The Struggle is Real Week 8: When Life Hits Back

 

It’s been nearly two weeks since my last post. Did anyone notice I was missing?

 

But I have good news/bad news.  The good news. I wrote.  Finally.  The scene that had been in my head for well over a week.  It poured onto the page and it felt really good to get it out there. 

 

The bad news? Well pretty much everything since than has been downhill. First I was under the weather—not a bad bug, but enough to make me tired and run down and cranky.  And  enough to know I needed to rest when and where I could.  I don’t know about you, but since hitting my –ahem—"over 50s”, I have found if I don’t rest when I am sick it takes a lot longer to get well.  Gone are the glory days of my 20s and 30s where I could just down some Ibuprofen, chug some coffee and keep up the same pace, knowing I’d feel better in a day or two.  That ended some time in my 40s.

 

Then at the beginning of this week, just days after I was starting to feel better, FIL had a heart attack.  If you are regular readers, you probably know I am one of his caregivers.  But suddenly some things that were only in the “idea” stages had to happen –and fast.  We’d talked about setting up a downstairs bedroom for him, but it was still in the "just talking" stages.  And then suddenly it had to happen now.  We weren’t sure when they would send him home, but since hospital stays these days are pretty brief, we assumed it needed to be ASAP.  With the help of good friends and everyone pitching in, it got done in an afternoon.  We are still in the process of moving his clothes and toiletries etc downstairs and figuring out where everything will go, but the hard part is done at least.

 

So not a lot of time to write since that one lovely afternoon of writing bliss. 

 

But like I always say, I have not given up yet. 

Wednesday on Writing: Rejection

 

Rejection.  The very word can bring up all sorts of negative feelings.  We’ve all felt this way at one time or another, and it takes a lot of courage to take something you’ve put your heart and soul into and place it into the cold, uncaring hands of a stranger.

 

Getting a sterile rejection for that effort is disheartening.

 

It may seem a bit like I am focusing on the negative by talking about rejections, but let’s talk about them anyway.

 

They are a part of life in the world of publishing.  And they don’t get easier. 

 

Plain and simply put: they sting.

 

Reminding you that they are not personal, they are simply part of the business is not going to help.  We all have to do what we have to do to get past it, sulk, rage, eat chocolate, vent to a friend. 

 

But when that’s over and done with, it’s time to take a more practical approach and ask yourself  what  it mean. Why did your story get rejected?

 

Most rejections come in one of two forms: 

 

1.       A basic form letter rejection that uses phrases like “doesn’t suit our needs” or “isn’t right for us at this time.”

2.      The revise and resubmit rejection.  This is where the editor addresses you personally, tells you what he or she would like to see you work on and asks you to resubmit the story again when you are done.

 

Because number one is so vague, it can often leave you wondering what you did wrong.   Okay first let me say this—chances are you did nothing wrong, your story just wasn’t a good fit.  And there can be several different reasons for that.

 

Remember in the first installment of this series where I talked about the importance of researching publishing houses? Well if you did that you may have found that some of them tend to favor a certain type of story.  I always encourage new authors to look for a publishing house that has published stories similar to your writing in style and tone.  But what do I mean by that?

 

Well if a publisher typically publishes sweet or very tepid romances and you submit something that’s smoking hot… chances are you are not going to get the outcome you desire.  Or if they only publish mainstream fiction, gritty war stories and spy thrillers and you submit a cozy mystery… again.  Not gonna end the way you want.

 

So sometimes a “doesn’t fit our needs” rejection is simply that you submitted something that’s not the type of story they typically publish.

 

And sometimes it means craft issues.  Sad to say but not every publisher is super fussy about writing craft.  Characters may shift viewpoints all over the page (also knowns as head hopping), and there may be a lot of narrative (also known as passive writing).  If that’s how you write, then that works for them.

 

So to submit a story with head hopping and passive writing to a publisher who specifies they only want one viewpoint per scene and are looking for stories with active writing is probably not going to end the way you want. 

 

So this is what I mean by the “doesn’t fit our needs” rejection being a bit vague, it doesn’t always tell you what the reason was for the rejection and leaves you to sort it out. 

 

And, yes, sometimes “doesn’t fit our needs” means there is sooo much wrong with this story we don’t have enough time to explain it all.

 

So take a long hard look at your writing.  If you really believe in your story, then brush up on some craft issues, or ask someone with experience to take a look at it, an independent editor or someone from a writing group. And remember to take any criticism in the helpful spirit intended rather than personally.  Yes it hurts to hear your writing isn’t perfect, but choose to learn and grow rather than lash out.

 

The second rejection is a bit more positive, though it’s not a guarantee that you are on the right track.  And the response to this one is tricky. 

 

Speaking as an editor who has sent out these letters, sometimes you really enjoyed the story but simply want the author to eliminate some back story or brush up on some craft issues.  Yes you want to see the story again, but you are also interested to see what the author can do with it.  So if you get one such letter, take your time and make sure to really give it your all.  Do not, however, return the MS within 24 hours.  Even if you pulled an all-nighter and got all the changes addressed. 

 

You will have rushed, and you will have missed something.  And chances are the editor is going to wonder why you were in such a hurry.  Here’s a tip. When we’ve just finished reading an entire MS and sent you a well thought out rejection, we don’t necessarily want to see it back on our desk again in 48 hours.  We’d like some distance from the story so it’s fresh again when we read it next time.  A couple of weeks, thirty days, even six weeks is a good amount of time. So do the changes, and let your story sit for a few days or even a week or more and then double check your work.  Slowing down and taking your time increases your chance of a positive outcome, especially since some editors will not look at a story a third or fourth time—if they reject you a second time, they most likely won’t ask to see it again.  We simply don’t have the kind of time it takes to hand hold someone through revising a MS.

 

So as I wrap up this part of the series, let me share some thoughts with you.  We’ve talked a lot about craft and professionalism. 

 

The sad truth is the main reason a story is rejected involves craft issues. If not the writing technique itself, then because the MS was not clean of grammar, errors and punctuation or because the author didn’t know how to organize a plot or have any understanding of what it means to write a book.  They just sat down, wrote it, submitted and waited for the world to fall at their feet. 

 

There is nothing wrong with taking the time to learn the craft of writing.  Think of it this way.  If you were seated on the runway right now, waiting for a plane to take off for a long-awaited vacation and your pilot came over the intercom and announced that this was his first time ever flying a plane and he was excited to be sharing this moment with you… would you stay put or run for the nearest exit?

 

If the plumber looking at your kitchen faucet told you he was pretty sure he could fix it, he just needed to look up some videos on YouTube to figure it out, would you still let him fix your sink?

 

Or if the doctor about to perform your knee replacement surgery told you he’s never done this before, but he’s seen other doctors do it, would you still go through with it?

 

Don’t submit your work to a publisher if you haven’t taken the time to learn the craft. 

 

And it should go without saying, but since we started out by talking about professionalism… don’t burn your bridges.  No matter how much you disagree with what the editor said in your rejection letter, resist the urge to tell her to eff off or argue that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. 

 

We see this all the time and while we don’t take it personally, we do have very good memories. If you were rude and unprofessional the first time around, why would I look at your work again?

 

Okay so that will wrap up this part of the series.  I am not sure yet what next I will chat about next week, but stop back and find out!

Wednesday on Writing: The Query Part II.

 

So one of the things I received emails about after last week’s post was this comment:

 

This is another area where it’s very important to give the publisher exactly what they asked for, no more, no less and no different. 

 

Boy you guys didn’t like that one.  So let’s focus on that for a moment.

 

Most publishers will ask for the following:

 

·         A query letter

·         A detailed synopsis

·         in some cases, the first few pages of the MS (some ask for the first three, the first five, or even the first ten)

 

If their website does not say “hey, send us whatever you want, we don’t mind.  You do you!” then I would send them that and only that.

 

Why?

 

Simple.  To quote one of my favorite lines from The Godfather: “This isn’t personal, it’s business.” So keep in mind that this is a business transaction.  You have something I may want—a completed story.  And I have something you may want.  A publishing contract.  So let’s not beat around the bush, add unnecessary details (as we mentioned in last week’s chat about the query letter) or make this harder than it has to be.

 

We’ve already talked about the importance of the introduction.  Now let’s move on to the “show me your cards” phase. 

 

The synopsis.

Okay so a synopsis is not quite as scary as a horror movie, but it comes close.  I have been in this business, as I have mentioned for many, many years and I still don’t like writing them.  But they are a necessary evil in this business.  

So suck it up, buttercup, and learn to write one. 

I’ll pause here while you come to terms with that little bit of tough love.   

The big bad synopsis can’t hurt you.  It’s just words on a page.  Once you get over your fear of writing one, you take away its power to scare you.  

There, there. 

Better now?

 I will talk at some point about how to write one and what to include.  Today, however, we are going to talk about why you must do it. 

Yes, I said “must.”

 I am not going to insult your intelligence by telling you what a synopsis is, or what purpose it serves--you already know that.  But I am going to tell you why it’s necessary. 

Time is short.  A couple of weeks ago we talked about the fact that many publishers have been forced out of business and that the ones still standing are swamped.  So as an editor, I need to know right away if you know what you are doing, if you can write and if you know how to format a story.  And I need to know that now. 

Let me put it another way.  I wouldn’t set out on a cross country trip with someone I wasn’t sure knew how to drive, or without a map showing me how we were going to get there. 

 That’s kind of what the synopsis does for the editor. It shows me our starting point, the twists and turns along the way and the final destination.  And it tells me whether or not you can drive. 

Whoa, Nic, that’s a lot of pressure. 

Yes and no.  I have never yet rejected someone for a poorly written synopsis (that does not include poor grammar or spelling). Nor have I offered someone a contract because their synopsis blew me away.  

It’s just another part of the introduction to you, the author. And that’s why it must be there. 

I am amazed at the lengths authors will go to avoid writing a synopsis.  I have seen, charts, graphs, spreadsheets, family trees, tables and character lists in place of the required synopsis.  

Was I impressed by this?  I honeslty can't tell you because I didn’t bother to look.  Nope.  I asked for a synopsis, if you don’t send one I will send you a note letting you know it’s required.  If you refuse to send one or don’t respond, I am going to move on to the next author who knows how to follow directions and you are going to get a brief note letting you know your query has been withdrawn. 

Ouch.  What’s with all the tough love today? 

As I said, publishing houses are swamped.  And at this point, when my inbox is bulging with new queries and I have to dig through them to find a good one, it feels a lot like speed dating.  

In other words, dazzle me now before the clock runs out.  Okay, so I don’t actually have a timer set, but I am looking for that spark, that zing that gets my attention and invites me to linger.  

Which brings me to those sample pages.  And here is the real test.  

Yes, that’s exactly what it is. A sample, if you will.  Like when you are walking through those membership only big box retail stores and a rep offers you some delicious smelling sample of a new product.  You either like it and want to know more, or you don’t and you spit it out. And that’s exactly the point of the sample pages.  The synopsis may tell me you know where you are going and how to get there, but this is the test drive.  

If the publisher asks for the first three pages of your manuscript then please, send them the first three pages. Even if they end in the middle of sentence. 

 Wait a minute, are you saying you can tell whether or not someone can write based on just a few pages?

 Yep.

Let’s pause here for another harsh dose of reality. 

There used to be a saying in the publishing world that a reader will give a book three pages before they decided whether they want to read it. 

Those days are long gone. 

Attention spans are much shorter, as is down time.  And money. 

So if a reader is going to spend their hard-earned money and their precious leisure time on your story, you better start that story with the dead elephant in the living room. 

Wait, the dead what?? 

I've paraphrased an old saying but it means start with the day that was different.  Start with the action.  Think of the last James Bond move you watched.  Did it start with Agent 007 showering, getting a cup of coffee, looking at his phone and taking the dog out for a walk?  No, it likely started with him on a high-speed chase over winding roads with steep drop offs or jumping out of a helicopter onto a speeding boat over shark infested waters.  

Too often I see authors who think they need several chapters of “set up” (also known as back story) to get the story moving. 

 Nope.  The stuff that gets the story moving is where the story should start.  If it doesn’t happen until chapter ten you have started your story in the wrong place.  And no editor or reader on this planet is going to give you that much time to grab their attention.  

And that’s what those sample pages are for. They tell me whether you know where your story begins—the “opening hook” as it’s known.  If you know how to grab the reader's attention.  

As I read those next few pages I can also see if you know how to balance the dialogue and narrative, if it is clear who your main characters are, if you know how to show rather than tell and your grasp of viewpoint. 

All of that in just a handful of pages.  

And that’s why those early pages are important.  

Sending me the first three pages of chapter two because that’s where it “gets good” is not going to help.  Sending me your entire first chapter is not going to help.  For that matter sending me your entire story is not going to help. 

I need to know what I need to know and part of what I need to know—besides whether or not you can write a good story-- is whether you can follow directions. 

If you are not willing to work with me on something as simple as this, then I have to stop and wonder what you’d be like to work with during the editing process. 

And there are a lot of other people in my inbox who are already doing it right.

 

Next week:  The Rejection.

 

By the way are you guys enjoying this series?  I am getting a lot of views and friend requests, but no comments.  Be sure to leave me comments about the things you’d like to ask an editor, they may inspire future posts!

Wednesday on Writing: The Query

 

One question I am often asked is what are you looking for in query?  My answer, almost always, is this: professionalism. 

 

What do I mean by that?

 

Gosh I’m so glad you asked because I could go on about this all day! LOL.

 

Let’s start with the salutation.  Yep, it starts there.

 

So you’ve reviewed the publisher’s website and you know what to submit and to whom.  How do you start your letter?  Well the name of the person is Jane Doe, so let's start with 

Dear Jane.

 

Insert loud buzzer sound here.

 

Are you sure you want to start with Dear Jane?  Does Jane know you? Have you met Jane? Are you acquainted well enough to be on a first name basis with Jane?? If you cannot answer any of those questions with a resounding “Yes!” then don’t do it.

 

I’ve polled fellow editors and found them split fifty fifty on whether or not this bothers them.  Some of us find the over familiarity off putting and unprofessional, some don’t even think twice about it.  Since you have no idea of knowing which category Jane falls into, I’d start with a more formal greeting.  You can say Dear Ms. Doe, or even Dear Editor.  But I would not recommend starting with Dear Jane. (And I cannot believe I have to say this, but don't start with Dear Sir.  I still see that one sometimes.  It's way too outdated.)

 

Next.  What does the editor need to know at this point?  Well you want to pitch a story to her, right?  So let’s start by talking about that.

 

Some important things to mention up front: whether or not the story is complete.  This is more important than you might think. Finishing a story is an accomplishment and tells me you are not just a hobbyist.  A lot of people start books; a professional author finishes them.

 

Next: what is the word count?  If the publisher’s website says they accept books up to 85k and you submit one that is 140k, it is not going to end the way you want.  They will either tell you it needs to be cut down to their word count requirements, or they will simply flat out reject you.

 

But Nic, if the editor loves my story, won’t they tell me where to cut?

 

Let me set the record straight on this one.  That’s a common misconception.  I wish I had that kind of time.  But publishing houses are swamped these days.  As more and more go under due to the economy or the world of self-publishing, the more authors who don’t want to self pub come to our doorsteps.  But in my 35+ years in the world of publishing I have never seen an editor do that for an unpublished author. Let me put it this way:  I would never ask someone who isn’t contracted to do edits.  And I can’t contract a story that’s longer than the maximum word count allowed by my publisher.  See how that works?  So there is only one way for that scenario to end, I’m afraid.  (If you are truly committed to your story, the only real option for outside help would be to hire an independent editor to evaluate the story and offer you some suggestions.)

 

When we get to the “how to” section of this writing series, we will talk about knowing when and where to cut.

 

Next.  The genre.  If you don’t know it, am I supposed to guess?  It’s a cozy mystery, or it’s a sweet young adult romance, or it’s a romantic suspense.  I may know based on what you are telling me, but I need to know that you know.

 

So now we have the opening lines of our query letter.  What is it, is it complete and how long is it?

 

I’ll start with what’s familiar to me. 

Dear Editor,

 Wild Texas Wind is a work of western historical romance complete at 85k words. 

There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? 

Next tell me as little about your story.  Again, I’ll work with one of my own since that’s easier. 

Arden O’Hara has faked her own kidnapping to test her fiancé’s affections.  Does he love her, or her father’s money? What she doesn’t realize is her plan has gone horribly wrong and she has actually been kidnapped. 

Raz Colt is the bounty hunter hired by her father to find her.  For the amount of money being offered, he’ll walk through hell itself if that’s what it takes.  Only Raz is expecting a little girl, not a full-grown woman.

 

Okay that’s enough to get my attention. It hints at the conflict gives me an idea of what the story is about and a taste of the author's voice.   

Next you may want to mention any professional affiliations.  If you belong to any writing groups, now is the time to mention them.  This tells me you are serious and since some of these organizations actually focus on professionalism, it tells me you are a step above many of the other authors waiting in my inbox. Are you already published? If so, with whom? Even if you are self-published, it still tells me you know how to finish what you start, so don’t feel you can’t mention that.

 

If you don’t have any of those to mention, that’s okay, it’s not a deal breaker.  Mentioning that you saw on the publisher’s website that they are looking for –insert genre here-- is helpful, too, or if you met them at a conference, remind them.  That tells me you actually know who you are submitting to and did your research.

 

A little bio about yourself never hurts, but I don’t mean how long you’ve been married, and how many grandkids/dogs/cats you have.   A query is an inquiry after all, not an invitation to tell your life story.  So just share the stuff that’s relevant to your writing self.  After all, this is a business, not a dating website (I know that sounds harsh but imagine wading through dozens of these on a daily basis).  So anything included should be related to your story—if you are a western author and have worked with horses all your life; a Civil War author and you are a reenactor; a medical professional and your main character is a doctor.  And definitely, if you did hands on research on your story topic, mention it here. 

Otherwise it’s perfectly appropriate to just cut to the chase and say the synopsis and first X number of pages (if the publisher requests those, some find it helpful to expedite the review process, others don’t require it) are below. 

I’ll do a brief recap.   This is what an editor wants to know at this point in the process:

·         What is the genre?

·         What is the length?

·         Is it complete?

·         What is your experience as an author (aka do you know what you are doing?)

·         Can you write? This is where the synopsis comes in and in some cases those sample pages.

      This is another area where it’s very important to give the publisher exactly what they asked for, no more, no less and no different. 

 

We will cover that next week with some dos and don’ts. 

 

 

 

Wednesday on Writing: Key Issues to Search before Submitting Your Work

 

Last week we spoke about doing your research to find the right publishing house for you.

Brief recap: 

 ·         They accept the genre you write

·         Your story falls within their word count requirements.

·         You’ve reviewed their requirements and removed/don’t have any content they don’t accept

·         You have researched them as a publishing house, possibly even talked to some of their published authors and are happy with what you found

 

Great, let’s get this thing submitted!

 

Ahhh but wait.  Are you sure it’s ready?  A clean manuscript can be the difference between a form letter “doesn’t suit our needs” rejection and a request to review the full manuscript, or at the very least, a rejection that asks you to make some revisions and resubmit.  Before we get to the why’s and wherefores of rejections, let’s do our part to make sure your story gets some positive attention from an editor:

 

Disclaimer time. Obviously I don’t know how many years you have spent learning the craft of writing, how far along in the process you are or what your skills are.  I only know from an editor’s perspective and the perspective of one who has often been asked to look at the work of beginning authors for feedback. 

 

Let me pause here a moment and say every author needs feedback.  No matter how good you are, or think you are, there is always something to learn.  If you are only just starting out—just typed “the end” and have had no feedback except from family members or friends --who may or may not know the writing craft and may or may not know how to be honest with you-- I’d take a big step back from “ready to submit” and focus on the writing and the story.  Find a writer’s group, or an online group.  A good critique partner can be as difficult to find as a good fitting pair of jeans. And all the trying out can be just as frustrating, discouraging and disheartening as trying on a hundred pairs of jeans in a department store fitting room. But keep going until you find the right fit. 

 

Anyway, with the rise in self-publishing and people’s attention spans ever shorter, not as many people focus on the actual craft as they used to.  And why would they? As I’ve already noted, self-publishing is just a few mouse clicks away, people don’t want to write well anymore, they just want it out fast. 

 

I feel it’s important to wait and get it right, but that’s just me.

 

End of rant, let’s get back to where we were.  Whether you are a true novice or a seasoned writer, giving your MS a once over to search for key issues before submitting to a publisher is never a bad idea. 

 

Don’t fall into the trap of over-editing your story.  Constant reading and tweaking is not what I’m talking about.  I mean search (Ctrl F) for key issues.  While genres like mainstream fiction, YA and women’s fiction are not quite as picky about things like telling and passive voice, it doesn’t hurt to look for these things in your story and address them.  Active writing, after all, is what makes a reader feel as if they are “there”.

 

I won’t get into the nitty gritty on active versus passive writing, viewpoint, showing rather than telling or dialogue tags just now—each of those are a subject on their own and could fill pages. We will save those lessons for later in the series.  But some basic things I would recommend you address before submitting are:

Name over use.  How many times are you using your characters’ names per page?  Does almost every line of dialogue begin or end with someone saying the other character’s name, and that character then responding using the other character’s name?  Trust me that gets old fast.  Soap operas are not much of a thing these days, but once upon a time they were notorious for doing that so that new viewers could keep track of who is who. But I still see it a lot on TV and in movies.  So let’s fix that.  As long as the reader knows who is in the scene, it’s not necessary to hit them over the head with names.  You can easily substitute things like “the dark-haired woman” or “the older man” or “the boy” in place of proper names. 

 

So do a search on those—you may be surprised how much you have actually used them.  And just a warning… once you get in the habit of noticing this, you cannot not notice it—in every book, television show or movie.

 

Word overuse.  This same repetition can also be applied to pet words.  Most authors have a word or phrase they love and use way too much.  Frequent ones are that, just, and really.  But it can also be a phrase or gesture. A good way to know if you are doing this is to read your work aloud.  To yourself, to your dog, to your spouse—whoever will listen.  If that doesn’t work for you, search for the “read aloud” feature in your version of Word (only newer version have this) and have the computer read it to you. 

 

Passive words.  Other passive words that can drag the pace of your writing down are:  was and words that end in ing or ly.  This is especially true if the word preceding those ing or ly words happens to be was.  Other words you might want to look for: saw, watched, heard, thought, felt, knew, moved, reached.   We all use them, and sometimes there is no way around them, but it’s important to eliminate where you can.  So quick lesson: he was riding becomes – he rode.  She was crying – she cried.  He was ugly—describe it instead.  As for the filtering words like watched, saw, heard—just describe what they are seeing instead “he saw a blue sky” instead try describing it.  White clouds floated in an azure sky—you get the gist. 

 

Search and Highlight.  You can do a simple search in Word and see the actual number of times you have used these words and in newer versions, you actually will get a snippet with all the results.  But you can also do a search and highlight (Ctrl+H) and highlight those words to better show you.  Your goal at this point should be to eliminate at least half.

 

Now this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to writing craft.  But let’s start there. 

 

Spelling and grammar. Next run a spelling and grammar check.  You’d be surprised how many manuscripts I’ve seen with typos and misspelled words.  While the odd typo is not grounds for immediate rejection, too many of them suggest to me that you rushed or are careless. There is a very good spell/grammar check in Word, or you can download the free version of Grammarly.  If spelling and or punctuation are areas you struggle with, you may want to go into your version of Word and enable the “check spelling as your type” option (with so many versions of Word out there, it would be difficult for me to pinpoint where to find it, but a search in the help field should do it).

 

Formatting. And finally, once all of that is done, make sure your MS is formatted to the standards required by the publisher.  Every publisher is different, so pay close attention to their specifications.  If their website says all submissions must be in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier with one-inch margins all around, then you better be sure your format is exactly that.  Well Nic, surely they wouldn’t reject an author for not submitting in the proper format, would they?  It’s hard to say, but why take the chance—and does an editor really want to work with someone who can’t follow directions?  I know I don’t.

 

Now that we’ve done all of that, you may be ready to submit your story to a publisher.  And while taking the necessary steps listed above will not guarantee you a publishing contract or even a request to review the entire story, they are important craft issues, and it never hurts to be aware of them. 

 

If my years in the publishing industry have taught me one thing, it’s that everyone has a story—but not everyone can write it.  The good news is writing is a process we learn by doing, so keep at it!

So let’s move on to the next step---insert spooky music here—The Query.

 

We will talk about that next week!