Do You Know Why You Do What You Do In Your Novels?

When I read submissions, I can often tell within the first few pages whether or not the author is new at the game or is experienced in the craft of writing. It really doesn't take much to figure it out. How do I know? It is all about what they are doing in the stories? So many authors inaccurately insert conventions in their stories, or do things to their plots. Does it mess up the story? Not necessarily. But it certainly doesn't enhance the story in the least bit.

Here is the issue. For many new authors, they are busy learning the craft of writing while they are writing. There is nothing wrong with that. But for these authors, they are also attending every workshop they can get to. They are watching every video, attending every online meeting and reading every blog such as mine. They are like a sponge absorbing everything. Again, there is nothing wrong with this, except for the fac that when someone tells them this is going to work great in their story or it is going to make their story better, they put it into their story...without thinking.

One of the things that separates the experienced authors from "the newbies" is that the experienced authors know when to use those conventions and when not to. They also know what those conventions do and the impact on the story. Let me give you an example.

Do you use an prologue or not? What is even the purpose of a prologue? If you are a new author, you might just insert it because you have this short scene that doesn't quiet fit with the rest of the story or has some information you want to dump, but that is it. Is that really a good reason for a prologue? I would argue, probably not. For those new authors, they have seen other prologues with information such as this and they "believe" that is what the author is using it for, but the reality is, they are missing the real reason. The author is probably doing something much bigger. 

To get to the point of these experienced authors takes a lot of time reading and studying the writing of other authors. You don't read for pleasure, but you read to "study." You take the time to stop and ask, "why did the author do that? and "what is that doing to change the story?"

If you are a literature major, you will understand this well. This is really what we all did getting that major. We tried to figure out why Hemingway could mess up his grammar and still make it work. We figured out why Falkner could write those obnoxiously long paragraphs and still somehow make it work. 

I guess what I am trying to get at here is this. Take your time. Learn the craft. Know why you do what you are doing in your story. You will find you are going to be much more successful!

Why Christmas Stories Are A Hard Sell

yes, we all love 'em! I know, we try to say we don't but if you are like me, going to my vet starting in October, they already have the Hallmark Channel running with the Christmas shows running. We're suckers for these stories. Of course, we now think, these have to be in high demand. Publishers ALWAYS need these stories. 

Well, you might be mistaken here. Let me give you a little inside information on this.

Those Christmas slots on the publishing schedule are coveted slots. These are just as hot as the summer reading slots. Every author wants to be placed there. It is just like the movie release schedule when you want your block buster to show up right before summer when EVERYONE will want to be watching! But here is the catch.

Those coveted slots are not going to go to the new authors.

These will go to those people who have "earned the rights". The publishers will give those books to the authors who have a following and who know how to really produce! In many cases, these are even books that will be added their contracts as a separate piece, sort of as a bonus. 

So, why do I bring this up? Because so many of you will spend months writing those stories that are actually pretty dang good, but honestly, will be hard sells because we have to find a way to show the publishers that your story is somehow better than the established authors.

See where I am going to with this?

My suggestion? Focus on a standard story but keep those holiday classics on the back burner. You'll get a chance to write it later. I promise!

Know What Editors and Agents Are Not Fans Of

Sure, we tell you to look for what the editors and agents want, but what about the things they are not fans of? This is something so many authors miss. Sure, finding the #MSWL is easy. We're all posting "Hey, I would so love to see a story about Alien Vampire Bunnies (If you have followed me in the past, you know what I am talking about)." But yes, there are a lot of projects and concepts that many of us just do not like, or will be a tough sell with us.

Now, don't get me wrong. Will we always pass on these projects? Absolutely not. In today's tough market, we are desperate to find anything really good and amazing. We are always looking despite what many of you think. But if you pitch one of those stories that we are not a fan of, it better be something that blows our socks off and brings us something that is TOTALLY AMAZING!

So, with that said, you are now going to ask, what are those projects you aren't a fan of Scott?

OK, here is the list, and just to let you know, I have done this list before, but apparently many people choose to ignore it.

• ROAD TRIP WOMEN'S FICTION - Sorry to say this, but these are episodic. The premise is always the same. Main character is frustrated with her home life (most likely divorced) and is out to "find herself". Off she goes and along the say stops at random places to "experience things" and theoretically figures herself out. Been there and done that. Oh, and then there is the twist of throw in the random hot guy on the trip so she can have a great night of sex that makes her feel young again.
• BAND ROADIE STORIES - Do not tell me this is just like Daisy Jones and the Six. These stories frequently fall into the same trope. She's a groupie (or reporter) and the rock star/country singer has issues and she is going to fix all of his problems and they fall in love. Of course there is also the twist of the fact that they knew each other in high school or college. Ugh. Not a fan.
• Duel POV - I don't know what it is about all of you thinking this is something new. Romances have been doing this for some time now. The only difference is that they didn't label the chapter by the character's name. My other problem with these stories is that these often become repetitive. We just saw the scene from one POV and then we now get to repeat it from the other person's POV. 
• First Person - I know, some of you love this, but I know why you like to write it. You only hear dialogue in your head. The problem I have with many (actually most) first person stories is the lack of depth. These stories often don't have the world building and plot development because the characters are simply not going to focus on it. I always use this as an example. If you come into your house after a long day of work, do you look around and take in the scene and admire the family pictures on the wall? No, you walk to the kitchen, dump the mail, open the fridge and figure out what you are going to cook for dinner. The world around you is taken for granted. But for the reader, they haven't been there and they are missing out.
• Women's fiction stories with too much baggage - These are stories where EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING bad has to happen to the person. It is as if the author feels that this is the only way we can build the drama. The comment found most often in my database of submissions for women's fiction submissions would be TOO MUCH!
• Time Travels that are really Historicals - Look, if you want it to be a time travel, then the time travel has to be INTEGRAL to the story. If you just send a person back in time and that is it, then just write a dang historical.

I think that should do it for now. 

Why Is It Tough To Get In The Business Today

This is not an easy time to get into publishing. I am not, in any way going to sugar coat things here. With all of the streaming services out there, publishers are struggling to get people to just pick up a book. It also doesn't help when our wonderful K-12 education system is not promoting reading (I can say that because I am in that system and I am fighting with it daily). Yes, we are seeing an increase in some book sales, but it is just not enough to get the publishers to go out an invest in new readers. They are simply sticking to what they know. 

So, why is that? They know all of you will go out and buy those books. Readers are like a bunch of lemmings. You just follow when someone tells you to. Let me give you an example. A friend of mine said she went running to her latest B&N to get the latest book by two of her favorite authors. Her comment? She didn't care if it was good, she just wanted a book to read.

What does this tell you? Publishers know readers buy books from authors they know. I am sorry to say this, but unknown authors have no chance right now. Even the established authors trying to move from one house to the next are struggling because there is limited book space.

To add to all of this, the market is saturated by a ton, and I mean a ton of authors who, after being rejected, and who had (or have) little patience, self-publish and dump their books out there. Now, let's take a guess of who is making the money? Not the authors, that is for sure. 

What a lot of people do not understand is that there are a lot of authors out there and not a lot of readers. I want you to think back to the basics of Economics called supply and demand. Supply is High and Demand is Low. That simply means your value is also low, in fact, VERY low.

All I can say is that those who will succeed are those who have the patience to hold on and just keep trying but not giving up and just jumping for the easiest path.