E.J. Patten's Blog, page 6
June 25, 2011
How I Got Published
I should have posted this last year sometime, but better late than never, I suppose.
My publishing story is fairly straightforward. I sent query letters to top agents (ten of them). Within a few days, three of them requested my manuscript, but the first of the three (Steven Malk with Writer's House) responded first (that same day) and asked for a two week exclusive, which I gave. When the next two requests came in later that week, from two more outstanding agents, I started wringing my hands--not the greedy Mr. Burns sort of wringing. It was more the "what have I done by giving someone a two week exclusive" kind of wringing (it's a very unique sort of wringing, and looks hilarious if you can get it on camera).
Steve came back with a soft offer: good book, needs work, I'll work with you to get it ready for publishers. This was not a formal offer of representation, and I was left with a dilemma: submit the manuscript to the other two agents or accept Steve's soft offer. I decided to work with Steve and it turned out to be a serendipitous fit.
With more hand wringing (still not the greedy kind) I delivered the second draft to Steve several months later. He was blown away. I had kept one paragraph and a few character names from the original submission, and nothing else--no scenes, no plots, not anything. The book went from a lighthearted and humorous 300 page romp to a 512 page monster, with depth, complex plotting, a fantastic yet believable milieu, and detailed characters with compelling motivations.
It had become epic.
After submitting to publishers, and much hand wringing (the greedy kind), we had interest within a few days. After a week and a half or so, Courtney Bongiolatti (my awesome editor), at Simon & Schuster BFYR (my awesome publisher), came in with a pre-empt (an offer high enough to dissuade other publishers from entering an auction). This put the other interested publishers on the fence, and we nearly had an auction anyway, but the pre-empt was high enough to serve its purpose. We took the offer after a bit of negotiation. The release date was set for 1 1/2 years later (September 6, 2011)--an accelerated schedule in fiction (most the time it's two years, I think).
Now, a few things you should know if you are trying to find an agent and get into writing:
1. My case is unusual. Most agents (especially top agents) get hundreds of query letters each week, and out of those hundreds, they might request one or two manuscripts, which they usually reject. In a given year, and after somewhere around 20,000 queries, by my estimates (feel free to correct me if you know otherwise), a top agent might pick up ten clients, depending on their existing list. My agent (Steven Malk) is a top five agent in children's lit (usually he's number one depending on the week--go Steve!). Children's lit and YA is just about all he reps. Most agents have a specialty and it's important to find an agent that specializes in your category.
2. Though everyone will tell you that query letters don't work, and that you should try networking and conferences, I have two friends (Dave Butler and Platte Clark) who have recently been picked up by agents because of query letters, and one of them (Platte Clark) got a three book deal with Aladdin last week. I referred both of these friends to my agent, and he passed. Networking didn't work. All three of us got representation purely based on the strength of our query letter and writing, so while odds are definitely stacked against you, query letters can work.
3. Nearly every major fiction imprint will not accept manuscripts unless they are submitted by an agent. In fiction these days, you have to have an agent, or you will be limited to small presses.
4. Subscribe to Publishers Marketplace for at least a month ($20) and browse through recent deals. Publishers Marketplace lists many of the book sales at major publishers, and some of the smaller publishers. Find books similar to yours. Search for the publisher that bought the book, and then find the agent who sold it (all of this info is on Publishers Marketplace). You can also find rankings on which agents have sold the most books in a specific category (like middle grade or YA). These are the agents you want to query. Research these agents and make sure you follow their submission guidelines.
5. In a query letter, do your best to demonstrate how your story is better than what's in the market, how it's different, and yet also how its recognizable within a category. Ask yourself, who would read this? Why? What's the heart of the story? What drives a reader to keep turning the page? What is the source of conflict (not fighting and arguing--but a strong character, with a strong need and strong, sometimes insurmountable, obstacles in her way)? Answering these questions and then putting those answers in your query in a compelling fashion will get an agent's attention. Also, figure out how your book would be categorized, where it would sit in a store, or online retailer, and what books it would sit next to, and then read those other books. Referencing these other books will help agents know where you fit and who to sell your book to. My query referenced Harry Potter. The line was something like "my book has the same audience, and is in the same genre as Harry Potter, or any other book you happen to like."
Finally, don't give up unless you're a sucky writer or you're feeling lazy. How do you know if you're a sucky writer? Because you're lazy. Your first book will almost always suck. Write it, and then toss it in the garbage and write something good. Or, feel free to keep it so you can laugh at yourself several years down the road. But don't inundate agents with queries for sucky books. Seriously. They're busy enough as it is.
If you have any questions, corrections, or advice for getting published, feel free to make a comment.
My publishing story is fairly straightforward. I sent query letters to top agents (ten of them). Within a few days, three of them requested my manuscript, but the first of the three (Steven Malk with Writer's House) responded first (that same day) and asked for a two week exclusive, which I gave. When the next two requests came in later that week, from two more outstanding agents, I started wringing my hands--not the greedy Mr. Burns sort of wringing. It was more the "what have I done by giving someone a two week exclusive" kind of wringing (it's a very unique sort of wringing, and looks hilarious if you can get it on camera).
Steve came back with a soft offer: good book, needs work, I'll work with you to get it ready for publishers. This was not a formal offer of representation, and I was left with a dilemma: submit the manuscript to the other two agents or accept Steve's soft offer. I decided to work with Steve and it turned out to be a serendipitous fit.
With more hand wringing (still not the greedy kind) I delivered the second draft to Steve several months later. He was blown away. I had kept one paragraph and a few character names from the original submission, and nothing else--no scenes, no plots, not anything. The book went from a lighthearted and humorous 300 page romp to a 512 page monster, with depth, complex plotting, a fantastic yet believable milieu, and detailed characters with compelling motivations.
It had become epic.
After submitting to publishers, and much hand wringing (the greedy kind), we had interest within a few days. After a week and a half or so, Courtney Bongiolatti (my awesome editor), at Simon & Schuster BFYR (my awesome publisher), came in with a pre-empt (an offer high enough to dissuade other publishers from entering an auction). This put the other interested publishers on the fence, and we nearly had an auction anyway, but the pre-empt was high enough to serve its purpose. We took the offer after a bit of negotiation. The release date was set for 1 1/2 years later (September 6, 2011)--an accelerated schedule in fiction (most the time it's two years, I think).
Now, a few things you should know if you are trying to find an agent and get into writing:
1. My case is unusual. Most agents (especially top agents) get hundreds of query letters each week, and out of those hundreds, they might request one or two manuscripts, which they usually reject. In a given year, and after somewhere around 20,000 queries, by my estimates (feel free to correct me if you know otherwise), a top agent might pick up ten clients, depending on their existing list. My agent (Steven Malk) is a top five agent in children's lit (usually he's number one depending on the week--go Steve!). Children's lit and YA is just about all he reps. Most agents have a specialty and it's important to find an agent that specializes in your category.
2. Though everyone will tell you that query letters don't work, and that you should try networking and conferences, I have two friends (Dave Butler and Platte Clark) who have recently been picked up by agents because of query letters, and one of them (Platte Clark) got a three book deal with Aladdin last week. I referred both of these friends to my agent, and he passed. Networking didn't work. All three of us got representation purely based on the strength of our query letter and writing, so while odds are definitely stacked against you, query letters can work.
3. Nearly every major fiction imprint will not accept manuscripts unless they are submitted by an agent. In fiction these days, you have to have an agent, or you will be limited to small presses.
4. Subscribe to Publishers Marketplace for at least a month ($20) and browse through recent deals. Publishers Marketplace lists many of the book sales at major publishers, and some of the smaller publishers. Find books similar to yours. Search for the publisher that bought the book, and then find the agent who sold it (all of this info is on Publishers Marketplace). You can also find rankings on which agents have sold the most books in a specific category (like middle grade or YA). These are the agents you want to query. Research these agents and make sure you follow their submission guidelines.
5. In a query letter, do your best to demonstrate how your story is better than what's in the market, how it's different, and yet also how its recognizable within a category. Ask yourself, who would read this? Why? What's the heart of the story? What drives a reader to keep turning the page? What is the source of conflict (not fighting and arguing--but a strong character, with a strong need and strong, sometimes insurmountable, obstacles in her way)? Answering these questions and then putting those answers in your query in a compelling fashion will get an agent's attention. Also, figure out how your book would be categorized, where it would sit in a store, or online retailer, and what books it would sit next to, and then read those other books. Referencing these other books will help agents know where you fit and who to sell your book to. My query referenced Harry Potter. The line was something like "my book has the same audience, and is in the same genre as Harry Potter, or any other book you happen to like."
Finally, don't give up unless you're a sucky writer or you're feeling lazy. How do you know if you're a sucky writer? Because you're lazy. Your first book will almost always suck. Write it, and then toss it in the garbage and write something good. Or, feel free to keep it so you can laugh at yourself several years down the road. But don't inundate agents with queries for sucky books. Seriously. They're busy enough as it is.
If you have any questions, corrections, or advice for getting published, feel free to make a comment.
June 23, 2011
Book Plots I'd Love to See
Here's a list of plots I'd love to see in a book:
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy buys an Xbox and a large pizza.A vampire and a werewolf hook up and go to buy a love seat, only to discover, tragically, that they disagree on the choice of fabric. A gritty police detective wins a trip to Hawaii in the middle of a brutal murder investigation, has a very pleasant stay, and returns to discover that the case is all wrapped up.A budding concert pianist approaches the performance of her life and does an okay job.Girl meets boy, girl wins boy, boy buys an Xbox and a large pizza with the girl's money.After writing several ridiculous plot lines, a writer stops blogging and gets back to work.
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy buys an Xbox and a large pizza.A vampire and a werewolf hook up and go to buy a love seat, only to discover, tragically, that they disagree on the choice of fabric. A gritty police detective wins a trip to Hawaii in the middle of a brutal murder investigation, has a very pleasant stay, and returns to discover that the case is all wrapped up.A budding concert pianist approaches the performance of her life and does an okay job.Girl meets boy, girl wins boy, boy buys an Xbox and a large pizza with the girl's money.After writing several ridiculous plot lines, a writer stops blogging and gets back to work.
June 22, 2011
Final Artwork for the Book Jacket
Another quick post. I just got the final artwork for the book jacket for Return to Exile, and I wanted to share. The jacket was designed by Laurent Linn at Simon & Schuster, who did a tremendous job. John Rocco did the cover art and over forty internal illustrations.
Jacket Design for Return to ExileJohn Rocco is best know for doing the cover art for:
Percy Jackson and the OlympiansThe Lightning Thief The Sea of MonstersThe Titan's CurseThe Battle of the LabrynthThe Last OlympianThe Heroes of OlympusThe Lost HeroThe Son of NeptuneThe Kane ChroniclesThe Red PyramidThe Throne of FirePretty much, everything Rick Riordan has written except for 39 Clues. If you're interested, you can see these covers on Rick Riordan's site.
John has also written and done illustrations for:
BlackoutMoonpowderWolf! Wolf!Fu Finds the WayThe Flint Heart (by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson)You can see more of John's stuff on his blog or on his website.
Okay. This post wasn't as quick as I thought it would be. Back to writing...
Jacket Design for Return to ExileJohn Rocco is best know for doing the cover art for:Percy Jackson and the OlympiansThe Lightning Thief The Sea of MonstersThe Titan's CurseThe Battle of the LabrynthThe Last OlympianThe Heroes of OlympusThe Lost HeroThe Son of NeptuneThe Kane ChroniclesThe Red PyramidThe Throne of FirePretty much, everything Rick Riordan has written except for 39 Clues. If you're interested, you can see these covers on Rick Riordan's site.
John has also written and done illustrations for:
BlackoutMoonpowderWolf! Wolf!Fu Finds the WayThe Flint Heart (by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson)You can see more of John's stuff on his blog or on his website.
Okay. This post wasn't as quick as I thought it would be. Back to writing...
June 9, 2011
New Website
Just a quick update since I'm under deadline for the second Hunter Chronicles book and I really should be working on that.
The website for Return to Exile is now online. You can visit it at www.returntoexile.com or www.thehunterchroniclesbooks.com. We'll build it out more in the future, adding animations and such, but for now you can read up on some of the monsters, search out a few lost stories, and read my bio. BEA (BookExpo America) was a huge success (so I'm told). Simon & Schuster gave out over three hundred copies of my book.Return to Exile is also circulating in Hollywood at the moment. My agents submitted it to over twenty production companies last week. Hopefully I'll have more to share soon.Okay. Now back to book two...
The website for Return to Exile is now online. You can visit it at www.returntoexile.com or www.thehunterchroniclesbooks.com. We'll build it out more in the future, adding animations and such, but for now you can read up on some of the monsters, search out a few lost stories, and read my bio. BEA (BookExpo America) was a huge success (so I'm told). Simon & Schuster gave out over three hundred copies of my book.Return to Exile is also circulating in Hollywood at the moment. My agents submitted it to over twenty production companies last week. Hopefully I'll have more to share soon.Okay. Now back to book two...
April 15, 2011
Book Update
The advanced reader copies (ARCs) for Return to Exile are in! These copies are sent to (you guessed it) advanced readers. And when I say advanced readers, I'm not talking about people who can read above an eighth grade level, though hopefully the advanced readers that get these ARCs can, in fact, read above an eighth grade level. No, when I say advanced reader, I'm referring to reviewers, film producers, book buyers, blurbers, bloggers, and elite bibliophiles. If you are planning to attend BookExpo America (BEA) in New York, stop by the Simon & Schuster booth and pick one up (I understand that they are giving them away).
March 14, 2011
Book Cover and Summary
Here's the cover to my book. You can also see it here on the Simon & Schuster website.Another first: I actually have a working summary of the book.
ONE BOY. UNTOLD ENEMIES. A WHOLE WORLD TO SAVE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of the Hunters of Legend, believing it all a game. For eleven years, Sky and his family have hidden from dark enemies while, unbeknownst to Sky, his uncle Phineas sacrificed everything to protect them. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has known nothing of that day. But on the eve of Sky's twelfth birthday and his family's long-awaited return to Exile, everything changes. Phineas has disappeared, and Sky finds himself forced to confront the mysterious secrets he's denied for so long: why did his family leave Exile on that day so long ago? What, exactly, has Phineas been preparing him for? And, the biggest mystery of all, who is Sky really and why does everyone want to kill him?!
March 3, 2011
New: Some Good, Some Bad
A few points. First it's been a terribly long time since I made an entry. I apologize for that. My blogs will become more regular the closer I get to my book launch. For those of you who are unaware, my book, The Hunter Chronicles: Return to Exile, is scheduled to launch on September 6, 2011. I should have more to report as that date approaches. For those of you that can't wait to get their hands on it, you can pre-order on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The book won't get to you any faster, but it will do wonders for my early sales numbers.
There are a few exciting developments to report, some good, some bad. On the good side, the advanced reader copy (ARC) of my book is nearly finished and ready to go out. Each year, Simon & Schuster children's chooses one to two books and adds special effects to the advanced reader copy. This year, they selected my book. This is a strong show of faith on their part. Additionally, the advanced reader copy will also contain a blurb from Brandon Mull of Fablehaven fame. I tracked Brandon down at a book signing in Salt Lake and he's been incredibly helpful ever since. For the final release version, we are hoping to get additional blurbs from James Dashner, Christopher Paolini, Orson Scott Card, Rick Riordan, and Eoin Colfer. We don't expect to get all of these because these are very busy people, but if we could get two of the remaining five, we would be ecstatic.
Now for the bad news. Two weeks ago I had a neck fusion of my C6 – C7 vertebrae. I am still recovering, but I'm doing well. I hope to be back to full form in the next few weeks.
There are a few exciting developments to report, some good, some bad. On the good side, the advanced reader copy (ARC) of my book is nearly finished and ready to go out. Each year, Simon & Schuster children's chooses one to two books and adds special effects to the advanced reader copy. This year, they selected my book. This is a strong show of faith on their part. Additionally, the advanced reader copy will also contain a blurb from Brandon Mull of Fablehaven fame. I tracked Brandon down at a book signing in Salt Lake and he's been incredibly helpful ever since. For the final release version, we are hoping to get additional blurbs from James Dashner, Christopher Paolini, Orson Scott Card, Rick Riordan, and Eoin Colfer. We don't expect to get all of these because these are very busy people, but if we could get two of the remaining five, we would be ecstatic.
Now for the bad news. Two weeks ago I had a neck fusion of my C6 – C7 vertebrae. I am still recovering, but I'm doing well. I hope to be back to full form in the next few weeks.
September 29, 2010
The Hunter Chronicles
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I've been putting it off for months now, but I'm not sure I can avoid it anymore. I must blog.It won't be pretty, and it won't be often, and it won't be pretty often. The most I can say is that you may or may not, sometimes, but not often, find things herein that are, and nothing that is not. I'm afraid I can't offer much more than that.Now, for recent news:· Last night I finished the next (and hopefully final) draft of my book and sent it off to my editor at Simon & Schuster. The page count is now 525 pages. We're still looking at a Fall 2011 release date.· This morning, we settled on a new name (THE MONSTER HUNTERS is no more). The series name is now THE HUNTER CHRONICLES, and the first book is RETURN TO EXILE.· It looks like John Rocco has signed on to do the cover art and 40 internal illustrations for the book. John did all the cover art for the Percy Jackson series. I couldn't be more thrilled! · My agent and the head publisher of the children's division at S&S pitched my book to Plan B (Brad Pitt's production company) a few weeks ago. We're not officially pushing the film until the book comes out next Fall, but I understand it got a warm reception. Now, for older news:· April 2010, I sold the first two books in a series to Simon & Schuster in a two-book pre-empt deal. The first book is now going through final edits. I have yet to write the second. For the two books, I received an advance against royalties that allows me to write full time.
I've been putting it off for months now, but I'm not sure I can avoid it anymore. I must blog.It won't be pretty, and it won't be often, and it won't be pretty often. The most I can say is that you may or may not, sometimes, but not often, find things herein that are, and nothing that is not. I'm afraid I can't offer much more than that.Now, for recent news:· Last night I finished the next (and hopefully final) draft of my book and sent it off to my editor at Simon & Schuster. The page count is now 525 pages. We're still looking at a Fall 2011 release date.· This morning, we settled on a new name (THE MONSTER HUNTERS is no more). The series name is now THE HUNTER CHRONICLES, and the first book is RETURN TO EXILE.· It looks like John Rocco has signed on to do the cover art and 40 internal illustrations for the book. John did all the cover art for the Percy Jackson series. I couldn't be more thrilled! · My agent and the head publisher of the children's division at S&S pitched my book to Plan B (Brad Pitt's production company) a few weeks ago. We're not officially pushing the film until the book comes out next Fall, but I understand it got a warm reception. Now, for older news:· April 2010, I sold the first two books in a series to Simon & Schuster in a two-book pre-empt deal. The first book is now going through final edits. I have yet to write the second. For the two books, I received an advance against royalties that allows me to write full time.
