You Have A Novel . . . Now What?

I remember the day I sent my first book length manuscript out into the world. I celebrated with a run to my local bookstore (where I picked up three novels), then ended up sitting in a comfy chair at Starbucks sipping a cappuccino.

I had mixed emotions. I was elated to have completed the project I'd been working on for years. But I also felt sad, like I was saying goodbye to the characters I'd known for so long. I knew they weren't lost forever, and I also knew they weren't real, but still . . .

Fast forward a couple years. That manuscript was rejected left and right, but four years after I sent it out into the world it was finally published. And you know what? I'm glad it took that long for it to find it's home. Yes, you read that right. I'm glad I wasn't published right away. Because during those four years I wrote my next novel, without the pressure of a contract deadline.

My number one piece of advice for all aspiring writers holding a complete manuscript in their hands . . . is definitely start submitting. But then get started on your next book. You don't want to be a one trick pony, right?

Just Say Yes, Won't Ya?

Other than "wait," I think one of the worst words a writer can hear is "No!"

And trust me, it's a word that a writer hears a lot...whether you're a beginner, an expert or somewhere in between.

Sometimes, no matter how fabulous your manuscript is, a fellow writer/editor/agent simply isn't going to catch your vision...even if it is nothing short of brilliant.

Before my first novel, Around the World in 80 Dates was published back in 2007, I heard the words "thanks, but no thanks" by two other publishing houses. Now I'll be the first to admit, hearing those words, even by e-mail, stung. I'd worked so hard on crafting my proposal and getting those sample chapters just right, but whatever reason, they just didn't see what I was so confident about.

But after sulking for a few days, I used that rejection as a springboard for seeing if there was a way or two that my work could be improved. And low and behold after having some time away from my WIP, I identified a few different places were my writing could be more engaging, my characters more developed, my dialogue more life-like. And low and behold, a publishing house eventually "got" me and Sydney Alexander's life journey became more than a vision in my head.

I guess I'm sharing that because as writers sometimes rejection can get the best of us. After hearing "no" time and again, we might give up on something great we have in progress. But that "no" may also be an opportunity to improve upon what you've got already...and maybe even enough for that important editor to finally take notice.

The next step - acquiring an Agent

A reader recently told us Scribble Chicks that she has a finished manuscript...now what? Hence our series of topics this week. Erynn posted on writing that great proposal, and BJ posted on the pros and cons of attending a conference.

My topic for you today is AGENTS. What the pros and cons of having an agent? Is it really necessary? How does one go about obtaining an agent?

These are all questions new writers have, and important ones to cover. I hope to help clear up a bit of the fog surrounding the topic (pardon the cliche!) If you have any more questions/comments, please post them in the comment section. Remember, this entire blog is ultimately for YOU, the reader. =)

First of all, let me say that in today's industry, having an agent can make all the difference. Most, not all, but most traditional publishers don't accept submissions unless they are from an agent. A few houses still do, such as Steeple Hill and Barbour, but majority do not. Also, having an agent when submitting even to those two houses still is a benefit, because it gives your work that extra boost to the top of the pile. Someone has already "vouched" for it, so the editor is taking less of a "wasting my time" risk. So you essentially cut your waiting for a response time in half or more. Sounds good, huh?

(Now, if you're wanting to pursue a small POD press like Desert Breeze or White Rose or if you are planning to self-pub, an agent is not necessary. There is no advance in those situations, no monetary details to negotiate, etc. It's more cut and dried...wow, how many cliches can I use in one blog post?!?!)

Here's a quick interview and picture with my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray with Hartline Literary. Tamela and I have been a team since September of 2007, and she's been not only a professional ally but a cheerleader and friend. I'm so blessed God brought us together. (pic taken at the ACFW 2009 conference awards banquet last September)

1. What is your favorite part about being an agent?

My favorite part is calling authors to tell them a publisher has offered a contract! I find great excitement in bringing worthy authors to publishers. I love being part of bringing new books to readers, adding to the number of quality choices in reading available everywhere.

2. As an agent, what is a quick word of advice you can give aspiring authors?

Learn as much as possible about your dream market. Then write a story that will be a logical fit for that market, yet be unique enough to get the editor's attention. Yes, it's a tall order, but not impossible. The more familiar you are with the market, the easier it will be for you to write a great book and back it up with a stellar proposal.

3. Do you have a life motto Bible-verse?

At this point in time, the verse resonating with me most is: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16This verse didn't speak to me as strongly when I was younger as it does today, probably because I knew I wasn't wise. Now that I am blessed to know many more people both professionally and personally, I strive to be wise and considerate in my dealings. At no time do I seek to harm another person. The following prayer, along with the Lord's prayer, keeps me grounded every day: Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

4. What would you say is the biggest benefit of an author obtaining an agent?

The agent is your gateway to publishers. While some excellent publishers will work with authors directly, the agent can open many more doors. Editors pay attention to agented submissions because they know the agent has screened them already and has formed the opinion that the work in question is suitable for the publisher. Editors' time is valuable, and they appreciate the work an agent does even though they can't accept every manuscript.

5. What are your thoughts about the current state of the book publishing industry?

I think the Lord is blessing CBA authors and publishers even during this recession, proving once again that He is more powerful than the world economy. I believe publishers are, rightfully, responding to the prospect of readers being in possession of less disposable income by being exceptionally careful about the books they select to be published. In response, writers must be more diligent than ever to present their very best to editors. To God be the glory for every new CBA book!

Here's Tamela's website and Hartline's website, if you're interested in pursuing them further.

So there's some words of wisdom from a trusted agent in the industry! Thank you, Tamela.

Moving on, I really can't think of any cons to having an agent on your side. They are your support, encourager, at times your editor. They are your motivation and your go-between for all those awkward moments that can arise between you and your editor. Unpleasant questions can be fielded in that way, and guess what? Agents do all this for a very small percentage of what you make!! If they don't sell your books, they don't make money. Period. If you're pursuing a parnership with an agent who is asking for ANY money from you upfront, run. Run far, and run fast. This is a scam artist, and they're everywhere. If you have any questions about the quality of an agent, especially those willing to represent Christian fiction, please ask us here on Scribble Chicks or visit Preditors & Editors. We'll shoot straight! (another cliche! ha.)

Okay, so we've established that agents are great to have and you really do need one if you're going to pursue traditional publishing. "Now what?" you ask. "How do I find one of this illusive creatures??"

First of all, you need to shop the market. SALLY STUARTS CHRISTIAN MARKET GUIDE is a great resource for compiling a list of agents suitable for your needs. You can even Google "CBA agentes" and find some hits. Be sure to check the fine print before submitting your proposal that Erynn talked about on Monday - nothing is a bigger turn off to an agent than your not following their guidelines. Some agents want handwritten proposals, other emails. Some prefer query letters only, others want a full proposal. Some agents represent Christian fiction, others don't. Do your homework before diving in, or you'll end up embarrased or with a strike against you from the beginning.

You've probably heard it said "A bad agent is worse than no agent". This is true. Before targeting an agent and especially before signing with an agent, research them. Ask fellow authors who their agents are and if they're happy with their relationship. If an agent hasn't made any sales in a long time, it's probably not a good idea to go with them. An agent who isn't going to be aggressive on your behalf is a waste of your time. But on the other hand, an agent who is overly aggressive or who has a bad reputation in the industry isn't going to help you much either. At the 2009 conference, I asked a trusted agent in the industry, who used to be an editor at a large traditional house, about this very thing on behalf of a friend. He said that he remembers a time when, during a committe meeting years ago, the board opted to turn down a book they really were excited about because they didn't want to work with that particular agent again - that's how bad this agent was.

So be careful, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Us SCRIBBLE CHICKS will be happy to help you if you have questions about particular agents. Email any of us privately. My email is betsystamant@yahoo.com.

Finally, I'd like to encourage you to join the ACFW - American Christian Fiction Writers. This is a wealth of information available at your fingertips, for a low annual fee. I've been a member for what feels like forever now, and its amazing. The networking opportunities, the friendship, the support, the prayer back-up...more than worth it. So check out their website here: ACFW The ACFW also offers annual conferences where you get to schedule face-to-face meetings with agents and editors and pitch your stories. That is invaluable, and every agent/editor in the industry will back that up.

Any questions?

Don't be discouraged!! This is a big process and sometimes, it seems its just hard to land a quality agent as it is to get published. Both attempts take a ton of time and patience and prayer. Just do your best work and trust God with the timing. He'll see you through! =)

The North Pole & Writers' Conferences

OK, it’s official. B.J.’s lost her mind. What three things could The North Pole and The Writers’ Conference possibly have in common?

1. The Elves

There are A LOT of busy little elves at the writers’ conference. Hundreds of them, in fact. Many of these elves have worked just as hard as you to pull together ideas, pitches, and projects. And they’re working just as hard to get the attention of editors and agents.

But before you stand on your head and jiggle your bell-clad toes, pause. Remember – not all attention is good attention. (Do you REALLY want to be remembered for all time as the elf who wrote his own name in lights on the floor of Santa’s workshop?)

Like your big elf ears, your writing will stand out on its own. Get out there. Share your work. People will notice it for its own merit.

2. The Frivolity

What do you get when you put 300 extroverted elves together?

300 karaoke rounds of Santa Got Run Over by a Reindeer.

Do yourself a favor: enjoy the frivolity. Hang out with people. Don’t refer to it as “networking”. Build relationships because you WANT to, not because you secretly hope to add everyone to your mailing list. And definitely not because you’re hoping the elf with the pointy toes will jab them into the editor at his publishing house and the editor will notice you and publish your brilliant piece of writing that you created while you sat in that boring session about run-on sentences.

3. The Sleigh Ride

Folks, anyone who tells you a writers’ conference isn’t a crazy ride is selling something.

Your emotions will swing from exuberant to exhausted in the span of about three hours. You will be so tired of people that you will want to move to the South Pole just to get away from it all.

Do yourself a favor. Take a break. Skip a meal. Walk through the woods. Ask yourself why you are doing this. Get back to why you started on this crazy ride.

Because when it comes down to it, we aren’t really working for Santa. When we figure it out, we realize it’s about something much, much bigger.

We all just want to be the best little elves we can be.

****
B.J. Hamrick is a journalist, humorist, and Real Teen Faith Editorest.

The Art of Proposals

This week on Scribble Chicks, we are going to be talking about a few of the nuts and bolts of the publishing biz - what do you do after you have a manuscript ready?

I wrote this a little while ago for my blog, and forgive me for copying and pasting tonight - I'm in the midst of making caramels for Christmas and I'm also dealing with a spacey brain (I'm blaming it on this one). :)

I want you guys to imagine the day you get proposed to with me. You've been dating this guy for a while and you're pretty sure he's The One.

So, one day, he takes you out on a date. You're all dressed up, but when he rings the doorbell, he's wearing shredded jeans, a grass-stained sweatshirt and his hair looks like it hasn't been shampooed in a little while. "Ready, baby?" he asks you.

You're a little wary, but you climb in his car and he drives straight to an alley between two buildings, right behind a dumpster. You look at this guy and say, "What are you doing?"

"Well, I'm getting ready to propose," he says. "I love you and I want you to be my wife. I just want you to know that I am probably not the most romantic man. I require dinner on the table at five-thirty on the dot. I am not planning on working hard ever, so you're going to have to bring home most of the money before you make dinner. And I really would like kids, but I don't want to help raise them, so if you wouldn't mind doing that. And taking care of the laundry, because obviously, I can't even dress myself. Oh, and I'm out of shampoo and I hate going to the grocery store, so I was hoping you would go get it afterward tonight. Pretty much, I'm going to just squash on the sofa and watch ESPN all the days of our lives."

Then he takes your hand and says sweetly, "What do you say, honey? Oh, I think I just saw a rat next to that dumpster."

If you have any sense at all, you'll be screaming, "NO, NO, NO!", jumping out of the car and running for your life, carefully avoiding the rats.

But...what if your proposal went something like this instead?

You open the door and your boyfriend is standing there, dressed in an amazing suit and holding a bouquet of gorgeous flowers. He takes you to the most beautiful outlook in town, leads you out of the car and to a picnic table he had set up there. There's a whole steak dinner made just the way you like it and flowers on the table.

"Baby," he says. "I love you so much. I will always love you. I'll always take care of you. Whatever you need, I'll make sure you get it as soon as I can. I've been preparing for this for the last several months, so I already have money saved up so we can buy a house or whatever it is you want. You never need to worry about the future. Will you marry me?"

Odds are, you would probably be more inclined to say yes to the second guy. He took the time to plan it, prepare for it, and he's promising to take care of you.

Now compare this to writing. Why would a publisher take a chance on someone who is like the first guy? Who doesn't know what they are doing, who doesn't care what they are doing and who hasn't prepared for it?

Proposing your story to a publisher is actually very similar to a guy proposing to a girl. You are trying to look your best, sound your best and you'll be promising some type of security in the future - a completed book.

So, how do you propose?

First, finish your book. We've already mentioned this, but the unspoken rule in publishing is that publishers prefer first-time authors to have a complete manuscript. It's security for them and less stress for you.

Second, you'll write the proposal. A proposal is a document about three to five pages long that contains everything anyone needs (and didn't need) to know about your book. It's a frustrating thing to write. Ask any writer and they'll probably say they hate writing proposals more than cleaning moldy food out of a sink disposal.

Now that you're all excited to write this proposal... :) Here's the elements that every proposal needs:

1) Your name, address, phone number and email address * This goes in the top left corner of the page. DOUBLE CHECK THIS!! You don't want an acquisitions editor to love your work and not be able to get a hold of you.

2) The approximate word count
* Write this in the top right corner of the page. Don't worry about putting something like this: 70,231 words. Just stick with 70,000.

3) The title
* Put this about a fourth of the way down the page, centered. You can write "Book Proposal" underneath it, if you like. Word of the wise: Don't get too attached to the title. It's very likely it will change.

4) The teaser
* Ever heard the term "elevator speech"? It's a three-sentence synopsis of your book that you could theoretically propose in an elevator ride. This goes underneath the title. Draw the editor in. Don't reveal the ending and it works perfect to end it with a question. "Will Gertrude ever find love?"

5) The synopsis
* You do get to reveal the ending here. Make this about two pages of your proposal. Don't get too wordy, you're focusing on showing the editor that you know how to create characters and craft a plot. Play with this! If you are going to break rules, here is the place to do it. Explain exactly what happens in your story.

6) Your qualifications
* Why are you the one who should write this book? What makes you more qualified than anyone else? Put down anything and everything that could possibly relate to your book that you have done or accomplished. If you are writing a book about a girl who is a marine biologist, and you are a marine biologist, definitely put that in there! If you've published magazine articles, newspaper articles, or whatever, write it down. If you have a blog that reaches 3,000 people a day, definitely write it down.

7) Marketing
* What genre is this book? Where would it be placed on the shelves? What is the targeted audience? And what are you going to do to get it in the hands of the targeted audience? Be as specific as possible here. Don't say this: "My book will pretty much be loved by every person who reads it." Say this instead: "This book is aimed for Christian women ages 16-24." Are you a speaker? No? You're going to have to change that fast - editors want writers who will market themselves. Be sure to say something to this effect and mean it: "Erynn will do whatever she can to help market this book!" (Just don't use my name - I can't promise I'll do whatever I can to market your book) :)

8) Uniqueness
* How is your book different than everything else out there? What are books it is similar to? How does it stand out from the ninety other proposals on this editor's desk? Again, be very specific. "This book is different from the competition, because all of the characters have a third eye."

9) Sample chapters
* These aren't taken into account in the three to five page count I gave you earlier. Insert the first three chapters (and polish those within an inch of their life!) into the end of your proposal.


And there you have it! Get it all typed up and looking sharp (remember the guy with the grass stains versus the guy with the spiffy suit). Knock the editor off their chairs with your charm and charisma. Editors want to be wowed!

If you have more questions or want to see a sample proposal, send me an email at erynnmangum@gmail.com. I'll be sure to send you one. :) To quote High School Musical, "We're all in this together!"

Merry Christmas!


Photo credits go to AlanBabb and Vocaris from stock.xchng (sxc.hu) :)

The God of Creativity

I was listening to a teaching CD awhile back by Rev. Dr. Ladonna Osborn and something she said really stuck out for me:

"Thinking for a Christian is waiting for the Holy Spirit to generate a creative idea in you."

What a profound statement.

As creative people we're constantly searching out our next story idea, our next blog entry :), our next letter to friends . . . but why is it that so often we dig and dig by ourselves without waiting to hear what God might be speaking to us? I'm just as guilty of this as the next person, so don't think I'm pointing fingers here.

I don't want to forget that God is just waiting to speak to me, and He does all the time. It's ME who either doesn't hear, or more often than not, doesn't take the time to pause and LISTEN.

As Christians, we're supposed to be a little bit different from everyone else. We're not supposed to think like the world. I encourage you to take time to pause and wait on the Lord at some point during your day today and listen to the ideas that pop up in your head. And don't let your mind talk you out of receiving a creative idea just because you think it's you and not God. Chances are it's the Holy Spirit nudging you, like He so beautifully does.

Think about it. Your next creative endeavor could come straight from the Lord Himself! Will you receive it?

I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
--Proverbs 8:12 (KJV)

Giving Procastination the Heave-Ho...Now!

Ok, since nobody wanted to weigh in on the social networking front last week, I'm taking my thoughts in a new direction today...:)

But seriously, if anyone has any sudden epiphanies on how you fit twittering, facebooking, myspacing, etc. into your life (and what tangible results it has provided), still feel free to give a shout in the comments section. I do all of these things regularly, but I'm still curious about how fellow writers view all that extra time spent online.

Today, however, I've got something else on my mind, namely procrastination and the upcoming new year.

For the record, like many writers, I'm the queen of procrastination. I thrive from the sheer buzz of being so dangerously close to a deadline. And no matter what's going on, I can find a million ways to stay distracted while the clock ticks closer and closer to said deadline. In fact, my favorite way of not concentrating on my work is IMDBing my favorite actors (and even some I couldn't care less about) and reading their respective pages, right down to the really random trivia.

Of course, given that I review movies for work, too, I can easily justify this as "research," which makes me feel way better while I'm wasting time. But if I'm honest with myself, I'm thinking I'd get a little further on my current WIP if I wasn't reading about Hugh Grant's favorite restaurants or Jude Law's shoe size.

But I digress...

As the New Year gets closer and closer, (something I still can't believe, even if the calendar assures me that it's so), I think it's tempting for many a writer to put off his/her literary goals until the ball in Times Square has officially dropped. Starting on January 1st just feels a little more tidy somehow, a little more definite. But if the Queen of Procrastination has anything to say about it (and she points that finger right back at herself, too), she'd encourage you to keep right on writing. Yes, NOW!

After all, that's how New Year's resolutions get broken year after year, isn't it? We create this ginormous laundry list of things we want to change about ourselves and our habits, and then get upset when it doesn't exactly work out. But if we start being disciplined (or at least having a semblance of discipline) before January 1, well, that's one less resolution to break, right?

Now that doesn't mean that you shouldn't actually take time to enjoy the holidays. I'm all for that (and can't wait to do that myself). But getting into the mindset that you'll really start writing once the New Year rolls around is a whole lot of pressure to put on yourself. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your story be, so you'll want to take each and every opportunity you can to start crafting it.

So step away from the IMDB.com and start writing now. You won't regret it, I promise.