YA Spring Break Week: Guest Blogger Shannon Greenland
NEW UPDATE: Sara has yet to claim her prize!! You have until April 30th to do so or another winner will be chosen. Give us a holler at Contests @ knightagency.net (remove the spaces before emailing) by the deadline, and we will pass your info along to Shannon! Thanks! UPDATE: The winner of this contest is Sara! Thanks to everyone who participated :). How Great Are Sidekicks?
What’s a Batman without a Robin? Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson? Shrek without the Donkey? Harry Potter without Ron and Hermione?
Sidekicks play a very important role. They are the best companion for the hero and the person the hero talks to the most. Sidekicks can usually do something the lead character cannot, making them an asset to the lead and the story. They make the hero think through things and many times offer wonderful comic relief. They bring something out in the lead character that the reader would not necessarily see if it weren’t for the sidekick’s question, comment, or reaction. They help us like the hero, which is what we’re supposed to do as a reader.
If an author’s not careful, though, sidekicks can easily take over a story! In fact, many subsequent novels are spun off of reader enthusiasm over a supporting character.
I was thinking back to high school the other day and remembered this guy (we’ll call him X), who drove a corvette and was the ooh-la-la of the place. X had a trusty sidekick (we’ll call him Y). Y was everything X was not: shorter, chubbier, smarter. X was everything Y was not: athletic, tall, handsome. My friends used to kid that X was friends with Y only because it made him look good. Truth be told, they had a fantastic relationship. They were everything the other was not. And, in fact, just a few weeks ago I got a Facebook message with a picture of X and Y still together with their wives and children. Too funny!
Switching to me and THE SPECIALISTS. My lead character, GiGi, is the brain of the spy group. But she couldn’t function without her sidekicks, who are everything she is not. There’s Wirenut, the goofy electronics specialist. Beaker, the Goth chemist. Parrot, the shy linguist. Mystic, the touchy-feely clairvoyant. And Bruiser, the spunky martial artist.
I’m giving away one complete, autographed set of this series. Just comment on this blog and I’ll enter you to win. That’s it. Very easy! I’m going to draw a winner on Tuesday, April 7th and announce it here and at my site over at www.shannongreenland.com Cheers!
YA Spring Break Week: Guest Blogger Monica McKayhan Weighs In On Bad Boys
UPDATE: The winner of five books from Monica's INDIGO series is Anna! Please email your physical address to contests @ knightagency.net (remove the spaces in the email addy).
He’s the rebel, or the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s bitter, volatile, a crushed idealist, but he's also confident and mysterious, charismatic and street smart. He despises authority and doesn't buckle under to anyone, which also makes him somewhat a bully. Girls are attracted to the bad boy because he represents everything that is exciting, intriguing and new. He’s everything she’s not. He’s nothing like her father and doesn’t possess anything that resembles her values. She knows that he won’t be accepted in her healthy circle, but she loves him nonetheless. And according to him, she’s the only one who loves him. “Without her,” he says, “no one else will care.” He’ll perish without her love. His mystery, confidence and seemingly unavailability in the beginning cause her to chase him, which proves that girls are also attracted to boys who ignore them.
Consider Stephanie Meyer’s Edward Cullen character in The Twilight Saga; a vampire who takes bad boy to a whole other level. When Edward first sees Bella in class, he stiffens up like he’s smelled a dead skunk and avoids her like the plague. She searches for him everyday and when he finally does come back, he alternates between being nice to her, and telling her she shouldn’t be friends with him. This back and forth drives Bella crazy, which is probably what Edward wants all along.
There’s nothing worse than a guy consistently having to resist the urge to kill you for lunch, but the fact remains that girls’ love for bad boys had withstood the test of time. In the not-so-terrifying ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, we see the bad boy as the protector when he and Becky Thatcher are lost in a cave. In the beginning, Tom Sawyer primarily has no moral code, his sense of ethics confined to feeling guilty over a terrible act he’s already done through selfishness or impulsiveness. He is, however, presented with a genuine moral dilemma when he witnesses a murder, and travels a path that causes him to do the right thing. In this story, the bad boy becomes the hero.
Bad boys exist in real life – not just in fiction, which is why YA writers have such an important job. We have an obligation to not only entertain our young readers, but to equip them with information that can help them make good decisions. If we’re creating characters that look and act like them, then those same characters must be able to identify what’s good and whole, as well those things that are potentially harmful. While we, as girls, love bad boys – we have to know when bad is reflective of a flaw in character – perhaps a lack of maturity, or when bad is just bad for no good reason at all.
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. Leave your name in the comments and enter to win FIVE BOOKS from Monica McKayhan's INDIGO series!! The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.
If you love YA, then you'll love what we have planned starting Monday, March 30th! It's YA Spring Break Week on the TKA blog. Our lineup includes guest authors Monica McKayhan, Shannon Greenland, Lucienne Diver, Diana Peterfreund and Rachel Caine. They will each tackle one of the classic character types in YA literature. Think Prince Charming, the irrepressible Sidekick, the Diva, the Bad Boy, and of course, America's Sweetheart. Looking back to my own high school days, there are a few more I could add in. How about yourself? What about the Bookworm (read: me). LOL. Glad those days are over, but I still love to read about them and reminisce.
Don't forget to check back next week for these special guest blogs, which will feature plenty of fabulous prizes!
Agent 24-7 was feeling verrrryyyy generous today and answered all the questions in the comment section! Thanks to everyone who participated in today's post!
After a much needed vacay spent lounging on the shores of an exclusive Mediterranean isle and catching up on her mountainous TBR pile, Agent 24-7 is back to work and ready to answer your burning questions about the publishing industry.
Here's how it works: Submit your questions in the comments section throughout the day. Agent 24-7 will answer two randomly selected questions after 3pm ET. The answers will be given in the comments section.
From here on out we'll provide a clue to Agent 24-7's identity, though we're sure you'll never guess ;). Clue #1: She is well versed in the field of mixology. Click here to see a list of all our agents!
TKA Rita & Golden Heart Nominations Announced Today!
We are sitting on the edge of our seats today with fingers crossed! At 3pm ET, RWA will "officially" announce the RITA and Golden Heart nominations, but in the meantime the good news is trickling out from all the nominated authors. So, as soon as we hear that one of our clients is a finalist, we will update it this blog post! Keep checking back throughout the day to get the latest updates!
RITA FINALISTS--
Paranormal Category
1. Gena Showalter, THE DARKEST NIGHT
2. Nalini Singh, MINE TO POSSESS
Contemporary Series Category
1. Crystal Green, FALLING FOR THE LONE WOLF
Young Adult Category
1. Rosemary Clement-Moore, HELL WEEK
Series Adventure/Suspense Category
1. Jessica Andersen, TWIN TARGETS
GOLDEN HEART FINALISTS--
1. Novel with Strong Romantic Elements: Elizabeth McIntyre w/a Elizabeth Devlin, HOME WATERS
I have to take a moment this morning to toot my own horn...so to speak. Today, I am being featured in Jeff Rivera's fantastic new GalleyCat column spotlighting industry professionals and authors of color. Check me out here:GalleyCat!
Here’s a chance to have your project reviewed by one of the agents at The Knight Agency. Submit three compelling sentences (150 words max) about your completed, unpublished manuscript to submissions @ knightagency.net (delete spaces). Write BOOK IN A NUTSHELL in the subject line or it will not be deemed eligible. One submission per project, please. Twenty of the best submissions will be chosen and requested by various agents who will then give feedback on your work...and it may even lead to possible representation. Hurry, the deadline is April 20, 2009. Winners will be notified by May 1, 2009.
Attention Book In A Nutshell Contestants!Due to the tremendous response we've received for this contest, we decided to post rules for some of the commonly asked questions that have come up. From this point forward, if you leave a question in the comment section we will address it by updating the FAQ document each Friday until the contest is complete! Thank you for your interest!!!
UPDATE: The winner of 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN is Tracy, and the winner of HEAVEN IS REAL is Lisa F!!! Please email your physical addresses to contests(at)knightagency(dot)net. Insert the @ sign and a period where indicated. Congrats on your win!! See everyone next week!
Turn on the music and bring on the cake and the conga line! Today, we are celebrating a milestone birthday! 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey is turning 125 years old!! Well not really... Actually, the book has reached its 125th week atop The New York Times bestseller list! In honor of this very happy occasion we are giving away a copy of 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN and a copy of the writing duo's second release, HEAVEN IS REAL, to two individual winners.
Leave your name in the comments below to enter the book giveaway for 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN and HEAVEN IS REAL. The winners will be announced tomorrow morning!
Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Greg Logsted Chat Transcript
Thursday night we partied in the TKA chat room with fab YA authors Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Greg Logsted. We were having such a wild time, we brought the house down. Literally. Server came crashing down. Okay, that's not exactly what happened, but how would you know? You weren't even there! ;) Whatever the case, the techno gods were smiling on us and we were able to pick up right where we left off. There were three book giveaways, and Lauren and Greg both dished about their books and gave out some sage writing advice.
Marketing mastermind Seth Godin urges literary agents to hyperspecialize in order to stay relevant.
Harlequin's new Young Adult line is set to premiere in August. Publisher's Weekly has an article about the new effort including info on Gena Showalter's September release, INTERTWINED, which will help launch Harlequin Teen! Also, THE VAMPIRE'S BRIDE has been chosen as a top pick by Audible's romance editor!!! Click Here to learn more about the audiobook and hear a sample.
Online Chat Tonight, Thursday, March 19th @ 9pm ET, with Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Greg Logsted ! Be There or Be Square!
Love to read YA? Intrested in writing for the YA market?Want to win some great free books? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you MUST attend tonight's chat with authors Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Greg Logsted! This is your chance to pick the brains of two dynamic authors who've made great strides in the YA genre.
Here are the facts: Lauren, Greg and their 9 year old daughter Jackie are the co-authors of THE SISTERS EIGHT series, which debuted to rave reviews in December. Lauren is also the author of the YA titles ME, IN BETWEEN, SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE and the upcoming CRAZY BEAUTIFUL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2009), a modern retelling of Beauty & The Beast starring a boy with hooks for hands who meets the girl of his dreams on the first day of school. Greg recently released his debut YA, SOMETHING HAPPENED (Simon & Schuster, November 2008), and his sophmore effort, ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH (Simon & Schuster), will be released this June.
Besides just having a great time, by attending that chat you'll also have the chance to win signed copies of THE SISTERS EIGHT: ANNIE'S ADVENTURES and SOMETHING HAPPENED!! We are also throwing in an ARC (advanced reading copy) of ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH!
What: Online Chat with Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Greg Logsted
When:TONIGHT!!!Thursday, March 19th @ 9pm ET
Where: The TKA Chat Room
How Do You Chat: Visit the chat room here: http://client1.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=115545. Enter a username and password (this can be any combination). Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
Not only is Lucienne Diver a member of TKA's fab team of lit agents, she's also well known for her writing prowess. Her upcoming YA title, VAMPED (Flux, May 2009) is receivingtremendous industry buzz. Here's the cover copy:
Gina Covello's Perks and Pitfalls of Vamp Life 1. Hello?! Eternal youth and beauty! 2. Free. Designer. Clothes. 3. My hot new boyfriend Bobby went from chess dud to vamp stud. 4. No reflection! First order of business: turn my own stylist to stop the downward spiral from chic to eek. 5. Vampire vixen Mellisande has taken an interest in my boyfriend, and is now transforming the entire high school into her own personal vampire army. If anyone's going to start their own undead entourage it should be me.
I guess I'll just have to save everyone from fashion disasters and other fates worse than death.
UPDATE: The winner of THE SISTERS EIGHT books, ANNIE'S ADVENTURES and DURINDA'S DANGERS is CrystalGB!!! Please email your physical address to contests(at)knightagency(dot)net. Insert the @ sign and a period where indicated. Congrats on your win!! Hope to see everyone at the chat!
In honor of our online chat with YA authors Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Greg Logsted taking place this Thursday, March 19th @ 9pm ET, today we are giving away two of their SISTERS EIGHT books to one winner! Remember to check out chat details below!
Leave your name in the comments below to enter the book giveaway for THE SISTERS EIGHT: ANNIE'S ADVENTURES and DURINDA'S DANGERS by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Greg Logsted & Jackie Logsted! The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon.
ANNIE"S ADVENTURES, BOOK 1: A rather large problem has befallen the Huit girls. (Sisters, actually. Octuplets to be exact.) One particular New Year’s Eve, the girls wait for their mommy to bring them hot chocolate and their daddy to return with more wood for the fire. But they don’t. Mommy and Daddy, that is. They’re gone. Poof! Maybe dead—no one knows for sure.You must see the problem here. Eight little girls on their own, no mommy or daddy to take care of them. This is not a good thing.So now these little girls, must take care of themselves. Get to school, cook the meals, feed the cats (eight of them, too), and pay the bills. They can’t ask for help, oh no. Any self-respecting adult would surely call in social services, and those well-meaning people would have to split them up. After losing their parents, being split up would be completely unbearable.At the same time, the question remains:What happened to Mommy and Daddy? The Sisters Eight (as they are called, affectionately and otherwise) are determined to find out. Luckily, they do seem to have someone or something helping them. Notes keep appearing behind a loose brick in the fireplace.It’s a good old-fashioned mystery with missing (or dead) parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery—let the fun begin!Annie’s Adventures, wherein the girls’ parents go missing (or die) and the girls learn each one has a power and gift. Annie, being the oldest, is the first to discover hers. DURINDA'S DANGERS, BOOK 2: Durinda’s Dangers, wherein Durinda, second in line, discovers her power and gift. Boy, is her power a doozy!
>>>>>>>>>CHAT REMINDER!!!!<<<<<<<<<<
On Thursday, March 19th at 9pm ET, The Knight Agency is hosting authors Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Greg Logsted in our chat room. This amazing husband and wife team joined forces with their 8 year old daughter, Jackie, to co-author THE SISTERS EIGHT, which follows the adventures of 8 year old octuplets as they search for their lost parents and along the way discover that they each possess a magical talent.
Lauren is an accomplished author with more than a dozen books for both teens and adults under her belt. Her YA books include ME, IN BETWEEN, SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE and the upcoming CRAZY BEAUTIFUL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2009), a modern re-telling of Beauty & The Beast starring a boy with hooks for hands who meets the girl of his dreams on the first day of school. Greg recently released his debut YA novel SOMETHING HAPPENED (Simon & Schuster, November 2008) and his sophmore effort ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH (Simon & Schuster) will be released this June.
This amazing family of writers has a lot of advice to share about writing for the YA audience. Don't miss out on the opportunity to pick their brains on topics such as the latest trends in the market or how to promote books to teens!
During the chat, we will give away a copy of ANNIE'S ADVENTURES, signed by all three authors, as well as an autographed copy of Greg Logsted's SOMETHING HAPPENED!
What: Online Chat with Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Greg Logsted
When: Thursday, March 19th @ 9pm ET
Where: The TKA Chat Room
How Do You Chat: Visit the chat room here: http://client1.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=115545. Enter a username and password (this can be any combination). Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
Bestselling TKA Authors Share Prime Bookstore Real Estate in Chicago Store
Marilyn Brant caught fellow TKA clients Gena Showalter and Nalini Singh keeping each other company at a Chicago area bookstore. The authors both recently topped the NYT bestseller list with their latest releases, THE VAMPIRE'S BRIDE, Book 3 in Gena's re-released ATLANTIS series, and ANGELS' BLOOD, the first installment of Nalini's GUILD HUNTER series!
Recent upheavals at various publishing houses have left many editors without a roof over their head. Some, like former Kensington editor Rakia Clark, have decided to hang their own shingles and ride out this rollercoaster economy by creating unique ways to market their skills. Rakia took a moment out of her busy schedule (which recently included being featured in a USA Today cover story!) to share her experience and hopes for the future.
TKA: How did you get your start in publishing?
CLARK: I first became interested in publishing during my senior year of college. I was an English major, but I had plans to attend medical school, so I'd taken all the prerequisites for that and was using the English major more or less to mellow me out. But I began to love my English courses in a way that all the science-y stuff just couldn't match. Going into publishing seemed like a good way to continue that kind of work. So upon graduation, I interned at a small, regional magazine in my hometown (Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine), and with that experience applied to the Columbia Publishing Course in New York City. I was fortunate enough to be admitted, and at the end of the course, I had two job offers in book publishing.
TKA:What was your title at Kensington, and what were some of the most successful books/authors that you worked with?
CLARK: I was an editor at Kensington. The biggest book I worked on was a memoir by WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie called DON'T LET THE LIPSTICK FOOL YOU. I also repackaged two of Ann Petry's books (MISS MURIEL AND OTHER STORIES and THE NARROWS), both of which got great attention in more literary circles.
TKA:With all the movement in the industry were you surprised that you were let go? Why or why not?
CLARK: I was not entirely surprised. Lots of other companies had been downsizing months before I got my news.
TKA:Have you found any supportive networks amongst fellow editors and other industry professionals suffering from recent job cuts? If so, how has this network helped you?
CLARK: Oh yes, people have been incredibly supportive and kind to me. Even more than I expected. Former colleagues have consistently volunteered to pass my name along for jobs, and many have sent freelance work my way. They've fed me, coffee'd me, hugged me, patted me on the back, and been all around great people.
TKA:Please describe your new business venture.
CLARK: Freelance editing is my new thing. I work with literary agents, prospective authors, and sometimes even publishing houses to edit manuscripts for publication. Please visit www.RakiaClark.com for more information on that.
TKA:What sort of response has the freelance business received so far? CLARK: I have been happily surprised at the amount freelance work available. There's plenty to go around.
TKA:Would you be interested in working for a publishing house again?
CLARK: Of course. I miss acquiring books. When the market rebounds, I'll take another stab at it.
TKA: What has been the most important lesson from this entire experience?
CLARK: To trust myself, to trust my own instincts, and to believe deeply that when you are good to people, people will be good to you.
As promised I’m back to re-post my #queryfail threads that were a part of all the controversy. I have to admit I think its going to be pretty anti-climatic for anyone that was waiting on the edge of their seat to see how I contributed. I think that’s a part of what really got me so agitated by all the “fall-out”. I joined into the event late in the day and made a handful of tweets, five to be exact. Yes, that’s it, Five little 140 character posts have given a select group of authors the ambition to claim that I’m a insulting and insensitive agent. Like I said yesterday, I disagree wholeheartedly, but since this was an exercise designed to educate, I am going to repost with slightly (and just slightly) longer explanations as to why they were in essence a #queryfail.
::And anyone that’s just joining us late and has no idea what #queryfail means. It’s a term that has been coined to summarize a query that after being evaluated by an editor or agent, doesn’t quite match up to the standards we expect before requesting additional material from hopeful authors, and ultimately would receive a rejection response::
Tweet #1 “I have attached a few of my final chapters, I believe they are more powerful than the beginning.”
Now, this was a queryfail for a handful of reasons. First off, as indicated on our website, at the query stage we don’t request any portion of your manuscript material. In addition, (and also indicated on our website), due to internet security measures we are unable to open unsolicited attachments. To cap it off, if you are hoping to sell a novel the whole thing had better be strong. How am I supposed to fall in love with a book if I can’t see the first 200 pages? I would say this is a pretty good indicator that the material was unpolished and not quite ready to be submitted to agents yet. Would you agree? I stick to my initial response. #Queryfail.
Tweet #2 “I don’t have any new material to share so I’m attaching an already contracted novella.”
I make my living off of selling books. So tell me, what am I supposed to do with that? Unless I have an outstanding relationship with you and I’ve asked to see some of your previously published work, simply sending me a contracted novella doesn’t give me a clue about the type of author you are, or that you might be, or about the type of material I might be working with in the future.
I am adamant about one thing when signing on new clients, and I’ve said this time and time again. Above and beyond anything, I have to love your work. I don’t care if you have a contract on the table waiting to be negotiated, unless I love the material I’m not going to take the project on. Why? Because things happen. The day will most likely come when I’m going to be expected to take the material wide and get behind it 100% with my word and find you a new or additional publisher. I’m not putting my word behind anything I don’t truly think is fabulous. Sending me a query telling me nothing about yourself or your WIPs will always get a #queryfail from me.
Tweet #3 “I have been writing since I could hold a crayon, and before that I used finger paints.”
Honestly, I don’t know how to not be sarcastic when evaluating this from a professional angle. I have been eating since I first opened my mouth but you don’t' see me trying to be a professional chef do you? Your imminent writing talent as a toddler tells me nothing about your current professional status as an author that deserves to be published. This is a professional business. Your query letter acts as you first professional introduction to the agency, I want to see a formal bio that is relevant to the work you are presenting. #queryfail
Tweet #4 “I’ve sold over 200 copies of my book in less than 2 wks, however I don’t know how to go any further and I’m winging it as I go.”
Wait a minute, you’ve already begun selling your book? Your book is already published? So what is there left for me to do?
Also, I don’t expect people that are newbies in the industry to have a high level of industry knowledge, that’s my job. But I do want to see someone that is confidant and possesses a level head on their shoulders with a solid goal in front of them, whatever that may be, not someone that is “winging it as they go”. #queryfail
Tweet #5 “I’m interested in developing a series but I’m not going to do it until I sell it first”
This was the bulk of this query. This was not a sentence that was meant to indicate “I could foresee this project turning into a series”, which is a fairly common phrase found in queries. No, this person was letting me know that if I sold their idea, they would write a book, heck, a whole series of books. I expect a slightly higher level of work ethic from my clients, and I’m proud to report that they all exceed this by leaps and bounds. #queryfail
And that I’m afraid is it folks. I’m pretty much talked out on the subject but as always, I hope you were able to learn something new today.
Several weeks ago, as mentioned here on the blog, the Knight Agency started Twittering. I’d been hearing about Twitter for months, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what all the fuss was about.
These days the internet has provided us with an endless array of outlets for social networking: Blogs, MySpace, Linked-In, Facebook, Message Boards, Yahoo! Groups, I could go on with more for quite some time. Regardless of the social-network, one thing remains constant, to be successful at building a network you have to invest a good bit of time in it. For people to be really interested in you and to gain a following, you need to keep your profile updated, active, informative and interesting to read. Up until now, none of the aforementioned venues really *did it* for me. After “browsing around” Twitterworld I liked what I saw and decided to give it a try.
For anyone not familiar with Twitter, here’s the deal. The whole premise is based off of short messages called “tweets.” You log into an account throughout the day via web or cell phone and update what you are doing. The trick is it has to be in 140 characters or less, so brevity is key. It’s quick and easy. You can also browse the Twitter network and find other people you want to follow. Once you’ve selected the “Twitterers” that you want to follow, their updates are compiled into one long list. You can get up to speed in a matter of a minute or so throughout the day on everyone you are following.
So after three weeks on Twitter, I have to say that this is the one for me. There are many positives I could go into. First, like I said, it’s quick and easy, not a huge time-suck or distraction (because really, who needs more distractions on the web!). I’ve “gotten to know” tons of new people in the business, agents, editors, and authors, through a combo of following their tweets and getting into @reply conversations. I’ve found an easy way to stay up to the minute with what’s going on in the publishing world by following industry news source tweeters such as Publishers Weekly, NYTBooks, booksamillion, and even select publishers such as Harlequin Books.
But the best part for me is that I’ve found a way to make myself accessible to you, the author. I do not know 90% of the people that are following me, but I’m OK with that. Agents are here to help you sell your book and guide you in your career. I’m Twittering to try to help those that are pushing towards their dream. Over the last month I’ve answered questions from people about projects, commented on books I’m reading, talked about what I do all day, made comments about what to and what not to do in submissions, talked about my likes and dislikes, and talked about me, just me as a person, so others can get a feel if I would be the type of agent they might like to submit to.
And then last week #Queryfail happened and the floodgates opened. For those of you not “in the know” about this great debate, let me summarize. Last week another agent out in Twitterland decided to invite other agents and editors to participate in a day where our posts would focus on query letters and more specifically, what didn’t work in them. It caught on like wildfire. By the end of the day it had been picked up by GalleyCat, by the end of the week bloggers far and wide, and this week the Guardian UK even wrote an article on it.
And of course, then the backlash started. Many, (and I would even venture to say most), people thought this was a great learning exercise that pointed out common flaws in queries while giving everyone a good laugh along the way. And as many people pointed out, these queries are the reality for agents and editors. It was a great opportunity for us to show people why we stress over and over, like broken records, the importance of following submission guidelines. But then there were those that started to chime in with their commentary on how it was a cruel exercise to make a mockery out of authors that are just following their dreams. How did we have the audacity to sit back and make fun of people sending material our way when they are the very people we expect to make our living off of? Some people were so offended that they created lists of all participating agents and editors in the #Queryfail experiment to ensure that they never submit to one of those insensitive monsters again.
As you might have guessed by now I was in fact one of the agents that participated in #Queryfail. Do I regret it for a moment? No. Do I think I have anything to apologize for or defend myself for? No. Do I think everyone is entitled to their opinion? Yes. And so now I am going to chime in and offer mine.
As an agent it’s a part of my job to educate people on the business. I attend conferences, speak on panels, give presentations, participate in online interviews, do online guest blogs, speak at chapters, participate in online chats, you name it — all in the name of educating and answering questions. Anyone that knows me knows I am an incredibly giving agent to the writing community, not just for my clients, but to those that I have no personal connection to. I try to offer constructive criticism and encouragement. I point people in the right direction and tell them when they are just really not hitting the mark.
#Queryfail was no different. Yes, it had a rather sarcastic tone, but come on, that is certainly nothing new, anyone remember Miss Snark’s beloved blog? I mean how could you forget it? It has become an industry standard of where to go to get the tough love answers to what you need to know. I’ve attended many events and seen online forums where people have offered up first pages only to have them torn to shreds “American Idol” style.
Now, in fairness, the one complaint I will entertain (but only for a moment, see below for explanation), is that with #Queryfail authors didn’t know that their material was going to be made an example out of. But remember it was only 140 characters (approx 15 words) with no personal identifiers. So it was completely anonymous. No fingers were pointed and no one suffered public humiliation. It was an exercise to point out what not to do via “live” examples.
Remember how I said I would only entertain that complaint for the moment? Here’s the kicker for me personally. I was a participating agent in the experiment, right? I’m not the submissions coordinator (aka query evaluator) at The Knight Agency. As outlined on our website and all over the web, all queries sent to The Knight Agency are supposed to be sent to a special submissions address. My email address isn’t even published on the website. Follow my drift? I shouldn’t have had any random queries to comment on, no one essentially has “permission” to blind query me, nor have they ever. (Side note, at times I get recommendations and such and then of course it’s alright to query me directly) On average I get 3-5 queries a day to my personal email address. And do you know why that is? Because of people’s lack of following the submissions guidelines. People are questioning why Agents and Editors have gone to such extremes to educate people, but I’m questioning why people seem to go to such extremes to not just pop over to our website and see the proper way to do things. As a result it’s become our job to continue to try to reach as many people as possible by as many means as possible, example, #Queryfail. But I digress.
I’ve said this a million times in a million places. Publishing is a business. In order for me to be successful and make a living, I have to act like a professional and in turn I expect those that are corresponding with me to offer up the same courtesy. On our website we not only offer guidelines but we offer dos and don’ts. We offer writing resources and websites that will help make you better. We do everything we can as an agency to help you as a writer. As an individual I feel I represent the company in the same way. I really have no problem being “blacklisted” on the blogs that have compiled those who participated.
For anyone that chooses to not submit to me because of my involvement, I think there is a bit of hypocrisy involved. Think about it. You’re judging me and my character as an agent simply off of my involvement in #Queryfail. #Queryfail happened to be an exercise where I was basing your talent as a writer off of the strength of your query. If you would take the time to further educate yourself on the process (as we were encouraging in #Queryfail as a means to make you a stronger query writer), I can guarantee that any of my clients, and many others that I have worked with in this industry, would agree that I’m not in fact the uncompassionate self-aggrandizing gal that many #Queryfail critics would have you believe. And that is true for many of the other agents and editors that participated in the event that day.
Now here’s the fun part. I’ve decided that tomorrow I’m going to repost my tweets from #Queryfail. Check back tomorrow and judge for yourself if my comments were cruel mockeries or helpful insights.
Publisher's Weekly blogger Barbara Vey's anniversary soiree is going strong all week long! Today she's throwing a special event for Publishers, Editors and Bloggers. Guests are enjoying devilishly delicious chocolate martinis and bewitching brownies. She's also got a mega stash of prizes to give out, including: eHarlequin party loot bags, Amazon gift cards and a whole lotta books.Click here to join the party!
A Family Affair: Online Chat & Book Giveaway with Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Greg Logsted on Thursday, March 19th @ 9pm ET
This Thursday we are hosting authors Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Greg Logsted in the TKA chat room. This amazing husband and wife team joined forces with their 8 year old daughter, Jackie, to co-author THE SISTERS EIGHT, a delightful series that follows the adventures of 8 year old octuplets as they search for their lost parents and along the way discover that they each possess a magical talent. The tween series premiered last December with ANNIE'S ADVENTURES and DURINDA'S DANGERS(Houghton Mifflin). The next book, GEORGIA'S GREATNESS will be released March 23rd. During the chat, we will give away a copy of ANNIE'S ADVENTURES, signed by all three authors, as well as an autographed copy of Greg Logsted's SOMETHING HAPPENED!
Lauren is an accomplished author with more than a dozen books for both teens and adults under her belt. Her YA books include ME, IN BETWEEN, SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE and the upcoming CRAZY BEAUTIFUL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2009), a modern re-telling of Beauty & The Beast starring a boy with hooks for hands who meets the girl of his dreams on the first day of school. Greg recently released his debut YA novel SOMETHING HAPPENED (Simon & Schuster, November 2008) and his sophmore effort ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH (Simon & Schuster) will be released this June.
This amazing family of writers has a lot of advice to share about writing for the YA audience. Don't miss out on the opportunity to pick their brains on topics such as the latest trends in the market or how to promote books to teens!
What: Online Chat with Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Greg Logsted
When:Thursday, March 19th @ 9pm ET
Where: The TKA Chat Room
How Do You Chat: Visit the chat room here:http://client1.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=115545. Enter a username and password (this can be any combination). Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
UPDATE: The two winners of Katherine Garbera's SONS OF PRIVILEGE series are Veronica and Mona. Congrats! Please email your physical addresses to contests(at)knightagency(dot)net -- insert an @ sign and period where indicated. Also, Margay (A DROP OF RED by Chris Marie Green) and Lisa F. (WICKED HOT by Charlene Teglia) have not claimed their Take Home Tuesday prizes. If the addresses are not emailed by midnight, March 18, 2008, we will redraw names.
Thanks to everyone who participated. Check back next Tuesday for another fantastic book giveaway!
The novelist's task is not merely the accumulation but the illumination of details.—J. D. McClatchy
There are books that I have turned to time and again throughout the course of my life. Books that continue to illuminate for me some human characteristic that keeps me intrigued. It’s a thing that keeps me questioning and questing toward answers. For me it is rooted in family and individuality. I grew up in a family with two sisters. The three of us girls were very close in age (only three years between me--the oldest--and the youngest) and were often treated as a group entity. In some of my earliest memories I was referred to simply as a Smith Girl.
While I liked that feeling of belonging that having my sisters gave me I struggled to figure out who I was by myself. As a pre-teen I found the books of Madeleine L'Engle and immediately identified myself with Meg. I could feel the same stress she did about her responsibility to her family and her siblings. But also she was lost in the family. Just her birth-order place made her who she was.
Another book that I loved was FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L. Koningsburg. I really loved this story because it talked of escape from the daily routine. Claudia takes her younger brother with her and they run away to the city. Something I always longed to do and then they discover the truth behind a donated piece of art.
This books illuminated for me that I wasn't the only one who was lost as a child. And because I'm such a book worm, I found the same sense of self in the books I read as a young woman. I drowned in romance novels which inspired me to be a strong, independent woman and to wait for a man who loves me. Those books made me believe that happily ever after isn't just for fairy tales but for women who want it. And I did.
Some of my favorite authors back then were Johanna Lindsey, Anne Stuart and Rebecca Flanders. But while romance helping me to figure out the details of what I wanted in a relationship the books of Margaret Atwood were helping me answer questions about myself. About my individuality, which is something I continuously struggle with. The book that did this for me was THE EDIBLE WOMAN.
That book is still one of my favorites for two reasons: the first and most obvious is that the heroine goes through a transformation in the book that I could identify with. She goes from being this woman who is bumping along on her expected path (the one that everyone expects of her and the one she herself has come to accept for herself) when she is changed. And that change comes in how she views herself. This book is fiction but I got a lot more from it than just a good read.
The second reason I love this book is that it made me aware of point of view. And that was one of the things I needed to figure out to become a writer. In THE EDIBLE WOMAN the story starts in first person. The heroine is thinking about herself in first person as we should. As we do in real life. Then as the heroine is coming to the change in herself the narrative switches to third person. The heroine no longer is a part of herself but viewing her life from the outside. Then once she is back to herself she switches again to first person.
I love that. I love the way that Margaret Atwood makes storytelling part of the story. How effortlessly she weaves that story and the heroine's journey together.
There are other books that have affected me as a woman and a writer but I could go on for days if I talked about them all.
What about you? Have you read a book that changed something inside you? Or made you feel not so alone?
I will give away two prizes today to randomly drawn participants of this blog. The prize is my Sons of Privilege series from Silhouette Desire.
This post was originally published on Magical Words.net, a blog moderated by authors Faith Hunter, David B. Coe, Misty Massey and C.E. Murphey. Mucho thanks to them for letting me share this post with our TKA audience!
Once you’ve got a book contract in hand, the last thing on a lot of authors’ minds is self-promotion. The publisher is supposed to do that, right? Riggghhhtt… Actually, unless you’re a veteran author, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find yourself with a red carpet-like publicity campaign. Below I’ve highlighted a few things that authors can tackle to position themselves for success.
1. Local Booksellers – As we all know, having a bookseller who’ll hand-sell your book is as good as gold. Visit your local bookstore and offer to sign the copies of your book on the shelf. Also take along some of those handy “Autographed by Author” stickers. While you’re there, get to know the staff. That personal connection will help keep your book in the forefront of their minds, and it’s always a feather in their cap to know who the local published authors are. It’s a win/win situation.
2. Book Clubs/Readers Groups – Having your book spotlighted by a reader’s group is a wonderful way to harness that always seemingly intangible “word-of -mouth.” Big or small, these groups can have a lot of impact. I remember years ago hearing of one example, Anita Diamant's THE RED TENT, which became a word-of-mouth bestseller as a result of reader recommendations and book groups, as well as support from independent bookstores. Before long the media caught up to what many already knew was a fantastic novel. One way you can find local book groups that might be interested in spotlighting your book is by visiting Meetup.com.
3. Author Websites – This is SO important. Authors need websites. If you don’t have one, start planning to make it happen now. Everyone is online, especially your readers. They want to hear from you personally, learn more about your books and see what they can expect next. The easiest and most efficient way to make that happen is via an author website. If you’re not ready to invest in a website just yet, then you do have an alternative. You can start a free blog on Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. The way to drive traffic to your blog might be guest blogging on another more established author’s blog. Get your name out as someone who’s fun and engaging. Run contests on your blog, such as giving away ARCs (advanced reader copies) or items from your backlist (if you have any). Or prizes can run the gamut, from your favorite authors to a Starbucks card. Make your blog personable and encourage conversation by responding to people in the comments section. Share the highs and the lows of writing your novel, or even offer excerpts or free short stories that keep readers hooked between release dates.*
4. Virtual Book Tours – One of the best things about a virtual book tour is the ability to talk to people while wearing your pajama pants. There are a number of websites where you can guest blog. For romance writers, websites such as Singletitles.com, CoffeetimeRomance.com and FreshFiction.com are great venues to get the word out, whether through guest blogs, interviews or online book reviews. For science-fiction, SciFiDimesions.com or even the fabulous Magical Words blog. Whatever your genre, there are specific websites that target the reader group you are writing for. Also, one thing we do at The Knight Agency is offer monthly chats with our clients, their fans and fellow authors. It’s a great way to make a personal connection with readers across the globe.
5. Hiring a Publicist – So you really want to make a big impact, and you’ve manage to squirrel away some money to hire a publicist. There’s a lot of footwork involved in setting up book tours, pitching and scheduling media appearances and figuring out which online venues are the most impactful. A publicist will be able to handle all of those things for you. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line. If you’re not ready to take that step, there are a lot of things you can do on your own to get yourself primed for success. A few books that might help you along the way include 1001 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BOOKS by John Kremer and THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOOK PUBLICITY by Jodee Blanco. If you find that that hiring an outside publicist might be right for you, make sure to get recommendations from fellow authors. Be sure to get references and ask for examples of what successful campaigns the publicist has done in the past. Once they’ve passed the FBI background check (just kidding), make sure you both have a clear picture of what your goals are. How many media impressions will they generate with this campaign? How many reviewers will they pitch your book to? What is the budget? How much of the budget should you set aside for unforeseen expenses such as supplying prizes, traveling expenses, additional communications with the publicist that go beyond the initial budget (very important)?
Well, we’ve chipped a bit off the proverbial promo iceberg. Publicity can be a slippery little sucker. Sometimes certain campaigns take off while others falter, and even the seasoned PR manager can’t pinpoint why the time was right for one person and not someone else. But publicity, like writing, is something you have to keep moving forward on because there are sure to be plenty of bumps in the road. Stick with what works and cut out what doesn’t. Like everything, with time, you’ll learn what avenues work best to keep you and your books in the minds of readers and the media. And perhaps, eventually, you’ll find yourself walking that red carpet.
*Please consult your editor before releasing any excerpts or free short stories to the public.
Nikeru, a very dedicated Gena Showalter fan, has created some amazing drawings of the characters in the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series. Below are Maddox, Keeper of Violence (top), and Paris, Keeper of Promiscuity (bottom). Click here to see more art from Nikeru!
The good folks at The Society for Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) have declared March 4th National Grammar Day. In honor of this occasion, I am willing to confess my most horrible offenses.
Offense #1: Blatant abuse of ellipses - I often rely on them when sounding out an idea over email to a co-worker. It's almost as if I want them to hear me say "ummmm."
Offense #2: Running through the sentence stoplight - It seems I simply can't stop going on and on and on and well, on. Perhaps, if I got a ticket for each offense -- I wouldn't hang onto my precious adjectives so dearly.
Offense #3: Overuse of IDK, OMG, TTYL and ROFL - I command thee to stay limited to the Crackberry (oh, and Twitter...oh, and Facebook...oh, there's MySpace...what if I'm just emailing friends? Hmmmm....ummmmm....IDK).
So what are your worst grammar offenses? SPOGG named President George W. Bush as the top offender for his use of the always delightful "childrens." They've also teamed up with MSN Encarta to develop a fun grammar quiz that you can access via their website. No, I am not telling you my score!
Guest Blogger Wendy Kirkland: The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling! Or Maybe it Isn’t.
Recently my husband suggested taking a weekend off and heading to Hilton Head Island to celebrate my birthday and the upcoming release ofOPTION TRADING IN YOUR SPARE TIME: A GUIDE TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE FOR WOMEN. Virginia and I also had just seen our cover design, and that made our vision of the book sitting on actual bookshelves come alive.
So, off to Hilton Head Island. The name alone conjures up thoughts of salt air, thundering ocean waves, sea oats fluttering in the breeze, sandpipers and pelicans, and more than anything else, wealth. Like its cousins Palm Beach and Palm Springs, the island’s homes tend to bypass the hundreds of thousands and head straight to the millions. In fact, one home advertised a “reduced price sale,” a steal at $25 million!
Jack and I planned to wander around town, stopping in a few shops, checking out restaurants, relax and read, and most of all doing some serious people watching. I probably should have expected signs of change, but what we saw still took me by surprise. Even this “uber wealthy” town was feeling the pinch of the recession. Remember, a few celebrities and well-known writers call this island home, and entry into this elite society starts with the purchase of one of these lavish homes.
In the motel lobby, I gathered up a free area guide targeted to tourists and a local newspaper so we could plan our day around our lunch destination. The first restaurant on my list, closed (obviously recently, since it was listed in a fairly up-to-date guide). Okay, not to worry, I had a few back-ups. The second restaurant was closed as well and looked as if it had been some time since its grill had been fired up. My third try was open and doing business (but in hindsight getting a table was way too easy right at the peak of the lunch rush.)
Even then, it wasn’t until we began touring the town of Hilton Head Island that the recession really hit me. Every store had bright red “Sale” tags everywhere. I commented to Jack that the person producing red tags apparently had the most successful business around. When we went into one our favorite haunts, a locally owned bookstore, we were the only shoppers. I spoke to the owner, and he candidly said that most days it didn’t pay to turn on the lights. But a visit to the Courtyard Book Exchange and the local library assured me that people were still reading, they were just finding more economical ways to satisfy their need. (Historically, library usage spikes during economic downturns.)
I knew times were tough, in terms of the financial markets and unemployment, but I was surprised by the impact on even the wealthiest areas. Perhaps the uneasiness so many feel is rooted in the knowledge that even the very well off have seen their assets shrink so rapidly.
Given the bleak picture I took away from Hilton Head Island, I had to wonder if this was the best time to release a book about opportunities in the stock market. But my concerns passed quickly. Option Trading in Your Spare Time: A Guide to Financial Independence for Women, delves into the principles of the stock market, one of which is that the overall market and its individual sectors such as transportation, gas and oil, agriculture, consumer staples, and so forth, move in cyclical patterns. We see ebb and flow, hills and valleys; when one business hits a downward trend another rises to benefit by the monetary influx. Investment monies stay in motion, flowing from one asset to another. If it flows out of gas and oil refining, it might flow into gold and silver or some other precious metal. Funds withdrawn from the computer software industry might flow into medical or insurance businesses.
While the publishing business faces a rough patch, too, it also will rise as money cycles back into that industry and some other business sector cycles out of favor. Remember, too, that the publishing industry (including bookstores and most recently the newspaper sector) is going through shifts due to rapid growth of information technology. But while bookstore sales might fluctuate and they create new strategies to maintain market share, book sales and promotion on the Web continue to increase. In other words, people are still reading and demanding information, but the methods we use to reach our customers will continue to change. Virginia, who has been a fulltime writer and hence, involved in the publishing industry for over 25 years, has seen a few of these cycles over the years. As she likes to say, the demise of the book—and the reader—has been greatly exaggerated.
Virginia and I discovered that though some aspects of the publishing industry were being affected by economic trends, other sections like our literary agency, the Knight Agency ended the year 2008 up by 50%. Other agents have reported increased sales of clients’ books in January.
Virginia’s sensible viewpoint reminded me that often times these business cycles bring about change and growth in new directions. For example, many new small businesses are launched during these cycles of economic stress. An old analogy fits here. When we prune a tree, it becomes stronger and healthier because the dead wood and unwieldy branches have been trimmed away. The base of the tree remains strong and the branches produce more blossoms and juicier fruit.
Economic downtrends tend to be fast and furious (and compared to up-trends they don’t last very long), and then the stock market’s usual modus operandi is to test these lows by dropping several times to that level. If the bottom holds, it will begin a new gradual (but steady) uptrend that can last for years before breaking downward again. Within the next few months and into the summer, these levels will be challenged and a positive move upwards will be initiated. This is the perfect time to take advantage of the opportunities bargain basement stock prices offer and the perfect time for our book to come out to teach women traders how to take advantage of the inevitable stock price increase.
The stock market is an early indicator that points the way ahead of economic growth. This upswing will benefit authors who address changing issues of our time, or who satisfy readers’ desires for entertainment and escape. New releases will reach bookshelves in time to meet the demands of devoted readers during the coming months.
Wendy Kirkland and Virginia McCullough are co-authors of the upcoming release OPTION TRADING IN YOUR SPARE TIME: A GUIDE TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE FOR WOMEN (Sourcebook, May 2009). Click here to pre-order!
What’s a Batman without a Robin? Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson? Shrek without the Donkey? Harry Potter without Ron and Hermione?
What’s a Batman without a Robin? Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson? Shrek without the Donkey? Harry Potter without Ron and Hermione?
