May Conferences: Prep Work

You've decided you want to go to a conference.

Now what?

Firstly, find a conference. Google it. Check out your local RWA, SCBWI, etc conferences or local writing associations for their annual conferences. Ask your writing buddies. Stalk local agents and see where they're heading. If you have a writing group in other parts of the country, set up a fun getaway with them and visit them in their home town or make a group trek.

Okay, you've signed up for a full weekend of fun, fun, fun!

You need to know the who's who of the conference. Who is the Key Note speaker? Are their books in your genre? Read them. Check out who the faculty is--agents, editors, authors. If you plan to pitch the agents, note their genres, their clients, visit their agency websites, Twitter, and personal blogs. Same goes for the sessions, lectures, and workshops you plan to attend--know who is speaking.

Will you need to bring anything? Lots of paper and a pencil sharpener. You'll be taking notes. Lots of them. Business cards, if you have them, to share with your new friends. It's a great place to network (more on that later). You don't need a copy of your ms, unless you're attending a workshop in which you'll need it. Note the materials the sessions/workshops ask you to bring and bring them (agents will not ask for your ms or any hardcopy--more on that later). If there is an opportunity for on-site consults with editors/agents for mss or query letters, take advantage, and note the deadlines or if you need to bring your materials. If you're able to sign up for it there, bring the materials in case you're able to get an appointment.

By the way, if an agent you're eyeing is doing ms critiques, it's a great opportunity to show them your work and garner interest--at the very least, if you revise and submit to them at a later date, they'll know the quality of your edits and how much you've improved.

Oh, right, one more thing. Preparing your pitch. Most conferences will have a "How to Polish Your Pitch" sort of workshop the first day (post on that later). Attend it. Prepare as much as you can before hand. You won't just be pitching agents. Every time you meet someone new, they'll ask "what do you write?"

Anything else? Yeah, prepare to kiss your old life goodbye. It's gonna be a wild ride.

How do you find conferences? Do you find that you need anything else to prepare yourself for a conference (besides a babysitter and a Costco box of 5 Hour Energy)?

Happy conferencing!

Wednesday Reads: Cinder

I am going to do my very, very best not to squee like crazy during this post. I'll just state it right here.

I.

Love.

This.

Book.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Two words. Cinderella. Steampunk. Eek! (that was not a squee!) It's the first fairytale retelling in the Lunar Chronicles. (I'm not at all excited for the rest of the series. teehee)

Synopsis:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

First Line: "The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle." Not only is this line so unexpected, it is reminiscent of Cinderella. Because everyone knows the story of Cinderella and there is something to do with feet and shoes at the end--but no. In this one, we start right at the beginning knowing she has a mechanical foot. She's a cyborg. (You know exactly where that whole steel foot is leading, don't you?)

And because I love how it immediately sets us up in a world of futuristic/steampunk/technology not with the world itself but with Cinder's own body parts, I have to give you a feel for the first few.

"The screw through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Her knuckles ached from forcing the screwdriver into the joint as she struggled to loosen the screw one gritting twist after another. By the time it was extracted far enough for her to wrench free with her prosthetic steel hand, the hairline threads had been stripped clean.

"Tossing the screwdriver onto the table, Cinder gripped her heel and yanked the foot from its socket. A spark singed her fingertips and she jerked away, leaving the foot to dangle from a tangle of red and yellow wires."

Brownie Points: Gah! Other than being an awesome new imagining of the Cinderella tale? Two things, actually. Both odd. One. The setting. They're in New Bejing, or The Commonwealth. I'm not brushed up on all things Asia and whatnot, but I think (think) the world is kinda a mash of many of the Asian cultures. And it's flavoring of the world, not so engrained that people can't relate to it. Plus, my nerdy side is happy with the connection back to the origins of the Cinderella tale, which came out of China.

Spanish cover

Two. I'm not sure why I'm noticing it so much right now, but the POV. I'm, just a little bit, a little tired of 1st person. This is in 3rd and occasionally jumps over to Kai's POV as well--also 3rd. In the beginning-middle somewhere, we also detour into the doctor's brain (yes, there's a doctor, and that's all I'm saying about that). He is a very important character, fascinating/crazy mind, and though this is YA and he is an Adult, I felt the jump to him fit well. It's not something you often see. And something you must consider carefully before attempting.

Recommendation: For all YA lovers, scifi/steampunk lovers, and fairytale retelling lovers. Ya'll might know I adore Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted--this might have surpassed that one. The mechanical foot won me over, what can I say?

Would I represent it? Other than the obvious YES, I'm not officially looking for fairytale retellings. Because they are so incredibly hard to do. If, however, they fall into one of the other categories I'm looking for (historical fantasy, scifi, steampunk, as of now unknown mash-up category), I'm willing to take a look. It has to be impeccable though, because I'm a bit of a fairytale retelling snob.

(PS, read it!)

Someone get this mic away from me.

Happy reading!

 

May Conferences: Intro

Conference season is upon us! First time? Seasoned pro? This month I'll be covering the basics and hopefully some advanced tips and tricks to help you navigate this wondrous new world.

You may be thinking, "I'm an awesome writer. Psssh, why do I need a conference? I don't like people."

I may be thinking, "Unless you're guaranteed to make me lots of money, please play nice with others."

But also, conferences are just fun. I have several lined up and, from the agent side at least, love them. And I've heard from my fair share of writers how much conferences help them. It's a great place to meet other writers, network, find or form a critique group, perfect your pitch, learn valuable info, and yes, meet agents.

While I always hope to find a client at conferences, it's not the reason I'm there. Of the, say, dozen conferences I've been to, I've signed one client from the hundreds that have pitched me. I am always looking. But the main reason I go to conferences is to teach, to network as well with other agents, writers, and editors.

Conferences are, at the very essence of their existence, a place for writers to learn. Attend as many sessions, classes, lectures, pitch sessions, critiques, and workshops as you can. When the presenter asks for questions, ask them. If you're in a pitch session with an agent and have extra time, pick their brain.

You're there to learn. We're there to teach you.

But why should you attend a conference? Can't you get all that good learning online? Yes, probably. But there is something about a conference, a big gathering of like minded people in one place, at one time, that cannot be substituted. Try it. Just once. My bet is you'll love it.

Besides, we're all in the business of imagination. Get off the couch and create your own adventure. You might get some inspiration.

Please, as with all my topic months, leave questions here. I'll answer what I can during the month and leave all the rest for my FAQ at the end of the month.

Do you have a conference success story? Find an agent there? Your best writing buddy? That one final push to polish your ms? The inspiration to scrap your ms of 15 years and start anew?

Happy writing!

April Offers--FAQs

Hi guys! No doubt you've noticed my absence all April long. And yes, I realize it's May. I'm going to answer all of your April Offer questions here in this post, then continue with my planned May Conference series. Also, I'm armed with books, and not afraid to use them. I will be doing Wednesday Reads again (maybe not weekly, but hopefully at the very least, bi-weekly).

• What's it like from the agent's perspective? Do you get nervous when you make an offer or worry that they will choose not to go with you? 
• Mostly I get excited. Because finding a project that I love enough to offer on is few and far between. Of course there's always the worry that the writer will choose someone else, but it's all part of the business. For every one writer who doesn't choose me, another writer will choose me over someone else. I used to obsess way more in the beginning, but it's a roll with the punches (and have a glass of wine) sort of thing now.
• When an author gets an agent offer should they nudge everyone they have a query with or just the submissions?
• This is up to you. Personally, I want to get nudged even if I've just received the query. There are times when queries sit for a few weeks before I can get to them, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read it. I hate getting to a query only to find out the writer has accepted rep without informing me, or at the very least withdrawing the query. (Here's a post of mine on the subject)
• When an agent offers representation, what are the most common questions you get asked by your newly acquired clients? What do you feel are important and necessary questions that should be addressed during that initial phone call?  
•  The agent's style (editing strengths, etc). How much revisions before going out, revision ideas. What are your favorites books? Can I talk to a couple of your clients? (Here's a post of mine on the subject) (Bookends has a great post on it as well)
• I've heard that some agents still do verbal contracts (for the agent-author agreement) - is that true? 
• If you come across an agent who does verbal contracts, run away. Far, far away. I don't know of any agents who would want to do verbal contracts--it's as much a risk to us as it is to you. 
• When an agent offers rep, is it Standard Procedure to ask for a week's period to decide, during which you inform the other agents who have a) fulls/partials and/or b) queries? Is there a good protocol for requesting this period, or will an agent expect to hear it?
• An agent expects that you will take a week or two to let other agents know there has been an offer. Unless that agent is your dream agent, in which case you can accept and withdraw queries/manuscripts from other agents.
• If you offer revisions and the author writes you back with newly revised novel, how often is that you take that writer on as a client?
• Maybe half. On second reading, I have to love the ms even more than I did the first time around (because I will have to read it again, and again). The revisions have to not only be spot on, but I like to see the writer going above and beyond, doing not just my literal revision suggestions, but doing it with their own style.
• Is "The Call" really necessary if the author lives abroad? Is e-mail correspondence enough?
• "The Call" is not a necessity. We will definitely do it over email if that works best.
• What if an author's future works aren't part of an agent's preferred genre (e.g. author has a steampunk novel in the works besides the previous work s/he queried, but while agent likes the queried MS, s/he doesn't like steampunk)? Will agents still rep them for these works, or would another agent for those works be the better choice?
• It varies by agent. If we've had success with your first novel, we'll probably stick in there with the second. Independent of genre, an agent should always know a good story and character, enough to fudge the rest. If the agent really doesn't want to rep that genre, or doesn't think it's right for your career (and if you disagree) you can find an entirely new agent or the agent may ask for help within the agency. Generally, you won't have an agent for say Women's Romance and another for SciFi, or one for YA and one for MG.
•  I'd love to know how much time I can ask an agent offering representation for to make my decision. I've heard everything from a week to two weeks is acceptable to decide to accept an offer. I don't want any other agents still reading my manuscript to feel like I didn't give them enough time to make their own decisions, but I also don't want the offering agent to think I'm a flake! :)
• Seven to ten days, even fourteen, is acceptable. The offering agent may offer their own time restraints, which should stay within that window. If the offering agent gives a time frame shorter than seven days, ask for more--you want enough time for yourself to be sure you're getting the right agent. If you give other agents too little time, they'll think you're not actually interested in them and back out immediately.
• If you request a partial, and we give you the eight weeks wait, and then ping you with that reminder you've written about--how long after that until we write again/assume it's a no-go? 
• If the agent is being flaky about it, taking eight weeks, and another eight weeks, and another eight weeks, you may just want to find another agent. Do you want to work with someone like that?
• This is more about the lack of offers, but I'd love to hear any advise you might share on what to do when you're not receiving any offers or feedback from your agent submissions. I know conferences might be one way to go (not possible for me personally what with where I live), but are there any other ways? My current project might just not be marketable... but if there's some other more fixable problem with the book, I'd really like to know. If nothing else, so I can learn for the next novel. :-) I've already had the novel workshopped by an eclectic bunch of writers and readers that I trust--both in their judgement and their honesty--and the novel has greatly improved from their feedback. They like it, I like it--and I'd really like to pick an agent's brain to discover what they're seeing that I'm missing! But, since agents don't have time for that sort of thing, is there something else I might do?
• You can hire a freelance editor. You can find an agency that has consulting or editing on the side (separate from the agenting side). You can enter online contests that give agent feedback as a prize. You can start your next project and revisit the first when you've had some space. (Here's a post of mine on the subject)
• Could you give us an example of how we might word an email to an agent who's reading requested material to let them know we've had an offer?
• Dear Agent, I've had an offer of representation from another agent. I'd love to know if you're still interested in my manuscript Title which you requested page number of on date / which I sent you the query of on date. I will make my decision by date. Please let me know if I can send you the full ms or any additional materials. Thank you, closing signature
• Also, do agents generally ask to see an author's previous unpublished works when taking on a new client?
• Maybe once in a while. Generally, the agent concentrates on the one ms before anything else.
• Is there one resource you would recommend for authors on the basics of contracts? I'm looking for a place that outlines what is customary in a contract and what to watch out for. Great topic. Thanks!
• I'm assuming you mean agency contracts, not publishing contracts (for which an agent is the best way to navigate that). For agency contracts, just start Googling it. Many agent blogs have question and answer posts for specific questions which may be a good place. #askagent on Twitter is limited in lengthy answers. Asking fellow writers always yields good results, especially the ones who have been there, done that. Query Tracker forums won't steer you wrong either. Thanks to Thea Harrison for this link to a sample Agency contract here.
• I've sent my query letters but got only passes from agents. Now I've had some requests from small presses. If one should make an offer, should I go back to agents with an 'offer on the table' query or would it be a waste of time?
• Only if an agent still hasn't responded to/rejected your query or ms.
• (cont) I'd still like to get an agent and submit to the large publishers. Would a small press be enough enticement to get an agent's notice?
• If you want an agent/big publisher, I'm not sure why you're querying small publishers when you don't plan to accept their offer (seems a waste of time for both of you). You can inform an agent of your offer, and they will look at it more quickly, but their answer will not change from a no to a yes just because you have an offer. And if you have an offer on the table, agents who might have given you helpful/constructive feedback or asked for a revision request, won't give it, so you're shooting yourself in the foot in that regard. (Here's a post of mine on the subject)
•  If you are querying and you get no no requests/offers, does it help to get offers if you attain a publication deal? I mean, if you get a pub deal, but don't accept it, and then query. Do agents not offer representation for these people? Or do they offer rep, and then shop around the MS to other, bigger publishers?
• I'm assuming you mean you've rejected an offer from a small/e publisher. Generally, an agent won't submit to these publishers, concentrating on the big six and medium presses, but always inform your agent of who you've submitted to. If you shop it around to the big/medium publishers and have been rejected, that leaves little options for the agent. The only thing submitting to and rejecting a small pub offer achieves is your own self satisfaction. An agent knowing you've rejected a pub deal won't make them want to work with you. It's still all about that ms and whether or not they like it (or want to work with you--and if you're playing games like this and the agent catches on, they may be wary).
• Is there a time limit to respond to an editor's offer? Will they get offended and walk if they don't hear back right away?
• Just like with an agent offer, there is always a window--a courtesy both parties adhere to. And, just like with an agent, if you string them along too long, they will doubt your seriousness and move on. I don't want to work with you, if you don't really want to work with me (and vice versa).

Questions added 5/9/12

• If you got an offer from a medium to large publisher, is it worthwhile to approach an agent who has rejected, but with positive feedback? 
• It wouldn't hurt and it'd probably make the agent's day. Make sure it's an agent you'd really want to work with, and you can probably conduct a few interviews to hire the agent you want. I've personally never heard of this actually happening, so if you do see another agent or author discuss the subject first hand, please let me know.
• If someone wants to notifying an agent/publisher of another offer on the table, what kind of subject line will get their attention considering the volume of email they are already dealing with?
• "Offer of Representation: book title" tends to do the trick. (More on the subject of how to conduct business via email here)

Happy writing!

April Offers: What to Expect

This month's topic will be everything to do with that elusive offer. The agent offer, the publisher offer.

If you have questions, please leave them in the comments or on Twitter and I will try to address all sometime this month.

Happy writing!