In Episode 3 of this column, I wrote about how I completed the manuscript of my first novel in the early days of the pandemic and despite the death of my son.

From the end of Episode 3: Ultimately, I decided to go the traditional publishing route. Being traditionally published is how I’d always imagined my life as an author. Plus, I had no interest in rewriting the script to fit whatever actual year was on the calendar. So, I drafted a query letter. I thought I was finally on my way! Then absolutely nothing went like I’d imagined it.

Premature Querying

When my oldest son was twelve, he passed all of his promotion exams and was granted the rank of Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. It was a towering achievement, a culmination of seven years of hard work. It was the top of the mountain, the cherry on the sundae, the end of the road. Right?

Nope. 

According to his teacher, Sahbumnim Ralph, it was just the beginning. “Now, the real work begins,” he told my son with a wink.

“Nah, I’m done,” my son said. And he meant it. He never took another class. Now he’s 28 and says he doesn’t know an ap chagi from a yeop chagi. 

Similarly, when I finished the manuscript I had written in 74 days and the revision I finished in another 60, I was sure I was done! All that was left was writing a generic query letter as a start and then finding the perfect agents for my book.

I spent hours researching agents who best matched with the genre and age range of my manuscript: a contemporary YA novel. I made a list of my favorites, put them into a spreadsheet, and highlighted all the agents who were interested in representing own voices or BIPOC authors, especially since I’m a mixed-race author who writes bilingual characters. My debut novel is written in 90% English, 10% Spanish.

Within a couple of days, I queried all seventeen agents on my spreadsheet. The evening that I sent the last email, I poured myself a glass of wine and fantasized about all the requests for a full manuscript that would surely be coming my way in the next few weeks.

From Pixels to Platform

As if I couldn’t have planned it any better, I was in the midst of DIY MFA’s Pixels to Platform course when I finished revising and querying. After sending off my queries into the ethernets, I was able to buckle down and finally start building my platform. 

I mean, with all those book deals surely coming my way, I needed to have some eager readers ready to celebrate with me, right?

I purchased my domain name and corresponding email address, downloaded WordPress, and paid for hosting. I was so grateful that I had completed all of the worksheets in the first few modules of Pixels to Platform because I used all of that information to create my own website.

It took a few days and a lot of trial and error learning how to use WordPress without breaking my site, but I finally achieved a balance between a basic form and rudimentary function.

The next step in my platform was building an email list. I signed up with ConvertKit and spent a day or so designing a landing page, creating a lead magnet and a welcome sequence for subscribers. I installed the ConvertKit widget on my website so my newsletter opt-in form would appear automatically for site visitors who hadn’t yet subscribed. I wrote a short article as my first blog post and made this the last email in my welcome sequence.

After pivoting my existing profiles on Twitter and Instagram from personal to professional, I posted a link to my website. A day or so later, I posted a link to my landing page (in case followers missed the link to my website), and a day or so after that, I posted a link to my blog. I also created an author page on Facebook and did the same there. 

The Sound of Silence

In the meantime, I hadn’t heard anything from the agents I had queried, but I reminded myself it had only been a few weeks. As I continued waiting, I focused on writing blog posts about lessons I had learned from challenging experiences in my life. 

As a high school teacher, one of my whys for writing a YA novel is to inspire young people to use their innate creativity and turn their trauma into art. I see the difference in young people who see themselves as artistic or creative, as compared to their peers who only see what they cannot do or who they cannot be. 

While my own creativity kept me hopeful for several weeks, the sound of silence grew louder. I had heard that many agents simply don’t have time to respond, so if there is no reply after 6 or 8 weeks, to take that as a rejection.

Soon, however, the replies trickled in. 

The Sound of Rejection

It’s not the sound of two hands clapping, that’s for sure!

One by one, I drew a pink digital highlighter through the line in the spreadsheet where I had typed that agent’s information. I wrote the date of the rejection next to each.

Many of the rejections were clearly a form letter, but surprisingly, a few agents gave me solid reasons why they weren’t able to go any further with my manuscript. One, a young Latinx agent, told me she really, really wanted to like my book but she couldn’t connect with my protagonist. Another agent gave me some very detailed feedback on the pages I had sent, which I was grateful for. 

With the consensus being that my book was not quite ready, I knew that I had rushed through the revision process and queried prematurely. Therefore, the next step should have been taking the suggestions of the agents who generously took the time to give me thoughtful feedback.

But that’s not what I did. Instead of getting back to work, I did nothing. 

Truth be told, I was over it. In my mind, I had already baked that cake and set it out at the church bazaar. The last thing I wanted was to take it back and fire up the oven again!

No. Maybe the truth, the real truth, was that I just couldn’t hack it. 

Maybe I just didn’t have what it takes to be a writer.

Stay tuned for Episode 5: Confessions of a Failed Pantser

Anita Ramirez is a writer and teacher who transforms dispassionate teens into lovers of books — one reader at a time. When she’s not teaching Hispanic/Latinx literature and composition to her high school students or linguistics at the college level, she’s revising her first novel, a YA contemporary featuring bilingual characters. She loves the poetry of Pablo Neruda, teen movies from the 1980s and café con leche. You can check out her website, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post Life of a Writer—Episode 4: Premature Querying and the Sound of Silence appeared first on DIY MFA.

1) Know your options

When you first begin exploring literary magazines and journals, it is completely normal for the market to seem intimidating. A quick Google search will yield a dizzying number of options, and it is helpful to have some context to guide your research.

Sites such as Poets and Writers or Submission Grinder are great resources for sorting through the market. These sites offer a list of magazines and journals, along with some details regarding the type of work each publication seeks, and related deadlines.

Read as many literary magazines and journals as possible, to get a feel for the kind of writing different publications seek. If you want to conserve cash, many magazines and journals also publish work for free on their websites. Be sure to read those pieces in addition to any hard copies you select to purchase. Look carefully at each publication you read. Do they mostly publish poetry, essays or fiction? Do they prefer literary or genre work?

2) Find publications and editors that share a similar taste to your own

Editors at varying publications will have different taste/preferences, and you will see that reflected in the work they select to publish. When you are overwhelmed by the number of magazines and journals out there, consider that it is best to boil it down to those that you enjoy reading.

It’s very intuitive; if you find a journal to be boring or odd, then it is probably not a good fit for your work! If you love the stories a magazine prints, and you find them to be similar to your writing style, submit your work! While there is no way to be 100% certain your work will be selected, following this rule of thumb will point you in the right direction.

3) Make your cover letter sweet and simple

As editor at 2 Elizabeths, I see a variety of cover letters every day; some are excellent, and others could stand to be improved. With that in mind, there are a few key pieces of information you want to include in your own cover letters, while keeping them short and sweet. In fact, a cover letter should only be a couple of paragraphs long, and no more than roughly 100 – 150 words.

A few tips on writing cover letters:

• Try to seek out the editor’s name instead of using a generic greeting. Usually, you can find this information on the magazine or journal’s website, or in their submission guidelines.
• Be certain to read the submission guidelines thoroughly for each publication you send your work to. This should state the exact details that need to be included in each cover letter.
• I recently wrote a full article on the perfect cover letter, here. Check it out for clear, simple instructions, along with sample letters.

4) Track your submissions.

Most magazines and journals will accept simultaneous submissions, meaning that you can send the same piece to several publications for concurrent consideration. Compound that with multiple submissions, meaning you send more than one piece of work to the same publication to consider at one time, and you can see how it might become difficult to remember what work you’ve sent where!

To avoid forgetting to send a piece to an editor who might love it, or alternatively, to avoid sending the same piece to the same editor more than once, it is a great idea to track your submissions with a simple list or spreadsheet. Click here for your free template!

5) Celebrate and Keep Going!

Take a moment to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished; you’ve submitted a piece of thoughtfully curated art, all your own. I believe it is important to celebrate our accomplishments, big or small, in some meaningful way. It is important to do this in order to prevent burnout, and to continue to love creating your work. So, call an old friend to join you for dinner, take your dog to your favorite park, or just pour yourself a relaxing bubble bath at the end of a long day. Choose a small celebration that resonates with you, and enjoy!

Once you’ve celebrated, the best thing you can do is get back to writing! Keep your creative juices flowing, and increase your odds of being selected for publishing, by writing and submitting work frequently. While you’re at it, send your short fiction or poetry to 2 Elizabeths! We would be honored to read your work.

Elise Holland is co-founder and editor of 2 Elizabeths, a short fiction and poetry publication. Her work has appeared in various publications, most recently in Story a Day, and at JaneFriedman.com.  Through 2 Elizabeths, Elise strives to create value and visibility for writers, through writing contests, events, and more!

The post #5onFri: Five Tips for Submitting Your Work to a Literary Magazine appeared first on DIY MFA.

1) Lack of Authority

A lack of authority in the manuscript is far and away the biggest turnoff for me, when considered submissions. I’ve recently heard authority described, helpfully, as “that ineffable quality—you’re not sure quite what it is, but you know it when you see it.” I guess I would consider authority in a novel to be absolute control over the language: every word is exactly right, placed just where it belongs, creating a narrative voice that says, “You can trust me. I know what I’m talking about.” If I find myself nitpicking grammar or wondering if the YA author has ever spoken to a teenager, that authority and trust is already lost. In a way, lack of authority immediately makes it impossible for me to suspend my disbelief and enter into that contract between writer and reader; it ruins the immersion.

2) Great Concept, Poor Execution

This is also one I see a lot. I’ve read the fantastic query letter, the synopsis has me captivated, I’m on the edge of my seat, and then . . . the actual story is poorly written—terrible grammar, head hopping, lack of authority, typos galore, etc. Or it’s boring—told from the wrong character’s perspective, or telling me backstory before getting me interested in the main story, or spending too much time on world-building. Or in some other way it fails to live up to its promise. This is always disappointing, as a reader. If you’ve received a number or rejections, you might consider sharing your book and your synopsis with some beta readers to see if they match up. Perhaps you simply need to rewrite your synopsis to better reflect what the book actually is (and so as not to set up the wrong expectations), or perhaps you can identify how the book is not living up to the synopsis and revise accordingly.

3) Too Much Editing Required/Isn’t Ready Yet

I find this reason disappointing, but in today’s industry, most companies can’t take the time to substantively develop a book. Even if the editor—or even the company—absolutely loves the story’s concept and it’s told in beautiful, authoritative language, the manuscript may still require too much time and work to reach its full potential and the press can’t realistically risk taking it on. Sometimes the editor will provide detailed feedback, inviting you to revise and resubmit, or else they might ask you to keep them in mind for your next book. But this isn’t a guarantee, so be sure to hone your manuscript and story to best of your abilities before submitting.

4) Mis-representative Samples

Specifically my beef is with prologues—though there are plenty of other examples of samples that misrepresent the work. Even though my company asks for the first three chapters of the book, we’ll often get queries that contain only the prologue. Personally, I would suggest skipping the prologue entirely in a submission, unless you’re sending the complete MS, as they’re rarely indicative of the quality and style of the book as the whole. Prologues sometimes introduce a framing device or focus on something that happened twenty years before the present day of the novel; sometimes the writing style is vastly different from the rest of the book. There are plenty of reasons to write a prologue, but they usually don’t give editors a good sense of what the rest of the book is going to be like. And this means that if the prologue or other writing sample isn’t as strong as the rest of the book, and you don’t give them anything more to consider, they might not be interested in seeing the completed manuscript.

5) Potentially Offensive Material

I’ve spoken a little about editing out the occasional instance of (hopefully unintentionally) problematic material, but if it occurs early on, in a way that is not obviously purposeful within the text, it will likely throw up red flags. If a line or description or scene makes the editor uncomfortable—in a way that is not intended or addressed—they might reject it right away. This is why authorial authority is so important: it establishes the author’s intentions and sets up a barrier between, for instance, the sexist character and the author who is writing him.

6) Rude Query Letters

Rude query letters will usually be rejected as matter of course—they might even go directly in the trash—so be sure to be kind and considerate. Don’t insult the press’s list or the editor or even any of the books or authors on your comp. title list. If you’re worried your query letter could be misconstrued as hostile or offensive, get a second opinion, or even just rewrite it. Never give the press a reason to dismiss you out of hand!

7) Not a Good Fit for Our Company . . .

It’s a staple line of the form rejection, but it’s absolutely true. Sometimes editors do get submissions they genuinely adore that are just not the right fit for the company. Commercial thrillers, no matter how fraught or exciting, likely won’t be a great fit for an indie literary press, and highly experimental novellas might not work for a company that specializes in romance novels. I’ve had to turn away many books I loved that we just didn’t have the market for, or else they were not what the publisher was interested in. Be sure to research the company before submitting!

8) . . . At This Time

Most small presses can only publish a handful of books a year, so it’s often a tightly curated list, not unlike a lit mag. So they might like to put out books that complement each other, thematically. Or perhaps they just published a book similar to your submission and are waiting to see how the sales turn out—particularly if it’s a new genre they’re trying out. Sometimes a publisher might decide to take a break from a specific type of book based on the current market, or they’re looking for something to play to the strengths of the team they have that year. It is a staple of the rejection letter, but a rejection might honestly be a simple matter of bad timing.

So don’t beat yourself up over every manuscript rejection! Keep revising as you see fit, and keep submitting—you’ll find the best home for your work!

Constance Renfrow is a New York-based writer and lead editor for Three Rooms Press. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in such places as Cabildo Quarterly, Denim Skin, and Petrichor Machine, and she hosts a monthly open mic series at New York’s Merchant’s House Museum. Recently, she compiled the anthology of millennial fiction, Songs of My Selfie, available from Three Rooms Press, and writes about the book publishing industry for DIY MFA. She is pursuing her MFA in fiction from Pacific University. Visit her at constancerenfrow.com or follow her on Twitter @MissConstance21.

The post The Eight Most Common Reasons I Send a Rejection appeared first on DIY MFA.

Whoa! Whoooaaa… My heart is racing. The anxiety is already depriving me of sleep, and I’m bound for a breakdown before my release day is even here.

No matter what, a breakdown is not worth it, for any author. So…

Rather than listing all the things I haven’t done, here’s a list of five things I have done. Because really, we as authors are building platforms all the time. Maybe if we dwell on those things, the promo game won’t be quite as sleep depriving.

1) Finding Writing Friends

Having other writers around is like an invisible flying carpet. They’re the best source of how to handle this publishing thing. They give support, encouragement, advice. We find them in local writing groups, here at diyMFA, on Twitter, at conferences. We can depend on our fellow authors as our front line people for promoting our books by word-of-mouth.

2) Knowing My Genre

A book has to be in the right genre. It’s the vital beginning to the brand. If a book isn’t pinned in the proper genre, it confuses readers. One of the most common troubles for new writers is not knowing their genre. It’s hard. I took two books to figure out I was writing romance, and even after picking the genre, we have to learn the nuances of the subgenres and age categories. We have to understand the expectations of the readers and tailor our books to their audience. After years of research, I now know my book RACING TO YOU is in the age category new adult, the subgenre contemporary in the genre of romance.

3) Picking the Perfect Pen Name

Some writers get by on their legal name, but because of our personal lives—day jobs, family, privacy—for many, using their legal name isn’t an option. A pen name can go through phases and changes. It takes time to get it right, and some who write in more than one genre jungle multiple pen names. It’s an important distinction so readers aren’t misled by which books they pick up.

I came up with “Lovett” for my last name pretty easily. It’s a family name but also has a romance ring to it. My first name was tougher to get right as the first version was taken already by another writer. I figured out, since I’m writing in two subgenres of romance, I needed two pen names: new adult contemporary as Robin Lovett and adult erotic romance as S.A. Lovett.

4) Joining Twitter

For some writers joining Twitter is instinctive, others not as much. It’s a good thing to do early. Being a writer just means—be on Twitter. It’s the first thing my agent tells new clients to do if they aren’t already. There are so many writers there to meet. There’s no such thing as signing up too soon. Even if you’re not sure of your pen name, you can change your Twitter name and handle whenever you want and keep the same account.

The first thing I did after I picked a pen name was sign up for Twitter. I joined before I even attended my first writing group. I’m not sure how I knew to do this, but I’ve grown to really like it.

5) Finding An Agent

A large quotient of writers don’t need an agent to publish their books, but for many of us it’s the right choice. A good agent acts like a liaison to the publishing business and in the beginning, as a teacher for how the book industry works.

My agent is kickass. Querying Rachel Brooks, signing with her, trusting her with my work—best thing I’ve done for my career. She’s got my back in every corner. She’s there to give it to me straight when I’m having a newbie-writer-freak-out and need to take a chill pill. She’s also there to answer all my questions. She knows how this business works and fills in all the holes in my inexperience.

Those big five will help keep every writer’s feet on the ground. Without those things, I’d be lost at sea—and probably not even having—a book release. I’m hoping they’ll keep my heart rate near normal, and my sleep hours regular between now and my release day July 5^th.

In a month, I’ll have a report on what I’ve checked off the mega promo to-do list—maintaining sanity being number one. In between though, I’ll keep up with what keeps we writers the most sane: writing.

Robin Lovett, also known as S.A. Lovett, writes contemporary romance, and her debut novel, Racing To You, will be released July of 2016. She is represented by Rachel Brooks of the L. Perkins Agency and has a forthcoming series releasing with SMP Swerve in the summer of 2017.

She writes romance to avoid the more unsavory things in life, like day jobs and housework. To feed her coffee and chocolate addictions, she loves overdosing on mochas. When not writing with her cat, you can find her somewhere in the outdoors with a laptop in her bag. Feel free to chat with her on Twitter.

The post #5onFri: Five Writing Must-Haves appeared first on DIY MFA.

Thanks for joining me today for DIY MFA Radio. I’m so excited to share this episode because I’m interviewing literary agent Janet Reid, AKA the Query Shark.

*Cue music from Jaws in 3… 2… 1…*

Janet is a literary agent at FinePrint Literary Management in NYC, where she represents mostly crime novels and thrillers, with some narrative non-fiction in history and biography as well.

Her list of clients reads as a veritable who’s-who of bestselling authors, but if that wasn’t enough Janet also dedicates a lot of her time helping new writers learn about publishing by speaking at conferences and sharing valuable insights via not one but two blogs.

When she’s not doing busy being an agent, she blogs at JetReidLiterary.blogspot.com, where she answers questions from writers, talks about what she loves about her job and the city, and (occasionally) rants about things that drive her crazy in publishing.

Janet also runs the Query Shark blog, where she posts and critiques query letters submitted to “the shark” (with permission from the writers, of course). Writers have the opportunity to revise their queries based on her comments, and you can see the step-by-step revisions that took a query letter from “meh” to a resounding “YES.” Want to know what an agent really thinks about a query letter? The Query Shark blog will give you that inside look. IMHO, this site is hands-down the most valuable query resource available to writers online.

Most importantly, Janet is a kind, sensible human being who helped make the publishing world a slightly less scary place for me, when I was a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed newbie writer. It is truly an honor to have Janet Reid, AKA Mme. Shark, on DIY MFA Radio today.

In this episode Janet and I discuss:

• What inspired the Query Shark blog.
• What a query letter is and why you need one.
• Query pitfalls and pointers so you can make yours shine.
• What happens after your query gets accepted.
• When persistence pays off and when it doesn’t.

Plus, Janet’s #1 tip for writers.

Resources:

To learn about Janet, follow her on Facebook and Twitter, or visit her literary agency blog or her website. You can also find her query-related pearls of wisdom on her Query Shark blog. For more information about FinePrint Literary Management visit their website.

Link to Episode 70

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 72: How to Write a Killer Query – Interview with Janet Reid appeared first on DIY MFA.

Drumroll please…

DIY MFA is hosting its first ever online writing conference! I have been a combination of nervous and excited about this announcement and I haven’t been able to keep my head on straight for the past few weeks. Now the big day is here and I’m absolutely thrilled to introduce Writer Igniter Con 2015.

This event is going to be extra-special because I’m carefully crafting and curating it from beginning to end. All of the talks will be given by members of the DIY MFAt team hand-picked and trained by yours truly. Plus, the sessions are organized so that each one builds on the material that came before. My goal isn’t to cram everything into this event, but to teach you the most important things. Finally, unlike other conferences that might overwhelm you with a ton of information, this Writer Ignite Con is designed to make you take action. By the end of the weekend you will have a crystal-clear plan about what to do next and how to apply the information.

To learn more about Writer Igniter Con or to register, head on over the conference registration page. We’ve got some limited early action bonuses (including critique spots!) so hurry and claim yours before they’re gone.

Curious about sessions?

Check out the handy-dandy infographic below.

Plus, there’s a giveaway!

Running an event like this has been a dream of mine since I first started DIY MFA. To celebrate this milestone, I’m running a giveaway. Prizes include one-on sessions with some members of the DIY MFA team, enrollment in the DIY MFA flagship course, and free registration for this conference. Earn extra entries by tweeting, pinning, and helping to spread the word about Writer Igniter Con. The giveaway is now officially open.

Join using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember, there’s a limited number of early action bonuses so don’t wait: register now. Also, you can get extra entries by tweeting this event (one tweet per day), so the sooner you start spreading the word, the more entries you can earn.

Hope to see you at Writer Igniter Con in October.

Keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Announcing Writer Igniter Con! appeared first on DIY MFA.

In this episode, Jeff and I will look at two more query letters and break them down line-by-line so you’ll see exactly what works, and what needs improvement. If you missed the first episode in this series, you can check it out here.

In this episode, Jeff and I talk about:

• Query do’s and don’t’s.
• How to ensure that your query gets read.
• Why a strong platform is important.

As I mentioned with Part 1 of this series, one of the things I love about Jeff’s advice is that he approaches the query letter without a set “formula.” Remember: the only “best practice” when it comes to query letters is to write a great book and get the agent to read past the query and look at your pages. In other words, the best practice is the one that works for you.

Also, while A lot of Jeff’s advice can be applied universally, every agent has a different idea of what is important to them and what makes a good query. Make sure you know who you’re pitching and what they’re looking for. Submission guidelines are super important.

Listen in while Jeff critiques some more query letters for us!

You can follow along on the critiques by clicking these links and downloading a PDF of the queries we discussed.

• Query 1 – Romantic Suspense
• Query 2 – Prescriptive Nonfiction

Link to Episode 37

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 37: Interview with Jeff Kleinman – Query Letter Critiques (Part 2) appeared first on DIY MFA.

What I love about working with Jeff is that he has an eye for spotting books that can really make a difference. He has this uncanny knack for sniffing out interesting stories, unique perspectives and, or course, writers with voice. He also has vision, with eye for what projects can be beyond the page. This is one of the many reasons why, when I was looking for someone to represent me and DIY MFA, Jeff was my no-brainer first choice.

Over the course of his career Jeff has represented a wide range of fiction and nonfiction (including many debuts). You can check out his full bio at FolioLit.com, but I’ll just say this: the list of books he’s represented is staggering. Seriously, it reads like a veritable who’s-who of top-notch fiction and nonfiction.

Most importantly, though, Jeff is one of those rare people who not only believes that books can make a difference, he backs it up with action. Aside from working hard for his clients, he dedicates a lot of time to teaching at conferences and helping to educate writers about the business. As he says in his bio “good writing and smart ideas can change our world,” and Jeff is helping to make that happen.

In this episode, Jeff and I talk about:

• What a query letter is and why writers need one.
• What the fundamental components of a query letter are.
• What format writers should follow when writing a query letter.
• Why it’s important to follow the submission requirements exactly.
• Plus, Jeff shares his #1 tip for writers.

What I love about Jeff’s advice is that he approaches the query letter without a set “formula.” If you take only one piece of advice away from this podcast episode it’s that there is no “best practice” when it comes to query letters. The best practice is to write a great book and query in whatever way ultimately gets the agent to keep reading past the query and get to your pages.

Keep in mind that while a lot of Jeff’s advice can be applied universally, every agent has a different idea of what is important to them and what what parts of a query letter catch their eye. Make sure you know who you’re pitching and what they’re looking for. This will increase your odds of sparking that ideal agent’s interest.

Next, listen in while Jeff critiques some query letters for us!

You can follow along on the critiques by clicking these links and downloading a PDF of the queries we discussed.

• Query 1 – Fantasy
• Query 2 – Women’s Fiction
• Query 3 – Suspense

“Query letters are no time for non-essentials.” –Jeff Kleinman
Tweet this.

Link to Episode 35

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 35: Interview with Jeff Kleinman – Query Letter Critiques (Part 1) appeared first on DIY MFA.

Make Your Email Stand Out

Okay, so Fifty Shades of Twilight Abbey is free of clichés and that anti-woman monologue, you’re ready to “sware” all the typos are fixed, and you’ve decided exactly what publishing company offers that matte texture you saw at the Strand and absolutely have to have. Phew. Now, how do you make sure an editor sees it/remembers it once something new gets stacked in his inbox?

Most editors get anywhere between one and a veritable bajillion manuscript queries every day, and unfortunately speed-reading class used to start at 7 a.m. So make your email pop. Unless the company submission guidelines state otherwise, don’t bother starting your email title with “Submission” or “Agented Submission”—particularly as most webmail hosts only display the first fifty characters or so. Just picture what that inbox looks like. (Boring. That inbox looks boring.)

Instead, use the email title to describe the book. Like Twitter, but without hashtags. We’re much more likely to shirk our responsibilities to read “Novel About Used-Coffin Salesman” than “Submission of Fiction Manuscript: PEO . . . Dear Editor.” (That being said, always do whatever the submission guidelines say. You want extra points for style, not to be disqualified for breaking the rules.)

Then, while you’ve got our attention, dropping our recent acquisitions or newly-released titles is a good way to win points. Keep an eye on all the deals that go down on Publisher’s Marketplace, and use that to personalize your pitch. Just make sure that when you write, “I’m reaching out to you because you recently acquired Cupcakes from Monkey Brains” that you’re pitching Muffins from Zebra Meat and not an anthology of the greatest JFK conspiracies.

 Tell Us How Awesome Your Story Is

Humble-bragging may be the hot new thing for impressing Facebook rivals, but your query letter should never tell us why we don’t want to read Twilight Abbey after all. I’ve received a vaguely appalling number of one-sentence queries that can be summed up as: “Here you go.” Sometimes they even say: “This isn’t all that special but it’d be cool if you can give it a try.” Lamentably, very few editors are that cool.

Many editors are writers, too, and we know it’s easy to get discouraged by the submitting process. But don’t let any previous rejections poison your submission. Each and every time you reach out to a new editor, remember to channel your enthusiasm for your plot, your characters, and your work. The query letter is your space to gush about how brilliant your story is—the same way you told all your friends, SOs, or writing buddies back when your head first exploded with the idea.

That being said, please don’t tell us how your zombie-themed epic poem is going to earn you the next Nobel Prize or how a corner psychic once told you you’re the reincarnation of Charles Dickens. Overwhelming cockiness will get your book about as far as crippling self-doubt, so just tell us what your book is about, honestly, succinctly, and awesomely.

 Know You Are Never the Editor’s First Priority

I know this is a tough pill to swallow, but take it now before it damages your career: unless you’re a hugely imposing bodybuilder, you are never, and never will be, the editor’s first priority. Just accept that you won’t hear back about your submission for at least three months, and then go back to checking your email every half-minute like everyone else.

But just because you desperately want to see “Ed Editor McEditorson” flood your inbox doesn’t mean the feeling’s mutual. Never, ever, for the love of all that is Word, send in updated versions of your manuscript without asking the editor first. I once had an author send me five “updates” of her novel in less than an hour—one time with syntax tweaked, another with typos corrected. By the last revision she was presumably experimenting with subliminal messaging. Regardless, the overt message was that this person was obnoxious and unprofessional—not the sort of thing you’re looking for in a six- to eighteen-month time commitment.

Speaking of looking professional: if the editor “deigns from on high” to request your finished manuscript, double-check that the file you’re sending is complete and in working order. One time I was reading a short novel (I thought) and was already planning what I would say in my pitch to my director, when suddenly I got to the last page and it ended mid-sentence. When I went back to the author, it turned out the file she had sent was broken; she then sent a few more files, each time swearing it was the right one. None of them were, and actually she didn’t have the finished document on the computer she was using. And then she went on vacation. And I found a finished book to pitch.

 If You’ve Been Rejected, Don’t Argue

The email you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived! But instead of the six-figure advance you’ve been spending against, you see the standard line: Unfortunately, Twilight Abbey wasn’t right for our house at this time.

In that moment, you’re probably commencing a dramatic monologue made up of only Urban Dictionary terms, and no one’s blaming you. But don’t email back demanding to know why the editor doesn’t recognize your brilliance or link him articles from The New York Times about how iambic pentameter is coming back into popularity—thus completely justifying chapter six.

There are a thousand and one reasons why an editor/publishing company might reject a book, and almost none of them are personal. You’ve seen these lists before: maybe the company just published a book about bat-people; maybe the editor couldn’t convince her boss to take the financial plunge. But these things can become personal fast, and if you’ve just called the editor something from Urban Dictionary, she’s going to remember your name­—and not in a good way. Don’t forget that editors tend to move from company to company and so do their coworkers, so that petty revenge may very well come back to bite you at the next place you query.

Besides, oftentimes editors are told to use form rejections even on books they really like, regardless of their personal feelings. If you want to hear it, try asking for feedback. Unless specifically told otherwise, you shouldn’t resubmit the edited version, but the editor’s comments might help you win over the next company.

And more than this, you can build a rapport with the editor. If you’re eager to please and approachable, your next manuscript submission might jump to the top of that editor’s inbox. Or, if she likes you a ton and believes in your work, the editor might put in a good word for you with friends at other companies. Because, believe it or not, sometimes the editor who rejected you wants to see your work published just as much as you do.

……………………..

Constance Renfrow is an editor at Three Rooms Press; an editor and publishing consultant at constancerenfrow.com; and a regular fixture at the Merchant’s House Museum in NYC. Her fiction and poetry is published or forthcoming in Petrichor Machine, Two Cities Review, Denim Skin, and the anthology Magical, and she writes features for Rapportage and CityElla. She is absolutely in love with the Victorian era, so she’s naturally working on her three-volume novel, when she’s not blogging at 21stcenturyvictorian.com.

The post What to Know Before You Submit Your Novel, Part II appeared first on DIY MFA.

If you haven’t already subscribed to Porter Anderson’s twitter feed, let me take a minute to explain why it’s one of the most important twitter accounts to follow in the publishing realm. Porter is certainly prolific–between 50 and a 100 tweets every day. He also live-tweets from several conferences each year, and following his Twitter feed can be the next-best-thing to being there yourself.

These are both good reasons, but the most important one is this: if you want current information from an objective source, then Porter Anderson is the person you need to follow. His tweets are about the world of publishing, and the future of publishing, but they’re written with a focus on writers, not industry folks. He tweets links to blog posts on writing, book release news, key conference information and much more.

He also shares where to find his own writing online, because his articles could be on any number of websites. And trust me, if you think his tweets are useful, you don’t want to miss his posts and articles. Reading them is like the online equivalent of sitting down with Porter over a glass of wine (or Campari) and having a smart–sometimes even heated–discussion about publishing.

Porter says his favorite part of his job “is keeping a constant stream of information going out–and by traveling and appearing at conferences and other events in many parts of the world in publishing–I’m able to synthesize a highly focused look at just what’s working, what isn’t, and who’s leading at any moment.” I’m so glad he does this job because when he shares this information in articles and on social media, we all win.

This is why, when I was looking for someone to speak about the publishing industry at Lit Loft, I knew it had to be Porter. I go to a lot of conferences and at each one I hear at least two or three talks about what’s new in our industry. The problem is that these talks are usually given editors, agents, publishers or other people who have a vested interest in the system. After all, wouldn’t these people have a stake in the matter that might lend a certain bias?

Porter Anderson navigates the industry without being of the industry. This means he can look at the issues from multiple angles and give a comprehensive perspective. And don’t get me wrong, Porter certainly shares his opinions from time to time, but what I love about his writing is that he presents the facts and lets the readers decide for themselves. And just because his reporting is detailed and evenhanded doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining too. Have you read either of the “Ethers” lately? Porter’s voice can make even the most complicated, head-spinning business topics (agency pricing anyone?) into a fun read.

For instance, his recent account of Franzenmania is not just smart and informative, it’s also hilarious. And the best part is that Porter always manages to relate even the most seemingly-removed topics to something that resonates with writers. The Franzen article isn’t just about Franzen, it’s about the crazy things writers will do when book sales are on the line. In fact, Porter’s quote at the top of this profile comes from that article.

So, what advice does Porter have for writers?

Slow down. The biggest mistake most writers are making is rushing to market simply because, thanks to digital, they can. Real writing and top-notch production take time. And the industry will get only better as the digital disruption works its way through publishing. Hang on if you can and don’t publish quickly or lightly. The market is glutted with books. We can wait until yours is truly ready.
–Porter Anderson

Patience is a trait we could all use a bit more of. But especially when it comes to writing it’s better to put your–and your book’s–best foot forward. I’m delighted that Porter Anderson will be speaking about the publishing industry at Lit Loft. He’ll be sharing insights and debunking some industry myths so you don’t want to miss this.

Porter Anderson will be speaking at LitLoft 2013.
Registration closes Thursday so sign up today!

The post What I Learned About the Publishing Industry from Porter Anderson appeared first on DIY MFA.