Category Archives: Submissions

Written by Lara | Category: SubmissionsOne comment

nonfiction query lettersA lot of time and attention is paid to fiction query letters. But how about nonfiction?

The general premise is the same — you want to hook and editor or agent in one page and make them want to read more, more, more of your book! But there are some key differences.

It’s About You, Baby! It’s important to emphasize why your background and experience make you the ideal person to pen this book. Are you a fitness expert who has a fresh take on getting healthy? Are you a veterinarian with a book about caring for pets? If so, tell the editor/agent, as it’s critical information! Spell out your years of experience in the field and how you’ll use that in your text.

Solve My Problem, Please! Many nonficiton books offer solutions or insights to common issues — whether in the workplace, in finance, in their personal lives, etc. Highlight the specific problem your book will tackle and how it’s different from the other books out there on the same subject.

Tell Me a Great Story. If you are writing narrative nonfiction–think Devil in the White City or The Poisoner’s Handbook — the story will be key, just like in a fiction query. Who is the real-life protagonist in these true events? What is the problem they will solve? With nonfiction, though, you’ll need to spell out your sources, how you researched this topic and, going back to the first tip, why you’re the right person to pull all this together.

A nonfiction book will require more than a query letter, however. A publisher will want to see a complete nonfiction proposal. The best resource I’ve found for crafting a proposal — from penning the query to doing market research to honing in on the right publisher — is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published, which has an insanely helpful index in the back that shows samples of everything. But that’s just me.

[Image Source: ehow.com]

Written by Lara | Category: Submissions, Writing 1016 comments

Last week, the lovely Margaret Yang taught us all how to write a wonderful one-page synopsis. This week, she tackles why we writers need to just write the synopsis already and stop complaining about it. Margaret is the author of the short story Good Fences. Her novel, Fate’s Mirror, debuts today. Congratulations, Margaret, and take it away!

I went to my favorite grocery store today, which has a Starbucks right inside it, perfect for my crazy busy life. My grocery list was long, but the line for coffee was short. Feeling lucky, I ordered a tall mocha frappuccino, the kind they whip up in a blender.

“Oh not another one,” the barista sighed. “Those are hard. I’ve been making them all day. I’m here all by myself . . .” He looked longingly at the hot brewed coffee and then shuffled slowly to the refrigerator to get the pitcher of cold blender mix. “And it’s not even real coffee.”

“Never mind. Thanks anyway,” I said. I put away my money and walked out.

I raced through the grocery aisles, pitching stuff into my cart, angry because I didn’t get my frozen mocha. Sure, I would have gotten one eventually, if I’d been willing to both wait and endure the barista’s whining. I was also bewildered. It was 93 degrees outside. What did he expect people to order? If you work at a coffee bar that sells frozen blender coffees, you are going to be making frozen blender coffees.

I was putting some laundry soap in my cart when the barista walked up to me carrying a large, beautiful frappuccino with whipped cream peaks drizzled in chocolate. “There you are!” he said, handing it over. “I couldn’t just let you leave.” I apologized to him, although I’m not sure why. Changing your mind about a business transaction isn’t wrong, especially since he hadn’t started preparing it yet. I reached for my wallet to pay, but he waved me off and went back to work.

I plunged the straw through the whipped cream into the heavenly mocha below, but stopped with it halfway to my mouth. I couldn’t bring myself to even try it. What if the barista had spit in it or done something else horrible? Odds are, probably not, but why take a chance, especially since it was free? I found the nearest garbage can and dumped the whole thing.

I’ve heard that many baristas dislike making frappuccinos. A lot.

Just like many writers dislike writing synopses. A lot.

When faced with writing a synopsis, the first thing we writers do is complain. I’ve already written the entire novel! Now you want me to do what? How can anyone get the sense of my novel from something all sweetened and diluted? (It’s not even real coffee!) Plus, it’s really, really hard. I don’t want to make it. I’m here all by myself…

But I’m the customer—or the editor—on the other side of the counter. I am angry and bewildered. The barista knew when he started working that he’d be expected to make frappuccinos just as we writers know we will write synopses. It’s just part of the job, and every job has unpleasant parts. What’s the big deal? Throw the coffee and some flavoring and ice into the blender and turn it on! And if it’s lumpy, make it pretty with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

A friend of mine published her first novel with a commercial press. When it came time for the second novel, her editor asked to see the first 100 pages and a synopsis. Guess what my friend said? “Oh, not another one. Those are hard. I’m here all by myself…” My friend eventually banged out a synopsis and reluctantly handed it in without any beta reads or proofreading.

It got rejected just as quickly as I threw away my beautiful frappuccino that day in the grocery store. I doubt my friend spit in her synopsis, just like I doubt the barista spit in my coffee, but you just never know.

Written by Lara | Category: Submissions22 comments

If you’re querying agents or publishers about your book, chances are you might be asked for a synopsis. But what is a synopsis, and how do you write it? Thankfully, writer Margaret Yang is here with a definitive synopsis how-to. Margaret is the author of Good Fences, and her ebook Fate’s Mirror comes out July 15. Take it away, Margaret!

Writing a novel synopsis is a something that every writer needs to know how to do. Even if your agent does not ask for a synopsis, your editor will require one at some point, either for her own use, or for the marketing and art departments. But self-publishers are not off the hook. You will need a synopsis to give to your cover artist (if you’re hiring one) or for your own reference as you write your flap copy.

An ideal synopsis is six paragraphs long. The format should be single-spaced text with double spacing between paragraphs. There are older how-to books that tell you to write a synopsis of four, eight, or even twenty double-spaced pages. This is outdated advice. Modern editors want a synopsis that fits on one page.

An entire novel on one page? Yes, one page! The trick is to tell only the main story, focusing on the main characters and big turning points. I’ve used The Wizard of Oz (movie version) as my example, since it’s a story nearly everyone knows.

1. A paragraph that introduces the main problem. You’ll need a tiny bit of backstory and setting in order for the main conflict to make sense, but you don’t need as much as you think you do. Write as little as you can get away with to make the reader understand the stakes (external conflict) of the story.

Example: Dorothy Gale never intended to kill a witch. When a tornado uproots her house and drops it on a wicked witch, she is lauded as a hero and rewarded with magic ruby slippers. The same tornado has trapped her in a magic land called Oz. Dorothy desperately wants to get home to her family, but the only one who can help her is a wizard who lives a long and dangerous journey away. She must find the Wizard of Oz before the witch’s evil sister finds her first.

2. A paragraph that introduces the protagonist. What kind of person is she? Why is she the only one who can solve this problem? What is going on inside her (internal conflict) that she’ll have to overcome in order to have a happy ending?

Example: Dorothy Gale is a farm girl from Kansas. An orphan, she lives with her aunt and uncle. With no siblings or friends nearby, her only playmates are the busy farm hands and her beloved dog, Toto. A dreamy girl, Dorothy longs for adventures that seem to be just out of reach, somewhere over the next rainbow.

3. What is the first turning point of the story? This is sometimes called the inciting incident, plot point one, or the point of no return. It happens somewhere in the first quarter of the book, preferably in the first 30 pages, and it thrusts the protagonist into the main journey of the book. Although it’s called a “point,” it’s a scene or a series of scenes.

Example: When she finds herself trapped in Oz, Dorothy may be getting more adventure than she wished for. With the ruby slippers on her feet the only protection from the Wicked Witch, she sets out for the Emerald City to find the Wizard. She is soon befriended by a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion, who respectively lack a brain, a heart, and courage. The three decide to accompany Dorothy in hopes that the Wizard will also fulfill their desires, although they demonstrate along the way that they already have the qualities they believe they lack—the Scarecrow has several good ideas, the Tin Man is kind and sympathetic, and the Lion, though terrified, is ready to face danger.

4. Midpoint. This is the big scene in the middle of the novel, where something important happens and emotions run high. This is (or should be) a huge scene where your hero does important things. There’s often a reversal of some kind, as the hero’s fortunes rise or fall.

Example: In the Emerald City, the four friends are given an audience with the Wizard of Oz, who appears as a terrifying disembodied head of smoke. He demands that Dorothy bring him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch before he will send her home. The friends are devastated that they are still so far from achieving their quest, but they resolve to do as the Wizard asks.

5. Climax. Every story has a climatic scene. Briefly describe what leads up to it, and then describe the scene itself. Remember, your syonpsis tells the complete story, so you can’t leave the climax out. The main problem (external stakes) is solved in this paragraph.

Example: On the way to the witch’s castle, Dorothy and Toto are trapped by the Wicked Witch. The Witch threatens to drown Toto, so Dorothy agrees to give her the slippers, but the Witch can’t remove them without killing Dorothy. Toto escapes and leads Dorothy’s companions to the castle. After overpowering some of the Witch’s guards, they free Dorothy. During the battle, the Witch sets the Scarecrow’s arm ablaze. Dorothy throws water on her friend and accidentally splashes the Witch, causing her to melt.

6. Resolution. How has the protagonist changed as a result of this adventure? How has he solved his emotional/mental/spiritual problems through the journey he went on in this story? In other words, how have the internal stakes been solved?

Example: The four friends return to the Emerald City in triumph, but the Wizard still won’t grant them their wishes. He can’t—he’s not a wizard at all but an ordinary man. He explains that Dorothy’s companions already possessed what they had been seeking all along, and agrees to take Dorothy home in a hot air balloon. Toto jumps out of the balloon basket and as Dorothy goes after him, the Wizard takes off without her. Just as she despairs of ever getting home, the power of her desire—coupled with the power of the slippers—sends her back to Kansas. Dorothy wakes up in her own bed surrounded by family and friends, and tells them of her journey. Dorothy promises that she will never leave home again, because she loves them all…and because there’s no place like home.

This formula is like the pirate code: more guidelines than actual rules. If you need two paragraphs to describe the midpoint, write them. If your climax and resolution can be written in a single paragraph, do it. If your book is more literary, focusing on internal turning points, write about those. The only absolute rule is to tell the complete story in one page.

Always use present tense, no matter the tense of the novel. Always use third person, no matter the POV of the novel. Always tell your story chronologically, even if there are flashbacks.

If your book has multiple points of view, pick the main character and just tell her story. Leave out subplots and minor characters. (In the example above, Glinda the Good Witch is not mentioned.)

Tell the plot, but don’t forget about motivation and emotion. Without them, the syonpsis seems disjointed. Don’t ignore cause and effect.

Leave out self-praise, even subtle self-praise. In an exciting twist, Joe pulls a gun on his former partner. Leave out the words “exciting twist” and just tell what happens. In a heartbreaking scene, Mary and her mother are reunited. Leave out the words “heartbreaking scene.” If you’ve written a vivid synopsis, the reader will know it’s heartbreaking.

Take your time. A syonpsis isn’t easy. Revise your first draft, have your betas look at it, and revise again. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when someone who has never read your novel likes your synopsis and asks to read the whole book!

Written by Lara | Category: Best Practices, Editing, Submissions4 comments

Rhonda Stapleton is the author of the Stupid Cupid trilogy and she also works as acquisitions editor for Carina Press. She sees lots of query letters and sample pages every week, and she has her finger on the pulse of what gets noticed in the industry, and why. Here, she gives us the inside scoop on what keeps many books buried in the slushpile, and how to avoid rookie mistakes.

Take it away, Rhonda!

Thanks for having me! I’ve got four tips for writers, which comprise the most common flubs I see in books, day in and day out. Correcting these things will go a long, long way to getting your story in front of editors and agents.

1.) Cliché characters. I see too many gay guys who are crazy flamboyant. I see too many crazy old ladies with cats. Writers need to think outside the box when they write their characters. It’s of course okay to have some stereotypical elements in your character, but go deeper. Look at their education, family, location, interests, careers. All these things will inform who your characters are. What’s more, writing cliche characters makes them unlikable in many instances. And we need to be able to relate to, and root for, the characters in a novel.

2.) Too much information all at once. We call this an “info drop” and it usually happens in the beginning of the novel. It’s way too much detail that we don’t need, and it succeeds in dragging the pacing and taking away all suspense. Writers forget that they don’t have to say everything at the outset. I trust you as the writer — and I believe you’ll drop in the pieces as I need them. You don’t have to front-load it all.

3.) Too many characters. Starting a story in the middle of exciting action is good, but it becomes an exercise in frustration if a.) I don’t quickly get a sense of what’s going on and b.) there are too many characters to keep track of. It’s great to have a large cast if that’s what the story calls for, but then the writer has to be extra careful to introduce them organically and at the right pace. Overwhelming the reader with people at the outset is never a good idea.

4.) Ho-hum voice. I see a lot of writing that’s clean and I suppose fine, but it’s not…enough. In order to grab me, the book needs to have an interesting voice, a character with flaws but also strengths. I need to see big stakes, something that really matters if the protagonist doesn’t succeed. People can and do over-edit their stories, taking out all the flair and all the exciting elements that keep us turning the pages.

Bonus tip! In your query, be sure to tell me why your story is different. How is your vampire different than all the other vampires? How is your romance different from every other love story on the shelves? Don’t bog the query down with extraneous information about people who aren’t the main character. Tell me about the conflict your protagonist will face, and how it’s different than everything else that’s out there.

Thanks, Rhonda! For more information about Rhonda, her books, and her thoughts about the world, check out her blog over here.

Written by Lara | Category: SubmissionsOne comment

In a previous blog post on pitching a series, reader A.J. asked a great question in the comments:

I wonder if you have any thoughts on pitching a series in which the protagonist changes with each book. Is this frowned on, or is it perfectly acceptable?

I didn’t know the answer, so I asked my agent, who answered with her take on the topic:

If you’re proposing a series the multiple protagonists idea can work well. Most genre fiction has a place for this idea—from romance, where there are often series of books that share some characters and settings, but might focus on, say, different family members or different people in a town, to fantasy, where various books in a series may follow different, but related, characters in the world the author has created.  Pitching these ideas to an agent or editor depends on where you are in your working relationship with that person. If you have books with them already, and they know your writing and know that you have the wherewithal to create such a series and make it work, then go for it. But if you don’t know the agent or editor you’re pitching, the most important thing is to draw them in with your writing by showing them a single polished manuscript with a compelling, wonderful, beautifully told story.  If you happen to have idea for how to expand that first manuscript into a series, great—but you may want to wait until they call you and express interest in your current manuscript and ask what you’re thinking of next before you tell them about the next five books.

Great question, A.J., and great answer, Susanna. Thank you both!

Pitching a Series

29
Oct
2010
Written by Lara | Category: Best Practices, Submissions6 comments

Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, and George R.R. Martin’s  Song of Fire and Ice fantasy novels showcase how successive books can be blockbusters. A series can hook an audience over the course of time and supply big paychecks to the authors who pen them.

But pitching a series to an editor or agent can be tricky. If you’re thinking of including lines in your query letter such as, “I envision my book as the first of many,” here are some things to keep in mind:

Every good series starts with an excellent first book. No matter what you write, the story has to grab readers and throw them into the action quickly and leave them begging for more. Some writers think that they can wait until the second or even third book in a series to get into the meat of the story, but that’s not going to fly with an editor or agent. If they’re not in love with the first book, they’re certainly not going to want more.

A series isn’t necessarily a selling point in your query. In these tough times, a series often screams to a publisher “more money up front.” And when pockets are empty, a big investment isn’t necessarily what publishers are looking for.

Is a series really right for you? I have to ask. Because I’ve seen many books that were billed as “the first of many” and I failed to see how the story could really go there. More isn’t necessarily better. What you see as three books might just, with the right editorial eye, be better trimmed and whittled into one amazing book.

A series can happen even if you don’t plan for it. Many authors simply write one extraordinary book that has so many readers asking “What happens next?” that the publisher decides to answer that question. The young-adult novel Dairy Queen, for example, turned into a trilogy. Meg Waite Clayton’s The Wednesday Sisters did so well she was just offered a sequel.

Pitch realistic numbers. If you’re set on pitching a series to an editor or agent, outline a reasonable number of books into which your story can fit. Two or three, ideally. Queries that note, “this is the first in a series of eight,” have a much greater chance of going straight into the rejection pile.

Have you had experiences with pitching a series? How did it go? Were you successful, or did you decide to go a different route?

[Image source: WoodysWabbits.com]

Written by Lara | Category: Editing, Submissions3 comments

When writers submit their best work to an agent, they usually do it with the understanding that this is the work the agent will pitch to a publisher and try to sell.

Often that’s the case, but not always.

An agent might ask you to revise your book if they can spot weaknesses in the manuscript. For example, before Donut Days ever went out on submission, I was asked to complete some re-writes. I remember thinking, “I didn’t know my agent would ask me for changes.” But it makes sense that they would  look at my work with fresh eyes and recommend helpful edits before trying to sell the book.

Some agents are also willing to recommend changes to an unsigned author if they like the manuscript and think has potential. They might write to the author and say, “I would be willing to consider this manuscript if you resubmit with X, Y, and Z changes…”

When that happens, authors often wonder how long they have to complete the changes are re-submit. The consensus is always, take your time. Don’t rush. Do a thorough job and complete the changes the agent is asking for. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to take up to six months for these changes. This helpful post by Julie Anne Lindsey talks about the re-write advice she heard from agents at a recent conference, including how an author who turns in revisions too quickly might raise a red flag as having hasty or rushed work.

This post by Upstart Crow Literary argues that there is a time when the agent shouldn’t be involved in editing — and that’s after the book has been sold and the editor from the publishing house takes over. At that point, the agent must step aside, which makes absolute sense.

Have you been asked by an agent to revise? What was your experience?

[Image source: Cartoonresearch.com]

Written by Lara | Category: Submissions, The Lighter SideNo comments

There’s a lot of great information out there about how to write an excellent query letter. I have referenced in the past Janet Reid’s Query Shark site, for example, and Kristin Nelson’s posts about great queries she’s received, and why they work.

I have to say, though, I’ve never stumbled onto a query letter post that made me laugh out loud — hard. Until now.

Sarah Mullen Gilbert has crafted query letter Mad Libs. If you need a break from the query you’re in the throes of drafting, or heck, if you just want a good laugh, you can follow her formula, which I’ve pasted below. I would *love* to see some of your query letters in the comments, and I know Sarah would too!

Grab a writing utensil and scrap of paper and come up with words for these ten categories:

(1) Emotion
(2) Number
(3) Number
(4) Noun (plural)
(5) Girl’s name
(6) Favorite Halloween costume
(7) Color
(8) Animal (plural)
(9) Fairy tale creature
(10) Number

Got all ten filled in? No cheating now.

OK, here’s the query letter. Fill in your blanks:

Dear Agent-

(1) is a (2)-word novel exploring what happens when a girl goes on a quest to save (3) (4).

(5)’s life is perfectly normal, thank you very much, until a one-eyed (6)’s prophecy sends her on an impossible quest. Now, (5) must survive (7) (8), save a young (9), and find the true meaning of (1).

I’ve worked on this novel for (10) months and am confident it’s the best premise ever. Thank you for your consideration,

Future best-selling author

Meta, Meta Winner!

02
Sep
2010
Written by Lara | Category: SubmissionsNo comments

Thanks to everyone who posted on A.J.’s funny, insightful, and all-too-real “Passing the Time on Submission” post! She picked a winner at random, and you won’t believe who won. In fact, I’ll let A.J. do the honors:

I had my husband pull a name out of a hat, and the winner of the free book is…..Sophie Littlefield!  (I swear, I didn’t set this up.)  Sophie, would you like Wicked Lovely, Tracking the Tempest, or, um, A Bad Day for Pretty?  Email me your choice (ajlarrieu [at] me [dot] com), and I’ll get it to you ASAP!

Thanks again to everyone who commented and stopped by help4writers!

Written by Lara | Category: Submissions12 comments

Today, in our ongoing thread about how to pass the time while your work is out to agents and editors, author A.J. Larrieu offers tips on self-distraction.

A.J. was born and raised in southern Louisiana.  She was torn between studying biology and English in college, so she compromised by getting a degree in biochemistry and writing on the side.  Ten years later she’s still leading a double life.  She writes urban fantasy set in the South and in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she currently lives.  She is represented by Sarah LaPolla at Curtis Brown, Ltd.  Her first novel is currently on submission.  You can visit her at www.ajlarrieu.com and, what’s more, you can win prizes by commenting on this post! See how below!

Take it away, A.J.!

Most of the time, I’m a functioning adult.  I can make my own lunch and get myself up in the morning, and I don’t require midday naps (as long as I’ve had my coffee).  But waiting to hear back from editors turns me into a kindergartener.  If I don’t keep my brain constantly distracted, it runs off on its own and gets in to all sorts of psychological trouble.  Why haven’t I heard anything?  (Cue hours of fruitless Google-stalking of publishing imprints and author bulletin boards.)  Oh God, I’ll never get published… (Cue unhealthy levels of chocolate consumption.)  You all know how it goes, right?  I have to keep myself distracted, or I’ll lose my mind.

Distraction One: Writing.

Right now I’m waiting to hear back from editors on Book One of a proposed series, so I’m optimistically working away on Book Two.  For obvious reasons, this isn’t always an adequate distraction.  When I feel myself slipping into the Anxiety Death Spiral, I take a break from book-writing and write honest-to-goodness pen-and-paper letters to friends.  It’s a great way to procrastinate because it takes longer than typing.  And they write me back!  It’s nice to get something in the mail and know before I open it that it won’t be a rejection.

Distraction Two: Reading

But not just any reading.  Everyone’s heard of the second-book-blues, and now I think I get why they exist.  It’s definitely a challenge to write the second book before the first one sells, and if I’m lucky enough to have a deadline in the future, I’m sure it’ll only get harder.  In an attempt to avoid “the sophomore slump,” I’ve been reading other authors’ Book Twos with a critical eye.  Are they successful?  Why or why not?  If they’re writing a series, how did they keep the tension and conflict fresh?  The Book Twos on my list right now are Melissa Marr’s Ink Exchange, Nicole Peeler’s Tracking the Tempest, and Sophie Littlefield’s A Bad Day for Pretty. Since all of these ladies are very talented, I’ve been picking up a ton of inspiration.

Distraction Three: Running Away

A couple of weeks after my agent sent out my first round of submissions, I went on vacation to Italy.  I was lucky: I’d planned the vacation months before, and it fell at the perfect time.  There’s nothing like sitting by a pool in Tuscany with a bottle of chilled wine to make you forget your worries.  That, and I only had sporadic email access.  I won’t be able to use this method for every submission—I’ll be lucky if I ever get to go to Italy again—but there are easier ways to run away than hopping on planes to foreign countries.  Visit a part of your city you’ve never seen.  Go sit in a park or a coffee shop without your laptop/notebook.  Cut yourself off.  I’ve come back from my trip a lot less obsessive, mostly because I got out of the habit of checking my email every five minutes.  I give it another week before I start hovering again, but right now, it’s kind of nice that my “new email!” alert on my phone no longer wakes me up out of a dead sleep.

How do you pass the time while you’re waiting?  One lucky commenter will get a copy of one of the “Books Twos” I’m reading as distraction!

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