5 TIPS FOR HELPING YOU PREPARE FOR QUERYING

 

When January provided me with an opportunity to begin my search for a new agent, I decided to streamline my querying process. The path to publication is challenging enough without my taking a hodge-podge attitude toward the journey itself. With that in mind, I have developed a system I hope increases my chances of winning the coveted agent representation and I'd like to share my five tips with you...

TIP ONE: ARRANGE YOUR STORIES

All of my stories go through a number of phases before I feel they are ready for submitting. Butterflies are part of my STORY CATCHER logo so of course when I came across these folders, I grabbed every one I could find. I write picture books, chapter books, and young adult novels. Each folder has a hard copy of my story, any critiques I might have received from helpful sources like RATE YOUR STORY (http://rateyourstory.blogspot.com/), critique partners, and any other professional critiques I might have received. If I want to work on a particular story away from my computer, I just grab that folder and take it with me.

 

TIP TWO: CORRAL YOUR POLISHED MANUSCRIPTS 

Once I have polished my manuscripts to the best of my ability, (and thanked all who have assisted in that buffing...;~), I print off a hard copy and store in paper protector sheets in this decorated folder. I also set up a folder on my computer desktop of finished manuscripts. That way, if I need to fax or email a story to someone, I have it right at my fingertips.

 

TIP THREE: GATHER MY WRITERLY RESOURCES

There are so many good resources for writers these days and I would encourage anyone serious about writing for children as a career to join the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (www.scbwi.org) and other professional organizations. I keep my SCBWI catalogs handy and make copies of articles to which I need to pay special attention. Yes, I have another decorated folder I keep all of those articles in so I can refer back to them as necessary.

 

TIP FOUR: RESEARCH AGENTS & PUBLISHERS

Now comes the time to start my research on agents and publishers. I recently found out there are currently about 1100 agents in the US and probably just as many publishers. Does that mean every single one of them are right for my stories? Of course not. That is why I must do my due diligence and vet any agency or publishing house I decide to put on my short list. Nothing will scream AMATEUR faster than sending a manuscript to an agent or publisher who doesn't actually represent that type of story. My journal book lists agents and publishing houses along with contact info, website and email addresses. I code each one as to the round I will send my query letters to them so I can keep track of where my stories are going.

 

 

TIP FIVE: POST A PRETTY CORK BOARD

Now that I have polished manuscripts, a list of agents & publishers interested in my types of stories, and a plan on who to query first, I will send out my first round of query letters to 6-8 of my top choice agents.  I will create a spreadsheet for my submissions and pin it up on my pretty little cork board so I be able to follow up (and hopefully eventually schedule the all important CALL).

Publishing is such a challenging, thrilling, sometimes frustratingly slow process.  A writer has to have a fairly thick skin to survive in this industry. It helps me to keep my sanity to be as organized as possible where my writing is concerned. I might have to exercise a lot of patience during this process in finding a new agent, but I might as well enjoy it as much as I can by surrounding myself with all the pretty folders, journals, and cork boards I can find!

 

MY 7 STEP TWITTER PITCH PARTY PLAN!

A lot people make New Year's resolutions and by the end of January the majority of those resolutions fall by the wayside. I joined the bandwagon of resolutioners this year and made a list of writerly goals I wanted to accomplish in 2016.

One of those goals was to go in search of an agent and one of the best ways to find one is to participate in a Twitter Pitch Party. I know this because it was how I found Anaiah Press and my wonderful editor, Jessica Schmeidler. Jessica helped put me on the right path to the publication of my picture book, THE STORY CATCHER and, fingers crossed, I can repeat my luck with the new year.

But, in order to increase my chances of enticing an agent to look my way, I had to have a plan and maybe MY plan can help YOU capture the interest of YOUR dream agent as well:

1. WRITE IT DOWN
      
I made a long list of EXACTLY what I wanted to accomplish this year. I even bought a cool calendar to pencil in all the different Twitter Pitch Parties being held all around the blogosphere all year long.  I've studied each party and narrowed down which ones were right for the genres I write in and which ones I need to pass on.

2. REVISE, REVISE, REVISE

Now was the time to take those manuscripts back out and re-read them to make sure they are as polished and sparkly as I can make them. I have 7 completed picture book manuscripts with about 5 more in the final stages of revisions, 2 completed early reader narrative nonfiction chapter books with the third one in the process of being written, and 1 revised draft of a young adult fantasy novel. This shows me I have some choices on which Twitter pitch parties I can participate in.

3. MAKE A LIST

Next I've made a list of potential agents and will group each into some sort of sequential order so I can slowly check any off the list should they...or I...decide they are no longer the potential right agent for my work. Some Pitch Parties will let you know who some of the participating agents will be and you can cross match them against your master list to see who might benefit the most from your targeted pitches.

4. DO YOUR RESEARCH
 
Learn the likes/dislikes of the agents on your list. Check out their websites. Google their name and read their interviews. See what they saying on Twitter. In other words, take a little time to find out all you can about the people you plan to share your manuscripts with. For myself, it wouldn't do me much good to add an agent to my list who mainly represents women's fiction and memoirs. I write for children of all ages and want an agent whose writerly passions match my own.

5. PERFECT YOUR TWITTER PITCH

Take the time to decide the best 140 characters to describe your book. Realize certain hashtags MUST be included like #PitMad, #MSWL, or #PB which all count toward those precious 140 character limit. Ask the advice of those around you to see if the tone and hook of your pitch is right. Read the rules of the Twitter Pitch Party you plan on participating in and find out how often you can tweet your pitches. You would hate to be banned from participating because you failed to realize you can only tweet twice a day when you were planning on blowing up Twitter with your pitches every single hour!

6. POLISH YOUR QUERY LETTER

It's okay to go into these Twitter pitch parties for the fun experience of it all. You might even take time to read other pitches to see if YOU would want to read those books...to determine what might work and what falls flat. But in the back of your mind you should realize that the main reason you are going to a pitch party is to hopefully get a request for a partial or a full manuscript from one of them. When that chance comes you don't want to blow it by not having a sharp, attention-getting gem of a query letter just waiting to be shared with Ms. Potential Dream Agent.

7. PLAN YOUR SUCCESS

Finally, I do a quick check of all my social media outlets to make sure the information presented there has current contact information, make sure my blog has interesting content that my readers enjoy, and track my interactions with others through different channels to find out what works to help promote the STORY CATCHER entity as well as my own writing. I treat my writing career as a business and I measure the successes...both large and small...I make along the way so I can look back at the end of each year to see just how far I've come in following my dream of become an author.

To all my writerly friends who plan on participating in a Twitter pitch party over the coming months...GOOD LUCK! And right now, for myself, all I can say is...SO FAR SO GOOD!

Blurb: Addie comes from a long line of readers or "story catchers" as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own the wiggly words play tricks on her. She tries different ways to make those words sit still but it will take a little faith for Addie to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

JOIN THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB!Membership includes:

Membership Certificate

Bi-montly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news, and other goodies

Reading Log for earning STORY CATCHER AWARD

 

3 HELPFUL TIPS ON SELECTING AN AGENT...

Somewhere over the rainbow...an agent waits for me.

Not just any kind of agent.  One that feels like the perfect match for the kind of writer I am and the kind of writer I hope to be one day. An agent who sees the potential in my work and doesn't just feed me fluffy answers about how wonderful my stories are or how they are destined to become huge hits on the NYC best sellers list.

I have no illusions about my skills as a writer. I'm better than average. Some say good even. I write the kind of sweet, visual tales that can draw a reader in and make them hurry to get to the last page. But I told a friend of mine the other day I wish I could write more like her. HER stories are humorous. HER stories tend to have a broader marketability than I think mine might have but maybe I just underestimate my own skill level. HER stories have that punch to them that make readers pop up their heads like little gophers when they see her books on the shelves in bookstores. She writes the kind of stories you just KNOW people are going to like.

That's not to say my stories stink. In my heart of hearts I don't think they do. Some of my stories are silly and some are cute and some are even a wee bit scary. But they lean toward the heartfelt, sweeter variety and the agent I'm searching for will understand my own writer's voice and will be captivated by it.

So what's a writer to do when she thinks she is more of a niche writer but still has something to share with the world? 

She makes sure she has the three key ingredients to attract the right kind of agent. 

HAVE A STRONG WRITING FOUNDATION
 
When I first became a professional writer over five years ago I thought I had this writing thing down. I had story ideas and all I had to do was write them down. Surely then a publisher will be all too eager to publish my little story, right?

Wrong.

It took three long years of working really hard to improve my skills before my first story was picked up and another year before my picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, received a contract. If I want my dream agent to work really hard for my stories, then I need to make sure I provide them with the strongest writing I can possibly create. THAT will make my agent's job a whole lot easier and my writing future a whole lot brighter.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

Are you the kind of writer who looks for the big dollar signs? Maybe you are the type of writer who is expecting a three-book deal every time you send out a submission? Or possibly you are a writer who realizes you might have to start small and work your way up from there? Take the time to sit down and make a list of what is important to you when it comes to selecting an agent. Because I guarantee those agents you are submitting to have done the same thing and created a list of what they want from writers they are willing to work with.

Know before you get "the call" what could be a deal breaker for you. For me, it's honest communication. I don't need to hear from my agent every second of every day but I'm a big girl and can handle the truth. And I actually prefer it...

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT 

Agents come in all shapes and sizes...from new and hungry all the way to highly experienced and extremely selective with whom they are willing to work. That being said, every writer should take all their own "wants", add in the potential agent's "wants", and then listen to their gut when it comes to making the final decision of what agency to go with. Remember, you are choosing a partner that hopefully will be with you for the long term and if the personalities aren't a good fit, then you are creating more obstacles for yourself than is necessary.

Maybe I will find my agent at the end of the rainbow and maybe not, but at least...if the legends are true...I should still find a leprechaun hiding a pot of gold and THAT is the kind of luck I don't mind having!

 

Blurb:

Addie comes from a long line of readers, or “story catchers,” as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own, though, the words play tricks on her. Addie tries everything she can think of to corral those wiggly letters, but it  will take a little faith to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

 

THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB: 

 

Fan club membership includes:

 

Membership Certificate

Bi-monthly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news and other goodies

Reading log for earning Story Catcher Award

Short story starring YOU!

http://donasdays.blogspot.com/p/story-catcher-fan-club.html

 

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuB8FQXcmM&feature=youtu.be

3 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN SENDING QUERY LETTERS

Now that everyone is back from their holiday celebrations, agents will start seeing an increase in their submission stacks.  If you have been working hard to get your manuscript ready, you might want to take a moment to make sure you don't make any of these common mistakes when querying agents...

1. DEAR EDITOR OR TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Whether you are submitting your manuscript to an agency or directly to a publisher, you want to make sure you address your query to the correct person. Take time to check out the submissions guidelines on their websites. Check out the websites of the authors working with these companies to determine an actual contact name to attach to your query. Statistics show people LOVE hearing their names and taking the time to address your query letter to the right person instead of simply tacking a "to whom it may concern" or a "dear editor" as a header to your query will show the person considering your manuscript that you are a professional who did their homework.

2. I WROTE A YOUNG ADULT, HIGH FANTASY MEDIEVAL HISTORICAL FICTION MYSTERY LOVE STORY ADVENTURE QUEST

There is nothing that will make an editor or publisher's head spin faster than a writer who can't decide what they've actually written. How can you submit to the correct person if you don't know what you wrote? Your manuscript might have elements from different genres, but you need to decide what is the MAIN focus of your story line. There will be people out there who cover a variety of genres but as a writer, your manuscript identification can't be convoluted. If you're not sure, have your critique group or some beta readers help you to identify exactly WHAT you wrote before sending out that query letter.

3.  I KNOW YOU'RE CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS, BUT YOU'LL WANT TO READ MY BEST SELLING MANUSCRIPT

Agents and publishers LOVE discovering heart stopping, page turning manuscripts. What they DON'T like are writers who try to force their manuscripts on them without having enough respect for the querying process. Make sure to check their guidelines first to see if they are currently accepting submissions. This would also be a good time to make sure you are sending your query to the right individual.

As a writer, you've poured your heart and soul into your story. Now make sure you give it the best chance of being requested by an agent or publisher by avoiding some common mistakes on the road to publication.

************

I hope you learned something new today and be sure to check back tomorrow for the next post in my month long celebration!

Blurb:

Addie comes from a long line of readers, or “story catchers,” as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own, though, the words play tricks on her. Addie tries everything she can think of to corral those wiggly letters, but it  will take a little faith to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

 

THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB: 

 

Fan club membership includes:

 

Membership Certificate

Bi-monthly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news and other goodies

Reading log for earning Story Catcher Award

Short story starring YOU!

http://donasdays.blogspot.com/p/story-catcher-fan-club.html

Book Trailer:

A Rejection Reflection

In order to make it in the writing world, an aspiring author has to realize two things:

1. Your work is going to be "rejected" by others at some point in your career.

2. This will probably happen more often than you would like.

It can come in many forms. Sometimes the "rejection" can come by a publisher simply not responding at all to your query letter. That happened to me back in March of 2011 when I sent out my very first story into the world. I had the naive notion just because my immediate family "loved" my story that everyone else would. What a rookie mistake on my part, but one I'm sure most other aspiring authors can relate to. That publisher did me a favor by NOT taking time out of their busy work day to tell me just how unprepared I was as a writer to start submitting my work. But as I grew as a writer and learned what editors expect from the work making its way to their desks, I began to wonder if maybe what we commonly call a "rejection letter" should be called something else instead.

Rejection.

Even the sound of the word has a negative ring to it. The word implies the writer is not good enough or worthy enough to become a published author. Maybe sometimes someone just isn't cut out to be a writer and they are fooling themselves. But a lot of times a manuscript is "rejected" because a mistake was made and it was sent to an editor who doesn't publish that particular genre. Sometimes the editor has more than their fair share of one particular type of story and simply doesn't want to take on another one just like their current lineup. Sometimes the editor doesn't feel enough personal connection with the story to pursue the hard task of taking it all the way to publication. Just because someone "rejects" your story doesn't mean they are "rejecting" YOU and it doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong with your story either.

My manuscript for THE STORY CATCHER was "rejected" by a number of agents and editors before being picked up by Anaiah Press. My editor, Jessica Schmeidler, saw something in my story that others did not. Maybe she even saw something in ME as an writer other people haven't connected with yet. I don't know why I was lucky enough for Jessica to want to work with me, but I do know one thing...I don't like to think of those other missed opportunities to be published as being "rejected".

So I plan to do something about it.

I'd like to suggest that from now agents and publishers who reply to query letters start sending out REFLECTION letters instead of REJECTION  letters. These letters would REFLECT on the strong points of the submitted manuscripts and then give insight as to why an offer of publication or representation couldn't be made...not right for them, didn't connect with the story line, currently have similar stories, etc.

We writers should also not take those replies as REJECTION, but as opportunities to REFLECT upon our work and our roles as aspiring authors. We need to REFLECT on the strength of our stories...is it as polished as we could have made it? Are we sending our work to the right people to begin with? Are there ways we can grow as writers so we may increase our chances of becoming published in the future?

The writing world is a harsh enough place without having to struggle with the idea of feeling "rejected". How about we rename the REJECTION LETTER and start calling it the REFLECTION LETTER? I would even be willing to start a petition to get the name changed but I'm wondering one thing...

Would YOU sign it?

WRITERLY WISDOM: Margaret Greanias

Agent or Publisher?

By Margaret Greanias

As I’ve plunged headlong into my agent search, I can’t help but feel in limbo. Here I am, eager to share my HIGH-larious stories with the world – busily revising, tweaking, polishing (maybe too busily; ask my critique partners) and otherwise doing everything in my power to make them shine. But, when I shoot off an agent query, it disappears into the black hole of cyberspace, perhaps never to be heard from again. I’m left to wonder, “Was it read? Was it not read?”

Agents are the gatekeepers to publishing. They deflect thousands of manuscripts a year (cue space shields: Pew! Pew! Pew!). But they don’t have to be. Plenty of picture book authors have gotten published without one.

So why do I continue shooting my manuscripts at the agent cyberspace shield?

An agent will get your manuscript considered by the right editors. 

Successful agents work at maintaining personal relationships with editors. These personal relationships give them access to editor preferences and tastes, what’s selling and what’s not, wish lists and more. However, having that relationship with the editor goes beyond being able to tailor submissions. Just as in our own lives, editors are more likely to consider recommendations from trusted associates. In fact, fewer and fewer publishing houses are open to unagented submissions.

Agents have expertise in negotiating book deals, contracts and the industry in general. 

Agents know standard advances and royalty rates as well as other technical publishing stuff like foreign, digital, film and audio rights (my eyes are glazing, glazing, glazing and…their crossed). In addition, if a manuscript gets stalled somewhere in the process between acquisitions and printing – agents have the know-how and know-who (at least more so than this writer) to potentially help un-stall it.

Agents act as the buffer between authors and publishers. 

Agents handle tension-filled issues like business and money so we can maintain our fluffy cloud relationships with editors.

Agents have book smarts (in a useful way). 

It’s an agent’s job to know books and the book market. Some are editorial and help you revise, tweak and polish your manuscript until it shines. Others are more business-savvy and can help you market yourself and your book. Either way, they are a wealth of information on books and can help advance your authoring career.

So why wouldn’t a writer automatically go the agent route? Here are some considerations:

Agents serve as gatekeepers – gatekeepers who have their own tastes and preferences. 

By going the agent route, you’ll need to find an agent who loves your manuscript (and most likely your body of work). That agent will need to find an editor who loves your manuscript. If you submit direct, that’s one less roadblock to getting your manuscript published.

The agent-writer relationship is a long-term commitment. 

Bad news commitment-phobes, but it’s true. You want an agent who will guide your writing career. Someone who does not work the way you expect can increase your anxiety and frustration. Even worse, a bad agent may be worse than no agent at all because they can damage your morale and potentially your chances of getting published.

Some publishers are open to unagented authors. 

While many of the big publishing houses are closed, there are quite a few reputable houses still open to unagented submissions. In fact, I was very surprised by the number of open houses I found. Check them out!

·      Albert Whitman (http://www.albertwhitman.com/content.cfm/editorial-guidelines-for-writers)

·      Arthur A. Levine Books (http://www.arthuralevinebooks.com/submission.asp)

·      Boyd Mills Press (https://www.boydsmillspress.com/writers-and-illustrators-guidelines)

·      Capstone Publishing (http://www.capstonepub.com/content/CONTACTUS_SUBMISSIONS )

·      Charlesbridge (http://www.charlesbridge.com/client/client_pages/submissions.cfm)

·      Chronicle Books (http://www.chroniclebooks.com/our-company/submissions/childrens)

·      Dawn Publications (http://www.dawnpub.com/submission-guidelines/)

·      Holiday House (http://www.holidayhouse.com/holiday_house.php#manuscripts)

·      Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers (http://www.hmhco.com/popular-reading/authors/manuscript-submissions)

·      Lee & Low (http://www.leeandlow.com/p/wguide.mhtml)

·      Penguin Young Readers Group (http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/pyrg-subguides.html)

·      Sky Pony Press (http://www.skyponypress.com/guidelines/)

·      Tanglewood Books (http://www.tanglewoodbooks.com/submissions.html)

·      and many, many more.

However, there is no guarantee your submission or query will be read. Your submission will become part of the infamous Slush Pile. Most houses (like agents) only respond if interested. Also to beware: some publishing houses do not accept simultaneous submissions. This means your manuscript could be off the market until a publisher responds or does not respond to you (not very fair, is it?).

You too may submit to closed houses. 

In special cases, you may submit to normally closed houses. You may do so by attending conferences, submitting during special (rare) submission windows and also being a member of specific writer groups (I recently heard of an exclusive submission to a closed publisher through the Children’s Writer (http://www.childrenswriter.com/) newsletter). These submissions do not guarantee a response.

You can negotiate your own contract. 

Say you land your own book deal (you industrious writer, you). Resources are available to help you wade through the legalese. SCBWI offers The ESSENTIAL GUIDE to PUBLISHING for CHILDREN available for sale or free download (http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/PubGuide) which includes FAQS on contracts. The Authors Guild (http://www.authorsguild.org/) and the Literary Market Place (http://www.literarymarketplace.com/) can recommend literary lawyers, who will help you negotiate your own contract and save you from paying from agency commission.

You keep your earnings. 

No agent? No agency commission. Enough said.

There you have it: considerations when choosing agent or publisher. If you have any additions, please feel free to chime in below.

I’m still in the agent camp. For me, the benefits outweigh the negatives. What about you?

Margaret Greanias is a picture book writer who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She writes picture books and is currently brewing up a batch of middle grade ideas. 

You can connect with her on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MargaretGreania