The Real World and Your Writing World Colliding

Life happens.

We all get this. I am sure there is not a week that goes by when you have a day that goes wrong. You get up with the best intentions. You have a full list of things you are going to do, and then one thing happens and your world falls apart. By the time you crash into bed at the end of the day, you still have that list you never got to. 

We call this life.

Writers are no different when life gets in the way of their careers. You will have days when you know exactly what you need to write to make that next goal, and then life shows up. But here is the thing that separates true writers from those who will not be successful in the publishing world. They find solutions and don't panic. 

We know you have a deadline that was set by your editor or agent. Just like the deadlines for applying for jobs, filing taxes or voting, your writing due date is not going to change just like those other dates. It just means some adjustments along the way. 

So, you couldn't write at the computer today? Have a pad of paper and outline all of those great thoughts. Write those lines down that you wanted your character to say. That can be done when you are sitting in a car waiting for your kids to come out of school, or even as that massively long train holds up your traffic. It may not be perfect, but you will be ready to go tomorrow when you hit that deadline. 

I bring this up because too often, I hear authors fall behind and then immediately call their editor saying they are not going to make the deadline and want an extension. Yes, they are flexible, but as I have stated before, you now held up a lot of other people in the process. 

If there is any big take away from this, it is simply to find a solution. Find a way to fix the problem. Find a way to move forward. And more importantly, find a way to NOT make an excuse. You are no different than the others around you!

Deadlines DO Matter

When I talk to new authors about submissions, I always tell them to only submit when that manuscript is 100% ready to go. I stress this because there are a lot of authors who, after receiving a request from an editor or agent, respond that they want to send it to the critique partners for another check, or they still have more to write. While I understand their desires to have that project in great shape, these authors are missing one important element of the publishing world. There was a deadline to meet and they failed to

meet it.

I get that we live in a busy world today. We are all juggling multiple hats at a single time. We work. We have kids and families. We have houses to keep up. We have social obligations such as church. We volunteer... and we write. But writing cannot just be shoved to the back of the pile all of the time. OK, it can if you want to be a hobby writer, but if you are a professional writer, deadlines do matter.

For me, this is a big pet peeve of mine. I get amazingly frustrated at people who cannot  get work done in a timely manner, and those who cannot seem to meet a deadline. Those that do not meet deadlines seem to miss the fact that their delay just held up the process for a lot of other people. Let give you a stack of examples and then cycle back to publishing.

I just signed on to the board for our Home Owner Association. We have discussed getting a new company to take care of the paperwork for us, along with getting new playground equipment and getting some repairs done on fences. As soon as I was on board, I found a company that would take care of the management issues. I sent it out to the other board members and that was 2 months ago. I am now sitting on the second contract from the new company and need to get the approval of the board. One person, after repeated emails and messages still has not responded. The playground equipment and fence repairs is also on hold because that board member had been "busy." That's fine, but remember, we are stuck on everything until that is done. Deadlines are not being met.

I am sure you have all been in this situation as well. You are at work and reach out to someone in another department or admin for a quick answer. The direction you need to take depends on that message. According to your email system, that person is in the office that day. You send repeated messages wanting to get on with your task, only to have to put it aside, and miss a deadline on your end until you hear from that other person, who responds back the next day with a "Sorry, I just saw your email." Deadlines are not being met.

Now let's talk about publishing. When you sign a contract with a publisher, you list your delivery dates. These are when you are expected to have proposals, partials, or completed manuscripts to your editor. These are set far in advance because the entire editorial team is fighting for their own authors to get the coveted places on the yearly calendar. The editor's calendar is now linked to the art department's calendar, the marketing department's calendar, the book seller's calendars, the copy editor's calendar, the print shop's calendar... I think you get the idea. 

And now you feel you need another 2-4 weeks to get your project finished...

This is when a domino effect kicks in. When deadlines were not met, it hurt a lot of people.

Let's take this a step further. Have you ever wondered why some authors seem to get all of the great promotions and the great opportunities and others don't get those slots. The connection often comes back to the meeting of deadlines. Those editorial teams sit down and ask who, out of all of the authors, can be trusted to get the work done. Meeting deadlines matter.

But what about those new submissions. That doesn't matter, right? You don't have a contract yet, right? Maybe not, but remember, when editors and agents are reading your new submission they are thinking about potential placement. They are already thinking about revisions. They are ready to move. But if your project did not make it to them in a timely manner, that opportunity is now gone. I don't know how many times I have had an editor say they were looking for something, I find that great author, and then the author doesn't get back for months. Bummer, they lost out.

So here are the take-aways:

• New authors - If you cannot meet deadlines, this is not a business for you.
• Established authors - If you want the great slots, the increases in advances, and those great projects, don't just meet the deadline, beat the deadline (and by the way, do it right the first time).

Clear Daily Goals Equals Forward Movement

Being a professional writer means meeting deadlines. For so many authors, they are still in the casual writing stage of their life. It is simply a hobby. You write when you want to. You stop when you want to. But that cannot happen if you have editors waiting on you. This cannot happen if you have readers begging for that next book in your series.

I see a lot of authors who set long term goals such as when they plan on having their book finished. "I'll have this finished at the end of September." While this is a great start, it is not enough. Writers need to focus on smaller goals and smaller benchmarks.

For myself, the first thing I do every morning is create a to do list for myself. I am VERY clear as to what needs to get done. For example, I don't just say "clean house" but list each room that needs to get done and what has to happen in each room. Writers need to do the same thing.

But we are going to take this a step further. You need to create benchmarks for yourself so you know if you are on track.

Let's create a scenario.

Julie Smith (made up name) is getting ready to write for the week. She knows this will be a busy week with her daily job and the kids getting to activities. Sunday night, she makes a list.

• Monday
• Chapter 13 needs to get written. She knows she has a 3 hour window to write when her daughter is at gymnastics. 
• Tuesday
• Busy day so Chapter 14 will be divided into 2 days (this is also a tough chapter with some major character reveals. First 1/2 on Tuesday. Only a 2 hour window today
• Wednesday
• Finish Chapter 14 and outline chapter 15. Back to a 3 hour window but it should go well based on the work from Tuesday
• Thursday
• Chapter 15 today. Gymnastics day is always great with a 3 hour writing window. Meeting in the morning with her colleague at work but this can be done from home. 
• Friday
• Could be a tough day. Daughter is heading out for the weekend so afternoon spent packing and getting her to her friends house. Once out, Julie should have 2 hours to write but no promises. House did get messy this weekend. Goal first 1/2 of chapter 16.

I know some of you are thinking this is crazy, but it works. The other reason it works is that Julie thinks through her notes for the next day each evening. In other words, she has semi-planned out Chapter 14 on Monday night. Now, here is where she creates her benchmarks.

Each day of writing, Julie knows how much she needs to get written. She knows each chapter will be around 15-18 pages. With that in mind, she creates smaller deadlines for herself. Since she only has 2-3 hours to write, she creates goals of where she needs to be every 30 minutes. This does 2 things. First it creates a smaller and more manageable deadline. Secondly, it creates a reward system for her. If she sees she is ahead of schedule, she can reward herself with a quick walk around the neighborhood, a cookie snack, or something else.

Just saying you are going to write something today about something is far too vague. Be specific.

Missing Deadlines Can Hurt Your Career

We all know what deadlines are. These are those pesky little X's we put on our calendar telling us when projects "have to be done." In the publishing world, those little X's are more than a date when your story is finished. Those are dates that many other people are counting on you to meet because they need to start their work. Missing those deadlines might seem small on the surface, but these events will lead to losing a coveted writing contract later on.

The problem I believe many authors have stems from where they started with their writing. When most authors started, they did this as a hobby. Writing was something you did for fun. It was really easy to say, "By next month, I will have my book finished." When you showed up at the writer group you were part of, without it, there were no consequences. Life got in the way and there is always time to finish it by the next meeting.

But, when authors move into a professional writing career, they need to understand that those deadlines impact a lot of other people. Consider...

• Your editors put you on a planning calendar for the whole year. This means that other authors are working around your schedule as well.
• Your editors have blocked out time to read your work amid their busy schedules. 
• Your editors have blocked out time to read your edits in between the reads for their other authors. 
• Art departments need time to prep those book covers
• Copy editors need to have time to look over your entire project.
• The IT people need to have time to prepare your book for printing.
• The book stores need to know the date the book is being released so they can get the product online and in the database for your readers.
• etc.

This is just a basic list, but I think you get the idea.

Now, I do know that most editors are pretty flexible. Authors are always told that if there is a problem with getting something finished, give the editors plenty of notice. They can work with you. They know that life gets in the way. However, if this is always happening, it becomes pretty clear to the editors that this might be a problem and they will start to take notice. They will begin to think that maybe this person might not be the person the editors need for that next special assignment or even the contract.

I get that deadlines are tough. I get that the real world does get in the way every now and then. So if we know this, then start to factor in time knowing that these events might occur. If you get the book in early, then it might be there to fill in the holes when some other author out there misses his or her deadline.

Now who looks good??

Understanding Deadlines

When authors move from writing as a hobby to writing as a profession, one of the first challenges
many face is that of the deadline. Up until that moment, they were able to write when they wanted, finish things when they wanted and there simply was no pressure, other than the desire to finish something. But now we have deadlines and working with these can be tough.

The concept of a deadline can be pretty tough to understand in a a market that moves so slow. I did hear one author wonder why she had to get a book to her publisher so soon when the release date for the book was months away. What many authors fail to realize is that deadlines are set to allow the time for the book to make its way through the other levels of the publishing world. After the book leaves your hands as an author, it is then in many more hands on the publisher side.

• Editors will read it several more times
• Your book may pass to a couple of other readers for some feedback
• Art departments need it for cover design
• Business departments need it for marketing purposes
• Copy and line editors need it to work through all of the kinks
• The computer people need it to get the layout just right

and all of this takes time.

We have to remember that editors (and agents too) have other clients who also have projects that need work.

and all of this takes time.

But here is the interesting thing many writers fail to understand. Deadlines can be flexible. Editors and agents are very aware that "real life" does get in the way sometimes. Kids get sick. Computers crash. You name it, things happen. This is part of the reason there is such a huge gap between your submission time and when the book is released. There is built in flexibility.

Editors and agents are more than willing to make adjustments to your deadlines, but they need some notice before it happens. Missing the deadline is not the best time to tell them something happened. Letting them know in advance gives them a chance to make adjustments to their other projects and schedules. Sometimes they can adjust release times to take care of those unexpected events.

Here at Greyhaus, one of the things I have always told my authors is to strive to beat those deadlines. When the editor wants a project in 6 weeks, shoot for 4 weeks. The idea is simple. If your project is on their desk early, A) they don't have to worry about the project; and B) if one of the other writers misses that deadline, your project is ready to slip into that spot.

For those of you who are not under contract yet, I do encourage you to set a deadline for a book. Practice this skill! It will pay off for you when that contracted work does show up!

Meet Those Deadlines - NOW!!!!!

OOOOOOHHHHH! That ugly "D" Word! This is the single word that sends shivers up the back of every writer, and yet, this is a necessary evil. I wanted to bring this up because I honestly believe a lot of unpublished and new authors haven't bought into this concept, and, needless to say, when the time comes to meet those deadlines, they are far from ready to do so.

You need to understand that we have deadlines for a reason. There are a ton of other individuals in the grand scheme of things that rely on that work you are doing to be done and to be done correctly. Art departments need your information, promotions has to get your story out there. And, of course, your editors aren't just working with you, they have a lot of other authors that also need help.

As a new author, I always stress to put yourself on a deadline and then meet it. I am always shocked when I hear authors tell me in pitch sessions that it took them three years to finish a project. THREE YEARS?!?!?!? What is going to happen when they need to produce quicker?

Now I know the indie published and self-published authors are going to claim that this is a benefit to what they do, but here is the one factor that they are missing. Name Recognition! The more your name is out there, on the book shelves, the quicker you will see a following.

One of the things I have said before, and I think it is worth mentioning again here, is that meeting deadlines is a sign of that professional element in the business world. Can you make or beat your deadline? Can I count on you? For anyone who has submitted to Greyhaus knows, there is a one month turn around time from the moment I ask for a partial to the point that I see it. Can't meet that deadline? Then maybe you shouldn't have submitted.

So, start working on those deadlines - TODAY!

Scott

Deadlines - Start Working With Them BEFORE You Are Published

Honestly, I do believe deadlines, or I should say, working with deadlines is one of the key reasons why many writers fail in this business. They simply cannot keep up with the constant pressure of having to produce on someone else's time line. Unfortunately, deadlines are a must.

Think about it. Having your book in on time is not just for one person. You have many other departments that require your book to pass through their hands. Your editor has to really look it over one more time (along with all of her other authors). But more importantly, you have readers. Keeping your name out there on the book shelves is one of the biggest keys to success. It's all about name recognition and you simply cannot do that with only one book.

Successful writers have been using these deadlines during their entire writing career. They used deadlines religiously during their unpublished life. The question is, are you? A writers simply cannot sit around and wait for someone to create a deadline to have something produced. It takes a personal discipline to say, "I will have X project finished by this date." Even more so, the disciplined writer will work with smaller benchmarks during the writing process:

• I will have the proposal sent to X by this date.
• I will have the first three chapters sent to CP by this date
• I will have the first half ready for editing by this date.

...and so on...

There are no "...but's..." with deadlines.

So, if you haven't started yet, start today. Create those deadlines and stick to it.

Scott

Set Goals To Achieve Big Things

Writing a 50,000 word or a 150,000 word manuscript is not something that happens over night. It takes time and persistence. You simply cannot sit down in a single night and write the whole thing.

To be a successful writer, it is crucial that you create goals for yourself to get the book finished. In fact, you really need these goals in everything you do. I'm not talking long term goals, but also short term goals.

Everyday, as you sit down to do your writing project, create a list of things that have to get done in that period of time you set aside for your writing. As you finish those items, cross them off your list. If you finish before your time is up, it is OK to just congratulate yourself and walk away. If you have the motivation, pick another smaller goal and go for that.

The same goes for your long term goals. What do you plan on finishing by the end of the week? When are you going to get the book finished? Lay it all out on a calendar and stick to it. You might be surprised. The book might not only be great, but it will be finished.

There is also a side benefit to this. You learn how to work with deadlines that you are going to have to face when you get that elusive editor.

Just something to think about today.

Scott

Gimics Don't Make A Good Story

Sure, books like this may be fun, but in the end, a story either built on gimics or full of nothing but gimics isn't a story. Instead, I see this as a written version of a comedy show like SNL. We have a string of funny things happening with no theme.

I am currently reading a very funny romance from one of my favorite historical authors at Avon. For purposes of this post, I want to leave this person nameless because that would cause some to miss the point. The thing is, this voice has some great voice to it and the scenes between the characters are a riot. I keep wanting to read scenes out to people around me, including those that have read the book. We laugh about the scenes but unfortunatley, that is it. We still end up saying, "this is funny, but what is the point?"

My comment yesterday about contemporary romances was an attempt to look at this concept from a slighly different angle. We have to remember that in romances, the key is the relationship. The focal story arc should be the romance and the relationship. An author simply cannot fill it with a lot of other stuff because the end result is we lose focus.

I do think that many people believe stories without action, demons, intrigue and constant plot gimics are boring. Heck, my father-in-law believes this about movies. When I hear this, I often feel it is a real shame. Stories about relationships without all the baggage can be good, IF the story is written well. As I said yesterday, the problem is not that contemporary romances are not selling or that as agents we aren't signing contemporary romances, it is simply that we aren't seeing well written contemporary romances.

As an agent, I look for the story and the relationship. Sure, I see the gimics, and like that favorite author of mine at Avon, I will often talk about it, but I will not be swayed by the gimics. I want a relationship. Hey, when it says Greyhaus Literary Agency represents "romance and women's fiction" that should be a key!

Scott

Submission Delays - What do you do as a writer?

Dear Scott,
I'll make this question short and simple. What should a writer do if she is asked to submit a full manuscript to an agent or editor and it isn't quite ready yet? Do I respond to that person and tell them how long it will take or just submit it when it is ready?

Great question and there really are several issues here that we need to deal with - a couple with your quesiton and then an extension for the published authors out there.

If you are submitting anything to an editor or agent, you need to have it all ready. I know there are editors and agents that say it really doesn't matter how long it takes, but in my humble opinion, it really does. My question to that person would be, "why did you pitch something to me that wasn't ready?" As an agent, I would need to count on you to have a project finished when we need it. If an editor is asking for something, they need to know they can count on you. At some level, this shows a bit of unprofessionalism.

By the way, if they say it really doesn't matter how long it takes to get the manuscript to them, they probably are not that enthusiastic about the project. Sure it sounds like a great story, but the interest is not through the roof. Again, just my opinion.

Now, the second element is whether you should let them know or not. The answer is yes, let them know. Send them a quick note and tell them there will be a delay. Don't make up excuses but inform them. When you do this, though, give them a date when it will arrive. Don't just say "when it gets finished." That is simply too vague.

As for the published authors, obviously you have deadlines. Editors are waiting on projects because they need to get the manuscript to a ton of other people to assist with getting it to the shelves. If you see a deadline that you might not be able to meet, let the editor know as soon as possible (not the day before). The more advance notice you can give the editor, the better. They can then adjust their schedules and, if necessary, delay the release of your book a bit to accomodate you.

Now here is the side note to this one... If you haven't been good to them in the past, or if you are really new at this, you might be hurting yourself. Do everything you can to make those deadlines.

As for me, I am off to edit a project to get my deadline met. Have a great weekend everyone!

Scott

On deadlines

For some reason, I think I have done something like this before, or maybe it was just from a prior dream I had of writing about this, still, today seems as good a day as any to write about these ugly little things. Deadlines are necessary evils in the publishing industry.

No, deadlines are not something an evil editor created just to make your life miserable. As writers, we have to remember that if your book is to get on the shelves, you have to finish your work so other people can get on with their work. Think about building a house. The roofers can't do anything until the framers get the house up. The appliance people can't install their hardware until the electricians and plummers get their work done. Same with your book.

Editors have the same thing. Once you get your book to the editor, he or she has to read through the whole thing one more time (this might be number 5 or 6 remember) to make sure the content is up to snuff. Then it is off to the copy editor, the art department, the business department and so forth for those people to get their work done. It also has to get proofed enough to be put in an ARC format to get out to the reviewers or to those people that we wanted for cover comments. Now, if you miss your deadline, that puts everyone behind schedule. Don't forget that the editor put you into the cycle of releases a while ago. It isn't as if they wait until you are done and stick you in anywhere. You have a space to fill.

I bring all of this up because as an agent, I too look for authors that can make deadlines. If we pitch a story to someone on proposal and tell the editors how quickly we can get the story to them I have to keep that promise. I am counting on the writer to meet that deadline, and prefereably to beat the deadline. This is one of the reasons why I am so firm with my turn around time on requests. If you pitch a story to me and I want to see more, you have 1 month to get it to me. Now, I will tell you, that turn around time is based on snail mail submissions. Are you ready to submit when we ask?

If you are a person that struggles with deadlines, but wants to be a writer, that I recommend that you get on a schedule. Set smaller goals for yourself but do something. In the end, you will be happier and your editor and agent will certainly like your dedication.

Scott

Make deadlines

For established writers, this is something they are used to. Deadlines. Those pesky little things that come from editors and agents when they demand for the next books or the next round of revisions. It is a known evil within the writing community, but for new writers, it is often something that is unknown.

I would, however, recommend for any new writer, someone who is still out there searching for that first deal, or even searching for the end of that first book, to begin using deadlines. Creating a timeline for your writing will keep you on pace, keep you focused, and, in the end, put you in a better place for when that editor or agent starts demanding those manuscripts.

Setting up a timeline is a fairly easy task. The first is to establish a regular writing routine. Regular means that you know you will write daily from, say 1:00 - 3:oo when the baby is asleep. Maybe your schedule is simply on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The key is to keep it regular and don't deviate from it. Make it known to your family that you write then. Don't schedule things during that writing time. This is a job and view it as such. You don't schedule a doctor's appointment during your work when you know you can't take the time off, right? Same with this.

Once you have established that pattern, create smaller deadlines. Don't just work with word count. I hear a lot of writers do that and their stories simply just don't move along at a steady pace. They will say, I want to do 4000 words a day. That's great, but is this a natural stopping point? Work with chapters. You have a great break there. Now, on your calendar, state when you will have each chapter finished. If you know it takes you two days to write a chapter, then make it happen.

Your goal is to have all of the smaller deadlines created, and eventually, the entire book planned out so you will have an accurate idea of when the book is to be done. Now here comes the fun part. Finish it early! If you have some spare time, go and write. If you get on a roll one day, don't just stop at one chapter, go for two, or at least dive into the next chapter. Little by little you will find that your story will get finished sooner than you think. The positive thing here is that if you do run into a bind later in the process, for example you get sick, then you don't have to panic when you miss one of your deadlines. You are already ahead of the game.

Does this require planning? You better believe it, but in the end, you will find yourself happier and certainly not stressed out.

Scott