Mette Ivie Harrison's Blog, page 102
November 23, 2010
goals
My husband still has his training plan up in our bedroom from the Ironman we did in St. George. I am proud of his achievement, and also proud of my ability to write a training plan. He only had four days a week to offer to training and while he could do long bikes on Saturday, on weekdays, he didn't have much more than an hour, maybe an hour and a half if we pushed it. I did my long bikes on Friday so that someone was with the kids on Saturday at least some of the time. I think the longest week he put in was about 12 hours, and usually more like 8.
But it worked! And this is what I think. I think almost anyone can do an Ironman. I'm not saying competitive, but finish before the cut-off. If you are willing to give six months to that goal, you could do it. You may not want to do it. You may think it sounds like the least fun day you could ever have. That's fine. My point is the importance of having a goal and then having a visual way to record your goal.
My husband's chart is like a calendar. Each day there was a workout that he finished, he marked a big "X" over it, day by day. At night, he could see that he had come one day closer to finishing his goal. The last few weeks it was pretty cool to realize how many workouts he had finished and how few he had left until "the day." I think everyone needs to have some way of visualizing the incremental approach to a goal. Kids do it with the chains that they cut off. Adults need the same kind of thing.
Goals are hard to see. It is hard to imagine how you are getting closer to a weight loss goal or a goal to eat healthier or a goal to write a novel or a goal to get your diabetes numbers closer to the curve. Make a chart and cross off the smaller steps toward the future. You will be surprised at how much this will motivate you. It's part of the reason that I think races give away medals to finishers. It is a concrete symbol of the race itself, which of course is ephemeral.
Set your goal and get moving toward it today!
But it worked! And this is what I think. I think almost anyone can do an Ironman. I'm not saying competitive, but finish before the cut-off. If you are willing to give six months to that goal, you could do it. You may not want to do it. You may think it sounds like the least fun day you could ever have. That's fine. My point is the importance of having a goal and then having a visual way to record your goal.
My husband's chart is like a calendar. Each day there was a workout that he finished, he marked a big "X" over it, day by day. At night, he could see that he had come one day closer to finishing his goal. The last few weeks it was pretty cool to realize how many workouts he had finished and how few he had left until "the day." I think everyone needs to have some way of visualizing the incremental approach to a goal. Kids do it with the chains that they cut off. Adults need the same kind of thing.
Goals are hard to see. It is hard to imagine how you are getting closer to a weight loss goal or a goal to eat healthier or a goal to write a novel or a goal to get your diabetes numbers closer to the curve. Make a chart and cross off the smaller steps toward the future. You will be surprised at how much this will motivate you. It's part of the reason that I think races give away medals to finishers. It is a concrete symbol of the race itself, which of course is ephemeral.
Set your goal and get moving toward it today!
November 22, 2010
no talent and little skill
This Saturday I took my 15 year old daughter out to get a grand piano. She has been asking for one for years, and she is actually good enough now that it matters. I feel a little guilty that I couldn't get the even-nicer grand that my bad ear could tell sounded better, but I couldn't.
So then Sunday I asked her to come sing a Christmas piece I have been practicing for the annual Christmas recital. 15 has moved up to a new piano teacher, able to teach her concertos to a college level, but I thought it would be nice if she came back and sang at her old piano teacher's recital. The song I picked was "Mary's Lullaby," an old favorite of the family's, and one I have been hoping to be good enough to play accompaniment for her for years. I had practiced for four weeks before I tried to get her to sing with me.
This is how it went:
Me: Playing first four lines nervously, with a few mistakes.
Her: Trying to sing along.
Me: Let's try those again.
Her: Irritated, singing along.
Me: A third time.
Her: Mom, you can't play this really, can you?
Me: Doggedly continued playing to the end of the song, realizing that I would never play this piece again.
Me: Going to my room to cry.
It was good for me, really. 15 does this to other people all the time. I had never experienced it quite as sharply as I did this time. She absolutely believes that if someone is not as skilled as she is then they don't deserve to play/sing. They should just give it up. She has asked me for years to please stop playing--or singing--because it hurts her ears. I admit, I do sing much more quietly now than I once did in church, having lost confidence. But I also realized that *I* like playing the piano. It doesn't matter if I have no talent and little skill. I do it because I enjoy it and I don't have to be good at it. So long as I play it without trying to accompany her, that is.
We had a very short conversation on Sunday, after a performance in church by two girls who 15 deemed less skilled than she was. Why were they given solos when she was right there? Well, my dear, I told her, perhaps the leaders wished to give other people a chance to encourage them. Why? Because just because they are not going to be professionals does not mean that their effort is of no value.
And then I sat with that thought for a while, reflecting it onto writing and writers who are never going to be professionals. Sometimes I can be like 15 and a little harsh. I need to learn not to be.
So then Sunday I asked her to come sing a Christmas piece I have been practicing for the annual Christmas recital. 15 has moved up to a new piano teacher, able to teach her concertos to a college level, but I thought it would be nice if she came back and sang at her old piano teacher's recital. The song I picked was "Mary's Lullaby," an old favorite of the family's, and one I have been hoping to be good enough to play accompaniment for her for years. I had practiced for four weeks before I tried to get her to sing with me.
This is how it went:
Me: Playing first four lines nervously, with a few mistakes.
Her: Trying to sing along.
Me: Let's try those again.
Her: Irritated, singing along.
Me: A third time.
Her: Mom, you can't play this really, can you?
Me: Doggedly continued playing to the end of the song, realizing that I would never play this piece again.
Me: Going to my room to cry.
It was good for me, really. 15 does this to other people all the time. I had never experienced it quite as sharply as I did this time. She absolutely believes that if someone is not as skilled as she is then they don't deserve to play/sing. They should just give it up. She has asked me for years to please stop playing--or singing--because it hurts her ears. I admit, I do sing much more quietly now than I once did in church, having lost confidence. But I also realized that *I* like playing the piano. It doesn't matter if I have no talent and little skill. I do it because I enjoy it and I don't have to be good at it. So long as I play it without trying to accompany her, that is.
We had a very short conversation on Sunday, after a performance in church by two girls who 15 deemed less skilled than she was. Why were they given solos when she was right there? Well, my dear, I told her, perhaps the leaders wished to give other people a chance to encourage them. Why? Because just because they are not going to be professionals does not mean that their effort is of no value.
And then I sat with that thought for a while, reflecting it onto writing and writers who are never going to be professionals. Sometimes I can be like 15 and a little harsh. I need to learn not to be.
November 19, 2010
how to meet an author
If you are going to a book signing or a conference where you will be meeting authors, here are a few possible conversation starters:
1. "I loved your book, x." It is always appropriate to say this. Authors never get tired of hearing it. If you haven't actually read the book, however, there is a small danger in saying this. I have been known to ask readers questions about the book they mention, not in an attempt to see if they have read it, but to figure out what my readership likes about certain books more than other books. If you know enough to squeak by here, then you're fine lying. It is probably preferred.
2. "I loved your panel/presentation." If you're at a conference, this is easier to say if you haven't actually read the author's books yet, but are now planning to because of how wonderful they were in person. You could even say, "I'm going to buy your book right now because I loved what you said."
3. "I am so excited to read your book. It's at home waiting for me. I just got it in the mail, but then I had to come to this conference." The great thing about this comment is that it doesn't require you to know anything about the book, but it's a nice thing to say and who will know if you are lying? It sounds like you are interested, so you can talk to the author about the business or about the conference.
4. "Excuse me. I know I should know who you are, but I don't. Could you tell me what books you have written so I can go find them?" This is an obviously honest question, and there is nothing wrong with it. You may feel like an idiot, but I doubt many authors would be offended by this. A friend of a friend who came to dinner with me recently asked it, and I was pretty sure he didn't know who I was, so I actually appreciated the chance to tell him.
Some other tips:
1. If you meet an author cold after a panel or presentation, feel free to chat for 3-5 minutes in the hallway. More than that and the author may feel like you are taking too much time. You might possibly hit it off immediately, but I would recommend saying after 5 minutes something like, "Do you need to go somewhere else?" to give the author an out if he/she would like one.
2. Bathrooms are neutral space. You do not recognize or meet people in the bathroom. Even if you have just seen them in a panel, you wait until outside the bathroom door for an introduction. The most you could do is meet eyes and smile politely.
3. If you have already met an author on one occasion at a conference/convention, beware of appearing stalker-like by continuing to chat him/her up at every convention event where you both happen to be. Again, a nod and a polite greeting in passing is all that is required. Let the author invite you into a conversation if he/she wishes to do so.
4. At a signing, you should limit your interaction to one minute if there are others standing in line behind you. If there is a long line, that's all you get. If it is a shorter line, you could potentially come back later and chat for a little longer. If an author is at a signing, he/she is likely to be interested in chatting because otherwise boredom may set in.
5. Emailing an author after you have met is perfectly fine. Don't be offended if they don't respond, however. And also don't assume they will remember you. They meet lots of people (well, not me, but you know--other authors :)). Just add a line about where you met and possibly some identifiers, like "the girl with the blue hair." Something distinct if possible.
6. Don't ask an author to read your manuscript unless you have known him/her for a long time, like several years. And even so, he/she may not have the time to do so. If you want to be subtle, you could bring up a manuscript idea you are working on and then let the author make the suggestion to read a manuscript. If you have a book that is to be published, the rules are different. Feel free to ask an author to read an ARC and give you a quote. I'm not saying you will get a quote, but you can ask. Make sure that you state up front that you don't expect a nice quote if the book isn't their cup of tea (a gentler way of saying "hate").
1. "I loved your book, x." It is always appropriate to say this. Authors never get tired of hearing it. If you haven't actually read the book, however, there is a small danger in saying this. I have been known to ask readers questions about the book they mention, not in an attempt to see if they have read it, but to figure out what my readership likes about certain books more than other books. If you know enough to squeak by here, then you're fine lying. It is probably preferred.
2. "I loved your panel/presentation." If you're at a conference, this is easier to say if you haven't actually read the author's books yet, but are now planning to because of how wonderful they were in person. You could even say, "I'm going to buy your book right now because I loved what you said."
3. "I am so excited to read your book. It's at home waiting for me. I just got it in the mail, but then I had to come to this conference." The great thing about this comment is that it doesn't require you to know anything about the book, but it's a nice thing to say and who will know if you are lying? It sounds like you are interested, so you can talk to the author about the business or about the conference.
4. "Excuse me. I know I should know who you are, but I don't. Could you tell me what books you have written so I can go find them?" This is an obviously honest question, and there is nothing wrong with it. You may feel like an idiot, but I doubt many authors would be offended by this. A friend of a friend who came to dinner with me recently asked it, and I was pretty sure he didn't know who I was, so I actually appreciated the chance to tell him.
Some other tips:
1. If you meet an author cold after a panel or presentation, feel free to chat for 3-5 minutes in the hallway. More than that and the author may feel like you are taking too much time. You might possibly hit it off immediately, but I would recommend saying after 5 minutes something like, "Do you need to go somewhere else?" to give the author an out if he/she would like one.
2. Bathrooms are neutral space. You do not recognize or meet people in the bathroom. Even if you have just seen them in a panel, you wait until outside the bathroom door for an introduction. The most you could do is meet eyes and smile politely.
3. If you have already met an author on one occasion at a conference/convention, beware of appearing stalker-like by continuing to chat him/her up at every convention event where you both happen to be. Again, a nod and a polite greeting in passing is all that is required. Let the author invite you into a conversation if he/she wishes to do so.
4. At a signing, you should limit your interaction to one minute if there are others standing in line behind you. If there is a long line, that's all you get. If it is a shorter line, you could potentially come back later and chat for a little longer. If an author is at a signing, he/she is likely to be interested in chatting because otherwise boredom may set in.
5. Emailing an author after you have met is perfectly fine. Don't be offended if they don't respond, however. And also don't assume they will remember you. They meet lots of people (well, not me, but you know--other authors :)). Just add a line about where you met and possibly some identifiers, like "the girl with the blue hair." Something distinct if possible.
6. Don't ask an author to read your manuscript unless you have known him/her for a long time, like several years. And even so, he/she may not have the time to do so. If you want to be subtle, you could bring up a manuscript idea you are working on and then let the author make the suggestion to read a manuscript. If you have a book that is to be published, the rules are different. Feel free to ask an author to read an ARC and give you a quote. I'm not saying you will get a quote, but you can ask. Make sure that you state up front that you don't expect a nice quote if the book isn't their cup of tea (a gentler way of saying "hate").
procrastination
I found an interesting article here about procrastination. I probably procrastinate some of the time. But I honestly think it's not very often. I'm one of those people who, if faced with something difficult to do, will always get it done first so that I don't feel like it is looming over my shoulder the rest of the day. A difficult phone call, I do it first thing in the morning. If I have a certain number of chapters to edit, I do them first, and then fit the rest of the things in my day around them.
I do sometimes struggle with things that are more difficult to quantize. If I am trying to figure out how to do something, for example, I might put that off because I don't know where to begin. Sometimes I put off making decisions if they don't feel urgent. I haven't bought myself a new computer, for example, although my current computer has shown signs of problems for almost a year, because I felt uncertain how to choose between the nebulous possibilities and I just didn't feel the need to decide. I postpone things until I feel like I have a clear picture of what EXACTLY I am trying to accomplish.
Frankly, I think I don't really understand procrastinating. This is probably because I get a good deal of pleasure in accomplishing tasks and I dislike the sensation of having things left undone on a list. After reading the article above about people who procastinate, I have this question left--who is the future you? If you haven't read the article, let me summarize briefly. The problem with procrastinators is that they have a tendency to want the future version of themselves to accomplish any given task and are content to let the present you do what is easiest. So people will always make goals to read long German novels, for example, but for today, they will read a short romance. It's only if they are forced with a deadline to get something done that they respond and do it.
But there is no future you. There is only present me. If I want to get something done, why would I believe future me wants to do it any more than present me does? This just makes no sense to me. Either I want it done or I don't want it done. I suppose if there is something you don't actually care about, it would be hard to make yourself do that. But if you care about it, if you want to be a writer and have a book published, then you have to write the book. Even if you don't care that much about the PTA fundraiser, you want it to be finished? So do it now and let future you celebrate.
Hmm. Interesting reality there. Future me never celebrates. Because future me is a lot like present me and is always thinking about the future me even more in the future and how to prevent stress on that future me. Yes, people who know me are nodding their heads in frustration. Any time something good happens to me, I don't even take a moment to accept it. It's always on to the next thing. So maybe I need to learn to procrastinate.
I do sometimes struggle with things that are more difficult to quantize. If I am trying to figure out how to do something, for example, I might put that off because I don't know where to begin. Sometimes I put off making decisions if they don't feel urgent. I haven't bought myself a new computer, for example, although my current computer has shown signs of problems for almost a year, because I felt uncertain how to choose between the nebulous possibilities and I just didn't feel the need to decide. I postpone things until I feel like I have a clear picture of what EXACTLY I am trying to accomplish.
Frankly, I think I don't really understand procrastinating. This is probably because I get a good deal of pleasure in accomplishing tasks and I dislike the sensation of having things left undone on a list. After reading the article above about people who procastinate, I have this question left--who is the future you? If you haven't read the article, let me summarize briefly. The problem with procrastinators is that they have a tendency to want the future version of themselves to accomplish any given task and are content to let the present you do what is easiest. So people will always make goals to read long German novels, for example, but for today, they will read a short romance. It's only if they are forced with a deadline to get something done that they respond and do it.
But there is no future you. There is only present me. If I want to get something done, why would I believe future me wants to do it any more than present me does? This just makes no sense to me. Either I want it done or I don't want it done. I suppose if there is something you don't actually care about, it would be hard to make yourself do that. But if you care about it, if you want to be a writer and have a book published, then you have to write the book. Even if you don't care that much about the PTA fundraiser, you want it to be finished? So do it now and let future you celebrate.
Hmm. Interesting reality there. Future me never celebrates. Because future me is a lot like present me and is always thinking about the future me even more in the future and how to prevent stress on that future me. Yes, people who know me are nodding their heads in frustration. Any time something good happens to me, I don't even take a moment to accept it. It's always on to the next thing. So maybe I need to learn to procrastinate.
November 17, 2010
proper bookstore signing etiquette for writers
When you are asked to do a signing for a bookstore, the first thing you need to do as an author is lower your expectations. Nope, not low enough. Lower. Lower. Are you at "0" yet? Good, that's low enough.
I have been to signings for major authors where there was no one there. At ALA. At places where you'd think people would know who they are. The weirdest things happen. Somehow, one person will get a huge line and another person won't. There is no rhyme or reason to this. You may have a line out the door at one book signing and then literally no one at the next one. This is normal. It is not the fault of your book publisher. It is not the fault of the bookstore. It is not your fault. Your book does not suck. Your sales will not tank. You will continue to have a career after no one shows up for a book signing.
If you absolutely cannot bear the idea of sitting in a store for two hours, either twiddling your thumbs or hawking your wares to the people who happen to be roaming by, you may choose to turn down book signing invitations. Or you may choose to only agree to book signing invitations in which you are not the sole author. This has a double advantage. 1--they may get some people to the store who will buy your book. 2--you will have someone to chat with while you are not signing books, and the bookstore people will feel less guilty about you being there if you appear to be having a grand time anyway.
The bookstore may or may not offer to bring you something from the cafe. Do not have expectations for this. The bookstore may only have one of your books on hand. This is not because they hate your other books. Feel free to mention other books if you wish, but do not be pouty about this. The bookstore is simply trying to sell the books that have come out most recently or are best sellers. This is their business model and it has worked for them for quite some time. Be pleasant to the bookstore people. You don't need to talk with them for the whole time you are there, but if they are aspiring authors, be kind. Let them chat you up for as long as they would like.
You may choose to bring goodies to give away with your book or not, as you please. If you are at a multiple author signing, other authors will probably have goodies. They will probably sell books because they have goodies. This will make you annoyed if you didn't bring goodies. Other authors may have a better bedside manner than you do, and may hawk more books to passersby. This will annoy you. Grit your teeth and say nothing rude. Honestly, this is not what will make a real difference in total book sales across the country. But if it makes you more comfortable, by all means, bring free bookmarks or candy so that you have something to talk about or to offer to those who are reluctant buyers.
People who come to the bookstore with books bought online or with other things they would like you to sign, including body parts, T-shirts, nooks, or a notebook--sign them with a smile. Unless the bookstore people refuse to allow them there, and even then let the bookstore people be the bad guys. You are there to exude kindness and generosity, to show everyone how great it is to be an author, how cool and relaxed you are in public, even if you are a mess inside. You will not shout no matter how rudely you are treated. You will simply go home when you are ready and offer to sign stock, if it is desired. If it isn't, don't do it because that will annoy the bookstore people.
I am still not convinced that book signings have any effect on sales at all. If they do, it is not because of the books that are sold the day that you come in. It is because your fans will spread the word about how personable you were, and the bookstore people will keep your books up after you are gone, and because in general the book world will think of you as a known quantity.
I have been to signings for major authors where there was no one there. At ALA. At places where you'd think people would know who they are. The weirdest things happen. Somehow, one person will get a huge line and another person won't. There is no rhyme or reason to this. You may have a line out the door at one book signing and then literally no one at the next one. This is normal. It is not the fault of your book publisher. It is not the fault of the bookstore. It is not your fault. Your book does not suck. Your sales will not tank. You will continue to have a career after no one shows up for a book signing.
If you absolutely cannot bear the idea of sitting in a store for two hours, either twiddling your thumbs or hawking your wares to the people who happen to be roaming by, you may choose to turn down book signing invitations. Or you may choose to only agree to book signing invitations in which you are not the sole author. This has a double advantage. 1--they may get some people to the store who will buy your book. 2--you will have someone to chat with while you are not signing books, and the bookstore people will feel less guilty about you being there if you appear to be having a grand time anyway.
The bookstore may or may not offer to bring you something from the cafe. Do not have expectations for this. The bookstore may only have one of your books on hand. This is not because they hate your other books. Feel free to mention other books if you wish, but do not be pouty about this. The bookstore is simply trying to sell the books that have come out most recently or are best sellers. This is their business model and it has worked for them for quite some time. Be pleasant to the bookstore people. You don't need to talk with them for the whole time you are there, but if they are aspiring authors, be kind. Let them chat you up for as long as they would like.
You may choose to bring goodies to give away with your book or not, as you please. If you are at a multiple author signing, other authors will probably have goodies. They will probably sell books because they have goodies. This will make you annoyed if you didn't bring goodies. Other authors may have a better bedside manner than you do, and may hawk more books to passersby. This will annoy you. Grit your teeth and say nothing rude. Honestly, this is not what will make a real difference in total book sales across the country. But if it makes you more comfortable, by all means, bring free bookmarks or candy so that you have something to talk about or to offer to those who are reluctant buyers.
People who come to the bookstore with books bought online or with other things they would like you to sign, including body parts, T-shirts, nooks, or a notebook--sign them with a smile. Unless the bookstore people refuse to allow them there, and even then let the bookstore people be the bad guys. You are there to exude kindness and generosity, to show everyone how great it is to be an author, how cool and relaxed you are in public, even if you are a mess inside. You will not shout no matter how rudely you are treated. You will simply go home when you are ready and offer to sign stock, if it is desired. If it isn't, don't do it because that will annoy the bookstore people.
I am still not convinced that book signings have any effect on sales at all. If they do, it is not because of the books that are sold the day that you come in. It is because your fans will spread the word about how personable you were, and the bookstore people will keep your books up after you are gone, and because in general the book world will think of you as a known quantity.
November 16, 2010
how to approach an agent/editor
Some people understand how to manage social situations intuitively. I am not one of them. This is a basic primer for those who wonder what to do if you happen to be at an event and you have an opportunity to approach an agent/editor. I tend to freeze and wonder what in the world I am going to say. Some actual phrases you can use, even if you don't know anything about what books they have edited or what authors they represent:
1. What is the best book you have read this year?
2. What annoys you about the publishing industry right now?
3. What books are you most proud of repping/editing?
4. What do you love about being an agent/editor?
5. Would you be interested in coming to a conference in (name your state or city)? When would you be available and what would be your conditions for coming?
These are great questions for starting up a conversation with someone who is a professional in the business. They show that you are not trying to pitch something at them and they lower the editor/agent's defenses (in a good way--don't abuse this power, Spiderman!). Also, they have the useful side effect of making the editor/agent talk so that you don't jibber like an idiot. You may even learn a lot. Hopefully, you will also be able to say what the best book you have read this year is, what annoys you, and what kind of conference might happen in your state or city.
If you want to pitch something (but not necessarily right this minute), you might say:
1. What genres are you looking for right now?
2. Do you have any tips for querying?
3. What do you think new writers should know about the publishing world?
4. What do you think about outlines?
5. What kind of social media do you think help authors promote books? What kind of platform do you like authors to have before they pitch to you?
These are questions that are a little more straight forward in terms of expressing the intent to query editor/agent about a specific project, but they are not so pushy or bossy as simply saying, "Can I pitch something to you right now?" or simply beginning the pitch. The thing is, you want to make sure an agent/editor feels comfortable around you and doesn't think of you as someone to avoid at all costs because you are asking uncomfortable questions or you sound like an idiot/stalker/wannabe. These questions are new author questions, and they press a little closer to the envelope, but they aren't going to make any run away in fear.
If you need something even easier to start the conversation with, I would recommend doing some research on the agent/editor before you are going to be in a situation to meet them (not always possible, if there are dozens of them in the room and you don't know which one you will end up talking with). Giving a compliment is always a good icebreaker:
1. I loved x book that you edited/repped.
2. I love x writer you edit or represent.
3. I really liked the presentation you just gave.
4. I never thought of the publishing world in the way you just explained. It has completely changed my view of the world.
5. I love your accent. Where are you from?
If you are like me, however, you will do your research and still end up feeling like you will say something stupid, even if you are not looking for representation or an editor, which happens to me more and more often now. Still, the agents and editors are good people to know in the business. So I tend to find people I know who are talking to people I want to know, wave, and then slowly wait for the conversation to turn to something I can say something interesting about. Or possibly, for me to be introduced in a more formal way.
1. What is the best book you have read this year?
2. What annoys you about the publishing industry right now?
3. What books are you most proud of repping/editing?
4. What do you love about being an agent/editor?
5. Would you be interested in coming to a conference in (name your state or city)? When would you be available and what would be your conditions for coming?
These are great questions for starting up a conversation with someone who is a professional in the business. They show that you are not trying to pitch something at them and they lower the editor/agent's defenses (in a good way--don't abuse this power, Spiderman!). Also, they have the useful side effect of making the editor/agent talk so that you don't jibber like an idiot. You may even learn a lot. Hopefully, you will also be able to say what the best book you have read this year is, what annoys you, and what kind of conference might happen in your state or city.
If you want to pitch something (but not necessarily right this minute), you might say:
1. What genres are you looking for right now?
2. Do you have any tips for querying?
3. What do you think new writers should know about the publishing world?
4. What do you think about outlines?
5. What kind of social media do you think help authors promote books? What kind of platform do you like authors to have before they pitch to you?
These are questions that are a little more straight forward in terms of expressing the intent to query editor/agent about a specific project, but they are not so pushy or bossy as simply saying, "Can I pitch something to you right now?" or simply beginning the pitch. The thing is, you want to make sure an agent/editor feels comfortable around you and doesn't think of you as someone to avoid at all costs because you are asking uncomfortable questions or you sound like an idiot/stalker/wannabe. These questions are new author questions, and they press a little closer to the envelope, but they aren't going to make any run away in fear.
If you need something even easier to start the conversation with, I would recommend doing some research on the agent/editor before you are going to be in a situation to meet them (not always possible, if there are dozens of them in the room and you don't know which one you will end up talking with). Giving a compliment is always a good icebreaker:
1. I loved x book that you edited/repped.
2. I love x writer you edit or represent.
3. I really liked the presentation you just gave.
4. I never thought of the publishing world in the way you just explained. It has completely changed my view of the world.
5. I love your accent. Where are you from?
If you are like me, however, you will do your research and still end up feeling like you will say something stupid, even if you are not looking for representation or an editor, which happens to me more and more often now. Still, the agents and editors are good people to know in the business. So I tend to find people I know who are talking to people I want to know, wave, and then slowly wait for the conversation to turn to something I can say something interesting about. Or possibly, for me to be introduced in a more formal way.
November 15, 2010
10 years
This week is my ten year anniversary of becoming a professional writer. I got "the call" from Suzanne Reinoehl, then with Holiday House, telling me that she wanted to buy my first book, The Monster In Me. I subsequently found my agent, Barry Goldblatt, through that first sale. To date, I have 5 books published:
The Monster In Me (Holiday House, 2002)
Mira, Mirror (Viking, 2004)
The Princess and the Hound (Harper, 2007)
The Princess and the Bear (Harper, 2009)
The Princess and the Snowbird (Harper, 2010)
I have 5 books under contract:
Tris and Izzie (Egmont, 2011)
Untitled Book--possibly Zig and Hildy (Egmont 2012)
A Crown of Diamonds and Sapphires (Harper 2012)
A Sword of Rubies and Pearls (Harper 2013)
Final book in series (Harper 2013)
I am reflecting on the past ten years today. On the one hand, getting that call felt like a "finally!" moment. It was what I had long become impatient about. I felt that by then I was a pretty experienced writer and that I "deserved" publication to a certain extent. And yet it was also a very special moment where everything came together that I had been working on essentially my whole life. I don't think that any other call about a book selling has felt as special as that one did.
I am also contemplating what it means to be a "successful" writer. I could list a lot of things that are goals of mine that I haven't yet achieved. And yet, I am writing books and selling books. Surely there is no other, better measure of success than that. It is a job, yes. There are things that have been difficult, times when I thought that I had reached the end, that I would give up writing. There have been times when I wrote because I had to write, that it was the only sanity I had left.
When I was a teen and in college, I was a frantic devourer of knowledge. I read EVERYTHING. I read in German and English. I read more books on my own even in college than I was assigned for my lit classes. I would decide I liked a certain author and then read through that whole oeuvre. I remember someone saying that I needed to focus more, that my interests were too broad. Actually, more than one person said that. I read high literature and low. I used to wonder about myself, after I stopped teaching German for a living, if I would just give up on writing someday and move onto something else. I thought I would get tired of it. All my life, I have been getting tired of things, trying new things on.
But with writing, I am able to try new things on as part of my career. Yes, I am known as a fantasy writer of YA. But still, that is a very big world. Lots of history there to play with, lots of forms that can be exploited, lots of German literature to rewrite my own way. And American. And English. I guess this is my day to sit back and remember that I have been living my dream for 10 years. I have begun to understand what it means when they say that people sabotage themselves, that they are afraid of success. Success is scary. Having what you want is scary. You can't make any more complaints. You are the one in control of what happens next.
But for me, success has had so many delicious moments that I look back ten years and think that I had no idea what was in store. If I had known, maybe I would have been more patient. It isn't what I thought it would be. It is better.
The Monster In Me (Holiday House, 2002)
Mira, Mirror (Viking, 2004)
The Princess and the Hound (Harper, 2007)
The Princess and the Bear (Harper, 2009)
The Princess and the Snowbird (Harper, 2010)
I have 5 books under contract:
Tris and Izzie (Egmont, 2011)
Untitled Book--possibly Zig and Hildy (Egmont 2012)
A Crown of Diamonds and Sapphires (Harper 2012)
A Sword of Rubies and Pearls (Harper 2013)
Final book in series (Harper 2013)
I am reflecting on the past ten years today. On the one hand, getting that call felt like a "finally!" moment. It was what I had long become impatient about. I felt that by then I was a pretty experienced writer and that I "deserved" publication to a certain extent. And yet it was also a very special moment where everything came together that I had been working on essentially my whole life. I don't think that any other call about a book selling has felt as special as that one did.
I am also contemplating what it means to be a "successful" writer. I could list a lot of things that are goals of mine that I haven't yet achieved. And yet, I am writing books and selling books. Surely there is no other, better measure of success than that. It is a job, yes. There are things that have been difficult, times when I thought that I had reached the end, that I would give up writing. There have been times when I wrote because I had to write, that it was the only sanity I had left.
When I was a teen and in college, I was a frantic devourer of knowledge. I read EVERYTHING. I read in German and English. I read more books on my own even in college than I was assigned for my lit classes. I would decide I liked a certain author and then read through that whole oeuvre. I remember someone saying that I needed to focus more, that my interests were too broad. Actually, more than one person said that. I read high literature and low. I used to wonder about myself, after I stopped teaching German for a living, if I would just give up on writing someday and move onto something else. I thought I would get tired of it. All my life, I have been getting tired of things, trying new things on.
But with writing, I am able to try new things on as part of my career. Yes, I am known as a fantasy writer of YA. But still, that is a very big world. Lots of history there to play with, lots of forms that can be exploited, lots of German literature to rewrite my own way. And American. And English. I guess this is my day to sit back and remember that I have been living my dream for 10 years. I have begun to understand what it means when they say that people sabotage themselves, that they are afraid of success. Success is scary. Having what you want is scary. You can't make any more complaints. You are the one in control of what happens next.
But for me, success has had so many delicious moments that I look back ten years and think that I had no idea what was in store. If I had known, maybe I would have been more patient. It isn't what I thought it would be. It is better.
November 12, 2010
5 reasons to love a character
Given that not all books appeal to me equally, even when written equally well, what is it that I identify with in my main characters?
1. Outsiders.
This is enormously important to me. I want to read about people who feel like they are not part of the regular world. Obviously, this is because I feel like I am not part of the regular world. People hiding or disguising themselves work as part of this. This may be part of the reason that I like female characters better than male characters because female characters tend to be "outside" more than male characters. An important exception to this is female characters who are part of a "club" of some kind. Girls who popular do not appeal to me at all. I can hardly stand to read about them.
2. Doers.
I often find myself writing whiny characters myself, even though I hate whiny characters that other writers write. Is this because I am whiny and aware of it, and hate it in myself? Or simply because whiny characters talk more and do less. I want characters who do something. It doesn't even have to be unselfish, though that can help. I want characters who know what they want and go after it, even if they think that it will be unacceptable socially to have it. The love they can't have works for this, but so do many, many other things.
3. Book readers/Thinkers
This can be used in an off-hand way that makes me revolt, but in general, I like characters who are smart and who read. Go figure. I'm a big reader. It can be tricky, however, because I'm afraid that writers who try to write characters smarter than they are are going to end up making me shake my head at the pretenses. You have to think fast, and you have to think in a different way than other people do. You've already done the same old, same old. Although humor can defuse this.
4. "Good" people
And often good people who think that they are bad. Characters who are convinced they are condemned by the gods or by the social rules of their world and do what they are compelled to do to help others not because they think it is "right" but because it is who they are. Sometimes these people have completely given up the categories of "right" and "wrong" or "good" and "bad" and instead just do what "has to be done." To make the future come out right, to make what has to happen happen, even if it is a dirty job. These are often people who sacrifice everything that matters to them personally to make sure that other people don't have to make the same sacrifices.
5. Vulnerable people
What is it they say, that every character has to have a deep want and also a deep fear for a book to work? The deep want is what they are working toward, but the deep fear is what they have to face for the climax to work properly. I don't want to make a formula here, but I can't connect with characters who are superheroes unless they have some Kryptonite. Sometimes I feel like the new set of urban fantasy women out there suffer a bit from this. They have flaws or weaknesses, but they feel like stupid weaknesses to me (ah, love!). I want them to suffer some really traumatic event. Maybe this is because I want to feel like everyone has to go through traumatic events like I have.
I'm thinking of writing a longer essay on this, so tell me--what do you want in characters you root for?
1. Outsiders.
This is enormously important to me. I want to read about people who feel like they are not part of the regular world. Obviously, this is because I feel like I am not part of the regular world. People hiding or disguising themselves work as part of this. This may be part of the reason that I like female characters better than male characters because female characters tend to be "outside" more than male characters. An important exception to this is female characters who are part of a "club" of some kind. Girls who popular do not appeal to me at all. I can hardly stand to read about them.
2. Doers.
I often find myself writing whiny characters myself, even though I hate whiny characters that other writers write. Is this because I am whiny and aware of it, and hate it in myself? Or simply because whiny characters talk more and do less. I want characters who do something. It doesn't even have to be unselfish, though that can help. I want characters who know what they want and go after it, even if they think that it will be unacceptable socially to have it. The love they can't have works for this, but so do many, many other things.
3. Book readers/Thinkers
This can be used in an off-hand way that makes me revolt, but in general, I like characters who are smart and who read. Go figure. I'm a big reader. It can be tricky, however, because I'm afraid that writers who try to write characters smarter than they are are going to end up making me shake my head at the pretenses. You have to think fast, and you have to think in a different way than other people do. You've already done the same old, same old. Although humor can defuse this.
4. "Good" people
And often good people who think that they are bad. Characters who are convinced they are condemned by the gods or by the social rules of their world and do what they are compelled to do to help others not because they think it is "right" but because it is who they are. Sometimes these people have completely given up the categories of "right" and "wrong" or "good" and "bad" and instead just do what "has to be done." To make the future come out right, to make what has to happen happen, even if it is a dirty job. These are often people who sacrifice everything that matters to them personally to make sure that other people don't have to make the same sacrifices.
5. Vulnerable people
What is it they say, that every character has to have a deep want and also a deep fear for a book to work? The deep want is what they are working toward, but the deep fear is what they have to face for the climax to work properly. I don't want to make a formula here, but I can't connect with characters who are superheroes unless they have some Kryptonite. Sometimes I feel like the new set of urban fantasy women out there suffer a bit from this. They have flaws or weaknesses, but they feel like stupid weaknesses to me (ah, love!). I want them to suffer some really traumatic event. Maybe this is because I want to feel like everyone has to go through traumatic events like I have.
I'm thinking of writing a longer essay on this, so tell me--what do you want in characters you root for?
November 11, 2010
books in the future
I remember reading sf short stories in the 80s about the end of the printed book. It was something that everyone thought about, but it didn't feel imminent. It was part of science fiction. But guess what? It's not anymore. It's part of what is going on right now, today.
What I think is going to happen? Not that I know any secrets, but I have been reading on my iphone and my daughter has a Kindle and I read about the woes of even the big giant bookstores these days. And I think that there is a segment of the population who will switch over to ebooks completely by the end of ten years. They will be the disposable, best seller kind of books.
Then I think that there will be a printed book demand for special books of some kind, for bibliophiles who still want a printed book for whatever reason. I still like printed books. A few reasons. 1. You can't read an ebook on an airplane when everything electronic has to be turned off. 2. You can't get a signed ebook in any way that is meaningful to me. 3. A printed book has a certain value, perhaps antique, in its physicality. I like the idea that when the world is destroyed, books will remain because they are physical, not electronic. And I like to touch them and feel them around me.
Am I worried about what will happen to my career? Yes. Always. I know very few writers who are not afraid about what will happen to their careers, and it doesn't always have to do with ebooks. On the other hand, I think there may be other opportunities which will come up that may benefit my career. I think the idea of writing in other formats, specifically for cell phones, for example, story-a-day kind of things or chapter-a-day projects where you write and immediately send out work to your audience on the phone--that intrigues me. I think I would do well at it. So there is some excitement about the changes on the way, as well.
And I think that we humans will always want stories. The novel should have died when movies came in. It should have died with video games. It didn't. I don't think it will die now.
What I think is going to happen? Not that I know any secrets, but I have been reading on my iphone and my daughter has a Kindle and I read about the woes of even the big giant bookstores these days. And I think that there is a segment of the population who will switch over to ebooks completely by the end of ten years. They will be the disposable, best seller kind of books.
Then I think that there will be a printed book demand for special books of some kind, for bibliophiles who still want a printed book for whatever reason. I still like printed books. A few reasons. 1. You can't read an ebook on an airplane when everything electronic has to be turned off. 2. You can't get a signed ebook in any way that is meaningful to me. 3. A printed book has a certain value, perhaps antique, in its physicality. I like the idea that when the world is destroyed, books will remain because they are physical, not electronic. And I like to touch them and feel them around me.
Am I worried about what will happen to my career? Yes. Always. I know very few writers who are not afraid about what will happen to their careers, and it doesn't always have to do with ebooks. On the other hand, I think there may be other opportunities which will come up that may benefit my career. I think the idea of writing in other formats, specifically for cell phones, for example, story-a-day kind of things or chapter-a-day projects where you write and immediately send out work to your audience on the phone--that intrigues me. I think I would do well at it. So there is some excitement about the changes on the way, as well.
And I think that we humans will always want stories. The novel should have died when movies came in. It should have died with video games. It didn't. I don't think it will die now.
November 10, 2010
three conversations to share
from World Fantasy
#1 with Nancy Kress on a panel (not with me) about teaching Clarion (I think). She said that one of the most frustrating things about teaching was the way that students seemed to want her to tell them the answer to this question, "Will I be a successful writer?" They had sorted themselves, she said, into groups of good writers and bad writers before Clarion ever started, or so they thought. But really all they had done was sort themselves into people who did clean first drafts and people who did rough first drafts, and in fact that said nothing about the end product of their writing.
The truth is that the only way to figure out if you are going to be any good at writing is to keep at it for a long time. The proof is in the process of writing, how good you are at making revisions, working with an agent and editor, hearing criticism and being able to incorporate it, being able to re-envision the book over and over again without abandoning it. And this is only the writing part of the process, not the marketing, which can be even more important. To base a judgment on a single snapshot of the process would be like trying to figure out who will win a race by looking at a single snapshot of that chosen randomly in the middle.
#2 with Holly Black about surprises in novels. Surprise is an important element in a novel. But most novels have more than one surprise. Even more than one big surprise. Just because you guess one surprise does not mean that the novel is now useless to you. In fact, there are frequent cases in which a novel dangles one easy-to-guess surprise in front of the reader so as to distract him/her from guessing bigger, later surprises. You are so busy congratulating yourself on figuring out one thing that another will hit you square on, with maximum effect. We writers work hard at loading our surprises well and doling them out with pacing.
#3 with Ellen Kushner (and Holly Black) about warmth of voice. Using the new Bordertown ARC, she went through each story from the first paragraph only and showed us how the voice can be warm or not warm. This has nothing to do with the quality of the story, mind you. There are plenty of cases where you want (or need) a cold voice in order to pull off the right story. But it is quite clear when you look for it what makes a warm voice. It is inviting the reader into the story and acting as though the reader is "one of us," rather than someone who couldn't possibly understand or who must be led through each step carefully. I had never thought of this before, but it was obvious once Ellen pointed it out.
One of the reasons I like to talk to other writers: they are smart. They are always thinking about things, not just writerly things, but everything. I loved the sense that you are never "done" with figuring out the writing process. The best writers are the ones who are always tinkering, always playing with it.
#1 with Nancy Kress on a panel (not with me) about teaching Clarion (I think). She said that one of the most frustrating things about teaching was the way that students seemed to want her to tell them the answer to this question, "Will I be a successful writer?" They had sorted themselves, she said, into groups of good writers and bad writers before Clarion ever started, or so they thought. But really all they had done was sort themselves into people who did clean first drafts and people who did rough first drafts, and in fact that said nothing about the end product of their writing.
The truth is that the only way to figure out if you are going to be any good at writing is to keep at it for a long time. The proof is in the process of writing, how good you are at making revisions, working with an agent and editor, hearing criticism and being able to incorporate it, being able to re-envision the book over and over again without abandoning it. And this is only the writing part of the process, not the marketing, which can be even more important. To base a judgment on a single snapshot of the process would be like trying to figure out who will win a race by looking at a single snapshot of that chosen randomly in the middle.
#2 with Holly Black about surprises in novels. Surprise is an important element in a novel. But most novels have more than one surprise. Even more than one big surprise. Just because you guess one surprise does not mean that the novel is now useless to you. In fact, there are frequent cases in which a novel dangles one easy-to-guess surprise in front of the reader so as to distract him/her from guessing bigger, later surprises. You are so busy congratulating yourself on figuring out one thing that another will hit you square on, with maximum effect. We writers work hard at loading our surprises well and doling them out with pacing.
#3 with Ellen Kushner (and Holly Black) about warmth of voice. Using the new Bordertown ARC, she went through each story from the first paragraph only and showed us how the voice can be warm or not warm. This has nothing to do with the quality of the story, mind you. There are plenty of cases where you want (or need) a cold voice in order to pull off the right story. But it is quite clear when you look for it what makes a warm voice. It is inviting the reader into the story and acting as though the reader is "one of us," rather than someone who couldn't possibly understand or who must be led through each step carefully. I had never thought of this before, but it was obvious once Ellen pointed it out.
One of the reasons I like to talk to other writers: they are smart. They are always thinking about things, not just writerly things, but everything. I loved the sense that you are never "done" with figuring out the writing process. The best writers are the ones who are always tinkering, always playing with it.
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