Crappy First Drafts
Speaking as someone who once wrote a 50,000 first draft in three days, I’m a big fan of the “just get it on paper and fix it later” strategy of writing. So is Lynn Price, as she writes here. When my students have to write a short story for school, I’m constantly telling them, “Stop thinking and write.”
Lynn says: “When I’m doing a first draft, I don’t worry about pacing and flow because I know I’ll hit that up once I have a solid foundation in which to build upon. For now, I simply need to barf it out there.”
D.I.C.T.I.O.N.A.R.Y.
Here is a GREAT article on some common publishing terms. Some definitions vary a little from company to company, so make sure you always read and follow their specific instructions.
Some of the most basic are:
Full: A full manuscript.
Genre: The classification of books. Examples of genre in fiction include mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, and in nonfiction you might see sub-genres like business, health, parenting, pets, art, architecture, memoir, or current events.
Literary Agent: A literary agent works on behalf of the author to sell her book and negotiate with publishers. A literary agent also helps with career planning and development and sometimes editing and marketing.
Novel: Book-length fiction. Therefore, note that it is redundant to say “fiction novel.”
Partial: A partial is frequently what an agent will ask for when taking a book under consideration. For fiction and narrative nonfiction a partial usually includes a cover letter, a designated number of chapters from the book, and a synopsis. For non-narrative nonfiction a partial usually contains an extended author bio, an overview of the book, an expanded table of contents, detailed marketing and competitive information, and of course sample writing material (usually a chapter or two). Also called a Proposal.
Query: A one-page letter sent to agents or editors in an attempt to obtain representation. A query letter should include all of the author’s contact information—name, address, phone, email, and Web site—as well as the title of the book, genre, author bio if applicable, and a short, enticing blurb of the book. A query letter is your introduction and sometimes only contact with an agent and should not be taken lightly.
SASE: Short for self-addressed, stamped envelope, a requirement for any author who wants a reply to a snail-mailed query.
Slush/Slush Pile: Any material sent to an agent or an editor that has not been requested.
Synopsis: A detailed, multipage description of the book that includes all major plot points as well as the conclusion.
Hook and Line
It says plenty that I’m still following this blog. Here is a great article on hook and title. She says that your hook is the answer to the question, “What makes your book viable and unique?” And remember that controversial is good.
If you’re like me, your hook is what makes your book interesting to YOU. Remember that first moment of joyful inspiration, when you thought you’d never thought of anything so brilliant – and make sure that flash of genius came through in the finished novel.
Titles these days are short, but they tell the reader plenty. You want to convey genre and style – fast. So do spend those hours brainstorming until you find something that works – and then accept that the publisher may change it. That’s life.
Random cat pic (and yes it’s mostly baby. Sue me):
A time to write
Every so often I meet a moron. Here’s how it goes:
Them: You’re a writer? me too!
Me: Oh, what do you write?
Them: Oh, anything really.
Me: What are you working on at the moment?
Them: Wellllll. . . . at the moment I’m studying/working/waiting for inspiration.
To which I say (silently): Bah!
And I’m not the only one.
If you don’t WANT to write – don’t. If you don’t have the time to write – don’t. Live a happy and productive life. Just don’t pretend you and I have a major life purpose in common.
Writers write. Mostly because they can’t help it.
Right now, for example, I should be feeding my infant. Excuse me.
All about agents (PG swearing)
I had to link to this article, because one of the blogs I follow was recommended by another blog I follow. Chuck Wendig is a naughty, naughty man and his language and metaphors can be M/MA at times. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The man has a wicked way with words.
Here’s some snippets from a doubly-great article:
Agents have seen it all. They are the first line of defense in the war against Bad Books and Shitty Storytelling. It’s a wonder that some of them don’t just snap and try to take out half of New York City with a dirty bomb made of radioactive stink-fist query letters and cat turd manuscripts.
. . .
It’s easy to imagine agents as iron-hearted gatekeepers guarding the gates of Publishing Eden with their swords of fire: marketing angels serving the God of the Almighty Dollar. Most of the agents I know and have met are readers first. They do this because they love this, not because it pays them in private jets and jacuzzis filled with 40-year-Macallan Scotch. They like to read. They love books. Which is awesome.
And here’s your weekly cat pic:
Self-publishing disappointment
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-your-self-publishing-service.html
Writer Beware (a group that exposes those who are scamming innocent/ignorant writers) often hears from self-published authors who are convinced they’re being ripped off by their self-publishing services–but it’s more likely that their expectations were unrealistic.
Kids, major publishers aren’t out to gleefully reject you – they WANT to publish good books. They’re just aware that the market is lacking. Self-publishing is certainly not going to change that fact.
And here’s a picture of a cat, as per usual – but with a bonus baby and CJ, as our family gets used to one another:
Writing and Money
Here is an article on royalties, advances, and making money as a writer. I haven’t actually read it (too tired), but it sounds like useful stuff. My advice? Always get a good advance – it’s often all you ever get.
How good are your chances?
I’m a big fan of US agent Kristin Nelson’s blog, and one of the things I love is her transparency. If you look here and here, you can get a good idea of how many queries, samples, and full manuscripts get to the next stage at her agency. She is a successful agent with a strong web presence, so I imagine she gets more queries than the norm – but I also think she has the capacity to accept more books than a tiny agency. Therefore, I think the rate of these statistics gives a good general idea of how difficult it is to get an agent in the USA.
Getting an agent is not at all the same thing as getting published, but I think your chances of getting published with an agent are about 80% – more for someone of Kristin’s calibre. Which is a huge amount compared to the 1 in 10,000 shot of the average unpublished novel.
Abbrevs.
Today’s article is about common abbreviations and acronymns in the writing world. So simple, so useful.
Unlike Ana, who just lurks in a sinister manner.
How to get published
Rachelle Gardner is an American Christian literary agent with a great blog. She wrote a post on how to get published, which is an excellent summary of the American system.
Australia is similar to the USA, except you don’t necessarily need an agent to get published (some choose to get an agent after having an offer for publication – agents are at their most useful when dealing with contracts), and the place to look for impartial advice is the Australian Society of Authors.
Felicity Banks 