You have questions? Do you constantly miss #askagent sessions on Twitter? Is it impossible, despite a hundred
Google searches, to find an answer to your question? Then you've come
to the right place. Ask a question either on any "Agent Answers" post or
on Twitter, and I'll answer as many as I can. My answers will be
subjective and should not be considered applicable to every agent
(though I do like to assume my opinions are the majority).
Question: Do you like to be given the exact word count in queries?
Answer: Please don't. It looks amateurish and we don't care that much about those 253 words. Round it to the nearest thousandth. We get the picture from there. So, 60K, 72K, 105K, 193K, etc.
That said, please don't query me with a 193K word project. I will reject you.
Happy writing!
Showing posts with label agent opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agent opinion. Show all posts
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The Agent Answers: Paranormal
You have questions? Do you constantly miss #askagent sessions on Twitter? Is it impossible, despite a hundred
Google searches, to find an answer to your question? Then you've come
to the right place. Ask a question either on any "Agent Answers" post or
on Twitter, and I'll answer as many as I can. My answers will be
subjective and should not be considered applicable to every agent
(though I do like to assume my opinions are the majority).
Question: We always hear that paranormal romance in YA is dead, no one is buying it. Do you think it'd be wiser for paranormal authors to hold back querying a paranormal project?
Answer: No way! Go ahead and query. Sure, I'll probably reject it. But there's a chance an agent will fall in love with it and ask to see something else, or keep you in the back of their mind for when editors are suddenly hungry for paranormal again (back off, a girl can dream, right?). Besides, some editors are still buying paranormal and some agents are still having luck with it. As I like to tell writers, "Good writing will "always" sell." (You may ask why I put bunny ears around the always. Good question. It means, nothing in this business is absolute. Good writing can get passed over on occasion.)
That said, if you don't feel your project can stand on its own, either because of the writing or content, you have bigger problems than the market. Like, are you actually ready to be querying?
Happy writing!
Question: We always hear that paranormal romance in YA is dead, no one is buying it. Do you think it'd be wiser for paranormal authors to hold back querying a paranormal project?
Answer: No way! Go ahead and query. Sure, I'll probably reject it. But there's a chance an agent will fall in love with it and ask to see something else, or keep you in the back of their mind for when editors are suddenly hungry for paranormal again (back off, a girl can dream, right?). Besides, some editors are still buying paranormal and some agents are still having luck with it. As I like to tell writers, "Good writing will "always" sell." (You may ask why I put bunny ears around the always. Good question. It means, nothing in this business is absolute. Good writing can get passed over on occasion.)
That said, if you don't feel your project can stand on its own, either because of the writing or content, you have bigger problems than the market. Like, are you actually ready to be querying?
Happy writing!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Agent Answers: Rewrites
You have questions? Do you constantly miss #askagent sessions on Twitter? Is it impossible, despite a hundred Google searches, to find an answer to your question? Then you've come to the right place. Ask a question either on any "Agent Answers" post or on Twitter, and I'll answer as many as I can. My answers will be subjective and should not be considered applicable to every agent (though I do like to assume my opinions are the majority).
Question: If we receive a "NO" and make a significant rewrite, is it worthwhile resubmitting?
Answer: That depends. If the agent rejected you based on the query, they're probably not interested in your concept. If you had 10 or so pages attached and you think your beginning is way better (and way different), you'll only be wasting thirty seconds of your time to send it and a few minutes of theirs (or their interns) to read it (two seconds to reject it). If the agent read a partial or full from you, it's probably really worth your time, at least, to try. I personally try to be very straightforward about requesting a revised ms. If I'm no longer interested in the concept, I'll just say no. If it still has promise, I'll go ahead and take a look.
All that said, I don't like to see five resubmissions for one project. Don't do that. One resubmission should be your max. I'd rather see you branch out and attempt new projects. I'm not saying "Give up, you suck!" I'm saying, "Know when your horse needs to take a break--he might not be dead, but he might be wheezing pretty heavily."
Happy revising!
Question: If we receive a "NO" and make a significant rewrite, is it worthwhile resubmitting?
Answer: That depends. If the agent rejected you based on the query, they're probably not interested in your concept. If you had 10 or so pages attached and you think your beginning is way better (and way different), you'll only be wasting thirty seconds of your time to send it and a few minutes of theirs (or their interns) to read it (two seconds to reject it). If the agent read a partial or full from you, it's probably really worth your time, at least, to try. I personally try to be very straightforward about requesting a revised ms. If I'm no longer interested in the concept, I'll just say no. If it still has promise, I'll go ahead and take a look.
All that said, I don't like to see five resubmissions for one project. Don't do that. One resubmission should be your max. I'd rather see you branch out and attempt new projects. I'm not saying "Give up, you suck!" I'm saying, "Know when your horse needs to take a break--he might not be dead, but he might be wheezing pretty heavily."
Happy revising!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
March Madness: All the Little Things
Even the tiny things can reveal SOOO much.
The tiniest things reveal nuances about your character. These nuances make your character unique. These are the small things that your readers may never, ever in a million years realize you're doing. The simple way your character swears in their head or out loud. Do they say "God" in situations of stress or brilliance? Are they saying it because they were raised in a religious household and their first reaction is to begin praying? Or, the other end of the spectrum, they use "Oh God" as a blasphemous swear because they weren't raised in a religious household? Or does your character use it because she's a teen and that's what teens do (in which case, she's crossing dangerous territory into normal rather than being "normal")? Or are you being a lazy writer and didn't realize that you use it as a filler, empty calories, wasted space that could otherwise be put to great use?
For example, consider the below passage:
Language shapes your characters, setting, world, absolutely everything about your writing. Consider John Green, any of his works. You won't find a single misused word. Any swear words are carefully thought out and, in the case of An Abundance of Katharines, use Frack instead of F*ck. Because they're nerds and it's awesome.
You notice that I'm talking contemporary novels rather than SciFi, Fantasy, etc. That's because I didn't want to get hung up on the intense world building that goes into those genres. But it needs to be stated. Loudly. Your special worlds need special vocab. It can be simple as substituting a swear like "Oh God" for "Oh Gods" or "Oh Goddesses" or getting really specific and going for "Good Leopold and all names of good that spring forth from your fingers", Leopold being a king or god or creator of the universe. Or heck, an artist the main character admires greatly.
I don't think The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson gets enough attention, so I'll direct your attention to a single character who really is rather minor. But memorable. Each time he mentions the King, whom the band of rebels on the fringes of the kingdom are ultimately protecting against invaders without his knowledge, he references great deeds, offspring, and usually compliments his loins. He includes it in his speech as easily as breathing, as a substitute for "In the name of King George" sort of thing. (I apologize, I cannot remember the character's name--my copy is lent out at the moment.)
Which gets us into characters. If your main character is a good Catholic girl, she probably isn't going to swear. Maybe she'll say a quick prayer or involuntarily reach for her rosary or cross her heart. Your love interest is a badass biker boy who uses creative swears because he grew up with a senile grandfather who never had an end of them (most are about fifty years out of date as well). The best friend character often switches to chat speak so she can say more in a shorter period of time. The brother character speaks in short, slow, to the point statements because he is a man of few words (cliche of course, but all us girls have a soft spot for the caveman).
I'm mainly talking about swearing, aren't I? It's one of the most telling aspects of voice and dialogue. But it extends, as I briefly touched on with the best friend characters in the example above, to speech, mannerisms, how a character processes information before doing something with it.
My advice, as always, is to read and pick apart a successful novel, or one that you admire. Watch movies even (not all, of course, they're not all equally successful in this). Star Wars you have people who believe in the force using "May the force be with you" (and that great scene in A New Hope when Han tells it to Luke for the first time, imparting so much respect into that simple line) and Yoda of course with his awesome speech patterns, and so many little things like Leia telling Han she'd rather kiss a Wookie (as opposed to a dog or pig on Earth).
And pay attention to your own characters. What do they do in times of stress? What do they do during their Eureka moments? How do you, the narrator (whether in first or third person) convey that to us, the reader? Is there anything you can do to be more successful?
The danger is, if you continue to use your stalk phrases (as original as stock photos), your work is going to be passed over as a pale imitation of greater genius. In contemporary, your characters will come off unoriginal and bland. In SciFi and Fantasy, I won't believe your world building, and even question if your setting is in fact another world, rather than dystopian or a weak version of Earth's medieval era.
Remember, it's the little things that count.
The key word is "little things." Don't overuse them. Don't make them blatantly obvious. Weave these things into your story so well that the reader won't know what's happening until they get to the last page and scream "Merlin's pants!"
Happy writing!
The tiniest things reveal nuances about your character. These nuances make your character unique. These are the small things that your readers may never, ever in a million years realize you're doing. The simple way your character swears in their head or out loud. Do they say "God" in situations of stress or brilliance? Are they saying it because they were raised in a religious household and their first reaction is to begin praying? Or, the other end of the spectrum, they use "Oh God" as a blasphemous swear because they weren't raised in a religious household? Or does your character use it because she's a teen and that's what teens do (in which case, she's crossing dangerous territory into normal rather than being "normal")? Or are you being a lazy writer and didn't realize that you use it as a filler, empty calories, wasted space that could otherwise be put to great use?
For example, consider the below passage:
The boy before her was the most beautiful hunk of man meat she'd ever lay eyes on. My God, she thought, as her eyes traced his broad shoulders, and settled on those heavy brows over intelligent green eyes.Ignore the man meat--if you can--and the ridiculousness of this passage (felt like writing a bit of romance rather than YA like I normally do for examples. Go with it). Okay, we get that she's a lusty woman and the "Oh God" is as much a physical response as her brain stuttering. But consider:
The boy before her was the most beautiful hunk of man meat she'd ever lay eyes on. Good Cosmo Lords, please save my loins from what I might do. Her eyes traced his broad shoulders, and settled on those heavy brows over intelligent green eyes.And immediately, you know who the woman is, and that she's not just a silent observer--she's a woman of action and Christian Gods have absolutely no place in her life. Or bedroom.
Language shapes your characters, setting, world, absolutely everything about your writing. Consider John Green, any of his works. You won't find a single misused word. Any swear words are carefully thought out and, in the case of An Abundance of Katharines, use Frack instead of F*ck. Because they're nerds and it's awesome.
You notice that I'm talking contemporary novels rather than SciFi, Fantasy, etc. That's because I didn't want to get hung up on the intense world building that goes into those genres. But it needs to be stated. Loudly. Your special worlds need special vocab. It can be simple as substituting a swear like "Oh God" for "Oh Gods" or "Oh Goddesses" or getting really specific and going for "Good Leopold and all names of good that spring forth from your fingers", Leopold being a king or god or creator of the universe. Or heck, an artist the main character admires greatly.
I don't think The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson gets enough attention, so I'll direct your attention to a single character who really is rather minor. But memorable. Each time he mentions the King, whom the band of rebels on the fringes of the kingdom are ultimately protecting against invaders without his knowledge, he references great deeds, offspring, and usually compliments his loins. He includes it in his speech as easily as breathing, as a substitute for "In the name of King George" sort of thing. (I apologize, I cannot remember the character's name--my copy is lent out at the moment.)
Which gets us into characters. If your main character is a good Catholic girl, she probably isn't going to swear. Maybe she'll say a quick prayer or involuntarily reach for her rosary or cross her heart. Your love interest is a badass biker boy who uses creative swears because he grew up with a senile grandfather who never had an end of them (most are about fifty years out of date as well). The best friend character often switches to chat speak so she can say more in a shorter period of time. The brother character speaks in short, slow, to the point statements because he is a man of few words (cliche of course, but all us girls have a soft spot for the caveman).
I'm mainly talking about swearing, aren't I? It's one of the most telling aspects of voice and dialogue. But it extends, as I briefly touched on with the best friend characters in the example above, to speech, mannerisms, how a character processes information before doing something with it.
My advice, as always, is to read and pick apart a successful novel, or one that you admire. Watch movies even (not all, of course, they're not all equally successful in this). Star Wars you have people who believe in the force using "May the force be with you" (and that great scene in A New Hope when Han tells it to Luke for the first time, imparting so much respect into that simple line) and Yoda of course with his awesome speech patterns, and so many little things like Leia telling Han she'd rather kiss a Wookie (as opposed to a dog or pig on Earth).
And pay attention to your own characters. What do they do in times of stress? What do they do during their Eureka moments? How do you, the narrator (whether in first or third person) convey that to us, the reader? Is there anything you can do to be more successful?
The danger is, if you continue to use your stalk phrases (as original as stock photos), your work is going to be passed over as a pale imitation of greater genius. In contemporary, your characters will come off unoriginal and bland. In SciFi and Fantasy, I won't believe your world building, and even question if your setting is in fact another world, rather than dystopian or a weak version of Earth's medieval era.
Remember, it's the little things that count.
The key word is "little things." Don't overuse them. Don't make them blatantly obvious. Weave these things into your story so well that the reader won't know what's happening until they get to the last page and scream "Merlin's pants!"
Happy writing!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
March Madness: Querying Agents and Small Pubs
Agents expect writers to submit to multiple agents at the same time. Unless otherwise stated on our agent sites, we allow for multiple submission.
But what about submitting to both agents and small/e-publishers at the same time?
There are so many conflicting opinions on this. I asked a couple agent friends and they all had a slightly different perspective.
Agents and small/e-pubs are apples and oranges. Agents will sub you to the bigger publishers, generally more money and more exposure, plus you get an agent advocate helping with contracts and helping guide your career. Small/e-pubs are generally less money and less exposure, but it can be a more intimate experience with editors working directly with you and they may have more time to concentrate on your career. Many authors are happier with small/e-pubs than they ever would have been with bigger pubs. But many authors aspire to the big pubs, seeing the smaller/e-pubs as a last resort. Some writers may not know what they want, just for someone to recognize them and tell them "yes" amid all the "no."
I, personally, suggest that all writers decide what they really want, the big press, or the small/e-pubs, and concentrate in that area. Imagine you get offers from both an agent and a small/e-pub at the same time. Now you have to decide what you really want--a chance at the "big time" or the sure thing and immediate publication? If your answer is "I'd take the agent offer," then concentrate on subbing to agents. If your answer is "I'd take the small/e-pub," then concentrate on those.
I understand the other side of the fence too. As a writer, you need to explore as many avenues as possible, and life is too short to spend so much time on only one opportunity.
So to sum up? I'm not personally of the opinion that you should submit to both, but I will not discriminate against you and the decision is wholly up to you (and many writers, agents, editors will encourage you to do both). My advice is merely to know what you want out of this business. There are so many options for you in this day and age, you need to educate yourself on all of the avenues and go after what you want--otherwise you're likely to get trampled in all the noise.
Has anyone had personal experience with this? What is your advice to other writers?
Happy writing!
But what about submitting to both agents and small/e-publishers at the same time?
There are so many conflicting opinions on this. I asked a couple agent friends and they all had a slightly different perspective.
Agents and small/e-pubs are apples and oranges. Agents will sub you to the bigger publishers, generally more money and more exposure, plus you get an agent advocate helping with contracts and helping guide your career. Small/e-pubs are generally less money and less exposure, but it can be a more intimate experience with editors working directly with you and they may have more time to concentrate on your career. Many authors are happier with small/e-pubs than they ever would have been with bigger pubs. But many authors aspire to the big pubs, seeing the smaller/e-pubs as a last resort. Some writers may not know what they want, just for someone to recognize them and tell them "yes" amid all the "no."
I, personally, suggest that all writers decide what they really want, the big press, or the small/e-pubs, and concentrate in that area. Imagine you get offers from both an agent and a small/e-pub at the same time. Now you have to decide what you really want--a chance at the "big time" or the sure thing and immediate publication? If your answer is "I'd take the agent offer," then concentrate on subbing to agents. If your answer is "I'd take the small/e-pub," then concentrate on those.
I understand the other side of the fence too. As a writer, you need to explore as many avenues as possible, and life is too short to spend so much time on only one opportunity.
So to sum up? I'm not personally of the opinion that you should submit to both, but I will not discriminate against you and the decision is wholly up to you (and many writers, agents, editors will encourage you to do both). My advice is merely to know what you want out of this business. There are so many options for you in this day and age, you need to educate yourself on all of the avenues and go after what you want--otherwise you're likely to get trampled in all the noise.
Has anyone had personal experience with this? What is your advice to other writers?
Happy writing!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
March Madness: Are you a victim of the Duh Factor?
The Duh Factor is something that, when read, can be answered by a rolling of the eyes and the teenage favorite "duh." Generally speaking, you do not want the Duh Factor in your query, ms, or pitch. Duh Factors can also be spotted if, when someone reads them, they can make a snarky comment that completely nullifies everything you were building up. For example, if your hook begins, "If a genie offers you three wishes, would you use them?" I can answer "No," and that's it. Your entire premise is bunk.
Examples of the Duh Factor:
I know I'm missing some. So, please, share your own!
Happy writing!
Examples of the Duh Factor:
- Rhetorical questions:
- What would you do if the fate of the world rested on your shoulders?
- If you were given a time travel machine, would you use it?
- If you had a choice between what you wanted and sacrificing everything you've ever known, would you do it?
- Inane statements:
- Stephanie never asked to be given super powers
- Lucas never wanted to be King but fate intervened
- Things never went Susan's way
- Vague statements or questions:
- Imagine what would happen if a young boy is suddenly transported to a world unlike he's ever known.
- Rocko's life is about to change in a really big way, and he won't see it coming.
- Obvious dialogue:
- Brian walked into the room. Sue was surprised to see him. "Brian," Sue said. "I'm surprised to see you."
- "I see you are drinking coffee with sugar. I know you always need your coffee in the morning before work."
- "Darcy, meet my friend Liza. We've known each other since second grade. She really likes cheese. You will like her."
- Redundancy:
- Dark Moon is a YA fantasy that will appeal to adolescent readers who like being transported to new worlds
- Red Desert is a NA mystery that will appeal to older teens 18-24 who enjoy mysteries
- Teddy Bear Gruff is an easy reader targeted towards kids 3-6 just learning how to read
- Normal (not "normal") characters:
- Becky is a sarcastic, bitter 17 year old girl
- Edgar is a quiet but sensitive bad boy who isn't interested in any of the shallow girls at school, until Amy, the pretty new girl, shows up
- Paul will do anything to save his family from the corrupt government, even if it means sacrificing himself
I know I'm missing some. So, please, share your own!
Happy writing!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
March Madness: Chapter Titles
This post applies mainly to YA and Adult. Not middle grade, chapter books, nonfiction, etc.
Confession. I hate chapter titles. I think it comes from when I was younger, reading chapter books, I could predict what was going to happen in the chapter based on the title and picture. Honestly, snotty child that I was, I felt like they were insulting my intelligence. So, to this day, I tend to ignore everything about chapter headings--chapter number, quotes, title, POV shift (part of the reason I have issues reading POV shifts). I've only allowed one of my clients to retain chapter titles, and that's because they're awesome, relevant, and give nothing away about the plot (that I can tell, maybe there's a whole other layer I don't get--I'm okay with that).
Here's another thing about chapter titles. When reading, I get so totally absorbed into a story that I completely forget that I'm even holding a book. So chapter titles, and anything that draws me out of the story, is super annoying.
Of course, there is always a time and a place.
POV shifts, especially first person POV shifts, do need a designation. However, make sure the voice helps the reader shift. If your two characters sound exactly alike, there's a bigger problem going on.
Part 1, part 2, part 3 with titles while chapter titles just have numbers. When this is done well, and the Part titles are clever, relevant, and make me go, o okay I get it, I'll go with it.
If you do have chapter headings, or even just the chapter numbers, do not make them fancy in your ms. There is a chance it'll get lost in translation. Set them either to the left or center, same font as the text, bold or italics if you must.
And that's my very personal opinion on the subject. It is, as many things in this business are, subjective. Some other may have differing opinions to mine, or even no preference at all. If you want to keep your chapter titles, be my guest. I will not discriminate when considering your ms. If I sign you, I will, in all likelihood, make you scrap them.
Happy writing!
Confession. I hate chapter titles. I think it comes from when I was younger, reading chapter books, I could predict what was going to happen in the chapter based on the title and picture. Honestly, snotty child that I was, I felt like they were insulting my intelligence. So, to this day, I tend to ignore everything about chapter headings--chapter number, quotes, title, POV shift (part of the reason I have issues reading POV shifts). I've only allowed one of my clients to retain chapter titles, and that's because they're awesome, relevant, and give nothing away about the plot (that I can tell, maybe there's a whole other layer I don't get--I'm okay with that).
 |
| Because I feel like being cheeky |
Here's another thing about chapter titles. When reading, I get so totally absorbed into a story that I completely forget that I'm even holding a book. So chapter titles, and anything that draws me out of the story, is super annoying.
Of course, there is always a time and a place.
POV shifts, especially first person POV shifts, do need a designation. However, make sure the voice helps the reader shift. If your two characters sound exactly alike, there's a bigger problem going on.
Part 1, part 2, part 3 with titles while chapter titles just have numbers. When this is done well, and the Part titles are clever, relevant, and make me go, o okay I get it, I'll go with it.
If you do have chapter headings, or even just the chapter numbers, do not make them fancy in your ms. There is a chance it'll get lost in translation. Set them either to the left or center, same font as the text, bold or italics if you must.
And that's my very personal opinion on the subject. It is, as many things in this business are, subjective. Some other may have differing opinions to mine, or even no preference at all. If you want to keep your chapter titles, be my guest. I will not discriminate when considering your ms. If I sign you, I will, in all likelihood, make you scrap them.
Happy writing!
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