Topic Selection is Key

I honestly have to question the brain activity of some authors when I read submissions. No, don't panic if you are someone who just submitted and haven't heard back. I am not necessarily talking about you here. What confuses me is the amount of time people will spend on their manuscripts with storylines that are just plain stupid. Sorry, but there is no way to say it in a nicer tone. Frankly, some of the storylines I have seen are just garbage. What is more frustrating is that many of the authors have a great writing style. So what happened?

All of this comes down to topic selection. As an author, whether you are a pantster or a plotter, you need to sit down and really think through your story before you get going. You need to decide on a story that is honestly a worthwhile story to tell. I don't care how much time you spend writing it. I don't care how well your C.P. loves the story, you have to sell it to the agents and the editors. Although we joked about it in October with the Alien Vampire Bunny contest, this is just what Kate Duffy was talking about when she referred to stupid stories.

I honestly think the biggest issue stems from authors who begin with characters instead of the plot. In an attempt to get "the hunkiest" guy, or the most amazing K-A heroine, they forget these characters have to do something in the story. The plot is the road they have to take together throughout the novel. If that story is impractical or awkward, all of the hard work (which I really doubt was there) on your characters will be wasted.

Go back to your basics from literature class and remember plot, characters, setting and theme. All of these elements have to work in harmony together. You don't want your reader, especially an agent or editor to keep asking "Why did you do this?" or "So what?" You want them to enjoy.

So please, before you send out that next project, really look at the storyline. Is this really a worthwhile story to tell?

Scott

Should I Write a Three-Book Series?

We hear this all of the time. Publishers will offer 2 and 3 book contracts to authors with their first book. This is fabulous. We love it when someone loves our work. So, if this is the case, should a new author start out planning for this? Should new authors write a series? In my humble opinion, I would say no.

Sure, as readers we love to see a series. We love when characters come back time and time again for a little visit or a chat. One of my favorites is Andrew Greeley who does this not just with one series but with serveral. Characters jump back and forth between each series. It's great. But for a new author, that series approach is probably not the best option.

But why Scott? Why?

The simple fact is that a publisher, when they release a book of a new author is taking a chance. It is a gamble to see if what the author did, and what they did will work. The hope is, the author is a huge success and they can move on. However, time and time again, there are those books that just don't make it. For whatever reason. Now, when this happens, no one is going to want to read the next book in the series. We won't just "hope" the next one is better.

For a new writer, I strongly encourage him or her to think about how this book could go to a series, but the second and third book should be stand alone novels, also with potential spin-offs. In this way, when I pitch something, and something just doesn't work, I have some additional ideas that might catch the attention of the editor. As for the editor, if he or she signs that person, they have even more options to work with.

There is another level to this that just came up recently with a new author. This person did have a series, and had already self-published the first book. Please note I said self-published. Now she was trying to find a home for books 2-5. The problem is that, although she had the rights to the later books (obviously since they had not been bought yet), the characters and settings were still attached to the prior book's contract. In the end, there was nothing that could be done.

Look, a series is great, but remember, wasting time on a project that needs to have the first book sell to be worth anything simply is poor time management.

Scott

This Agent's Perspective on Awards and Contests

To begin with, I am not out to slam all awards and contests. I do believe there is certainly a need and place for these in the area of writing and publishing. With that said though, as an agent, I have a slightly different twist to these. For those of you depressed by the prior posting about the odds of getting published, let's start on the positive side.

I love awards! I love getting awards! I love recongnition! I love when I am honored for something. Heck! Give me an award any time. I even have a list of awards that some day, I would love to be nominated for and eventually win! Why? Because we all need to feel good about what we do. We all need to have someone, every now and then, pat us on the back and say good job. I have to be honest. When I left teaching at the K-12 level, I was able to do so because no one told me I was missed. What is frustrating is that after I "officially" left, the principal (and even my prior adminstrators) told me I was one of the best things that happened to their school. Now, if they had told me that earlier, leaving might have been a different story.

Writing is the same way. We love submitting a story and then someone saying your story was the best. When we get something published, we want to see those 4 and 5 Star Reviews. It makes us feel dang good about what we do and certainly gets us typing even faster to have a repeat performance. But...

We always have to remember that awards and contests are subjective. Some forms of recognition are simply based on sales and that is it. Sell a lot and get recognized. It doesn't mean your book is good, it simply meant people bought it. Let me give you a quick example of this. I have not bought Sarah Palin's book, not sure if I will since it really isn't the type of book I would read, but people have bought it like crazy. But here is the thing I find interesting. I have not heard yet of one critic out there that claimed the book was a block buster. TV, Radio, Internet... all have pretty much said there was nothing amazing about it. And yet people bought it. Get the idea?

Now let's take this from the side of the agent. I will get submissions all of the time from writers that list all of their awards they have received from their writing. This is good to put that in there. It shows what you have accomplished. It shows that you have been eager to get that writing out there for some potential critique. However (wow, I have used that word a lot today), receiving a 1st in a contest simply means you were the best of those that submitted. That's it.

As an agent, I love judging contests for writing chapters. I do request full manuscripts from stories that are REALLY good. I also provide critiques to the writers that make it to the finals. I don't simply give a ranking and call it quits. Writers enter contests for feedback and I want to provide it to them! Yes, Contest Coordinators. Contact me and I will judge! But, with that said, I have sometimes been very frustrated seeing the submissions. I ask, "was this really the best out there?" Still I give a 1st, 2nd and 3rd, even though I have to believe something better might be out there.

As an agent, I also look at many contests out there and see the problems and the flaws:

• Contests with little or no criteria to judge the writing. Did you like it is not enough.
• Contests that allow the subjectivity of the judge to play too big of a role. This happens more published author contests. Sending a judge a stack of books is too subjective. "Hey I got so and so's book. They're really good." or, "Oh, they sent me something from this publisher, they don't produce strong books."
• Contests with people not qualified to judge. We see the same thing on those TV shows with celebrity judges. Do they really know anything about singing? An unpublished author that can't get someone to read his or her manuscript is reading your story?

In other words, I have to take a lot of these awards with a grain of salt. I understand the variables that went into winning the awards. I also understand that it may or may not tell me anything about your writing.

Again, please understand, I am not someone that is anti-contests or anti-awards. Just understand in a query letter, it will not be the deciding factor for me as to whether or not I will buy your story.

Scott.

P.S. And don't forget, I love those awards and being recognized. Nominate me all you want! I promise I won't mind.

P.P.S And contest coordinators, yes, I do judge and love it!

Back open to Submissions

The holidays are over, the desk is clean. I am now eager to find some great writers out there. Please review the guidelines first before submitting.

Most eager to find:

• Multicultural romances that showcase the cultures being featured.
• Medical romances for the M&B line.
• Paranormals - Be original here. Don't just write "what is hot now"
• Category romance writers - Remember, you must know the specific line you are targeting and demonstrate that you have other works ready to go for that same lines.

Not looking for:

• Inspirationals
• Fantasy
• Sci-fi
• E-books
• Previously published books

Not actively looking for (but it doesn't mean I won't look at submissions):

• Romantic suspense
• Historicals

Guest Blogging Today

Hey all,

I wanted to let you know I am guest blogging today at Chuck Sambuchino's site.

Come by and visit...


http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/


Scott

It's all a crap-shoot

As many of you know, I am not one to mince words. I personally believe that being honest is important and sometimes the truth does indeed hurt. One of those truths deals with the odds of a writer getting published. I do believe it is these odds that force many authors to dive for deals with publishers that are less that reputable. Those vanity presses begin to look pretty good to someone who has been rejected countless times.

Your getting published is really a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I have said this over and over again, but since it is the new year, it might be time to bring it back up yet again. It is, unfortunately a sad truth that your manuscript may end up in the eyes of an editor or an agent at simply "a bad time." Now please understand that we do our best to approach every manuscript we get with an open eye and a kind heart. I love the comment Christine Whithohn from Book Cents said on twitter recently "Tried to get through 09 submissions by 2010, but refused to rush in order to give everyone a fair shot. Lots of creative peeps out there." It is sooo true, still, there will be times.

Let's talk about chance when things may not go your way...

• I have just read 10 romantic suspenses that were awful. The odds are, I will be in a pretty grumpy mood and the story just won't work for me. If it had been at the top of the pile, things might have been different.
• You send a manuscript to someone right after we just signed someone with a similar story. I don't know how many times this one happens. You missed it by a day.
• Your story was relevant and unique until something in the news now makes it unfashionable. We saw this with airline terrorist stories. After 9/11 it was a no-go.
• You've been working on truly a unique story and then suddenly all the tv studies release movies that do the same thing. Now in the case, the movie ideas were out there a while ago and we forgot about them, until the studios reminded us.

And then there is human nature...

• We are tired but forcing our way through submissions.
• We are sick but still at work (that's the American way you know)

We could go on and on with this list but I think you get the idea. But remember, things could work in your favor.

• An editor or agent happens to be looking for just the story you have.
• You are at a conference and happen to sit next to an editor or agent that no one else has been able to get close to.
• Your agent happens to talk to an editor and the publisher is looking for something to pair with an upcoming release. Talk to Steve Berry on this one and the connection to a little mystery novel set at the Louve... (hint: someting Code)

While it is still important that you do your work and write the best dang story out there, remember that publishing does involve more than simply having a great agent, or fantastic story. That factor of "fate" is still going to play a huge role.

Scott