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I simply love the SDSU Writers’ Conference, which so happens to be starting tomorrow night and ending Sunday afternoon. If you are able to attend this wonderful meeting of the minds, do it.
This year it was on the calendar to attend the SDSU Writers’ Conference, but alas a previous commitment to an annual charitable fundraiser is this weekend too. NEXT year I aim on returning (barring both events happening the same weekend), so for anyone not able to attend this weekend, make a note this conference will return in January 2011.
Next comes the waiting.
Every literary agent has been in the same shoes as the author querying them-waiting for a response, SOME kind of response Here are some goals to aim for, so that the overall query process is a positive one.
1. Avoid calling and/or email the agent once the requested materials have been sent.
In an effort to balance the rest of our agent duties, we try our best to read an author’s book proposal and/or manuscript in a timely manner. Most agents (including myself) will state clearly the turn-around time in printed directories. Hence, contacting an agent the following week isn’t to one’s advantage. Assume if contacted directly to email/mail one’s book idea, it is seriously being considered for representation. If more than two months pass, by all means drop a followup note to the agent, usually by email.
2. Avoid sending a revised proposal and/or manuscript after the fact.
If you were on a road-trip, would it be a good idea to return to the starting point and start a new route altogether? No, it wouldn’t. It’s not the best use one’s time or money.
Assume the same in regard to requested materials for an agent. We prefer to read the final copy of the book proposal and/or manuscript, not the working version. The author comes across as more professional, plus this level of professionalism ensures that the idea will be fully considered.
3. Use that time to further promote one’s writing platform.
This is a fantastic use of time, so do it.
4. Notify the agent if the book is no longer available for representation.
Any writer would be esctatic to have more than one agent clamoring to represent his/her book. If another agent offers representation, first and foremost celebrate! 
Then take a moment to notify the other agents (who are reading your book materials) that representation has been found. No offense will be taken, just appreciation that the notice has been been given, thereby everyone’s time saved.
What a fun and interesting week of blogs and “reads!” Instead of commentating on all of them, here are a few of the articles themselves – so go check them out!
Fusenews: Long Time Passing - by Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal
Kid Goth: Neil Gaiman’s fantasies - by Dana Goodyear, New Yorker
What You Need Before You Query – by Janet Reid, at Fine Print Literary Management
The Death of the Sluth Pile – by Katherine Rosman, Wall Street Journal
The Slush Pile – by Andy Ross, at the Andy Ross Agency
Happy reading everyone!
One of the requirements I have for any of my authors right now is Twitter. Long gone are the days where it’s a “possibility,” as I know personally that editors and publishers use Twitter as a tool for marketing and promoting books; in regard to writers, it’s the perfect way to build a larger platform. On both fronts, I’m of the same belief.
Some of the questions and benefits include:
1. Building a larger following. Twitter provides an opportunity to link to one’s website, as well as the opportunity to tunnel followers to one’s current posts/blogs. This agency website quadrupled in hits once Twitter entered the picture. Close to 30% of the hits came from Twitter.
2. Establishing a conversation with followers on Twitter. Building a good following = a chance to build a larger reading public. One can talk about daily life, the editor & agent query experience, inquire with others on their own experiences, one’s current book project, and more. Don’t downplay the benefit of talking about similar interests with people on Twitter. A good network will be built, new working relationships will be established (in publishing), and the possibility of gaining the attention of an editor or publisher are several of the reasons to not deny Twitter.
3. Learning the newest updates on book publishing. If there’s one thing publishers, agents, editors and writers do on Twitter, we use the Retweet button. Obviously each entity has a different list of followers. That Retweet function will help spread the word on interesting (sometimes vital) publishing news in a matter of minutes – we’re talking something along the lines of wild fire.
4. Giving the figurative “high-five” to folks on Twitter by following, retweeting, and/or “follow fridaying” them. Twitter is a great way to promote other followers. Taking the time to choose to follow them, retweet any of their tweets, and/or “FF#”ing them on a Friday = a noticeable word-of-mouth promotion happening. You’ll increase the followers for others, as well as your own profile. Ultimately we’re all in this together, plus we all love books. In summary, supporting fellow writers = strong supportive network for the writer
Building a Twitter presence requires time and patience, but is well-worth the effort. The world of Twitter can be a fun and exciting ride, where new people are met and befriended, where one can build a strong platform. Trust me on this.
If you haven’t already heard, here’s a list from Publisher’s Weekly that does a nice recap of the winners.
This weekend is the 2010 Midwinter ALA Meeting for the American Library Association. It is the place to be, should anyone be able to go to Boston. The Newberry, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Printz Awards will be awarded this Monday morning, with a heavy national media presence covering the ceremony. Ultimately any children’s or YA author would LOVE to receive one of these special awards. Plus any book that receives one of these wonderful awards will reach even many children across the country, through additional sales to bookstores and libraries, as readers will clamor for these titles. It’s the perfect formula, a good book + recognition from the American Library Association = an extremely positive book publishing experience.
Yet, we’re forgetting one of the most important reasons for this conference. Teachers and Librarians are the people on the figurative frontlines who reach the children. Within the walls of their classrooms and libraries, students are introduced to exciting literature, new ideas and concepts, and a new world of possibility (due to those books and ideas). The ALA represents these educators, as well as their desire to share books with children and teens.
Approximately ten years ago, I decided to find my first-grade teacher, as she is one of the inspirations in my publishing life. A favorite memory associated with this classroom included the hour before lunchtime everyday. She’d pull out an exciting chapter book, reading aloud from it to the class for nearly an hour. The entire class would sit there quietly, heavily absorbed in the story and her engaging reading voice without a complaint. In fact, my first-grade teacher was the individual who introduced me to “The Phantom Tollbooth,” which is still one of my favorite books of all-time.
Imagine the excitement of realizing she was still around, writing a letter, AND receiving a letter back in less than two weeks! It made me feel like a 6-yr-old child all over again. Not only did she remember my year in first-grade, there were stories to tell. Between her and my mother’s stories, I know my personality added some “spirit” to the daily classroom life. There were the notes pinned to my coat every day, informing Mom of the daily antics. The grades were always As, with a few Bs, but the Conduct grades were usually a U (as in Unsatisfactory). Yet, I knew she liked me, and she knew I adored her. I simply got “bored” after finishing the classroom assignments. :)
Today, we are now pen pals, to which life, books, and more are discussed via written correspondence. Major life events have happened over the years, to which we’ve shared the experiences in our letters. Truly words cannot describe how special that correspondence has become; as every letter with her handwriting brings a smile to my face.
Here’s where my first-grade teacher changed my life, along with Mom’s help. Both knew I loved books; hence there were more trips to the public library with Mom, i.e. more books to bring to school during those “bored’ moments. Over a period of time, the bad behavior ceased (I moved to an S!-Satisfactory conduct), with more trips to the school library (with a classroom pass) once the books from the public library were finished. The librarians knew me well, and I would often try my darndest to find a way to regularly visit them.
This LIFE of reading continued into Middle School, High School, and Adulthood. Much like first-grade, I always have a book with me. Plus, this love of reading resulted in Red Sofa Literary (and all the paths that led to it). Interestingly, the figurative icing on the cake occurred several years ago. Mom was cleaning out the file cabinet at home, and believed it was time for the elementary school files (w/ report cards, letters, etc..) to come into my possession. Receiving these documents was an exciting walk down memory lane.
In that pile of papers was the BEST gift of all. An award certificate for the McGowan Award, which recognized a student’s “use of free time by reading good books” at my elementary school. Attached to the award was a personal note from my first-grade teacher:
“This is a very special honor given to the one who always has
a book to read at their desk. I have only awarded two in the
three-year existence of this award.”
Stumbling across this note, long after building an entire life around books and reading was incredibly special. Yes, it brought tears to the eyes, as I don’t believe my first-grade teacher, the school & public librarians, or Mom would realize how they influenced my life. In an effort to support an overly active imagination, while dealing proactively with the bad classroom behavior, they influenced my ADULT life at the age of 6-yrs-old. If that doesn’t prove the value of teachers and librarians, as well as good parents, what doesn’t?
Getting children to love books requires ALL of these people – the parents, teachers and librarians. If one isn’t able to support a child’s love of reading, the other two have a duty to share this passion for books. Honestly, all the teachers and librarians I know bring this passion into their classrooms and libraries. Sadly, they sometimes don’t get the needed recognition for this accomplishment, in the form of government educational funding . At least there are national organizations, like the American Library Association, who recognize their accomplishments. As citizens, the best thing we can do is personally thank the educators in our lives, and in childrens’ lives today.
This weekend, as we celebrate the wonderful children’s books of 2009, take the time recognize your local educators. Support them in whatever way is possible, through volunteer work, financial donations to their libraries & schools, and recognition for inspiring children and teens. While the final results of their work may not be immediately evident, assume there will be a life-long impact, one that could forever influence every child’s life.
Want to see what all of us agents do during a day? Feel free to follow. The tag is #agentsday.
It’ll probably be dull to most readers, but it’ll also confirm our very busy jobs.
Courtesy of Shutterstock
I am a fan of all things history and pop culture. Anyone who enters my private world will notice a hodgepodge of things that aren’t necessarily high-tech and “old-school.” Between the retired Fire Emergency Phone Booth, older books, a 90-yr. desk, a 50 yr-old reading chair, and the typewriter key jewelry, there will always be a part of me who appreciates the “old ways.”
This however does NOT apply in regard to my agency life. Yes, I represent books about quirky, sometimes older “things,” but the industry in which I work requires a minimal knowledge of computers, the newest book formats, and a cell phone (& more). Between going to meetings, doing computer work, answering emails, and travelling, electronic gadgets are absolutely necessary – even my iPod, since it provides numerous & informative podcasts, as well as music to keep the day moving along steadily.
Here’s my kind, gentle nudge to remember to put aside the “old school” practices during the query process. Not only will it be friendlier, but it will increase one’s chances of getting published.
1. Always have an email address. Also, make sure you also take the time to READ the email on a regular basis. Keep the user name professional, and avoid using a user name that would deter from the seriousness of one’s writing career.
2. Don’t use a typewriter. I remember the days of using the old-school typewriter to type book reports, eventually getting an electronic Smith-Corona in highschool. It was a fantastic experience that made me a better typist, as well as a fan of the typewriter key jewelry I now wear daily. Yet, when looking at printed/mailed queries, the presentation of a typewritten query is not the most professional. If typewriters were the only way for us to communicate, this wouldn’t matter. However, we do live in 2010, and computers provide the opportunity for a spellcheck, a nice layout to one’s documents, and the opportunity to present queries in print OR electronically. The more professional the presentation, along with the more professional book proposal, will make a good impression.
3. Use Online Social Networks. Twitter, Facebook, & Linked-In (& more) can be your friends - use them in promoting one’s image as a writer AND one’s writing.
4. Always have a website. This can be an official website, a blog, or a fanbook page (on a social network), it’ll further expand one’s writing platform.
5. Learn to the tools of electronic trade. Taking the time to learn how to make podcasts, short videos, interactive webpages, and other marketing “tricks” will win over new readers – increasing one’s odds of getting published and/or furthering one’s ability to be RE-published.
Like anyone else, I see no issues with avoiding some aspects of the overly electronic society of today. Yet, publishers need to see this type of tech-savvyness on a writer’s part-especially when when considering potential book sales #s. The more tech-savvy a writer = the better chances of inking the ever-elusive book deal.
And yes, please keep your typewriter, they are still quite stunning to look at and use in other ways.
I am simply a fan of David Ulin (Editor of the LA Times); I appreciate his honesty, insight, and contribution to today’s publishing realm. Recently he wrote an editorial titled “After a decade of fear, we’re connected to writing in new ways” that hit another home run on this end.
What he states is very true, there is so much to look forward to, and that embracing the changes is okay (and exciting). Walking away from that editorial, my hopes of publishing maintaining its footing with readers (and increasing readership) are even higher.
Yes, technology has changed things. Everyone is more dependent on technology in our daily lives, so much that even books, and how they are read, is slowly changing. It is hard not to be optimistic, as more people will be reached. Call it the librarian side of my education, or a general love my job, either way this new year will be a fantastic one.
Have a wonderful 2010 everyone!
