Editing for a Reason

I know the title of this post is obvious. OF COURSE you edit for a reason, but let me elaborate. Before submitting my query to agents, I made several passes of Lost and Found. My two crit partners went through the whole thing, including a few chapters more than once. When all was said and done, the whole thing had been read and edited five + times and the beginning probably close to ten.

Since the first edits, I’ve queried many agents, getting a few requests for partials and fulls. One agent last week asked for a two-page synopsis and the first 30 pages of the manuscript (as I blogged about last week). Luckily, she got back to me right away since I was on pins and needles. She loved the premise, thought the writing was good, but said that the pacing was too slow. If I would cut the book (which was 83,400 words) “a lot” she would love for me to re-query.

Considering her letter, I had to agree. Despite going over the beginning several times, I could cut it down and get to the point. The pacing wasn’t fast and I didn’t get to my conflict soon enough. It’s funny how you can view something so different when someone points out the obvious.

Now I’m working on trimming it down to around 65,000 words (which would be around 18,000 shorter). The task is tough, yet in the end, even if the agent who made the suggestion doesn’t want to take myself and the book on as a client, I know that I will end up with a better book.

Remember when editing, get to the conflict as fast as possible. Grab the reader from the start and don’t let go. Read the first 30 pages over several times. Are there plot points that you never integrate into the rest of the book? If there is, cut it and get to the point. Readers want to be pulled in from the first word, not the fiftieth page.

Helpful Websites When Querying an Agent

It's always important to research everything pertaining to your book's subject when writing. So why stop the research when searching for an agent? I've put a list together of great websites to help writers in their query/agent process. I use all websites I've listed each and every day on my road to finding an agent. If you know of any other sites to add, please post them in the comments for all to see!

Absolute Write- The Absolute Write forums are awesome and the Bewares and Background Check portion is unmatchable. Not only can you find out agents/agencies' backgrounds, but you can also puruse fellow writers' posts regarding how long the wait times on queries/partials and fulls were for them. It's a great place to hang out and hear about the road to agents/publication for your peers. Very supportive crowd.

Preditors & Editors- If you've ever sent queries out into the world or you are thinking of starting the process, you need to have this site bookmarked. You can find a list of agents/agencies/publishers with their contact information and if they are recommended. If you are weary of an agent/agency, look no further than Preditors & Editors.

PublishersMarketplace- This is an invaluable site, but to reap all benefits, it's a $20 per month fee (you can find all member benefits listed on the site). That's not saying it's not worth it! You can find the latest and greatest news, reviews and deals, along with very informative articles. Search for agents to find all information about their recent sales and clients. They also have a Publishers Lunch email service that is free. If you can't afford the $20 a month, make sure to sign up for the slimmer, free version.

Agent Query- This site is where I start off making my list of agents to query. You can search by genre or keywords to bring up a list of agents. It is the largest database on the web. How can you go wrong?

Query Tracker- Query Tracker is a lot like Agent Query, except to benefit completely, you have to sign up for their services (it's free!). You can tracker which agents you've sent your query to, their response, etc. While you're there, check out the great blog and forums associated with the site.

Miss Snark's First Victim- I've talked about this site before. It's awesome! Writers can submit their work for critiques and contests. A secret agent reads through the entries (the requested material changes each month), commenting on each one. Everyone is welcome to comment, as long as they play nice. At the end of the month, the secret agent is revealed and the top selections are chosen and awarded.

Query Shark- Run by super-agent Janet Reid, Query Shark is a great place to not only read other writers' queries (and what they did wrong), but also submit your own! Can't beat an agent breaking your query down and pointing out what works and what doesn't!

The Agent Hunt- Part 2

I’ve had an interesting past week; extreme high to lows, but it’s all in the process of hunting for an agent. I thought it would be interesting to continue posting on my query process for all of the writers who have yet to take the plunge (and those who have been through the search can help with good advice). This is my first time through the query trails, and I never thought I could be so glued to my email.

The first few queries I sent out, I wanted to test the waters. Not sure how my query would fair, I've queried agents I thought would find my novel interesting or my novel seemed to be what they were looking for. I've made sure to take the time to personalize each and every query I sent out.

I didn’t hear back for a few days (which is very normal), but then three days later I received my first response. I stared at my email box, afraid to click on the letter. I sat at work, with my laptop next to me. Taking a deep breath, I opened it. Yep…rejection. It’s funny, I didn’t mind. In a way, it made me even more excited. I was finally in the game.

The first rejection spurred me on to send out more queries. I went down my list I made the week earlier and started to send out a few more at lunchtime. A couple of the agents were known to be quick responses, so I sat and waited. Six minutes later I had a 1 next to my inbox. Sure enough, it was from the speedy agent. Taking another deep breath, I clicked again. I had to read it two times, as shock, excitement and fear came over me. It was a request for a full. Despite being ready, I felt like I wasn’t as I stared at the email. Looking around, I tried to find someone to tell. I work in the same office as my husband, but he was in a meeting. Checking Skype, my crit partners weren’t on. I was freaking. I emailed them the good news and went straight to work. Well, actually, I asked my boss for the next day off to do another once over/revision of Lost and Found, then I went straight to work on it (luckily it was a slow day at my day job).

The next day, I woke up and got ready like I was going to work. Checking my email, I had another request for a partial from a different agent. Apparently my query worked! Starting at 9:30am, I worked until 11:30pm with only one short break. Everything had to be perfect. Finally, I sent out the partial and then the full.

Since sending the requested material, I've heard back from both agents, and both were rejections. One agent said that she loved the premise but wasn’t as engaged with the actual manuscript, the other said she didn’t feel the passion for it to offer representation. At first, this made me second guess my first chapters, but then I realized I’m still early in the game. I’ve gotten this far, I just need to find the one agent that feels as passionate about Lost and Found as I do. If every single agent that reads the first few chapters says the same thing, well, then it will be time to go back to the drawing board.

Yesterday I picked my heart back up off the floor and continued my query process. So far I’ve sent out 15 queries. Two were rejections off of the query, one partial request and the full. I still have 11 queries out there to agents…maybe one of them will be the one. If not, there are many more to send to, and believe me, I’m not ready to give up fighting.

The Hunt For an Agent

Sorry for the short post, but it’s been a long day and I just realized my agent tracking spreadsheet is corrupt. Not fun. Now, back on topic.

I’ve come to the point every writer obsesses about…the hunt for an agent. I’ve sweated over my query, rewritten the first chapters of my story a few times and spent more time than I could count on agents’ sites, blogs, AgentQuery and Publishers Marketplace.

Now comes the time to put a plan forward. I’ve made an excel template (that I was going to share with this post except it now seems to be corrupt for no reason) with information I need to keep track of who I’ve queried, when and their response. I also have a section on the agents I would like to send to, what and whom they represent and the format they’d like (query, synopsis, sample pages).

The query process can be daunting. Organization is the key. You don’t want to be the one to put hand to face, sending the wrong information to the wrong agent. Any suggestions from writers who have been around the block with querying, your comments are most welcome! I’m nervous, excited and a little apprehensive!

When I get my excel sheet back on track, I’ll try to post it here for those interested.

From the Pitching Mound: Writing a Successful Pitch

This week I had to do something I had yet to do in my writing career. I had to write a pitch for my current book, Lost and Found. How was I supposed to summarize 80,000 words in a few short sentences? I’ve always wondered how some authors could pitch their stories with easy and confidence, the words sounding like they came straight from the jacket flap. It's like having to climb up on a pitching mound in front of thousands of people and throw that first pitch. Hard? Of course! Doable? For sure!

Luckily, I had the help of Author X, a friend of YAedge. “Conflict,” she told me. “The conflict of your story is the key.”

Conflict. Couldn’t be too hard, right? Actually, I sat there, even though I know my plot so well, and couldn’t even tell her exactly what my conflict was at first. Then I thought of my main characters, Madison and Pence, and what their purpose is in the story. I realized I needed to explain not only the conflict, but also their purpose.

Quickly, I jotted down a few sentences. I came up with the conflict and plot in a nutshell, but it was missing the WOW factor. It was drab, boring. It needed a hook, something to grab an agent’s attention.

Author X took what I wrote and used her magic. She pulled in aspects of my story that didn’t even occur to me. The traits and personality of my characters shone through in four short sentences. With a few tweaks from myself and Tracy, I now have something that WOWs (or at least I think so).

The next time I have to write a pitch and/or query, I don’t think I’ll be able to do it with ease and grace, but at least I’ll know where to start. It’s all about the conflict.

Batter up!