Win a Query Pass with Karen Grencik & Celebrate PiBoIdMo!

PiBoIdMo 2013

In addition to NaNoWriMo, there’s a fun challenge for picture book writers in November too. PiBoIdMo stands for Picture Book Idea Month and is run by the fabulous Tara Lazar. You can sign up on her website and doing so shows your commitment to coming up with one PB-related idea each day. It can be a character, a title, a story idea, or even a few fun words you want to use in a story. There will be guest bloggers and some great prizes. :)

 karengrencik

To encourage my picture book friends out there to join, I’m running a little contest with a great lady I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. Agent Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary is closed to queries, but you can win a pass to query her! (It’s only the chance to query, no guarantees beyond that.) She’s currently listed as #2 in Children’s:Picture Books on Publishers Marketplace. Just saying. ;) Read her Query.Sign.Submit. interview here.

To enter, use the rafflecopter below, and be sure to check out all the ways you can earn extra entries. (Including bonus entries for signing up for PiBoIdMo!)

Contest closes Friday, November 1st at 11:59 PM.

Have fun, and may the ideas be with you. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Query.Sign.Submit. with Jenny Lundquist

Jenny_Lundquist_Author

Jenny is a Middle Grade and Young Adult author. Her latest novel The Princess and the Opal Mask is now available from Running Press Kids! Jenny is represented by Kerry Sparks of the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

The-Princess-in-The-Opal-Mask-238

Connect with and learn more about Jenny . . .

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest

 

 

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

QUERY

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

The biggest thing I would say is, remember that you intend for this to be a long-term relationship, so it’s not something you want to jump into. It’s tempting to shoot an email to the first few agents you find, but it’s better to make sure that you’ve really thought through what you do, and do not feel comfortable with. For instance, there were a few agents that I thought might be a good fit for me, but they were also writers actively publishing their work. And for me, I didn’t feel comfortable signing with someone who might write in the same genre as me, because I thought it might blur the lines a little bit. This wouldn’t bother other writers, but I recognized that it might not be good for me, so I stayed away from those agents. Conversely, some writers are concerned about signing with a newer agent, but I liked the idea of signing with someone who might be a little more “hungry” for me to sell my work, so I was fine with that.

What resources and websites did you use when querying?

I spent so many hours over a period of months researching it’s not even funny. My two go-to sites were Literary Rambles and Publisher’s Marketplace. LitRambles in particular has their “Agent Spotlight” feature every Thursday, and I think it’s one of the best resources out there. But, I think it’s important to note that you should double-check everything you read on the actual agency’s website to get the most up-to-date information. And, be sure to check what Predators and Editors has to say about the agency/agent before you send your query.

What do you wish you’d known back when you were in the query trenches?

I wish I’d known that a rejection from an agent doesn’t mean you’re not a good writer. I remember being crushed by the first few rejections I received and wondered if I’d ever be “good enough” to obtain representation. But from an agent’s standpoint, they have to look at more than just the writing: Do I think I can sell this? Beyond liking the writing, do I love this story enough to take it through revisions and out on submission, etc.? Every agent will answer those questions a little differently, so it truly is a subjective thing. One agent rejected Seeing Cinderella, my first published novel, because she said it didn’t “pop” enough for her. Not too long after, Kerry Sparks wrote to tell me she was absolutely falling in love with the story, already had some editors in mind she wanted to pitch it to, and could we chat on the phone?

SIGN

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

I signed with Kerry Sparks of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. The whole agency works on a book-by- book basis. But that shouldn’t scare anyone off. They have every intention of building the careers of their writers; the book-by-book philosophy is just to give each party a little breathing space in case the match between writer and agent doesn’t turn out to be a good fit, or if one of us decides that the work that I want to do isn’t what she really wants to represent. Kerry and I regularly talk about my career as a writer, and she always knows what I’m doing. All in all, I’ve been extremely impressed with both Kerry and Levine Greenberg, and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Now, I get the heebie-geebies when a writer tells me they signed with an agent who had an “and all future literary works” clause in their contract. I would hate to think that my agent was repping my books, even if she wasn’t as passionate about them anymore, because she was contractually bound to do so.

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

Kerry and I collaborate on the pitch. She’ll send me a draft of her pitch letter and ask me for my thoughts. But for Princess in the Opal Mask, I had a definite idea of how I thought it should be pitched to an editor. When I shared it with her she agreed, and then added her own ideas to it. So we’re definitely both all-hands-on-deck with that.

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

I’ll tell Kerry my ideas here and there—in an email, or when we’re on the phone talking about my current project. I always have something in the back of my head I’m thinking about, and I think she’s just learned to go with me on it! But the nice thing is that one day when I was whining about not having any middle grade ideas I actually liked, she asked me if I’d given any thought to writing the “YA princess story” I’d told her about the year before. As soon as I got off the phone, I started writing The Princess in the Opal Mask. So I am all for sharing your ideas with agents—they are good sounding boards.

SUBMIT

Do you see the feedback from editors?

Yes, absolutely. But every writer really needs to give a lot of thought ahead of time, before they go out on submission, as far as if you want to see feedback from editors, because it can be brutal. You have to remember, it takes only one person (the editor) to say no, it takes a whole lot of people (second readers, editorial boards, sales teams) to say yes to acquiring a project, so expect that the first feedback you’ll receive will come in the form of rejections.

When editors reject a project, they usually try to be helpful to the submitting agent by giving a few sentences as to why they are passing. It’s not their intention to coddle the writer, so they are up front, sometimes brutally (but not intentionally unkindly) so. I know some writers who have decided that they don’t want those words rattling around in their brain, and they trust their agent to let them know if there’s any feedback they should really know about. For instance, if five editors pass because they have an issue with pacing, that’s probably something the agent would discuss with the writer before doing a second round of submissions.

For me, I decided that it would only make me better if I heard all of the feedback and kept it in mind for when I revised. I can’t become a better writer if I don’t know the weaknesses in my work.

And remember that, like agents, editors have different tastes. True Story: One day I received a particularly brutal rejection where the editor listed all the ways she just didn’t like The Princess in the Opal Mask. I was so discouraged, and really thought maybe it wasn’t meant to be published…until the very next morning, when Running Press contacted Kerry with an offer. It just goes to show how subjective this business can be!

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

Spend time with family. Laugh. Sleep (you probably need it after all the work you’ve just finished!). Mindlessly stream your favorite episodes on Netflix. Do everything EXCEPT obsessively check your email every five minutes—that will only make it seem like it’s taking longer to receive a response. (And like I said before, it’s likely that rejections will come in before any positive feedback.)

Now that you’ve had several books published, how is the submission process different for you? How is it the same?

I think it will be a double-edged sword now, for the next time I submit a project. On the one hand, since I have books published, more editors will (hopefully!) be familiar with my work. On the other hand, being a debut author gives you a kind of mysterious appeal, and editors can look at you as the next potential big thing. After you’ve published a few books, the first thing they’ll do is dig up your sales records—that will most definitely be a factor in whether editors continue publishing your work.

Thank you, Jenny!

See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews
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Find out about agent-judged contests

Posted October 2013

Scrivener – Label & Status

Tools for Writers

Scrivener - Label & Status

The label and status features just kind of hang out over to the right of your screen and you could certainly write an entire manuscript without ever using them. But here’s the thing, they’re pretty easy to use once you understand how, and they can open up a whole new set of options for you. Let’s take a look.

Labels allow you to associate a color with different values. This has many possible uses, depending on what elements you want to track in your story. You might want to use it to quickly see POV, setting, storylines, where specific story devices show up, chapters that have flashbacks, specific times/days the chapters take place, or even where you might need to add conflict.

You have a box called General Meta-Data over to the right of the screen. To work with labels, click on the box next to Label and choose Edit at the bottom of the drop down menu. You’ll get a box where you can make changes to the labels and create your own.

labels

Make sure you’re on the Labels tab, then use the + and buttons to add or delete what’s there and make custom labels. To delete a label, make sure it’s highlighted first. To create a new label, click the + and type in the new label name. You can change the color by double-clicking on the colored box to the left of the label.

new labels

Once you’ve created your custom labels (or if you want to use the default labels) you can assign them easily. Make sure you’ve clicked on the item you want in the binder, like a specific chapter. In the General Meta-Data area over to the right, click the box to the right of Label and choose the label you want associated with that chapter.

To see the label colors, choose View, Use Label Color In, and then choose where you want to see it, such as in the binder, on the index cards, or in the outline. You’ll get something like the screen shot below. (Your synopsis card over on the right of the screen, in normal mode, will also show the label color.) Very cool, right? Imagine all the possibilities!

binder and corkboard
Now what about status? Well, you see those red words across the index cards above? Those are your status marks. The defaults are statuses like To Do and First Draft, but you can make them whatever you want. They show in the corkboard to let you know the current status of that chapter or scene. You can also make a status column in the outline.

The big thing here is to decide what will work best for you. You can only assign one label and one status to each binder item. If you want more, you might want to look at using keywords. (See keyword post here.) Or use a combination to get what’s best for you and your project. Good luck and have fun!

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

Query.Sign.Submit. with Anna Staniszewski

Anna Staniszewski

Anna is a Middle Grade author and her next book, My Sort of Fairy Tale Ending, will be available from Sourcebooks in November! (Also watch for The Dirt Diary in January 2014!) She is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

My-Sort-Of-Fairy-Tale-Ending-Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connect with and learn more about Anna . . .

Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook

Watch the My Sort of Fairy Tale Ending book trailer!

 

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

QUERY

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

I found that querying in small batches worked best for me. I would send out a handful of queries at a time, and then if I got feedback, I could apply that to my manuscript before I submitted to new agents. The overall process felt eternal and frustrating, but it also helped make my manuscript much stronger in the end.

If querying was a long time ago for you, what do you remember most?

I queried for over a year with a few different manuscripts before I signed with my agent. I remember that time being an emotional rollercoaster: the optimism I felt when I sent off a new query; the excitement when I got a response; the soul-crushing agony of that response being a rejection; and the tiny grain of hope when an agent gave me encouraging or helpful feedback. If I hadn’t had my husband there to hug me and feed me chocolate along the way, I’m not sure I would have survived it.

What do you wish you’d known back when you were in the query trenches?

I don’t think I realized just how much agents have to love and connect with a project before they sign it. They take on so few clients that the project needs to really click with them. I took some of my rejections very personally, but in retrospect, I realize that the agents who rejected my work just weren’t the right people for my particular projects.

SIGN

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

Thankfully, my agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, is very editorial. She’s the person that pushes me to dig deeper into my stories and find ways to make them more emotionally charged. I’ve learned to always trust Joan’s feedback because it’s always right!

What is the revision process like between you and your agent?

I use my agent as a “final checkpoint” before I send anything to my editor. I work on a manuscript, get feedback from critique partners, revise revise revise, and then when I think it’s almost ready to send to my editor, I sent it to Joan. Only after I’ve revised based on her comments do I feel comfortable sending the manuscript to my editor.

The exception to this is picture books. I tend to send those to my agent pretty early on in the process. For some reason, I need a little more hand-holding when I’m writing so few words!

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

I can’t even count how many “I’ve got a new idea” emails I’ve sent to Joan. I always thinks she’s going to yell at me to focus, but surprisingly, she’s always supportive. What I especially appreciate is that she’s able to give me guidance on which ideas are worth pursing, particularly if I’m not sure which project to work on next.

SUBMIT

What is it like to work with the same editor/publisher on multiple books?

I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with Aubrey Poole at Sourcebooks for several books, and I’ve really loved the experience. It feels amazing to work with someone who really gets my sense of humor and who knows my writing so well.

I’ve also sold three picture books to Sally Doherty at Henry Holt (though the first of those won’t be out until 2015) and I predict that relationship will be very similar to the one I have with Aubrey. I think it’s so important to find editors who really understand your work and can help you make it as strong as it can be.

Now that you’ve had several books published, how is the submission process different for you? How is it the same?

The submission process has changed somewhat in that we can potentially sell books on proposal. This most likely wouldn’t be true, however, if I ventured into a different genre. If I wrote an upper-YA novel, for example, I’d probably have to write the whole manuscript before we submitted it since my published books are for a younger audience.

Were your books bought as a series? How does that work?

My first book was bought as a standalone with series potential. (I think they wanted to see how the first book did before they bought others.) Right around the time the first book came out, my editor asked for summaries of potential follow-up books, so I quickly wrote those and we sent them off. I was beyond ecstatic when they bought two sequels. With my next series, the first book was written and I had an idea for a follow-up, so we were able to sell the two books together. As for what comes next…we’ll have to wait and see!

Thanks so much, Anna!

See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews
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Posted October 2013

Query.Sign.Submit. with Erica Finkel

Erica Finkel, Editor

Erica is an assistant editor at Abrams Books for Young Readers and Amulet Books.

She is interested in picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Particularly realistic fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. She’s not a good match for non-fiction or thrillers. *Please note that Erica only accepts submissions through literary agents and conferences.

To connect with and learn more about Erica . . .

Twitter

QSS banner Erica will be sharing her insight on the SUBMIT phase, from the editor side of things!

SUBMIT

What do you love most about your job? Was it in your career plan or did it happen along the way?

My favorite part about my job is definitely working with authors. I love that my job puts me in contact with so many creative, talented people. And while I’m not a writer myself, seeing my edits and collaboration pay off in an improved draft is profoundly satisfying every time.

(Aside from the editorial heavy-lifting, there are plenty of other times at work when I sit back and think, “It’s crazy that I’m being paid to do this!” Like when we were working on the Origami Yoda activity book, and I spent the day making Star Wars characters out of origami, or when we were trying to woo a major author at a robot-themed meeting, so I spent the day making robots out of juice boxes.)

I’ve known since I was an English major in college that I wanted to work in publishing, but I didn’t necessarily think of children’s books until I was actually working full-time in the industry and saw that that’s where the really fun stuff was happening. Now it feels like a natural fit for me and I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.

What is the hardest part about being an editor?

Time management! It’s tough to tackle that submissions pile in a speedy yet thoughtful way. You have to be confident in your tastes and be able to make a judgment quickly, in only a few chapters. And just be a really fast reader I guess.

I would also say, perhaps not for being an editor but for being an assistant editor, the hardest part is acquisitions. Making those first few book deals are the toughest I think. You have fewer people submitting to you, so it’s less likely that you’ll find that perfect project. And if you do find it, plenty of other people probably love it too, so you might get outbid or pre-empted by another house. I think (slash hope!) this gets easier over time, as you have more connections and a reputation to bank on.

Is there anything that would make a submission an automatic no?

Well, it’s not enough for the submission to be great in general, it has to be great for Abrams, so it would be an automatic no if it just wasn’t the kind of thing we would publish. Genre-wise, we don’t publish much non-fiction, especially self-help and science. Category-wise, we don’t publish early readers or new adult, for example. So, you just have to pay attention to who you’re querying, be it an agent, editor, imprint, or house, and what they’re specifically interested in seeing.

What does it take in a manuscript for you to share it with others?

This is the tough, unquantifiable question that probably drives authors crazy, because when I really love something, I just feel it. Argh! It would be easier if there were a set formula. I will try: fresh premise + commercial appeal + smart writing + good fit for imprint + personal resonance. How’s that?

I often respond to books with multiple hooks and layers. So often, perfectly good proposals often just feel too quiet, or too thin. I want to know what the takeaway is, but not in a heavy-handed “message-y” way. I want to be able to sum up in one sentence what the book is about, but also have a lot of angles to latch onto. There are so many factors to balance if you try to step back and analyze what makes an editor choose a manuscript, but at the end of the day, I think when editors find the right project, they just know.

If you decide you love a manuscript, what happens next?

If I love a manuscript, I would--after some hooting and hollering and telling my boss “Oh, I love this, yay!”--bring it to an editorial meeting. It’s a meeting once a week with the other editors in my department, a sales person, and our art director. They would have read about 20 pages if the manuscript is a novel, and we discuss. It’s sort of like a professional book club, but we weigh in a lot of more objective factors—sales figures, author platform, the needs of our list, etc.—that extend beyond our personal tastes. If the conversation is generally positive, another editor and my publisher may volunteer to read more and see if it’s ready for Pub Board (acquisitions).

What happens in an acquisitions meeting?

Well, it’s a lot of big-wigs in a conference room. Our CEO, CFO, head of sales, head of foreign rights, head of publishing operations, publishers, editors-in-chiefs, etc. meet once a week to discuss buying projects. Beforehand, the editors send out profit-and-loss statements for their projects (which factor in numbers like quantity, author advance, and production costs) and manuscripts for the sales team to read. Typically, if the project has gotten to an acquisitions meeting, it’s gone through enough hoops (the editor, editorial meeting, and publisher) that the CEO won’t block the offer entirely, but he may say to lower the advance or quantity or some other part of the proposal.

What would you love to find in your inbox?

My next acquisition, of course! I’d love to find an emotionally gripping, contemporary YA romance like Eleanor and Park or Amulet’s own The Infinite Moment of Us. I also love fantasy that balances quick storytelling with lyrical writing in the vein of Kristin Cashore and Maggie Stiefvater. And I’m drawn to male narrators with very distinct voices, full of intelligence, grit, and dry humor, like Gary Schmidt, John Green, and Amulet’s own Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. I’d also like to try editing a graphic novel or a younger, boy-friendly, high-concept chapter book series.

What advice would you give to writers?

To read as many children’s books as possible, for one. It’s super-helpful when querying to have a sense of the market and know how your book fits into it. Also, to get involved! Conferences and writers groups are great ways to get feedback on your work, connect with other authors, and get a sense of the industry. It’s a pretty small, welcoming industry once you make those first steps, and with agents’ and editors’ in-boxes overflowing, personal connections are a tremendous asset. And not to give up!

A BIG thank you to Erica for joining us!

See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews
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Posted October, 2013 – Always check for current info and guidelines.

AT YOUR SERVICE Cover Reveal!!

I met the fabulous Jen Malone through the slush of a writing contest and now here she is revealing her gorgeous COVER for her debut Middle Grade novel AT YOUR SERVICE. (Available August 2014 from Aladdin!) I am seriously honored to be its first host.

And yes, of course you can add AT YOUR SERVICE to Goodreads. :)

Here it is . . . (Absolutely ADORABLE, right?!)

ATYOURSERVICE

Tween Chloe Turner wants nothing more than to follow in Dad’s footsteps as a respected concierge at a posh NYC hotel.  After all, living at a hotel is heaven, and perks like free concert tickets and chic restaurant meals aren’t too shabby either. When the spoiled brat child of an important guest is only placated by some quick thinking on Chloe’s part, Chloe is awarded the role of Junior Concierge. But she might be in over her head when tasked with tending to the every whim of three royal guests: a twelve-year-old who can’t stand her, a fourteen year-old prince(!), and a ten-year-old with a nasty habit of going missing. When the younger princess slips Chloe’s care, Chloe must risk her reputation and embark with the remaining royals on a time-sensitive, but funny, and event-filled hunt through NYC’s best tourist spots. 

 Jen Malone Author 
I sent Jen a list of some get-to-know-you questions and she answered them all with her usual enthusiasm. Be sure to add her book to Goodreads and follow her on twitter.

If you could have been told one thing that you weren't told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard?

Almost any path is changeable and/or fixable. Back then, I thought I had to figure out what one job I would do forever and I think I’m now on career change #47. But each one has influenced the other and what’s even more fun is how they’re all now showing up in my writing. The jobs I worked as a teenager were the most fun: they included being Santa’s elf at the mall one Christmas (hidden skill: I can laminate pictures and turn them into keychains in my sleep) and supervising customers’ hot tub try out sessions. Let’s just say I learned a few things on that job. Bubbles only hide so much!

What is the best thing you have done in your life?

Made faces at a total stranger in the car next to me, while zooming down the highway, in a state I didn’t live in. Second best thing was holding my cell phone number up to the window. He called. That stranger is now my husband and yes, we honestly, truly, did meet this way. I swear.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you?

I don’t know if this is the weirdest but I traveled for a year solo after college. At the beginning of my trip, I made a friend in Sydney at a youth hostel. A month later I ran into him on a bus in Singapore. A month after that I bumped into him at a street market in Kathmandu and three months after that I saw him out a train window while in Dublin, Ireland. The world is a small, small place, my friends.

What's your favorite material object that you already own?

My stuffed hippo. I’ve had him since I was nine. He still sleeps with me and I make sure my kids know that they can hang onto their special things as long as they want. Even grown-ups sometimes need something that makes them feel safe just by virtue of being snuggly. When I was a teen, my mom warned me no guy would ever want to marry me if he had to share the bed with a ratty stuffed animal. She had to eat her words, but she was a good sport about it. She made Hippy a tuxedo and planted him right on the bridal party table at our wedding. So yeah, I’d grab him first in a fire.

If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go and why?

At the moment it would be Chili. I’ve visited five continents but I still need South America and Antarctica. If I were in Chili, I could hop a boat to the South Pole and check both boxes at once!

If you woke up as Oprah Winfrey, what's the first thing you would do?

Copy every one of her contacts so that, when the spell wore off, I could have direct lines to the president, Ryan Gosling, AND the Dahli Lama- maybe I’d even conference them.

As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?

A writer. Even though I forgot that for a very, very long stretch of time. I was just going through our attic and found, in a storage box, a little pillow that my mom cross-stitched when I was about ten. It is tiny and has a ribbon attached, so it can hang from a doorknob. It says “Quiet, Writer At Work”. Yeah, I cried. It now hangs from the corner of my writing desk.

What was your favorite decade? (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, etc.)

80’s. I was a kid and early teen then and I genuinely didn’t realize that what made the music so good was that it was so very bad or that the reason the fuzz stuck to the walls of my bathroom was all the aerosol hairspray residue. Plus…jelly bracelets.

What cartoon character best represents your personal philosophy?

Tigger. Bounce first, look later.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I would like to have either an amazing memory or the ability to jump through my life at will and relive days here and there. I would love to go back and experience the first day I drove a car or started college or left for a trip around the world or had a kiss knock me senseless or found out I was pregnant. I have rosy memories, but I’d like to know what I was REALLY feeling. I think this is on my mind so much as I try to write younger characters.

If you can be a Disney character, who would you be and why?

Belle. So cliché, but that LIBRARY at the castle!!

What is something you have that is of sentimental value?

My great grandmother’s day planner from 1912. Her entries are along the lines of “Went for carriage ride in snow with Sadie” and “Ed picked me up in his machine and we went for drive”. I like to see what she was up to on this day in history.

Do you like to sing in the shower?

No, but I did have to buy Crayola bath crayons because I plot in the shower and I’d constantly be jumping out with shampoo still in my hair to search for a pen and paper.

Weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

Jellyfish. And a crocodile and kangaroo shish-ka-bob in the Australian outback. Best meal ever was in Morocco. A few travel-mates and I rode with two guides on camel into the Sahara desert, the guides stopped at a seemingly random sand dune and began digging up this unbelievable naan bread they’d buried to cook in the sun on their last trip. It was ah-mazing. The stars out there didn’t hurt either!