Query.Sign.Submit. with Erica O’Rourke

Erica is a Young Adult author. THE TORN TRILOGY is now available from K Teen/Kensington Books and her novel DISSONANCE will be released from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on August 5, 2014!

She is represented by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary.

 

Connect with and learn more about Erica . . .

Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
See all of Erica’s books!

 

  Now for Erica’s insight on querying, signing with an agent, and going on submission!

QUERY

What advice would you give to querying writers?

Make sure your manuscript is complete, revised, and polished BEFORE you query. You could get a request very quickly, so you need to have your very best work ready to go.

What are some important things for querying writers to consider when researching agents?

Know what you want: a career agent or one who will work with you on a project-by-project basis? An editorial agent, or one who only sees your finished work? Do you want lots of personal attention and hand-holding, or a more hands-off relationship? Someone with lots of experience and big-name clients, or someone young and hungry? There’s no wrong answer, but you need to be honest with yourself – and with any agents you talk to.

What resources and websites did you use when querying?

I relied on Publishers Marketplace, QueryTracker, Twitter, and Google (to find interviews with the agents). Kristin Nelson’s Pub Rants blog was very helpful, both when I was querying and when I was deciding between offers of representation.

SIGN

Did you sign as a client of a career agent or on a book-by-book basis?

Career agent! During our phone calls, it was obvious we were on the same page about how best to build my career. Publishing is changing so quickly that it’s essential you be flexible, but still have a clear direction in mind – and I wanted an agent with a similar mindset.

How editorial is your agent? Is it what you expected?

My agent is very editorial, which I love. She helps me brainstorm and develop projects, writes editorial letters, and even helps me with worldbuilding. Once a project sells, she steps back and lets the editor take over, but I know she’s always available to read or bounce ideas back and forth. I knew she’d be editorial, based on our initial conversations, but I’m always blown away by how insightful and brilliant she is.

Do you have input on the pitch to editors or does your agent take care of that?

I stay out of the submission process as much as possible. My agent does an amazing job of keeping up with industry news and trends – far more so than I ever could – and she approaches submissions with a tremendous amount of care and thoughtfulness. I’m happy to defer to her expertise!

At what point do you share new story ideas with your agent?

I’m always running ideas by her! I’ll just randomly insert them in an email, and she’s always very encouraging. When it comes time to think about the next project, we sit down and figure out which one is the best fit based on my career, the market, and my enthusiasm level.

Do you send sample chapters to your agent or do you wait until the manuscript is finished?

These days, I tend to write on proposal, so I send a detailed synopsis and a few chapters. She helps me polish it to a high gleam. I’ll usually send her the full manuscript after I’ve completed a draft and revised it – she’s an editorial agent, but it’s not a good use of her time to give me notes on something if I already know the problem areas.

SUBMIT

Do you make suggestions or share a wish list when it comes to which editors/imprints to submit to?

While I don’t suggest which editor or imprint my agent subs to, we’ve had lots of conversations about what I like in an editor. I know she wouldn’t pitch my work to someone she didn’t think would be a good fit.

What is a typical first round like once a writer goes on submission?

Nervewracking.

Do you see the feedback from editors?

My agent forwards the feedback if it’s useful information, like an issue in the manuscript we might want to fix. Otherwise, she’ll just update me with a summary.

What is the next step if an editor shows interest?

Every publisher is different, but in my case, the next step was that the editor took it to an acquisitions meeting, and then they made an offer. We were fortunate that it all happened pretty quickly – I was okay with being on sub until I heard the word “acquisitions” and then I turned into a complete stressball. If it had dragged on for any significant length of time, I’d probably have torn my hair out.

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?

Work on a new project. Assuming that you plan to write more than one book in your career, you might as well get started on the next thing now, while you’ve got time. Also, it keeps you from eating an entire carton of Ben & Jerry’s while you refresh your email.

Thank you, Erica!

*See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews.*
*Read inspiring stories of writers getting agents*
*Find out about agent-judged contests.*

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Scrivener - Corkboard

 

Scrivener - Corkboard

All right, ladies and gentleman, let’s talk about the corkboard in Scrivener.  First, click on the main project file in the binder- on the left, with your project or manuscript title. This tells Scrivener to show index cards for each chapter. (If you only want specific chapters, etc. to show, highlight them. Choosing only one chapter will show index cards for only the  scenes in that chapter.)

You can get to the corkboard view by clicking on the corkboard symbol at the top of the screen. (It’s highlighted in yellow in the images on this page.) You can also choose View, Corkboard.

Take a look at the image above.

*Each card is titled with the chapter number (or chapter name if you name them in the binder).

*The cards have colors down the right side, which indicate which keywords are associated with that chapter. See the keywords post for more details.

*Some of the cards have a color in the upper right hand corner (it might also be a push pin like you see below). This comes from using the Label feature. See label & status post for more info.

*The cards also have various notes across the card (Done, To Do). This comes from using the Status feature. See label & status post for more info.

One of the main things you’ll want on your corkboard is chapter summaries. Whether you write them as you go along or before/after you finish a project, be sure to type them in the Synopsis box on the top right for each chapter. They will automatically show when you go to corkboard view.

When you’re in corkboard view, you can also click on either the index cards or Synopsis box to add, delete, or revise your chapter summaries.

Now let’s go through and see how to make changes to the corkboard to get it exactly how you like it.

One place to make changes is under Tools and Options (or Scrivener, Preferences for Mac). Click on Corkboard on the left and change the corners from square to rounded, change the pins to corner marks, or choose a different corkboard background. There are also some other choices for you if you choose to use them.

The other place to make changes to the corkboard is the little icon in the lower right corner of the main screen. When you click it, you’ll see a little box pop up with Corkboard Options. From here you can change the size, ratio, and spacing of the cards. There are a few more options, including the number of cards going across and how many keyword chips you want to show on the side.

 
The corkboard is a great tool to have a quick, visual way to see your story, with tools that help you keep organized. And Scrivener lets you customize it so it works best for you.

One thing to note is that with the main corkboard, if you move an index card by dragging it to a new location it will move the chapter within the project to the new order. So be careful, especially if you have a touch screen. :)

Hopefully you’ll be a little more familiar with the corkboard view and can get comfortable playing around with it. We’ll get more specific with the features in future posts. If you want to learn how to make a corkboard of images, check out the Corkboard Images post!

Have fun!

To learn more about Scrivener, head over to the Tools for Writers page.

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Query.Sign.Submit. with Caroline Carlson

Caroline Carlson’s debut middle grade novel, The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot, is now available from Harper Children’s!

Caroline is represented by Sarah Davies of the Greenhouse Literary Agency.

Connect with and learn more about Caroline . . .

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Go to her Books page for links to get your very own copy!

Add it to Goodreads

 

 

 

Now for Caroline’s insight on querying, signing with an agent, and going on submission!

QUERY

What advice would you give to querying writers?

Be patient with yourself, and be patient with your work! I think a lot of writers feel pressure to sign with an agent as soon as possible, but that pressure is usually self-imposed and mostly imaginary. The first manuscript you complete may not be the first manuscript you send out to agents. You’re allowed to have one or two or twenty drafts of unfinished or abandoned books on your hard drive, and you’re allowed to linger over revisions if that’s what you feel your work needs.

There were times when I felt like I was falling behind my writer friends because they were querying or agented or published, and I was hacking out yet another round of revisions or shelving yet another manuscript. Now, though, I’m really glad that I waited to query until I’d written a book I absolutely loved. Giving yourself a few extra weeks, months, or years to hone your craft and polish your manuscripts until you’ve written the very best book you know how to write can make the actual querying process go a lot more quickly.

What are some important things for querying writers to consider when researching agents?

One piece of good advice I got from other writers was to look for an agent whose strengths complemented my own. In other words, it can be helpful to identify your own weaknesses and then look for an agent who is strong in the places where you are weak. If you have a hard time looking objectively at your own work, for example, you might want an agent with a keen editorial eye. If, like me, you cringe at the very thought of asking people for money, you’ll probably want an agent who’s a fierce negotiator.

What was your method for querying? Small batches? Query widely? Wait for feedback?

My querying strategy was pretty weird. I did a ton of research and talked to many agented friends before settling on three wonderful agents as my top choices. Then I queried only those agents, figuring that I might as well go all in. I don’t necessarily recommend querying only three agents, but if you feel strongly about working with someone and she feels equally strongly about working with you, it can work out for the best!

I did have a list of other agents I’d planned to query if I’d been rejected in my first round of submissions, but even that list wasn’t particularly long. I think that if you get to the point in your querying process where you’re sending your book to agents you’re not so sure you actually want to work with, it’s probably best to put those queries aside and consider how you might revise your pitch or your manuscript instead.

SIGN

Did you sign as a client of a career agent or on a book-by-book basis?

It was very important to me to sign with an agent (Sarah Davies of the Greenhouse Literary Agency) who would be willing to take me on over the long term and help me grow my career. There’s already a lot of flux and volatility built into the publishing industry, and many authors bounce from editor to editor or from house to house over the course of a few years. In that context, it’s reassuring to have an agent who’s a somewhat permanent fixture! I can trust my agent to consider both what’s best for a particular book and what’s best for my career, and I feel like I have the creative freedom to experiment with new projects. If I try something crazy and my next manuscript is a mess, I don’t have to worry that Sarah will dump me immediately, though she might strongly encourage me to try working on something else instead!

How editorial is your agent? Is it what you expected?

My agent is very editorial—she worked for many years as an editor—and I know she’ll never send out a manuscript of mine until it’s as strong as it can be. When you’ve been working on a book for ages, it can be hard to look at it objectively, so it’s nice to have an extra set of trustworthy eyes on your work.

Although I have an editorial agent, I don’t revise every manuscript for her. We didn’t revise my first book before submitting it to editors, and now I’m working on books that are already under contract, so Sarah leaves the revision suggestions to my editor. Still, I’m glad that she is available as an editorial resource if I need her.

SUBMIT

What is the next step if an editor shows interest?

The writer’s next step usually involves waiting while the editor gets her colleagues to read the book. Then, if those readers like it, the writer waits some more while the publishing team decides if the book is likely to be profitable, and if it’s a good fit for their list. Some of these decisions happen at meetings that can be weeks apart (and can sometimes be rescheduled). Did I mention there’s some waiting involved? Even if you only have to wait a few days for a publisher’s decision, you’re likely to have bitten your nails down to stubs by the time you get the good news.

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?

Work on breaking that pesky nail-biting habit. Accept the fact that, even though you know you are supposed to be writing something new and focusing on other things, the only things you will actually end up doing are eating chocolate-based foods, obsessively refreshing your e-mail, and googling phrases like “does manuscript rejection cause instant death?”.

How much contact do you have with your agent when you are out on submission?

When MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT went out on submission, my agent called or e-mailed me whenever she had news to share, which was several times a week. She let me know who was reading, who was interested, and who’d turned down the book and why. I’m sure there was plenty going on that I didn’t know about, but Sarah gave me enough information that I always had a good idea of how the book was doing on its journey around the editorial world.

Thanks so much, Caroline!

Want more?

*See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews.*
*Read inspiring stories of writers getting agents*
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Scrivener – Project Targets & Name Generator

Scrivener - Project Targets & Name Generator

Today we’ll focus on a couple easy to use and super-helpful features of Scrivener.

The first is Project Targets. This handy little box keeps track of both your progress within the whole project and your session progress.

To get started, go to Project and Project Targets (Windows) or Project and Show Project Targets (Mac). From there you can adjust both your total word goal (or even change it to characters) and your session goal. Scrivener shows your progress with numbers and colored bars. You can move the box wherever you like.

You can also find your word counts by going to Project and Project Statistics.

One other place to find this info is on the bottom bar of the screen, but it depends what you have clicked in the binder. If you’ve highlighted the project folder, the total word count will be displayed. To check the word count of a chapter or scene, click on it in the binder and it will show on the bottom bar.

And then there’s the name generator. If you need a little help naming a character, go to Tools, Writing Tools, Name Generator (Windows) or Edit, Writing Tools, Name Generator (Mac).

You can adjust it with all kinds of options, including name origin, male/female, and first letter. There’s even a tab for first name meanings.

Have fun!

To learn more about Scrivener, head over to the Tools for Writers page.

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Query.Sign.Submit. with Julia Weber

Julia represents Middle Grade, Young Adult, and New Adult fiction, Women’s Fiction, thrillers, and romance. See specifics here and submission guidelines here.

Julia responds to all queries within six weeks.

 

To connect with and learn more about Julia . . .

Website

Twitter

Now for Julia’s insight on querying, signing with an agent, and going on submission!

QUERY

What advice would you give to querying writers?

Don't approach agents with the first rough draft of your manuscript. I understand writers are excited about their work, and they want to share it as soon as humanly possible. The problem: a work in progress is a huge turnoff. And a first draft is still a WIP. To make it the best manuscript it can be before querying, make sure to proofread, revise, tweak, address possible plot and character changes, etc. If you query before your manuscript is really ready, you're bound to collect needless rejections.

Do your homework before querying. Research. Find out who represents your genre, and only query those agents who handle the type of book you have written. If they don’t represent your genre, don’t waste your time by querying them. Genre specializations exist for a reason and agents will not change them just for you.

Check the submission guidelines on the agency website. They ask for the first three chapters? Great, send them the first three chapters. Do not send chapters 3, 7, and 15 – or your entire 1,400-page manuscript.

Another great source is Twitter. Not only do many agents share fantastic query, writing, and general publishing tips, quite a few also tweet what they’re hoping to find in their inbox. Check hash tags like #agentwishlist or #MSWL (manuscript wish list).

Also: subject lines! Some queries I receive have some really weird subject lines, from no subject at all to “Knock, knock”. The format “Query: TITLE” makes my life so much easier.

Do you always read a query all the way through? If not, what would make you stop reading?

I always read the query letter all the way through, but not necessarily the reading sample. If it’s a genre I don’t represent, there’s no point in looking at the sample chapters. I’m already out of the race. If the query is for a genre I do handle, I check out the chapters, and read as long as the pages hook me. Some times I lose interest after a couple of pages, other times I read it all. That’s really down to the quality of the manuscript – and my personal interest, of course.

What is your process for reading a query and sample pages?

I read the query letter, then the sample pages. I also ask for a short full-plot synopsis, but only read it if the query letter and chapters confuse me. Or if I’m not sure whether to request the full.

How do you tackle your inbox? Do you go in order or jump around?

Client work comes first, but when I look at submissions, it’s generally “first come, first served”. I log every single incoming query, and if my database tells me that I’ve seen that particular manuscript before, I check whether the writer mentions revisions. If not, I reject it straight away since I already know that I won’t be interested. (So if you do resubmit a manuscript, make sure to mention your revisions.) I do occasionally jump around my inbox. Mainly because querying writers have notified me of an offer of representation/publication, and have given me a deadline. There are other times when a query catches my eye, and I decide to take a quick look. If it doesn’t hook me straight away, I go back to the oldest submission, and come back later. If it does hook me, I read the material and might request the full within minutes. I once requested a full 12 minutes after receiving the query. I think that’s the one to beat.

What are some important things for querying writers to consider when researching agents?

I already mentioned quite a few. There’s one thing I’d like to add though. Check your sources. Some writers rely on interviews or blog posts from five years ago, or third party websites that haven’t been updated in a while. Always check the agency website for the most up-to-date information.

Is it okay for a writer to nudge concerning queries or partial/full requests?

In short: yes. BUT: most agents state in their submission guidelines (or in an auto-response) when you can expect to hear back from them. Waiting times of 6 weeks to 3 months are standard, and some agents have the notorious “no response = no” policy.

I respond to every query (unless it’s a “I’ve-written-a-book-so-email-me-if-you-want-to-see-it-query”), and I always try to get back to authors as soon as I possibly can. But client work comes first, and then there are super busy times (around book fairs, for example) when I just don’t have much time to wade through submissions. But if you feel like I’m taking too long, and my stated six weeks are up, nudge me. I also try to update where I am with queries (and requested fulls) on Twitter as often as possible (read: as often as I remember). Perhaps I should do that more often. Remind me!

What would you love to find in the slush pile?

I’m always interested in seeing great YA and MG, but what I’m really, REALLY keen to find in my inbox at the moment is commercial Women’s Fiction and Romance. I’m more of a contemporary, realistic kind of girl. In YA, I’m happy to give Fantasy/Paranormal a shot, but it should be based in the real world. When it comes to adult fiction, I only want realistic stories at this point.

I love sports/boarding school/summer camp themes, humorous MG, psychological thrillers with a stalker theme. I’d love to find YA à la Pleasantville, Friday Night Lights, Sliding Doors, or Center Stage. I’m also dying to find some awesome NA – preferably something that’s not your average "love at first sight with the hot, mysterious guy at college" romance. YA, NA, or adult that’s set at a farm or ranch (is there a difference?). Amazingly original contemporary retellings of classics.

There are so many things I want to see, but I probably won’t even realise till I see it. So, don’t be shy, just hit me with your queries.

SIGN

Do you sign a client as a career agent or on a book-by-book basis?

Ideally as a career agent. I want to represent the author, not just projects, so I’m looking for long-term relationships with authors. Should a writer decide to pursue a genre I don’t handle (and have no knowledge of/experience in), it might be a good idea to get a second agent on board. But that’s something I’d always discuss with the author.

How editorial are you?

Very.

Should a writer share previous contact with editors with you? For example, from conferences or workshops.

Yes, please.

At what point would a client share new story ideas with you?

I’m not sure how other agents handle this, but I’m pretty easy when it comes to these things. Some of my clients send me pitches for 5 different new story ideas, and ask which one I like best.

Do you want to see sample chapters as a client writes or do you prefer to wait until the manuscript is finished? Or is it up to the client?

Again, I’m easy. Whenever the author feels ready to share their writing with me. I’m happy to look over the first chapters, and/or discuss plot/characters. But if the author prefers to finish and polish first, then I can live with that, too. It’s always helpful to know where they’re at though. But thanks to Twitter (meltdowns), I usually don’t even have to ask what they’re up to. ;)

SUBMIT

Can a client make suggestions or share a wish list when it comes to editors/imprints to submit to?

If there is an editor they have an editor crush on, I’m happy to listen. But I’ll only submit to that editor if I think it could be a good fit. I don’t mind if a client makes suggestions, but it’s a fine line. I don’t want them to do my job for me, and if I feel like they don’t really trust me/my decisions, then that’s a problem. So, telling me they’d love a particular editor to see their MS is fine, not trusting my knowledge or strategy? Not so much.

Do you forward editor feedback to writers?

Yes, unless the client doesn’t want me to. I share as much information with my clients as they want. Some want to know all the details, some try to stay as oblivious to the whole submission process as they possibly can. It’s totally up to them. I’m happy either way.

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?

Stay busy. Write, read, eat cake… and don’t take rejections personally. I know it’s tough. Nobody likes a rejection, but driving yourself insane over the submission process doesn’t help.

How much contact do you have with a client when he/she is out on submission? Do you send weekly updates or update as responses come in?

I get in touch when I have something to report – a pass, a full request, an upcoming acquisitions meeting, or, if it’s been long enough, that I’ve sent an email to check in with the editor.

Is it okay for a client to check in if there hasn’t been any news in a while?

It’s always okay for a client to check in with me, but no news from me usually means there really is no news.

Thank you, Julia!

See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews
Read inspiring stories of writers getting agents
Find out about agent-judged contests

Posted September, 2013 – Always check for current info and guidelines.

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