K.R. Gastreich's Blog, page 2

The Query Letter: Placing your work in the market

A few weeks ago, I promised more posts on the topic of the query letter. Previously, I discussed why an author should query and went over the basic 3-paragraph structure of the query letter. One paragraph of the query letter is typically devoted to placing the manuscript in the market. Let’s dig into that today.

For many agents it’s critical the author knows the intended market for their work. I’ve even seen agents claim they will not consider the query if an author gets the market wrong.

For me personally, placing my work in the market is intimidating. As an author, I focus more on the creative process than on marketing. I’m not always confident I fully grasp the differences between all the genres and subgenres that are relevant for my work.

For example, if my novel has paranormal elements, does that qualify it as a paranormal novel? What’s the difference between paranormal and urban fantasy? If my novel combines elements of thriller, horror, and suspense, which of these should I focus on when identifying the market for a potential agent? Is “dark fantasy” too general a term when describing my novel?

At the heart of these questions lies a central dilemma: Many of us write across genres. While this might create uncertainty when writing a query, writing across genres can also be used to the author’s advantage.

For example, if your manuscript combines elements of more than one genre, you can tailor each query to emphasize the genre that most appeals to that particular agent. It’s also true that many agents favor manuscripts that cross or bend genres. Look for those agents – they might be your next best friend!

An important point: Word count is part of genre. For example, romance tends to be shorter than epic fantasy. When designating your genre, make sure your word count fits within what’s expected.

In addition to knowing your genre, many agents ask you to identify novels similar to your own. Authors tend to grimace at this because we are convinced our manuscript is totally unique. While it’s true that no one else can write the novel that comes from your individual heart and soul, all of us should be able to identify works that share important characteristics with our manuscript.

To identify novels similar to my own, I raided my bookshelf. I pulled novels that have inspired me and looked for novels that generated the same mood I hope to create for other readers. Not only was this a fun exercise, the stack I produced became a list of works to include in my query letters. Sure, not a single book in that stack tells the same story I did, but at least I can give the agent an idea of where I’m coming from.

While writing your novel – that is, even before you begin to think about the query letter – it’s important to identify your ideal reader. Write for one person rather than a city, continent, or country. That one person you’re trying to reach can tell you about your genre and market. Who is your ideal reader, what kind of books do they prefer, and why? If you can answer these questions, you probably have a pretty good grip on the market for your novel, even if you aren’t always sure what genre label to use.

Once you have all these ideas lined up – genre, similar novels, and your ideal reader – the rest is just mechanics. Write a single paragraph. State your genre, word count, and totally awesome title up front. Then, provide a list of 2-3 similar novels and give a brief description of your ideal reader. Congratulations! You’ve just finished the first paragraph of your query letter.

In upcoming posts, we’ll dig into the second and third paragraphs. I also provide an overview of these paragraphs in a previous post.

Happy October and good luck with your queries!

Cover Reveal: Daughter of Aithne

Cover by ARavenDesign.com

I’m very excited today to share the new cover for the third book of the Silver Web Trilogy: DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, winner of the OZMA Award for fantasy fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards.

It’s a coincidence, but an appropriate one, that this cover reveal comes on September 21, the UN International Day of Peace. In this final installment of Eolyn’s epic journey, war erupts between witches and queens. However, the deeper story revolves around how Eolyn and her antagonist, Taesara, each seek in their own way to envision a world of peace. They hold the power to put an end to the conflict engulfing their kingdoms – whether they choose that path depends on each woman’s ability to overcome her own fears and prejudice.

DAUGHTER OF AITHNE can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, but is best savored in sequence with the first two books of the trilogy, EOLYN and SWORD OF SHADOWS. Available in paperback and on Kindle, including Kindle Unlimited.

About DAUGHTER OF AITHNE

After a decade of peace, crisis engulfs the kingdom. Eolyn’s students in magic rebel against the Mage King Akmael. Accused of treason, the forest witch Eolyn is imprisoned along with her children. Distraught for the fate of her son and daughter, Eolyn begins a desperate search for new allies. If she fails, the King’s enemies will kill them all.

Years ago, Akmael’s former queen, Taesara, was spurned for the forest witch Eolyn. Now Taesara’s daughter by Akmael has escaped his court to join her mother in exile. Taesara launches a brutal war against the Mage King. If she fails to claim the throne for her daughter, both will perish under the King’s wrath.

In the gripping finale to The Silver Web Trilogy, threads of love, honor, betrayal, and vengeance culminate in a war that engulfs four kingdoms. The victorious woman will claim the crown; the defeated will face her executioner.

“Fans of the trilogy won’t want to miss this hard-hitting finish.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“An enticing and elegant series finale filled with magic and turmoil.” –KIRKUS REVIEWS

Winner of the OZMA AWARD for Fantasy Fiction from CHANTICLEER REVIEWS

Start reading today!

Cover Reveal: Sword of Shadows

Aaaand here she is (drumroll please): The thrilling new cover for SWORD OF SHADOWS, Book 2 of The Silver Web.

This design ties in with the cover for EOLYN, revealed last week. Also from ARavenDesigns.com, this cover again features the Silver Web, a magical medallion that weaves the fates of the characters into a single intention. Smoky claws of Naether Demons grip the Silver Web’s rim; the enchanted sword Kel’Barú – Eolyn’s only defense against the Naether Demons – strikes through its center.

I’d like to provide some trivia on Kel’Barú, backstory that is never fully discussed in the novels. Kel’Barú belonged to Eolyn’s father, who journeyed to Eolyn’s homeland from the southern Kingdom of Galia. He was one of many Galian warriors who assisted in the war against the Mage King Kedehen. That’s how he met Eolyn’s mother, a warrior and a witch. Only Eolyn can wield the sword because as one of its enchantments, it is family-bound. Kel’Barú responds not only to Eolyn, but to the spirit of her father, which runs through her veins.

More fun trivia: I named Kel’Barú after Barú Volcano, which occupies the Talamanca Mountain Range of Central America, near the border between Panama and Costa Rica.

You can read more about SWORD OF SHADOWS below. Third and final cover reveal for the trilogy is coming soon!

About SWORD OF SHADOWS

The forest witch Eolyn returns home after a bitter war. There, she begins the hard work of restoring women’s magic. Bound by love for each other and the craft, Eolyn’s small coven starts a fragile path to new power. Their harmony is short-lived.

From the far side of the Paramen Mountains, a malevolent empire unleashes the Naether Demons, ancient creatures driven by insatiable thirst for magic. When Naether Demons rage through Eolyn’s homeland, her coven is attacked. Only a handful of sisters in magic escape.

They cling to one hope: the magical sword, Kel’Barú. If Eolyn can deliver this weapon to the Mage King, they might have a chance against the Naether Demons. But Eolyn once spurned the Mage King’s love, and the path to his court is fraught with peril.

Undertaking a dangerous journey through occupied territory, Eolyn races against the enemy to find the Mage King – and conquer the demons of her own heart. If she fails, her people and all their magic will be lost.

“Lush, evocative descriptions carry readers through an unforgettable journey.” –KIRKUS REVIEWS

“War propels the story forward, and the characters are at their best when circumstances are at their worst.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Available in paperback and on Kindle. Start reading today!

The Power of Hope

The cover reveal for SWORD OF SHADOWS, Book 2 of the Silver Web, is scheduled for September 10. A malevolent empire unleashes the Naether Demons to ravage the land. Can the forest witch Eolyn save her people – and conquer the demons of her own heart? Here’s a trailer with a sneak preview of the new look!

(Cover design by ARavenDesign.com; video produced in paid partnership with Canva.com)

Cover Reveal: EOLYN (Book 1 of The Silver Web)

Today’s the day! I’m very excited to launch the new covers for the Silver Web Trilogy, beginning with Book 1: EOLYN.

The trilogy’s new look was designed by Autumn M. Birt at ARavenDesign.com. Each cover will feature the Silver Web, an amulet made of spider silk that carries magical powers in Eolyn’s world. Next week, I will release the cover of the second book in the series, SWORD OF SHADOWS. The cover for the third and final book, DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, will appear shortly after that. All three books are available in paperback and on Kindle; Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read for free.

About EOLYN

In a land ravaged by civil war, the Mage King Kedehen initiates a ruthless purge of women practitioners of magic. Eolyn, sole heiress to a forbidden craft, escapes by fleeing to the South Woods. When the mysterious Akmael appears in her forest refuge, Eolyn finds hope in the young man’s friendship. But Akmael has a secret: He is the Mage Prince, son and heir to the man who slaughtered Eolyn’s family.

As their paths separate and intertwine again, Eolyn and Akmael emerge as leaders on opposite sides of a violent conflict, one that will determine the fate of a millennial tradition of magic. When the final battle approaches, Eolyn must decide whether to take up arms against the most powerful mage in the kingdom – who is also the man closest to her heart.

In Book One of this award-winning trilogy, survivors of the Great Purge become entangled in a web of desire, vengeance, and renewal. At the center, Eolyn, last daughter of an ancient sisterhood, rises up against a realm of brutal wizards, challenging their authority in a desperate bid to restore women’s magic.

“Vigorously told deceptions and battle scenes, with a romantic thread.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Headstrong, hopeful, and fiercely loyal to her roots, Eolyn is a character you can’t help but stand behind.” –APEX REVIEWS

A “dreamlike, fairy-tale ambiance…immersive political machinations and grand-scale battles.” –KIRKUS REVIEWS

Download your copy today!

Fall Semester Prep

Throwback to Fall 2020. Looks like we’ll be masking up again this semester.

I’ve faced some challenges these past couple weeks that have made it difficult to keep up with online activity. I have a wrist injury that has forced me, temporarily, to work with one hand. This makes certain tasks like typing much more difficult.

I’m trying to view this as a character-building experience. Certainly, it’s given me a new appreciation for the differently abled, as well as for current technology such as touch screens and software that includes voice to text options.

At the same time, the start of fall classes is fast approaching. This has demanded more, not less, computer time to organize assignments, activities, and syllabi, and to upload everything onto Canvas.

Typically, I am excited and energized to go back to school in the fall. This year is different. I find myself tired, struggling to manage an internal resistance to the idea of returning to campus. I suspect there are many reasons for this, but mostly I blame accumulated fatigue of the COVID pandemic.

Despite widespread accessibility of vaccines, in academia (and K-12), we face essentially the same challenges we faced this time last year; compounded by widespread resistance to the many effective tools now available to beat this pandemic.

In Missouri, where I live, the impact of this reluctance is clear: the delta variant has surged out of control. Lives are being lost or debilitated by the onslaught of a new version of the virus. That this situation was entirely preventable makes it even more tragic.

Despite the cloud of COVID, there is much to look forward to this fall. I always enjoy seeing my colleagues again, and nothing refreshes my spirit more then renewed engagement with students. I also have pending tasks on this blog that I’m excited to complete, such as my series on the query letter. (Sorry I haven’t posted more about that already, but as I said, I’ve had my mind on other tasks, and typing has been a slow slog.)

Finally, I have some very exciting plans for September: I will begin revealing the new cover designs for my Silver Web trilogy. The new cover for EOLYN is ready to go, with the unveiling scheduled for September 1. I’m leaving a teaser below to give you an idea of what the cover looks like. Other covers are on their way. All designs are by Autumn M. Birt at A Raven Design, and will be available in both ebook and paperback formats. I cannot wait to share them with you!

I’ll close this week’s post by wishing everyone continued good health as we go into fall and winter. Please take care of yourselves and your families and loved ones. If you aren’t yet vaccinated, please get vaccinated as soon as possible. If for some reason you can’t get vaccinated, then please use a mask. Nothing is more important than our shared good health.

I look forward to seeing you back for my next post!

Video produced via Paid Partnership with Canva.com.

A New Look for EOLYN

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve commissioned new cover designs for The Silver Web Trilogy.

Autumn M. Birt, ecologist, author, AND artist, is hard at work on the project now. I’m so excited about what she’s put together! I can’t help but give you a little hint of the new look – with the disclaimer that there may yet be tweaks and changes before we finish. If everything continues as scheduled, I hope to begin formal cover reveals by end August or early September. Please stay tuned because it’s going to be a lot of fun!

For this new set of covers, Autumn and I have decided to emphasize the Silver Web, a magical amulet that appears in Book 1 and remains with the characters through the third volume of the trilogy.

Past covers, designed first by Jesse Smolover (Eolyn, 2011 from Hadley Rille Books) and then by Thomas Vandenberg, focused on the forest witch Eolyn. Thomas designed the cover for the second book in the trilogy, released by Hadley Rille Books under the title High Maga in 2014. The second book was then re-released in another edition under the title Sword of Shadows (2016) as part of The Silver Web Trilogy (2016-2017).

I’ve loved all of these covers, but fashion changes quickly in cover design. The look of a book must keep up with the trends. This is in part because each generation of readers responds to different visual cues in terms of understanding the mood and content of the novel they are about to read.

The Silver Web is described in the first book, Eolyn, as finely woven medallion “made of tiny quartz crystals woven into the silk of a Dark Moon Orb Weaver.” An orb weaver is a kind of spider that makes the classic spider web. In Eolyn’s world, spider silks are used for a variety of magical purposes. The Dark Moon Orb Weaver has silver silk, especially valued by mages and witches. Autumn has captured the medallion in her work, and though you won’t be able to tell in the image provided here, the threads are textured to look like spider silk.

The Silver Web was crafted by the Witch Queen Briana, who gave it to her son, Akmael, shortly before she was killed by an assassin. The Silver Web contains a couple of powerful spells. First, it connects Akmael to Eolyn. Using the Silver Web, Akmael finds and befriends Eolyn early in Book 1. As the series continues, the Silver Web becomes a symbol and an instrument of their bond.

At a deeper, more subtle level, the Silver Web contains Briana’s spell for vengeance on the House of Vortingen, the line of royal kings she was forced to marry into – and the same that destroyed her family and clan. The Silver Web is a symbol for the intertwined fates of all the characters in the book, each one of them marked to play a role in manifesting Briana’s spell. Though Akmael is Briana’s son, he is also son and heir to the line of Vortingen. So it is a tragic irony of Briana’s spell that IF it comes to fruition, her son’s house will fall, bringing an end to their rule over the kingdom.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this small preview of the new covers. I look forward to sharing more with you in August!

SWORD OF SHADOWS Kindle Countdown

Dive into the darkest moments of Eolyn’s magical journey in Sword of Shadows. The Kindle edition is on sale through the end of next week. Sword of Shadows can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel or as Book 2 of The Silver Web Trilogy.

Query Letters: The Basics

A query letter should:

Place your work within the market,Provide a brief, compelling description of the manuscript, andShare relevant information about you as an author.

Each of these essential functions corresponds to one paragraph. All three paragraphs are assembled to craft the full letter. Taken together, the entire letter should fit on a standard letter page (8.5″ x 11″, single-spaced, 12 point font). Of course, almost all queries are submitted electronically these days, but the author is still expected to keep within these limits.

I’ve sent out a number of queries over the years. For some manuscripts, I’ve landed a publisher; for others I did not. My long-term goal of securing an agent has yet to be realized, but I keep trying. Have I been successful or unsuccessful at querying? It all depends on your perspective, and how you define success.

By most definitions, I had clear success when I landed my first contract with Hadley Rille Books. However, even cases that did not end in publication could be viewed as success. As mentioned in my previous post (To Query or Not To Query), hindsight has shown those manuscripts were not ready for publication. An accurate query letter helps agents determine whether a manuscript is marketable and ready for publication. Nothing hurts an author more than a sloppy manuscript on the market, so a decision not to publish can be in your best interests. If I honestly represent my work to the best of my ability, the outcome of the query process should always be successful, even if success means not landing a publication and going back to the drawing board.

Each paragraph of the query carries a distinct set of challenges. Also, different agents have different preferences with respect to what they want to see first. Some emphasize market placement; others want to know about the story up front. There is also a lot of variation in how formal or chatty they expect you to be. No matter the tone of the letter, most agents do not want to hear about you, the author, until the third paragraph. So save that bio, no matter how impressive, for last. Agents who use Query Manager may also request the author bio as separate from the letter itself.

Because of these different preferences, it’s important to review submission guidelines for the agent in question. Many agents have their own websites with tips for letter writing, including examples of queries that worked for them. In some cases, I’ve discovered guidelines for a particular agent are distinct from those provided by the agency. It’s not always possible to dig this deep, so when in doubt, follow the agency guidelines. But do collect as much information as you can about the individual agent, keeping in mind that your time is valuable, too. In other words, be diligent in your background research, but don’t obsess. Sooner or later, you should just send the letter!

My first editor, Eric T. Reynolds at Hadley Rille Books, told me most rejections that he sent out resulted from a mismatch between the manuscript and the interests of his press. This is another reason why you need to do background research on editors and agents. As great as your manuscript might be, you won’t get anywhere – and you may waste a lot of time – sending it to people who aren’t interested in the kind of story you write.

Of course, it’s not always easy to make that judgement. I have queried places I thought would be a perfect match, only to be told the manuscript, while well-written, isn’t what they represent or publish. On the other hand, places that don’t seem a perfect match might be interested in what you have to offer. For those of us whose work tends to blend genres or push the envelope on classic tropes, deciding our best prospects for those first queries can be tricky.

In the past, I’ve divided my agent wish list into tiers. The “top tier” includes agents whose interests seem a very close match my manuscript. Subsequent tiers include reasonably close matches, as well as agents and publishers who don’t seem a close match but that might work anyway. That “might work” category tends to pop up in places where my stories carry a specific quality (or two) that is high on their wish list. Try to make the best match possible with the information you have. When in doubt, send the letter!

Above all, querying requires patience – and a thick skin. Patience is a rare commodity in today’s world. We have not been trained well to wait, or to accept “no” for an answer. Querying often involves long waits through a seemingly endless string of “no’s.” In my case, it helps to keep in mind querying is as much – or even more – about the journey than it is about the destination. I have learned a lot about myself as an author through querying. Those lessons haven’t always been easy, but I would not wish them away now.

In upcoming posts, I’ll come back to the nuts and bolts of the query letter. I’d like to tackle each function, or paragraph, separately. We’ll revisit the rationale behind the paragraph, as well as my personal strategies for crafting a response to the questions posed. If you’d like to learn more about writing a query, please follow me and come back! Also, remember there are a lot of great resources out there for writing query letters, including agent web sites.

I’d welcome any questions or comments you have below.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!

To Query or Not to Query

I had an interesting exchange with author Sierra Godfrey (@sierragodfrey on Instagram) that got me thinking about the whole question of querying. Sierra posted a great “pep talk post” encouraging authors to get their work into the querying cue. I, too, am an advocate for querying, though I understand why many authors are reluctant to do so. After all, it’s scary – a soul suck, even – to put your work out there and receive rejections in return. The growth of self-publishing has made it even more tempting to avoid gatekeepers altogether.

I’m of a mind that authors who don’t query ultimately cheat themselves. You never know what opportunities you might miss if you don’t query. Querying also remains the single most important tool for answering two fundamental questions about your work: Is your manuscript ready to publish? If so, is it marketable?

True, many rejections are the simple result of a mismatch between what your manuscript offers and what the agent or editor is seeking. And no one has a crystal ball that can fully predict which ideas will sell and which ones won’t. But the gatekeepers have a lens we authors often do not; a lens that allows them to see with more acuity whether your manuscript is likely to be picked up by enough readers to make it profitable.

This, I think, is the scariest part of querying. Especially if you are a fiction author who just invested a year – or ten – in a story that carries part of your heart and soul. All of us want our stories to be published and read. Every time we finish a manuscript, we truly believe the world will be delighted to embrace it. Sometimes we’re right, but sometimes we aren’t.

The simple, yet difficult, truth is not every novel is meant to be published. I’ve written five novels and queried all of them. Two of my finished manuscripts were never picked up by agents or editors. As painful as those rejections were, I can say in hindsight not being published was a good thing. My very first novel was not well-written or even salvageable (beyond a few scenes I extracted for use in later works). I am quite happy that no one beyond my immediate group of friends ever saw that first attempt!

In the second case, while the manuscript had some important strengths, the novel needed serious reworking before becoming the story it was meant to be. Had I decided not to query or jumped into self-publishing at the time, I would have missed the chance to truly develop the narrative along all its possible dimensions. The process of querying helped me examine my own work with a larger, more critical lens. This, in turn, brought me to a better, more fulfilling place as an author.

This summer, I’ve completed a new manuscript. I’m starting the query journey all over. Just like every manuscript before, I believe in this novel with all my heart. I can’t help but imagine the excitement of readers when they dive into it. I indulge star-studded visions of making bestseller lists and doing book signings and earning praise from editorial magazines. I envision all the places this manuscript could lead, including a new book series. I craft my pitch and synopsis and send out my letters with joy and confidence.

At the same time, I prepare for the possibility, however unwelcome, that I’m wrong. If my novel is meant for the marketplace, I trust querying to lead me to an editor or agent who believes in this story as much as I do, just as it has in the past. If my novel is not meant for the marketplace, I trust the process to lead me to a better place as a writer, just as it has in the past.

As I said, not every novel is meant to be published. Every novel, however, is worth writing. Each manuscript we complete moves us forward in our journey as writers and perhaps more importantly, as human beings. It’s important for us to remember this; to recognize all our work has inherent value, regardless of its destiny with respect to the market.

I suspect this will not be the last time I talk about querying. I hope some of these reflections prove useful for you in your own writer’s journey. Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to seeing you next time!