Mandy Hubbard's Blog, page 6

On Learning, Growing...and surviving....

Last week, Natalie Whipple posted this amazing blog post. In it, she bares her soul and shows a rare bit of honesty for an on-submission writer. She admits that rejection sucks. That she's frustrated. Disenchanted. But like any writer who has what it takes to make it, she's also determined.

It' rare to see such honesty in the publishing world. We all "know" writers and authors online, but I've seen time and time again that what looks awesome and rosy on the outside rarely is. Debut authors are terrified they won't be stocked in chains, because many aren't. Someone announces a second printing but they don't mention that their next royalty statement shows a massive amount of returns. Someone gets a gigantic mid-six figure deal and hits the NYT list-- but they're spinnning wheels on the second book in the trilogy and their publisher just keeps putting them through more revisions. The first book did well, so the second has to be better.  

That's why jealousy and envy are such a dangerous thing for a writer to have. We *ALL* have times we seethe with envy-- its hard not to when we only need to look as far as Publisher's Marketplace for a six figure debut deal, or to the New York Times for a list which gives every author the stamp of approval they've always wanted.

That's why I applaud those who are willing to share a shred of honesty. That's why I've been so open with the rejections and challenges I've faced. Because unpublished writers aren't the only ones toiling in the trenches. The published are right there with you, pushing themselves to be better, bigger, to break out.

This industry is one big rejection machine. If its not the agents, its the editors, the readers, the besteller lists, the reviewers, the movie studios... the INSERT NAME HERE.

And *that* is why I try so very hard to focus on the only thing I can control: the writing.

While I was on submission through out late 2006, all of 2007, and half of 2008, racking up the rejections, I did the only thing I could do: I wrote. And wrote. My agent didn't even like most of what I wrote. She constantly sent things back to me saying, "You can do better." So I tried. And Tried. And again, "You can do better."

There were times publishing felt more like a dizzying merry-go-round, and I wanted off. For some people that means quitting. But I knew the only way I'd leave was when someone told me I had done better. That my book was going to hit shelves. That I'd have readers. That every stupid, stubborn thing I'd done for the last several years was worth it. Maybe it was just yet *another* form of my stubbornness that I refused to admit defeat. But for whatever reason it just... never occured to me to quit.

At the time of the never-ending-merry go round, it all seemed rather fruitless and maddening and just freaking a big-fat-waste-of-time. It was like... a perpetual waiting room with nothing to read and nothing to do but just WAIT.

It took a long time to realize that wasn't the case. Those years I spent revising and rewriting Prada & Prejudice, those years I spent being rejected by my own agent, those years I spent reading and critiquing other people's work, those years I spend reading and re-reading my rejections...

They made me a better writer. If a fairy godmother stood in front of me right now and offered to go back and wave her magic wand and launch my career in 2006-- so that I'd be three+ years post debut instead of just one, I'd say no.

If my original drafts-- or if my fifth draft-- of P&P had been published, I dont think readers would have liked it. i dont think it would have gotten good reviews. And I don't think I would have been ready to write a book like YOU WISH as a follow up. Becuase I struggled mightily to write that book in 2009, after three extra years of learning. I could not have written it in 2006 or 2007.

I know so, so many authors whose debut novel came out a year, two, three years ago, and they haven't had a sale since. Because their debut novel sold relatively easily, and they never had to push to dig deeper. To develop and hone their skills.

As much as everyone hates rejection, and as often as it seems unfair or unjust, sometimes... it works. Sometimes... it makes you a better writer. I hate to go all cheesey with "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger..."

But....

Whatever rejection you may face, it will only make your writing stronger. If you have the hunger to be published and can take those and turn it around-- if you can take what they say is "wrong" with your mansucript and figure out how to make it your strength...

Then when someone says yes, You'll be ready.

To repeat what i said on Natalie's blog, "It can be a shitty silver lining when you're still standing on the wrong side of the great publishing divide." But it's still a silver lining. It's still something to be thankful for.

Even as you get dizzier and dizzier from that damn merry-go-round.

5 Flavors of Dumb-- signed book giveaway

Guess what book came out in the last few weeks? Oh, only my favoritist book of the year:


Five Flavors of Dumb is easily on my all time top 5 list. It's about a girl named Piper who becomes band manager of DUMB, a band from her high school. Oh, and she just-so-happens to be deaf. Her infant little sister was, too-- until her parents raided her college fund to get her ochlear implants. Now Piper's the odd girl out-- just like always.

I'm not kidding when i say I read half this book with a lump in my throat. Piper is so easy to root for, and she's sick of peaple treating her like she's dumb just becuase she has a little hearing problem. This is one of those rare books where it feels like every piece of it works in symphony (no pun in intended), to leave a lasting impact.

If you read *ONE* book in December, make it this book.

And happily, I have a copy to give away , courtesy of the Awesome and Almighty Antony John himself.

To win, comment on this entry with your reccomendation for *THE ONE BOOK I MUST READ THIS MONTH.*

Winner will be chosen at random, so it doesn't matter what you choose, but why not spread the love for your favorite book of the year? Maybe we'll all find some good things to add to our christmas lists. :-

WHOA. Hunger Games vid

I just saw this today. All I could think was

A) This Girl IS Katniss Everdeen
and
B) I did not bawl like this while reading the book. I can't even imagine how much I'll be a mess over the actual movie.

Prada & Prejudice-- Coming to France January 5th!

Hee! I think I just found the french cover for PRADA AND PREJUDICE. So stinkin' cute!! <3!!




Click for larger!

Five things friday: The Wishlist edition

Five things I'd LOOOOVE To find in the slush pile:

1) Something really super fun and funny. Like a high school comedy movie, but you know, as a book. Like Robin Mellom's debut, DITCHED, which was pitched as The Hangover for teens.

2) A historical with intrigue and romance, a la THE LUXE or THE SEASON or whatnot. Bonus points if it A) has any royalty or titled people in it, and B) is based on a real historical figure. I just read PRISONERS OF THE PALACE, and would love something like it. I also LOVED Alisa Libby's THE KING'S ROSE, based upon King Henry the VIII's fifth wife.

3) A book dealing with Anorexia. Or on the flipside, obesity and a teen struggling to overcome it.

4) A total tearjerker, aka, a "weepie." Think: BEFORE I DIE (Downham)  or SING ME TO SLEEP (Morrison).

5) A suspense or mystery.

5 1/2) (Yes I am cheating) A great middle grade set in the real world, but with some fun magical realism elements.

Remember-- I only represent Middle Grade and Young adult, so all of the above would need to be for those audiences.

Query letters + first five pages pasted into email go to: Mandy@D4EO.com

The Evolution of a pitch

Writing pitches is hard. Whether its for a query, for the back of a book, or for when I pitch to editors. I actually think it is the hardest when it is your own book, becuase you know it so intimately and there are so many details you want to put in and sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. Which is why I always, always, always recommend you brave a message board and post your query for critique.

Today, I'm going to share three pitches for VIRTUOSITY, a book written by one of my clients, Jessica Martinez. It's an absolutely beautiful debut novel, and Jessica is incredibly talented. (Side note: Jessica twitters and blogs. ) It hits shells Fall 2011 from Simon & Schuster!

We'll start with Jessica's query letter:

Dear Ms. Hubbard,
 
Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love.  Two weeks before the most important violin competition of her career, she has bigger things to worry about—like growing out of that suffocating “child prodigy” label, and not disappointing her mother.  But it isn’t just the wrong time.  It’s the wrong guy.  Jeremy is Carmen’s most talented rival, and according to her mother, he’s only interested in one thing: winning. 
 
He isn’t the only one. 
 
Carmen is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to control performance nerves.  But what started a year ago as an easy fix is now a hungry addiction.  Her mother insists now is not the time to quit, but Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of doing what she’s told.
 
In the end, [Redacted for spoiler reasons.....] 
 
VIRTUOSITY is a contemporary YA novel and is complete at 58,000 words.  It is my first novel.  I have degrees in English and Music from Brigham Young University, and I’m both a writer and professional violinist.  I read about your move to D4EO Literary Agency on the SCBWI website and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog.   
 
Thank you for your time and consideration. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Jessica Martinez

First off, Jessica's first line is brilliant. You'll see below, that I used it in my pitch to editors, *And* it made it into the cover copy. In fact, her whole first paragraph is killer, which is why I kept it just as it is.

From there, I made some tweaks. Many times I do not use a thing from my client's query letter, but her pitch was well on its way. I just wanted it to focus a little more on the romance and a little less on violin and her mother. Here's the pitch i used:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love.  Two weeks before the most important violin competition of her career, she has bigger things to worry about—like growing out of that suffocating “child prodigy” label, and not disappointing her mother. 

 

But it isn’t just the wrong time.  It’s the wrong guy.  Jeremy King is infuriating, arrogant, and the only one who could possibly beat her in the prestigious Guarneri competition.

 

Carmen is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to control performance nerves, but what started a year ago as an easy fix is now a hungry addiction, and it seems as if every day Carmen has to take one more pill than she took before.  Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of doing what she’s told.

 

The closer the Guarneri creeps, the further Carmen falls, and the more desperate her mother gets to keep Carmen from throwing it all away for love. When her mother [Slightly spoilery line].
 

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall.


So, you can see that I injected a little more Jeremy, but still used a great line from Jessica's query-- "What started a year ago as an easy fix is now a hungry addiction...." . The last two paragraphs are entirely my own, swapping out Jessica's spoilery paragraph(s) for something punchier. I also wanted to end with a bang, hence the final line in the pitch.

Finally, here's the current cover copy created by Simon Pulse:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away.  Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

As you can see, Pulse took what we had and simply kicked it up a notch, with punchier verbage and a greater focus on the romantic conflict.

All three of these pitches work. I eagerly requested VIRTUOSITY when the query arrived in my inbox. And when I sent my pitch out, it was requested by all who read it. There are many ways to pitch things, and as long as you're getting a reasonable request rate, chances are you've got a solid query. But sometimes punching it up another notch will just increase your chances and request rates. So it is well worth it to spend a little extra effort at perfecting it.

BUT I LOVE HIM cover

SQUEE! Here's the cover for BUT I LOVE HIM, my book written under the pen-name of Amanda Grace. It'll be out early summer 2011. It's a *very* dark book about a girl in an abusive relationship, and it unfolds in reverse chronological order.


 Click for larger!

Letters from Me

Dear Avril Lavigne,
When is the new album coming out? Inquiring minds want to know. Might be good to, you know, update your website.
XO,
Mandy


Dear Gossip Girl,
I am breaking up with you. I know I did this before but then I heard Chuck was dating a hooker and I had to find out what was up with that. But this time it's really over. I've deleted your number from my phone and your name from my DVR.
Mandy


Dear Top Secret 2012 Book,
You suck. I need more plot lines. Give 'em up.
Mandy


Dear Mandy,
You really should stop eating croissont-wiches for breakfast. I mean it this time. Also why did you buy that ugly sweater?
Mandy



Dear Mandy,
The sweater didn't look that ugly in the store, I swear.
Mandy


Dear Toddler Spawn,
Your minnie costume will arrive in the mail in three days. No need to ask for the hourly update.
Mandy

Revising RIPPLE..... In Pictures

Here's some random pictorial evidence that revising isn't really that fun.

The Editorial Letter of Doom:


At the library on a rainy Monday night:


In the Home office on a Sunday. While the Fam is off grocery shopping. Note the Prada & Prejudice poster behind me.


7AM. On the laptop, on a train. Becuase you FIND THE TIME, damn it.


Saturday evening. Light at the end of the tunnel, because i've printed it. So I hope i'm close.


Huh. Doesn't look like I'm really that close.


10 pm on a thursday. About to fall asleep.


The last weekend before deadline. Not feeling it. Too sunny outside to work. But work I do.


Huh. More work to do. When is this thing due again?


I'm in the kitchen. Becuase I am trying to cook dinner and revise at the same time.



Yeah.... Can you tell that sometimes it is 7am?  And sometimes it is 10pm?  And sometimes it doesn't matter what time it is becuase damn it, this book is due?

Teaser Tuesday--- RIPPLE

Today's Teaser comes from RIPPLE-- the story of a siren who accidently killed the only boy she's ever loved--and the new boy who comes to town and proves impossible to resist, despite the life or death consequences....

Coming in Hardcover July 21, 2011!

I’m resting my head in my hands when I hear the chair beside me creak with the weight of another student. It must be the last available chair, or else no one would sit in it.

“You don’t look so good,” he says, his voice unfamiliar but pleasant.

Pleasant. I haven’t heard that tone directed toward me in a while. I pull my head away from my hands and turn to glare at him, but when our eyes meet, all I can do is stare, my breath caught in my throat.

Him. The reason I feel like utter crap.

His eyes are a startling, bright shade of hazel. Last night they appeared dark, but today they’re full of light, browns and greens swirling together like a painter dipped his brush in both colors and spun it around in a circle on canvas. It reminds me of the trees when I am underwater, their brown and green outline just a shimmery mass beyond the surface. His deep brown hair isn’t quite as shaggy as it was last night—he seems to have gelled or hair-sprayed it into submission.

I like it more when it’s wild.