Hey All!!!
So, I found out today that the query letter I thought was ready for submissions wasn't all that ready. To say that I'm heartbroken is a bit of an understatement. I'd sent it to various sites and had many folks look it over, and thought I finally had gotten it right, only to find that it still isn't there. It's not even close to being there.
In the pursuit of my writing career and the skills needed to succeed with it, writing query letters is my one big Achilles' Heel.
I'm going back to the drawing board with this one...though I have to say that I'm not feeling very hopeful right now. We'll see.
Happy Writing Everyone!!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
MOTIVATION, PERSEVERANCE, AND THE QUERYING GAME
Hey All!!!
So, I recently read a really amazing post on YA Highway about how trying to get published is like hoping for one of the seats to turn around for you when competing on The Voice. It rang so true for me when I read it, especially given one of the recent rejections I'd received from an agent I queried.
See, I've been making the rounds in the querying game. I've done this dance before, mind you, but not with as much determination and resolve. The two previous times I tried to query, I found myself sending letters to about twenty or so agents. Each time I at least got one or two requests for pages, which eventually ended in rejection. Now I've always had good encouragement from those who've asked me for pages - responses such as, "I really like your writing, but I don't think the concept is unique enough for this packed market." Or, "You have great descriptions, but the market is too crowded." But there was always something - most likely my lack of true determination - that would cause me to immediately stop and decide to either do a major re-write or to shelve the story all together due to thinking the timing wasn't right.
This time, when I entered the querying fighting ring, I told myself that I'd be bold. I wasn't leaving this fight until I'd submitted to darn near every agent and publishing house I could, or die trying! But, unlike my other two attempts, I'm not really getting any bites - and that scares me a little. And there's nothing in form rejections that let you know if it's just that the book isn't in their tastes, or if you're a terrible writer and should throw your hands up now and quit forever (or just write for your kiddos and loved ones). So it's hard to navigate the ups and downs of the querying process and not get discouraged.
This changed for me a bit on last Friday, when I received what felt like my millionth rejection. I opened the email, waiting for the punch to the gut I'd come to expect, and found a light at the end of my tunnel. She explained that she liked my writing, but isn't a big fan of urban fantasy. She also encouraged me to continue and stated that she felt sure I'd have representation in no time!
So when I read the post on YA Highway about how querying is all about tastes, and how it's rare that every agent you submit to will ask for pages, or will offer representation, it really hit home for me. Even though this dream seems impossible at times, I have to know in my heart and gut that I'm good. It's all a matter of time, folks. One of these days, one of these agents or editors is going to recognize my awesomeness for what it is and will help me to make my dream into a reality. It might take time, and a hell of a lot of hard work, but I'm in for the long haul. And I WILL. NOT. GIVE. UP!!!
How do you all handle the querying dance? What motivates you to keep going?
Happy Writing!!!
So, I recently read a really amazing post on YA Highway about how trying to get published is like hoping for one of the seats to turn around for you when competing on The Voice. It rang so true for me when I read it, especially given one of the recent rejections I'd received from an agent I queried.
See, I've been making the rounds in the querying game. I've done this dance before, mind you, but not with as much determination and resolve. The two previous times I tried to query, I found myself sending letters to about twenty or so agents. Each time I at least got one or two requests for pages, which eventually ended in rejection. Now I've always had good encouragement from those who've asked me for pages - responses such as, "I really like your writing, but I don't think the concept is unique enough for this packed market." Or, "You have great descriptions, but the market is too crowded." But there was always something - most likely my lack of true determination - that would cause me to immediately stop and decide to either do a major re-write or to shelve the story all together due to thinking the timing wasn't right.
This time, when I entered the querying fighting ring, I told myself that I'd be bold. I wasn't leaving this fight until I'd submitted to darn near every agent and publishing house I could, or die trying! But, unlike my other two attempts, I'm not really getting any bites - and that scares me a little. And there's nothing in form rejections that let you know if it's just that the book isn't in their tastes, or if you're a terrible writer and should throw your hands up now and quit forever (or just write for your kiddos and loved ones). So it's hard to navigate the ups and downs of the querying process and not get discouraged.
This changed for me a bit on last Friday, when I received what felt like my millionth rejection. I opened the email, waiting for the punch to the gut I'd come to expect, and found a light at the end of my tunnel. She explained that she liked my writing, but isn't a big fan of urban fantasy. She also encouraged me to continue and stated that she felt sure I'd have representation in no time!
So when I read the post on YA Highway about how querying is all about tastes, and how it's rare that every agent you submit to will ask for pages, or will offer representation, it really hit home for me. Even though this dream seems impossible at times, I have to know in my heart and gut that I'm good. It's all a matter of time, folks. One of these days, one of these agents or editors is going to recognize my awesomeness for what it is and will help me to make my dream into a reality. It might take time, and a hell of a lot of hard work, but I'm in for the long haul. And I WILL. NOT. GIVE. UP!!!
How do you all handle the querying dance? What motivates you to keep going?
Happy Writing!!!
Monday, October 22, 2012
WHAT IS PRODUCTIVITY
Hey All!!!
This weekend I was faced with one of the many things that can completely derail a writer when he or she is attempting to be as productive as possible, the inconvenient and always annoying illness - more specifically, in my case, my chronic sinisitis. There I was folks, kicking butts and taking names in my awesome ability to research the heck out of a wide range of topics while waiting for my story to present it itself to me, and then my nose starts acting up!!! To say that I was angry, well, that doesn't even cut it.
I found myself laid up in my bed (or on the couch, depending on what time of the day it was), able to do nothing more than sleep and mindlessly watch bad television while heavily medicating myself so I could function.
So, what did I do to try to keep productive while incapacitated?
I changed my viewpoint of the situation I was in.
Instead of being angry with my bum sinus cavity for acting an ass, I shifted my focus on resting so I could get better sooner. See, normally I work myself to the bone, only stopping to rest after office hours or during the weekend. It seems sad to waste perfectly good Paid Time Off hours on being sick, so I try to avoid this at all costs. But this time I took a day or two off to really focus on getting better. Being at work while sick isn't really helping myself or anyone else, and it prolongs my illness by days, I'm sure. And when I was feeling a bit better, I focused my time on reading more and researching agents and publishing houses for my two books.
So, when it comes down to it, sometimes resting oneself can be just as important to being productive as writing, reading, and any other activity a writer may be involved in.
Happy Writing!!!
This weekend I was faced with one of the many things that can completely derail a writer when he or she is attempting to be as productive as possible, the inconvenient and always annoying illness - more specifically, in my case, my chronic sinisitis. There I was folks, kicking butts and taking names in my awesome ability to research the heck out of a wide range of topics while waiting for my story to present it itself to me, and then my nose starts acting up!!! To say that I was angry, well, that doesn't even cut it.
I found myself laid up in my bed (or on the couch, depending on what time of the day it was), able to do nothing more than sleep and mindlessly watch bad television while heavily medicating myself so I could function.
So, what did I do to try to keep productive while incapacitated?
I changed my viewpoint of the situation I was in.
Instead of being angry with my bum sinus cavity for acting an ass, I shifted my focus on resting so I could get better sooner. See, normally I work myself to the bone, only stopping to rest after office hours or during the weekend. It seems sad to waste perfectly good Paid Time Off hours on being sick, so I try to avoid this at all costs. But this time I took a day or two off to really focus on getting better. Being at work while sick isn't really helping myself or anyone else, and it prolongs my illness by days, I'm sure. And when I was feeling a bit better, I focused my time on reading more and researching agents and publishing houses for my two books.
So, when it comes down to it, sometimes resting oneself can be just as important to being productive as writing, reading, and any other activity a writer may be involved in.
Happy Writing!!!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
RESEARCHING AND THE WAITING GAME
Hey All!!!
So, as always, it's been way too long since I last posted. I definitely have to get better at this regular posting thing. In the months since I last spoke to you guys, nothing much has happened. I got comfy in my day job, got financially stable for the first time in a few years, and am feeling more like my good ol' writing machine self. I have a new story that I'm working on, while querying the one I just finished polishing. I've amassed what feels like a ton of rejections, but I know that that's the business and will keep on trucking (said while putting all feelings of failure in a box so I can completely ignore them =) ).
The biggest issue I'm having right now is with really getting into my new story. I always have what I like to think of as a lull in excitement/activity when it comes to my writing. These lulls happen right as I start a new project - before the main character's voice starts taking up serious space in my head - and when I'm about 3/4 of the way through - when I'm having to trudge through to the end. But I have to say, the sense of anticipation that I get while waiting for the character to really start speaking to me is both tortuous and exciting all at once.
So what do I do while I wait for this roller coaster ride to start up - why, research of course! Since I know my main character is Pakistani, I'm going to look up everything I can on that culture - food, clothes, religion, etc. I want to know what it's like for those who live in Pakistan, and those who have migrated to other countries as well. What are the issues that face a young Pakistani girl in this day and age. And I have to say I've been very inspired by the tale of Malala Yousufzai, a young girl who was shot in Pakistan for daring to continue with her education and for speaking up for young Pakistani girls there. In doing this searching, I'm hoping that Alana will begin speaking to me and my story will begin to take shape.
What do you do when you hit a lull in your writing? How do you break the surface of a new tale.
Until next time - and hopefully it won't be as long!!!
So, as always, it's been way too long since I last posted. I definitely have to get better at this regular posting thing. In the months since I last spoke to you guys, nothing much has happened. I got comfy in my day job, got financially stable for the first time in a few years, and am feeling more like my good ol' writing machine self. I have a new story that I'm working on, while querying the one I just finished polishing. I've amassed what feels like a ton of rejections, but I know that that's the business and will keep on trucking (said while putting all feelings of failure in a box so I can completely ignore them =) ).
The biggest issue I'm having right now is with really getting into my new story. I always have what I like to think of as a lull in excitement/activity when it comes to my writing. These lulls happen right as I start a new project - before the main character's voice starts taking up serious space in my head - and when I'm about 3/4 of the way through - when I'm having to trudge through to the end. But I have to say, the sense of anticipation that I get while waiting for the character to really start speaking to me is both tortuous and exciting all at once.
So what do I do while I wait for this roller coaster ride to start up - why, research of course! Since I know my main character is Pakistani, I'm going to look up everything I can on that culture - food, clothes, religion, etc. I want to know what it's like for those who live in Pakistan, and those who have migrated to other countries as well. What are the issues that face a young Pakistani girl in this day and age. And I have to say I've been very inspired by the tale of Malala Yousufzai, a young girl who was shot in Pakistan for daring to continue with her education and for speaking up for young Pakistani girls there. In doing this searching, I'm hoping that Alana will begin speaking to me and my story will begin to take shape.
What do you do when you hit a lull in your writing? How do you break the surface of a new tale.
Until next time - and hopefully it won't be as long!!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
THE PATHS TO PUBLICATION: SELF PUBLISHING VS TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING AND THE ALL POWERFUL DEBUT TITLE
Hey All!!!
As I previously stated, I went to an amazing writers conference this weekend in Houston, hosted by the Houston Writers Guild. There were a variety of speakers with a wealth of information, and I'm happy to say that I made a few friendly contacts that I hope to keep for many years to come. But one of the most valuable lessons I learned while soaking up the knowledge around me was that while self publishing is definitely a more acceptable alternative to traditional publishing now a days, choosing that path comes with consequences all writers need to consider. Those consequences have everything to do with the affect it has on being considered a debut author.
See, in publishing there's nothing more precious than the "debut" title...and when it comes down to it, folks, you only get it once. Whether it be with a major publishing house or self publishing with Amazon, you only get the benefit of the doubt that comes with being a debut author that first time your name graces a cover. And that benefit of the doubt can make or break your shot at representation or at obtaining a contract.
From what was explained, one of the ways the publishing gods determine whether or not they'll work with an author is by determining how profitable they think that person will be. The way that profitability is shown is either one of two ways:
As I previously stated, I went to an amazing writers conference this weekend in Houston, hosted by the Houston Writers Guild. There were a variety of speakers with a wealth of information, and I'm happy to say that I made a few friendly contacts that I hope to keep for many years to come. But one of the most valuable lessons I learned while soaking up the knowledge around me was that while self publishing is definitely a more acceptable alternative to traditional publishing now a days, choosing that path comes with consequences all writers need to consider. Those consequences have everything to do with the affect it has on being considered a debut author.
See, in publishing there's nothing more precious than the "debut" title...and when it comes down to it, folks, you only get it once. Whether it be with a major publishing house or self publishing with Amazon, you only get the benefit of the doubt that comes with being a debut author that first time your name graces a cover. And that benefit of the doubt can make or break your shot at representation or at obtaining a contract.
From what was explained, one of the ways the publishing gods determine whether or not they'll work with an author is by determining how profitable they think that person will be. The way that profitability is shown is either one of two ways:
- Publishers knows that they'll make a particular profit on a hardback copy of a book, something along the lines of $12.
- If you've already done the self publishing route, they'll take the number of sales you've acquired (whether it's 500 or 5000) and multiply that number by the $12 they can expect to make per book.
- This can be a problem if your sales don't amount to a profit they want. It could cause publishers to decide against taking on your project.
- If you're a debut author, publishers will take a well-known author with a similar book and use an estimate of their sales for this calculation. This number will often be advantageous to the author and can push the publisher in a positive direction when deciding to take on the project.
As you can see, this method for determining profitability can definitely impact an author's ability to get on with a traditional publisher, and is something we all should think about.
Like many writers, I've been seriously considering the self publishing route. Though I'm not considering it for my current project - one that I absolutely love and hope that the publishing community will love as well - I've been thinking on it as a possibility for my earlier works. As I continue to learn about the various facets of this industry, my thoughts and feelings continue to change, making my head spin with all of the possibilities. What I do know is that I have to be diligent in learning as much as I can about the industry before I make any major moves. And I hope that once I do jump it's with as much foresight and understanding as possible.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, I AM NOT: MY STRUGGLE TO NOT SUCK AT SOCIAL MEDIA
Hey All!!!
So, today I got slapped. And I don't mean the light tapping that you give your rambunctious two year old...no, I got the real deal, knock the taste out of your mouth, good ol' slapping.
See, I participated in The Houston Writers Guild Conference today - side note, if you're serious about writing and live in the Houston area this conference is a really good resource - and they spoke a lot on the importance of social media and reaching out to your audience. The speakers talked about how you should build a platform and a brand and how talking to you all on a regular basis was something I must do...and all I could do at hearing that was to hang my head in shame.
I've never been good with the whole "social thing" as I liked to call it in high school. Sure, I was a cheerleader and all, but I got that mostly based off the fact that I had seriously sharp motions, killer jumps, and halfway decent tumbling skills. If it had been the popularity contest it was in my mother's day I would've been toast - no matter how sharp my motions or how superb my jumps were. The life of the party, I am not.
I started getting down on myself in the conference main hall, thinking on how I have this blog that I'm not good at updating and how I need to do better, to be better, and I had one of my awesome ah ha moments.
What I need to do is to put blogging into my routine. I need to have some time framed out at least three times a week to really focusing on you all, and on imparting some sort of information into the void. So that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Come Hell or high water.
We'll see how this goes...and wish me luck!
Monday, December 5, 2011
THE TROUBLE WITH DEVELOPING A WRITING ROUTINE
Hello All!!!
So, today I woke up for the third Monday in a row for my 5:20 am workout. I groaned at the early hour that my alarm had the nerve to go off at, mumbled as I got dressed for the grueling pain I was about to put myself in, and moaned as I made my way through the first minutes of the work. I spend my early mornings on Mondays and Tuesdays with good old Jillian Michaels, and that woman kicks your butt for real! So when my alarm goes off and I anticipate the world of hurt I'm about to go through, I think of going back to sleep...every single time! This thought today made me think on how difficult it is to establish good routines in everything we do...especially in writing.
Getting that much needed and desired writing routine can be so difficult. Ask anyone, getting yourself to sit down for a specified amount of time every day can be such a pain once you've had other things come into the mix and mess with your established schedule. For me, moving to New York, moving back to Houston, dealing with a period of sadness (ie: can't write cause I'm too upset), then finding a new job completely messed up my good old, tried and true schedule. Now I'm working to get that new routine in gear.
It's taking a lot of trying new things and throwing them out once I find that they don't work to find my new process, but I feel sure that I'll find it soon. And the benefits of all of this searching and trying new things will definitely come in time.
What processes to you all work with? How long did it take you to find a routine after a drastic change?
Happy Writing!!!
So, today I woke up for the third Monday in a row for my 5:20 am workout. I groaned at the early hour that my alarm had the nerve to go off at, mumbled as I got dressed for the grueling pain I was about to put myself in, and moaned as I made my way through the first minutes of the work. I spend my early mornings on Mondays and Tuesdays with good old Jillian Michaels, and that woman kicks your butt for real! So when my alarm goes off and I anticipate the world of hurt I'm about to go through, I think of going back to sleep...every single time! This thought today made me think on how difficult it is to establish good routines in everything we do...especially in writing.
Getting that much needed and desired writing routine can be so difficult. Ask anyone, getting yourself to sit down for a specified amount of time every day can be such a pain once you've had other things come into the mix and mess with your established schedule. For me, moving to New York, moving back to Houston, dealing with a period of sadness (ie: can't write cause I'm too upset), then finding a new job completely messed up my good old, tried and true schedule. Now I'm working to get that new routine in gear.
It's taking a lot of trying new things and throwing them out once I find that they don't work to find my new process, but I feel sure that I'll find it soon. And the benefits of all of this searching and trying new things will definitely come in time.
What processes to you all work with? How long did it take you to find a routine after a drastic change?
Happy Writing!!!
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