Industry Cliffsnotes

Just a quick rundown on some recent blogs by agents and authors.  That's right, Cliffsnotes for the writing industry!  Hopefully, you already follow some of these blogs, so you've probably already seen at least one or two of these already. 

On QueryTracker: Publishing Pulse runs through recent publishing news.  Highlights?  Updates on agents, including some closed for summer submissions.  (Updated: Chris Lotts, Janet Reid, Andrea Somberg)   (Kristin Lindstrom: no longer a lit agent. Chris Richman: closed for summer.  Joelle Delbourgo: closed for summer.  Scott Eagan: Closed for summer.)  Also, links on good writer pages, the effect of spoilers on writing, and a press release about JK Rowling's Pottermore.
Also on QueryTracker:  Why you need a Game Plan, an article explaining that writers, like businesspeople, need a game plan.  This is especially true if you're self-publishing, but also true even with traditional publishing.  Danyelle Leafty talks about developing a 5-year game plan.  Mostly, she points out that writers are now considered responsible for a lot of their own self-promotion.  She also points out that the point of social networking isn't to sell - it's to form a network of people to support you, make connections, and so forth.  If it doesn't work for you, don't do it.  Do, however, keep your website up-to-date. And find some way to connect to readers.  If you're self-publishing, you have to make sure you're professional, from your website to your book covers. 

On Eric Blank's Pimp My Novel:
Eric talks about why summer sales slow down.  Major points: Many publishing houses are connected to universities, so of course things slow down in summer.  Your agents will probably take longer to respond, and some agencies close to submissions in the summer. Use the extra time to write.
Also:  Eric talks about why the average advance is shrinking.  You know, that all-important cash advance that writers later have to wait for their royalties to earn out before making money off the royalties?  Yeah, it's getting smaller.  It's a lean market out there, and the original purpose of the advance was for authors to use to market their own books.  With the webculture growing, marketing is getting cheaper.  So publishing houses are shrinking their advances.

On BookEnds:
Jessica Faust points out that if you don't tell people about your facebook/website/blog/twitter accounts, nobody's going to follow you.  (I might be guilty of this one.  >.>   <.<   >.>  Oops.  Guess I'd better fix that!)

On Guide to Literary Agents:
If you don't follow BookEnds, then you might have missed that Lauren Ruth officially joined BookEnds as a new agent now accepting queries.
Also, an article on How to be a Click Magnet - getting higher on the search engine roll and getting more traffic.  Included amongst the 10 suggestions?  Use full names, specific (yes, even to the point of boring) titles, and keep the title under 65 characters (not words!)
Also: An interview with Deirdre Knight.  Always get to know the agents you're querying - if you plan on sending something to her, read the interview.  No cliffsnotes on this one, sorry: the homework doesn't help you if you don't do it yourself.  Well, maybe one note: apparently fanged unicorns win over zombies.

And on the close-to-home side of things (close to my home, anyway,) HCRW's own Virginia Kantra won the RITA award at the annual RWA conference!  Congratulations, Virginia! 
(Decoding the alphabet soup for my new readers: HCRW, is the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers' association, my local chapter of the Romance Writers of America.)

Just a happy little summer update on the industry!  Any news of note that I've missed?

Guest blog with Kathy Lane: Sexy Secondary Characters

Kathy Lane

 Joining me today is guest blogger and published author, Kathy Lane!  Kathy's first book, Bloodsworn: Bound by Magic, just won 1st place in the Fantasy catagory of the PRISM contest.  The PRISM contest is hosted by the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal chapter of the RWA, and her win was announced just yesterday!  Join me a quick congratulations! :) 
 Check out her website and her blog.  Also, her second novel comes out July 15, so keep an eye out!

ATTENTION READERS: Join me on my July Blog Tour and play my Scavenger Blog Game. Visit each of my blog/interview sites for the month of July and leave a comment. At the end of July, one lucky winner will receive a prize package which includes a copy of Bloodsworn I and II, a $25 Amazon gift card, and more! Happy July!

Strong, Sexy, Secondary Characters in a book are a delight to read. Yes, you’re rooting for the lead character, but it’s nice to have someone else to add a little spice to the story from time to time.

Depending on the type of story, secondary characters can also be essential in showcasing your Hero or Heroine. In books dealing with mystery or intrigue, of instance, it helps if the main character has someone they can bounce ideas off of. Internal dialogue is fine, but unless your Hero is omnipotent, there is a limit to his information. Put him in a conversation with his best buddy, and the possibilities for plausible deductions increase dramatically.

Conversations between a primary and secondary character serve a multitude of functions. They reveal secrets, create or relieve tension, and explore motives and conflicts without the dreaded ‘telling’. In some cases, especially when the author is great at writing dialogue, such interaction can set the tone for the whole book.

In addition to providing information, a secondary character can often develop into someone we love and want to know more about. In my first book, Bloodsworn: Bound by Magic, two secondary characters stood out according to my fans. One is Devlin Tragar’s best friend, Karess (who has yet to tell me his story, the rascal), and the other is Avera St. John’s First Blade and new best friend, Bracca Cu-Laurian.

True, Bracca isn’t your typical best friend, but he’ll do anything for Avera. And she definitely thinks he’s strong and sexy. So does a young widow named Sheren Ni-Annun who Bracca meets in Bloodsworn II: Linked by Blood. From the moment he sees Sheren, Bracca is drawn to her. Yet his life and loyalty is pledged to his Bloodsworn, Lady Avera. A man with his dark and violent past has nothing left to offer a gentle woman like Sheren. Or does he?



Kathy's up-and-coming second novel!



Duty vies with passion in book two of the Bloodsworn Series due out July 15^th, 2011.

Now, here’s my question for those of you who are playing my Scavenger Blog Game.

(1) What three futuristic, fantasy, or paranormal authors do you think have the best cast of secondary characters?  My picks are Jeanine Frost, Patricia Briggs, and Ilona Andrews. There are lots more out there, so let us know. Happy Reading!



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?

Pitching in Person, as advised by Virginia Kantra

I'm going to keep this one short, since you'll go read the article if it's of interest to you.


Another blog for ya'll to check out: http://virginiakantra.blogspot.com/2011/05/write-on-wednesday-pitch-appointment.html

Virginia Kantra is a best-selling paranormal romance writer who also has a ton of great advice for budding authors.  This particular article is on giving pitches to an agent/publisher in person, if you happen to be in a place (like a conference) which allows you to sign up to pitch to such an esteemed person.  If you're planning on going with a traditonal publishing house, I recommend it.  Also, I'd recommend browsing through her other articles, even if you're self-publishing.  She's worth the read.

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?

Some more online classes for your perusal

I figured that some of these looked useful, and no one said they never wanted to see class links again after my first post, so I went ahead and compiled some more. The first one is free to both members and nonmembers of the host chapter (and yes, like all the courses, you can take it even if you're not a member of the RWA!)

FREE: Why did that editor reject me?
"Publisher and Editor Liz Pelletier of Entangled Publishing will teach you how to evaluate your submission package from an acquisition perspective, so you'll be able to eliminate any deal-breakers from your own manuscript.  This workshop will include dissection of sample submissions so you can see an editor's thought processes as she reviews a submission package and decides its fate." 
*I've taken a class with this instructor before; check out the review of my last class with her
Runs July 18-July 24

The X-Tremely Productive Writer
"What writer doesn't dream of producing three, four, or five books a year? It's more achievable than you think. Writing is like using a muscle; if you increase your outcome a little at a time, it's easier than trying to suddenly write as fast as Nora Roberts."
Cost for nonmembers: $25
Runs July 5-Aug1

Polishing Your Sample Pages
"When submitting to agents, you often get to include five sample pages with your query. This workshop will teach you how to get those pages to shine, from character introduction, conflict, voice and formatting--to ensure that agent will want to read more."
Cost for nonmembers: $20
Runs July 5-July 18

Medical Speak for Writers
"Medical Speak for Writers is a four-day class that covers the various types of medical facilities, the departments of a typical hospital, medical terminology, various medical specialties, patient experiences and common injuries."
Cost for nonmembers: $20
Runs July 25- Aug 1

http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
Cost: $16
Use-of-force workshop
"Want to make your Law Enforcement character come alive, give her what she needs to know so that she thinks and acts like a real cop when things go bad?"
Runs: July 8-July 29
Writing Regency-Period Novels
"This workshop covers:
        • What makes the Regency a fascinating era
          - How to use this era to add wit gallantry and elegance to your setting and your novel.
        • Key research resources:
          - What do you need to get right and
          – What can you invent.
        • Brief overview of the history of the Regency era, with its great contrast, and therefore great conflicts, and rich background."
Runs: Aug 5-26

http://www.passionateink.org/workshops/
Cost for nonmembers: $20
How to get an Agent - and not get scammed
"Week 1 will focus on mistakes writers make that can result in being the victim of a scam, and week 2 will present positive steps for finding a legitimate agent."
Runs July 11- July 20

Online class: A Publisher's Guide to Contracts

I've never seen a publisher's contract before.  I had no idea of what to expect, and since this is my industry now, that's not okay.  So when I found a free online class through the RWA on publisher/author contracts, I signed up.  How could I resist?  Why would I resist?  I may not be at that stage in my career yet, but I expect to be there one day.  And in case I don't remember everything... well, I archived the yahoogroups daily digests.  You know, just in case.

Some things I didn't know before:

Right of first refusal:  Most publishers will include a "right of first refusal" clause in the contract.  What, exactly, is included in this clause is negotiable: sometimes it's anything that the author writes (Steer clear of this if you can!!!).  Usually, though, it's any other book containing the same characters, and often (but by no means always) it extends to include anything set in the same world.  If the publisher works with several genres, they may require anything between certain word lengths (and the instructor did mention that she knew of several cases where authors had successfully negotiated word lengths, for example, from 5K-100k down to from 5K-70K, leaving the author room to write longer works and publish them elsewhere.)  In most cases, however, that last clause isn't included, and I think I'd require it to be removed from my own contract before signing.  Also, just because a publisher is offered the next book, doesn't mean they'll take it.  Once they've turned the next one down,

Timelines:  These are actually written into your contract.  They seem pretty generous to me: for example, if you're requested to write a second book, you're required to produce the second one within (let's say 12 months; seems pretty standard.)  The publisher then has (12 months) to actually publish the book (which means it doesn't happen right away!)  If you decide you don't like your publisher anymore and try to slough them off by not meeting your deadline, you have to repay your advance.  Oh, and if you ever do finish that book, you stillhave to offer it to them.  (The next book, by the way, gets its own contract, even though it's written into this contract that you'll write it.  The contract process starts all over again when the second manuscript is turned in.)
Contract termination:  There are several ways to terminate a contract.  Most contracts automatically expire after a certain amount of time, rights immediately reverting to author.  Also, there is a sales termination clause: If combined sales of all publisher's editions (including both digital and print) fall below (150 copies in 12 months,) the publisher can pay ($500) and say the book is still in print.  Otherwise, it's not considered in print anymore, and the contract is terminated, rights reverting to author.  It's this final part that the instructor suggests you negotiate: if you want the contract to possibly terminate sooner, raise the copy numbers.  But 150 in 12 months is apparently pretty standard.

There were, of course, other things discussed in class, but those were three clauses in particular that I was interested in.

On the whole, I did really appreciate the class.  The instructor did a good job of presenting the contract, and explaining the "scariest" clauses (and really, all the main ones.)  She answered all the students' questions, including some that weren't directly mentioned in the contract (like subsidary rights.)  And she provided both publisher and author perspectives for most of the clauses, giving a rounded view on topics (like right of first refusal) on various and potentially sensitive topics.  On the other hand, it was still dense reading, and there was a lot of information.  Even after breaking it down into lay terms,  I can't say I completely understand the contracts now, just because there's so very much to digest and remember, and the class was only a single week.  And it's going to be little a while until I actually have need of the information, so it's not immediately useful.  Furthermore, I don't usually have too much of a problem reading legalese.  I had no idea, however, what's considered "standard" for most contracts, and without the class, I could have been ripped off by a less-than-sterling publisher and never known it until too late. 

Grade: B+ Extremely useful, but with more subject than time.