquetoast." I think what they want to read is professionalism and politeness, with overtones of confidence and friendliness (general friendliness, not overbearing).
I was about to say, "Just as you would speak to someone in a store," but having worked with the public for 25 years, "polite and professional" is often one-sided, LOL!
Great post. Coincidentally, I've been recently analyzing my letters to editors (I often submit to magazines and e-zines) for these sorts of things. The work doesn't always stand on its own -- they see your "face" first, and first impressions count.
I appreciate your post for its content, but completely disagree with the sentiment. O.k, I realize that we can come off as sounding too weak, OR sounding too dominant, but in this market,like the previous commentor said, our chances of getting published are very slim and we don't want to screw it up.
I am sure ( because I have done it), that when an author writes "just checking in" they are trying to be polite, and not bothersome. They realize that you are super busy, but the suspense is killing them. They realize that possibly after a million submissions, that this might be "the one", and they would email a million times a day if it would speed up the process.Not so much because they have delusions of grandeur, but so they can know whether to throw a party, or slip into the bottle for a few days before they get back up on the horse and try again. When they send an email they want to treat the matter as delicately as possible, AKA,do a little ass-kissing.I can understand dissing the overly confident, cocky queries/emails, and dissing the wimpy " don't want to bother you" emails, but what the hell else does that leave? Please try, just try to realize what boat we are in, K ?
I'll be honest, I'm struggling a bit to work out what's wrong with "If you are no longer interested, please let me know", unless it's coming in at, say, 4 weeks when you quote an 8 week response time.
I suppose in some lights it could come across as a bit passive aggressive, but it would surprise me if it was meant that way. If an agent says they respond in 8 weeks and I've heard nothing after 10, I am going to assume the agent isn't interested. It's not a big deal.
I'd love to see a form "nudge" example I can thieve for my correspondence. One which isn't going to inadvertently accrue me enemies.
@Foolplustime: I think the assumption is, if the agent has requested the material, s/he is interested. If the agent is still within their stated time period for reviewing submissions, then you have every right to assume they're still interested, and a simple "Just checking in to see how you're getting on" is sufficient.
Being in query-mode myself, I understand there is the temptation for us as writers to sound desperate. We just want to see our novel in print! But it's important to remember the flip side of this. Agents have jobs and earn money because we write novels. If we didn't write, agents wouldn't eat. So there is a balance here. Sure, there are far more novels than there are agents, so agents appear to be in the better situation. But given the number of queries agents turn down, they need a large volume among which to search for those few that catch their interest. From that perspective, with appropriate humility and respect, we can afford to query with confidence.
Just my 2c.
I enjoy the posts I read from agents reminding me to show confidence in my work.
Honestly, it's a scary business--putting yourself out there to be rejected by most of the people you query--and that lack of confidence can easily creep in because we writers are actually grateful when someone wants to read our work. Especially someone with skills to represent, and someone we want to work with.
Getting an agent is tough, right? So I don't want to mess it up with a misplaced, misspelled, or misconstrued words. I want to put my best foot forward, my words.
I am a naturally humble person, but that doesn't mean I have to lack confidence in my writing. After all, I do want the world to read it, well those interested in falling into fantasy for a while.
Let me present this from a writer's perspective.
We used to send out queries knowing the vast majority of responses would be form rejections. Nowadays the form rejections have been dispensed with and the usual response is silence.
So sheer mental health requires not getting our hopes up.
I sent out multiple queries. Several agents requested my manuscript. One offered representation two days later. I looked at my list and saw I'd put a star next to her name. That meant during my research I'd selected her as someone I'd prefer if there were multiple offers.
I had told the agents who were reading the manuscript that there'd been several requests. One of them had immediately said she was no longer interested since she didn't want to "compete".
The agent with a star next to her name offered. I accepted.
A few months later my agent contacted me with an excellent offer she'd received for the manuscript. On the same day, I received a form rejection from one of the agents I'd never heard back from. He hoped I understood that his rejection was subjective, and no doubt other agents would feel differently, etc.
Should I have earlier sent him a second email withdrawing the manuscript? No doubt. But for all I knew he had moved to Mongolia and taken up goat herding.
You wonder why we get a little jaded?
@Phil Hall-- Ix-nay on the odds-ay. This isn't the state lottery. Manuscripts aren't picked at random from a rotating drum. A writer's odds are about as good as the manuscript he or she is sending out. And as R.S. Bohn says, being polite isn't being Milquetoast.
Am I the only person that had to look up milquetoast?
Is it a word that is used much more outside of the UK or am I just showing my ignorance?
I've been reading agent commentary regarding query/submissions/time frames for the past 2yrs, and there is an overwhelmingly common theme in all their posts that show writers are simply NOT reading clearly posted guidelines at lit agency websites. Agents have been generous with their limited time sharing their experience and industry tips, and writers MUST to do their own homework before even considering submitting a MS. It's that simple. Thanks for letting me share my subjective 2 cents.
In a business where words are the "product", it is hard not to judge each word, phrase or sentence for hidden or double meanings. This is especially true for an author's first impression to a prospective agent -- the query letter. Advice from my mother years ago still applies: straightforward, respectful requests/questions are never wrong.
I have found this works for me the majority of the time.
Sometimes I do wonder if the sender reads what h/she has written before hitting send...
While this is a good post and sound advice, I think that an addendum should be added that this advice should apply as well for people who have chosen to query publishers directly (be they large, medium or small).
My problem with my query letters is they are soo formal I write the life right out of it.
I also wanted to thank you for responding so quickly to my email regarding the agent letter. I've warned my critique group about this agent and sent them to the sites you suggested.
Your name has a star next to it on my list when I'm ready to send out that revived query letter.
HollyD
Thanks for posting this, I think it was a good reminder to reread your query to make sure you aren't coming off in a way you don't want to.
@scifi13 I live in the US and never heard it before. I'm taking a meaning from context...too early to actually look something up lol
@Anonymous I'm genuinely happy for you! Congrats! I'd love for that to be the case when I start querying.
I understand a writer's urge to talk about the "odds" of getting published. If you look only at numbers, as in numbers of manuscripts vs. numbers of books published, the odds are indeed long.
But, as Anonymous 10:05 says, editors don't reach into a barrel and draw random manuscripts for publication. If you produce something publishable and properly target it, your "odds" increase dramatically.
It's always a good idea to be professional and courteous in all our communications. However, I'm willing to bet that it's better to err on the side of milquetoast than arrogant SOB no matter how amazing the manuscript.
Take a deep breath. Let it out. Recognize that your manuscript is not you, or your child. It's just a product that you're asking an agent to help you sell. Keeping the proper perspective goes a long way toward dealing with all the rejection in this business.
Interesting. Sometimes communication seems so fragile and fraught that it's a wonder anyone ever manages.
I use "just checking in" all the time when I send nudge emails in my own job. It's a bit of verbal padding that seems polite to me. (More so than an unadorned "Did you finish X yet?" anyway.)
I suspect that preemptive "let me know if you're not interested" is intended to come across as a becoming sense of cool. "She hated it and just hasn't gotten around to telling me yet. I will show that I can take the news without flying off the handle."
Post started out OK, thought a good message was about to be delivered, but honestly you just sound testy, a bit tired of the profession or perhaps you 'just' need a vacation.
I mean, come on — "I'm checking on the status of my manuscript. If you are no longer interested please let me know." That's combative? Sounds as though the author is merely seeking information, a status update.
Prickliness might not be the best trait in an agent.
Anita M.
For me, the bottom line is you have to present yourself and your "product" in the best light. I'm still slogging away on my MS, but if I hadn't heard back from an agent, I wouldn't naturally assume he/she didn't like it. I would politely follow up, say something wonderful about my MS and tell the agent I was looking forward to hearing from them.
I've had to read alot of resumes in my life and it's the positive, confident cover letters that get my attention.
Good post. Thanks for sharing!
Is this another "Thank you for your time" post?
Because "Are you interested?" would be considered polite in many regions of the world. If you're going to take offence to it, then I haven't got the energy to deal with an agent as touchy as you.
The OP struck me as a bit arrogant. Sure, we all read between the lines, but it should be done with the understanding that our impressions may be completely wrong, that we're seeing things that aren't there.
We have to have filters, and we will inevitably lose some good stuff, but it has to be done. Getting a good balance is tough.
Maybe the OP wasn't at all 'arrogant', but I took it that way. But I could be wrong. . .
This is a wonderful post. I understand what you’re saying. There’s something about confidence that makes people, and their ideas, more attractive.
The problem for quite a few of us is: constant rejection leaves a person feeling less than attractive, thereby undermining our confidence, which makes us less attractive. A downward spiral that can only be saved with chocolate and a crowd of good friends. (Supportive critique group anyone?)
The trick is to bury the insecurity until the confidence you feel catches up with the confidence you portray. Once you do, you will catch the right someone that will help your confidence maintain that level of radiance.
As far as correct follow-up letter language...I haven't a clue.
I'm coming to a point where I will need to follow up with the agents and editors that have partials and fulls. I would love to know what I should say.
My letters would have said, "I'm following up on the partial manuscript you requested in June. I am still interested in your representation and look forward to hearing from you."
How does that sound??
In such a competitive market with so few agents and so many writers (and, frankly, many of which are very good writers), the only confidence we can have is that we won't land an agent. That's based on a simple success rate probably below 10 percent.
Which leaves us with being polite.
And I'd rather be realistic than overconfident.
Quite frankly, I'm a bit afraid to query you for fear I would offend without intention. I have a family member or two who read things into emails where no hidden meaning was intended. It has caused more than one family fight.
Great post.
I think you know that writers tend to be the sort of people whose best possible sales pitch is "I don't suppose you want to buy this, do you?" and you're trying to ease us out of that mindset. Nice try. Good post. A lot of people won't get it the first time ... or the tenth. But keep trying. We need to hear it.
How do you feel about cheesy jokes after an agent requests a partial off a query?
I've always wanted to say something like, "You must perceive as I do that 250-ft hamsters are the next vampires." Or something like that. But I always chicken out and say something like, "Please find xyz attached. Thank you for your time and consideration... blah blah blah..."
Here, here, anonymous. I said much the same thing, but she deleted MY comment!
I understand the feeling that if we don't have confidence in our work, why should you? What I don't understand is if you are offended by a straight-forward "please let me know," what would you prefer to hear?
It seems I make my living writing business correspondence and this is a reasonably concise request for information. You didn't mention if this came in 48 hours after submission or if a reasonable amount of time, such as approaching your guidance deadlines, has occurred. In my office, it would not be unheard of to follow up as a deadline is approaching -- in fact, it would be prudent. I understand however, that this is your game, so your rules.
I find considerable value in your blog and enjoy reading it. But, as long as we're speaking of things you don't wish to convey, what stuck out in this post was that "if one more person asks me if I'm 'not interested' I'll scream and hit delete," which really just sounds like you've had a hard week and need to get a call in to the travel agent.
Thanks for all of your comments. Let me clarify a few things.
I get why people have the lack of confidence. What I'm trying to do here is encourage you to be proud of what you've written and let that shine through. I've said this repeatedly before, agents should be honored that you're querying them and excited for the find. If they've requested something they are. Grab hold of that feeling and remind yourself of it.
Anon 9:42 It's really quite difficult to offend me, but if you're afraid of me there are many other great BookEnds agents you might be more comfortable querying.
Anon 10:52: Thanks for the psych analysis, but that's not the case. I simply want authors to stand by their work with confidence. You should. Finishing a book is a great achievement, querying it is another, and getting requests is yet another. Be proud of what you have and convey that to agents. It's not complicated, just a small twist in your wording.
--jhf
I have nothing against an author saying "let me know of your interest" or "looking forward to hearing of your interest" or something like that. But "let me know if you're not interested" skews negative to me. It says to me that you already think I'm not interested so you're giving me an out. Why give an agent an out? Make her work for that rejection if that's what you're expecting. Don't tell her you're expecting it anyway.
Interesting post. It's hard to find the middle ground of not being overbearing or meek. I struggle with that in real life and it's something I'm working daily to combat.
I see what you mean about skewing negative. Like asking:
do you think I look pritty?
vs asking
do you think I look ugly?
Either way the question is being asked. How you ask the question reveals what you think of yourself.