Research Doesn't End When You Leave School....

Recently I've been getting asked advice by friends about writing and grad school and getting published and such, inquiring for others as well as themselves. So I figured I'd add to the bevy of information posted online about getting published, finding an agent or graduate school or critique partner and so on. This isn't on how to write or keep writing but this is on that other aspect that some fail to grasp which is the effort outside of writing but in how to have your work seen. And the sole answer to that is: Research.

At AWP in Boston this month I was at an agent panel, one of several that was packed by emerging writers seeking advice and guidance. The Q&A got a bit repetitive depending on which panel(s) you went to but the same message could not be relayed enough it seems, which is: do your research.

One writer actually told the panel that it seemed too arduous to research agents. One of the agents on the panel was actually quite nice, but also very serious when he said, "If you're expecting me to spend what could be up to 20 hours to read and consider your manuscript, the least you can do is make sure it's worth my time which means taking the time to do research on what I'm looking for."

Well said.

It's amazing how many times I've heard, seen, and also experienced rejected based on the fact that one did not do their research.

I know, it seems like after writing and editing, critiquing and reviewing that your job should be done. You would like to think that any agent who is a fan of books would like ALL writing. But, as any reader knows it's all subjective, it's just hard to consider this when it comes to our own work. When others say they enjoy your work it's hard to take when you expose it to others and hope they'll enjoy it too. But there are ways to save yourself from this. One of them is to, yup, as repetitive as it sounds: do your research.

Researching literary agents is a MUST. There are so many agents these days and the list is growing. With publishers downsizing editors may transition to agent roles. Each agent has specific requirements when it comes to their growing list and if you write literary fiction and Agent A wants commercial it is a waste of both yours and the agent's time to send them your coming-of-age novel.

What can be harder is if you write literary fiction and an agent takes that, but how do you know yours is right for him/her? Publishers Marketplace, the agency website, Writers Digest even does spotlights on agents, and there are regularly listings of books sold (editor, author, and agent attached), as well as the acknowledgment pages of books you enjoy. If your book is on international characters and you see that an agent seems to like historical book based in North America only perhaps he/she may not be right. If the agent likes nonfiction and you're writing a memoir make sure the agent includes memoir in their growing list. Some agents have blogs, many are on Twitter. An agent I follow, Pam van Hylckama of Foreword Literary may do #tenqueries. In #tenqueries Pam notes why she will or won't accept a query and many times it's because she's been queried for projects she does not represent and of course bad query letters but that's a whole other blog post. This is super helpful for aspiring writers to know what agents they may want to query are looking for and who they represent.

In regards to literary magazines I cannot praise Duotrope enough as a resource. I've been using it for years and it's now a paid service ($50/year) but if you're actively searching for lit mags and trying to send out pieces, track them, and get a sense of what genres lit mags take as well as their submission periods Duotrope is invaluable. From there you can check out archived issues if a magazine may have it online to see if their work is a fit and potentially submit or keep them in mind for something in the future.

The same research you'd put into residencies, graduate school, undergrad, conferences, and so forth. You research costs, what people may have thought about them, what you can get out of the program and who is teaching. All of these things are important to ensure you get the most out of any experience and most importantly do not waste your time or others. Somethings are a shot in the dark and it may or may not work out in your favor. But at least if you did a bit of preparation beforehand you can avoid many blows.

@WriteOnCon's Mid-Winter PitchFest 2013

The time is nearing for WriteOnCon's mid-winter PitchFest for 2013! This is a great opportunity for emerging writers to pitch their completed YA/MG manuscripts with agents on the hunt!

A couple of weeks ago the forums opened so that writers could post their pitches on the YA or MG writers' forum to get feedback from other writers on their pitches. I put mine up for my YA sci-fi piece and got incredibly helpful feedback. The people on the board are helpful and generous and have some great pitches themselves. I learned a lot about the process of getting to-the-point in my pitch and am confident the synopsis for my book is much stronger thanks to the input from others.

So sign up for alerts from WriteOnCon to find out more about the upcoming PitchFest and other PitchFest/Conferences they have throughout the year. As I may have mentioned in my post thanking my YA critique partners I met these wonderful ladies through WriteOnCon and have been all the richer for it. So, just sign up. There's nothing to lose only stuff to gain.

Happy writing!

I'm a Giver...for World Book Night US (@wbnamerica)!

I had heard about World Book Night (WBN) after seeing literary agent Ayesha Pande's exclamation about it on her Twitter feed last year. So I delved into it further and found it to be an awesome cause! I made sure to be on the alert when it came time to apply and huzzah last week I found out I was accepted to be a WBN Giver on World Book Night (April 23rd) in the United States.

You get to choose three books from the list of titles available on WBN's site and are then given one of your choices. I chose two I read: Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones (two fave reads from 2012). I also chose a book I haven't read Bossypants by Tina Fey.

What I will be distributing on April 23rd is:

I'm particularly psyched about this because in my neighborhood I think the tale of Esch and her family will resonate with the urban community I live in and near in Queens.

There will be numerous other givers throughout New York City and the nation on April 23rd. And it doesn't stop in the US, it'll be happening in the UK and Ireland too. Givers may be in front of libraries, bookstores, on random streets, working with non-profit communities and so forth to encourage you to read! I've already seen tweets from people in NYC, editors, agents, writers, and readers alike excited to help spread the written word.

You can keep updated with World Book Night on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, tumblr, and YouTube.

Interview with Fiction Femme Fatale's Krystalyn Drown (Two Debuts in One Year!)

Writer, entertainer, and all-around cool lady (all Joss Whedon fans are cool by default), Krystalyn Drown just pubbed her first book this year (Legasea) with Curiosity Quills. Legasea is about a young girl, Aileen, who uncovers mysteries in her town, about her family, and her connection to the sea after a dead body shows up during a party at the bay. Krystalyn will be doing giveaways on her blog & Fiction Femme Fatale in honor of Legasea's publication so check both sites for more info. Krystalyn's next book, Spirit World (due out in April from Entranced Publishing's Blush imprint) is a paranormal romance where Riesa has the power to communicate with spirits yet she keeps this hidden due to a trip to a mental institution and a general discomfort to the truth of her abilities.

I was introduced to Krystalyn when I joined Fiction Femme Fatale last summer. I've thoroughly enjoyed Krystalyn's work on Fiction Femme Fatale. Her short fiction has heart and drive. She's great with developing her world and giving her characters motivation for a larger desire. Really good stuff. So I'm especially excited for her full length novels and am particularly psyched to have had an interview with Krystalyn in honor of her first publication of 2013.

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In your reflections on 2012 (on your blog) you noted that you had two completed manuscripts (Legesea and Spirit World) you weren’t submitting the traditional publishing route, were you thinking of self publishing? And if so, why?

I have researched self-publishing, but decided that it wasn't for me. Not yet, anyway. I wanted the experience of working with an editor, and to tell the truth, I'm quite an introvert. I just don't have the gumption required to promote myself in the way that would be required for self-publishing.

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This may be a daunting question, but what’s your writing schedule like? Is it pretty free wheeling or scheduled? In speaking to other writers, especially emerging ones, this is one of the hardest parts. When you have kids, have a full-time or part-time job, have various commitments it can be really hard to find that notch of time to focus on your creative pursuits. How do you find you’ve done with this balance?

My writing schedule is this: squeeze it in when I can. =) I am a terrible procrastinator, but I do manage to find some down time every now and then to get some new words in. I use mornings when my son is eating or playing by himself to do the business side of things like blogs and responding to publishers, but I have to have quiet if I want to draft or revise anything. I do have at least one dedicated hour a week (8-9 on Mondays). A bunch of us meet here http://tinalaurellee2.blogspot.com/ to write, then chat about it afterwards. Anyone is welcome to join us. I also have my sister. We do writing challenges that last days or weeks. We text and bug each other. "What's your word count?" "Are you writing?"

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Much of your work that I’ve seen on Fiction Femme Fatale and your upcoming book Spirit World have paranormal elements in it. What attracts you to writing paranormal stories or ones with fantastical elements?

I've always been a fan. When I was little, I watched a lot of Nickelodeon (you know, back when it was sci-fi). My afternoons were filled with the Tomorow People and this series they had called The Third Eye. That one showed British and Australian serials like The Haunting of Cassie Palmer, Children of the Stones, and Under the Mountain. I read a lot of Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators books, but I always changed Bob's name to Beth, because I wanted to feel like I was part of the story. I'm also a huge fan of Star Trek: TNG, Doctor Who, and anything by Joss Whedon.

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Whether one’s work does have fantastical, sci-fi, or other elements within it many times readers consider whether there are autobiographical elements in a writer’s work. Are there traces of you or others you know in your characters or your experiences in the stories you’ve written?

Always. In Spirit World, Riesa loves watching bad sci-fi. So do I. Give me a giant something vs. a mega something, a coke, and some jelly beans, and I've got an afternoon of fun. Might I also recommend Titanic 2 and 2010: Moby Dick. In Legasea, I draw from my experiences boating with my family.

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When you look at a blank page, whether it be on screen or in a notebook, do you feel excitement? Trepidation? Inspiration? Or a multitude of these feelings?

It really depends on the mood I'm in at that particular moment. If I'm in a productive mood and have a vague idea of what I'm going to write, then I'm excited. But there are also times it can be very daunting.

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You have not one but two books coming out this year! Major congrats! How are you feeling about having your debuts come out in the same year and what would be your ideal way of connecting with readers for these stories?

I'm very excited about having two books come out this year. Last year at this time, I was a pool of mushy goo, because I had started to think this publishing thing would never happen for me. Now, I'm a pool of mushy nervousness. I have multiple ways of connecting with readers. I have a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads accounts, and I try to update them all equally.

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In terms of the industry do you think the increase of e-book only imprints and the popularity of self-publishing seem like a boom for writers, especially new ones, and getting more books out to the public?

I think it definitely provides more opportunity. Previously, if you had good work, but agents or publishers deemed the market flooded with that genre, you were out of luck. Now, with the option of going with a small press or self-publishing, people still have a chance to get their work out there. But I still think that people need to go through all of the steps, revising, getting good feedback, and polishing before seeking out publication. I can read my manuscript a thousand times, but there will always be an "it's" or a "doesn't" in there that I haven't caught. And commas, oh they are the bane of my existence.

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Congrats on Legasea, Krystalyn. And (virtual) cheers to continued success!

February Double (Book) Features! (#DBF Month)

The TBR (to be read) pile continues to grow. And many of us tend to keep purchasing even when we have books to read. Which means we're doing our patriotic duty to keep the publishing industry afloat and the economy. So give yourselves a hand. But, there are books you want to read and acquire in some way, and there are books you may have on your shelves, or in a stack, that you've been meaning to get to.

For me I have a bunch from Book Expo (last year and the year before) and others I have purchased. Upon organizing my bookshelves in December I noticed I had two books from three separate authors that I had yet to read. And so, I proclaim February Double (Book) Features Month!

This month I will read Story of a Girl and How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. Which leaves me time to get excited about her upcoming book, Lucy Variations, due out in May.

I will read Jeff Hirsch's The Eleventh Plague and Magisterium.

And I'll read Cheryl Strayed's Torched and Wild.

So that's six books in one month and I'm sure I can do it because I'm confident I will enjoy each of these author's books. Just as I've enjoyed their previous work and they're super cool people in general.

If you have books by authors you'd like to do a Double Feature on feel free to join me in this endeavor for the month. I'll do a hashtag of #DoubleBookFeature or #DBF on Twitter. Either way, happy reading!