By Annie Cronin Romano So, before I start, let me clarify that this blog post is for prepublished writers. If you’re published or even if you have an agent, STOP READING NOW! This post is not for you. This is for those still flailing around in the murky, treacherous depths of the query swamp, for those doggedly pushing forth against all obstacles to land that contract, for those passionately seeking that perfect match of an agent. All others, go peruse Facebook. Okay. Are they gone? Is it just us prepub folks? Good. (Published/agented writers, if you’re still reading, remember…you were warned.) So, my fine warriors (that’s what you are, you know, and don’t forget it), I’d like to speak about how to handle the success of others. You know…the critique partner who landed a publishing contract. Or the writer in the online group who is lamenting how he’s going to choose which of the five offers of representation he’ll go with. Those victories can be a stumbling block for those still struggling for that big break. I once wrote a blog post on celebrating the success of your fellow writers (see “Share Your Good News” from August 2015). Let me emphasize that every word of that post still holds true. So no crying “hypocrite” here. Writers should share good news without fear of making others feel badly. You should embrace the accomplishments of your writing peers. And the true writer must write because she’d die if she couldn’t pour words onto the parchment and share those stories blistering within. For the love of writing, not for glory. Blah. Blah. Blah. But please indulge me as I take a different (admittedly kind of wallowing) perspective, because witnessing others’ achievements can stir up insecurity in our own abilities. It’s a natural human response and we’re all human. (Except maybe for politicians and the occasional personal injury attorney.) Anyway, back to the issue: How best to handle the success of your fellow writers. If that golden ring has been dangled inches from grasp (I got a partial request!) and then is torn away with one email rejection (“It just didn’t grab me.”), that’s tough stuff. And if it's followed up by another’s good news? That can cause volatile emotions to gurgle up. Personally, I teeter on a thin wire over a cavernous ravine with one side of me proclaiming congratulations with utmost sincerity and the other side sprinting in self-pity to the cusp of the highest cliff, falling to my knees and screaming, “Why not me?” (Think Brando’s “Stellllaaa!” in A Streetcar Named Desire. I’d yell like that. Except angstier.) Yup. It’s called jealousy. No, wait. It’s called self-doubt. No…I’ve got it. It’s called failure. All those ideas flood our brains at the same time we feel happiness at the accomplishments of our peers. And that can unglue the confidence of the most talented of writers. So here are my three tips to find that balance between joy for others and, quite candidly, self-loathing: 1. Vodka. No, scratch that. 1. SEIZE THE HOPE. That’s right. Agents are always looking. Books continue to get published. Opportunities abound. When others who’ve been in that frigid query sea with us obtain an agent or get a contract, it gives us hope that there’s a chance for us. (If I was more tech savvy, I’d have added a sound effect here playing “There’s a Time for Us” from West Side Story. Instead, I’ll hum it. You’re a writer. Use your imagination.) 2. JUMP ON THE MOTIVATION TRAIN. Rather than doubting your literary abilities, let those successes drive you to keep writing. Keep revising. And keep submitting. No one ever got a book deal indulging their self-pity in bed. Bed sores, maybe. But no book. Remember, if they can do it, so can you! 2a. Cheesecake. 3. BE PATIENT. Hard work pays off. The majority of writers toil away for a long time, through draft after draft, critique after critique, manuscript after manuscript, before they finally hear that magnificent “Yes!” It takes time, and we all have dues to pay. Except perhaps a few Hollywood stars who decide they want to write a sweet little children’s book and then get a seven-figure contract and a hardcover on the shelves within a year. (Sorry, famous Hollywood writers. I adore you on the big screen. And your book may be good. But I want to tear out your vital organs and throw them in a Vitamix every time I walk by your NYT bestseller. No hard feelings. It’s not you. It's me.) 4. Wine. (I know I said three tips, but I’m feeling generous.) Number four is because it’s okay to feel frustration and need a boost. 5. Chocolate. (Five tips? Yup. I’m a giver.) I added chocolate because it’s also okay to need a hug, and let’s face it: chocolate is a hug in food form. I hear when writers get published, some go all fancy (hey, sales drop off, agents quit) and shift from Hershey’s to Ghirardelli or even Godiva. Is that true, published/agented writers? Probably not. But see? Caught ya! knew you’d read this even after I politely suggested Facebook. You’re a stubborn, nosy lot. So there you have it. Your conflicting feelings are justified. You inner turmoil is validated. You can feel joy for others’ successes and still want to curl up in a ball. But don’t do the latter. Have your drink and some sweets. Then grab onto the hope. Stay motivated. Be patient. Let any frustration you feel propel you forward. By the way, everyone in my writing group loves and supports each other unfailingly. But when I get to the point of having good news to share (I don’t use the word success because if you’ve set your mind on being a writer and you actually write something, you’ve succeeded. Don’t forget that.) As I was saying…when good news comes along, despite all my writing group’s “so proud of you” and “your success is our success,” oohing and aahing, they may really want to kick me in the shins and head for the liquor store. And I’ll buy them chocolate. Because I get it. We’re all in this together, prepublished friends. Forge ahead! You are warriors! To the published/agented writers who continued to read this despite my pleas for privacy, you need to work on your listening skills. And I love you. Keep on writing and inspiring your prepubbed friends to do the same. (Hey, I figure if you read this after I told you not to, you’ve been there and deserve a carrot for your compassion. I'll buy your book. There you go. Now scoot.) ~Annie
0 Comments
By Annie Cronin Romano “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight. As you probably know, the above excerpt is the opening of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, a classic in children’s literature. When I was a child, it was one of my favorite books. When I read the first page and realized those cute little piglets could be in danger, I kept reading. Fern’s concern about a threat to the piglets is established right away, and I had to find out if and how Fern could stop this horror from occurring. I was hooked. The same goes for picture books I love. I’m compelled to read past the first page in picture books whose openings create a strong curiosity about a situation: On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box filled with yard of every color. In these first lines of Mac Barnett’s Extra Yarn (illustrated by Jon Klassen), I was pulled in by my wonder of how this colorful yarn was going to affect the plain little town. Although both these examples of opening lines grabbed me quickly, others may need to read further to know a book is a keeper. In novels, authors have some time to lure the reader in. A writer of longer works can take a few paragraphs to set the tone, or even a few pages to a chapter or so to bait the reader into the character’s voice or world. But in picture books, you have the first page. You’ve got to hook ‘em fast and come out swinging. It’s vital to the life of your story. Be it picture books or novels, if the author doesn’t capture the reader early on, the chance of losing the reader increases. A lot. But what elements make a strong hook? What is it that pulls the reader in? To help you with examining your openings, I am going to give you an assignment. Don’t worry. There’s no exam at the end. I’ll use the honor system!
This exercise can help clarify what makes a strong hook and what doesn’t. Study the first pages of other works to help make your book’s opening the strongest and sharpest hook it can be. Then reel ‘em in! ~Annie by Annie Cronin Romano Bring business cards to share. This is one of many pieces of advice I read prior to attending my first SCBWI Winter Conference five years ago. It was one of the few I didn’t heed. Why would I bring business cards? I thought. I had no publishing credits. I didn’t have a website. I’m not an illustrator with a portfolio. I figured that advice must only apply to those who were already published, or at the very least had an agent. So I didn’t bring any cards. I saved my money. I was prudent. Big regret. I met so many fascinating writers at my first conference. And in most instances, when I asked, “What do you write?” the response would be “Oh, I write ‘X’” quickly followed by, “Here! [pulls out business card] Let’s swap cards.” I hung my head in disgrace, icy waves of mortification crashing upon my unprepared, unprofessional self. “I don’t have a card.” Okay, perhaps it wasn’t quite that theatrical, but you get the valuable nugget I’m hurling in your general direction. Bring business cards. What to include on aforementioned card? Well, your name (says Captain Obvious) and the genre(s) you write (Pocahontas Smith, YA historical fiction). Include your email and/or phone number, if you choose, and any social media info you have, such as your Twitter handle, website, or Facebook page. You can elaborate on what you write (I specialize in children’s nonfiction picture books about zero gravity hula hooping and underwater blindfolded archery) or you can keep it general (Joe Schmo, PB & MG). You don’t have to spend big bucks on your cards. No need for glossy, hologrammed, and lemon-scented (actually, scratch and sniff would be kinda cool…). There are many online printing sites that are reasonably priced. Or you can print them yourself. Got a time crunch? Buy the pre-cut perforated sheets (Avery is one brand), download a free template, and print them at home. Now…lean in close. Can you hear me? Good, ‘cause this is the most important part: HAND THEM OUT! Those lovely little business cards will do you no good whatsoever tucked away in your Vera Bradley laptop bag. Share them with those at your critique roundtable. Offer them to the agent who expressed an interest in your work during a critique. Pass one to the writer sitting next to you in a workshop. Heck, throw one into the Win a Free Dinner fishbowl at your local restaurant (Okay, that's not networking, but you might recoup your business card money in the form of complementary sushi!) With your cards, you can make connections with future critique partners or gain a valued peer with whom to share your writing trials and joys. So build those bridges. By sharing business cards, you'll walk away from your writing conference with more that just useful information from keynotes and workshops. You'll leave the conference connected with a network of writers who are journeying with you. ~Annie Side note: I keep all the cards I’ve received at conferences. I follow them on Twitter or like their Facebook page. No, I’m not a stalker. I’m a supporter! And when their books get published (and they do!) it’s thrilling to have witnessed the progress and successes of those I’ve have the pleasure of meeting. by Annie Cronin Romano Like working jigsaw puzzles? White Mountain Puzzles has a few jigsaws with a literary flair. This book "Best Sellers" puzzle will keep you busy with 1000 pieces of literature's favorites. How many have you read? The bookplates below are just a few samples of the designs you'll find at Gone Reading, a web store for reading enthusiasts. Ever wished a perfume could capture the aroma of libraries, leather-bound books, and Mr. Darcy? Well, a few claim to have done it! Check out Sweet Tea Apothecary for their "Dead Writers" scent (hey, I didn't name it!) or head over to Demeter to discover "Paperback." Okay...do NOT tell me you wouldn't love walking into that next critique group meeting with your appetizer served on a book-shaped platter! I mean, how fun is this? You can see all the size options at Gone Reading. _ Wish you could wear a favorite book around your neck? Don't we all? Well, you can if you web surf your way over to Uncommon Goods. They've got scarves featuring passages from Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, and Wuthering Heights. I hope you enjoyed (and try) some of these suggestions for writing rewards.
Now, go treat yourself to that hard earned carrot! And keep striving to meet your upcoming goals. I'll share some more carrot ideas in a few months! ~Annie by Annie Cronin Romano So often we start a project with an idea, a glowing nugget of inspiration, and we decide immediately the kind of book it will be. It's going to be a picture book. Yes, definitely a picture book…about flying sandwiches. Excellent! Off we go! We brainstorm, diagram, scribble, and plot. We develop our characters, our setting, and our pacing. We draft a beautifully crafted 550 word picture book about sandwiches that fly and submit it to our critique group. And they tell us it should be a middle grade novel. About a food fight. *Head-desk* Why should we turn our picture book draft into a novel? Do we have to? Our critique group is not the boss of us, after all! True. True. But consider the reasons behind the suggestion. Is it because the setting or topic would appeal more to the older age group? Maybe the characters would present more strongly with an older voice? What about the plot? Perhaps it is one that is better suited (or even needed) in the older market. Or maybe your critique partners thought there was more to explore than you could do justice to in a shorter format. What if you played around with it, not as a middle grade, but as a chapter book? What if… As participants in critique groups, we often expect the critiques to focus on the story itself. Would our character really say this? Are we showing or telling? Watch the pacing. This is working. That is not. What we don’t usually expect is for critique partners to suggest changing the target audience. But sometimes it's an insightful idea. A middle grade story may work better as a picture book or a young adult novel. A young adult draft may be better suited as a new adult story. What the writer has in mind for a story often can benefit from considering all possible audiences. The first instinct may still be the best. But give it due consideration. Always ask, "What if…" So the next time you sit down to work on a story, be it a fiction picture book or young adult science fiction thriller, look at your idea from all angles. It could be that your flying sandwich would make an excellent food fight. ~Annie by Annie Cronin Romano For writers, receiving constructive feedback is one of the key factors to editing and revising our work. We join critique groups, participate in online manuscript swaps, and sign up for professional editing services. Sometimes even editors and agents we've submitted to will provide feedback. They might indicate what didn't work for them or offer suggestions. All this feedback is fodder for the revision file. We cull through it, often using trial and error, to figure out which suggestions improve our manuscripts and which don't. But once in a while, we get harsh feedback, an unfavorable critique, which strikes a nerve. A deep nerve. And it stings. Those manuscripts are our babies and we are protective of them. A negative analysis can make us question our story or even our writing talent as a whole. This is usually because the critique was not helpful and constructive. So what do you do when you receive feedback that's not presented in a beneficial manner? How can you turn that disappointment at a poorly presented critique into a positive step on your writing journey? A few months back, I received a detailed, yet rather harsh, rejection following a submission. It was clear the agent had read the full manuscript, which was excellent. But the criticism, helpful as I’m sure it was intended to be, was delivered in a off-putting way. It was a list of I didn’t like a, b, and c. By the end of the letter, my novel was bloodied and beaten. At least to me. I couldn’t be objective, and my writer spirit was crushed. Enter one of my amazing writing group ladies, Kelly. She read the letter, sympathized with me, and then, in a magical, extraordinary way, helped me turn the criticisms into constructive advice. She turned every “I didn’t like…” into “Try doing ‘x’.” She translated each negative into a positive, helpful piece of advice. In doing so, Kelly enabled me to use the rejection as a revision tool rather than a reason to give up on my story. Sometimes you will get critiques, or even unexpected submission feedback, that is poorly delivered. Rather than being useful, it may come across as rough and disparaging. Get out your magic wand, or favorite pen, and invert the negatives into positives. Turn the "I don't likes" into "It might work better if..." Hopefully you're blessed with those who can provide you with constructive feedback that is beneficial to both your manuscript and your growth as a writer. But if you get one of those "tear apart" reviews, take a deep breath and step away for a bit. Then take a step forward and turn those negatives into positives, and even the "bad" feedback will help you make your writing its absolute best. ~Annie by Annie Cronin Romano Josh Funk resides in New England and is a writer of children’s picture books. His debut picture book, LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST (Sterling) came out in September 2015. Josh has kindly agreed to talk with 24 Carrot Writing about his books and writing process. Congratulations on the publication of your debut picture book, LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST (Sterling 2015)! Can you tell us a bit about your journey to the printed page? How long was your process from idea to print? Thank you! And thanks for inviting me to 24 Carrot Writing! I wrote my first picture book manuscript in the summer of 2011 (not Lady Pancake, a different story that will never see the light of day). My wife found a class in the adult education catalog taught at our local high school by author Jane Sutton and signed me up. I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn, but I was excited and the members of the class became my first critique group. Through the class I was introduced to SCBWI and I attended the 2012 New England SCBWI Conference. As soon as I walked into the conference center in Springfield, MA, I knew that this was the place for me. By 2013, I felt that my writing was in a pretty solid place. I even had the courage to read an early version of Lady Pancake at the NESCBWI Spring Conference Open Mic. But I was getting virtually no response from queries to agents. So that summer, I decided to send my manuscripts directly to publishers. And I got a few hits. Scholastic was interested in PIRASAURS!, DEAR DRAGON garnered interest from a couple of small publishers, and in early November of 2013 I got an email from Sterling Children’s stating that they’d like to publish LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST. By mid-January, 2014, I had signed with an agent, PIRASAURS! was acquired by Scholastic, and my agent sold DEAR DRAGON to Viking/Penguin. It was quite an exciting two months! Did you always want to be a writer? What led you to focus on picture books? No. I used to write poetry when I was very little (like 6 or 8). Apparently my play-by-play poems about Larry Bird and Roger Clemens were a hit in my family. In college I played guitar and wrote songs – however, the lyrics were more fun and quirky than ‘poetic.’ When I began reading picture books to my children, I found some really awesome ones that I loved. I often credit the following four books as my inspiration to be a writer:
Aspiring writers often are unsure whether to submit to agents or editors. What advice do you have for writers wrestling with this submission decision? My advice is this:
b. They have access to all publishing houses. A good agent will know what editors are looking for which types of stories and try to match your manuscript with the right home. No more unsolicited submissions. No more slush piles. c. An experienced editorial eye. A good agent will be able to help round your manuscripts into the right shape before sending off to editors. I recommend querying agents for at least six months to a year before you... 3. Send directly to publishers. If you don’t have success finding an agent (like me), use SCBWI’s The Book, The Children’s Writers’ & Illustrator’s Market, and Google to see who is accepting unsolicited submissions and go from there. Many children’s writers are discouraged from writing in rhyme. You have had success with rhyme in Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. Were you ever encouraged to write a non-rhyming version? Why do you prefer to write in rhyme? I was never encouraged to write a non-rhyming version. For a while, I thought that my stories were only any good because of the rhyme. But I have branched out a bit and I have started writing in prose lately. I do think that rhyme, when written well, adds a certain element of charm to a picture book. But it’s very hard to rhyme well – which is why many people are discouraged from writing in rhyme. Frankly, I could talk about this all day, but if you want more of my thoughts on rhyme, check out this page in the ‘References for Writers’ section of my website. You are a participant in PiBoIdMo and a contributor to the PiBoIdMo daily posts. Have you turned any of your PiBoIdMo ideas into full manuscripts? I just looked back through all my lists and the answer is actually, no. For some reason, November is not my best month for coming up with ideas. At 24 Carrot Writing, we discuss setting writing goals. Do you set writing goals for yourself? Hmm, I don’t think I do. (Note: these last two questions are certainly making me question myself. Ha!) I think for me, and this goes back to the PiBoIdMo question, too, that I write when I’m inspired. When I have an idea that I love, I’ll spend a ton of time working on it. November hasn’t traditionally been that month for me, I guess. But when I do think of something good, I’m all in until it’s finished. There are times when I feel like I haven’t written a new picture book manuscript in a few months. Then a few weeks later I’ll have first drafts of a couple new ideas, and maybe even something worth sharing with critique partners or my agent. The children’s writing community is wonderfully supportive and offers many resources to aspiring and published writers. You are actively involved with The Writers’ Loft in Sherborn, MA as well as NESCBWI. How important has your involvement in the writing community been to your writing success? The kidlit community is awesome. Not only have I been able to learn a lot from the Loft and SCBWI in regards to both the craft and the business of writing, I’ve made incredible connections with people that have helped me on personal and professional levels. At SCBWI conferences, I’ve met critique partners as well as authors who’ve given me valuable and timely advice about querying and submitting. I met my agent through a referral of one of her existing clients, a friend I met at NESCBWI. I also met Heather Kelly, founder and empress of The Writers’ Loft. I joined the Loft about two months after it opened in the spring of 2013 and helped start its first critique group. Now I’m on the executive board, helping to plan events, run the website and newsletter and more. I’m also co-coordinating the 2016 and 2017 New England SCBWI spring conferences (alongside Heather Kelly in 2016). So, yeah, I’d say NESCBWI, The Writers’ Loft, and the kidlit community have been pretty critical to any success I may be having. Kids can be our toughest critics. Can you give one or two examples of your favorite kid feedback on your debut book? In the small amount of fan mail I’ve received, I have to say that there are a lot of kids who would like to know if Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast ever get married. I’m going to be honest in saying that I haven’t really thought that far ahead in their lives yet. But one student made the wise suggestion that if they were to get married and have children, it would probably be a crepe (as it is a French pancake). Crepe! That is one clever student. I love it! Any final words of wisdom for aspiring children’s book authors? My best piece of advice is to keep writing. My first book is never going to see the light of day. So don’t get hung up on the first one. Write a second. Then a third. Assuming you’re taking workshops and getting feedback from critique partners, each story you write will be better than the last. So keep on writing. Thanks, Josh! Please share with us any events where readers (and writers!) can meet you in the upcoming weeks! Thank YOU again for inviting me! On December 5th at 10am, I’ll be at Wellesley Books for a Pancakes & PJ’s event. And all the rest of my upcoming events for December can be found on my schedule of appearances page here. Bio: Josh Funk is the author of LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST (Sterling), as well as the forthcoming picture books DEAR DRAGON (Viking/Penguin 2016), PIRASAURS! (Scholastic 2017), THIS ISN’T JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (Two Lions, 2017), and more. Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes picture book manuscripts. Josh is a board member of The Writers' Loft in Sherborn, MA and the co-coordinator of the 2016 and 2017 New England Regional SCBWI Conferences. Find Josh Funk at joshfunkbooks.com and on Twitter at @joshfunkbooks. By Annie Cronin Romano I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently about success in writing. Not necessarily about the event itself (finishing a draft, getting an agent, signing a book deal, etc.) but about our reactions to it. A few weeks back, my writing group got together for a midsummer meet up. We discussed books we’d read recently, how our writing was going, struggles we were having with manuscripts, and other non-writing related topics as well. Toward the end of our time together, one of the ladies in our writing group modestly shared with us the terrific news that she’d just sold a story to a magazine. We whooped! We hollered! We were thrilled for her. And then we asked her the question: Why did you wait so long to tell us? We’d been chatting for nearly two hours at this point. It would have been bursting out of us! We said. Her response? This was not the first story she’d sold to a magazine, and she knew how hard we’d all been working on our writing. With a couple of us actively in the query trenches and all of us working intently on one manuscript or another, she felt badly. We hadn’t experienced the joys of seeing ourselves in print yet, or of knowing that soon we would, so she felt odd telling us that she’d sold another piece. Another story in print. “You guys deserve this, too,” she said. Of course, we set her straight. You’ve got great news? You share it proudly! And that gets me to the point of my reflection. You must share your successes, from the itty bitty goals you meet to the major triumphs, with all the pride you can muster. Especially when you are part of a writer’s group and critique group. Why? Because your success is their success! They cheered you on. They encouraged you when you weren’t up to working on that manuscript. They critiqued your work and helped you get it submission-ready. When a writing colleague succeeds, so do we. And let’s not forget, much of the success for a writer has nothing to do with being published. And hopefully, that’s not why you write. We all want to share our work with others, but we write because we can’t imagine not writing. A day that I’ve drafted a picture book story or added a few hundred words to a middle grade manuscript is a successful day. I have spent time doing something I love: writing. And that, in itself, is success. So put pen to paper, or fingertips to keys, and write. Make each day a writing success story! ~Annie Got a writing success story? Share it with us! by Annie Cronin Romano Every writer needs to be out there on social media. We hear it time and time again. Build that platform. Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. A personal writer’s website. Blogging. And what about those online writing classes? And then the online groups which inevitably spring from those online classes? Maintaining your social media presence as a writer is important. It's helps with networking, honing your craft, getting advice and support from other writers, and marketing. But online presence often has a domino effect. It can send you flailing into a black hole of tweets and posts and blogs…and far, far away from your manuscript. Uh oh. That’s right. Your manuscript. Remember that? The one you mention in those hashtag comments? The one you joined that online writers’ group for so you could get some feedback? That work-in-progress? Have you been working on it? Or just tweeting about it? How much social media is too much? I’m not really sure, to be honest, and it’s certainly different for every writer depending upon where you are in your writing journey. But I’d venture to say if you’ve spent time checking your Twitter and Facebook accounts today and haven’t touched your manuscript then it’s too much, because it’s keeping you from writing. Don’t neglect your online presence. Most agents and editors want to see writers have some established social media platform. But try to balance it, placing a priority on your writing. Some tips:
Writing and social media: It’s a balancing act. Try to maintain your equilibrium. Keep your mind on your writing goals, first and foremost. You’re going to teeter. You’re going to totter. And, yes, you’re going to fall. Just remember: you’re building a social media platform to enhance your writing, not to smother it. So head up and eyes focused on that manuscript. And find your balance. And before you ask...YES! The irony of presenting this topic on this blog, Twitter and Facebook is not lost on me! ;) ~Annie By Annie Cronin Romano If you’ve trudged through the trenches of querying your book, you may have picked up on that miniscule yet significant detail that it’s ONE DAMN TRYING PROCESS! Yes, querying has been known to take down many an aspiring Austen or Dr. Seuss or J.K. Rowling. Querying, be it to agents or editors, is not a task for the feeble. So, if you don’t get an agent or editor after a few rounds of queries, you should simply find another passion to fill your heart with joy, right? No. No. NO! As you may have heard before, and as I heard repeated several times at this past weekend’s outstanding NESCBWI Spring Conference, most writers swim against the current through waves of “no” to reach that one “yes.” Of course, there are always those I-landed-a-book-deal-with-my- first-submission stories (Gag! I mean...I’m so happy for you), but for most writers, querying requires persistence and patience, that same persistence and patience you tap into when crafting your stories. And if you’ve polished that story until it sparkles, done your research, followed the guidelines, and can tread water through the rejections, the yes will come. This past March while reading picture book after picture book for ReFoReMo (Reading for Research Month), it became quite clear to me that there were far more books I didn’t love than books I did love. That is not to say the books I didn’t love were poorly written. Many were extremely good, but they didn’t strike a chord with me. It comes down to personal taste. And the ones that did strike a chord? It’s like hearing your favorite song performed live for the first time, and you’re in the front row! You’re in awe. Blown away. You want to hear that song again and again. I finally got it. That’s how the agents feel. That’s how the editors feel. A “no” on a query (or even a full submission) does not mean your book is bad. But people in publishing get hundreds of queries a month. Your story must strike awe in their literary hearts. It must blow them away. They must want to read it again and again (and they’ll have to if they take you on). And they all have their own personal tastes. Of those books I read during ReFoReMo, there were only a smidgen that struck that chord in me. I liked many of the books, but I only loved a select few of them. If I were an agent, there were only a few for which I’d be willing to swim against the current to reach that magical bookshelf at the end of the publishing rainbow. I finally got it. Querying is tough. The rejections are even tougher. But when that “yes” finally comes, you’ll have an ally who truly loves and has faith in your story. And you’ll only get there if you have faith in yourself, if you stay strong and don’t give up. Write. Rewrite. Research. Query. Again and again and again until that “YES.” Your reward will be a passionate advocate for your story. And you’ll discover you’re stronger than you realized. ~Annie Got a querying success story? Please share it with us! |
Peruse blogs for advice and tips from KidLit creatives.
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
Click to set custom HTML
Click on the RSS Feed button above to receive notifications of new posts on this blog.
|