Books We Love

I just finished reading The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas (or as one of my friends called it, Literary People Behaving Badly).

I loved the book! It's perfect for writers, particularly anyone who's ever been part of a writers' critique group. The author gets inside all these different writers' heads, deconstructing their jealousies and insecurities, and she even delivers a surprise ending. It was a fun read.

So what's the best novel you've read lately?

Have a great weekend!

Widen Your Perspective

Guest blogger: Mary DeMuth

I’ve long been enamored by books. They are glamorous to me, amorous even. They're physical (at least the non-Kindle versions) tangible representations of hard work, sweat, and toil. So I’ve always viewed them as publishing nirvana.

I’d heard, in the beginning of my career, that I’d reach more folks with magazine articles or newspaper columns. And I’ve written both. But still, I adored and heralded books.

But my perspective is changing. Perhaps finding one of my books discounted to one dollar the other day helped hasten this new perspective. Hard to say.

While I still believe in the power of books, particularly their pass-along potential, I’m looking beyond the reading bases of magazines and newspapers to the Internet. I have far more chance of reaching a wider, larger, international audience on my blog than I do as simply a writer of books. A perfect example is Rachelle’s blog here. She's reaching thousands of people with her advice for writers. She didn’t (yet) write a book about being an agent, and yet her influence in this circle is huge. Have you learned a lot? Is it valuable? Do you tell your writer friends about this place?

If your goal is to reach people with stories or invitational writing, why not look beyond paper pages? Why not view the Internet as a viable, potentially-explosive avenue to share your heart?

Recently I found a blog I adore. As an amateur decorator, I particularly loved The Inspired Room. Since the author and I have several friends in common, I emailed her and asked her some questions. I learned that what started for her as a simple way to share with people her philosophy of decorating (use what you have, repurpose, etc.) ended up becoming her income. She makes a living by blogging. She’s doing what she loves, sharing her passion on the page (albeit an electronic one), and gets paid to do so.

For those of us who can’t afford for writing to be simply a hobby, this is exciting and encouraging. As writers, we should all be looking beyond books. Look beyond physical print. Write your passion. But don’t limit your audience to those who hold pages in their hands.

Q4U: How are you using the Internet to showcase your writing?


Mary DeMuth writes books, nine of them to date, including her most recent: Life in Defiance and Thin Places: A Memoir. Mary mentors writers toward publication at The Writing Spa. She blogs about life and healing at her website. You can also follow Mary on Twitter. Mary is represented by Esther Fedorkevich in Nashville.

Utterly Original

"To my knowledge, nothing like this has ever been written. Ever. It is utterly fresh, mine and complete."

That was a line in a query I received.

It's hard to explain how this sounds to agents and editors who get pitched everything under the sun, are typically well-read, and are aware of what's going on in the publishing marketplace. The book might be unique but not to the extent the writer seems to think.

When pitching your work, you have to walk a fine line: Be confident, but don't come off as grandiose. Stress your original and fresh voice, yet don't be afraid to acknowledge there have been other books similar to yours, whether in plot, style, theme, whatever. Yes, you want to be unique, but you can't make wild claims that just aren't true. Every book published has some similarities to something that came before; yet yours must also have something fresh and different about it.

In non-fiction book proposals, we always have to provide comparable titles (the "Competition" section) and increasingly, editors are asking us for comps even for fiction. Many authors write something like, "There are no books similar to mine." What it says is, "I haven't taken the time to properly research the market and I have no idea what other books could be compared to mine."

Remember, it's not bad to be able to compare your book to others people have heard of. It's good. It helps people begin to capture a vision for the type of book you've written. If you can point out the ways your book is similar and different, and why you think yours is a good complement to the other, you can further help a publisher understand what your book is all about. Don't ever claim "There are no books like mine." If that's your impression, go back to the bookstore and find some.

You don't have to give comp titles in your query, but when you get further down the road, you may be asked what books you think yours is similar to, so it's a good idea to be ready.

Of course, if the book in question really was amazingly fresh and original, my response to the query would not be quite so negative. Alas, it was not the case. Most of the time when people try so hard to tell me their book is awesome, rather than just showing me an awesome idea and letting me figure it out for myself... it's usually not awesome.

Unsurprisingly, the same writer who told me their book was utterly fresh responded to my pass letter with the observation: "This is probably one of the most spectacular works of fiction ever written."

My loss then, I guess. Bummer.

© 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Self-Care and Being Humble

I used to be one of those people who says things like, "Oh, I only get about five hours of sleep a night. That's all I need."

Or, "I just don't have the luxury of going to the gym. I'm way too busy."

But over the last few years, I've come to the realization that optimum performance in life and work isn't really possible if we don't tend to our physical health, and that includes getting enough sleep and exercise. It’s been hard for me to accept the fact that our bodies were created with certain needs, and that we can't function our best if those needs aren't met.

I wonder if these needs serve, in part, to keep us humble, to remind us that we're human and limited. By thinking I could circumvent the natural requirements of my physical body, I was being kind of arrogant, believing that I'm somehow special, different, exempt from the physical limitations of this existence.

Certain religious traditions have a long history of denying the body's needs as a way of life and a path to God. I'm not arguing with that, because I rarely hear anyone claiming not to need sleep or exercise because they're trying to become more spiritually enlightened. It's because they're so busy, have so much work to do, have goals and dreams that simply can't be fit into the normal day. They're sacrificing for a higher purpose.

I get that—it’s what I used to say. And I think it's okay for limited periods of time to allow yourself to go without some of the necessities. Just last week, I had three nights in a row with less than five hours of sleep a night because of my workload. But I could not have sustained it for much longer.

It’s well-known that sleep and exercise are necessary for us to function at our peak. Yet most of us don't get enough of either (and we don’t exactly eat the healthiest diet). Do we really think we’re above the natural limitations of our bodies? Are we kidding ourselves, thinking we’re functioning optimally, when we could be doing so much better if we were healthier?

And why does our culture seem to put so much pressure on us to accomplish so much in our days, our weeks, our years?

I’ve been pondering all of this as I’ve tried to take better care of myself—sort of an experiment in cultivating humility by sleeping more and exercising daily (as paradoxical as that sounds). It forces me to admit I can’t “do it all” – I am human, and limited, and I have to make choices. All of this is somehow helping me feel more peaceful and whole—even while lamenting that I don’t have enough hours in the day.

What about you? How are you taking care of yourself these days? Have you ever thought about the relationship between a humble attitude and recognizing the need to take care of yourself?

You Thought YOUR Rejections Were Tough?

Rejection is part of the process of pursuing publishing, and I had to give my share of it at the writers' conference this weekend. But lest you think rejection ends once you get through the query stage... just wait till you have a published book! Below are some book-reviewer quotes that I found compiled on the Internet.

"...it's rather pop-corny in nature, but it's good popcorn, not the kind you get six packs for a dollar in a little grocery where no one ever shops."

"...a long dreary tale full of unlikeable people doing pointless things..."

"So, although [author] can write breezy dialogue and some amusing observations, the sloppiness and creative bankruptcy of this particular exercise makes it difficult to say that the book succeeds."

"[character] comes across as clueless and it is hard to be sympathetic when she misses obvious signs like the decaying body in the trunk of her husband’s car..."

=========

But those were professional book reviewers. Wait till the readers get ahold of your book and start leaving their comments on Amazon! Here are a few Amazon reader-reviews.*

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“I don’t see why this book is so fabulous. I would give it a zero. I find no point in writing a book about segregation, there’s no way of making it into an enjoyable book. And yes I am totally against segregation.”

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
“While the story did have a great moral to go along with it, it was about dirt! Dirt and migrating. Dirt and migrating and more dirt.”

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“It grieves me deeply that we Americans should take as our classic a book that is no more than a lengthy description of the doings of fops.”

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
“I bought these books to have something nice to read to my grandkids. I had to stop, however, because the books are nothing more than advertisements for “Turkish Delight,” a candy popular in the U.K. The whole point of buying books for my grandkids was to give them a break from advertising, and here (throughout) are ads for this “Turkish Delight”! How much money is this Mr. Lewis getting from the Cadbury’s chocolate company anyway? This man must be laughing to the bank.”

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
“I am obsessed with Survivor, so I thought it would be fun. WRONG!!! It is incredibly boring and disgusting. I was very much disturbed when I found young children killing each other. I think that anyone with a conscience would agree with me.”

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
“The book is not readable because of the overuse of adverbs.”

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
“The only good thing to say about this 'literary' drivel is that the person responsible, Virginia Woolf, has been dead for quite some time now. Let us pray to God she stays that way.”

And finally, EXACTLY what you want to hear from someone who is going to review your book:

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
“This book is one of the worst books I have ever read. I got to about page 3-4.”

See? Things could be worse.

* Compiled on http://www.themorningnews.org/

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, literary agent

Authors We Love

Right now I'm at the conference of the South Carolina Writers Workshop. We're slumming it at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort. It's a rough gig, I tell ya.

One of the big draws for me this year was the keynote speaker, author Joshilyn Jackson. I'm a huge fan of southern fiction in general, and I've loved Joshilyn's writing ever since her debut novel knocked my socks off - Gods In Alabama. When I was invited to teach here at SCWW, I waffled on my answer until I heard Joshilyn would be here - then I couldn't say yes fast enough!

So that brings up today's question. What author would make you pack your bags and head out across the country to hear them speak and the chance to possibly (gasp) talk with them?

Tell us... and have a good weekend. (You know I will!)

I took this photo from my hotel room balcony the minute I arrived.

You Can Write for Love AND Money

Guest Blogger: Chuck Sambuchino

You ever see Superman IV? You may have blocked it from your memory because the whole movie is just a drive down Awful Street. But as awful as it is, I think it has a connection to the world of writing. One fascinating thing about the movie is that Christopher Reeve wasn't interested in making another Superman film (because knew it would suck—and suck it did). So if he knew Superman IV would suck and didn't want to do it in the first place, how on Earth did that movie ever get made? Two words: Street Smart.

Street Smart was a tight little drama script that Reeve had been trying to get off the ground for years. Some Hollywood producers told Reeve they would bankroll any picture of his choosing in exchange for doing Superman IV. He couldn't resist, and he signed the papers. Street Smart was released in 1987 and Morgan Freeman got his first Oscar nomination for the film.

The point is: Like Christopher Reeve in the mid-80s, we writers will sometimes do things for love and we will sometimes we do things for money.This is normal; it’s perfectly healthy. Think like an actor. You do the safe picture, then you can do the arthouse picture.

See, most of things we write for love—i.e., usually our fiction—doesn’t have a guaranteed financial payoff, and even if it does, it’s minimal. From my experience writing fiction (in my case, mostly scripts), I can tell you that even with having several stage plays produced and commissioned, there is very little money to be made in playwriting. (Also, I have yet to see dollar one for the screenplays I have composed—but here’s to hoping.)

Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

David Morrell, the thriller writer who brought John Rambo to life, once told me that only 250 people in the country make their living soling writing fiction. All the other writers must do other writerly tasks to bring in money. They teach online courses; they draft up press releases for local businesses; they freelance edit manuscripts; they pen magazine articles. In other words, they do a variety of tasks to make a decent income.

One of my common pieces of advice that I give writers is this: Do not put all your eggs in one basket. In other words, diversify yourself. If you are just writing one picture book or one novel or one memoir, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. The truth is: A lot of first books don’t sell.

You have to keep writing. Give yourself the best chance for success by having multiple projects to sell over time. If the wonderful day ever comes when a literary agent calls you on the phone to discuss representation, the first two questions out of their mouth, guaranteed, will be: 1) “How’s your day?” and 2) “What else are you writing?” They want to make sure you’re a career client, not some one-book wonder—so for that reason alone you have to write multiple things to be an attractive client to an agent.

Find a Healthy Balance

So don’t just write one thing; write lots of things. My advice is to take this “Diversify yourself” advice a step further. I say write long, write short, write fiction, write nonfiction. Stick your toe in different waters. And as you seek to diversify yourself and tackle different projects, you will take on some projects for love and passion—projects that might fail. And you’ll also find yourself taking on assignments just to pay the bills. And this is okay. Just find a healthy balance.


Chuck Sambuchino is an editor and a writer. He works for Writer's Digest Books and edits Guide to Literary Agents. His humor book, How To Survive a Garden Gnome Attack , was released in Sept. 2010 and has been featured by Reader's Digest, The Huffington Post and AOL News.
See Gnome Attack on Amazon
See Guide to Literary Agents on Amazon

Writing Rules are Just Tools

If you’ve been studying the craft of writing for long, you’ve heard all the “rules.” You know that you’re supposed to show not tell, use active not passive verbs, eschew adverbs, maintain consistent POVs, avoid repetition, and all the rest.

But it’s easy to get too caught up in the rules and get frustrated at trying so hard to follow them that you find your creativity stunted. In addition, some writers are actively resentful about the rules, feeling like the Writing Establishment is trying to keep everyone in a little box and not allow writers’ artistic visions to shine through.

I just want to share a few thoughts about writing rules. First, they’re not meant to be slavishly followed. They’re meant to be thoughtfully considered and used when appropriate.

Second, the time to apply “writing rules” is usually not in your first draft. That’s when creativity reigns. Only think about the rules in your revision process. Writing is more a creative, right-brain process. Editing and applying rules is more a left-brain process. Try not to get your brain too confused by doing both at once.

Third and most important, writing is not ABOUT the rules. The rules are just TOOLS to help you write effectively. The goal in writing is to engage your reader, draw them in, make them want to keep turning the pages, whether you’re telling them a story or giving them information. So writing rules are simply the means of helping you do that.

The only time “rules” ever come into play is when you or your editor recognizes that something’s not working. Maybe the book is getting boring, the characters don’t feel believable, the arguments in your nonfiction work are falling flat, the reader isn’t engaged. It’s pretty easy to identify what’s wrong. However, figuring out how to fix it—that’s where the rules come in. Rules are a means of identifying how to fix a problem so that the reader remains engaged.

The only reason to maintain consistent and strong POVs is to keep your reader deeply involved with your characters. The reason to show not tell is to keep your reader’s imagination active, keep your story alive and visual in their mind. Each of the rules serves a purpose – it’s a tool to help you create a written work that others want to read.

So whenever you get frustrated by the rules, or can’t figure out why or if you should follow a rule or break it, go back to the reasons behind the rules and ask yourself: Does following this rule strengthen my work? Can adhering to a rule make my manuscript more readable and enjoyable? Do I know enough about the reasons for the rules to effectively break them?

By going back to the purpose of writing rules, you can save yourself frustration, and focus instead on the goal: powerful and engaging writing that people want to read.

Q4U: What’s your opinion of “writing rules”? Do you find them challenging, helpful, frustrating? How do you decide when to break them?

© 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The Business of Writing

One of the biggest challenges for many writers is being able to separate the artist self from the business self, and figuring out ways to nurture both.

I find this to be an issue for unpublished authors more than those who are published. Once a writer is published, they seem highly motivated to stay published, and therefore more open to considering ways to increase the commercial appeal of their work.

But for some new or unpublished authors, there seems to be a resistance to “commercializing” their art. That’s fine, if you want to write for yourself, your family and your friends. But if the goal is to ask strangers to pay money to read your work, then it deserves a different approach.

It recently occurred to me that writers might benefit by taking a break from reading books on writing, and occasionally read some business books.

All the specifics in a business book might not apply to the writing life, but the overall message can be helpful in learning how to approach writing as a business or even a career. It can help you adopt the mindset of running a successful business and teach you to ask the right questions as you consider what kinds of books to write, and how to write them. These books can open your eyes to everything from how consumers make buying decisions, to how to create a successful brand, to how to organize your time for maximum effectiveness.

As I’ve spoken with several of my clients who have multiple books published, it’s been interesting to see how they approach the constant necessity to keep drawing in readers: rather than feeling like they’re “selling out,” they savor the challenge of getting better and better at crafting words into books that people want to read. They are able to see the art in running a successful business. They look for the stories or topics that interest them, and then ask themselves where their own interests meet the demands of the marketplace.

Q4U: Are you comfortable with approaching writing as a business? What helps you nurture this mindset? How do you balance your artistic self with your business self?

Below are some good business books to consider. Feel free to add your own to the list. You can click here to find a terrific list of business books organized by category.

Getting Things Done by David Allen
Good to Great by Jim Collins
A New Brand World by Scott Bedbury with Stephen Fenichell
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Making Work Work by Julie Morgenstern

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

AgentFail

Last week, my friend Wendy Lawton, an agent at Books & Such, wrote a series of posts that took a great deal of courage. She said a lot of things I've been trying to figure out how to say here on my own blog, but she did it first and said it better than I ever could have, so I'm going to do something unusual today and send you over there.

Wendy's topic for the week was #AgentFail - basically, looking at all the ways we agents don't live up to our own expectations and hopes, not to mention those of all the writers out there.

On Monday the topic was the idea that as agents, we'd love to be talent scouts and talent developers, but rarely have the time to function this way.

On Tuesday, Wendy addressed Requested Material Limbo. You all know what that is - when an agent requests a partial or full, and then it's months until you hear from them again, if ever. We hear you complaining about this, and the truth is, we're very aware of it even without your telling us about it.

On Wednesday, Wendy's topic was the Logjam - the fact that it takes agents time to read manuscripts and proposals, not just from potential clients but even from current clients. She writes, "I’m guessing that some writers who are not yet agented think that signing with an agent means all the roadblocks are magically gone. Not true." It's a harsh reality that we all face.

Thursday the blog addressed Hitting the Brick Wall - when agents love a writer or a project, but can't sell it. The truth is that a percentage of represented projects go unsold.

On Friday Wendy talked about how to spot a bad agent - not an agent who simply deals with all of the challenges above, but one who is unethical.

I recommend reading Wendy's posts because the overall message is so important: we agents are aware of all the ways this business is challenging for you, and we're aware of the ways we contribute to that. All the good agents I know are constantly doing their best to overcome these challenges and serve authors and publishing in the best ways we can.

Several of the problems agents deal with stem from a lack of TIME to get it all done. The one thing I'd like to add to Wendy's ideas is a bit of pondering on why agents are so busy. Most people in the modern working world are somewhat overwhelmed - companies are trying to do more with fewer employees. It's similar for agents: our core challenges stem from the economy. Since it's more difficult to sell an individual project to a publisher, and the average advance for a mid-list title going down, we need to have more clients on our roster to ensure a viable business. More clients means less time for each one, and even less time for all the potential clients out there.

Our challenge is still to serve each individual client as well and fully as possible; while also doing our best to serve the publishing industry and the world at large by bringing worthy titles to fruition.

I just wanted to let you know that agents are aware of the ways we fail to live up to hopes and expectations; and I hope you click over and read Wendy's posts. It's safe to say, she's speaking for most, if not all of us.

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

What Should Your Agent Know About You?

Right now I'm putting together some tools that will help me be more effective at long-range planning with my clients. I want to make sure my vision for the client's writing career matches their own vision, and that together, we intentionally work towards the client's long-term goals and dreams (as opposed to a book-by-book "let's see what happens next" approach).

One thing I may do is have my clients fill out a questionnaire to give me a baseline view of who they are and what they want when we begin working together.

I'm putting together my list of questions, so I thought I'd ask you: What information should I solicit on my questionnaire? If you were my client, what are some things you'd like me to know in order to serve you best?

Could be about your goals, could be about your expectations from an agent or the style of communication that works best for you. Anything.

Tell me! I'm listening.

And have a good weekend!

Branding Leads to Landing...

the All-Important Second Contract

Guest Blogger: Karen Witemeyer

In September I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Indianapolis, and since I'm officially a published author now (yay!) I made a point to frequent the sessions focused on marketing, branding, and publisher relations. Many of the ideas expressed in these workshops were not new concepts, but because of an e-mail I received from my editor a few days prior to conference, I listened with new ears.

You see, my initial contract with Bethany House was for three books, and this summer I turned in my third manuscript. I still have rewrites to complete, but my editor was eager to see some synopses for future book ideas so that she could take them to the acquisitions and contract committees.

This shouldn't be too hard, I convinced myself. I'd been thinking through several story ideas and with a little research I could have the basics ready to go in no time. So I went to work and soon had three full synopses sent off to my editor. Surely they would be accepted and loved. After all, my sales numbers were great with my first two releases, and my editor had already mentioned that she wanted to sign me to another deal.

So why did the acquisitions team turn down two of my three ideas?

It all came down to branding.

My first books are light-hearted and fun. However, I have a soft spot for dark, wounded heroes too, and one of my synopses featured such a tortured soul. My editor wrote that it wasn't what readers would expect when they picked up a Karen Witemeyer book. In other words, it didn't match my brand.

Branding is much more than coming up with a catchy slogan that describes your writing. In fact, I would go so far as to say that those slogans virtually bear no weight at all. Anyone can make up a slogan. Branding is about creating specific reader expectations and then meeting those expectations. It consists of the images and feelings provoked when a reader sees your name. It is what breeds loyalty. If you continually meet readers' expectations, they will buy your next book without even taking a look at the back cover or flap copy. They will buy it simply because your name is on the cover.

So I took notes during all those branding discussions and I analyzed what promises I was making to readers, what expectations I had set up with my first books. Then I went back to the drawing board to find plots and characters that better matched my brand.

Now I have two new book ideas and a second 3-book contract in the works.

Like Colleen Coble said in her workshop, branding can either bind you like a straitjacket or give you wings that allow you to soar. So much depends upon your attitude toward it and your willingness to work within it. I'm hanging onto those rejected book ideas (you never know when you might need a good wounded hero story), but for now, I'm choosing the wings over the straitjacket and am looking forward to seeing how high I can soar.

Q4U: What do you think of when someone says "author branding"? Does it have a positive or negative connotation for you?


Karen Witemeyer's latest release from Bethany House is Head in the Clouds, a story about a recovering romantic who takes a job tutoring a sheep rancher's mute daughter only to discover that her heart's not the only thing in danger. Visit Karen on the web.

Can't Get No Respect?

Never take a person's dignity; it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you. ~Frank Barron

I’ve been reading a terrific book, The Power of a Positive No. It’s by William Ury, one of the world’s most talented negotiators and author of several books including the negotiator’s bible, Getting to Yes.

One of the most powerful concepts in this book is the idea of treating people with respect. You can’t take away a person’s dignity and then expect them to deal kindly with you. But if a person feels respected, they can accept whatever comes—even if it’s a “no” they don’t want—with grace.

I’m in a career where I have to communicate “no” to a lot of people. I say “no” to people querying me every day. I say “no” to writers with great potential who just aren’t a fit for my client list. And, perhaps hardest of all, I have to share bad news with people I care about—my clients.

As I’ve pondered all of this, I thought about how often writers lash out at agents on the web. Sometimes it’s in response to a personal “no” they received on their project, more often it’s in response to some kind of blanket “no” explained by an agent on a blog or on Twitter. (No, I don’t want your query if it doesn’t meet our guidelines. No, I usually can’t give feedback on queries. No, I don’t rep YA or children's books.)

I realized one of the reasons writers may be responding in such frustration: perhaps they feel disrespected. They don’t feel heard. They feel disregarded and shamed and stripped of dignity.

This was a big wake-up call for me. It doesn’t matter that I adore and respect writers, individually and as a group. If I write or say things, publically or privately, that communicate a lack of respect, they're not going to feel the love.

One of the goals of this blog is to help writers understand an agent’s point of view so rejection won’t feel so personal. But even when I try to do that, writers still often feel disrespected.

So hear me now: For all the times I’ve made anyone feel a lack of respect, whether on the blog or on Twitter or in a personal communication… I’m truly sorry. For the times it may seem I’ve stripped an author of their dignity, I apologize. It has never been my intention, but as we know, intentions mean nothing if our actions don’t convey them.

From here forward, I’m going to endeavor to match my actions to my intent. I’ll be working on showing writers the respect I actually do have for them. And when I feel disrespected (I hear “no” a lot too), I’ll try to remember that we’re all human and perhaps others, like me, don’t always say exactly what they mean.

→ Thoughts?

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

How to Fire Your Agent

(Encore presentation of a previous post.)

There comes a time in every agent's life when one of their clients needs to move on. Yep. We all get fired by an author at some point. It isn't pleasant, but it's a reality in business.

What are some reasons writers opt to terminate their agency relationship? I think four big ones top the list. (1) The writer believes they're not getting enough attention; (2) the agent has dropped the ball too many times and the writer no longer trusts them; (3) the writer and agent disagree about the best plan for the writer's career path; or (4) the writer finds out that the agent is doing something unethical or is somehow not a legitimate literary agent.

Not to Be Taken Lightly

Ending your agency relationship is a personal decision, and I think it should be preceded by a great deal of thought and a sincere effort to correct the problems that are making you unhappy.

It's a fact of life that people find it difficult to end relationships, even relationships that are making them miserable. Consequently, people often do it artlessly. It takes maturity to try and repair the relationship before ending it. There's a lot of fear involved in telling someone that we're not satisfied and asking if there's a way to fix the problems. Often, there's also hopelessness: we assume the person is not capable of change, so we don't believe there's any point in talking about it.

But I'm a believer in talking to the person with whom you're unhappy, in this case, your agent. I think the mature way of handling a situation like this is to say, "This isn't working for me. Can something be changed?"

When people get fired from jobs, it's often (not always) after one or more warnings. The employee is given a chance to recognize where they're failing and step up to the plate. If they're unable, then they're fired. I recommend taking this approach to terminating your agency relationship. Talk to your agent and give him/her a chance to fix things. Of course, this doesn't apply if the employee (or agent) is guilty of a serious error or egregious offense, in which case, you just fire them and be done with it.

Be Discreet

What I really don't like is when writers talk to a lot of friends and others in the business about their unhapppiness with their agent—before officially terminating their agency relationship. That's just rude. If you're looking for another agent before getting rid of your current one, have those conversations confidentially. Don't gossip.

Try To Address the Problem

If you're unhappy with your agent because you're having a hard time getting them to respond to you, and it has gone on for awhile and you're really frustrated, launch an all-out effort to reach them. Send several emails and leave a couple of voicemails, all within a few days. Be brief but clear, saying something like: "I've been having a hard time reaching you and I'm at the point of reconsidering our agency relationship. Would you please respond to me so we can discuss where to go from here?" If a week goes by and you don't hear anything, it's time to terminate the relationship. Do what you need to do, according to your agency agreement (if you have one).

How To Do It?

You may wonder about specific protocol—do you sever your agency relationship on the phone, in email, in a letter? Your answer depends on the length and depth of the relationship, the way you and your agent have primarily communicated, and what your agency agreement specifies. The longer the relationship, the more crucial it is that you do the hard thing and have that conversation verbally (then confirm the decision in writing). In a relationship of less duration, especially if the agent hasn't sold any of your books, and/or you have no formal agency agreement, you're probably fine writing an email.

Before making that call or writing that email, make sure you have a clearly defined goal. If you're calling or writing to express dissatisfaction and see if there is a way things can improve, that's a different conversation from the one in which you've made up your mind and want to terminate the relationship.

Be CLEAR

Write it down if you have to, but please don't be so bashful that you are unable to utter those all-important words: I need to terminate our agency relationship. If you're nervous, and especially if you feel bad for doing it, you'd be surprised how easy it is to avoid saying it outright. Your (soon to be ex-) agent is left wondering what just happened and whether they still have a client.

Get the Terms of Your Exit in Writing

It's crucial that the terms of your termination are clearly spelled out in writing and agreed upon. This means you need a document detailing the status of every project your agent touched, and what rights to it, if any, your agent retains and for how long.

Be Respectful

Most of all, try to handle these situations with wisdom, respect and maturity. You may be swayed by frustration, as happens in all relationships, but you'll be much happier with yourself if you handle it with professionalism.

If you're not sure you have a good reason to fire your agent, but you're very unhappy, then the best thing to do is talk to someone confidentially, somebody who knows this business and can give you good advice, or even better, talk to your agent. Be brave, be strong, and treat your situation with integrity. As in all relationships, good communication is key.

Q4U: Have you had to switch agents in the past? Do you feel you handled it appropriately? Was it hard?

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Reading for a Living

A Woman Reading by Claude Monet, 1872
Everyone knows that agents and editors are reading practically all the time. We read queries and manuscripts of people hoping to secure representation, we read the manuscripts of our clients, and we read as many published books as possible - partly because we love reading, and partly because we need to stay on top of what's happening in publishing.

One of the most common things people say to us is, "Oh, I would LOVE to read for a living!"

And yes, I admit, since reading is my favorite thing, I love that I get to read for a living. However, I have to admit that "reading for a living" is not as wonderful as it sounds. The main reason is that, like anything you're doing for work as opposed to simply because you want to, you automatically look at it differently.

It takes much more energy to read for work, whether I'm reading my client's manuscript or the work of new writers seeking representation. It's not relaxing, because this kind of reading involves a persistent critical eye. I'm constantly assessing the work, making notes to myself, trying to identify problems and weaknesses, and evaluating the quality and saleability of the work. If there are issues - I'm bored while reading the story, I'm having a hard time staying engaged, I don't care about the characters - then I'm asking myself questions and sleuthing out the reasons for these issues.

So my mind is processing on two levels while I read: I'm paying attention to the the story itself, and I'm also paying attention to my reactions to the story. There's awareness, and then meta-awareness. Like I said, not relaxing!

I love what I do. But whenever you catch yourself saying (or thinking) "How great it would be to read for a living!" remind yourself - it's not quite that simple.

Q4U: Which parts of an agent's or editors job do you think you'd like the best? The least?

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Announcing Winners

of The Forest For the Trees by Betsy Lerner

THANKS for entering the drawing, and for all your great tidbits of writing advice!

If your name is NOT listed below, here's where you can buy the book:
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Barnes and Noble

I used a random number generator on Random.org and from that, drew the following five winners:

Cara: October 8, 8:31 pm

Hilary: October 7, 10:52 am

Helen: October 7, 6:05 am

Scott: October 7, 6:53 am

Lindsey Bell, October 7, 7:28 am

Winners, please email me (email address on sidebar) with your contact information so I can send you the books!

Thanks again for everyone's participation.

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Enhanced E-Books

The subject of ebooks is old news by now, practically passé. These days the talk is all about enhanced ebooks - a sort of multimedia reading experience that could be part game, part movie, part interactive learning experience, and no doubt, part advertising.

Imagine reading a novel and being able to click on links throughout the text, taking you to maps, videos, author interviews, and anything else a programmer can think up.

Personally, it sounds to me like it would have its advantages in certain cases, but in general, no thanks. When I'm reading, I like to READ. It's hard enough to focus these days, with our brains all messed up from email and the Internet. When I'm reading, I don't want to be distracted by hyperlinks.

But that's just me, and I'm ancient. And even though I love my Kindle and I spend pretty much all day on the computer, I'm still somewhat of a purist when it comes to reading.

What about you?

Today's Q4U: What do you think of the idea of enhanced ebooks?

Have a great weekend!

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

A Must-Read for Writers

(See below for how to win a copy.)

A decade ago, I read Betsy Lerner's book The Forest for the Trees and it quickly rose to the top of my "best books ever" list. I read it a few times over the years, then lent it out so many times I lost track of my copy. Today I'm excited because I just ordered my brand-spankin'-new copy of the Revised and Updated 10th Anniversary Edition.

I think every single writer seeking publication should read this book! Here's the review on Amazon:

One feels for Betsy Lerner's writers. Oh, sure, Lerner must be a fabulous agent. But too bad for them: In gaining her as an agent, they lost her as an editor. How rare and wonderful it must have been to have such an advocate, advisor, and, yes, admirer so firmly ensconced in publisher territory (at various times, Houghton Mifflin, Ballantine, Simon & Schuster, and Doubleday). In The Forest for the Trees, Lerner reflects on writing and publishing from an editor's point of view.

There are so many books by writers and agents promising to disclose what editors really want; here, finally, is one straight from the source. Like all experienced editors, Lerner has seen writers at their best, and at their worst. "Like shrinks," she says, editors "have a privileged and exclusive view into a writer's psyche, from the ecstasy of acquisition to the agony of the remainder table."

Click HERE to order the book.

Want a chance to win The Forest for the Trees FREE?

Betsy has graciously offered to provide 5 books for me to give to my blog readers, so I'm going to have a random drawing from the comments to this post. If you want a chance to win one, leave a comment with the single best piece of writing advice you've ever received.

Leave your comment by 11:59 PM EDT this Saturday. I'll use a random number generator to choose five winners on Sunday. One entry per person, please.

You're welcome!


(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

What Do Amazon Rankings Mean To Authors?

Guest Blogger: Richard Mabry

It’s right there on Amazon, buried in the fine print about a book, along with the name of the publisher, number of pages, and all the stuff most people don’t notice: the Amazon rank. Chances are that when you are looking for a book to purchase, you pay no attention at all to it. But if you’re a published author, and it’s your book, it’s a whole different ball game. You might check the rank frequently, sometimes every day. But what does it mean?

Amazon is particularly tight-lipped about sales figures, and even their information about rankings is sparse. They will admit that their ranking of bestsellers, reflecting both recent and historical sales of every item sold on their site, is updated every hour. However, it takes a little digging to find out that not all rankings are adjusted that frequently. Here’s a reasonable guesstimate from Rampant TechPress: #1 to 10,000 are recalculated every hour; #10,001-110,000 are recalculated every day. The rest are recalculated once a month.

So what do the figures mean? They mean that there are that many books with more sales than the one in question. The smaller the number, the better. If your book ranks 10,000, you know that 10,000 books sold more copies than yours. Since Amazon lists an estimated 4,000,000 books on their site, adding more and dropping some each day, a ranking of 10,000 would be good. But it won’t stay there. The rank can change with the purchase of just a few books, either yours or someone else’s.

Is it possible to correlate ranking with sales? Not officially, but there’s some information out there. For example, I found that a major publisher tracked 25 titles over a six-month period, correlating the weekly Amazon sales rank with actual reported sales from Amazon. Ranks down to 750 sold 75 to 275 books per week. From 750 to 3000 had sales of 40 to 75 per week. The sales drop the further down the list you go, and at 10,000 and above—where most of us hang out—the books sold only 1 to 5 copies per week. So you can see that at this level the number could change with the sale of as little as one unit.

If you want to track your book’s Amazon sales, you can use a free utility called TitleZ. I’ve used it for quite a while, and found it useful. It lets you enter the names of one or more books and follow their Amazon rankings, either in tabular or graphic form. Nice, but is it worth it to follow your rankings, or just an invitation to an ulcer?

The first consideration is that Amazon isn’t the only place people buy books. Barnes & Noble and Borders have online as well as brick and mortar stores. There are large chains of Christian bookstores like Mardel, Family Christian Stores, and Lifeway Stores, to name just a few. And don’t forget the independent booksellers.

Bottom line, your Amazon rank is sort of nice to know, but it won’t correlate with your royalty statement (which is a subject for another day). If you’re an author, should you check your Amazon ranking from time to time? It’s allowed. But should you open the champagne when the number is small and look for the bottle of antidepressants when the number rises? Nope. Just keep writing. Because that’s the major driver to sales: producing a good product that readers want. The figures will take care of themselves.

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, now writing Christian fiction and non-fiction, and working fruitlessly on improving his golf game. Doc's first novel, Code Blue, was published by Abingdon Press in April, 2010, and his second one, Medical Error, just released.

Meet the WordServe Team

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, it may appear that I'm a totally self-sufficient one-woman show. Of course, I like to think of myself that way! But in reality, I could never do this without the support and collaboration of our entire team at WordServe. I thought it was about time I introduced them to you, so here they are:

Greg Johnson began WordServe Literary in 2003 after previously working as a literary agent for nine years. He has represented more than 2,000 books and negotiated more than 1,500 contracts to over seventy different publishing houses. His authors' achievements include more than 50 Gold Medallion nominees and 10 winners; 8 Christy Award nominees and 2 winners; and more than 200 CBA bestsellers. Greg is the author of 23 non-fiction books and 200 magazine articles.

Becky Johnson has written, co-authored or collaborated on over 30 books, ranging from inspirational humor, to children's books, to books about the brain. (This is Your Brain on Joy and This is Your Brain in Love, with Dr. Earl Henslin.) She entertained audiences for several years with stories that touched the heart and funny bone. In her editorial capacity at WordServe, she brainstorms book ideas, outlines, and titles for WordServe clients; helps authors get their proposal just right; and reviews projects from clients as well as potential clients.

Sarah Joy Freese is our intern and fiction specialist, reviewing queries, proposals and manuscripts. She is an affiliate faculty member at Colorado Christian University (CCU) where she teaches English composition and research writing, and is also part of the Writing Initiative Faculty. Sarah has an MA and an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a BA from Cornerstone University. She has been published in numerous literary and poetry journals, and particularly enjoys flash fiction.

Cathy York has been WordServe's administrative assistant and office manager since October of 2008. She keeps us organized and lends her editorial opinion on incoming queries. She has a B.S. in Zoology from Clemson University, and has spent the majority of her career in the admin assistant/secretarial realm, with occasional forays into elder care. She's been a voracious reader since childhood, and she thinks she owns way too many books (but we know that's impossible).

To learn more about me (Rachelle), check out my "About Me" page.

To visit the WordServe website, click here.

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

In it For the Long Haul

Over the last week or so, three clients have said to me, in completely unrelated conversations, “I want to be in this for the long haul.” It’s given me the opportunity to have some great discussions about what helps a writer accomplish this goal – and what can sabotage their efforts.

It’s an important topic for consideration, because sometimes we have to make difficult decisions on a day-to-day basis, and we don’t always know which way to go. But if we’re always looking at those decisions in light of the long haul, it’s easier to know what to do.

This doesn't just apply to writers, it can be a good way for anyone to look at their situation. I want to be in publishing for the duration, so I came up with a bunch of questions and answers to help me stay focused on a long-term approach to work. I’ll share just a few of them:

What can I do to increase my chances of being in this for the long haul?

→ Establish and maintain a good reputation in the industry.
→ Keep a positive attitude despite the constantly changing and challenging business environment.
→ Always be looking ahead to new ways of doing business and new technologies, and be open to changing my business model as needed.

What would sabotage my ability to stay in it for the long haul?

→ Pay too much attention to critics, allowing them to discourage me.
→ Fail to learn from mistakes.
→ Treat people badly or disrespectfully.

As I spoke with my clients about this topic, we identified some things that could help them develop “long haul” writing careers:

→ Pay attention to where their passion and artistic integrity intersect with the market.
→ Keep refining their appeal to their readers by developing and maintaining a uniquely compelling voice.
→ Develop their ability to write page-turning books that readers can’t help talking about.
→ Keep a positive attitude about the business.
→ Be the kind of author agents and editors love to work with.

Now it’s your turn...

Q4U: What are some things that can help YOU be in this for the long haul? What are some things that could sabotage your career?

*Special thanks to Kathi Lipp for her counsel in being in it for the long haul.

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Behind the Scenes... "The Call"

Me: Hello, may I speak with New Author?

New Author: Speaking.

Me: Hi, this is Rachelle Gardner. How are you today?

NA: I’m fine…wait…did you say Rachelle Gardner?

Me: Yep.

NA: This is Kelly, isn’t it. Ha ha, very funny, Kelly.

Me: Um, no. It’s Rachelle. Would you rather speak with Kelly?

NA: No! Uh-oh. Not Kelly? Um…oops?

Me: No worries. I get that a lot. I’m calling because I really like your book and wanted to discuss representation.

NA: Of me? I mean my book?

Me: Yes, and yes.

NA: Wow. This is so cool. I loved all the nice things you said in your email, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

Me: I take it that means you’re open to talking about representation?

NA: Absolutely.

Me: Great! First, I’d like to make sure I’m clear on the status of the manuscript. It’s not been represented by another agent?

NA: No, I’ve never had an agent.

Me: And it’s not been shown to any publishers?

NA: Not yet, although there was this one editor I met at a conference who said he’d like to see it. I hadn’t decided yet if I wanted to send it to him. Would that have been a problem?

Me: No. But if it had already been seen and rejected by a dozen publishers, that would affect my ability to represent it in the market. I assume you’ve shown this to other agents. Have you received other requests for manuscripts or offers of representation?

NA: No offers yet, but two other agents requested partials. I sent them a few weeks ago but haven’t heard back.

Me: Okay, good, thanks. Let’s talk about your goals for a moment. Beyond this first book, how do you see your career progressing?

NA: Well, I have another novel in the works that’s a lot like the one I sent to you. I like the women’s fiction genre a lot, but I also have ideas for a thriller and a young adult fantasy. Oh, and I’ve written two paranormal romances, though I’m sure they’d need lots of editing. I wrote them a long time ago.

Me: My approach would be to start with the book you submitted, see if we can find a home for that. It’s usually best to stick to one genre at least until you get established. Then we can look at expanding into other areas. And if we do that, it might be best to use a pseudonym anyway – to keep your readers from getting genre whiplash.

NA: That makes sense. But I thought you didn’t rep fantasy or young adult novels.

Me: You’re right; I’m not actively seeking those kinds of novels. But when I choose to rep authors, I make a commitment to their whole body of work, unless that includes books I just don’t have the right contacts and expertise to handle.

NA: Like scrapbooking?

Me: I see you read my blog.

NA: Every day. So… what’s next for my book? Will you start submitting it right away if I agree to representation?

Me: I’d like to give it a line edit and make some suggestions to polish it, but I think that can be handled in the next few weeks. Once we’re both satisfied that it’s ready, we’d start submitting.

NA: Do you know who you’d submit it to?

Me: I have some ideas, but I’d need a little time to carefully consider which houses, imprints and editors are the best match. For a novel like yours, I’d probably submit to about eight editors to start with. I’d send you the list after I’ve submitted.

NA: Um…can I ask you something a little off-topic?

Me: Sure.

NA: Is it normal for authors to sweat profusely when they get “the call”?

Me: Ha, I don’t know. No one has ever mentioned that.

NA: Based on personal experience, I think it might be. Oh, and I have more real questions, too.

Me: Fire away.

NA: I’m wondering how you usually communicate with your authors. And how often.

Me: I try to keep my clients informed whenever there’s anything happening. So you’ll know when I’ve submitted your project and I’ll update you when responses are coming back from editors. If there’s a lot of activity on your book, I’d do my best to email updates every couple of days.

NA: So mostly you use email?

Me: With day-to-day stuff, yeah. It’s just easier. But I like to keep in voice contact with my clients too. So whenever we need to talk something out, I’ll schedule a phone call. Scheduling calls helps me manage my workload, but as my client, you’re also welcome to call whenever you need to.

NA: Even if it’s just because I’m freaking out?

Me: Especially then.

NA: So if I say “yes,” what would happen next?

Me: I’ll send you our Agency Agreement to sign and return, and we’ll take care of administrative stuff like getting your contact information. Then I’ll get to work on your manuscript. After editing it, I’d send it back to you to review. And then it’s just a matter of passing it back and forth until we both think it’s ready to go. Meanwhile I’ll be working on my editor list. When all that’s done, I’ll submit it to publishers.

NA: “Submit it to publishers.” I like the way that sounds.

Me: Okay, what else do you want to know?

[New Author asks questions she found on this post. I answer them.]

Me: Does that help?

NA: Yes.

ME: Good. But if you have any more questions as you’re making your decision, just send me an email.

NA: I will. Have I mentioned how cool this is?

Me: I’d really like to represent you, New Author. Take some time to think about your decision, talk to the other agents, and then get back to me.

NA: Is there a certain time you need to hear back?

Me: Not really, but if you’re going to take more than a week or so, I’d appreciate you keeping me updated.

NA: I can do that.

Me: Well, it’s been great talking with you. Good luck with your decision. I look forward to hearing back from you.

NA: You’ll hear from me soon.

Me: Thank you! Bye…

NA: Bye. [Shuffling sound.] OH! MY! GOSH! [More shuffling.] Honey! An agent wants to rep me! She likes my book! She really likes…oops. [Still more shuffling.] Oomph. Pfft. Shoot! I forgot to hang up! [Shuffling. CLICK.]

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Submission Guidelines

Last Update October, 2010


→ I am closed to queries in July and December. Please do not submit during these months, as your query will be deleted without response.

→ I only accept queries by email, NO snail mail.

→ Read "What I'm Looking For" to see if I will consider your project.


Please address all queries to:

admin [at] wordserveliterary [dot] com
or
rachelle [at] wordserveliterary [dot] com.

→ When you send a query to the Admin email address, you will get an automated response, usually within 3 to 4 days, saying we received your query. If you send your query to my personal email address, you will not get an automated response. (Hoping to fix that soon.)

→ In the subject line, put the word QUERY along with your genre or book title.

→ We DO read and consider all queries received.


All queries should include the following three elements:

1. A pitch for the book;

2. Information about you and your platform (for nonfiction) or writing background if you have one (for fiction);

3. The first 3 to 5 pages of the manuscript pasted into the email.

All information must be in the email, as we do NOT open attachments and we do NOT click on links.

If we are interested in your project, we will be in contact within 60 days or sooner. If we do not think your project is something we can represent, we may or may not be in contact, depending on current workload. I will ALWAYS try to respond to all queries. But if you do not hear from us within 60 days, you can assume it's a pass.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

· With FICTION, you must have a completed manuscript before contacting us, unless you are a multi-published novelist (not including self published).

· With NON-FICTION, you can query when you have a completed book proposal and three sample chapters. See "How to Write a Book Proposal."

· The query letter is a short pitch (equivalent to one page, about three to six paragraphs).

· For NON-FICTION, include the felt need, your approach and main ideas, your platform and expertise, and how much material you can send if it is requested. Make sure you tell us a little about yourself, enough to let us know why YOU are the person to write this book.

· For FICTION, don't give a synopsis of the whole book—just write a pitch a couple of paragraphs long, designed to make us want to read your book.

· Important: Please also include the first three to five (or so) pages of your manuscript pasted in to the body of the email. Don’t include any attachments to the email—they won’t be opened. Please also refrain from asking us to click on a link to find out more. If you have a link to your website in your signature line, and we are interested in your query, we might click on it.

· Please remember this is your first writing sample and it may be your only chance to WOW us... so write your query accordingly. There are numerous books, websites, and blogs on how to write great queries.

· If we are interested in your project, we'll respond by requesting a PARTIAL or a full manuscript. You will be expected to send it via email in a single Word attachment.

· RESPONSE TIME FOR REQUESTED PARTIALS: Allow three months for a response before following up.

· We DO accept simultaneous submissions.


GUIDELINES & PROTOCOL

· Our policy is to read and consider all queries that are properly addressed and follow the submission guidelines.

· The only way to guarantee your email doesn't get caught in our spam filter is to make sure your subject line includes the word "query."

· Please DO NOT CALL unless: (1) You are a client of WordServe; (2) You are already personally acquainted with Greg or Rachelle; or (3) You are a multi-published author (with a royalty-paying publisher) seeking new representation.

· Always make sure your e-mail address and phone number are clearly visible no matter what you are sending.

· I do NOT accept snail mail queries. Email only.

· When you send email attachments in response to our request, please consolidate into ONE attachment. Don't have separate chapters in separate files.

· If we have not requested a partial, it is within 60 days of your sending your query, and you have an offer of representation from another agent, it is courteous to send us an email letting us know of your offer and giving us the opportunity to respond before you make your final decision. It’s okay to ask us for a response date, e.g. “I hope to make a decision by June 20th so I would appreciate hearing from you before then.”

There is copious information on this blog to help you prepare query letters and book proposals. Please use the links in the sidebar to find the information you need.

***Thanks for considering WordServe! ***

What I'm Looking For

Updated October, 2010

I represent books for the Christian market (CBA) as well as for the general market, and I accept queries for both.

First and foremost, I'm looking for writers who are ready for publication. This means: You have NOT simply sent me the first draft of the first book you've ever written, but rather you've studied the craft of writing, read books about it, taken classes or workshops, and honestly approached writing as the serious art, craft, and business that it is. You've taken the time to get objective feedback on your book or proposal, and revised and polished accordingly. You've read about the publishing industry to find out how it works. You've researched agents and tried to find the ones who might fit the type of work you're doing.

Adult Fiction:

Full-length fiction, 75,000 to 120,000 words. (See this post about word counts.) Genres: Women's, Mystery, Suspense/Thriller, Police/Crime, Family Saga, Historical, Legal, Literary, Mainstream, Supernatural, Romance. No fantasy or sci-fi.

Category romance (50,000 to 70,000 words): Now accepting queries for Heartsong Presents, Steeple Hill Love Inspired, and Avon Inspire. See this post for details.

Kids:
NO children's, middle grade, or YA books until further notice.

Non Fiction:
I'm looking at both Christian market and general market projects. Home Life, Marriage, Parenting, Family, Current Affairs, Crafts, Health & Diet, How-to, Humor, Memoirs, Money, Narrative Nonfiction, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Women's Issues.

Christian theology, apologetics, pastoral, spiritual growth:
I'm highly unlikely to take on this kind of project unless the author has credentials and/or a significant established platform.

Devotionals:
I am NOT looking at devotionals.

What else am I NOT looking for?
→ Gift books
→ Poetry
→ Short stories
→ Novellas (except from current clients)
→ Screenplays
→ Graphic novels
→ Children's picture books.
→ Science fiction or fantasy for any age.

Please refer to our Submission Guidelines.

Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

Happy Fall

I'm taking a few days off from the blog. Back soon!

What is Success?

In the past on this blog, we've discussed why we write in terms of our internal motivations. But what about our external goals?

What would it look like to "arrive" as a writer? What are you striving toward? What is the definition of success?

Tell us why you're doing this... not just because you're a writer and you have to write, but what's your goal?

Have a good weekend!



(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

How To Make a Point Without Being Preachy

Guest Blogger: Matt Mikalatos

I’m going to spill the secret right up front. The difference between preachy fiction (boo!) and great fiction with a point (yay!) has entirely to do with your ability to entertain the reader. If I’m laughing or desperately turning pages to find out what happens, I can ignore a couple of preachy moments.

Here are six tips to minimize preachiness in your fiction:

1. If it doesn’t advance character or plot, ditch it.

Unless your character is a pompous scholastic windbag (I won't mention any names but I'm thinking of a couple) we don’t want long essays disguised as monologues. Don’t waste my time lamenting how global warming has made polar bears cranky unless our hero is about to be trapped in a cage with an angry polar bear. An “aside” designed for you to make a speech removes us from the story. And in fiction, story is king. Two great stories from Flannery O’Connor illustrate how to avoid this: A Good Man Is Hard to Find (in which we learn her theology of the nature of humanity) and Parker’s Back (in which she shows us that religious people are the most likely to miss a spiritual experience).

2. Have worthy opponents.

Don’t allow your hero to have easy wins in arguments with idiots. You should provide better objections to your own beliefs than your reader can. Anytime your reader feels that you aren’t giving the other side of an argument they immediately think you are either preachy or manipulative. See G.K. Chesterton’s The Ball and the Cross to see a clever fight between dueling ideologies.

3) Don’t say what you mean.

Trust your worldview to reveal itself. Stop lecturing us and get back to the story. See Cormac McCarthy’s masterful environmental novel The Road, which never mentions environmentalism and makes you care deeply whether there’s a fish in that nearby river.

4) If you must make a speech, let the skeptic make it.

The best speeches about God from The Brothers Karamazov come from the sensualist brother, Dmitri. Aleksey, a novice in the local monastery, rarely says anything about God. This technique allows the reader to hear the content of the speech with their defenses down. Instead of saying, “Oh, here comes the monk to talk about God, I wonder when it will be over” they say, “Oh, here comes the murderous, licentious, greedy brother to talk about God. I wonder what he’ll say?”

5) Say one thing and do another.

If every speech in your book is about how the earth will never be destroyed by meteorites and in the final page a meteorite smashes a crater into the center of Los Angeles, we’ll figure it out. No need to have a scientist turn to the reader and say, “Well, as it turns out, we were wrong.” Read Percival Everett’s Wounded and compare what people say about dealing with bigotry and what they do about it.

6) You should not be able to say what your book is about without discussing the plot and characters.

If you can say your novel is about global warming, following Jesus, hating Jesus, loving hot dogs or the benefits of vampiric love, then you are writing a preachy book. End of story. Novels are about people doing stuff. Yes, I went to college so I could make up complicated definitions like that. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is not an “anti-slavery” novel, it’s the story of a noble slave named Tom. If you can reduce your book to a protest sign, it's time to start over.

If you want to preach, write a sermon. If you want to change our minds, write a compelling essay. If you want to change the way we see the world, write a powerful story.

P.S. On my blog today, I've expanded the discussion on these points and given examples. Head on over to The Burning Hearts Revolution if you'd like more.

Matt Mikalatos is the author of Imaginary Jesus, the story of a Christian polar bear who is cranky because of global warming and the vampire who loves him. Sometimes he preaches at church or at his children, but never in his fiction.

Why, Oh Why, Did I Get Rejected?

Yesterday's blog post asking writers what annoys them yielded lots of helpful comments, and a smattering of familiar complaints.

Julie Geistfeld wrote that she wants a "reason" with her rejection letters. But, she says - she's not asking for much - just "one word, maybe two" of explanation at the end of a form rejection. A "simple category," she says. That's not asking too much, is it? Julie expanded her plea to agents in this blog post.

Well, sorry to tell you this, Julie (and everyone else who yearns for explanations for their rejections). But it is asking too much. The necessity to add "a word or two" of explanation could potentially triple or quadruple the time it takes for us to respond to each query. I'm not exaggerating - and we can't afford this.

Many of us have already dispensed with the personalized salutation, finding this can significantly reduce the time it takes to respond to each query. We are trying to do everything possible to still be able to give you a response. The more you ask of us in this process, the more likely it is that agents will opt for no response at all.

But time isn't the only reason we choose not to offer explanations for our rejections. There is a HUGE difference between knowing a query doesn't appeal to me... and being able to put into words WHY it doesn't appeal to me.

When you walk through the department store looking for clothes, do you stop at every single item of clothing and dissect why it's not right for you? Of course not. And if you did, you'd spend an awful lot of time trying to identify exactly why it doesn't appeal. Something about the style? The color? Does it seem to old or too young? Too casual or too formal? Is it just plain ugly? Or is it... (drum roll please)... just not what you're looking for right now?

Obviously it doesn't make sense spending all that time in the store figuring out why you don't like most of the clothes. You're there to find something you can BUY, so that's where the bulk of your time needs to be spent. It's exactly the same with queries. We must spend our time looking for what we can work with, and quickly dispense with the rest.

There's one more reason we don't send explanations: because we don't want to unnecessarily confuse, enrage, or depress you. Would you really prefer we tell you your book idea is (in our opinion) unoriginal, boring, derivative, or poorly written? Any brief response we offer would only leave you with more questions than if we said nothing. Plus, we could be wrong. The next agent might love it.

You're looking for help - I understand that! You want to know if your book is good, worthwhile, saleable, well-written. But an agent is not the source of that help. Unless, of course, they're your agent, already representing you.

So where do you find that kind of help? Editors, book doctors, and book mentors exist to help with your book. For a fee, they can tell you what you need to know. But please get this straight:

A literary agent is not obligated to help a non-client with their book. Or their pitch, or their query letter.

And yet, we help quite a bit anyway. We blog. We tweet. We teach at writers conferences, which take us away from our desks and our families for days at time. Many agents are helpful to the writing community.

I'm sorry, writer friends. What you're asking for is not simple and it's not little. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

But now you know.

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

10 Ways to Annoy a Literary Agent

(Encore presentation)

1. Use a generic greeting (To Whom It May Concern or my favorite, Dear Sirs) or address it to the wrong name. (It’s Rachelle. R.a.c.h.e.l.l.e.)

2. In your query, mention that there has been no book quite as amazing as yours since To Kill a Mockingbird, and that it's destined to become an instant classic and Hollywood will be calling any minute.

3. Forget to include a Starbucks card. (I'm KIDDING, okay? I do not accept bribes. Except maybe chocolate. But no, just KIDDING. Really.)

4. Check on the status of your query daily. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”

5. Slide your proposal under the bathroom stall at a writers conference. (Though this would be considered a kind gesture if the agent’s stall happens to be out of toilet paper.)

6. Slam the publishing industry in your query. Or explain how your book will save publishing.

7. Pitch 27 different book ideas in the same query and ask the agent which one she would like to represent first.

8. Submit projects that the agent doesn’t represent, explaining that you’re certain she will change her mind once she sees how brilliantly your techno-fantasy-historical-noir-romance-memoir is written.

9. Pitch a hackneyed plot we've seen a thousand times before and fail to include even one tiny element that makes it feel unique or fresh.

10. Say in your query that you realize the agent has a blog but you've never read it because after all, you're a serious writer and you just don't have time for that kind of thing, you're too busy writing and all that. (LIE, people, seriously.)

Okay, your turn. Let's title today's comments Ways to Annoy a Writer. Go for it.

(c) 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent