![]() This week's throwback blog was first posted in 2021 as part of our Road to Publication series and is chockablock with information about preparing your work for publication. Welcome to RETRO SUMMER! ![]() ~by Amanda Smith So, you wrote something. And now you wonder what the steps are for getting it published. First of all, congratulations! Writing on a consistent basis, to the point where you have a book, is a huge accomplishment. (If you want to write children's books and aren't sure where to start, this blog by Kelly is for you.) Writing a book, however, is only the first step. Sending a freshly written manuscript to an agent or publisher would be like asking Paul and Prue to judge a cake after you had only gathered the ingredients. Here are some basic steps towards publishing: Critique Partners: You need someone else's eyes on your work (not family!). Ideally your critique partners should be up to date on the current market and knowledgeable about writing. They will look at content, structure, plot and character development, language use and, if you need, line editing. It is imperative to have someone else read your work. Sometimes we get so caught up in the excitement of a new project, or have read the same words so many times we don't see the plot holes, unclear details, or glaring mistakes. Where to find critique partners? SCBWI Local writing organizations Online groups such as Kidlit 411, Storystorm, Children’s Book Authors & Illustrators, 12X12, to name a few. Craft workshops and courses Revisions: If your critique partners are worth their salt, you will receive lots of revision notes. Depending on the depth of the notes, you will have to revise or, in some cases, even rewrite. Regardless of the scope of revisions, you will likely have a couple of critique-revision rounds. Do not skip this step! It is during this phase that your work continues to mature and become the best it can be. It is hugely rewarding to dig deep and polish away the rough edges of your story. Beta Readers: (Not necessary for picture books) After critiques and revisions, you need Beta readers, who consist of readers the age of your intended audience or readers deeply familiar with your genre (think teachers, librarians). A beta reader questionnaire is a helpful tool for gathering focused feedback. Another round of revisions will likely follow beta readers. Publishing choices: Once you have completed these steps and you feel that your work is ready to send out, you need to decide whether you want to take the traditional publishing route or explore independent publishing? The rest of today's post will focus on traditional publishing. Next time we will learn about independent (self) publishing. Make sure you know the pros and cons of each option. If you choose traditional publishing, you should know that it can take months or even years. Most of the bigger publishers are closed to unsolicited submissions and you need an agent to represent your work. Some publishing houses however, do accept unagented submissions. Books, such as THE CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET, can provide guidance as to which publishing houses are open to unagented submissions. Always check the publisher’s website for their latest guidelines. While you can certainly do research online and through publishing trade journals to find publishers who are open to unagented or unsolicited manuscripts, it is very helpful if you have a more personal contact with an editor at the publishing house. One of the best ways to make this connection is to attend a class or workshop taught by the editor. Also, editors who attend writing conferences will often accept unsolicited submissions from conference attendees for a limited time, so be sure to look into this possibility when attending these events. Always do your research to be sure a specific publisher publishes the genre/age level you write. Agents: A good literary agent will help you polish and edit your story, send submissions to publishing houses, negotiate contracts, and handle advances and royalties. They are super knowledgeable about the industry, and know what editors are seeking. Your agent is your ally and business partner. Therefore it is important to carefully research agents, not only for what genres they represent or what their interests are, but also whether they will be a good match for you. Once you have narrowed down agents you would like to approach, you need to query. Places to research agents: SCBWI The Book Agency websites Manuscript wishlist (www.manuscriptwishlist.com/) #MSWL (https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/) QueryTracker (querytracker.net/) Publishers Marketplace (https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/) Some writing websites also offer a treasure trove of information in the form of agent interviews and guest blogs. A few to browse are http://www.literaryrambles.com/, https://www.pbspotlight.com/, and The 12x12challenge Most agents are active on social media Acknowledgements of books you have read Queries: A query is a letter in which writers pitch their work and introduce themselves to an agent. It is a business letter that follows a specific form. Stay tuned for a guest blog regarding query letters by the Query Godmother, Kris Asselin, later this month. Queries are used for picture books, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as all other fiction. Nonfiction writers send a cover letter, proposal with outline, and some writing samples. Each agent or agency has their own rules regarding submissions. It is very important that you read and follow each specific agency's submission guidelines. Not only does it streamline the process for them, but it also reflects well on you, their future client, and your ability to take direction. Be prepared for several rounds of querying. If an agent would like to represent you, they will contact you and usually schedule a phone call with you to further discuss the details. Remember, not only is the agent interviewing you to see whether they want to take you on as a client, but you are also interviewing the agent to see whether they will be a good match for you. Once you have received an offer of representation and contracts have been signed, you and your agent may go through another round of revisions before they submit your manuscript to publishers. There might be several rounds of submissions before you receive an offer for your book. At this point the process is out of your hands. You have baked your cake to perfection. You've trimmed and filled and frosted. You've decorated and delicately flavored. Editors, acquisition boards, and marketing departments are your proverbial judges, and once your delectable offering hits the right palate, you will get your Hollywood-handshake: A published book! ![]() Boogie on down to the other two posts in this series, about Independent Publishing and Writing a Query Letter. Catch you on the flip side!
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![]() By Kelly Carey (reposted from December 2018) Often, when a family member, friend, or acquaintance learns that you are a children’s writer they comment back, “I’ve always wanted to be a children’s writer,” or “I’ve written a children’s book too”. As a seasoned member of the KidLit community you will want to be helpful and encouraging while still providing realistic and practical advice and information. The following blog is a post that you can share with folks you meet who want to become children’s book writers. Share it as a way to kick-start their writing journey and provide them with the first step information every writer needs to move from thinking about being a children’s writer to becoming a children’s writer. Becoming a Children’s Author![]() The dream of becoming a children’s author is a wonderful bubble that floats into the heads and hearts of many creative people. The trick is to take that dream and make it a reality. But how? There are three key first steps that every dreamer needs to take in order to kick start their writing journey and move it from a thinking about phase to a doing phase. ![]() Step One: Write The first step to becoming a children’s author is to write. This may seem like common sense, but this is the point where many writing dreams sit stagnant. Aspiring writers may think about a story, and have a desire to be a writer, but often they will not take the time to sit down and put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. To become a published writer you have to sit down and write. It can’t be on a whim or as a hobby. It has to be a real endeavor. Until you decide to make writing a priority, everything and anything - kids, family, chores, appointments, friends - can and will derail your efforts and interrupt your progress. Think of writing as a job that requires your undivided time and attention. To put true intention into your writing ambition, layer measurable goals into your dream:
For help setting your writing goals check out the posts under the Writing Goals section of the 24 Carrot blog archives. ![]() Step 2: Find Your Tribe Writing can be a very solitary business. You’re not working for a company. There is no boss or co-worker. It is you alone with a laptop or a notebook. BUT you cannot work in a vacuum. You will need a group of fellow writers on your journey for the following reasons:
There are some practical ways to find your writing tribe. For example:
Engage in the community of writers in order to find valuable critique partners and a support system. For more help finding a writing tribe, check out the posts under the Writing Community section of the 24 Carrot blog archives. ![]() Step 3: Read There is a difference between reading a book as a reader for enjoyment and entertainment and reading a book as writer. Readers will enjoy a book, while writers will study why a book was enjoyable. In order to become a published writer, you need to read like a writer. There are three primary reasons why writers read in their genre:
For more help becoming a writer who reads, check out the posts under the Read section of the 24 Carrot blog archives. ![]() If you have been thinking about becoming a children’s writer take these first steps. Write, Find a Tribe, and Read. Good Luck on your journey! ![]() Happy Summer! Join us this summer as we look back at our favorite posts from the archives. Some will be groovy, many will be far-out, and we know you'll dig 'em! If you missed a stellar post from the past, mellow out and catch them during the 24 Carrot Writing RETRO SUMMER! We're starting off by reposting our popular June Year's Eve celebration blog! As we hit the halfway mark of 2023, June Year’s Eve reminds you to assess your annual writing goals. Recommit to your 2023 writing plan, and make sure the schedule shifts of summer don’t derail your progress! Enjoy the holiday, but keep on track with your writing goals! ![]() by Kelly Carey I love this holiday! Yes, June Year is a holiday! When it comes to writing and goals setting this is my favorite holiday. Some like January when you tap out lists of goals and resolutions with the enthusiastic optimism of the diapered New Year’s baby. But June is the month when the mature goal setter emerges to take stock, assess, and for those who really want it, decides to persevere. Remember those sparkly goals you set six months ago? What? You forgot about them! ACK! Get them out. Oh good, some of you remember your writing goals for the year. But, what’s that? You sort of lost track? You petered out in March and now you are aimlessly drifting through writing projects? Remain calm – the June Year holiday has come just in time! Get out those annual goals. How are you doing so far? Hey, look, you hit a few! Hooray – party with a few carrots! You missed some? No worries. You still have a full six months left to hit those targets. Use the June Year holiday to celebrate all you have accomplished so far in and reset your goals for the second half of the year. Get ready to finish the year strong – 24 Carrot Writing strong! Happy June Year everyone! ![]() Guest post by Jarrett Lerner A Work in Progress will be my fifteenth published book. It’s different from anything I’ve ever made, and most likely will always remain something of an outlier in my career. This is because, more so than any other story, A Work in Progress – the story of Will Chambers’ battle with body-shaming, body dysmorphia, and disordered eating – is my story. I’ve been trying to get this story out of me for more than a decade. My first attempt began during one of my very first creative writing courses in college, and subsequent attempts came every year or so afterwards. But though I tried (and tried and tried), I could never get the story right. What I produced always felt false and incomplete. So, I’d put the story away. But I could never leave it alone for long. I’d come back eight, nine, ten months later with a bright, shiny new idea – a slightly different approach, one I just knew was going to help me create a more satisfyingly whole and accurate draft. Ultimately, however, it didn’t matter whether I wrote the story in first or third person (or even second! – seriously, I tried), or if I put it in past tense or present. It never felt right. Looking back, I just don’t think I was ready to tell this story. I didn’t have enough distance from the experiences that informed it. I hadn’t completely wrapped my head around all the issues present within it. And then, a little over three years ago – just as the pandemic was getting underway – I picked up the story yet again. It must’ve been the dozenth time I’d done this, and so I wasn’t expecting much to come from this attempt. I figured I'd spend a few weeks toying with the thing, only to then once again hit a wall and put it away. But then, when I least expected it . . . I had a breakthrough. Why not, I thought, try to write this story in verse? It made a certain sort of sense, since when I was going through situations similar to what my main character, Will, was going through in the story, I was writing pretty much nothing but poetry. Writing in verse was a great way to tap right back into that place and state I was in back then. Plus, I’d already tried every possible point of view and tense – switching from prose to verse was just about the only thing left to do. So, I sat down to give it a go – and poems began pouring out of me. It was one of those magical moments you sometimes hear other authors share (though it’s important to remember that it came after a decade of false starts). I started off writing longhand, like I usually do, in case I got the urge to switch back and forth between writing and drawing. And that urge came pretty quickly, and kept coming back again. I wrote and drew and wrote and drew, and after a couple weeks, I took some time to look back at the work I’d done. And I realized: that was what the story needed to be. Not a novel. Or not really. It needed to be a notebook, just like the ones I kept when I was my character’s age – a place for him to privately dump his thoughts and feelings, his hopes and fears. Because Will would never voluntarily tell his story, or even agree to have it told by someone else. Will’s story had to be told incidentally. As soon as I landed on this idea, I knew it was the only one that would lead to me getting this story out in a way that felt right and complete. And that’s when the real work began. Because, due to the subject matter, this story needed to be crafted with the utmost care. But – this was the particularly tricky part – in order to make the telling of the story seem authentic and true, I had to make it appear as loose, organic, and even messy as a kid’s personal notebook, something they’d never dream would be read by anyone else. I did this, first, by making the book look like an actual notebook. I ask the reader to engage in this bit of suspended disbelief as soon as they lay their eyes on the book, as the front and back covers are modeled after those of a tape-bound, three-hole notebook. I even added a layer of texture to the cover art to make the jacket look slightly distressed (like it’d spent a lot of time being jostled around in a backpack). Then, of course, when you open the book, you need to see the “paper” – the lines, plus the three holes along the side, right where you expect to find them thanks to their placement on the cover. Within the book, I relied a great deal on the artwork to create that “kid’s notebook” feel. For instance, I established a sort of “hierarchy” of drawings. There are three main types: (1) sketchy doodles, rendered in a pencil gray, (2) crisper, cleaner, more deliberate drawings, rendered in black outline, and (3) fully realized, polished art, “inked” in black and “colored” using a variety of shades of gray. Often, the same subject will appear in all these different styles, over the course of many pages in the book. All of this works to create the appearance of Will processing, ruminating – recreating in drawings the way his brain is functioning. I tried to use this same idea of recursiveness in the writing as well as the art. There aren’t that many actual scenes in the book, and many of them purposely echo others, creating the sense that Will is trapped, making him (and hopefully the reader) feel that he’s doomed to be stuck replaying the same events over and over in real life (just as he continuously replays past events in his head). There’s also a great deal of repetition of certain words in the story, in particular those that most haunt Will. He writes and draws them over and over, adding to this feeling of repeatedly going back and of being stuck. Will’s story, and therefore A Work in Progress – at least the first two-thirds of it – is not so much a straight line as a series of spirals, mirroring the way in which Will continues to get caught in these swirling eddies of memory, terror, and shame. Or maybe, more than a spiral, it’s actual like Will’s “scribble knots” (that’s what my art director and I came to call them) – the big black splotches that increasingly dominate the pages of Will’s notebook, coinciding with his descent into a darker, more isolated state of mind. Writing about all this now, it’s obvious that this story had to be shaped and styled in this way. But it was by no means clear to me during the creation of the book. Far from it. After all, it took me more than ten years to land on this idea, and then three more years to complete A Work in Progress.
What have I learned from all this? For one thing: to never give up on a story. That it’s okay to shelve it for the future – for a time when you might be more emotionally and/or creatively prepared to tackle it. And for another: that a drastic change in form might be the key to getting a story out of you in a full, authentic way. In my experience, every lesson I learn during the making of a book has to be relearned during the making of the next one. But here’s hoping I remember these. And I hope reading about them helps you. Bio: Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of the EngiNerds series of Middle Grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the activity books Give This Book a Title and Give This Book a Cover, The Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books, and the Nat the Cat series of early readers. In addition to writing, drawing, and visiting schools and libraries across the country, Jarrett co-founded and co-organizes the #KidsNeedBooks and #KidsNeedMentors projects, and regularly spearheads fundraisers for various reading- and book-related causes. He is also the founder and operator of Jarrett Lerner’s Creator Club. He can be found at jarrettlerner.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @Jarrett_Lerner. ![]() Guest post by Cathy Ballou Mealey My thanks to 24 Carrot Writing for hosting a guest post upon the release of MAKE MORE S’MORES (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023), a new picture book illustrated by Ariel Landy and written by me! S’mores are a sugary sweet upgrade from the puckery pickles featured in my previous post about picture book dialogue. But the real reason I wrote about s’mores is that my earliest concept was a mathematics book. Caveat: I am not a math person. Basic math, sure! But I still grimace when recalling the statistics courses required for my college major. So, why math? S’mores were an enticing way to introduce math skills to my kids with a delicious reward at the end. ONE marshmallow plus TWO graham crackers plus THREE chocolate rectangles equals one perfectly proportioned, traditional s’more. I counted, calculated and composed a story filled with hungry forest friends and mountains of marshmallows increasing exponentially. Cute! said my agent, Please revise it and take out all the numbers. At first I resisted. The math was the whole point, I pleaded. I made a dummy to demonstrate the page turns. I was about to dig in my heels when… ![]() The pandemic began. I began to walk daily, for miles. I pondered how to fix the s’more story as I plodded along. That’s when I found, to paraphrase Gloria Estefan, The rhythm is gonna get you! Roasted, toasted. Sweet treat. Gooey, chewy. Share, bear. Each footfall reinforced the rhythm of rhyming word pairs that popped into my mind. But no, no, no. Write in rhyme? A picture book crime! I re-read the wisdom of Josh Funk and Renee LaTulippe among others, determined not to fall into the writing in rhyme trap. Still, I had to jot down a few lines that were stuck in my head… Day by day, I revised a phrase or searched for a synonym to build a new story with rhyming lines but no math. Good! said my agent, Please make the bears nicer. More walking and revising before it went out on submission. Sweet! said my editor, Let’s make it a bit tighter. I was now on my third pair of sneakers, but confident that pounding the pavement would bring me answers! ![]() Talented illustrator Ariel Landy was probably not marching for miles as she brought the hungry bears, busy raccoon and sly squirrels to life in our story. She’s created an enchanting, flower filled forest where furry friends cozy up and enjoy s’more after s’more on a beautiful dusky purple evening. Perfection! Will lacing up your kicks help you revise a rhyming story or find an irresistible beat in your prose? Maybe - it worked for me, for this story. Trust in Gloria: The rhythm is gonna get you! ![]() Cathy Ballou Mealey is a scone lover and author of WHEN A TREE GROWS, SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE, and MAKE MORE S’MORES. She has planted acorns, pickled cucumbers, and toasted marshmallows but spends most of her time writing picture books north of Boston where she lives with her family. To find out more, or get in touch with Cathy: Website: https://cathyballoumealey.wixsite.com/author Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatBallouMealey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catballoumealey/ ![]() by Kelly Carey An accurate way to track the sales of your book are through royalty statements. But those statements often come only twice a year, and you might be itching to see how your book baby is doing much more frequently than that. There are few unscientific ways to take a little peek at how your book is doing out in the world of readers. Here are a few I check daily - I mean occasionally. Warning: You need to assess your mood before you search through any of these sites. If an unkind comment from a reviewer will have you in a hedgehog-ball on the couch, best to wait for your royalty statement. But if you’ve tested your skin for the day and found it acceptably thick, dive in! ![]() Amazon Yes, we all disparage the big online giant and prefer the indie bookstore down the street, but since Amazon exists, we might as well use it to see how our book is fairing. There are a few indicators on Amazon that you can peruse. Peek at the book’s star rating and overall number of ratings at the top of the listing, then scroll down and read any reviews. It can be fun to keep track of how many readers have left reviews. But, please, read the good reviews multiple times and never read the unfavorable or unkind comments. You can only care about the folks who loved your book! At the bottom of your book’s Amazon listing under the header Product Details you can see your book’s Best Seller Ranking and where it ranks in the categories Amazon has assigned to it. If your book hits a top tier of these rankings, it can earn a special orange banner. Finally, I always get happy when a notice pops up from Amazon saying something along the lines of “Only 8 in stock (more on the way).” I love knowing that more copies are being ordered and on their way to the Amazon warehouse. ![]() Goodreads Like Amazon, Goodreads uses a reader collected rating system that not only shows you an overall rating out of 5 but allows you to view details of how each reviewer rated the book. You can also find detailed reviews here. Along the right side of your book’s Goodreads page, you can also see what other books your readers are enjoying and you can peek at the bookshelves readers have selected for your book. It’s especially fun when you find that your discerning readers are also enjoying books that you esteem. ![]() Barnes & Noble Much like Goodreads and Amazon, Barnes & Noble allows folks to rate and review books on their website. As a result, you can visit your book’s page on Barnes & Noble and see its overall rating as well as view and read individual reviews from readers. ![]() Edelweiss+ Edelweiss+ is an online platform used by booksellers and librarians to get information to help them sell, discover, and order new titles. You can sign up for a free account and check out your book’s entry. You will see reviews from booksellers, librarians and fellow authors and you can also peek at comp titles, reviews, and recommended marketing plans. Your bio and website should be listed here. It’s a good idea to make sure the information here is accurate. If you notice any issues, contact your publisher. ![]() WorldCat WorldCat is a global catalog and search engine for library items around the world. You can visit www.WorldCat.org and go to your book’s page. On this page you can view all the different libraries that have a copy of your book in their collection. It's like playing an author version of Flat Stanley when you get to see all the places your book has traveled. You might be tickled to see that patrons in places like Hot Springs, Arkansas, or Anchorage, Alaska and Chicago, Illinois can all find your book on their library shelves. WorldCat also provides the Goodreads reviews of your book. ![]() Local Library This is my favorite. I log into my local library’s online catalog. This allows me to see all the local libraries that have my book on their shelves and more importantly, I can see if my book is currently checked out. There is a wonderful thrill when you see that your book has been checked out of a library a few towns over and you wonder if a little reader chose it for their bedtime story last night. Or maybe, they are sitting on the couch right now enjoying your words. You wrote your book to be read. Take a peek at a few of these places and take heart in knowing that readers near and far are indeed enjoying your work.
Then open a fresh page and get going writing the next one!
Living for the Lightning Bolt - Kirsten W. Larson ![]() My book with illustrator Katherine Roy, THE FIRE OF STARS (Chronicle Books), is a double read aloud, sharing the life story of astronomer Cecilia Payne, told alongside the process of star formation. The book parallels the kindling of Cecilia Payne's own curiosity and her scientific career with the process of a star's birth, from mere possibility in an expanse of space to an eventual, breathtaking explosion of light. Cecilia lived her scientific life in pursuit of the thrill of discovery versus fame or fortune. She first felt that thrill as a young girl, when she figured out all on her own why a flower was shaped like a bee (to trick the bees to mate with it and pick up pollen). For her, that feeling of understanding was electric and alluring enough to help her persevere through years of befuddlement as she searched for scientific breakthroughs. I felt such a kinship with Cecilia when I read this, as I feel exactly the same way about writing. I can labor for years in the dark on a single story idea. I try writing it different ways using various structures, voices, and points of view. And then, just when I’m about to throw up my hands in frustration, it all comes together in a lightning bolt of insight when I discover my draft. I live for the moment when a draft finally comes together, and I feel I’ve got it just right. And what I’ve learned from experience and from studying scientists like Cecilia is that you can’t force the break through. You will never know when it’s going to happen. You just have to stay present with the work even when you want to give up. And then, when you least expect it (in the shower, on a walk, or while doing dishes), it all comes together. Working Together Is Better - Lindsay H. Metcalf ![]() Collaboration is my secret sauce for breakthroughs. This is true of both the poetry anthologies that I’ve created with Jeanette Bradley and Keila V. Dawson — first NO VOICE TOO SMALL: Fourteen Young Americans Making History (Charlesbridge, 2020), and now, as of March 14, the companion title, NO WORLD TOO BIG: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change. It’s also true of the activism both books showcase. Both of these books feature mini-biographies-in-verse of activists doing important work. While it's true that most movements are fronted by a “face,” no activist works alone, at least not for long. One of the key takeaways from NO WORLD TOO BIG is the importance of shifting mindsets in the climate-action space from “me to we,” moving from small-scale individual action to scaled-up collaboration, whether it be in schools, communities, or beyond. Greta Thunberg started her Fridays for Future climate strikes alone at the Swedish Parliament but was quickly joined by millions around the world. Leah Namugerwa helped hundreds celebrate their birthdays by planting “birthday trees” in Uganda. Students at the Green School in Bali worked together to convert their school buses to biodiesel fuel. And Nikita Shulga and Sofiia-Khrystyna Borysiuk persuaded hundreds of schools across Ukraine, starting with their own, to compost food waste. When we work together, we see the potential for real impact. I instinctively knew this to be true for activism. But it took me longer to learn that the same is true for writing—which happens to be my preferred method of activism. Our books are, of course, poetry anthologies, melding diverse voices of award-winning and bestselling poets. Each poet brings different strengths and experiences, which creates a powerful harmony of voices calling for climate action. But the books are also a collaboration between Jeanette, Keila, and I, the three anthology editors. The thing about working with two other writers who happen to be brilliant in different ways means that when one of us gets stuck, someone else probably has a way forward. This speeds up the revision process as all of us massage the text. (Besides poems, these books have a lot of sidebar and back matter text.) We form a built-in critique group. With Jeanette’s background in science and policy, Keila’s experience in education, and my time as a newspaper editor and reporter, that’s a pretty powerful combination. One of the main reasons we felt compelled to work together again after releasing NO VOICE TOO SMALL was to showcase the wide range of ways people around the world are tapping into their talents and tackling different aspects of climate change. We wanted to address any climate anxiety young people may be experiencing by encouraging them to counteract their anxiety by taking action. Beyond that, working with your peers is not only more effective, it’s helpful for keeping energy high when things get tough—in both activism and writing. Plus, working together is just more fun. On Hiding, Hope, and Safe Space to be Seen - Elisa Boxer ![]() I put off writing this post until the last minute. With apologies to my colleagues, who had their sections done with plenty of time to spare, here I am on the eve of our deadline and my share of the Google doc is still blank. This hasn’t been typical procrastination. I’ve had it written in my mind for weeks. It’s personal. It’s vulnerable. And that’s why it has sat in my head rather than on the page. But I have a book coming out next month about a teenage French resistance fighter who used a hollowed-out toy duck to hide false identity papers from the Nazis during WWII. In addition to telling the story of this Holocaust hero, HIDDEN HOPE (Abrams, illustrated by Amy June Bates) highlights the importance of never having to hide the truth of who you are. It’s a message I want more than anything for young readers to internalize. And so, I will begin. Because, inspired by the heroism of my main character, I want to show people that their voices, their experiences, and their identities should never be hidden. I believe our books can be windows into aspects of who we are. And through those windows, readers can hopefully see themselves and know they’re not alone. According to Hitler’s plan, I’m not supposed to be here writing this. Growing up, I learned about the Nazis’ intention to build a “museum of an extinct race,” displaying Jewish artifacts like the torah scroll in our temple. Our particular scroll was rescued from a synagogue in Czechoslovakia, which the Nazis burned to the ground. Even as I felt a sense of intrinsic pride in being among a minority with a history of persecution and survival, there was a part of me that felt like I had to hide my Jewish identity. In third grade, a classmate who I thought was my friend took out a ruler and tried to measure my nose, because his parents told him “Jews have big noses.” Just out of college, I was excited to be out with a new group of friends who decided to test if I really was in fact Jewish by dropping a nickel on the ground to see if I’d pick it up. There were countless examples in between. In each case, no one who saw what was happening said anything. Often, I was accused of being too sensitive, unable to take a joke. I would sometimes feel so self-conscious that I wouldn’t speak up. It took me a long time to come out of hiding — to develop my Jewish voice — even when it didn’t feel safe. I’m hoping this book takes its place alongside others that are opening up wider conversations about anti-Semitism. I’m also hoping it encourages awareness about the importance of having a safe space to be the full truth of who we are, regardless of religion or experience or identity, and the importance of holding that space for others to do the same. ![]() To learn more about Kristen Larson visit here. To learn more about Lindsay H. Metcalf visit here. To learn more about Elisa Boxer visit here. To purchase their books, please click on the cover photos in the post. All three authors are members of The Soaring ‘20s—High Flying Books for Kids and Teens.
![]() by Annie Romano Form submissions such as Query Manager have become the new normal for writers submitting to agents. Fading are the days of email queries (though some agents still accept them). At a glance, it seems like completing a submission form is straightforward: Fill in the blanks. Easy, right? But there are common missteps that might create a negative impression for agents before they even read your sample pages. What follows is a walk-through of the most encountered submission form features with notes on common errors or shaky habits. Avoiding these missteps will help your submission present as professional and polished. (Note: Since agents can customize their forms, only the most common fill-in-the-blank features are covered here. Also, agents have their own style of considering submissions. Some read the query letter first; others jump right into the sample pages. These are simply tips to help you ensure your submission shines.) WORD COUNT: Approximate word count is fine. If your word count is 97,256 words, 97,000 will suffice. This isn’t a make-or-break issue by any means; just something to be aware of. GENRE: This IS important. Writers sometimes try to fit a genre that agents don't accept into their inbox by choosing another category. For instance, I do not represent science fiction, so there’s no “Science Fiction” option in my genre dropdown menu, but I’ll often get submissions for this genre submitted under the “General Fiction” category. Once I read that query/pages and it becomes clear the manuscript is sci-fi, I’m not going to accept it. And it’s not because it’s not well-written; it’s because I don’t represent sci-fi. It’s simply not in my wheelhouse, and writers should want their work represented by someone who knows the market for their genre and is familiar with what editors are seeking for that particular category. QUERY LETTER: Yes, it’s a form, and yes, you clicked this specific agent’s link and typed in your name in the spaces above, but the query letter should still be a letter. In other words, it should be addressed to someone. (Some agents might not care about this detail, but to me it shows you’re taking care with your submission.) Include the agent's name: Dear “X,” and be sure it’s the correct name! Even with a form link, I still get query letters addressed to other agents. In the body of your query letter, provide your pitch/hook, brief book/project description, and any biographical information that is relevant to your writing (some agents have a separate section for your bio). If you don’t have any specific writing credentials or publications to include here, consider mentioning the inspiration for your story or why you're querying that particular agent (i.e., because they’re seeking “x” genre or because they represent books similar in tone to yours). A simple statement indicating you’ve researched an agent’s interests goes a long way in helping your query stand out. SYNOPSIS: A synopsis should be approximately one page in length (single-spaced) and should give an overview of the storyline. It should include spoilers. If I receive a fiction synopsis that’s slightly longer than a page, that doesn’t bother me. But if it’s clear the writer doesn’t know how to write a synopsis (i.e., the synopsis is only a few sentences, or it's twelve pages long with character sketches and a chapter-by-chapter breakdown), that leads me to question the writer’s preparedness. Writing a synopsis can be challenging, which is why a solid effort is impressive. If you’re not sure how to write a novel synopsis, do some research and educate yourself on it before submitting. For picture book writers, one brief paragraph should suffice (though I do not represent PBs, so check individual agent websites for their specific guidelines). If you're submitting an adult nonfiction book proposal, chapter summaries/outlines are acceptable, but again, be sure to check individual agent websites for submission preferences/guidelines. SAMPLE: Regardless of whether the agent has included an upload link or asks that you paste in your sample pages, be sure to include only the page count the agent requests (though most agents don’t mind if you round up or down to the closes section/chapter break). Do not paste 20 pages if the agent asks for five. It shows a lack of respect for the agent’s guidelines. Also, sample pages should begin with the opening pages of your manuscript (or full picture book manuscript) unless otherwise indicated. PITCH: Yes, you probably included this in your query letter, and the form can often feel redundant, but consider this an opportunity to recapture the agent’s attention. Make sure it’s compelling and catchy. Some agents do not care for hypothetical questions as a pitch, so consider rephrasing if your pitch is formatted as a question. Also, read the prompt carefully. If the agent asks for a one-sentence pitch, give one sentence. If they ask for a paragraph, be sure that’s what you include. SIMILAR TITLES: Don’t leave this blank unless it’s optional. If you included comp titles in your letter, simply retype the comp titles in this section. Some authors do not include them in their query, so this question is an agent’s way of ensuring the writer provides them. This prompt shows the agent that the writer has considered the market and where their manuscript sits within it. Writing something like, “nothing compares to my novel,” “I couldn’t think of any,” or “my idea is completely original” isn’t the best way to approach this section. The “similar titles” question isn’t insinuating that your manuscript isn’t unique; it shows that you understand there are categories and genres in publishing and that you are informed regarding where your book would sit on the shelves. TARGET AUDIENCE: This is another way for the agent to gauge your understanding of your manuscript’s appeal. If you’ve written a horror novel dripping with violent scenes and gore, stating it will appeal to children might raise some eyebrows. Of course, that’s an extreme example, but take care to give this prompt some careful thought. Stating your rom-com will appeal to readers of Emily Henry or those who enjoy Nora Ephron films is a solid, sensible response. Stating that your book is “perfect for everyone who loves to read” indicates an unrealistic expectation of your book's appeal. Adhering to an agent’s guidelines and thoughtfully responding to all the sections of their query form will go a long way in showing your effort and respect for the submission process and will help your query stand out from the many submissions agents receive each week. You’ve put in the time and effort to submit a polished, professional query, and now you wait. When you receive a response, hopefully it’s a request. “I’d love to see the full!” is the message writers dream of reading. When that isn’t the case, a form letter is the usual response. Below is a note about the dreaded form rejection. It won’t erase the sting they deliver, but hopefully it will offer some perspective. FORM RESPONSES: We writers tend to be a diligent, detail-oriented bunch, so form letters often send us over the edge. You’ve poured your heart into your manuscript, agonized over your query letter, read dozens of books to find the perfect comp titles, and then…Bam! You receive a form rejection. The nerve! As a writer myself, I understand the frustration with form responses. I receive them, too, and I don’t like them. But as an agent? I understand they’re a necessary evil. When I started agenting, I was determined to send personalized feedback to all who queried me. I soon found myself drowning under the volume of submissions in my inbox and falling behind at an exorbitant rate because I wanted to include specific feedback in each response. I wanted to prove I had considered every query. It wasn’t long before I had to face facts: if I wanted to reply to everyone (and not have a “no response means no” policy), I’d have to incorporate a form letter for passes. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was necessary. While this is my opinion, other agents have expressed a similar sentiment: It gives them no pleasure to send form rejections, but it’s the only way to keep up with the volume of queries received while still attending to their other agenting responsibilities. So yes, form rejections are frustrating, but they’re a result of time constraints, not a measure of an agent’s respect for your efforts or talent. Please remember that. In summary, making it to publication is extremely difficult, but putting your best foot forward when completing an agent’s submission form will help you get there. When you send a submission, celebrate! You’ve written a book! Don’t forget to embrace that accomplishment. Cheers to you and your writing! ![]() Annie Romano is a literary associate with Olswanger Literary. She represents adult fiction and select nonfiction projects. She is also a published children’s book author and one of the founders of 24 Carrot Writing. You can learn more about her at www.anniecroninromano.com. ![]() ~by Amanda Smith A couple of months ago, I was prattling my mental to-do list aloud while my husband patiently listened. “… and I still have to write down my monthly goals before our 24 Carrot meeting tomorrow,” I said, running out of breath, and steam. And time. His eyes glinted mischievously. “Just copy last October’s goals,” he said. Wrapped up in my busyness, I retorted, “If I could just copy last year’s goals, that means our method doesn’t work very well, does it?” But wait? Does it? His silly suggestion intrigued me. 24 Carrot Writing celebrated its eighth birthday this year. For eight years (more actually, because we were an accountability group before we were a blog) I’ve religiously set monthly goals, checked them off, and reported back to my partners. Our whole premise is rooted in the idea of setting monthly goals and rewarding ourselves for reaching those goals. But the elephant in the room asks: Does it actually work? I always check my yearly goals around this time of the year to see where I hit the mark, where I missed, and where, perhaps the road turned in a different direction. We also encourage our readers to check those goals mid-year with our June Years Eve blogs, making sure we are on track. But never have I ever checked a random month from the previous year to see how it lined up with my current journey. In the day-to-day work of writing, does setting monthly goals actually move me markedly forward? Color me curious! So, with a hint of trepidation, I flipped back to October 2021 in my beloved bullet journal to reread my goals.
What about other 24 Carrot writers? I asked them to peek back at their goals. Kelly:
In the past Kristi had a running list of tasks she’d cross off upon completion, but in January 2022 she joined our accountability group and took up monthly goal setting. One of her January goals was to revise a picture book. Her goal for this manuscript was to send it to Gnome Road publishing when their submission window opened in March. ALPACHAS MAKE TERRIBLE LIBRARIANS will hit the shelves in 2024, published by Gnome Road!
The trend is consistent: projects that were started are now complete, rewrites and revisions occurred, picture books went from concept to query (with all the appropriate in-between steps!), some projects carried over from month to month (oops), but eventually, they get done (or end up in the “darlings file”). Beautiful, inspiring forward motion. By Jove! It works! Would we have done some of these things, even if we hadn’t set them as monthly goals? Likely. But would we have done all of them in a timely manner? Definitely not. To be certain, the smaller things, such as those poems, would have fallen off my radar, and I would have missed out on the joy of this anthology to come. When our kids sometimes feel overwhelmed by the size of a task, my husband would ask: “How do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time. In the elephantine cycle of writing, revising, critiquing, polishing, querying, waiting, signing, selling, marketing, promoting, doing-it-all-over-again, monthly goals are manageable bites. So this January, yes, dream big and set those yearly goals! But then commit to bite-sized monthly goals, break them up in daily tasks, and keep moving forward. And every once in a while, peek back and see your progress – the biggest, sweetest, brightest carrot of all! To learn more about my bullet journal, and how you can also keep track of things like monthly and yearly goals, check out this blog. Dear 24 Carrot Writer,
This year you were brave! Oh, you know it. You sent out queries, (so many queries) signed with an agent, acquired an editor, launched a book received glowing reviews- and a few tough ones. You were brave! You were brave! Even if you didn’t query, sign, sell, launch because you slogged on You wrote words You wove stories You learned something new Revised something old Created something better You were brave! Own it. This Holiday Season, may you celebrate grit, encounter hope, and gather courage to step boldly into the new year. Warmest wishes, Amanda and the 24 Carrot Crew |
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