Wrighting and Sundry
So, I went to a workshop about publishing on the weekend. It was very, very good. The man who taught it is an editor/agent/teacher type fellow, very nice, tons of experience, and hilarious. His blog, Quick Brown Fox, is amazing as a resource. He also had a guest agent in to talk about what agents look for in a query and manuscript.
Cut for lengthy rambles and brambles.
So, there are three things that authors apparently need for publishing, but you only REALLY need two of them:
- A good manuscript
- Luck
- Perseverance
Apparently, the third one is the most important.
Then he explained the steps for publication:
1. Write
2. Start small. Writing short stories for publication helps you become more professional, helps to develop the idea of writing for an audience, can give you some publication credits. (Man, I wish fanfiction counted >_<)
3. Write your novel.
4. Finish your novel.
5. Burn your novel (maybe not literally *clutches laptop*).
6. Re-write your novel.
7. Edit novel (ideally with assistance from honest people).
8. Submit!! Either to a small publisher or to agents.
So, that was kind of cool to have it broken down like that.
He also talked about what an agent is and does. Basically, they provide access to larger publishers, give your manuscript a boost in the queue, provide knowledge of the markets, and negotiate your contract stuff. Though an agent isn't ABSOLUTELY necessary, they are very important if you want to make a career in writing.
Next, we discussed the querying process itself. I've just started nosing into this business, so I was very interested in this part.
Now, there are a billion and one resources out there that will tell you how to write a query letter and what's wrong with yours. But I really appreciated having an agent standing in front of us and telling us exactly what she looks for:
- length in words. For YA (my manuscript), the sweet spot is 90K, though the range is about 70K - 120K
- Genre. How it fits with the genre AND how it stands out
- About the book. Specifically, why will it sell? Though, it is inadvisable to say, outright, "This will sell because..." Rather, touch on the points that make it salable. Like... death, love, mystery, etc.
- Highlight the plot points: inciting incident, major character(s), what are the stakes?
- Keep up confidence and energy.
- No rhetorical questions.
- Don't talk about your own dreams or personal life--this is a business letter.
- Show, don't tell.
- Try to have the same tone as your manuscript (humorous, mysterious, etc.)
- Personalize, if possible.
- Make them want to read the manuscript.
- Send to as many agents as you want at a time!!
So... It's kind of a jumble of slightly contradictory do's and don't's.
The other interesting part has to do with what agents look for in a writer. They want someone who meshes well with them, and someone who is somewhat involved in the industry already. Have a web presence, network a little bit in the writing/reading community, be dedicated to your craft, keep working on a variety of projects, not just the one, and keep improving your credentials.
That was kind of the gist of it... It made me feel very good, actually. I've had absolutely zero success when it comes to publishing, other than the sweet, sweet knowledge that I can make Thomas cry with my writing. However, I know I'm doing the right things, I'm swimming in the right direction, and one day I'll find an egg of my own to inseminate.
My favourite, take-home quote...
"What's the point of writing something that's okay?"
So, the to-do list grows, but so does the determination and the inspiration. Though, that may have as much to do with lack of sleep as anything else.
And, side question...
Is anyone out there interested in Dragon Age fanfiction?
Cut for lengthy rambles and brambles.
So, there are three things that authors apparently need for publishing, but you only REALLY need two of them:
- A good manuscript
- Luck
- Perseverance
Apparently, the third one is the most important.
Then he explained the steps for publication:
1. Write
2. Start small. Writing short stories for publication helps you become more professional, helps to develop the idea of writing for an audience, can give you some publication credits. (Man, I wish fanfiction counted >_<)
3. Write your novel.
4. Finish your novel.
5. Burn your novel (maybe not literally *clutches laptop*).
6. Re-write your novel.
7. Edit novel (ideally with assistance from honest people).
8. Submit!! Either to a small publisher or to agents.
So, that was kind of cool to have it broken down like that.
He also talked about what an agent is and does. Basically, they provide access to larger publishers, give your manuscript a boost in the queue, provide knowledge of the markets, and negotiate your contract stuff. Though an agent isn't ABSOLUTELY necessary, they are very important if you want to make a career in writing.
Next, we discussed the querying process itself. I've just started nosing into this business, so I was very interested in this part.
Now, there are a billion and one resources out there that will tell you how to write a query letter and what's wrong with yours. But I really appreciated having an agent standing in front of us and telling us exactly what she looks for:
- length in words. For YA (my manuscript), the sweet spot is 90K, though the range is about 70K - 120K
- Genre. How it fits with the genre AND how it stands out
- About the book. Specifically, why will it sell? Though, it is inadvisable to say, outright, "This will sell because..." Rather, touch on the points that make it salable. Like... death, love, mystery, etc.
- Highlight the plot points: inciting incident, major character(s), what are the stakes?
- Keep up confidence and energy.
- No rhetorical questions.
- Don't talk about your own dreams or personal life--this is a business letter.
- Show, don't tell.
- Try to have the same tone as your manuscript (humorous, mysterious, etc.)
- Personalize, if possible.
- Make them want to read the manuscript.
- Send to as many agents as you want at a time!!
So... It's kind of a jumble of slightly contradictory do's and don't's.
The other interesting part has to do with what agents look for in a writer. They want someone who meshes well with them, and someone who is somewhat involved in the industry already. Have a web presence, network a little bit in the writing/reading community, be dedicated to your craft, keep working on a variety of projects, not just the one, and keep improving your credentials.
That was kind of the gist of it... It made me feel very good, actually. I've had absolutely zero success when it comes to publishing, other than the sweet, sweet knowledge that I can make Thomas cry with my writing. However, I know I'm doing the right things, I'm swimming in the right direction, and one day I'll find an egg of my own to inseminate.
My favourite, take-home quote...
"What's the point of writing something that's okay?"
So, the to-do list grows, but so does the determination and the inspiration. Though, that may have as much to do with lack of sleep as anything else.
And, side question...
Is anyone out there interested in Dragon Age fanfiction?