Are You Following Up On Requests?

I went through my submission requests lately and was really concerned. I was actually on a roll requesting a lot of projects that sounded really good. In fact, I requested several full manuscripts, which I do not do very often. Look, when I do that, it means I REALLY like your story concept. Now, here is the twist. Many of these requests go back over three to four weeks ago.

What do I have? Crickets?

Now, here is what I find funny. I see a ton of authors who post on social media about how they hate when editors and agents "ghost" them instead of giving them an answer about submissions. Hmmmm, do you see what is happening here? I think what is even more funny from my end is how there are a lot of authors out there claiming that editors and agents don't want to read new submissions, AND YET... here we are requesting and authors just don't follow through.

So, let's examine a couple of reasons why this might be happening.

1. After I submitted I did my research and realized you were not right for me. So here is the problem with this. You should have done the research first. You should never just send manuscripts out to people you do not plan on signing with if they offer representation. 
2. My story was not ready. Then why on Earth did you send it out? Did you think they would just wait? When we request, it means we want it now and we are expecting that you have written the whole darn thing!
3. I was afraid I would get rejected. Again, this means you are not ready. Yes, there is a REALLY good chance you might get rejected. I hate to say it, but even if you get published, people may write bad reviews. If you don't have a thick skin in this business, you should not be writing. 
4. I wanted to send it to all of my critique partners first. See #2
5. I wanted to hear from the other people I sent it to first. If this is the case then clearly I am not your first priority. Honestly, I am not sure if I want to work with you either. I know that sounds harsh but let's say you send out 5 proposals, if any come back with a yes, you sign. No questions asked. 

The reality is this. The longer you wait, the more likely I am going to lose faith in you and forget what I even thought about your book or liked about your book. And that is a shame because at one time, I really liked what you wrote. 

We Are Listening And We Do Remember

We have all heard that phrase about not burning your bridges, right? Here's a definition from an online dictionary to make it official.

burn one's bridges

phrase [VERB inflects]

If you burn your bridges, you do something which forces you to continue with a particular course of action, and makes it impossible for you to return to an earlier situation or relationship.

I bring this up because I do think authors sometimes forget this. I don't know how many times I have seen and heard authors say and do things either in emails and queries, or at conferences and I see that they will really regret what they just did in the future. Of course, the odds are, they probably won't have a clue that the prior action caused the second problem to occur.

This week, I received a submission from an author. Now, I always tell people, I do keep a pretty extensive database that tells me your name, the title of your story, the genre, how you submitted it, when I received it, when I replied, my response, and my thoughts. When it comes to my thoughts, if I have someone who was a complete jerk and I don't care if I could retire with their manuscript, I note that in my data base following my big fat REJECT note. In any case, when this person submitted this new project, their name popped up so I went back to see what I had gotten in the past. Woops, there was that comment. 

Now, here is the thing. This story might have had a bit of a chance, but honestly, what that person did the first time around told me that this author is someone that no agent or editor would ever want to work with. Here comes that next rejection.

OK, I know some of you are thinking, "But Scott, people change. Why not give someone a second chance?" You know, I am all for second chances. I do know people change. But I am also a firm believer of "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" and that publishing IS a business. You have to be professional. 

So, if you get a rejection and you don't like our response, consider first reading the response and seeing what we really said. The odds are we did not say your writing was a piece of "you know what." We did tell you why it did not work for us. Learn and grow with that. But responding defensively to us, just lit that bridge on fire and...

...well you get the point!

Don't Throw Darts

As I get ready to write this, I have a feeling it is going to fall on deaf ears. I already hear a ton of authors saying that their approach is really the best, or they need to try it a different way or they will not succeed. And... I am already going to say, before I start, that I 100% disagree.

What I am talking about is the approach so many authors take to submissions or pitches to editors and agents. They simply throw it out to the wind and hope something sticks. This is easily seen at many conferences around the pitch room. If you really want to see this in its full form, observe the conferences that have that open format speed pitch. You know the type. You have a room full of editors and agents and lines available to pitch to anyone who will listen. In situations like this, you will see authors just running from one line to the next, cranking out pitches to their book and not having a clue who they talk to. You will hear them later proclaiming the great success they had with requests from ALL of the people they talked to. They are now "on the verge of being published."

Nope...

The odds are that none will be published or signed with any of those editors or agents. In those short sessions, we really don't have time to assess the story so we simply request from anyone who shows. up. The request generally sounds like this, "That sounds interesting. Why don't you send me something? How about a synopsis and a partial and I can take a better look. Here's my card."

Now, I don't want to spend the time trashing the whole speed pitch thing. The point of today is to focus in on the belief that these authors and those who just send their project to every editor or agent out there is the best approach. These people are throwing darts.

The reality of the situation is that your story DOES NOT fit with every editor or agent out there. You as an author DO NOT fit with every editor or agent. As an author, I would hope you want the best for your novel and your career. You want this relationship to last a long time and your career to be highly successful. You have to do your research to find where you and your story really fits best.

Please understand I am not saying that some of these people are not great places to work and I am not saying these people have no clue. They do and they are highly respectable professionals. What I am saying is that you should be finding the right person for you.

Getting this research is not hard! Editors and agents put a lot of information out there for new authors looking for a home. Go to their websites. Sit in on those editor and agent panels. Listen, talk and read.

Throwing darts like this is just going to lead to a lot of frustration. You get a ton of rejections and eventually, you start to develop the belief so many authors have of "Fine, I will self-publish because clearly those editors and agents don't know great writing when they see it." Sorry, we do see good writing. We reject you because your story did not fit with us.

What I Look For In A Query

I want to take the time today to let you in on some things I look for when a pitch comes across my desk. I do want to stress that every editor or agent looks at different things, but, my bet, is that most look at many of the same things.

I know that many authors often hear over and over again that "If you have a great story, it will sell." Unfortunately, this is not always the case. You may have a great story, but this goes far beyond that.

So, what do I look for? Today, I am going to focus on those initial e-queries that come across my desk.

Step 1 - Open the email and look at the professionalism. This says a lot. If you are submitting to me with a "Dear Editor/Agent" or a using my agency as my last name, it becomes clear that you have not done your research. It tells me that you are probably just mass mailing that query out. How much do you really know about me?

Step 2 - I look at the basics of the book. We're talking about the genre and word count. Is this something that I work with? Is this a project that I can even sell? As you all know, every agency and editor specializes in specific things. Since I only look at romance and women's fiction for the mass media market, if your story doesn't fit that, I will be passing on this. I know this sounds obvious, but it is amazing how many authors get frustrated when they get rejected for this reason.

There is another piece of this. Is this a word count that editors will buy? Is this a genre that is hot right now and will even sell? Again, you may have a great writing style, but if the market is not buying, then it will not matter. If you have a novel of 300,000 words, unless you are a Stephen King or similar level author, no one is going to sign this book.

Step 3 - I look at the premise of the story. Is this something that is believable and, again, something that the market will buy. Too often, I see projects that start off well, but then turn into a direction that really makes the story unbelievable. A lot of this also revolves around the characters. Remember the readers connect with your characters. If you have characters that readers feel distanced from, the story will not work.

Step 4 - Do I like this? One of my umber one reasons for rejections is just something that  don't like. We don't have to like everything. You as a reader or a writer don't like to read everything. You might say you do, but the reality is, you have favorites and you have dislikes. As an agent, you want someone who wants to do nothing but talk about your book. You want us to have a desire to read your book over and over again.

When I do get your story, whether it is a partial of a full manuscript, again, I go beyond simply the premise. I am looking at the voice. I am looking at the style. I am looking at the level of your writing. Let me explain that last one.

There are a lot of you out there who do things in your story because someone told you that would make the story better. you use strategies because it is the latest hot approach. You use a model that you have seen other authors use. But, you are not using the approach that your story needs. Good writing just happens. Good writing is organic. It is not forced.

Hopefully this gives you some insight into my approach.

Mass Mailing Queries Will Equal Rejections

Simultaneous submissions is a normal practice. In other words, sending one query out at a time is not necessarily the best approach. However, far too many authors are making huge mistakes by how they approach this concept. Sending your story to everyone who is an acquiring editor or agent is not going to get the results you want. Unless, of course, your goal is to go for the record number of rejections.

Before you even start sending out those queries, I cannot scream enough about the importance of doing your research and knowing why your story is being sent to that particular person. Your story does not fit with everyone out there.

Why do I bring this up? I sent out a message on social media at the end of August noting that I was re-opening Greyhaus for submissions Sept. 1st. I also noted that it was important to review what I was looking for, what I want in particular, and more importantly, the things I do not represent. On August 31st, my in box was flooded with submissions. Now here is what was funny about this.

1. I said not to send anything until Sept. 1.
2. Every submission, with the exception of one, was a project I do not represent. 

Clearly these people are working on the record for number of rejections.

So, how do you handle simultaneous submissions? The answer is quite easy. Treat each and every query as if this is the only one you are sending out. Review exactly what that person wants and then tailor your letter just for that person.

Every letter needs to be drafted individually, highlighting different things about your project for every editor and agent. As I always tell people, your query is just like a cover letter for a resume. You want to showcase your experience.

I would also add that you cannot just put standard generic phrases in those queries. For example "I am very impressed with the work you do with your clients and would love to have your expertise." Really? Do you even know who those clients are? Why do you think you and your writing would fit with me.

Finally, and this is a really big one. Including everyone in an email is an automatic rejection. Adding, to whom it may concern or dear agent/editor will also get that rejection. 

These are not hoops to jump through and ways we try to trick you. Editors and agents view this as a business and we expect our writers to also view their writing career as a full time job.

Queries - When Do You Follow Up?

This is always a big question for writers. After submitting a project to editors and/or agents, when is it appropriate to follow up on the query? The answer, all too often, is right there in front of your face. For most agents and editors, there is a statement in the submission guidelines of how long it takes to hear back. In the case of submissions for me, I state, that it can take up to three months to hear back (although I am someone who stresses when it is over a month to reply).

So, when you submit a project, mark that date on your calendar and then set a date in your calendar for when you should hear back. Now, with that said, that does not mean you email the moment the clocks hands hit that date. That date is a "guesstimate" on the part of the editor or agent. It is nothing more than a rough time frame. I would say, give that person another week or so and then just follow up.

When you do follow up, keep it polite!

Dear Mr. Eagan,

I submitted my story, THE RETURN OF ALIEN VAMPIRE BUNNIES, a paranormal romance to you on Jan 31, 2016. I just wanted to follow up and see if there is any additional material that you might need, or if you have made any decision.

I know that sometimes email submissions can get lost either on the part of the sender, or the mail was accidentally placed in the SPAM folder. For this reason, I am attaching the original submission of the synopsis and first three chapters for your review.

I look forward to hearing from you soon....

There are several things that you accomplish by taking this approach.

1. You are keeping it professional This is not a situation of placing blame but making sure to show the editor/agent that you are someone who keeps records and will follow up when necessary.
2. You have not placed blame By noting that email is unreliable, you have removed the potential criticism of the editor/agent. You really don't know what happened.
3. You have made it easy for the reader to review your work When you attach the document, you can reduce the stress of the editor or agent having to go back through all of the records just to find the document. It is right there and they can often get to it immediately.

What a lot of writers fail to remember is that submissions flood our emails. We get a lot of these (some more than others). We do try to get to the stories, but sometimes clients, other projects and so forth do get in the way. In my case, I read submissions in single sittings. Sometimes, I will record the submission in my database, but get distracted by a phone call or something and then delete the submission without a reply.

Sometimes, when I am clearing out emails, I will accidentally delete a submission along with the other junk mail that shows up. This is not because I hate the author, but simply an honest mistake. And yes, I know all of you have done this before!

Now, there is one additional factor I should bring up. There are some out there who only reply to the stories they are interested in. The statement "No answer is an answer." is something I have heard more and more when I attend conferences. Take the time to review your research on that editor or agent. If that is something you have heard from reputable sources, then don't harass the person. Doing so might burn a bridge later on.

Marketing Your First Book

I remember several years ago, there was an advertisement, I believe for the military, that had these young men and women being turned away because they "had no experience." The argument was that to get a job, you needed the experience, but without a job, you couldn't gain that experience. For new authors, they too face much of the same struggle as they write those query letters to editors and agents.

As a part of your query, it is important that you demonstrate to that editor or agent that you are not a "one-hit-wonder." We know that unless that first book is the next Great American Novel, seeing a profit for the work we put in for that author is not going to happen for a while. It takes time to see that profit as the author builds his or her audience. So how do you show that you aren't a one hit wonder.

First of all, think about future projects. Sure, this might be the only book you have written, but what else is planned. Determine what that next book is going to be. Take the time to develop blurbs for that next book, or if the one you are marketing is part of a series, know what the next books will focus on.

Even better, take the time, again, before you send out that first query, to write a synopsis for that next story. Maybe even take the time to write the first three chapters of the next project. The point is that you know where you will be heading after this first book.

There is an added benefit to this as well. Let's assume the first book isn't quite right, but the editor or agent likes your voice. Often, we will say something such as "You know, this one isn't quite right, but what else do you have?" If you took the time to write that brief information for the next project, you won't be caught off guard.

Now what about the wording in the query. The first thing I would recommend is to not play up the fact that this is your first book. Doing so makes you come across as not being as strong as you want to be. Simply market the book, be confident and provide those blurbs for the other stories.

The point is, we all have to start out somewhere. But, if you take the time to focus not on what you don't have, but to focus on what you have to offer, you come across as being that author we are wanting to work with.

What Happened Between The Request and the Reject?

Many authors are perplexed by this and I am sure it will continue for some time. What happened between that energetic request for more material from that initial query, to a sudden answer of no in that dreaded rejection letter? I wanted to bring this up today as we start into that intense conference season when many of you will be pitching to editors and agents and probably getting requests.

Let's start with the request for more material. As a writer, it IS exciting when someone shows an interest in your writing. This is what you have been waiting for. That editor or agent in an email, or even better, during a pitch, says, "I am certainly interested in seeing more. Why don't you send me

the manuscript and let me take a look." On the surface, we have to start jumping with joy. I mean, really? Did you year those words? "I am certainly interested in seeing more"? They LOVE ME!!!!!

For this moment, go ahead and jump around the room, celebrate with champagne or chocolate! Let it rip! But then, when you come back to Earth, let me finish.

In many cases, we are requesting material because we really do need to see more to make a decision. Do you hear what I am saying? I am not making a decision yet. I just don't necessarily have a lot to work with from this initial information. Yes, there was something in your pitch or query that said this could be something of merit, but this is not a decision.

When I read a query, I look at the premise of the story. I look at it as if I was walking through a bookstore planning on buying some books, but not sure which books I plan on buying. So I load up my basket with "potential" books based on the concept that was on the back cover. Before I hit the counter to pay, I make a decision of which books I want to "read more of" and which books I plan on "rejecting".

The same goes for listening to a pitch. Remember, we only have 8-10 minutes to make any decision. We are certainly not going to say we are giving you a contract right there and then. We listen and then tell you to send us something. I should also add here that there are many editors and agents out there who request everything. One did tell me that it was just too hard to look that person in the eye and say no. It is a bummer, but it does happen.

Just as an inside hint for me at Greyhaus. Here is what different requests mean:

• A synopsis only - You really didn't give me enough to work on from the query or the pitch so I need to see if the story is really something that is marketable.
• A partial - This is just like that initial shopping. I need to see the writing and the synopsis to really make a decision.
• A full - You have something here, but can you sustain the momentum. I should note, if you get a request for a full from the beginning, you really do have something (this is true excitement).

But now let's get to the real question that started this. Let's assume the person had a lot of excitement about the project from the beginning and you still got a rejection. What happened?

The odds are, it is one of two things. Either the market shifted and there was not a need anymore by the time you got the project to the person. OR, and this is most likely the case, it came down to execution.

There are a lot of you that can pitch a great project. Heck, the premise is amazing as well, but when it comes down to the writing, you simply could not produce. This is probably the most frustrating part of being an agent. We get all excited about a project, only to see that the author really has not mastered the craft of writing yet. When this happens, we have to really determine if this is something a round of editing will take care of, or if this is an issue of teaching the person how to write. If it is the second, then the odds are you will see a rejection.

Look, I don't want to rain on your summer Friday here, but it is important to always think about what is going on in the heads of the editors and agents when you submit. Be excited, but be realistic!

Now, get out there and have a great weekend. It is going to be AMAZINGLY hot up here in the Pacific Northwest. Time to crank the AC, and read some new manuscripts inside.

Using Comparable Authors In Queries

A lot of authors take this approach. Some ignore it. So the question today is, "Should an author include comparable titles in a query letter." Well, like everything in this business, it all depends and there isn't one fixed rule.

Let's first understand the concept. In essence, when you describe your book to an editor or agent, you compare it (like, no duh, that's what the word means) to other authors. You would some how describe though this comparison how your voice, style or structure is the same. The idea is simple. This comparison should give the editor or agent a sense of the voice you are using before reading the story.

But here is where things fall apart.

First of all, we see, far too often, people just telling us their story can be compared to another author but not telling us why or how. It really seems that authors forget that rule they live by in their stories of "show and don't just tell." If you tell me your story is similar to Tolkien then explain why. Is it how you layer in mythology into your story? Is it the use of incorporating legend and classical styles of storytelling into your narrative. Be specific.

Secondly, many people try to make too many comparisons, or even worse, making comparisons to stories that aren't even similar. Telling me your story is similar to Tolkien and Fanny Flagg is not going to work. These are two completely different styles. And no, you cannot somehow try to say you are doing this in such a way that no one else has. Pick one and stick to it.

Next, I see people making comparisons to authors the editors and agents are already working with. While you might see this as a way of "kissing up" it just sets up the answer, "Sorry, but I already have someone writing this way, why do I need a second?" You also have to somehow show that you are, in a way, better than this person who the editor or agent has already devoted time to. I think a good example of this are the authors who have made comparisons to my two oldest clients, Ann Lethbridge and Bronwyn Scott. Sorry, but you have to show me you write better than they do, and that is going to be tough.

Finally, I see people make comparisons to stories only the obscure reader would tap into. I liken this to a lot of modern day poets who believe using references to 3rd century Mongolian Lesbian Literature (I am not sure if that even exists but you get the idea) is going to make an impact on the reader. If we have not read it, those references are a complete waste of word space.

So, should you make the comparison? Only if you can and only if it works. If there aren't any stories or you can't think of those comparisons, then don't worry about it. Use those words to further sell us on the high concept of your story or the plot. Should you decide to make those comparisons, make them meaningful. And please, don't forget to explain why!

A Reminder (or RANT) On Following Submission Guidelines

I know there are authors out there who believe submission guidelines are "merely suggestions" and "you can really do whatever you want." Along the same lines, I know there are other authors who simply feel that submission guidelines are "hoops you have to jump through because editors and agents want to reduce what they have to read." I have to say, both of these are wrong.

I am bringing this up again because of an increased number of authors who seem to be missing the point with something that is pretty basic.

When editors and agents have submission guidelines, they are doing this for a reason. Everyone has a different set of guidelines and it is up to the author to read those guidelines carefully. We have these set up in this way because this is how we can better get to your work and respond to your writing fairly and objectively. We also do this differently because we are all operating with different computer platforms and email systems. In some cases, we do this a particular way because we might have been "burnt in the past" (for example computer viruses in attachments).

At Greyhaus, my email submission guidelines are pretty basic.

1) If you send a snail mail submission, you are to send only the following:

• A 3-5 page synopsis
• The first 3 pages
• A SASE

2) If you send an email query you will send only the following:

• No attachments
• Not cutting and pasting a synopsis and a manuscript in the body of the email
• Send only a query letter
• Send it only to submissions_at_greyhausagency.com (I wrote it this way to prevent SPAMMERS)

3) Or you can use my established form which has VERY clear items to fill in.

And yet, we (not just me but other editors and agents) a ton of authors who seem to believe their situation is different. That somehow, they don't need to follow the guidelines.

Of course, here are the consequences of not following those guidelines:

• You will get a rejection because clearly, if you cannot follow these directions, how will you respond when we send revisions...or
• You will get a rejection because clearly the author is lacking some basic levels of literacy skills...or
• You will get a rejection because you are lacking the research skills necessary to be a strong competitive writer...or
• We will skip sending you a response because, hey, what's the point? You didn't read our guidelines so why would you read this response.

And then there is the fall out from that. Authors then will start to argue that:

• Editors and agents do not respond to queries.
• Editors and agents don't want to see creativity
• Editors and agents are not open to new ideas
• etc.

I know this might come across as a bit of a rant, but please note that we ARE looking for new projects. We DO want to read your work. We DO want to get back to you in a timely manner. But with that said, we need your help to follow those guidelines. 

There really is only so much hand-holding that we can do.

Watch The V.B.O.s in Your Writing

I took at workshop on poetry several years ago and the instructor discussed a concept I find I am always coming back to. He reminded the workshop participants to "eliminate VBOs in their writing." A VBO is simply VAGUE, BORING and OVER-USED words. I do have to say, when it comes to query letters the use of VBOs can really turn a potential great project for an editor or an agent into an easy rejection.

In simple terms, if an editor or an agent gets a query that seems like "milk toast". There isn't anything amazing about it, and, more than likely, we are really left with no idea of what the story is about, we will say no. Asking for a project just to find out what it is about, so that we can THEN make a decision is not going to happen. Adding those VBO words and concepts is going to get you to that "no" a lot quicker.

When I talk about these vague concepts, in most cases, I am referring to those "thematic ideas" many writers use to theoretically describe his or her story. "This is a story of lost love", or "This is a story of good vs. evil." Really? There are a ton of stories out there that do that. Besides, this doesn't tell us a thing about the plot or the characters.

We can take this a step further when authors tell us who the character is and then proceeds to say something such as "During this journey, Bob will face demons, elves, runway models and politicians in an effort to come to grips with his inner demons and external obstacles." Huh? This again tells us nothing.

In simple terms, that query letter needs to give us a sense of the story arc. Not hints! We need to know what the story is. Use the thematic thoughts for your high concept, but give us information to make a rational decision.

Show Don't Tell In Those Pitches & Queries

As writers, we are always talking about the idea of "show and don't just tell." The idea is simple. By using all of our emotions and by immersing the reader into the story, we can convey a stronger message. Instead of telling us Constantina is angry, let's show it to the reader by her actions, behaviors and comments. I think we all agree this is a great approach to take. What is interesting, however, is that writers often fail to translate this to our business correspondence including query letters, cover letters and even our pitches.

Let's just focus on the query letter and the things you could be doing.

You tell me you are submitting your women's fiction project to me. OK, why? You then go on to tell me that "this story will be a perfect fit for what I am looking for in women's fiction." Really? How?

As you can see, this person might have gone to my website and found out I was looking for this genre, but in no place does this person say anything about WHY it is a good fit. Demonstrate the idea.

Here is another.

You submit a project to an editor or agent and then tell me "This story is similar to that of Julia Quinn and Debbie Macomber." I get that you have been told in the past that making a comparison is a great approach, but you have again forgotten to demonstrate how and why your story is similar. You are simply assuming the agent or editor will be able to read your mind and see what that connection is.

I would also add with this prior point, why is this comparison a good comparison. Is this a voice the editor or agent likes? Do these authors do something or approach the genre in a way that no one else does?

When I teach writing, I always like to use the idea that a writer needs to "assume their reader is stupid." This doesn't mean to talk down to the person, but it is crucial that the author takes the time to do the thinking for the person. To you, things like the comparisons seem obvious. To the reader, these might simply be just random names tossed in because you like to read the authors.

Before you hit send today with those queries, take the time today to go through and see if you are really showing and not just telling. You might find this round of queries becomes a bit more profitable for you!

Short Queries Are Not Vague Queries

We spend a lot of time talking about query letters. We know these are authors evil nemesis but these are necessary evils. We also spend a lot of time telling you that agents and editors really don't devote a lot of time to queries. These are just like cover letters and resumes you would write for jobs outside of the publishing industry. Knowing this, we talk to you about keeping things short and to the point. But you have to be careful with this.

You see, writing query letters is not so much about keeping it short, but more about word economy. It is about saying the right thing in the shortest amount of time. Still, you have to get all of the essential information out there for the editor or agent, so they can make an accurate and fair decision regarding your project. Lately, I have seen some people writing query letters that have gone so short, when we read the query, we are left with far too many questions. In the words of one of my colleagues, if we are stuck with the decision of "maybe", it will be come a "no". In other words, do not give the editor or agent a reason to say no.

There are essentially three major things that have to be included in the standard query: The BASICS about the book, the information about the BOOK or the story, and the BIO of the author. For most of you, the basics about the book- the title, genre and word count - are good to go. The major issues are coming in the next two sections: THE BOOK and THE BIO

THE BOOK
When it comes to the information about the book, we need to simply know the story arc. We need to know the beginning, the middle and the end. We talk a lot about keeping things similar to those back cover blurbs, but please note, we are saying similar. The difference between these two is the amount of information we provide the reader.

In the case of a blurb, we want to tease them with something exciting but not tell them what is going on in the story. We obviously don't want to tell them "who dunnit" if we want them to read the book. So we leave that information out. But for the editors and agents, we need to know if this is a story line that is complete, logical and holds together from page one to the end. You have to give us everything.

Now, within this section, we need to see some individual elements. I am going to focus on a romance for this one to show you the set up.

1. We need to know who the hero and the heroine are. This is not just their names, but highlight what their Goals, Motivations and Conflicts are. Give us a sense of the person
2. We need to know what is bringing them together but what is standing in the way of their becoming a couple.
3. We need to know what the outside conflict might be.
4. We need to know how they resolved it. 

This is where you focus on the word economy and keeping things short and simple. We don't need to know about best friends. We don't need to know "and then they made love the first time". We don't care about their entire past histories. Just focus on the main plot and that is it.

I would also recommend not using interrogative sentences to make your points but keep it to declarative sentences. In other words, instead of using a question to answer you question, "But will she come to love him after finding out he is an android?" Answer it using (ask your kids on this one) the IQIA format (Include Question In Answer). "She learns that falling for an android is a good thing because, he will never fall asleep after a great time in bed and is always ready to go again."

THE BIO
The information about the bio tells us what you have to offer in the business relationship. Unless your book is a "knock your socks off" book that will end up in the Canon of American Literature, and you will be able to retire from this one book alone, you have to demonstrate you can do more. Tell us what else you have to offer.

• Are you already published? If so, tell us where. Don't keep this hidden from us. We will find out and then we have the issue of wondering what else you will keep hidden.
• What other things do you have written in the genre you are submitting to the editor or agent. We care about the things we would represent.
• If this is your first book, what else do you have planned? We don't want to know this is the only book you have written and don't plan on thinking about another book until this one is sold. Show us YOU see a future.
• And for me, please tell us your know. This is actually a professional courtesy, but writing a letter back to you, either a rejection or request is hard when you are someone who only refers to yourself with initials. I seriously doubt ee cummings friends wrote to him, with, Dear ee,

The point of all of this is simple. Yes, keep it simple. Yes, keep it to the point, but you have to give us something to consider. And I guess I also need to note here, just attaching the whole novel and synopsis, or just pasting it in the email is not appropriate either, UNLESS the editor or agent tells you to do so. We aren't going to read it if we didn't request it.

Tighten Up Those Queries

I wanted to take the time today to talk about those nasty little query letters. I know these are tough to write, but your impact you make with that initial impression can make a world of difference. The query will certainly not sell your book, but it will be that thing that gets the editor or agent drooling to want to see more.

Before we talk about tightening up the queries, I want to again remind you of how much time an editor or an agent is going to spend on that query. If you have ever been fortunate to sit in a workshop that does this, it is pretty amazing. These are sessions where the editors and agents have someone read a query out loud and we tell them to stop reading when we have made a decision. It is amazing to the participants that we stop within 30 seconds. It is for this reason that you need to make a statement and make it strong fast. Remember that editors and agents are reading these projects during off hours most of the time. Their "office hours" are spent working with current clients, working on current projects and so forth. In many cases, they might set aside a block of time to "power through" as many new submissions as possible in a short period of time. Writers with query letters that ramble on and on and don't make an impact get those rejections pretty fast.

One way to improve those query letters is to "tighten them up."  This is probably something that you have seen or heard when we talk about manuscripts. The idea is to get rid of that useless material and just get to the heart of what you are trying to say. We talk about this when we discuss things such as the use of adjectives and adverbs in our writing. Your goal is to find a single phrase that covers exactly what you want without the added verbiage.

There are some phrases that I see authors put in that can easily be eliminated. While this might only be a single sentence, when you start to add these up, you end up with a full paragraph of material that can be used for something useful, such as giving us the GMC of the characters or more details on the plot and setting. Let's talk about a few of these.

The manuscript has been professionally edited.
In all honesty, we are hoping your manuscript has been edited. Telling us you paid someone to do the work for you doesn't really make us think the story will be better. In fact, (and this is just my personal feeling) I do believe saying that you had to go out and get someone else to fix the grammar and punctuation in your story tells me that you might not really be that strong of a writer. In any case, we are assuming you aren't sending us an unedited project.

The manuscript is complete.
Um, no duh. You shouldn't be sending out a project that isn't finished in the first place. If you are contacting the editor or agent, you are saying you are ready to move on with your career.

My novel is an easy read with a great plot.
We hope so. I know a lot of people are trying to address the voice of their story, but making a statement like this is again a "no-duh" statement. I have seen the same thing when people say their story has characters a reader can relate to, or the setting for a romance is one that evokes a great romantic feel.

This novel will draw the readers in.
Really? I was hoping you would have a story that made me not want to read. Again, here is one of those "no-duh" statements. And before you start thinking this, just explaining how the story is going to draw readers in does not fix the problem.

Adding "interrupters" and "parenthetical statements"
The query letter is a business letter. This is not a place to showcase your actual voice in the writing. If we want to see that, then we will look at your writing. But, when you start adding phrases that make it sound like you are talking to your BFF, you have moved from that professional tone and are now sending the wrong message to the editor or agent. Some of the phrases could be:

• Beatrice finds her husband having an affair (I know, right?).
• And then she finds out that (spoiler alert) he is a donkey.
• When his Jaguar crashes into her Lexus (now that totally ruins your day).
• But who knew they would face such challenges in their adventure (and of course I create a happily ever after)

I am planning on devoting a lot of time to assist in the marketing.
Telling us that you plan on creating a website and helping with marketing is certainly not necessary. It is fully assumed that you will be devoting A LOT of time to market your own book.

I would be honored to have you read my project.
I know you might be trying to bring closure to the query letter, but you did send a query letter to the editor or agent. We are assuming that you did want to work with that person. Why else would you have sent it.

I am open to revision should the manuscript need your professional guidance. 
Again, another "no-duh" statement. You have contacted and editor or agent and the odds are, that story is going to get a good dose of revision before it heads out. You dang well better be open to revision.

Now, while each of these statements may be only a sentence, I want you to think again that those are words that could be used for something much more important. Before you send out those queries in the coming days, take the time to review the words and phrases you have used. Not necessary? Then CUT 'EM!

What Makes Your Approach Different?

Too often, I find myself passing on projects for the simple reason of not seeing anything new from the author. The writing is fine, but in the end, I feel as if the story being pitched to me simply doesn't stand out from the other things I am seeing in the market, or even more importantly, from the other authors I currently represent.

As an author, whether you are pitching your story to editors and agents to take the traditional route of publishing, or putting together your own marketing pitches to the book buyers and the readers if you are doing this on your own, it is beyond crucial for you to show us that you have "something different." Those people on the buying end need to see why now, they need to get something new, and that something is your book.

If you think about the success and failure of a lot of most products in the market today, the consumers really want to see they are "getting something new" AND that the "something new" is a significant enough change. Cars cannot simply be a new color. Cell phones just can't be a different size or shape. Consumers want to see something tangible. Just "reformatting" isn't enough.

The same goes for publishing. As we evaluate your story, we are thinking not just how it fits with our current line up and voice, but also what unique twist you bring to it that others don't see. I do have to say, I see authors who love writing for the Series houses struggle with this more than others. They try so hard to follow what they believe to be prescribed story lines, but fail to bring their own unique style. You see, the thing is that these lines don't have prescribed story lines, but prescribed themes and voices. They are looking for certain tones. The rest, is entirely up to you.

Another flaw I see are authors who, in their query letters, simply say their story is similar to all of these other authors. Now, while this is a fine strategy to demonstrate a similar voice, the problem is you have now told us that your story is not different in any way to people we already are representing or selling really well. If we have, say a Nora Roberts, why do we need two of them?

As you write your query letters to editors and agents, I want you to think about how you are showing us that your story is somehow different. Show us that you are unique. If you have noticed, by the way, I am using the word "show". What I see more often than not, are authors who simply tell me they bring a new voice. Remember, we push for that "show don't tell" aspect in your writing, so you need to do that here as well. Make it clear to the editors, agents and book buyers that you bring that "something new" to the table. Make it clear that your story is one that cannot be passed on.

Submit One Story At A Time

There isn't a week that goes by when I receive multiple submissions of different projects from the same author. I do believe the author is trying to demonstrate he or she has a lot to offer an agent or editor, but unfortunately, this is probably hurting the author more in the long run. In simple terms, when submitting projects to editors or agents, submit only one at a time.

Consider this.

Editors and agents have a lot to read already. They are working with their current authors, authors just starting out, other editors and agents, marketing departments and so forth. In other words, there is a lot they are doing. Flooding their emails with a lot of submissions is not going to get them to read the projects any faster. On a second level, the odds are they will respond to the first one they see of you, and then assume you accidentally hit the "Send" button several times like we have all done. The assumption is they have already answered you so they won't see those other projects. Now this is just a small point. There is a stronger point here that benefits you as an author.

If you send just one project at a time, if the agent or editor passes on the project and hopefully gives you reasons why, you can make sure your later projects are fitting those guidelines as well. Let's say you submit a project to me and I respond back saying the balance of narration to dialogue is just not working. As I see it, the story is all dialogue and it lacks the depth I need. Now you go back to your second story and find you are doing the same thing. Had you sent them both to me, I would have rejected two stories for the same reason and the door is now closed. However, had you just sent one, gone back to the second one and made those changes, AND THEN in the query letter tell me what you learned from the first book and how you have made those changes in the second, I will likely take more notice. This tells us you can learn from your mistakes. Seeing this also means that maybe, if I sign the second book, we can always go back to the first one if that is all it took to fix it.

As I said earlier, I know a lot of authors do this to show us what else they have. There is nothing wrong with this but do it in a different fashion. You can simply state in the closing part of the query letter that you have additional books and then give us a log line that gives us a sense of the book. If you want to do a bit more, you can certainly provide a single page that gives us a 1 paragraph blurb (I'm talking 4 sentences roughly) for each of the books and the state they are in (Complete, 1/2 finished, outlined, etc.).

I say this often when it comes to query letter, or for that matter, any writing. You have to think of your writing from the perspective of the person reading it. What are they thinking? How would they respond?

We Don't Sign Books, We Sign Authors

Writers often comment that the manuscript is the thing. We hear people say all of the time, "if your story is good, it will sell." This, unfortunately is not always the case.

Publishing is an interesting business. We spend all of this time as authors pushing our project. We develop query letters, synopses, and countless submissions. Everything is about the project itself. But in the end, although it is the project that gets us into the door, it is the author that signs the contract. It is the author that the editors and agents look to.

One thing I see over and over again with query letters is the lack of depth the author provides in terms of demonstrating their career as a writer. Even if this is your first book, you have to be able to demonstrate that you will be in this relationship with the editor or agent for the long haul. Unless your book is the ultimate block-buster, we are not looking for the "one-hit-wonder" but a career writer. We know that it will be the career as a writer that develops into a lucrative business. Rarely will it be that one book.

Along the same lines, a writer has to think about what image they are giving to the editor or agent they are querying. Again, this is a marriage and we don't want to end up finding out that we are working with someone who could be difficult, or worst-case scenario - a complete freak. Remember that once you sign with an editor or an agent, you are not only being represented by that publisher or agency, but you are also representing that publisher and that agency. What you do, what you say and how you act reflects not just on your writing but the others around you.

As you think about your query letters this week, take some time to think about what you are saying about you as a person and you as an author. Reverse roles! If you read your query letter and just the query letter, would you be someone you would want to work with? Don't just rely on that manuscript. Would you really want to spend time with you?

Self-Published to Traditional? Show us the numbers!

We are often asked by writers if being self-published with help or hurt your career if you want to move into traditional publishing. This is always a tricky question because it really does depend on what you put out there the first time. If you put out garbage, then obviously this will hurt your career. But let's ignore that group and focus in on the good writers.

If you started off with self-publishing, you can approach pitching to and editor or an agent with many of the same approaches as someone just moving from one publishing company to another. You also have an additional item that can potentially help out with convincing the editor or agent that you are someone that needs to be taken seriously. You have numbers.

There are a lot of agents and editors now that are seriously looking at authors that have been working in the self-publishing arena. Many of you have also heard of a number of authors out there that were picked up by traditional publishers based on the work that they did on their own. But here is the key! What these people had were significant numbers to demonstrate their success! These publishers and agents were impressed by what you were able to do on your own. Now they are thinking of the success you could have with the backing of a full editorial team as well as the marketing and distribution teams of the publisher.

If you are someone taking this approach, it is crucial that you show the success you had in this other market as you query the editors and agents. Show them the dollar figures of your sales. Show them the units you sold. Give the agents and editors something tangible to work with. Don't make them go after the numbers on their own because they probably won't. Their time is being spent with their current clients.

Every now and then, when I have an author who tells me they have been previously published, and they go on and on raving about how successful they were, I will snoop around and really see what they have done. Are their sales really as great as they proclaimed? When did they publish those books and with what company? I do have to admit, when I start this digging around for information, I am often turned off immediately simply because the author probably wasn't as big as the query letter proclaimed.

But if you are, then show those numbers. Make us take you seriously.

Your Query Letter Did Not Sell Your Book

I am frequently asked in interviews the question, "Can you describe a query letter that you received that made you sign an author." This is actually a pretty common question and I am always amazed when I hear authors stand up in front of audiences telling people how their query letter sold their first book. This, unfortunately, is not accurate.

Don't get me wrong. A well crafted query letter will certainly be an asset to getting that first book off and running in the publishing world, but the query letter simply did not sell your book. The query letter simply got the agent or editor VERY interested in your book.

Editors and agents will always say that, in the end, it will be the story itself that makes the decision for us as to whether or not we sign an author. All of those other factors you hear people talk about as being "the keys" to making that sale are certainly elements, but that is it. These are the "parts" of a "whole". The query, the synopsis, a great character, a fantastic opening line, a great high concept... all of these elements need to be in alignment, combined with great writing and an author that people would want to work with to make a success. Yes, I know sales have to be there too, but I think you get the idea.

As an agent, we really do look at those query letters. When we open our emails and start through those piles of submissions, we are looking for something that makes us stop and think. We are looking for that premise, that concept that forces us to slow down, to put our coffee down and force us to keep reading. Like this picture, if I am coming back from the mailbox reading a snail mail query, I am compelled to sit down right there and then and read, putting away everything else around me.

Obviously a query letter by itself cannot do that, but the story you have described, the concept you just pitched to me will do that.

When I talk to some writers about their query letters and they tell me they really struggle writing the darn things (yes I know they are tough), I often find, unfortunately, that more often than not, the struggle is not with the query letter itself, but it is the simple fact that the project they are writing about is not amazing. It's "OK." The writing is "FINE." The grammar is "CORRECT." But the story itself is not something that makes us scream we need to see more.

The point is pretty simple. When someone tells you their query sold their book, really take the time to listen. I think what you will find is that the story they were telling, that first book they sold was pretty dang interesting.

Query Letter Formatting

The Head and Shoulders commercial had the slogan at one time, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." I love this slogan. I think it works for so many situations out there, and yet, I find far too many people forgetting this and then wondering why they aren't getting what they want. In the case of query letters, that first impression is so important. I know there are many of you who have been led to believe it is only the manuscript that matters, and yes, that is true. But, for the editors and agents to get to that manuscript, it takes getting their attention. That is where the well formatted query letter comes into play.

Whether or not you are using the snail mail approach or the email approach, showing that you are professional and you know the proper etiquette for correspondence helps a lot. Below I have two sample letters. The first is for regular mail and the second is for email. I think there are several things to note here that are great reminders:

• Make sure to address the query to a specific editor or agent. "Dear agent" or "To Whom It May Concern" simply tells us you are just mass mailing this to everyone. 
• Addressing an individual is also important considering how many agencies and publishers have interns and assistants opening mail first. If you want it to land in the hands of a particular person, you have to put their name up top.
• Keep it simple and straightforward. Now rambling
• Be professional. This is not the time to demonstrate your amazing gift of word choice or voice. That is what your manuscript is there for.
• I recommend putting title, genre and word count at the top. This gives the agent and/or editor a chance to think of the story in a particular context or to think about placement of the story. Too often, we have no clue where the story would fit until we hit the end of the query. This is especially the case with YA and New Adult.

And yes, you can use the standard letter approach for emails. There will be some repetition with the subject lines but it isn't going to kill you.

SNAIL MAIL FORMAT

EMAIL FORMAT