Tuesday Tips: Queries- Part 2!

Hello! And welcome to Queries, Part 2! If you missed it, be sure to go back and read last week's post first!

#6: Hook them as simply and fast as possible. We're talking main character, main plot here. No need for subplots and details on the character's second cousin's wife's sister. But leave them hanging and wanting more. Do not give the whole thing away. That's what a synopsis is for.

#7: Bio is a must. But keep it to pertinent info only. No one cares what writers group you belong to. No one cares if this is your first and eightieth novel you've written. List your publishing credits including anthologies and online contests, but if there are many, choose only the most recent. And list only contests you have placed well in. Do not include blog posts or letters to the editor for your local newspaper. If you have nothing for a bio...well...maybe you should try and get something before you query. There are tons of fiction contests online, magazines, etc... My favorite listing is Duotrope. They list all kinds of magazines that publish works of all lengths, including flash fiction, which can be a great way to get a few pub creds under your belt. My first ever published work was a flash fiction contest through WOW! Women on Writing. I didn't win, but I placed top 10. My story was published on their website and it was a great start. I placed in a couple more of their contests after that. There was a fee, but it was minimal and well worth being able to type it into my bio!

#8: End it with a simple "Thank you for your time." Sad but true, you'll be lucky if they even make it that far.

#9: If you're sending snail mail queries, first of all, make sure the agent is open to them. Many agencies are going green and prefer email queries. But if you find an agent who does want a paper submission, make sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you'd like a response.

#10: Don't stalk/email them for status updates. Agents get hundreds of submissions. I read lot of agent blogs and often they will comment on how full their inboxes are and how hard it is to get to them. Their priorities, first and foremost, are with their current clients. I wouldn't expect anything less. That's how I would want to be treated if I were their client. Again, it's an issue of respecting them. If you're constantly bugging them for an answer...guess where their respect for you goes?? Some agents will list a response time frame on their websites and will ask that you contact them if you have not heard back after that time frame. Then it is okay to send a quick email.

#11: Sit back and brace yourself for the rejections. They WILL come. It is a part of this business. Most times it's nothing personal. You're just not a right fit. They may already have a client with a similar story. They may just want something different. Will they tell you this?? Most likely not. Usually it's a plain form rejection. Under no circumstance email them after the rejection. They don't have time to explain. Even a "thank you" email just clogs up their inbox.

#12: Do not requery unless A- a significant time period has passed (I say at least a year) and B- you have made significant changes to the story.

Hope these tips help!!

Tuesday Tip: Queries- Part 1

I know how often authors struggle with the dreaded query and I am no exception. Not even in the tiniest bit. I wish I was. I wish I knew how to craft the perfect letter. But I don't.

I do know some dos and don't though. And as I wrote this, I realized how long the post was and decided to break it up into two! Be sure to stop by next Tuesday for part 2!

#1: Don't query too early. I have definitely done this. I was so green back then. I thought my first book was awesome and I felt so accomplished just having written it. I had no writer friends back then, only the opinions of my five closest girlfriends (who, of course, loved it!) I hadn't taken a grammar class in many many years. Looking back now, I can see how horrid that story was. But I didn't know it at the time. I sent the query out and luckily one agent gave me some honest feedback, telling me I was not ready to query at all. I was a little taken back at the time, but so grateful later on when I realized she was so so right. Don't query until you've gotten lots of honest critique on the book...not just friends who've adored it. Join a writer's group, online or in real life, put in your time by critiquing other's work and learning from it. Be very well read in your genre so you're aware of the cliches and can avoid them. You have to know what's already been done. I truly feel no story is completely original, but you need to make sure your book has a different take.

#2: When you're finally ready, do your research. Visit every agent's blog. Never rely on info on Publisher's Marketplace, Agent Query, or any other place ACCEPT the actual agent's website. The info can be outdated or just plain wrong. And check their background too. My favorite site is Predators and Editors. They're all listed alphabetically. Just because an agent looks professional online does not mean a thing. There are plenty of bad agents out there.

#3: Follow their guidelines to the tee! There's nothing more aggravating than having instructions written out in plain English and receiving everything else under the sun. Why turn them off before they've even read your blurb?

#4: Don't be gimicky. Just tell them what your story is about. Hook them. Don't try to be funny or witty or play games. Show your voice, yes, but don't be weird.

#5: Be professional. It's a business letter and should be treated as such. These agents are not your friend or even an acquaintance. A simple "Dear Ms. Smith" is appropriate. They are professionals and deserve respect. Get their name correct, get their gender correct.

Okay, that's it for now! Stop back next week for the rest!!

Tuesday Tip: I, I, I....

My first published full length novel, A Bitch Named Karma, is written in first person. I really like that POV...really allows me to get into the characters head and hopefully make the reader feel like they are there too.

One major mistake I made while writing it was falling into the "I Trap". Take a look at this paragraph:

I opened my eyes when the alarm began blaring in my ear. I turned it off and sighed. I did not want to get up. I was not ready to face this day. I'd already done all I could do to fix things, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to make any kind of a difference. I just had to get dressed and go on like nothing had happened.

See what happened there?? Every sentence starts with "I". It is very important to vary your sentence structure. You can even turn some of those sentences into internal dialogue, deepening the POV. I know how hard it can be, especially with a piece written in first person, but once you start fixing it, it gets to be second nature.

Look at this new paragraph:

The alarm began blaring in my ear. Six AM already? I turned it off, but stayed in bed, not ready to face the day. Yesterday had been hell and I'd done what I could to fix things. But it probably wasn't going to make any kind of a difference. I just had to get dressed and go on like nothing had happened.

The second paragraph only has two sentences starting with "I". It's not perfect, but it's definitely better. :)

Good luck!!!

Tuesday Tips a day early! Dialogue Tags

Tuesday Tips is a day early this week! Something really fun going on tomorrow!!!

Before I continue, I first of all need to thank my AMAZING editor at Lyrical Press, Piper Denna! Please check her out here! Without her, I would not be where I am. She took my MS and helped me turn it into something fantastic. I learned so much from the experience!

Okay..on with today's post!

When I first started writing, I thought every line of dialogue had to have the word "said" with a name or he/she/I. I started getting creative and used my thesaurus for different words that also meant "said". I thought I was being cool by mixing it up. And the adverbs. Oh my.

And then I realized that not every line has to have a tag (I finally found out what they were actually called).

And as I learned to show instead of tell by adding actions, those lines didn't need tags either.

The Old Way: "I love this dress!" Sally said as she twirled in front of the mirror.

The New Way: Sally twirled in front of the mirror. "I love this dress!"

When there are just two people in a conversation, the reader can usually figure out who is talking. But be careful, so it's not confusing to the reader. Make sure you add in actions too...show what's going on while they are conversing. There's nothing worse for a reader to be in the middle of a conversation and having to stop and go back because they can't keep track of who's saying what.

Hope this helps. Remember, I in no way imply I am an expert here and my apologies if something I said is clearly wrong!! LOL! I'm still learning myself!!

My first ever Tuesday Tips!!!

Not sure if I like the name...I may work on that :)

But anyway, I have decided to share my world of knowledge about publishing and writing. Okay, I don't so much have a "world" of knowledge..maybe just a bucketful...a small one... But I am going to share in hopes of helping my readers learn from my mistakes.

For my first week I decided to focus on something I did many many times in my first novel..and this was after I'd been through it a zillion times on my own. My editor had to correct it so many times...I though for sure she'd change her mind and give me the heave-ho.

Using words like thought, felt, saw, etc....

My debut, A Bitch Named Karma, is in first person, but I catch myself doing this with third person works too. Not sure why I did it. I guess I thought I needed to be as descriptive as possible. But the reader is in the MC's head...they don't need those extra words.


Example #1:

Wrong: She felt his hand touch her face.

Right: He touched her face.


Example #2:

Wrong: "That guy is hot," I thought to myself.

Right: That guy is hot.


Example #3

Wrong: I saw him take the cookie from the jar.

Right: He took the cookie from the jar.


These are very simplistic examples, but I think you can see what I mean. Nixing those extra words makes the sentences so much clearer, stronger, cleaner.

Thanks for stopping by my first ever tip post!!

If you have any ideas for future posts, please share!!! Or if you have questions about the digital publishing industry, please ask! I'd be more than happy to tackle a question in this weekly feature and share my experience.