I was actually thinking about writing on something along these lines today and dang, if someone didn't beat me to it. Still, I think I want to take a slight twist on this discussion.
I was thinking recently about the role of professional organizations. I am frequently asked by writers, why should we join organizations? We're already starving artists, how can we come up with the extra money for membership, conferences, contests and the like?
My answer is simple. Find the cash.
Professional organizations, whether is it be the RWA, MWA, PNWA, SCWW, or so forth have a lot to offer the membership. This is where we share a commonality of writing and an interest in learning the craft. Membership gives us much more than something to put on a resume or cover letter. If we actively participate, we have a ton of resources sitting in front of us.
I took a leadership course a while ago and one of the elements we worked through was the concept of Knowing and Using the Resources of the Group. This is what the professional organizations have to offer. In essence, this group becomes a source of information and networking. More specifics?...
- We get journals full of information dealing with the latest trends, successes and failures.
- We get conferences where we can discuss the craft with professionals in the business including editors and agents that we would normally not be allowed to talk to.
- We get to learn from people who have already fought their way to the top in the hopes that we don't make the same mistakes.
- We get resources for critique and growth with our own writing.
- The list goes on and on...
Since the Harlequin issue came down with the RWA and MWA I have heard a ton of writers out there on Twitter and their blogs proclaiming "this is why I don't work with anyone and self-publish." I think, unfortunately, many authors that have run from these organizations may have done this for the wrong reasons. Why did they?
- I don't get to wear a pin that says...
- I don't get to vote...
- I don't get to sign my books at the conference...
- I don't like their decision to do...
What ever their reason might be is entirely their own. They are making that choice. But what I often want to ask them is: "What are you giving up?" Sure you may not be able to sign your books, but is this really worth losing the resources you have at your finger tips?
But what about the politics Scott?
My grandfather was a Methodist minister and he always said, it didn't matter which church he went to, there would always be politics. I agree. And with every organization, there will also be politics. But here is the twist. If you don't like what is being done, what are you personally doing to fix the problem?
At every RWA National conference, they have their annual general meeting. I always have to laugh at the members that frequently say, "Hey, this will be a great time to see the sights of the city. I don't want to sit in that boring meeting?" Again, this is one of those times when they are missing out on a benefit.
Again, this is just my thoughts. But keep thinking about what you do and why you do it in this business. Keep yourself on target for what is important.
And, check out this article though. Interesting perspective.
The Minefield of Publishing Politics: MWA and Harlequin and Fixing the Book Business » BSCreview
Monday, December 7, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Understanding Writing for Harlequin
I love working with Harlequin. They have some of the best dang editors that are really dedicated to their authors. For many writers, they seem to think that Harlequin is the easiest place to go out and learn your craft before you move out to the "bigger and better houses." At that point, I have to cringe. Harlequin is far from a simple "training ground" for the inexperienced writers. Writing books for a given line, and being able to produce books that continually provide, as one of the lines states, "a big story in a small package," is not as easy as many authors think.
First of all, Harlequin is not simply about shorter length books. While the stories are indeed shorter, the story still has to be there containing, for the most part, all of the same things the larger books contain. Harlequin focuses on the characters and the relationship. I have to say, that for many of the stories that I read coming across my desk, I wish more authors would take the time to remember that. Somehow, in the larger format, many authors seem to wander off course and forget the central story-line of their stories.
One of the second elements to remember with Harlequin would be the clear divisions in their lines. While some would seem to think the story lines blend with one another, there really is a clear division. Let's look at one in particular:
HARLEQUIN TEEN...
Length: 50,000–100,000 words
Senior Editor: Natashya Wilson
Editorial Office: New York
First of all, you will notice there is a lot of flexibility with the word count. Still, keeping the story somewhere in the middle is always a safe bet.
Harlequin Teen is…
Fresh, authentic teen fiction featuring extraordinary characters and extraordinary stories set in contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, science-fiction and historical worlds.
Again, you will notice there is a lot of flexibility here. Still this does not mean you can just do anything. Reading further will explain more...
We’re looking for commercial, high-concept stories that capture the teen experience and will speak to readers with power and authenticity.
This is the key with this line. If you don't understand teens, this is not the line to be writing for. Too often, authors seem to think that if you insert "teens" into your story, it becomes a YA. This is far from the truth. This story needs to be high quality commercial that will "capture the teen experience." In other words, it has to be something that teens, who normally don't read, will want to read.
All subgenres are welcome, so long as the book delivers a relevant reading experience that will resonate long after the book’s covers are closed. We expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element.
Please note the line, "we expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element." Remember that Harlequin is a romance line. Books like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is lacking that romance element. While it is something many kids love reading, it simply isn't what they are looking for.
Harlequin Teen is a single-title program dedicated to building authors and publishing unique, memorable young-adult fiction. Stories with the unforgettable romance, characters and atmosphere of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, the witty humor of Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries novels, the edgy emotion of Jay Asher’s Th1rteen R3asons Why, the thrilling danger of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games, the futuristic world-building of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, and the power of Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief are examples of the range and depth of projects that we’re seeking.
This section is key. They are openly telling you books that have that same "pull" they are looking for in a book. No, they are not saying to copy these books or to only use the genres, but to really take the time to dissect what the authors were doing to pull the readers in. What makes Mia or Edward so appealing to the readers?
Submission guidelines:
We are currently accepting agented submissions only. Agents, please submit a partial or complete manuscript with full synopsis, either as a hard copy or as an e-mail attachment.
Ahhh, note this. No submitting right now. You won't get far with this one if you don't have an agent.
Now, while this sounds simple, take a look at any of the other sub-lines. You need to really understand the books. Also, you need to realize that your books will only fit these lines. Submitting to an agent telling me your book would be perfect with St. Martin's Press, or at Harlequin clearly tells me you haven't done your research.
As I started this entry, I love working with Harlequin. My authors love their editors and the dedication the company has provided to them while they pursue their careers. For anyone who has been thinking this is simply that "training ground" I dare you, see if you can write one of their stories. You might find it is harder than you think.
Have a great weekend. I'm off to work at a swim meet!
Scott
First of all, Harlequin is not simply about shorter length books. While the stories are indeed shorter, the story still has to be there containing, for the most part, all of the same things the larger books contain. Harlequin focuses on the characters and the relationship. I have to say, that for many of the stories that I read coming across my desk, I wish more authors would take the time to remember that. Somehow, in the larger format, many authors seem to wander off course and forget the central story-line of their stories.
One of the second elements to remember with Harlequin would be the clear divisions in their lines. While some would seem to think the story lines blend with one another, there really is a clear division. Let's look at one in particular:
HARLEQUIN TEEN...
Length: 50,000–100,000 words
Senior Editor: Natashya Wilson
Editorial Office: New York
First of all, you will notice there is a lot of flexibility with the word count. Still, keeping the story somewhere in the middle is always a safe bet.
Harlequin Teen is…
Fresh, authentic teen fiction featuring extraordinary characters and extraordinary stories set in contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, science-fiction and historical worlds.
Again, you will notice there is a lot of flexibility here. Still this does not mean you can just do anything. Reading further will explain more...
We’re looking for commercial, high-concept stories that capture the teen experience and will speak to readers with power and authenticity.
This is the key with this line. If you don't understand teens, this is not the line to be writing for. Too often, authors seem to think that if you insert "teens" into your story, it becomes a YA. This is far from the truth. This story needs to be high quality commercial that will "capture the teen experience." In other words, it has to be something that teens, who normally don't read, will want to read.
All subgenres are welcome, so long as the book delivers a relevant reading experience that will resonate long after the book’s covers are closed. We expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element.
Please note the line, "we expect that many of our stories will include a compelling romantic element." Remember that Harlequin is a romance line. Books like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is lacking that romance element. While it is something many kids love reading, it simply isn't what they are looking for.
Harlequin Teen is a single-title program dedicated to building authors and publishing unique, memorable young-adult fiction. Stories with the unforgettable romance, characters and atmosphere of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, the witty humor of Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries novels, the edgy emotion of Jay Asher’s Th1rteen R3asons Why, the thrilling danger of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games, the futuristic world-building of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, and the power of Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief are examples of the range and depth of projects that we’re seeking.
This section is key. They are openly telling you books that have that same "pull" they are looking for in a book. No, they are not saying to copy these books or to only use the genres, but to really take the time to dissect what the authors were doing to pull the readers in. What makes Mia or Edward so appealing to the readers?
Submission guidelines:
We are currently accepting agented submissions only. Agents, please submit a partial or complete manuscript with full synopsis, either as a hard copy or as an e-mail attachment.
Ahhh, note this. No submitting right now. You won't get far with this one if you don't have an agent.
Now, while this sounds simple, take a look at any of the other sub-lines. You need to really understand the books. Also, you need to realize that your books will only fit these lines. Submitting to an agent telling me your book would be perfect with St. Martin's Press, or at Harlequin clearly tells me you haven't done your research.
As I started this entry, I love working with Harlequin. My authors love their editors and the dedication the company has provided to them while they pursue their careers. For anyone who has been thinking this is simply that "training ground" I dare you, see if you can write one of their stories. You might find it is harder than you think.
Have a great weekend. I'm off to work at a swim meet!
Scott
Thursday, December 3, 2009
New Challenges in Publishing
I was reading this morning an interesting article that highlighted elements from a speech of Steve Wasserman. I have put the full link to the article below, but it really got me thinking about what new challenges we have to face in publishing.
The predicament facing the publishing industry is best understood against the backdrop of several overlapping and contending crises...
I'm not sure if we are at a full crisis stage but I do have to say, the boat is sinking and we need to get organized and be ready before we go down with the ship. I think that too often, in publishing and likely many other industries out there, we seem to believe that things will find a solution on their own if we just give it time. While this might be the case, taking a more active role may insure that we have a better time surviving.
This active role does imply critical thinking and not simply reactionary thinking. As I look at many of the things that have happened in the romance and women's fiction industry, I see more of the reactionary thinking than critical thinking. I have seen new writing organizations form because they didn't like what happened in RWA. Instead of fixing a problem, people dove to new organizations. I am not saying this is bad. There is the saying, "if you don't like the way the game is being played, you can find another field to play on." This works here as well, but I often wonder if these new groups that formed, did nothing more than bring the same problems with them. Are any groups out there really looking at the key underlying problems, or are they looking only at the symptoms?
I was talking to a friend that is on an athletic team struggling for money. The team is doing all they can to "raise the money" to save the team. While this is good, I did ask if they were going to do anything about the spending and the structure of the team. Instead of reducing spending, they were just going to try to make more money. This is reactionary thinking, not critical thinking.
the first is the general challenge confronting publishers of adapting to the new digital and electronic technologies that are increasingly rendering traditional methods of production and distribution obsolete, and undercutting profit margins...
Remember the phrase, change is the only constant. Well that is what we are dealing with here. The publishing industry must be aware of these changes and take immediate steps to move in that direction. No, I am not saying to throw out the old methods. The key word here is INTEGRATE!
I find it interesting that when I read articles about e-publishing and then see surveys, we find that people are not necessarily diving all over the e-book think as much as we thought. Sure, sales are doing find from the perspective of e-publishers, but does this mean it really is replacing the traditional methods of publishing? I don't think so. Do the old methods undercut profit? I honestly have to say that I don't believe that to be the case. I think we have a larger issue to deal with. People just aren't reading.
Look, we are in a tough economy right now. When given a choice between buying a dinner or buying the latest book, we go for the dinner. I remember when my wife and I would spend hundreds of dollars at the book store buying books. They piled up around the house. Today, that is simply not the case.
I think the issue also applies to time people have to read (or the time they wish to devote). I know I run from 5:00 am until 11:00 pm every day. I find it tough some days just to sit down and casually read. Now, extend this argument. If I don't read, it means I am not buying books, which means the company isn't making money (e-format or not).
the second is the profound structural transformation roiling the entire book-publishing and book-selling industry in the age of conglomeration and digitization...
I think in this case, we are just dealing with companies that are becoming too large to handle. It's all about the money. I am afraid, however, that we are often focusing more on the money side of thing instead of the quality.
Sure, I get it it. As an agent, I often turn down stories that are really good, the writing is great, but selling the story is impossible. Not that people might not buy it, but the publishers have said they won't buy it.
and the third and most troubling crisis is the sea change in the culture of literacy itself, the degree to which our overwhelmingly fast and visually furious culture renders serious reading increasingly irrelevant, hollowing out habits of attention indispensable for absorbing long-form narrative and the following of sustained argument....
With my background in literarcy development and enhancement, this one really gets to me. Although I see purposes for blogs, twitter and the like. Although I love technology (but can't often afford it), it is this technology that is reducing our reading. We want it fast and we want it short.
When students do research papers, they rely on abstracts and not the entire research paper. They love programs like ProQuest and ignore the books. Little by little the reading is disappearing.
Even in schools, programs like the Accellerated Reader program promote reading for points not reading for quality. Students are forced to read books that are chosen for them and not those they want. Even the anthologies are full of stories that are not the highest quality. They were chosen for themes and the length. The days of reading novels are simply disappearing.
Sure, this is long winded but I think we see there are bigger things to deal with. I would encourage everyone to really stop and think about what the underlying problems are they have to deal with. Fix those, not the symptoms. And more importantly, THINK!
Scott
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/12/future_of_book_publishing.php
The predicament facing the publishing industry is best understood against the backdrop of several overlapping and contending crises...
I'm not sure if we are at a full crisis stage but I do have to say, the boat is sinking and we need to get organized and be ready before we go down with the ship. I think that too often, in publishing and likely many other industries out there, we seem to believe that things will find a solution on their own if we just give it time. While this might be the case, taking a more active role may insure that we have a better time surviving.
This active role does imply critical thinking and not simply reactionary thinking. As I look at many of the things that have happened in the romance and women's fiction industry, I see more of the reactionary thinking than critical thinking. I have seen new writing organizations form because they didn't like what happened in RWA. Instead of fixing a problem, people dove to new organizations. I am not saying this is bad. There is the saying, "if you don't like the way the game is being played, you can find another field to play on." This works here as well, but I often wonder if these new groups that formed, did nothing more than bring the same problems with them. Are any groups out there really looking at the key underlying problems, or are they looking only at the symptoms?
I was talking to a friend that is on an athletic team struggling for money. The team is doing all they can to "raise the money" to save the team. While this is good, I did ask if they were going to do anything about the spending and the structure of the team. Instead of reducing spending, they were just going to try to make more money. This is reactionary thinking, not critical thinking.
the first is the general challenge confronting publishers of adapting to the new digital and electronic technologies that are increasingly rendering traditional methods of production and distribution obsolete, and undercutting profit margins...
Remember the phrase, change is the only constant. Well that is what we are dealing with here. The publishing industry must be aware of these changes and take immediate steps to move in that direction. No, I am not saying to throw out the old methods. The key word here is INTEGRATE!
I find it interesting that when I read articles about e-publishing and then see surveys, we find that people are not necessarily diving all over the e-book think as much as we thought. Sure, sales are doing find from the perspective of e-publishers, but does this mean it really is replacing the traditional methods of publishing? I don't think so. Do the old methods undercut profit? I honestly have to say that I don't believe that to be the case. I think we have a larger issue to deal with. People just aren't reading.
Look, we are in a tough economy right now. When given a choice between buying a dinner or buying the latest book, we go for the dinner. I remember when my wife and I would spend hundreds of dollars at the book store buying books. They piled up around the house. Today, that is simply not the case.
I think the issue also applies to time people have to read (or the time they wish to devote). I know I run from 5:00 am until 11:00 pm every day. I find it tough some days just to sit down and casually read. Now, extend this argument. If I don't read, it means I am not buying books, which means the company isn't making money (e-format or not).
the second is the profound structural transformation roiling the entire book-publishing and book-selling industry in the age of conglomeration and digitization...
I think in this case, we are just dealing with companies that are becoming too large to handle. It's all about the money. I am afraid, however, that we are often focusing more on the money side of thing instead of the quality.
Sure, I get it it. As an agent, I often turn down stories that are really good, the writing is great, but selling the story is impossible. Not that people might not buy it, but the publishers have said they won't buy it.
and the third and most troubling crisis is the sea change in the culture of literacy itself, the degree to which our overwhelmingly fast and visually furious culture renders serious reading increasingly irrelevant, hollowing out habits of attention indispensable for absorbing long-form narrative and the following of sustained argument....
With my background in literarcy development and enhancement, this one really gets to me. Although I see purposes for blogs, twitter and the like. Although I love technology (but can't often afford it), it is this technology that is reducing our reading. We want it fast and we want it short.
When students do research papers, they rely on abstracts and not the entire research paper. They love programs like ProQuest and ignore the books. Little by little the reading is disappearing.
Even in schools, programs like the Accellerated Reader program promote reading for points not reading for quality. Students are forced to read books that are chosen for them and not those they want. Even the anthologies are full of stories that are not the highest quality. They were chosen for themes and the length. The days of reading novels are simply disappearing.
Sure, this is long winded but I think we see there are bigger things to deal with. I would encourage everyone to really stop and think about what the underlying problems are they have to deal with. Fix those, not the symptoms. And more importantly, THINK!
Scott
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/12/future_of_book_publishing.php
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Fact or Fiction
I do have a question that has been in my head for some weeks that I would love your input on.
When does something have to be fictional in fiction?
In my story I have written about a town and college (I am really writing about the town of Wooster and Wooster College). Girls go missing and end up being hurt/almost dead in the story, so I figured the college would not appreciate my use of its name, and since I want my son to get accepted there, I made the decision long ago to change the name to Winchester. Unfortunately Winchester is an actual village in Ohio and is located in the wrong area of the state, so I need to change it again. All my characters are fictional. I’ve used real towns (Seattle/Juanita), some fictional towns (Cedar Creek had to be changed from Cedar Falls, because that ended up being a real town in the wrong area).
It was apparent to me that Cedar Creek had to not be real, because I wanted to control every aspect of that town and it was full of nothing but paranormals. I write about the Mountain Herb Farm, and I know about the real Herb Farm in the Seattle area. I guess the real question is where is the line that could cause you problems as a writer?
When does something have to be fictional in fiction?
In my story I have written about a town and college (I am really writing about the town of Wooster and Wooster College). Girls go missing and end up being hurt/almost dead in the story, so I figured the college would not appreciate my use of its name, and since I want my son to get accepted there, I made the decision long ago to change the name to Winchester. Unfortunately Winchester is an actual village in Ohio and is located in the wrong area of the state, so I need to change it again. All my characters are fictional. I’ve used real towns (Seattle/Juanita), some fictional towns (Cedar Creek had to be changed from Cedar Falls, because that ended up being a real town in the wrong area).
It was apparent to me that Cedar Creek had to not be real, because I wanted to control every aspect of that town and it was full of nothing but paranormals. I write about the Mountain Herb Farm, and I know about the real Herb Farm in the Seattle area. I guess the real question is where is the line that could cause you problems as a writer?
This is an interesting question and you are far from the first person who has faced this problem. The approach you are taking works really well. Placing a story in a common area for readers to attach the setting to is fantastic. I personally love stories that I can mentally walk with the reader down certain streets that I may have walked down once before.
The fiction element comes in when you might be stepping on someone's toes, or you might have to get permission to use their name in the book. When you refer to The Herb Farm that isn't a big problem. Heck, the characters can even eat at the restaurant. But if you decided to use the actual menu items, which are pretty unique, I would recommend contacting them to get the O.K. In most cases, as long as you aren't giving away a recipe, you should be fine. In those situations, you have to either really work at the fictional element, or decide if it is really worth the effort to place the item in the book. Now, you can do what some authors do. One historical author I have read will place her characters on specific streets in London, but create new addresses.
For the most part though, referring to cities and the things in the story that people visiting the city would see is not really a probem.
Now, the next issue would be using people in the books. If you are inserting real people into your book and having them function as characters, you need to have their permission. If you are writing historicals, sure, you may have real characters in your book, but you simply can't make up something that isn't true. You can place them places they may not have been, or make "educated guesses" on what they would have said and be OK. Just make sure they don't do something that is not appropriate historically.
It's a bit confusing, but if you are "thinking about it" you should be in pretty good shape.
Scott
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Where Will Your Book Go On The Bookshelf?
In the last month, I have had a ton of authors that sent me projects with genres that seemed to be all over the place. In their heads, I believe, they were attempting to make their projects appealing to a wide number of readers. In other words, I am assuming, they believed if they could tap into a lot of different genres out there, a publsiher would likely buy the book.
The problem with this belief is that we really aren't looking for books that tap into a lot of genres. Sure we want to have a book that is appealing to a lot of people, but that doesn't have to be the marketing ploy.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying that cross genre books are bad. These are, in fact, great ways to find new twists in styles that might not be that hip right now. What I refer to is the over-abundance of cross genres. Let me use Twilight as an example. This book is a YA. It also happens to be a paranormal YA. Now the fact that adults like it does not suddenly move it into the adult paranormal market. Along the same lines, just because there is a romance in the story doesn't allow it to move into the paranormal romance. And finally, the fact that we are following Bella's life in this does not mean it is a women's fiction novel with paranormal elements. If that were to be the case, we would call it a Young Adult, women's fiction paranormal with romantic elements. Ugh! This is just too much.
As an agent, it is our job to market your book to specific (please note the word specific) to publishers that would be interested. This means we have a target audience and that groups is based on where your book fits on a shelf. If your book is all over the place, we have no way to pin-point our marketing strategy. Along the same lines, publishers are interested in knowing the same thing. When they talk to book buyers, they have to explain the premise of the book in such a fashion that it gets put on the right shelf.
As you think about your book, and certainly your up-coming books, consider where you would find your book. Not where you would like to see it, but where a book buyer would place it.
Scott
The problem with this belief is that we really aren't looking for books that tap into a lot of genres. Sure we want to have a book that is appealing to a lot of people, but that doesn't have to be the marketing ploy.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying that cross genre books are bad. These are, in fact, great ways to find new twists in styles that might not be that hip right now. What I refer to is the over-abundance of cross genres. Let me use Twilight as an example. This book is a YA. It also happens to be a paranormal YA. Now the fact that adults like it does not suddenly move it into the adult paranormal market. Along the same lines, just because there is a romance in the story doesn't allow it to move into the paranormal romance. And finally, the fact that we are following Bella's life in this does not mean it is a women's fiction novel with paranormal elements. If that were to be the case, we would call it a Young Adult, women's fiction paranormal with romantic elements. Ugh! This is just too much.
As an agent, it is our job to market your book to specific (please note the word specific) to publishers that would be interested. This means we have a target audience and that groups is based on where your book fits on a shelf. If your book is all over the place, we have no way to pin-point our marketing strategy. Along the same lines, publishers are interested in knowing the same thing. When they talk to book buyers, they have to explain the premise of the book in such a fashion that it gets put on the right shelf.
As you think about your book, and certainly your up-coming books, consider where you would find your book. Not where you would like to see it, but where a book buyer would place it.
Scott
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