Game of Books
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Christie

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Where’s the Book?

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Querying a book is a study in patience and fortitude … like balancing on one foot for hours or catching cats. Every author has a different story about how they got published but there is one truth that they all seem to agree on – publishing is not a quick process. The first part of the slow road is querying an agent. For every author that says I got an agent in a week (I try not to hate them too much) there are hundreds of others that say it took forever and that they were on their second or third agent by the time they got published.

Of course, I didn’t know this when I first finished my book, and this led to my first mistake. It is one that seems common enough to possibly be a rite of passage on the way to publishing. Here it is … I announced to everyone within earshot that I had finished my book. I can hear you saying, “Why shouldn’t you? You should be proud of yourself!” First, I agree and am extremely proud that I was able to put words to an entire novel! Just like any artistic endeavor where the creating process is demanding and sometimes never makes it to completion, the celebration should be in the work. Here’s the problem … it’s not good enough to just say you finished it, your family and friends want to see the final product. If you are planning on self-publishing or this is the one and only book you care to write, then by all means shout it from the roof top! But for those who are planning on trying to traditional publish, I’m warning you. Your well-meaning friend will begin to sound like the are-we-there-yet kid in the back seat of a long road trip, “When can I see your book?” over and over.

I feel this constant reminder of the long journey until the book is in hand might be unavoidable for the first book … I’m not sure I could have contained the celebration on completion of the manuscript … but I will do things a little differently for future books. Some of you may still be writing and will have the fortitude to silently jump for joy with only letting a beta reader or two know that you are done with the first draft. If so, kudos to you! Because the querying process is a long one. True story (I saw it on twitter, so you know it has to be true), a year after sending out a query a writer received a rejection letter even though her book (with the same title) was already a new best-seller! Agents are well-informed, savvy readers but they are still subject to their own preferences. No one knows the secret recipe for a guaranteed best-seller and if anyone sells you that then beware. It’s the readers who make it a best-seller and timing and luck and … well, the variables are endless. Therefore, my suggestion (if you have the fortitude) is to wait until you have a contract to announce your success to the world, so you can avoid Aunt Maeve turning into the old lady from the Wendy’s commercial and asking again and again, “Where’s the book?”

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Critique Groups – Got to love them (mostly)

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My relationship with writer critique groups is love/hate. When I was about 40K words into my novel and fresh from a writer’s conference full of inspiring workshops, I decided to heed the advice of the professionals and find a critique group. Fate would have it that there was a meetup for fiction writers near my condo that night, so I had no excuse or chance to change my mind. As instructed, I arrived with copies of my beloved first five pages and approached the table of unimposing writers in the diner as nervous as if I was having dinner with George and Amal Clooney at their Lake Como villa. What was I doing here? These are writers and I’m just a … well, not a writer. Then I remembered the encouraging words from the last workshop, “If you write, and you’re here, then you’re a writer.” Not sure if those were the exact words (ironically, I didn’t write them down) but it was what I needed to hear to keep moving forward. That night was a whirlwind with me barely able to focus until it was my turn to read, then afterward, listening to the positive feedback on some of my favorite phrases and pointing out my overlooked grammatical tics (Really, I was really unaware of how I really overuse the word really). Thus began the love part of the relationship where I had weekly feedback and support for my writing.

I made it a routine, taking all the notes from the group and editing my work then moving on to self-edit the next section before bringing it in for feedback. I was loving it! My writing and editing improved dramatically and all was good in the world. So, of course, this is where the hate part of the relationship began to form. Maybe that is too strong of a word, but I had found I had begun to dread going to the meetings and would leave more dejected than supported. Occasionally another writer would point out an exciting improvement I could make, but mostly I’d find myself frustrated with the comments. You see, with all my extensive self-editing, I had eliminated many of the beginning writer mistakes. Without the easy fix suggestions, everyone’s preferences and styles would start to bleed into their critiques.  My young adult mystery thriller was trying to morph into a literary adult sci-fi western fantasy with a touch of historical romance. I’d find myself wanting only to hear from the three or four similar genre sources, and then head out to do my edits. Sadly, my egocentric idea of a writer critique group doesn’t exist, it’s a two-way street. Which I’m sure the sci-fi writer figured out long before me, after I asked for the 10th time what was going on when, “the Florps waded through the glabula in search of pips.” So, after sitting through one too many excerpts from a war novel set in a distant galaxy, I decided I needed to take a break from the group, take the skills I’d learned, and finish my damn book!

Critique groups can be wonderful and frustrating. When you’re a newbie they can be a place to grow and flourish as a writer. If you can find one that is in your genre that is even better. As I work on my new novel or my short stories, I plan on finding a group through the SCBWI (Society of children’s book writers and illustrators), MWA (Mystery Writers of America), or SIC (Sisters in Crime) several great organizations that fit my genre of writing.  Who knows maybe there is a group that meets around the corner from my new condo? In the meantime, when the love takes over, I like to go back to my old group, get some fresh feedback, and hear which alien army is winning the space battle now.

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FINDING YOUR PERFECT MATCH

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Finding a literary agent is a grueling process, so staying positive and not letting it take over your life is essential.  In case you haven’t noticed, I lean toward optimism. When I finished my manuscript armed with only the basics on getting published, I thought getting an agent would be easy. That’s right, I own my words … I said would, not wouldn’t. And I was wrong! I have no way of knowing the exact figure but I would say that the ratio of hopeful writers to agents is somewhere near a million to one. This makes literary agents extremely selective (think George Clooney pre-Amal).  

In my case, I started my agent search, lovingly referred to as querying, before my book was ready. I didn’t realize the extensive editing that comes after typing “THE END” and rushed to share my great story with the agents of my favorite bestselling authors. Now I realize that if they even got to the point of reading my first few pages they quickly rejected it, most likely because of common writing and grammar mistakes. Why would George Clooney even give the time of day to a woman who showed up to the party in dirty sweats after not bathing in a couple days? It’s hard to see the potential under the greasy hair, body odor, and bad breath.   Once I spent more time (100s of hours) editing my manuscript, I felt I was ready to query again.

Here’s where the process gets even tougher. Now we have to sell ourselves as well as our story. The query letter is extremely important. Certain information needs to be given in a professional manner, but then it gets trickier because each agent wants to get a feel for the author and if they are a good fit. I needed to let them know my title, genre, word count, brief description (think jacket cover), and any pertinent information about me … all while letting my voice shine through. Does George Clooney like the natural look or dramatic make-up or sandals or pumps or polka dots or stripes? Agents are the same; they have preferences that they might be looking for in the query. The more you know about the agent, the better the chances for a look past the query letter. Here’s the time to let them know that I’ve researched them and think I would be a good fit. This research is helpful both ways. If the agent is looking for the next geriatric romantic novel then I shouldn’t pitch them my young adult thriller. I should also add pertinent and recent information … not sure they care about my winning the middle school spelling bee or that I was editor of my high school newspaper … but maybe I will mention this GOB blog as proof that I can write on a deadline (here’s where you follow our site so that you can read our bi-weekly blogs and keep me honest).

Once the agent has weeded through all the bad grammar and “not the right fits,” they finally can delve into the story. As many of the agents say, they just have to love your manuscript to represent it. Everything can look good but your writing voice or style might not be their favorite. Perhaps George Clooney likes a human rights lawyer better than an Oscar nominated actress? One agent may love their thrillers to have a single detective while another wants an ensemble of amateur detectives … some are tired of serial killers and others can’t get enough of them … the list of possibilities is infinite. That is why we hear over and over about the numerous rejections that even the top best-sellers went through to get published. It can often come down to a numbers game and the best advice is to listen to the feedback from the agents and if it is positive, except for the “love it” factor, then keep at it. Eventually the perfect match will come along.

So whenever I start getting sucked into the roller coaster of querying … when I find myself checking my inbox every couple minutes … I take some deep breaths and close my email. Then I open Word and start doing what makes me happy. I jump into my characters and let my imagination soar. Chocolate helps too!

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THRILLERFEST, CRAFTFEST, PITCHFEST, OH MY!

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A writer’s conference is a place to learn about your craft, gain insight into publishing, and get face-time with agents and editors. It’s also a lot of fun! And Thrillerfest was no exception. Cathi and I were more than excited to get to New York but leading up to the trip our lives seemed to go crazy. Would we be prepared for all we wanted to accomplish? Armed with business cards (check out Cathi’s post) that were updated to include our new blog site, our manuscripts in the best shape we could get them, and a list of the agents that were best for our type of thrillers, we met at the airport with mile wide smiles. We were exhausted and ecstatic at the same time.  Thus began the whirlwind of two wild and crazy girls aka the GOB writers.

Thrillerfest is divided into several different Fests, and this year we chose CraftFest and PitchFest. Conferences are an expensive enterprise, but I learn so much and meet so many fellow writers and other industry professionals, that I find it worth it. I love to travel so I always have a budget for vacations, which now have become writer’s conferences. Even so, I hope to choose wisely and couldn’t be happier with our decision this time. Craftfest was full of useful workshops put on by authors and other professionals in all areas of thriller writing. And believe me, there is something for everyone. If you have a non-English degree like me, then you can do a workshop on the structure of novels and other writing tips. If you have that down, then you can go to the workshops on hacking or firearms or behavioral analysis. It is impossible not to learn something that will improve your writing or enhance your criminal activity (of your characters, of course). So many classes, all day long that the biggest problem is deciding which one to go to … and if you can’t then you can buy the recordings of the sessions.  CraftFest was also a perfect preparation and lead in to PitchFest, the part Cathi and I were hoping would make the trip to New York worth it.

PitchFest is like speed-dating for agents. New York is home to many literary agents and those looking for thrillers can hop over to the hotel for a few hours in the afternoon and be able to meet hundreds of potential clients. And the writers can meet agents face to face and see if we’re a match. This seems like a formula for stress but if approached the right way, it can be fun. After all we get to talk about our baby again and again to an eager audience. With each 3-minute meeting, you can get a better feel for what makes them excited enough to want to read it, the best hooks among your cherished pages. And you get to gauge whether the agent you liked on paper is one that you can work with in person. Aside from aching feet from standing in line with heels on, Cathi and I felt things couldn’t have gone better. Now we have our fingers crossed that we met a match, but if not, we are certainly one step closer with much more confidence.

I’m sure over upcoming posts we will delve more into our conference takeaways, both tips and experiences, since there are too many to fit in one blogpost. And we are already planning our trip to ThrillerFest 2019 – we’re aiming high and hoping to be part of the Debut Author Panel …

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The Thrill of Conference Packing

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It’s time to pack for Thrillerfest, the big mystery writer’s conference in NY this upcoming week, and I’m once again procrastinating. Packing is such a stressful process, especially when you feel out of your element, that I thought I’d use this time while the laundry is spinning to offer some tips. Cathi’s blog on Setting Goals was great and I’m inspired by her blogs on organization and motivation! I’m working on getting the preparation for trying to sell my book as together as possible, but I must confess I am the less organized of the duo, for sure! I can, however, pack a good suitcase. It could stem from my time as a flight attendant … or possibly my opposition to clothes shopping that leaves me little to choose from. Whatever the reason, I hope to alleviate your fears about conference packing. I’ll start with the basic skills then move on to the specifics for writing conferences.

First, start with a clean slate. I try to pack immediately after doing all my laundry, and I wear my rattiest clothes while doing so. That way I have everything to choose from. Next, I check the weather for where I’m going, to get an idea of what area of the wardrobe I’m drawing from. (In my case, if it is a cold climate, I may have to pull out the underbed bin that contains my seldom used winter items.) I then make a list of the days and what events happen each day. From there I make a numbered item list to guide me when I search my closet for the perfect outfits. Cathi would say that this data would be perfect for her white board and following her lead I will use mine.  (Plus, I don’t get much snail mail anymore, so there are no old envelopes lying around to scribble on.)

Here it is:

Now I’m ready for the real work. Try not to overthink things. My first conference was an eye opener! I really think for writers, anything goes. I prefer to make a good impression, so I brush my hair and leave my slippers in the room, but you would be surprised. We writers are introverts and non-judgmental, for the most part. If you are doing a day full of workshops then I would say, be comfortable. The conference rooms always seem to be freezing to me, no matter the outside temperature, so I suggest layers. For those of you who run hot … this works for you as well. For any type of evening or pitching event, I opt for a more professional attire. I understand that agents are primarily interested in my writing, but I don’t want my appearance to be a red-flag for the agent to worry that I can’t represent at a book-signing. (I dream big!) Also, at some conferences, they like to do theme parties, so you may want to pack any dress-up items in case you want to participate. Thankfully, Thrillerfest doesn’t have one of those because I’m pretty sure it would look like the banquet at the Haunted Mansion. Finally, I throw in essentials in case I get down time for a workout or dip in the hotel pool. All this gets rolled up to avoid wrinkles (I don’t iron), loaded into my carry-on (I don’t like waiting for checked bags), and topped with my quart-size baggie of under 3 oz. liquids (I don’t like getting detained).

And, as I always tell myself when I think I’ve forgotten something, there’s always a Walmart nearby … or in the case of New York City, I think Amazon delivers in an hour.

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Don’t stop at THE END

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THE END … the two words that every novelist strives for after months, years, or decades of scribbling and typing in a secret world we’ve created. A cause for celebration for sure, so when it happens to you, don’t hesitate to rejoice.  When I got to that place, I did a little dance around the house and sent out a few self-congratulatory texts. Then I sat back and relaxed for a day, dreaming of my book on shelves of every bookstore across the country. I knew a little bit about how to start querying and dove right into getting my pitch ready for the upcoming SCBWI (society of children’s book writers and illustrators) regional conference. I knew that I needed to read over and edit somewhat since everyone makes a few mistakes.

“Edit somewhat” is like saying I’ll put that batter I mixed up in the oven and I will have a fully frosted birthday cake in a couple minutes. Editing is a never-ending search for perfection in a world where everyone’s idea of perfection is different. Of course, in the beginning it was easy to spot grammatical problems and misspellings (maybe I shouldn’t say easy, I still am not convinced I know all the quotation rules … more on that later). Then I get to the layer of word choice. (Really, I’m thankful for the really cool search feature of Word documents because I really wouldn’t want to read a really long manuscript just to see how many times I used “really” That would be really ridiculous!) Then, just when I thought it couldn’t be edited anymore, I was informed that I needed to “tighten up” the opening chapters. And a whole new level of editing began.

Here’s where the subjective part of writing comes in. Readers all have their own ways they like to get into a story, and so do agents. As writers we need to walk a tightrope between pulling the reader into a story and giving enough description and background to make them want to stay. To jump back to my cake analogy … you want them to savor the icing and cake but not to have to wait too long to get to the strawberry filling. Realizing this (after googling “tighten up a manuscript”), I spent many more hours working through my manuscript, taking out unnecessary descriptions, dialogue, and actions … while trying to leave in all the fun character development and red herrings that make a good mystery.

This tricky, time consuming process started to lead down a slippery slope of never feeling finished enough to query. This is where I had to rely on my alpha and beta readers to let me know when my manuscript had been tugged and twisted into a “I couldn’t go to sleep until I knew how it would end!” kind of read. That’s when I said, “Enough!” Time to jump back into the agent hunt!

I know there will probably be more editing once I get to past the Land of Querying, but until then I will start mixing up the next batch of a story in my imagination. And I just can’t wait until I light the candles on the birth day celebration of my novel, I hear that it’s even better then typing “THE END.”

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I write, therefore I am

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I’m a writer. I repeat this to myself daily in the hopes that it will sound natural the next time I have to respond to the question, “What do you do?” After a period of my life where I had many different titles … student, waitress, library clerk, teacher, flight attendant, chemist, outdoor educator, airboat driver, PTA president (it counts!), and mom … I decided to focus on my writing. I knew I had a lot of experiences to draw from, but until I sat down at the computer and started creating a story, I doubted I could do it. Once I started, the pages grew into chapters, and I couldn’t believe how much I loved the act of writing. I’ve found my mission, I thought, I will be a writer!

The truth is, I had in my head that all I had to do was finish the book, get published and then I would be a writer. I eagerly signed up for an upcoming conference full of classes on how to write and get published. Turns out my jump right in approach to writing was okay. The presenting authors all had different paths to their success, but each of them made a point to say that the actual act of writing was the most important first step. You’re a writer, they said, because you write. Have confidence, they said. Follow your heart, they said. Then they shared a mountain of knowledge that showed me how much I needed to learn and how hard it would be to get published. But somehow through the whole exhilarating process, they gave me enough confidence to feel I could succeed. I’m a writer already, I thought!

Outside the supportive cocoon of the conference, however, I become a tad hesitant in that assertion. Purely hypothetical, let’s say the “What do you do?” is asked while on a first date. While being a writer sounds much more interesting than a mom, as far as conversation starters go, I’ve found the follow-up to the “I’m a writer” declaration can be varied. Most people love to hear what you’re writing about and conversations can go everywhere from there. I once got a full account of someone’s jail time on a Caribbean island through some connection to what I was writing. Not exactly second date material (hypothetical), but inspiration for a future story. These exchanges feed my soul and confirm my choices. However, it only takes a small number of another type of encounter, the one that points out the root of my nagging doubts. “Have you been published?” The conversation goes two ways from there. First, and preferable, the perpetrator is asking out of curiosity and moves on from my negative response to the fun questions about my writing.  Alternatively, the perpetrator lets the subject drop, making it clear that I couldn’t possibly have anything of value to add. At this point, I glance at my phone and then in surprise say, “Oh my gosh, my daughter is having a crisis and I need to go.” Hypothetically, of course.

If you are embarking on a writing career or a hobbyist, wear your mantle proudly. I have no trouble saying I’m a tennis player even though I probably couldn’t get a job as a ball girl at the retirement home doubles tournament. In this Game of Books, full of naysayers and rejections, stay true to your heart and repeat after me … I AM A WRITER!

 

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It’s all Greek to me

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Today I want to discuss alpha and beta readers. Being new to the writer scene, these two terms confused and intimidated me. During one of my early interactions with established writers, one of them asked me if I had any beta readers, my response was “Um, like I couldn’t even get a date with one in college, so no.” Their confusion, followed by laughter told me I was off-base in thinking they were talking about a frat boy. So, being the insecure newbie that I am, I laughed heartily then diverted their attention. “Isn’t that David Baldacci?” I asked then slipped away to google beta readers.

From my search I found that I wasn’t the only one confused. Turns out writers refer to their alpha and beta readers often, and somewhat indiscriminately.  Was there a difference? Or was it a regional thing, like soda or pop? I understood that alpha and beta were the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, my knowledge of campus Greek life wasn’t wasted, but I wasn’t clear how this related to readers of my manuscript. I’d had several friends read it so were they considered alpha or beta readers or neither since they weren’t writers or editors?

After much research and misdirection (Did you know beta blockers can be used off label to treat anxiety?), I came to several conclusions.  Many people use the two terms interchangeably, for anyone who had read your full manuscript before submission.  However, the standard is that the alpha reader is someone who reads it when you have first finished your manuscript and the beta reader is someone who reads it after you have done all the drastic editing and think you have it ready for submission. And, the best news is that these readers are usually amateurs, in the sense that they do it for free! In other words, my friends are my alpha and beta readers and I don’t have to go out and hire a beta reader to now answer, “Why yes, and she found my book to be a thrilling page turner along the lines of Janet Evanovich.” Fortunately, I’ve learned enough to not quote my actual beta reader, “Wow, this is really good, I’d totally buy it. It reminds me of a mystery from that California author, I think it was Janet something.”

Now you know how to navigate one more foreign situation in this GOB, go forward with confidence! Want to learn more about alpha, beta, and ARC (Advanced Review Copy – which I’m only in the dreaming of stage) readers? Check out this article –  https://www.indiesunlimited.com/2016/12/06/the-difference-between-alpha-beta-and-arc-readers/

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Meet Christie

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Hi, I’m Christie and I’m so excited you decided to join me on the Game of Books journey. Cathi, from South Dakota, and I met at Sleuthfest, a mystery writer conference in south Florida, the place I call home. I’m used to flip flops and she’s used to snow boots, but we immediately bonded over our parallel lives as newbie writers. During chatter about all the workshops, authors, and our families, Cathi let it slip that she had always wanted to do a blog. Her enthusiasm was contagious and when we went back to our perspective lives, we kept in touch and … Game of Books was born!

I love the idea that we are setting out to conquer different Lands in the World of Publishing. The challenges are real but hopefully not as deadly as Game of Thrones. And it seemed so fitting since in grade school my daughter listed my jobs as 1) cooking 2) cleaning 3) running a monarchy (guess my chemistry and biology degrees were lost on her). Regardless, I was clearly Queen of my Domain and now I plan to be Queen of my Writing Career with the support of my son and daughter (my former subjects).  And hopefully, at some point I will be able to hire a cleaning service for number 2 on the list. Along the way, Cathi and I will share our experiences, many of which have us laughing till we cry (which is healthier than crying till we laugh). We hope our personal voyage imparts the wisdom we learn along the way but also shows other writers that they are not alone.

Watch out World of Publishing, here we come!

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