Miss Snark's Contest Follow-Up, THE LUCKY FEW, & Other News

Oy, I'm so late in posting this, I know!

So a follow-up to Miss Snark's March secret agent contest. Overall, it was a great contest last month - and I'm happy to say my results were much better than my sad attempt with the pitch fest over at WriteOnCon, prior to that!

I was oh so excited to see I was one of five winners (out of 50 entries) selected by Ms. Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates!

Hannah left a great comment, right off the bat - and it had been just what I needed. And while I'll take all the comments from the other participants / readers with a grain of salt (sometimes I wonder what people are thinking when they comment???), I'm just glad to be back out there, at least trying. You can read about all of the winners, here. And of course, if anything comes of my submit to Hannah, you all will be the first to know. 

In other news? Well, I did another pass-through on my manuscript, THE LUCKY FEW. When I left it with Mr. Agent Man, my word count had skyrocketed - something he had reassured me, would not be a problem - because getting the story right was important. But then, well, we parted ways, and here I was with a MS that had bloomed in size. Yikes.

So before I started querying, I dug my heels in and started slowly hacking away. And before I knew it, I had cut several thousand words. 

Which still didn't feel good enough and so I went back at it again last week. And this time, I was able to cut almost 5k more. And I think it's definitely a lot tighter. And I'm happy with where it is. But will I leave it alone? Who knows. There will always be room for improvement.

Aside from all the contests and revisions I've been doing, I also got myself back into running. It's been awhile - for various reasons - but I've missed it so.

Don't let me mislead you - for the most part, I've always said I was allergic to working out...I'm a Taurus for cryin' out loud and definitely not like some of my uber runner friends that chug out more miles than I put on my car each week. But something about running has always made it one of my favorite forms of *cough* exercise. 

So, I set a personal goal that I would start running one "marathon" a week - and to do that, that means 5.5 miles every day, Monday - Friday (yes, that's technically a tad more than 26.2 miles, but it's a nice round number to target). And today wraps up my third week - which makes 3 marathons I've run - and I couldn't be happier!  

And just like with writing and the importance of having fabulous CP's, I have an amazing workout partner that encourages me to show up every day and get at it. And without her motivation, I'm not sure if this would happen. But now I have someone I can't let down, cheering me on - so it does make it that much easier. And I'll take it.

And even though 2013 didn't start off great - believe me, when they say bad things happen in 3's, well, I've had enough in just the last 4 months to cover the next 3 years - it's definitely turning around. My writing is going well, the contests I've entered have been fun, and I'm back out pounding the pavement - both figuratively and literally. And that's all good news, in my book. 

Anyone else have news to share - be it in contests, writing, or personal goals?

I've Gone And Thrown Myself To The Wolves...Again

Yes, because one contest this year just wouldn't be enough - I've gone and entered myself into Miss Snark's March Secret Agent contest. Some may call me a glutton for punishment - but as I've said before, bring it on. All of it.

There's so much to be learned from entering these contests - and of course, they can help ready a writer for everything that comes with wanting to be a published author. 

First, there's actual feedback from an agent - which as you all have seen before through my blog, can be either good or bad. But there's also a chance said agent may request your work, so that's a plus!

Then there are all the great commentors - writers who leave truly helpful critiques to help the authors learn and grow...which is the entire premise behind these contests. Yes, it's only the first 250 words of your manuscript, but feedback can be invaluable. 

But of course there's also the cynical commentors, which these contests attract like none other. You can always tell the ones that are just being negative, because, well, they can - and anyone who frequents Miss Snark's contests, know who these people are...because they always tend to have the same theme. 

Regardless, I'm submit #47 THE LUCKY FEW - stop on by, read my first 250 submit, and of course, check out all the other great entries in the contest. Along with all the great comments, too.

And wish me luck - if it's anything like the last one, I'm gonna need it! 

How about any of you? Entered your writing in anything lately? 

WriteOnCon: Pitch-Fest - RESULTS

Ouch. Well that pretty much sums it all up.

Suffice to say, the agent assigned to my pitch / query - Peter Knapp - critiqued my submit earlier this evening...and in a nutshell, did not like the voice of my pitch. At. All.

And I mean, at all.

To see Pete's feedback for yourself, you can read it here. 

In the end, all I can say is I'm glad I have some thick skin - which I know is a prerequisite in the business of writing. As well, there are still a few more days to go in the contest and perhaps another agent or author will feel differently - and maybe even be inclined to leave a comment. Perhaps not.

Regardless, I'm always grateful for feedback from those in the biz - even if it's not in my favor. Because that means someone in the biz actually took the time to give me feedback. And how else will I learn and grow? And if I think a harsh comment on my pitch is tough - that's nothing compared to what readers can do to a book, once it's out in the marketplace! 

So I'll take his feedback, use it to toughen my skin, er, skills, and let it all marinate for a bit. Then I'll decide if I want to heed his advice and change a pitch that's actually been working really well for me in my querying as of late, or leave it be for a little while longer. 

Until then, er-e-er-e-er...yep, that's me polishing up my dinged-up armor. But man, I'd rather go into battle with dinged-up armor, than no armor at all.

How about any of you? Ever been given a tough critique? And how did you pick yourself back up? 

Two Roads Diverged...

So many of you know I've been in an exclusive R&R with an amazing agent - and for those of you who don't know, the story goes a little something like this:

I started querying THE LUCKY FEW back in late April of 2011 and decided to do things a little differently than I'd done in the past. My first batch was a smattering of queries - unlike the deluge I'd sent out for my prior two books - and I had an amazing response. Out of the 8 I sent, I received 5 fulls, 1 partial, 1 decline, and 1 no response. I was off to a great start. 

When 2 declines came in on fulls, I decided to query Mr. Agent Man on July 11, 2011. This agent has been in my top 3, of all-time agents, since I started querying over five years ago for other books - and I'd been holding off on sending to him, to see what kind of responses I'd recieve from my first round.

He replied six minutes later, requesting the full.

I was ecstatic and of course, immediately sent it - and the very next day, he'd called. He, along with his assistant, had read my MS over-night - and he'd also sent it along to some of his colleagues in their NYC office. He wasn't quite prepared to sign me, but he definitely wanted an exclusive R&R together. And so, after asking for a few days to settle with the other agents that already had my fulls and partials, I let him know I was ready to go. 

Over the next 7 months, I'd completed 2 separate revisions with responses from him in the form of editorial letters, emails, and conference calls. By February of 2012, we agreed there were just so many great directions I could take my story...and deciding on one path, seemed more difficult than any of us thought. Ultimately, we decided a complete shift needed to happen - which required me to scrap more than 60,000 of the then 89,000 words, and rewrite them completely.

After running the gammut of emotions on what this actually would mean, I finally settled in and tackled the beast. It took almost five months to complete - but I finished, had all of my CP's read and critique at break-neck speed, and had it back to him by July of last year. By September, he'd emailed that he was 100% on board with the direction I'd taken and was more than happy with my rewrite - however, he needed more time to final scrub and get back to me. 

Between then and now, his amazing assistant left the agenting business and he became inundated with not only his own clients, but her's as well - and the communication between us became less frequent. By January of this year, I emailed with a timeline, needing some type of response, before I felt it was fair I move on. 

In the end, I did hear back from him - we chatted on the phone and ultimately decided, his plate had become too full and he just couldn't give me the time I was going to need. So as it goes, our journey - after over 20 months working together - had come to an end.

He did ask to pass my manuscript along to few other agents in his office, feeling if he couldn't take on my MS, the next best thing would be to keep it in house. As well, he also recommended the names of a handful of agents outside the agency that he felt would be a great fit.

And now that brings us to last week. 

Honestly, while I am disappointed things didn't work out - especially after so much hard work and time - I couldn't be more happy with the change my story took on, and am so thankful to have had the opportunity of working exclusively with an agent of his caliber. I do believe everything happens for a reason and I'm very much looking forward to finding an amazing agent that loves THE LUCKY FEW as much as I do! 

So now I'm back out on the hunt. And yes, it sucks to be back at square one...but as one of my fabulous CP's said, maybe I am back at square one - but if I am, I'm there with a jet pack on, while most everyone else is on foot. Huh. What a great way to look at it, right? I'm so grateful for ALL of my CP's, as they've helped so much through this entire process - and honestly, if it weren't for them, I really think I may have shelved my writing for awhile.

But agents beware, I'm not letting you off the hook that easily. In fact, if anything, I'm pushing forward with a fury. I'm tackling this one, head on. And who knows how it will all turn out, but for now, bring. it. on. 

And like my all-time favorite poem by Robert Frost, I'll head once again, down the road less traveled - and I know it will make ALL the difference.

What about any of you - have you experienced anything similar? And if so, how did you deal with it?

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: Day 1 - Letter A

In order to kick-start my blog, well, back into the blog-o-sphere, I've decided to try out the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. And what is that exactly?

A challenge to all bloggers for the month of April to post a blog every day, except Sundays, during the entire month. And to up the bar, each post needs to be thematically written, from A to Z. And since I'm a writer, well, I'm hoping to blog each day on a writing-related topic, all linked to my journey towards publication and the NYT's Best Seller List.

Day one is here (the only Sunday we'll actually post) - so today's letter is A...and my topic:

Agents: Of the Literary Kind.

So what exactly is a Literary Agent?

A literary agent is the in-between buffer between you and the big house publishers. They will try to sell your manuscript to a publishing house, will handle contract negotiations and all the mind numbing legalities that come with it, and will often times also help edit your manuscript to help make it shine. 

Why do you need a literary Agent?

Amongst many things, an agent will shop your manuscript around publishing houses, using their inside knowledge and connections, to place it with the right editor. And believe me, the world between agents and publishers is tight-knit - so why not leverage your agent's connections, vs. trying to tackle that yourself?

And did I mention agents also handle all the minute details of the publishing contract? Unless you have a fine understanding around contracts and negoitiations, I'd recommend leaving that up to your fabulous agent - allowing you to focus on what got you here to begin with: your writing.

Cause like you, your agent's goal is to sell your work - because they don't get paid, if your book isn't sold. 

Does everyone need an Agent?

Of course the answer to that is no, not everyone does. But my dream is to get published using the old fashioned, traditional methods - and I believe having a literary agent will help me to focus on my writing, vs. all of the other stuff that comes with the publication process. Afterall, that's their job - and having someone to back you on your journey to the NYT's best-seller list? Well, I'm all about that.

Do I have an Agent?

Not "officially" yet. But I'm in the process of a massive revision on my current manuscript, THE LUCKY FEW, with an amazing agent - who I've been working with for almost a year now.

Because we haven't officially signed yet, I won't be saying who he is - but I will say, he has been one of my all-time top three agents, for the 5+ years I've been writing and querying agents. It has been a dream to work with him - afterall, how often do you get pages of editorial comments on your work, from a real-live agent? Not to mention, the numerous emails and phone calls we have traded so far = invaluable.

While the revision process has taken a little longer than I expected, it has been incredibly interesting - and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I look forward to the day I can officially post, I have an agent (fingers crossed, it's sometime this year)!

Where'd I find him?

There are many great resources out there - but here are two of my favorites:

QueryTracker.net

AgentQuery.com

Agents: of the Literary Kind...what do you believe? Do you have one or want one? I'd love to hear all about it!

5 Rules for Writing YA

A great blog posted by Chuck Sambuchino - Guide to Literary Agents - chock full of useful information for anyone out there writing for the Young Adult market.  If you don't currently follow Chuck's blog (or Tweets for that matter!), then you really need to Get. On. It. 

I relate to all of the rules, particularly #5 - always remember who your target audience is and the fact that they lead the way in trends.   

Keep on top of what you see out there in today's market - I often find that going to my local mall is an invaluable resource for this.  Watch where the teens shop, see what they're buying, listen to how they talk - of course, don't do this in a creepy way!  And don't forget to channel your inner teen!  You were there once - remember what it was like to fall in love for the first time?  Get your heart broken?  Be the center of gossip - or be the one to start it?  Friday night football games?   

After all, age is only a number.    

5 Rules for Writing YA
Posted by Chuck

1. The life of the story depends on the writer's ability to convince the reader that the protagonist is one of them. Teens despise fakes. You must know kids well enough to channel their voices, thoughts and emotions. 

     

Guest column by Regina Brooks, literary
agent at Serendipity Literary. This text
excerpted from Regina's 2009 book,
Writing Great Books For Young Adults.

2. Don't condescend to your readers. Young people won't abide stories that suggest their turmoil or idealism will pass when they "grow up." Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club, says, "I'm a big believer that kids are smarter than we think they are ... I think kids can handle complexity and nuances, and the advantage to writing that way is that the book appeals to both teenagers and adults. Don't deal with young people by trying to push them in one direction or another. Deal with them where they're at now.

3. Read, read, read today's YA fiction. A word of caution: Don't emulate your favorite authors, but learn from them,. You'll want to create work that is truly your own. The benefits to reading what's already on the market are phenomenal. It will familiarize you with what's selling, how kids today talk, what they wear, what issues concern them, and so on.

4. Silence your worries over commercial considerations. This allows you to concentrate on your primary objective, which is to tell your story. Keep your artistic integrity—your ideals—ahead of how commercially successful you want your book to be. If you focus on writing the best possible book, commercial success will follow later. The significant rise in the success of YA novels has opened the way for a multiplicity of  categories, and just to give you an idea, I've listed some alphabetically: adventure, chick lit, comical, fantasy, fantasy epics, futuristic, gay-themed, historical, multicultural, mystery, religious, romantic, science fiction, sports and urban. If your story doesn't fit into any of these categories, you may have to invent one. Consider it an opportunity.

5. In your new world of YA fiction, erect no concrete barriers, wire fences or one-way signs. Instead, forge new paths. The YA field welcomes innovators. What will your contribution be? Think fresh. Remember that young people are trendsetters—they're always looking to differentiate themselves from others. It's how teens forge their own identities. Don't be afraid to push the boar out as well. Coming up with a fresh idea will set you apart from the pack and might be the thing that sparks an editor's interest in your work. 


Want more on children's writing?

• Examine Great High-Concept Hooks for Children's Books.
• New children's agent seeking submissions.
• How to write picture books for kids.
• Buy the kids writers' bible: the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.  
• Interview with kids agent Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary.
• Read a successful young adult query: "Wake" by Lisa McMann.
• Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
• Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
• Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for?Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!