Posted in Business Side of Writing, Market Prep, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, The Publication Process

Exciting News for Jasmine and Advice

Guest post on querying.

One of the Facebook groups I enjoy is Sub It Club. I learn from others, help others, and share in the ups and downs. I’m sharing this January 7th post by Jasmine A. Stirling with permission.

Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce that after querying in December, I received ten offers of representation, and am now represented by Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Birch Path Literary, the force behind books like Wonder, The Lovely War, and The Right Word.

Someone asked me on this forum if I have any suggestions for querying. One thing I would suggest is that you mention some recent projects the agent has done which you’ve read and enjoyed, and which fit well with your work, before you begin your pitch. It’s important for agents to know you understand who they are as an individual, and the kinds of projects they are passionate about. To get this information, I use a combination of Publishers Marketplace and Twitter. On Twitter, I get a sense for what projects the agent is enthusiastic about at the moment. 

Many of the projects listed in Publishers Marketplace are not yet out, so you don’t want to laud a book you obviously haven’t read. Sometimes I mention I’m looking forward to a book that has been announced in Publishers Marketplace but is not yet out. This shows the agent that I’m not just looking at Twitter or their website. They get the sense that I am familiar with industry news.

Take extra time and get familiar with the books the agent is publishing. Agents can tell if you are just querying everyone who might be remotely interested in your work.

Composing a good query letter and strategy takes time and research. Think through anyone you know who might be able to make an introduction. Don’t be afraid to network on Facebook. I did get an introduction through a cold request on Facebook to a very successful, closed agent, who subsequently made an offer.

And finally, this might not make me popular here, but I would take the advice you receive on groups like this with a grain of salt, even if they come from agented authors or moderators. The truth is, the rules of querying, receiving offers, and making choices, are more flexible than you might think. Everyone wants to make sure you find the right agent for you, including agents who are offering to work with you. 

Be respectful, be communicative about your timeline, be honest, but follow your gut and keep trying if you’re not getting the offers you want. There’s no secret police of agents who are going to kick you out of the club for anything you do. Just be a professional, and things will work out fine.

Good luck to everyone and Happy New Year!

Read more about Jasmine and her books on her website. You’ll definitely want to check out her delightful picturebook: A Most Clever Girl: How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice.

Posted in Business Side of Writing, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, The Publication Process

How to Submit a Picture Book

Your picture book manuscript is written. You’ve revised it again and again, gotten feedback from other writers, revised yet again, and it’s in the current word count range—which these days is mostly under 500 words. (Nonfiction and informational fiction may be longer.) Now what?

The following is advice aimed specifically at writers.

You can submit directly to some publishers—mainly smaller houses.

First, read some of their books. Look at their online catalogs. Does your manuscript look like it will fit with their other books? Has the topic been already done? Do you have a fresh twist? Don’t submit without making sure your manuscript suits their list—not all publishers publish all kinds of picture books.

You might gain special insights by attending a conference, workshop, or webinar where you can hear an editor speak. (And sometimes get a chance to submit to a house normally closed to unsolicited manuscripts.)

Some publishing houses offer subscription newsletters that talk about their newest books—another chance for you to “get acquainted” with them.

When and how to submit.

Always check to make sure you’re reading a publishing house’s most current submission guidelines. Some publishers have windows of open opportunity. Others are open year-round. At times they’ll be closed to submissions entirely. Some only want a query letter—others may accept full manuscripts. A few still want hard copies by postal mail. Most probably want manuscripts via email. Some will ask for the manuscript to be pasted into the emails—others may accept attachments. Yet others may have a form where you paste in your query or cover letter and manuscript. However, they want it sent, you’ll be ahead by completely following directions.

Here are some links to some house’s submission or writer’s guidelines that are currently open:

Albert Whitman & Company

Charlesbridge

Creston Books

Familius

Flashlight Press

Holiday House

The Innovation Press

Page Street Publishing

Sleeping Bear Press

Sterling Children’s Books

Tilbury House Publishers

Any of these could close tomorrow. Research well before submitting. This list is not an endorsement—I’ve just done some research for you.

You can submit to agents who handle picture books.

Often, it is recommended that you have at least three manuscripts ready when you submit—in case an agent asks to see what else you have.

Here’s a great resource: the Monster List of Picture Book Agents.

Again, with agents there will be specific guidelines. For example, some agencies you may only submit to one agent. Certain agents may be closed to submissions, etc. They usually list clients and you may be able to get an idea of the agent’s likes and dislikes from their titles.

How do you decide where to submit?

Take the time to do your homework. Do you like what you see on their website when you are looking at either agents or publishing houses? Have you read their entries on manuscriptwishlist.com or their blogs? Search for interviews. Check Twitter.

Make sure the editor or agent is legit. If you’re an SCBWI member, you can check to see if a publisher is on their list by going to your member page and act as if you are entering a new book. If the house’s name comes up in the search, you’re good to go. If you’re not finding information elsewhere, ask in groups such as Sub It Club or Kidlit411 if someone is familiar with a specific agency or agent.

What’s next?

Prepare your cover letter* or query letter, proof it, and do the actual submitting.

One useful tip for submitting via email is to paste in your letter, paste or attach manuscript, type in your subject as guidelines specify, proofread, THEN when everything looks good, type in the TO: email address. This will avoid accidental sends before you are ready.

Be ready to keep going despite rejections.

*I like this post on writing cover/query letters.

Posted in Business Side of Writing, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, The Publication Process, You Are Not Alone

Rejections

no-1532838_1920.jpegRejections are subjective. I know that. I only have to think about books I loved that a friend didn’t like or one they loved that I didn’t like. We all have our own tastes and even moods. But when our manuscript is rejected it often doesn’t feel subjective. We often feel as if we’ve failed.
When those feelings strike me, I have to remember how many published books I read where the story didn’t grab me. Or something turned me off. And these books were loved by an editor willing to spend a lot of time with the manuscript. They’ve been supported by a publishing company as a whole. So if published books can fail an individual, why I am I surprised when my own unpublished manuscript does?
At first page and roundtable critique sessions, I’ve seen how editors and agents just haven’t connected with the writing of a specific piece. One person might “get it” and the others not. Or the panel is split on whether they’d read on.
Ever had rejections that said, “I just didn’t love it enough.”? I have. Some agents/editors have told me things to work on; others haven’t. They are a reminder that I need to keep trying. If you’re getting personal rejections, keep on.
But what if you aren’t getting any personal rejections? That means it’s time to step back and look at your writing.
Many years ago at the SCBWI LA Conference–2009 to be exact–Editor Wendy Loggia shared “seven 7 reasons why your manuscript is declined.” They included:

  • nice writing, but no story
  • too similar to something else she’d edited or in the market place
  • unclear who the audience would be
  • can’t connect to the voice
  • book submitted too early before it was ready
  • project would not stand out on the house list
  • the author is difficult to deal with (Yes, many editors and agents check your social media.)

What she concluded with was “If I can’t give a book my heart and soul, I won’t acquire it.” But note how many of the reasons above are something we have control over: a good story, a clear audience, a professional manuscript, a good attitude.
Here are some tips garnered from a variety of agents and editors that deal with what we control:

  • put your best foot forward – fix those typos and grammar errors
  • have a good hook
  • show, don’t tell
  • Editor Nick Thomas says, “Don’t make the first chapter too long.”
  • have an intimacy with your characters
  • remember cliffhangers make good chapter endings
  • don’t write to trends
  • be passionate about your project
  • got voice? “Always it’s the voice that gets me… The way it makes me feel,” says Editor Christy Ottaviano.
  • make sure your plot is solid
  • share big truths
  • provide opportunity for emotional engagement

And for the querying itself:

  • research the agent(s) you are querying
  • follow submission instructions
  • get the agent or editor’s name right
  • write a good query/cover letter
  • provide good comp titles – this is one of my weaknesses
  • keep your letter to one page

Also, don’t forget that you aren’t alone in getting rejections.
“At times the rejections did get to me, but the will to write always triumphed over the disappointment of rejection.” – Karen Hesse
Shannon Hale said, “I’ve published 20+ books, the last 10 or so of which have all been best sellers, and I still get rejections. All the time.”
“Rejection isn’t a sign of failure. Rejection is a reminder that there’s always room for improvement.” – Ana Hart
Kathryn Stockett said, “I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being rejected.”
Let’s not be ashamed. Let’s press on.

Posted in Business Side of Writing, The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, The Publication Process

Considering Self-Publishing?

Image courtesy of morguefile.com

Pommes_à_cidreI’ve know authors who have done it well and many others who have not. You’ve heard that a bad apple can spoil a whole barrel–often in the self-publishing realm it’s the opposite. Finding the one good apple may be difficult.
The first impression for a self-published book is the cover. If the cover is not professional, it won’t matter about the rest of the book. There’s a snarky site called LOUSY BOOK COVERS that has a tag line that says “Just because you CAN design your own cover doesn’t mean you SHOULD.” The site shows what it claims–embarrassingly poor covers.
In the traditional publishing world, Art Directors often go through multiple cover designs for one book before everyone involved (including the marketing department) is happy. I suggest that authors self-publishing get honest opinions on their covers from booksellers, librarians, other authors, illustrators, etc.
When I open a book and see a typo, a misspelling or grammar error on the first page, it makes me doubt the overall quality of the book. Traditional publishers use copy editors as well as editors who work on content. If you want to self-publish, or the new term “indie publish,” please consider finding someone who can copy edit your book.
The biggest deal is content. I’ve found stories/books with these kinds of flaws:

Not Being Realistic
• It couldn’t happen like that
• It doesn’t make sense
• Where did that skill/ability/tool come from?

Main Character Not In Charge
• She is swayed by the winds of circumstances
• He doesn’t make any decisions

Problematic Word Choices
• Overuse of adverbs
• Week adjectives
• Weedy words
• Misplaced modifying clauses
• Passive verbs

Overwriting
• Intricate details of clothing probably don’t add much, unless it relates to the plot in a specific way
• Taking forever to get to the point of a scene
• Burying action with description
• Overdone dialogue tags/attributions
• Too many characters

And none of those issues deal with the overall storyline. Traditional editors and freelance editors help with both. If you’re self-publishing, you’ll probably want to hire a freelance editor.
The other thing I see is people who write books but don’t really understand the market. It could be a children’s book that either talks down to kids or covers information that children aren’t interested. One self-published writer told a friend of mine that she didn’t see why a children’s book had to be “all about the kids.” Um, because that’s who your audience is?
Here’s an article called “Self-publishing a book: 25 things you need to know” by David Carnoy.
So, say you write a great book, get it edited by a professional editor, get it copy edited, have a great cover, now what? Marketing!
It’s not easy. Several sources I saw listed an average of 100-150 books per year in sales for indie authors. Here’s one link.
Getting reviews is difficult. The Horn Book editor, Roger Sutton, wrote an article on why: “An open letter to the self-published author feeling dissed.” Now he’s opened a contest called “A challenge to self-publishers.” Deadline is December 15, 2014 and it is only open to printed books.
Self-published authors can pay for a review at Kirkus–that’s not paying for a positive review, but paying for the chance to BE reviewed.
Getting into bookstores can be difficult. Here are some helpful articles:
Getting your self-published book on the shelf (i.e. Bookstore Dating 101)”
How to get your Self-Published Books into Bookstores
How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores
Selling books at conferences may not be allowed by the hosting organization.
Awards can help sales! Did you know there are specific awards administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association for indie published books? Go here to read about the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards. SCBWI has a Spark Award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route. James Minter posted an article called “Writing: 50 Book Awards Open to Self-publishers
I’ll end with a link to this article by someone who has done it: “Chris Eboch on Self-Publishing and Middle Grade Novels: Should You or Shouldn’t You?

Posted in The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing, The Publication Process

Confessions of a Writer Easily Distracted

Photo courtesy of pippalou on morguefile.com
clockfaceA number of years ago a speaker at a Writers Conference motivated me to quit my part-time job to dedicate more time to writing. I had to decide how to save that new free time just for writing. I started with one accountability partner. We promised to meet twice a week and each work on our own projects. We met in a library in the morning to write, would chat over lunch, followed by several more hours of writing. The progress we made was exciting.

Here’s what I learned through that experience.
I’m easily distracted when writing at home. It’s too easy for me to start checking email, or to look up “one” thing on the internet, get involved with social media, do volunteer work, do critiques, or even play a “quick” game. Plus there’s the obvious distractions of others at home, the phone, piles on my desk to sort, oh, and shouldn’t I at least start a load of laundry, or pay bills? Before I know it the day is gone and the only writing I’ve done is email, twitter and maybe facebook. Sigh.
However, knowing I have someone who is expecting me to show up to work makes me commit. It makes me sit down and get serious when I arrive. It helps me focus on the task at hand. Partners, times and locations change, but the progress in my writing doesn’t.
I’ve even gone to the writing location when no one else could. I’ve also found that taking my laptop into another room in my house away from the desktop where I do everything else can help.
Are you too easily distracted from your creativity time? Here are some other tips that might be useful.
Be prepared. Have what you need to create at hand, so writing time isn’t wasted in preparation. I have a bag that goes with me that has critique notes, research books, etc.
Schedule. Set aside a regular time and place. Show up whether you want to or not.
Be accountable to another writer or two. Not only does it help you show up, but it helps keep you on task. We knew if one gal was giggling, she was probably on twitter, so we’d tease her about it. If I started making comments about stuff I was finding on the internet, they’d ask me if it was related to my wip. Oops. Back to work. Accountability works even if you don’t meet face-to-face. You can report to each other about the day’s goals, such as I’m going to write two pages or work three hours. Knowing you have to confess to “not trying” makes you work.
Snatch stolen moments. You woke up early? Too wide awake to go to sleep? Your kids took an unexpected nap? Write.
Get away from your time stealer. TV, computer, internet, phone, that social or volunteer commitment you agreed to do out of guilt…
Cut back on commitments if you can.
Tell others about your writing time. If friends or family call, they aren’t offended when I remind them I’m writing and offer to call back later. My family has learned about those scheduled times and try to avoid them.
Helps for writing in public locations.

  • Libraries often have private study rooms and are quiet. They may have a time limit.
  • Coffee shops can be noisy especially near the espresso machine, but headphones and your own music can block that and other patrons’ talk.
  • You may want to bring a surge suppressor power strip as power outlets may be limited.
  • Some public locations are very cold. I wear layers or have an extra wrap in my writing bag. My daughter made me fingerless mitts to keep my hands warm.
  • Don’t leave your laptop unattended to go to the restroom or get food. A friend did and hers was stolen. Writing partners can watch your stuff.
  • If using a laptop, either backup your work onto a usb drive or use a service such as dropbox or carbonite.

I’ve found that the habit of writing regularly makes it easier to write regularly. I get motivated by the pages and projects I complete. The sense of accomplishment makes me want to do it again, and again. This writing habit makes me not so distractable after all.