Pitching and Querying

I've gathered up some of the resources I've come across in the past couple of years about constructing pitches and queries.

The difference between a pitch and a query, as told by agent Kristen Nelson.

Pitches

Author Jami Gold's Guide to Pitching.

Agent Rachelle Gardner on what she, as an agent, looks for in a pitch and the secrets of a great pitch.

Best-selling author Virginia Kantra on pitching in person at conferences.

Author Stina Lindenblatt on writing killer loglines (which can also be used as pitches).

Agent Suzie Townsend on how to choose comparable titles for your pitch.

Pitch contest host Sharon Johnson on refining your pitch.


Queries

Hint: Your query shouldn't
put the agent to sleep.

You might want to start with a post of my own about the elements of writing a good query letter, info I've gathered through my own research through links such as those below. But mine's just a summary, and it's a good idea to get the full picture, so here's a list of resources to get you going:


Author Jane Lebak on the true purpose of query letters.

Author Tracey Lyons on how to write a query letter.

Author Angela Quarles on how to write a good query letter, when to start, and other things to keep in mind, Part 1 and Part 2.

The Editors' Blog on how to write a query letter.

QueryShark: read it. Seriously, read the archives (not just the most recent letter); and then avoid making the same mistakes the writers of these queries made.

Agent Suzie Townsend's advice on making your query stand out.

Agent Janet Reid on writing a query for nonfiction  and why you need to include relevance.

Agent Jessica Faust's advice on query letters. Includes some queries that worked.

Example query letters as posted by author Carolyn Jewel.

On GalleyCat, 23 query letters that worked.

Publishing industry expert Jane Friedman's guide to writing queries that get requests.

How long you should expect to wait to hear back (or not) about a query.

Agent Kristen Nelson makes a vlog on using plot catalysts to write the perfect query.


Mistakes to avoid in queries:

Agent Rachelle Gardner on the top 10 mistakes she sees in queries.

Jane Lebak on QueryTracker on why you shouldn't write a first-person query.

6 common query problems by author Janice Hardy.

Author Chuck Sambuchino interviews agents about their query pet peeves.

4 mistakes agent Janet Reid finds that make you look unprofessional.

QueryTracker with  5 mistakes that make you look like an amateur.


(Also--How to choose agents to query/pitch to:)

Victoria Strauss's guide to finding the right agents to query without getting scammed.

Science Fiction Writers Association's post "How to find a (REAL) Literary Agent!" by A.C. Crispin (Includes how to know when you're ready to query, how to find a reputable agent, query writing advice, and how to know the agent is a good match.)

(updated 7/15/2014)

Good Idea/Bad Idea

Yesterday morning, agent Janet Reid posted some very pertinent advice on her Tuesday Morning Question Emporium. If an author receives an offer from a small publisher, Janet was asked, should the offer notify the agent to whom a query has been submitted?

Well, yes. Etiquette says this is a nice thing to do. Read her blog for more details on when, how, and why.

But when you do, don't hold your manuscript hostage. Let's play a game of good idea, bad idea on how you should word your query.

Good Idea agent e-mail: Be polite, mention time frame, leave the agent room to say yes

Subject: (agent's requested subject line)-Publishing Offer
Dear (actual name of agent),

I recently sent you a query for (name of manuscript), but have recently received an offer from Small Publish Publishing Shack. I requested a week to consider their offer while I waited for your response, and would appreciate it if you got back to me within 7 days. For your convenience, I have included my original query here.

(Query)

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Your Real Name, writing as Your Pen Name

Bad Idea agent e-mail: Demand a response NOW. Threaten to take the story hostage.

Subject: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED NOW

Howdy Agent,

I recently sent you a query for MY MOST AWESOME STORY EVER. I'll give you a minute to go find it.

Isn't it great? Anyway, I just got an offer from a small publisher. You have 3 days to get back to me, or I'm rewriting the plot from the perspective from the family dog. And if you don't get back in 5 days, I'll kill the dog at the end of the book. If you don't get back in 7 days, you'll have lost your chance to work with this soon-to-be best-seller. 

Keep it real,

Toma Toplant

In general, do try not to alienate a member of your own professional community.

(And yes, the purpose of this blog was an excuse to write a "bad idea agent e-mail.")

What not to do in your query

What not to do in your query:

Don't do this.

But it sure makes for a good Monday morning laugh.

Breakdown of some of the "faults" of the mock query sent to Janet Reid, Query Shark:

• started the query with a character other than the main character
• ridiculous description
• focused too much time on minuscule details and mostly ignored the plot
• claimed to be a murder mystery without mentioning who died
• misspellings
• described the story as "funny" (never describe your own story as anything! Let the agent figure out what to call it.)
• compared her work to literary masters
• compared her work to wildly different genres that don't blend well together
• had a 350,000 word manuscript
• threatened to stalk the agent
• considered getting a joke published to be "publishing credentials"
• attached a file without agent's express permission
• rated the story
• included a quote from a friend

What other query-killing mistakes can you find? (Once you stop laughing, that is!)

Elements of a Good Query

I've had a few people ask me about queries lately, so I thought I'd give a summary of things I've learned about crafting a query.

First, what is a query for? A query letter is a short, one-page (250 word) reason for an agent (or a publisher) to look at your manuscript and consider it for publication. The agent reads the letter, decides if he or she is interested enough to ask for more, and sends back either a request for a partial manuscript (the first few chapters,) a request for a full manuscript (the whole thing), or, most commonly, a rejection letter regrettably informing you that the agent will pass.

It is better to have an agent pass a work in which she is only mildly interested, than to have her accept a work in which she is not interested. If she isn't excited about it, she won't be able to sell it. So there is a good reason to get rejection letters, and although they may sting, better a little pain now than an unsold manuscript later. Remember, only about 60% of agented words actually make it all the way to being published. And many publishers will only accept agented works.

Okay, now you know what a query letter is, let's cover the parts of a good query letter (tips and tricks I've picked up from published authors, classes, and feedback on my own query):

1. Write it in a standard font (New Times Roman or Courier New), size 12.

2. You need to include your title (in ALL CAPS is standard), wordcount, and genre in your opening statement. Include any important 'elements': romantic elements, time-travel elements, etc., because agents frequently have specific tastes, and they should know up front if they don't like your specific genre. This will save both of you time.

3. Your manuscript should be complete (only exception: nonfiction).

4. The purpose of a letter is only to get an agent to request more. It is not to tell your entire story. Therefore, include your hook, the name of one or two of your main characters, and a short glimpse of the plot.

5. Don't use questions. Most agents I've seen have reported hating questions in a query as a rhetorical device. "Can she save him?" Sure, it looks suspenseful. But of course the heroine is going to save the hero, duh. So don't end the plot summary with a question mark.

6. Use short sentences. They keep the query flowing, and a query needs to have a quick pace. Yep, that's right - just like in your novel, pace is important in your query.

7. Make sure the hook is included in your query. It might be awesome that bats swoop down and steal the hero's sword, but the hook is that the heroine, in refusing to be rescued, ends up having to rescue the hero instead. So make the hook the central plot point of the query, and not the sidequests.

8. Make sure your query is clearly in the genre you stated. Is it science-fiction? Then make sure to mention the science fiction element. Is it romance? Then make sure to mention the romantic element, and not just the adventure that goes on in the background.

9. Include your credentials (e.g., other published works). If you don't have any writing credentials, then don't pad your query letter with "how long you've been writing" or "I work in such-and-such unrelated field and am raising two kids as a widower while juggling bowling balls for cash on the side." (Unless your main character is a widower with two kids and juggles bowling balls for cash on the side.) If it's not related, cut it out.

10. Don't go into details on the subchapters of your writers' organization you're in. "Two subchapters" is sufficient detail.

11. Don't mention that you've paid an editor to edit your work. It should be edited and polished already, so mentioning that it's been professionally edited is redundant (doesn't matter who has edited it.)

12. Do not ask the agent to edit for you, or imply that your work needs more editing. If it does, start editing, and don't query until it's ready to go.

13. Query one manuscript at a time. Just one. Write a different query letter for each manuscript.

14. Do not reply to rejection letters. The agent doesn't want to try to sell your work. That's okay. Everyone has different tastes, and if the agent only likes your query, it's better that she doesn't agent it, because someone else can do a better job. Most agents easily acknowledge that they've passed on brilliant books, just because the plot didn't resonate right with them, so they didn't feel like they could do it justice. And who knows - one day, you might want to query them with something else. Don't burn bridges. After all, agents do talk to each other.

I highly recommend searching the Internet for query formats, and also checking the agency's website for information on their specific preferences. Also look through QueryShark and other query websites to get ideas on how to improve your own query, and if you can, take a query-writing class. You'll probably go through multitudes of query drafts - one good reason to send your queries out in batches of five or less, because that gives you a chance to fix your errors based on feedback.

What tips have you learned about query letters?

No Takebacks?

You've sent a batch of queries and a couple of manuscripts.  You've waited.

And now you've gotten a response.

But your response came from agent #3, and you really wanted to hear back from agent #1 before making a choice.  Can you tell agent #3 that you want to think about it, or is it first come, first serve?

Absolutely tell agent #3 that you need to think about the offer.  And then send a notification to everyone else who has your manuscript that you've gotten an offer - to those whom you think would work better with you than #3, tell them you've had an offer and would like to hear back from them.  To those whom you think agent #3 would be better than, tell them you've had an offer and thank them for their time, but let them know you're now off the market.

This is professional, this is polite, and this is acceptable.  Telling an agent that you've had a prior offer and you're still considering them gets them to take a deeper look at your manuscript - but, they will be rushed, so don't try using this as a ploy to get read.  A rushed agent is more likely to say "No" than one who has had enough time to mull. 

On the other hand, if you don't tell the other agents that you're now engaged in conversation with #3, you risk wasting everyone's time.  Agent #3 deserves to know that you've sent a batch of queries, and it's perfectly acceptable to take a little time to communicate with them.  But if you wait too long, you risk #3 starting to think that you're unreliable.  And if you don't e-mail #4 to tell them your manuscript already has an agent, then when #4 gives you a call and you say the manuscript is off the market, they'll be mad at you for wasting their time.  The industry isn't that big. It's not a good idea to irritate an agent, not even if you don't think you'll be working with them.  At the very least, that's unprofessional behavior.

So, yes, if you get the call - make a call (or e-mail.)  Let the other agents you've contacted know you've spoken with one agent and gotten an offer, and let them know if you're still considering them, or if you're now off the market.  And while "Nyah-nyah, they got me first!" might be satisfying, it really won't help your cause - a polite "Thanks for your time, but I've gotten an offer and am withdrawing my query/manuscript" will suffice.

Besides, next book might be more to Agent #4's taste.  And I know you're already working on the next one, right?

5 Steps to Using an Agent Catalogue

Wouldn't it be great if there were some catalogue of literary agents, which you could pick up and browse at will?

Oh, wait.  There is!

Check out your local bookseller (I went to Barnes & Nobles, because there's one just down the street.)  A lot of large stores will carry books like The 2011 Guide to Literary Agents or a similar title.  If you're not in the RWA, or if you're looking for a different genre and haven't joined the association yet to get access to the association's list of agents, the book's a pretty good resource.  Heck, it's good even if you are a member.

But not every agency listed will sell your book.  And, as every writer should know, it's just plain silly to query an agent who doesn't sell your sort of book!  They don't have the connections, haven't studied your market, and may not even enjoy reading your genre at all.  So do your research before writing your letter.

Step one is to flip to the index.  That's right, the big books I've seen have a lovely little "by genre" index in the back, which will allow you to make a list of all agencies which might actually be willing to accept your novel (or your instruction book for decoding the mathematics behind taxes, as related to the housing market in China.  A lot of the agencies do take nonfiction.)  As for me, I only noted down the agencies I hadn't seen on the RWA website, or which I'd seen but not yet applied to.  No point researching someone to whom I've already sent a query!

Step two is to actually read the blurb provided.  Just because an agent sells romance, doesn't mean they sell paranormal/fantasy romance.  I marked everyone off my list who didn't sell my specific genre.  I also marked off a few who did, but who only take new clients by referrals, or who work with only established authors. 

Naturally, step three is to note down the contact information and preferences of the agency. 

Step for is not to query them.  Step four is to research them by going online, checking out their agency and their agents, and figuring out which agent is most likely to be interested in my work.  I also check out any blogs connected to the agency, and read through to get a better feel of what interests the agents, what their pet peeves are, and if they have any particular preferences for what should be included in the submission.

Step five, yes, is to actually send the query, and wait for a reply.  Try not to be like me and fidget too much in the interval, especially since it usually takes a few weeks for agents to get back to you.  Remember that they get hundreds of e-mails a week (sometimes a day.)  Jennifer Laughran suggests that waiting is good for you: if an agent sends something back immediately, usually it's a rejection.  They think about the submissions they like.  And, if you follow ettiquette, you should query no more than five agents at any one time, except in cases where an agent says they prefer an exclusive query (obviously, you'll be sending to just them.) In the latter case, they usually tend to be quicker on the return replies.

And, if you're lucky, step six will be to get a follow-up phone call, wherein you'll ask a lot of questions. 

For those published writers out there, how did you find your agent?  Through a recommendation, a conference, or a cold query?  Through a contest or a class?  How did you choose which agent to query?  And do you have any warnings or suggestions for debut authors?

Dear goodness, another query???

Hey, I've made another revision of my query letter!  Just thought that I would show that I'm still working to make it better.  After taking a couple of classes and dragging my friends into editing for me (Thanks especially to Jess, Kat, and Gwyn!), I've made a yet another version.
You know what's crazy?  I'm still not satisfied with it.  I want to know more about my female lead.  BUT, it does address several main issues.  It's under 250 words; it introduces the book first; it demonstrates the conflict and doesn't bog the reader down in a multitude of subplots.  The entire purpose of a query letter is to get the agent to ask for more.  It's the synopsis that actually tells the story; the query is just a hook.  But still...  Maybe it's just perfectionism, but chances are, you'll see another version soon enough, if this one doesn't start getting responses (and quickly!)

By the way, a good query letter should supposedly net you at least an 80% request rate.  If it doesn't, you're supposed to rewrite it.  Mine didn't.  So, I took a few classes and rewrote it.  Wish me luck!

How many versions has your query gone through?  Have you ever taken a class, or found a book, that made the difference between a form rejection and a manuscript request?  And what was your biggest error?

Suggested Links

Just a compilation of suggested links, which I'll add to as time goes on:

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/  BookEnds Literary Agency Blog - the writer had a lot of very helpful articles on everything from writing queries to what to expect when you're publishing.

http://queryshark.blogspot.com/ QueryShark - if you're working on writing your query, READ THIS.  It made all the difference for me.  While she's harsh, the author is good, and being able to see her feedback on other people's work means you won't have to swallow the same kind of feedback on your own.  Assuming, that is, you follow her advice.

http://www.rwa.org/ Romance Writers of America - Join, and you'll have access to their lists of romance agents, articles, writing contests, local chapters, and much more.  Great networking tool, and if you intend to be a professional writer, you should join a professional writing association.

http://www.heartofcarolina.org/ Heart of Carolina Romance Writers - The local chapter of the RWA for me.  Actually sitting down with published writers and talking to them?  I can't stress enough how much that helped me.  Really.  I learned as much during a tea and dinner as I learned in three weeks of research, and most of it was entirely informal.  Of course, if you're not a romance writer, you oughtn't join, but I'd suggest finding the equivalent of your genre.  Not in North Carolina?  The chapter does make exceptions for writers who live in states without a local chapter.  Of course, I'd probably suggest going for the closest state and asking them if you can join.  That way, you'll have a chance of being able to attend in person a little more often (theoretically, anyway.  I know  - it's hard making the time to go to meetings!  But try.  Trust me on this.)

http://www.ncwriters.org/ NC Writers - Where will you find your genre-equivalent of HCRW?  Check here (or your state's writing network).  What's the benefit of writing conferences?  Getting to meet an agent in person, talking to other writers, general networking, and taking seminars that will prepare you for the next step.

http://virginiakantra.com/Links.html Virginia Kantra's website - she's been highly recommended to me by all of the members of HCRW as having excellent articles about writing, and those that I've read so far have been helpful.

Query: Again?

I've hacked.

I've slashed.

I've trashed and started from scratch.

I've irritated my friends, annoyed my best editors, read QueryShark (http://queryshark.blogspot.com/), read the BookEnds Blog (http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/), looked up author advice, trashed again and then dug through the trash for bits I wanted to save after all, only to throw them right back in there.

And I've come up with Query Version (mumble-point-oh).

This version is much tighter, more gripping, and shorter.  It's still more than 250 words (the query rule of thumb,) but not much more.  Also note that I have my title in all-caps (POSEIDON'S DAUGHTER); that's standard form for queries. 

I also worked on showing, not telling, my characters' personalities.  That's important: telling is passive, and showing is active.  I don't need a lot of background; I just want the agent to read the letter.  So I cut out most of the plot, offered my two main characters, the love connection, and their biggest problems.  Do I say that Lygos hates politics and doesn't want to stop being a general?  No, I say

"he’ll have to join a new Council, taking up the most disgusting profession he can imagine: politics." 

Same idea, but here you get into his head and find yourself saying the word like it's profanity.  And that tells you just how much he hates it, without having to say "Lygos hates politics."


I also don't specifically say that POSEIDON'S DAUGHTER is a time-travel romance.  But do I have to spell it out?  No, you catch on immediately with the questions that also indicate Carol's confusion, and her exasperation/disgust with having to deal with a dead body minus her typical tools.  That's showing. EDIT 10/3/11: I've been advised (by the professionals!) to clearly state the time-travel up front, because many agents who do paranormal have preferences for or against specific subgenres such as time-travel. Since time-travel is not a central theme, I'm call it "a fantasy romance with elements of time-travel."


Will this query work any better than my last versions?  I don't know for certain, but I think it has a much better chance!  If you're working on writing your own query, I highly suggest hitting up queryshark and reading through the advice and feedback they've put together for writers.  It takes a lot of reading, but it's worth it.  As for me... Cross your fingers and wish me luck?


And on a random note - finally got around to fixing the "mysterious sinking island" loophole.  Poor Aegadon.  One day you're a mile-wide island ten miles off shore; the next, you're one fourth the size and 95% closer.  Either way, you get sunk.  Splash!

Reinventing the Query-Wheel

Yesterday, I went to the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers' meeting.  It ran from 1-3, and involved a published novelist and college instructor giving a presentation about editing your own novel.  I learned a couple of things - for me, most notably, 'find your favorite phrase, then SEARCH AND DESTROY!'  In other words, find out the one phrase you like too much and have a tendency to throw in several times, then go through and get rid of all but one occurence in the entire novel.  Ouch!  That's going to be hard.  But I know I play favorites to a couple of phrases, so it's advice I'll heed.

We ended right at three, and then the REAL meeting began: going out to tea with the members of the group, and later dinner with whomever was left.  In this informal setting, I got a chance to talk with several published authors, as well as quite a few unpublished authors in the same writing boat as me (finished manuscript, no publication as of yet.)  I have to say, I learned more from the four hours following the meeting than from the lecture, and it was a very good lecture.

Amongst the conversation, I discovered one invaluable piece of information: I need to rewrite my query letter.  You see, I've made one, small, fundamental mistake: I forgot my audience.  In my original letter, I've sold an interesting world and a pair of interesting characters.  There's nothing wrong with that; if I were publishing a science fiction or a fantasy book, I'd be set.  But I'm writing a romance novel.  I need to sell, first and foremost, the romance.

You know the cliche.  I'm starting over; I'm beginning again; I'm throwing it out and doing a Lady McBeth in my mind: "Out, out, damn letter!"  It's time to rewrite based on what my potential agents are looking for, and never mind how much I love my world.  If an agent doesn't see a worthwhile romance in the query, she'll never get lost in my setting or blown away by my steamy love scenes, because she'll never read the book! 

This may take a while, because the query is, understandably, the hardest part of the novel to write.  But I'll get back to you when I've figured it out.  Meanwhile, if you're a writer trying to find a agent, I suggest you take a good look at your query, too.  What genre is your novel?  Does your letter address, first and foremost, the selling point your genre revolves around? "No agent is going to sign something that won't make them money," a quote from Katharine Ashe, and an agent with a pile of letters is going to skip anything that doesn't address the selling point of the target genre.  Time for me, at least, to rewrite!

Rejection!

Well, it's official.  I must be a real writer now.  Why?

Because I've just received my first two rejection letters!  Wahoo!

Wait, you're surprised I'm excited?  Shouldn't I be upset, or crying, or something?  Pssh.  Every writer starts out being rejected.  It's the first step on the road to success.  Me, I think I'm going to frame my first rejection letter and hang it on my wall somewhere...

Since I've only sent out brief queries, and haven't had full manuscript requests yet in response to my queries, I haven't gotten any kinds of specific feedback.  And, I'll admit it: I've been lazy.  Instead of sending out queries on a weekly basis, I've been editing my first novel, planning and beginning writing on my second, applying for a second part-time job, and working a first part-time job.  See?  Pure laziness: If I don't get my query letters sent out, no one will ever publish my book!  Priorities, girl, priorities!  It takes (on average, based on the majority of agents I've sent letters to) about 4-6 weeks to hear back for an e-mail query.  Having sent my first queries out in mid-February, I'm doing pretty well to have already heard back from two!

What does a query letter look like?

Okay, so, I haven't had a successful query letter result yet.  But here are some important elements:

• Correctly spell the agent's name. Use the agent's name, too, and not "Dear Agent"
• Immediately state your title, genre, word count, and that your novel is complete (don't query an incomplete manuscript if you're a fiction writer)
• Give a short blurb about your story. Include your plot hook (what makes your novel unique) and vivid, fast-paced, intriguing language. Don't leave your agent hanging with a question, even a rhetorical one. Every agent I've found discussing queries hate blurbs that end with a question.
• Include a short section with your creditials (if you have none, don't pad it.) Include ONLY information directly related to your ability to write, your past writing experience, and your experience as it relates to THIS manuscript. You may also mention why you chose this specific agent, and show that you did your research.
• Try to keep it under 250 words.
• Sign with your real name, not your pen name.
• Include your contact information.

 

Important things to note about my query: I've included my word count, my membership to Romance Writers of America, that I have no previously published works, and why I chose this literary agent/ Each letter is a little different, because I personalize to each agent.  I have been very picky in whom I send the queries to, because there's no point in sending it to someone who isn't interested in what I've written.  Yes, that's right: I research each agent before sending the query. Oh, and I have the title of the book, too.  Don't forget that!  I also have a brief plot synopsis designed to catch the reader's interest, and I spelled the agent's name correctly.

What does a rejection letter look like?

All personal information removed to protect the literary agents, here's what I got back:
Thank you so much for querying us with your project. Unfortunately, we did not feel it was the right fit for our agency. Thanks for thinking of (Agency name) and we wish you nothing but the best in your writing career.
Sincerely,
(Agent)

And my second rejection:

Dear Juturna,
Thanks so much for letting me take a look at your material, which I read with great interest. Unfortunately, the project you describe does not suit my list at this time.  I sincerely wish you the best of luck in finding an agent and publisher for your work, and I thank you, once again, for letting me consider your work.
Sincerely,
(Agent)

I have to say, the latter was a very, very nice rejection.  Kudos to this agent for incredible people skills!

Writing Your Own Query

Pretty much any agency you visit will have somewhere on their website what they want in a query letter, and there's hundreds of different sites online about how to write a query.  Here's two links to get you started:
http://www.traceylyons.com/queryletter.html
http://www.carolynjewel.com/craft/querysamples.php
Rejection isn't something to be feared.  It's as much a part of writing as making an outline, and probably just as essential.  Remember, literary agents get thousands of queries, so every unsolicited query is like buying a lottery ticket - even when you know your book is just what your agent would like.  Here's a glance at the other side of the ticket, through the eyes of a literary agent talking about writing rejection letters:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/dec/03/publishers-rejection-letters

Have you ever sought an agent?  How many letters did you get before getting accepted?  I'll make sure to include a final count when I finally do get published.  For me, the biggest challenge is not to get discouraged.  So instead of looking at rejection as a critique of my self-worth, I consider it a necessary part of the writing process, and a chance to improve on my weak points as a writer.  Most of all, I always keep thinking, "When I get published..."  I don't give myself if's, or any kind of subjunctive clauses.  This isn't a wish or a possibility; it is something which will happen, and I just have to keep working at it until it does.  When it comes to rejection, it's all about stubborning yourself through. 

Fortunately, I'm pretty good at stubborn.

My first steps

I'm not afraid to admit that I didn't think this out.  I mean, I certainly thought about it, a lot, and I even prepared financially for it.  But the fact is, I walked into full-time writing with little more planning than a small nest egg, a little practice, and fingers that wouldn't stop itching.

I just finished my first novel, Poseidon's Daughter, and am currently in the phase of trying to get it published.  If you're tagging along, you're probably curious how I got this far, and whether or not I'll make it any further. I can answer the first right here and now - in fact, I will!  But the latter is something you'll just have to wait to discover, and trust me, I'm just as impatient as you are.

How did I get this far?

I've always loved to write.  It's something of an addiction.  For me, writing involves sci-fi, fantasy, or paranormal romance (i.e., sci-fi or fantasy with a little romance added in!)  Back in early November, I came to the realization that my current job wasn't netting me any profits.  In fact, I was losing approximately $300 a year, after all my bills and minor expenses.  I'm the sort of girl who likes to budget.  And I'm also the sort of girl who isn't okay with working more than full time (44 hours a week, to be exact), only to lose money.  My job wasn't bad; I was the manager of the floral department at a grocery store, and I enjoyed the 'working with flowers' part of it.  I got along well with my coworkers, and at least two of my many bosses clearly valued the work I was doing.

But, at the end of the day, "not bad" wasn't enough of a reason to stick around in a job that was losing me money.  You see, I'm something of a miser.  I LIKE to save money.  I don't indulge in partying, or designer clothes, or fancy haircuts, or expensive makeup.  I rarely go to movies, and I don't eat out very often.  So, if living on a bare-bones budget still landed me on the negative side of debt, that meant I wasn't going to be happy.  Before I'd moved into my current apartment, I'd managed to save up about 5 months worth of rent and bills.  I decided to stick with my job through Christmas (I wasn't going to leave my managers hanging right before the holidays!), and then take time off to write my first publishable novel.

We all know November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month,) and although I had a busy schedule for November, I decided I'd use my pre-freedom time to train for writing full-time.  I took an old story of about 22K words, and told myself I had until New Years' to finish it.  You see, I consider full-time writing to be something of a marathon sport.  So, just as if I were training to run a marathon, I began training to write a marathon. I wrote a little every day, more on my days off, even to the neglect of cleaning (much to my poor roommate's chagrin - she's a very patient woman, thank goodness!)  By New Years', I was just putting the final edits on my story, which had reached 103,000 words, and I finally felt ready to begin planning something for publishing.  (No, you can't read the "training wheels" story, and yes, that's my final answer.)

So I spent the first week of January, now jobless, putting together a plotline, writing character summaries of my main characters, and pretty much hashing out the world.  I'd decided back in November that my first novels would be Romance, because in fiction the most frequently books sold each year are romance - that means marketability.  Furthermore, most romance novels are less than 100K words; fantasy can be up to three times that, and sci-fi partway between.  Novel writing isn't lucrative.  In order to make a living, I need to publish several books each year.  The best way to do this is to choose a word count I can complete in a minimal amount of time - can you imagine writing 300,000 words in two months?  I can't!  I also decided that I would make my first set a series, because if a reader likes your first, they're more likely to buy the sequel.  So I read through some of my favorite publishers, and decided that if I was going to write serial fantasy romance, I should aim for a publisher who already publishes several fantasy romances.  I didn't have a clue as to how to appeal to them, but I was more worried about getting written first.

I began writing in early January (January 7,2011, to be exact).  I wrote no less than 3000 words a day, although I did allow myself to takes a day or two off each week for chores and friends.  I rarely wrote more than 3500, despite my original intentions; since I was basing my story off an actual historical time period (the late Bronze Age), I had to do a lot of research.  ("Wait, books haven't been invented yet!  Argh!  Guess I have to go back and change all references of books to scrolls.")  I made sure I had a plan for the overall series already plotted out - I dislike it when authors suddenly toss an entirely new set of rules into a series partway through.  By having an idea of what the later books in the series will be, I was able to include scenes and characters that have little use to the current storyline, but will be essential in later books in the series.  A sense of continuity in a series is very important to me; episodic books are all right, but I'd rather feel like the books are all connected.  Since I'm writing the novels, that means they have to appeal to me.

In my past writing ventures, I've thrown out continuous chapters to several of my friends for revisions and ideas.  That was a mistake, I've since learned, because nobody has time to continuously reread your works!  In this novel, I sent out a section to one person, one time, for feedback before the story was done.  By the end of the next day, I'd figured out what was bothering me and revised it myself, so much so that it was barely even the same story that I'd sent off.  I stopped bothering on getting mid-work revisions and focused on finishing the novel.

I finished the last scene of the rough draft on Valentine's day, just over a month from when I began writing, reaching 106,000 words.  I printed off the rough draft, bought stamps and envelopes, and mailed myself a copy for copyright purposes.  From there, I spent the next week thoroughly scouring the novel for grammar mistakes, incontinuities, and unecessary sections, and added several more scenes I felt were necessary.  Once I got it to where I felt it was decent, I sent to several friends for their opinions.  They're still reviewing it, but I'm confident enough in the story to begin sending out query letters.

What's a query letter?  Well, some time in mid-January I decided it would be important to find out what my target publisher requires for publishing submissions.  It turns out that they require you to have a literary agent.  That means I had to research how to get a literary agent.  I've been bad: I haven't ever gone to writers' workshops, and I don't have a membership to Romance Writers of America, and I don't really have a huge internet presence.  That means nobody knows who I am.  If I want an agent, I have to send them an "unsolicited request."  Literary agents get thousands of these a month, sometimes even in a day!  They're not going to read that many manuscripts.  Instead, they ask that you send them query letters, which have a brief description of the story (like you'd find on the back of a book), a word count, why you chose that agent in particular, and a little about yourself, including previous publications.  I polished up my query letter and have sent out a personalized copy to about five literary agents so far.  I chose those agents based on their interests: what have they worked with in the past?  If they do romance, do they also do science fiction and fantasy?  Is it only urban fantasy, or do they work with historical fantasy, too?  My first day's research uncovered five good literary agent fits, all of whom indicated that they were still building their client list.

Now

That was yesterday.  Today I may not get much more done, as I have a part-time job of tutoring that will take up most of the afternoon, and I have to plan lessons for two students.  I don't expect to hear back from any of the agents for another four to eight weeks, but I'm not giving up and I'm not going to sit around waiting for nothing.  Next up on my block is to start planning a second novel!  My fingers are already starting to itch again, and the writing bug is as strong as ever.  So I'll keep you updated on where I go next, and hopefully, someone else will find my personal story helpful in their own journey as a writer.