Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office

Weather: 89º and sunny

Yesterday I shared Susan Lawson’s journal entry. She, like so many waiting writers, asks what to write next? It’s a valid question. Does one begin the second book in a proposed series? Does it make more sense to start something fresh? Or should we think economically and keep from writing something that may never sell, holding off until someone shows interest in our first book?

Before I answer those questions, let me go back to something we’ve discussed here before. Too often a writer’s first book is far better than the next few. Strange, when we expect a writer’s skill to grow with each book, but here’s what too-often happens: a writers lavishes time on the very first book. It may go through edit after edit. The writer faithfully takes it to critique group and might even employ the help of an outside editor. The book is polished until it gleams. There may be years from first concept to contract. If that book releases and is successful, a second book is contracted. The writer may have nine months to write that book–maybe even less if the publisher wants to satisfy your emerging fan base. It begs the question, can you write a second book in nine months that compares with a first book that took half a decade to perfect? Maybe, but maybe not.

One way to anticipate this sophomore slump is to begin to build “inventory” while you wait for that first contract. When you’ve typed “the end” on one book, open up a file on the next book. To paraphrase Thoreau, move confidently in the direction of success. What do you have to lose? Some time, if you never do get published, but if you don’t love those hours spent writing you’re in the wrong business anyway. Look at successful authors. Many of them were able to go back and sell multiple books they wrote in those early years.

It doesn’t make sense to be time-stingy at this point in your career. In most industries we are encouraged to consider ROI– Return On Investment. At this point in your career you have no idea if there will ever be a return on your investment of time but perfecting your craft takes practice. If you are committed you need to keep writing until you decide to hang up your dreams.

Susan asked what to write. She’s a novelist and has a three book series planned. She already has book two and three sketched out. I would advise her to leave those for now and write something new. That way if book one never resonates with agents or editors, she’s on her way to a fresh possibility. As for the book she’s circulating, since she’s already spent time with the settings and characters it will be easier to pick this up and move forward if book one is contracted.

For a nonfiction writer there are a couple of possibilities. If you are well-branded and the book that is circulating is your signature book– the book that encapsulates your philosophy or your message, you might want to start working on some connected ideas. Line extensions are always an interesting way to go. For instance, if your flagship book is How To Talk Your Way Out of Anything, you may want to start on a book for women called How Women Can Talk their Way Out of Anything. Or instead, perhaps you need to turn your message on its head and write the opposite How You Can Talk Your Way Into Success.

If you are not a well-branded, go-to person you may just need to explore other nonfiction subjects and come up with your next new idea. Nonfiction writers can fill time by writing articles as well. You build writing credits, get exposure and make some money– all at the same time. Not a bad way to wait.

You need to use your waiting time well. Think how happy you’ll be when an editor asks you, “What else do you have?”

Let me ask you: What do you write while you are waiting for that big break?

Location: Tehachapi, CA

Weather: Breezy and beautiful

Last time I blogged, I talked about query letter dos and don’ts. Mostly the don’ts. I want to follow that up with the next step–what to do once you’ve got that book done, the queries and proposals circulating, and you are in that interminable wait. I’ve been planning the posts for a couple of weeks, but just this morning, as I sat in Lauraine Snelling’s living room, one of our writing friends read a journal entry that succinctly captured the uncertainty and vulnerability of that waiting time. Susan Lawson, who’s in the process of looking for an agent, gave me permission to share this with you:

I send off the query letter that I have wrestled to the ground in order to make it witty. I want the agent who reads it to be captivated by the letter and to pant to see my book. I know agents are mega busy, so after I send it off, what do I do while I’m waiting? If this agent passes and the next and all the other “nexts,” what do I do? I have an idea for my second book in the series, so do I start on that, even though no one wants the first? My feelings of “not good enough,” which apply  not only to the book, but to me, will increase exponentially. I expect to be the receiver of understanding nods which mean, “You’re a wannabe.  This is a dilettante thing.”

All the people I have interviewed to get background for my book will have wasted their time. Will I become the not-so-literary Mrs. Winchester, the woman in San Jose who believed she would never die as long as she kept adding extra rooms to her house? How ridiculous can you be, I thought after I climbed the stairs in her open-to-the–public mansion only to find they led nowhere. Is that the direction I’m heading? Am I pounding my head on a door that exposes only empty space? Will it feel good when I stop?

Most of us can identify with Susan. The longer the wait, the more time we have for self-doubt and second-guessing. That’s counter-productive. If you are serious about becoming a career writer, now is the time to be proactive. Once your book is contracted and you are on your way, you will find yourself carried along on a whirlwind. You’ll be writing the third book, doing edits for the second book, looking at the page proofs for the first book and planning a marketing push for your debut. Never again will you have this gift of time. You need to proceed with confidence and use this waiting period to set up your infrastructure, build inventory, connect with colleagues, perfect your craft and pre-market yourself. We are going to address all of those things this week.

But let’s put first things first. Use this time to continue to perfect your craft. Read every writing book you can get your hands on. Take classes and attend workshops. If you get feedback from your queries and proposals, go to work making any valid changes. Learn, learn, learn. Once you are contracted you are going to have to fight for the time to experiment and grow as a writer.

And read! Read everything important in your genre. Read the bestsellers so you know what’s happening in the industry. Nothing will help you perfect your craft more than reading. If you are reading good books, you gain techniques almost by osmosis. Good writing will become instinctual.

If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to move forward with confidence. Plan for success and use the gift of time.  Henry David Thoreau said it better: “If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

May your wait be measured in uncommon hours.

Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office

Weather: A sunny Friday

We’ve talked about avoiding the too-clever query and giving too much information. We’re going to wind up this week by talking about those queries that fail because they are filled with hyperbole and cringeworthy braggadocio.

Here are some quotes from actual queries I’ve received:

Over the past nine years, I’ve been working on a project to bring world peace.

Hmm. World peace. It would be wonderful if it were to happen but too often those things are out of our control as authors. My advice to this writer would be not to over-promise.

We’re talking about a literary masterpiece spanning over 1,000 pages.

Try to avoid using words like “masterpiece” when describing your own work. I won’t even go into the impossibility of the book length.

I can assure you, if you pass this opportunity by, you will grieve the loss of millions of dollars.  I must stress, however, that I must absolutely find the best book deal possible, and I will be contacting several literary agencies in order to find it.

I don’t even think I need comment on this one. Don’t dangle the commission you expect the agent to make from your work– it comes off as crass. The agent is the one who knows the business and has a good sense of the relative value of projects.

What must I do for you to take on my book and run with my idea?  (When you get the full scope of my idea, you will be amazed, I promise you!)

Rather than be “amazed” in the future, it would have been nice to have been given the scope of the book in the query letter. Too many query letters talk about the book in superlatives but neglect to ever say what it is about. If you are afraid someone will steal your idea you’re not going to be able to find an agent or sell your book.

I think Ralph Waldo Emerson summed it up best: “The mark of the man of the world is absence of pretension. He does not make a speech; he takes a low business-tone, avoids all brag, is nobody, dresses plainly, promises not at all, performs much. speaks in monosyllables, hugs his fact. He calls his employment by its lowest name and so takes from evil tongues their sharpest weapon. His conversation clings to the weather and news, yet he allows himself to be surprised into thought and the unlocking of his learning and philosophy.”

Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office

Weather: Warm and sunny

In the comments yesterday I mentioned how important it is for me to know something about the author in the query. When I agree to represent a new client I am representing that writer for a whole career, not just one book. I need to know who you are and what you’ve done. That said, however, it is important not to give TMI (too much information). Keep it succinct. Again, pique my interest. If you’ve been referred by one of my clients be sure to mention it.

What is TMI? Let me give you a few real-life examples– carefully redacted so as not to identify the writer.

Besides the book I have published (not a good publisher I ended up getting, I was young in the industry without much knowledge or business experience) . . .

Don’t denigrate another agent or publisher in your query letter. There’s enough time later to do a post-mortem of a failed book or a troubled agent/author relationship, but when you are just meeting someone it comes off as judgmental, blaming, and whiny. Your assessment may very well be true but you need a deeper relationship to risk the way it sounds.

As you can see from the following material, my wife and I are desperate. Our bankruptcy is in Federal Appeals Court (headed for the Supreme Court?), and our attorney, [name of attorney] aware of my intellectual property [name of manuscript] has advised me to offer it on the open market. Perhaps you can help.

Mentioning your financial need could well be the death knell for a query, no matter how wonderful the book. This industry moves slowly and a potential agent knows that, like any new business, it will take a number of years for an author to break even. A client who is financially strapped tends to write too fast out of desperation and make terrible decisions out of need that harm a long term career plan.

My name is [Jane Doe], I am a 41 year old divorced mom, (former victim of emotional and verbal abuse) dental hygienist, lecturer, home sex toy party sales person and author. My X husband lost his job 1 week after our “D” was final.  After years of hearing you’re nothing, how wrong he was.

Ignoring the sex toy sales job (way, way TMI), an agent is looking for a professional. It’s sad, but too much drama tends to get in the way of a writing career. Yes, we all have stuff in our past, but we need to have worked through that  before we take up pen to share universal truths through story. Even if you haven’t quite worked through your personal angst, don’t share it in a query. If you are writing a book in which your personal experiences form the basis of your expertise then that’s a different issue. Just be sure to be professional and emotionally detached in a query.

I am a new writer and have never, ever submitted any work to any agent or publisher.  But I had prayed about writing a worthwhile book and an idea just popped into my head one day.  I have been working on that idea for 2 months now and am planning on completing it by the fall. It is an excellent idea…straight from the mind of God Himself and I am humbled He gave it to me, of all people!

Anyone who knows me knows I believe God sometimes does inspire us but do not put it in a query. It’s one of those things you should silently ponder in your heart. As soon as you claim it in order to sell a book it makes it seem trite. A couple of other things from this query: a writer of only two months should not be querying agents. It’s time to begin studying the market, learning the craft and getting to know other writers. And do not denigrate yourself in your query like saying “me, of all people.” Writing a query letter is like applying for a job. You have to believe in yourself or you will never make it in this crazy industry.

As for marketing the story, I was hoping that would be your expertise; otherwise, if I had enough money, I would publish it myself.   I would make it a paperback, so it would be more affordable to parents with young children.  It would have glossy pages, so their sticky fingers wouldn’t ruin the book.  The book should be at least an 8-1/2 by 11 or larger, so it is visually appealing to the boys and girls and with large type so they can read along to some extent.  To add interactive play with the book, you could sell it with a stuffed toy that is accompanied with outfits.

If an agent asks for marketing ideas for a query do your homework. (Most agents do not want this in a query. Save it for the proposal.) Though most agents do help some with marketing ideas that is not our expertise. Also, by saying that if she had money she’d self-publish, it makes it appear that traditional publishing is this author’s last choice. And, above all, do not give directions for designing the book. That would even be presumptuous of an agent to say to a publisher.

I read only one book, when I was 6 years old, and it was 12 pages long. I went to the kindergarten, and read them my first and last book. Sure, I had to read when I went to school, and at work, but I would skim through everything and look for the most important things in the book, or in any manual. I have paid the consequences in my life, by not reading anyone’s books in my life. I am telling you the truth; I haven’t even read an entire magazine before!

This one was too sad. I think we can all read between the lines and see that this potential author must have a learning disability which does not in itself disqualify someone from being a writer. I represent a bestselling author who suffered from dyslexia in school. What does disqualify someone is if they don’t read. Even if one is reading-challenged, there are tried-and-true methods that can be employed to overcome it. It is imperative to read widely in your category or your genre. If you are not a reader, you cannot be a writer.

These are just a few examples. Have you ever wondered if you might be giving too much information?

Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office

Weather: 82º (Ten degrees hotter than yesterday)

Great comments so far on queries. Today we are going to get into some dos and don’ts. Let me say again, these are not rules, they are suggestions and they are subjective. My don’ts might just be another agent’s dos. But discussing it will only help us examine the process further.

When you are sending a query, don’t try to be clever. I know you want your query to be memorable, but humor is the most subjective art form there is. Think about what makes you laugh out loud. I’ll bet you have a friend who is annoyed by the very same thing. I love Garrison Keillor. If I could chose a spiritual hometown it would be lake Woebegon, but I have friend who finds him obnoxious. Go figure.

The only exception to this “rule” is if you are writing humor. Then your query needs to reflect that. Other than that, beware. Let me show you some carefully redacted “clever” queries. None of these even hinted what the book was about so don’t worry that I’m divulging any intellectual property.

My name is [John Doe] and I’m an enigma. I’ve also written a [umpteen] word manuscript or else this query would really be a waste of your, mine and our time.  I believe in capitalism but don’t want to work for the man.  I believe in freedom but don’t want to fight for it.  I’m against war but stay silent, mostly, on America’s practices of exploitation.  I grew up in an anti-Communist America, but think the government should help me out while staying out of my personal life.  In short, I am conflicted.

<SNIP a ton of superfluous details>

Suffice it to say, my [describes book]. It is stupid in its brilliance and brilliant in its stupidity…tragic in its verisimilitude and verisimilitudey in its tragicness…It is both an indictment of the vapidity of pop culture and a sentimental journey through a mind obsessed with it.  In short my new friend, my book saves lives.

<SNIP another two pages of stuff>

Right now—at this very moment—I am entering the stretch run of my college career.  I am [00] years old and am about to graduate from the [a university].  {The aforementioned dog is graduating from the [another university], with a degree in aeronautics or barking or something…it’s probably barking, which is where we dropped her off}

Okay. Clever? Did it appeal to you? Do you see the risk the writer took in trying to be edgy? Picture an agent trying to squeeze in queries at the end of a long, trying day. This doesn’t work. Clever is a huge risk. It may have worked for another agent but for me— it just made me cranky.

So how about this clever one. It’s a reply to the email I sent this writer telling him he just queried the wrong address and offering him the correct address:

Whatever. You have a “finger” right?, you can send it cant you? Geeeese. Just forward the message. This is one of the greatest stories EVER told. I dont have time to waste.

Now that’s certainly a humorous way to endear yourself to an agent. Or how about this one?

It’s almost not fair. Actually it isn’t fair. It’s so not fair.  Here I am, left with a page, one page, just one page, to grab your attention and set aside my query letter from the rest of the hundreds and maybe thousands that you get on a weekly basis, so you contact me back to read my manuscript. But that’s what they say about life right? It’s not fair, or is it that it’s like a box of chocolates? No, that was Forest Gump, good movie huh? If it was a true story then it’d be a great movie. I wanna be like Forest Gump, but I’m not slow, so I’ll be the smart Forest Gump and go on and do great things(have I gotten your attention yet?) Well If not then let me keep going….

You don’t know me, as an author, but you should. You know why you should? Well do ya? I’ll tell ya why, because I am a best selling author. That’s right a best selling author, if this was 8 to 12 months from now.  Ooops, I know I’m not supposed to say that, boast about the books. So I just broke the rules of querying an agent with that one. But hey I gotta get your attention some how right?

Well now let me stop making you laugh…be boring and briefly tell you about those several books I have.

Does this help you understand why agents get cranky about queries? I’m not disparaging these writers. I understand they are trying to find a way to be distinctive, but humor is subjective and therefore risky when querying.

Don’t do it.

Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office

Weather: Return to May sunshine

Great responses yesterday.  You communicated the limitations and frustrations of the query system. Truthfully? It’s one of my least favorite parts of this job. I agree that you can’t capture the essence of a book in a page. The best you can do is pique the interest of your target agent enough to make him ask for more. Katie mentioned that she met her agent through a writing conference. That’s where I’ve connected with the bulk of my clients. There’s nothing like having time to eat a meal together and look at more than a page or two. Contests are another way to get your work in front of agents and editors. But conferences and competitions aren’t possible for everyone so the query remains your introduction.

Before we get into specifics, let me address some common misconceptions. Just remember that these are my opinions and preferences– there is no one size-fits-all when it comes to agents.

Myth #1: When I get a form letter or no response at all, it means either my book is no good or my query was no good. Debunking that Myth: You cannot make that leap. You don’t have enough information. In a perfect world you’d receive  a response telling you why the agent passed on your query. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world. There is not enough time to answer the sheer volume of queries. Not even if I worked twelve hours a day– which I sometimes do. And even worse, if, in a moment of weakness, I have taken time to give a reason for passing on a query, I invariably get a return email asking for clarification, seeking help, proposing rewrites, arguing with me or just striking up a relationship. We’ve all learned we cannot risk opening the dialogue. Sad, but true. So what does the form letter or no response mean?

• It could mean that the agent can’t think of a particular editor for your book at the moment. It might just be that the editors in her particular Rolodex aren’t buying that kind of book right now. Could it change tomorrow? You bet.
• It might mean that the agent’s client list is full or nearly full. It takes a huge chunk of time to take on a new client. The agent needs to set up files, become familiar with the body of work and all the projects underway. It’s a significant commitment to take on a new client. We open up our calendars and think long and hard before making that decision. No agent reads a query and asks to see a partial on a whim.
• It could mean the market is not right for your subject or genre now in that agent’s opinion. And of course, this is subjective. And even if you knew this it wouldn’t help because the next agent may be looking for that exact thing.
• It could mean that the book just doesn’t interest that agent. Again, totally subjective. Nicole commented yesterday that she wished agents would give a list of books they love to help writers unravel this subjectivity. It’s an interesting idea and we do it here on the blog with our “What I am reading” feature, but. . . I represent a wide variety of books and authors. My personal reading tastes are far narrower than the breadth of wonderful books I represent.
• It could mean the crafting of the query indicates that the writing may not be good enough.
• It could mean that the writer didn’t do his homework and the query represents a book outside the agent’s area of interest. I can’t tell you how many queries I receive for books on generic “spirituality” or novels with “hot, hot sex.” *rolls eyes*

So what do you do when you don’t get any information? You keep doing research and you keep sending queries. After a number of passes, you may want to revamp the query in case that is the problem. You’ll also want to hedge your bets by saving your pennies to attend a writing conference and enter writing competitions that are judged by agents and editors.

Myth #2: If I don’t follow the rules for a query an agent will dismiss it out of hand. It’s easy to debunk this one. You will make yourself crazy trying to find the secret decoder ring for the perfect query. Every agent is different. If you follow agents on Twitter, note what they call a #QueryFail one day. You might see them say the exact opposite the next. For me, it’s more about grace than the letter of the law. I may not like queries that open with  rhetorical question but I sure wouldn’t discount a promising book and author on that one point. Don’t obsess about the “rules.” Write a query that uniquely represents the book and the author.

Myth #3: Agents remember the queries they receive. If I sent an amateurish query early-on to an agent I’ve got that mark forever against me. I’ll speak for myself here. There may be agents with photographic memories but I am not one of them. I do not keep a log of rejected queries. I remember stories so yes, I may remember seeing a particular query if I receive a duplicate but I will never remember the author’s name. You can always count on me to see you with fresh eyes.

I’ve only skimmed the surface here, but it’s a start. Any other things you’ve heard about the query process you’d like me to address and possibly debunk? What do you think is the one most important thing to know about the query process?

Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office

Weather: May flowers mixed with May showers

If you are familiar with Twitter then you’ll be familiar with the title of this week’s blog entries– #QueryFail. That’s a hashtag* for complaints about the query letters writers send to introduce themselves and their book to agents. When you see this hashtag it’s usually from an agent commenting on some aspect of a failed book query. I know #QueryFail raises the hackles of many writers but I think it’s time to address some of the realities and many of the problems with queries and with the system.

Tomorrow, I’ll debunk some commonly held misconceptions about queries and then we’ll have some fun with dos and don’ts. I’ll even give examples from real queries. Don’t worry that your query will show up as a cautionary tale. Details will be changed and identities carefully obfuscated.

But. . . before we start I’d like you to tell me your frustrations with the whole query system. I want to give you a chance to weigh in (and sound off) before I begin. Please use the comment section and tell me what you think of the system and how you’d change it. Don’t be shy. Jump in and tell us what makes you crazy and what, if anything, works.

So let’s roll up our sleeves and dig into the subject of query letters.

* Hashtag is the Twitter term for a subject grouping. It’s always preceded with a #. Readers can use the hashtag to pull up that subject and follow all the tweets in that grouping.

Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

I’ve spouted a number of opinions about how a writer can break out from the pack this week. I could have added so much more, including:

–the importance of knowing what’s happening in publishing. Not just in your genre, but also in the broader industry. Read professional blogs and publications that give industry trends. It helps you to know what the current climate is in publishing, and that will inherently inform your writing.

–pay attention to authors who suddenly break out. Study what they and/or their publisher did that made a difference.

–know who the leading authors are in your genre. Read them. Even if you think their writing isn’t as good as yours, set that aside and ask yourself why they’ve succeeded. Is it some marketing angle? Is it some type of appeal to readers?

–don’t assume that you are the first one to come up with your latest idea. There’s nothing new under the sun. From the get-go, think about how to go deep with your topic, go in a surprise direction with your characters (if you write fiction). And really study places like Amazon to see what’s already published so you can steer in a different direction.

What one thing can you do differently that will help you to break out?

Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

How do you make an editor or agent notice your work? I think most of us realize that editors and agents are bombarded with ideas every day. So far this year, our agency has received several thousand queries and proposals, yes, thousands. So how do you break out of the pack to get noticed?

Often what we’re looking for is a project that springboards off of a tried-and-true idea but adds a new twist. For example, one of my clients did that very skillfully with what she called a “rollicking Regency.” She took the well-defined genre of a Regency romance and added lots of sassy spirit to the heroine, as well as a wonderful, tongue-in-cheek wit to the writing. Entitling the novel All the Tea in China, Jane Orcutt created a manuscript that readily snared editors and publishing committees. It was fresh, yet it wasn’t straddling genres or taking some Grand Canyon leap that sales reps wouldn’t even know how to describe.

What Jane did was masterful. And the book sold with nice energy. Sadly, Jane died shortly after writing the book; so she wasn’t able to continue the series this book launched. And just to show how good she was, our agency tried hard to find someone who could continue the series in the spirit and with the verve that Jane began it, but no such person could be found.

Consider how you can take a perennial idea and make it new–but readily recognizable. It could lead to your breaking out from the pack.

Can you think of other books that set the writing course for their writers?

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

I received a rejection for a client’s project on Friday. Interestingly, all of the editors’ responses to this book have been just about the same.

The rejections look something like this: “I really enjoyed reading this project. I can see why you love it. I’m probably making a huge mistake, but I’m going to have to pass. You should have no trouble finding a home for it!”

What do you do with fifteen rejections like that?!

Here’s my response as an agent:

First, I’m encouraged. This book IS good. I’m not the only one who likes it! (Even agents need encouragement at times.)

Second, I’m baffled. Why am I the only one willing to take a chance on this project? It’s a great book! Then I remember that the reward is much greater if you have to work hard for it, so I’m encouraged again.

Third, I take action! There are many things to do in the face of these positive rejections. For this book, I took another look at the proposal and project to see if I noticed something that could be improved. I reviewed my query to see how I presented my client. In this case, I noticed that  a possible selling point hadn’t been included. I also went to the subscription-based website, Publisher’s Marketplace, to see which publishing houses are acquiring debut novels in this genre. It’s such at tough market that publishers taking on debut novels are few. Then I wrote to a couple of the editors who had rejected the project to ask what might have helped them to take the chance, and I’m looking forward to the responses.

I bet many of you are in this same place with your projects. You’ve sent out queries, proposals and manuscripts that have received positive feedback from agents and editors, but nobody seems to want to take a chance.

What do you do?

I’d love to hear from you!