Advice from Agents

Last Friday I had the privilege of having lunch with three literary agents at a great new restaurant, XO, in downtown Denver. First of all, the food and fresh juice drinks at XO were outstanding. I had a apple, cucumber, mint drink and it was suprisingly good. For lunch I ate every bit of my delicious chicken pad thai. I know this sounds like a commercial, but if you are ever looking for a good restaurant in Denver, you should definitely try this one.

The conversation with agents Kristin Nelson, Kate Schafer-Testerman, Rachelle Gardner obviously revolved around the publishing world. We talked about the state of publishing, what is selling right now and why it doesn't matter where an agent lives. When I asked them to share some advice for new writers here are some of the things they said.

Don't expect your first novel to be a big hit. You should write for the sake of learning how to write better. Then submit your best and cleanest (highly edited) manuscript.

Don't query too soon which refers back to the previous paragraph. You need to make sure you are sending out your best work.

All three agents are looking for clients who have to write, who feel lost if they don't write and who are passionate about it. That part of the conversation led to my favorite piece of advice which came from Rachelle Gardner who said, "If you can quit writing--quit."

I will end with that for now, because I think it is worthy of deep thought. What do you think?

Kerrie

Kindle Signing?

Technology is now infiltrating the world of author book signings. A recent New York Times article reported on a possible new trend: Kindle signings. People who have traded in their tangible books (in the name of being more green or in the name of being more cool) for this snazzy, new, hip electronic device, have all their favorite literature stored in one place. So what is a Kindle owner to do at a book signing? Apparently, you have the author sign your Kindle.

I think the idea is interesting. For me, getting an author's autograph is all about the experience. It is about having those few moments to connect with the writer. It is about having the chance to ask a question. It really isn't about what is being signed, so I have no problem with the idea of an author signing a Kindle.

I talked with other people and two camps emerged: the Kindle Signers Unite (KSU) and the Keep My Kindle Clean (KMKC) groups.

Mystery author Cricket McRae sides with the KMKC'ers,"If I had one, I wouldn't want anyone to sign it. It would be like having someone sign my laptop. Too weird."

Editor Chuck Sambuchino also agrees, "The autograph wouldn't be as original or as special."

Then there is the KSU group. Anne-Marie Nichols, a professional blogger, thinks the autograph would probably rub off. "Still, I'd love any sort of science fiction writer - especially the old school ones - to sign it, someone like Ursula Le Guin, Isaac Asimov,or Ray Bradbury since many of their stories predicted similar devices. Unfortunately, Asimov and Bradbury have passed but Ursula is still around and writing more than ever."

Ellen Javernick, author of the children's book, Birthday Pet, would have Patricia Cornwell sign it. "I can't put them down and they always remind me of my dad who was a pathologist before it was politically correct to be one."

It never occurred to literary agent Kristin Nelson to have authors sign her Kindle, but she likes the idea.."I would ask Neil Gaiman. He's just a wonderful writer on so many levels--adult, children's, fantasy. I'd also ask JK Rowling because she single-handedly reignited the whole children's field and really established children's publishing as a force to be reckoned with.There really is a before JK and after JK."

"For romance," she continued, "I've always been a big fan of Julia Quinn's--the perfect blend of light humor with emotional compelling historical romance (especially with the Bridgerton Series,). For literary, probably Marilynne Robinson. She's such a beautiful writer."

Children's author Gary Raham is kind of in the middle. "I do own one and I guess if I got one signed it would be by whatever guy invented the concept in the first place. The kindle is the plastic and polymer embodiment of his idea. I consider the Kindle a "book facilitator" rather than a "real" book, so still would rather have an author sign a pulp and glue version of their literary creation."

The whole idea is an interesting one. What are you thoughts about it?

Kerrie

Getting the 411 on the Publishing Industry

When you need to get a phone number or address you can dial 411 on your cell phone and get exactly what you need. The publishing industry is a little different. You can't dial 411 to get submission guidelines, query writing tips, tools to improve your writing or advice on where to find freelancing jobs. But you can surf the Internet to find this information and more.

I took a voyage today into cyber space and I visited blogs, read online articles and immersed myself in the world of writing. I tracked my journey so I could share it with you. Enjoy.

Write The Story That Grips You: Pub Rants. Literary Agent Kristin Nelson has one of my favorite blogs. She includes so much information about the industry. Her blog post today is from guest blogger and author Kristina Riggle whose debut novel, Real Life & Liars was released today. She shares her thoughts about her publishing experience.

Funds For Writers: C. Hope Clark has so much great information on her website. I subscribe to her newsletter which like the website, is packed with market news, articles, grant information and writing jobs.

This Week In Publishing: This post alone was worth my voyage. Literary Agent Nathan Bransford shares some great resources from other blogs and websites.

Why I Spent the Night in the Boys' Locker Room by mystery Author Patricia Stoltey. This post has nothing to do with writing, but it is a fun read.

It’s All in the Details. This post on the blog, Blood Red Pencil shares how to write effective description. The fabulous website is dedicated to editing and all those little details that make our writing stronger.

How to Scare an Agent by literary agent Rachelle Gardner. Her blog is a wonderful resource for authors seeking an agent and she occasionally hosts fun contests.

How I Got My Agent. Writers Digest editor Chuck Sambuchino has started this series on his blog that has authors share their journey on how they got their agent.

Please share other places you visit on your own virtual journey.

Kerrie

Stephen King Moment #2-Passive Verbs

In his memoir, On Writing, Stephen King devotes much needed time to one of his biggest pet peeves, passive verbs. I have to admit, when I began writing I didn't give much thought to this issue of active and passive verbs. I didn't even know what they were. Now I have to agree with King, on this issue. Using active verbs make a piece so much stronger.

"Verbs come in two types," says King, "active and passive. With an active verb, the subject of the sentence is doing something. With a passive verb, something is being done to the subject of the sentence. The subject is letting it happen. You should avoid passive tense."

The first step is to get rid of that pesky "was" whenever possible. If you can do that, your writing will instantly be stronger.

King shares his theory about why so many writers are attracted to passive verbs. "I think timid writers like them for the same reason timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe. There is no troublesome action to contend with...I think unsure writers also feel the passive voice somehow lends their work authority..."

"The timid writes The meeting will be held at seven o'clock because that somehow says to him, 'Put it this way and people will believe you really know.' Purge this quisling thought. Don't be a muggle! Throw back your shoulders, stick out your chin and put that meeting in charge! Write The meeting's at seven."

Here are some other examples he shares:

Passive: The body was carried from the kitchen and placed on the parlor sofa.
Active: Freddy and Myra carried the body out of the kitchen and laid it on the parlor sofa.

Passive: My first kiss will always be recalled by me as how my romance with Shayna was begun.
Active: My romance with Shayna began with our first kiss. I'll never forget it.

Look back over your own writing to see if you can find examples of passive voice. You can also use your find function (Ctrl F) to search a document. Type in "was" and see what comes up. If you do find anything, change it to be more active.

For more examples of passive and active voice you can read a previous blog post I wrote.

Happy Active Writing!
Kerrie

Writers Favorite Movies

At a recent Northern Colorado Writers coffee, we went around and shared our all- time favorite movies. The reasons these were the favorites varied. For some it had to do with stirring up memories from growing up (American Grafiti), for others it was the story line (When Harry Met Sally) and for others it was a movie that was a cultural phenomenom (Star Wars).

I believe movies can teach us so much about writing. I blogged a while back about the movie, The Women, and how characterization was established with shoes. Think of how effective the dialogue was in The Breakfast Club. This movie took place in a library, had no real action to speak of, yet the story was compelling.

Next time you are watching a movie think about what the writer and director are doing to keep you interested. Or what is happening that makes you not like the movie.

Here are the favorite movies of the writers:

When Harry Met Sally

Psycho

Sirens

Overboard

Mamma Mia!

American Graffiti

Star Wars Trilogy

Love Actually

Pride and Prejudice

The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

The Remains of the Day

Gran Torino

What is your favorite movie of all time and why?

Tim Beyers's Take On Freelancing

This past Saturday, Denver-based freelance writer, Tim Beyers, came to speak to a group at the Northern Colorado Writers studio. Tim supports his family of five on his freelancing income. All the writers in the room, including myself, wanted to know how.

Tim believes this is the best time in years to be a freelance writers because there are so many opportunities between print and online publications.

Toward the end of the three hours it was clear that the key component in freelance success is relationship building. Tim actively seeks out ways, whether in person or online, to build positive, professional relationships with editors.

Although most of Tim's work is with the Motley Fool, he continues to seek out and cultivate partnerships with other editors.

Here are three key elements in creating positive working relationships:

1. Be Indispensable
Make the editor's job as easy as possible. Provide good content, on time and with the correct word count. Be the writer the editor can always count on in a crunch. There are many good writers out there, so in order to stand out in the crowd, you have to be the writer an editor wants to hold on to with a tight grip.

2. Persevere
It took Tim two years to get a contract with Motley Fool, but he got it because he didn't give up. He kept in contact with the editors, kept sending articles and he showed them he was committed to writing for them.

3. Be Consistent
In order to be indispensable, you also need to be consistent. Send your articles in on time consistently, respond to email or phone calls consistently, be available when you say you are going to be consistently, stick to word count consistently... I think you get the idea.

Remember, freelancing is a business. If you treat it like such and foster good working relationships, you will have more success in the long run.

Happy Writing,
Kerrie