Kelly Fiore Stultz's Blog, page 5

All You Need is LOVE! A Valentine’s Day Giveaway!

174 days until JUST LIKE THE MOVIES meets the world!

 

 

 

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAAYYAAYAYAYAYAYAY!

 

Yay.

 

In JUST LIKE THE MOVIES, love plays an important role in the lives of two girls, Marijke and Lily. Both of them want love, but they are unsure of how to make it happen. By helping each other, they manage to act out some of the greatest movie scenes of the best romantic comedies.

 

But, will that alone bring the love they’re looking for?

 

I can’t wait for people to read this book!

 

So, I’m giving it away

 

You have the chance to win one of two ARCS with JLTM Swag OR one of two Fandango $25 gift cards.

 

 

 

The giveaway runs from today until 2.14.14. Four winners will be selected. SQUEE! There are a handful of ways to enter — tweeting, commenting and Facebook likes. They’re all covered. Enter below

 

 

 

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Getting What You Want (Writing-Wise)

Goal setting.

 

That’s the answer — its the single biggest reason I’m a full-time writer today. There are a lot of people who I have to thank for my success, but what I did to get here has everything to do with goal setting. And I believe you can do it, too.

 

Yeah, I know. I sound like a motivational speaker. Sorry about that.

 

 

My lovely, super, duper, “Czar of Agents” agent, Suzie Townsend, posted this picture to my Twitter yesterday. This is a picture of the Bloomsbury booth at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Conference in Philly. Both of my books are up there, next to each other, which makes me nothing if not giddy as hell. I remember looking at pictures of ALA in the past and imagining what it would be like to have books in one of those booths. It’s a real trip and a fantastic sense of accomplishment to see them there now.

 

There are lots of uncontrollable factors in life. Break that down - there are lots of uncontrollable factors in publishing. Much of the business is out of your hands. Whether an agent will choose to represent you. Whether an editor will choose to root for and champion your book. Whether a publisher will agree with that editor. Beyond that, whether or not your book will sell or not, be critically praised or not, etc. All of this is out of your control.

 

So, let’s talk about what is in your control.

 

Your vision.

 

That’s all you, baby.

 

The way you see yourself as a writer and the future of your writing – you can perceive that anyway you want. You can choose to believe that you will be the next (insert successful writer here) or that you will win the next (insert big writing award here). Whether or not you BELIEVE in those things are completely in your control.

 

Here’s the kicker — you have to ACT AS IF.

 

Act as if everything you’ve ever wanted is already yours, it’s just on it’s way and hasn’t quite arrived yet. Act as though what you want is coming — it’s just a matter of time. And BELIEVE. Believe that this will happen for you.

 

Have I lost you? Are you feeling like this is a little too new-agey for your tastes?

 

Okay – let me tell you a story.

 

Back in March of 2011, I was feeling pretty low about my writing life. I was teaching full time and writing practically full time and I didn’t really see it going anywhere. I felt sort of hopeless about the whole thing.

 

So, I decided to re-watch a movie I’d seen a few years back — The Secret. Now, I know what you’re thinking — The Secret? That Oprah-endorsed “law of attraction” mumbo jumbo? Yes, that The Secret. And it’s not mumbo jumbo. Let me prove it.

 

I re-watched the movie and many things really resonated with me. Specifically, I loved the idea of creating “Vision Boards.” This was sort of like a collage of all the things you’d ever want in your life. I checked out vision board samples online, then used magazines and poster board to make my own. And it looked like this.

 

 

If you can’t see it that well, the basic idea is that it’s divided into three sections. Top left is travel, bottom left is personal, and the entire right side is writing related. You can see I have words and pictures and all kinds of things – logos from various awards or conferences, names of publishers, etc. I filled it with what I could think of and I dreamed big. I mean, what’s the point of a message board if you don’t dream big, right?

 

So, again, this was March of 2011. About three years ago — a little less. I kept it a couple of different places — on the loveseat in my bedroom, in my walk-in closet, and finally in my bathtub. I know, it sounds super-weird. But it was because the tub was broken and I would see the poster every morning when I got up for work, which is important for vision boards. They have to be seen to have any influence on your life. They’re a visual reminder of the things you want.

 

In June 2011, Taste Test sold to Bloomsbury, which was totally kick-ass and made me feel so AMAZING! My writing career “officially” began — in terms of professionally, I mean. I felt validated. A little less than two years later, March of 2013, Bloomsbury bought my second book, Just Like the Movies. And I was happy. REALLY REALLY REALLY HAPPY.

 

But.

 

The vision board said things like “full time writer” and “award winner.” I was happy with what I had, but I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted more. I wanted what I’d envisioned. So, in the spring of 2013, I watched The Secret again. This time, I started writing affirmation letters about my future. I started each one with, “I’m so happy and grateful now that…” and then wrote about all the things I wanted — personally and professionally. I talked about wanting to leave teaching and becoming a full time writer. I talked about my son playing soccer and enjoying Kindergarten. I talked about the kind of book deals I’d like to have and the kind of recognition I’d like to receive.

 

Then I read that letter to myself in the mirror every morning for a month. I read it until I believed it was going to happen.

 

That letter, the movie, my vision board — whatever it was, I had a new sense of myself and my strength. I chose to leave my agent and my job. I was out there, flailing, but I knew I was making the right choices. When I signed with Suzie, I believed so strongly in myself and my future that there was no doubt my dreams would come true.

 

And they’ve started to.

 

If you look at the close up below of my vision board, you’ll see a deal cut out from Publisher’s Marketplace. It’s a deal for Sue Dennard’s books — the deal was with Harper Childrens and Joanna Volpe was one of the agents attached to the deal.

 

 

A little over three months after I signed with Suzie, she sold my book, The People Vs. Cecelia Price to Harper. Joanna Volpe is the president of New Leaf Literary, the agency Suzie works for.

 

I cut and pasted this deal on my vision board in March 2011. My deal with Harper happened in July 2013. How could I possibly have known that this would happen? Is it fate? Is it coincidence?

 

I don’t have an answer for you, honestly. I’m not a particularly religious person, so I don’t pull that into my rational. What I will say, though, is that I continue to look at my vision board and write new affirmations and read them aloud. I have an extreme faith in whatever it is out there that is influencing the universe. More importantly, though, it makes me happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long, long time. And that alone makes it worth it.

 

Some FAQs about me and books!

Frequently (and not so frequently…) Asked Book Questions

Picture Courtesy of Google Images

 

Writers get asked lots of questions over and over. It’s just the nature of the job. Writing is sort of hard to understand, just like any other art, especially when it’s your career. But my favorite questions that I get are questions about reading. I love to read, I read a ton, and I love to talk about what I’m reading.

 

1. What is your favorite book?

 

Nope. Can’t do it.

 

2. Okay, okay. What about your favorite book in different genres? Like your favorite book of poetry, your favorite YA book, etc?

 

It’s still darn near impossible — but I can give you a selection of SOME of my favorites…

 

Poetry: Li-Young Lee, The City in Which I Love You; Shara McCallum, The Water Between Us; Kim Addonizio, Tell Me; Michael Waters, Parthenopi; Stephen Dobyns, Velocities

 

YA Novels: Liar by Justine Larbaleister; Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr; Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King; Teach Me by RA Nelson; Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 

Fiction: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri; Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver; The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; Dracula by Bram Stoker

 

3. What’s your favorite part of a book?

 

In general, there is usually this moment in good books, about 3/4 of the way through, where the greater meaning or significance comes through. The Lovely Bones is a great example of this — there’s a line that says, and I’m paraphrasing, “These were the lovely bones that grew in my absence.” That line knocked my socks off and brought the significance of the title to life. It doesn’t always have to be that strategic, but I often feel that there is a moment like that in most books.

 

4. When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning?

 

Um, the meaning as in the significance or whatever? Like the fact that “Fiore” means “flower” in Italian? No. I do choose names based on how they sound in my head or if I think they fit with other names. In Taste Test, I chose Nora’s name based on a friend of a friend’s daughter — I just really loved the name. I also chose the name of her friend, GiGi, because that was what my son was going to be named if he was a girl — Giada, actually.

 

5. How do you conceive your plot ideas?

 

Honestly, I don’t really feel like I have a process for that. Sometimes, the stories come to me like movies — beginning, middle, and end. I just have to flesh them out. Much of the time, particularly when I’m writing, I feel like I’m watching a movie play in my head and I’m just writing what I see in there.

 

6. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

 

I have lots of partial manuscripts and synopses and chapters and ideas. LOTS OF THEM. None of them are complete enough to be published. There is one manuscript I completed, revised endlessly, and submitted to agents. It nabbed me my first agent and went to acquisitions a few times in an attempt to be sold, but it just didn’t happen. That’s the way this business works, though. Sometimes you sell, sometimes you don’t.

 

7. Do you use real-life facts based on true stories?

 

I use real life as inspiration — Taste Test is based off of the Top Chef type of shows that are out there. I’ve tried to base my characters on characteristics I’ve witnessed in people. But there isn’t a biographical element in my work.

 

8. Do you use your OWN experiences?

 

Absolutely. More often than not, any emotion that’s in my books are emotions I’ve felt. Personally, I think you have to write what you know in order to maintain authenticity.

 

9. Did you ever think you’d ever become an author?

 

Not a YA Author, no. I wrote poetry from the moment I knew how and I’ve always been literary. But YA found me in a sort of strange way in 2007. I started writing YA because I fell in love with the emotion and drama of teen literature. I loved reliving those emotions.

 

10. Grab the book closest to you. What is the first sentence of the third paragraph on the sixth page?

 

“Right about then I wondered if there were any teachers or otherwise responsible adults around in case Tucker and Bruce and their friends decided to take it beyond words.” Sara Zarr, STORY OF A GIRL

 

Lucky 13′s New Year’s Bash!

For the next two days, enter to win a copy of TASTE TEST and and copy of the JUST LIKE THE MOVIES ARC!

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So, you’ve written a novel. The first thing you need to learn is…

…how to ignore the haters.

 

 

 

This is an extremely hard lesson to learn.

 

There are two groups of haters.

 

1. People you don’t know.

 

2. People you do.

 

The first group is usually made up of people you will never, ever meet in person. They can range from bloggers to literary critics to readers and everything in between.

 

Much of the time, these people aren’t technically “haters.” They don’t hate EVERYTHING. They hate your book. It can be very difficult to separate yourself from your book, but you are not the same thing as the words you write. You’re just not.

 

 

I know sometimes that is hard to believe, especially if you write like I do, with the “only write what you know” mentality. Everything I write has elements of my personal experience. That’s just the way I roll.

 

So, anyway, what you need to understand is that, despite everything else, you will not win everyone over. Believe it or not, not every single person loves Harry Potter or the Hunger Games. I have a REALLY hard time believing it, but not everyone loves Jennifer Lawrence, either, even though I want to be her when I grow up.

 

 

 

So, yeah.

 

The important thing is that you like your book. That you stand behind it — and that you feel strongly enough to brush off the fact that other people don’t like it. And — and this is REALLY IMPORTANT — you accept and appreciate that fact that we live in a world where we are allowed to love or hate books and express that love or hate equally.

 

There are certainly bloggers who hated Taste Test — they weren’t shy about making their feelings clear. They were respectful in the sense that they never clued me into their negative reviews — I always found those on my own. No one every tweeted me a scathing review. In fact, one blogger felt BAD about giving me a bad review and we chatted briefly over Twitter. She was cool. I was cool. It’s all good.

 

People who hate books are critics. People who hate people are assholes. You will deal with critics and assholes, but the critics are the ones who are worth your time. You might not agree with them, but they aren’t out to hurt you.

 

 

 

IMO, the second group — the people you know — is a lot harder to come to terms with. But you will, and for one reason: because for every friend you lose during this journey, you will gain a new friend or a stronger friendship with an existing friend.

 

I won’t tell you this part isn’t really hard. I’ve had a couple of things happen to me that hurt a lot. Friends “defriended me” on Facebook because, I heard through the grapevine, that they were “tired of hearing about my writing.” Tough shit, dudes.

 

The harder ones for me were the friends I lost when I left my job. I’m not surprised it happened, but I was there for a decade. I really actually thought some of these people would put the effort forth because they loved me. I loved them. And I tried, really. But other than two or three really close teacher friends, I haven’t talked to anyone at my old job. I left and was wiped from the record.

 

There are family members who are…clueless, I guess? They either think I am a)rich, b) famous, or c) insignificant as I always was. They look at my career and see imaginary dollar signs that I will never understand. I’m not saying I don’t make a living, but this is not a Hollywood-type deal, people. It’s great if you are a working writer. You need to find satisfaction in that and that alone.

 

 

In the end, the deal is this — people will not like your writing. And people will not like you. The first one will be completely legitimate. The second one isn’t so much — at least, not as understandable.

 

I love my life. I love being a writer and, while I have a serious distraction issue and sometimes would rather clean the whole house twice instead of write, when it’s good, it’s very, very good. It comes like water rushing through a faucet. It’s like a gift. Every story, every character — they’re all presents just for me.

 

You need to find a way to ignore the people who, in the end, just don’t matter all that much. It doesn’t mean they’re worthless people – it just means that, in the grand scheme of things, they have no or little affect on your life, your writing and your success. Period.

 

2013 – A Wrap-Up!

 

 

I was thinking about doing this post around Thanksgiving, since it will mostly be an “I’m grateful for…” post. But I figured I’d give it another month-ish so that I could consider everything that happened to me this year.

 

 

The only other years in my life that have been as momentous/life-changing were 2007-2008 (the year I got married/pregnant and the year I had our son. That year, consequently, was also the year I started writing YA fiction.)

 

Here’s 2013 at a glance

 

 

Books sold: three

 

Books published: one

 

Times featured in PW: two

 

Jobs quit: one

 

New writer friends made: Lots

 

New mom friends made: Lots

 

New jobs: one and a half (since I was writing before, I count it as a half.)

 

Classes taught: six

 

Books written: three

 

Vacations taken: two

 

Clear mammograms: ONE (and that is all you need, people!)

 

 

I know there is more, and I’ll probably come back to this post and add to it.

 

People ask what the best part is about being a writer and that’s such an impossible question. There are so many aspects of my life that make me blessed and lucky and happy as hell.

 

Publishing is a hard business. I’m really glad I took so many writer’s workshops in college so that I could prepare for the critical reception/rejection of my work at all stages. In the end, some comments are harder than others to accept. Books are such a subjective love. It’s like when I was 8 or 9 and I thought Johnny Depp was gross. My friend Lauren and I put a picture of him on her dartboard because we didn’t understand why he was in all the Tiger Beats.

 

 

I think I get it now.

 

Anyway.

 

I have a Top Ten People-I’m-Totally-Grateful-To-And-For in 2013. So here goes…

 

1. My agent, Suzie

 

When I left my first agent, I was fucking terrified. I counted her as a friend. She sold my first two books. She got me into an extremely competitive business. I totally owe her a big fruit basket.

 

But I felt in my gut that THE PEOPLE VS. CECELIA PRICE would be better served elsewhere. That was the catalyst. Suzie Townsend is/was the result.

 

She is my career maker. She is the most influential reason that I get to write full time. And she loved CECELIA PRICE. She read it in one night and emailed me at midnight to tell me so.

 

I am indebted to Suzie, and everyone at New Leaf Literary, for helping me build my career.

 

2. My editor, Mary Kate Castellani

 

Sometimes you grow with people. I feel that way about Mary Kate — I feel like she’s got my back. She loves my work and she wants to see me write more. She is honest and insightful and has great taste. In the years I’ve known her, I’ve watched her work up through the ranks and she’s deserved every success. I love writing for her and for Bloomsbury.

 

3. My new editor, Karen Chaplin

 

Most people know at this point that CECELIA PRICE was a hard book for me to write. In fact, it was excruciating. But when it was finished and Suzie had taken me on, I was banking so much on someone else falling in love with it, too. An editor, specifically.

 

Karen is that editor. I’ve yet to work much with her yet — CECELIA PRICE edits will begin early next year — but I’m incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to do so.

 

4. The Lucky 13s

 

Where do I even begin? Seriously?

 

This group of debut writers was instrumental in much of my year. Their support through personal triumphs and crises was invaluable. I’ve met and made so many good friends. I’ve beta-read. I’ve gone to events. In March, me and a few Luckies will hit a Writer’s Retreat in VT. It’s a great group to be a part of.

 

5. My husband

 

Dude. I quit my job. Just…quit it. And he supported me. If that isn’t reason enough, he’s also hot.

 

 

6. My family (certain members more than others)

 

Let’s face it – when you leave your fairly well paying job for a life of uncertainty, people will judge. Some family members certainly did. But most — particularly my parents — were nothing if not encouraging. (And this is despite the fact that they knew they’d have to support us if I fell on my face.)

 

7. My friends (again, some more than others)

 

One thing I didn’t consider when I left teaching was how quickly I’d be “out of the loop.” The majority of the people there had been my friends for a decade and perhaps I was naive to think that wouldn’t change.

 

I haven’t talked to 99% of the people I used to work with. That makes me sad.

 

But, on the flip side, people from my past — high school, college, etc. — have jumped on FB to support me and my writing. So many friends have been super-kind and its been a privilege getting to know them again.

 

8. Taste Test

 

It’s an inanimate object, but it’s the book that started it all for me. It made me a published book author at 32 (my goal, originally, was 28.)

 

 

9. My brother

 

For reasons that will really only be clear when CECELIA PRICE is published, I am indebted to my brother for my career success more than anyone could imagine.

 

10. The future

 

 

I’ve never had so much to look forward to. I’ve never felt so much promise. Because I’m so goal-oriented, looking to the future is often what keeps me motivated — but it’s also what gives me a sense of peace. 2014 (and 15 and 16…) will be truly incredible years. I can’t wait.

So, you’ve written a novel…now it’s time to get an agent!

Well, we pick up where we left off last week – you’ve written a book and you want to publish. Fab-oo! Rock on with your bad self!

 

The first choice you have to make is whether you’d like to self-publish or publish through a mainstream publisher. If you don’t know the difference, here is my perspective on the two options :the difference between traditional and self publishing.

 

For the sake of time, I’m going to proceed as if you’ve chosen the traditional route because, frankly, that is the only route I’m qualified to talk about.

 

So, if you are going traditional, the first thing you want to do is get a literary agent.

 

Why?

 

People have mixed feelings about agents sometimes and I think it’s a money thing. An agent gets 15% of your earnings – that’s standard. It’s usually 20% overseas, and there is film/TV, etc.

 

Some writers think they don’t need an agent. They are wrong. I have agent friends who are also writers and THEY have their own agents — even though they ARE an agent. So, by all means, layperson. You need one.

 

Agents do more than you can imagine. Negotiating contracts is the tip of the iceberg. Depending on who you are and what you write, your agent might be your first reader (aka beta reader) and therefore your first editorial partner. This is how things worked with my former and current agents, and I love that. I don’t share my work with anyone before them.

 

On top of that, agents are professionals and experts. They know the business and they have cultivated relationships. They are worth every penny they earn. Period. I don’t waver on this. And take it from somebody who is a full time writer because of the deal her agent was able to get her.

 

So, if I’ve convinced you to get an agent, here’s how I did it:

 

1. I logged on to Absolute Write and found out about Agent Query, a database that is accurate and updated, and includes all current agents and what they represent. Along with that, they will give specifics like what that agent is looking for currently, contact information, and where to query them.

 

And what, you ask, is a query?

 

A query letter is a short-ish pitch letter that speaks for your book. There are ENDLESS websites about how to write good queries. If you google it, you will get lots of ideas.

 

Here is what my query letter looked like for my most recent book sale, THE PEOPLE VS CECELIA PRICE:

 

Dear (name of agent),

 

Having recently parted ways with my literary agent, I am querying you with my young adult novel, THE PEOPLE VS. CECELIA PRICE. It combines the raw and compelling aspects of popular television shows Breaking Bad and Intervention into a character study of a seventeen year-old girl.

 

Cecelia Price murdered her brother, Cyrus. At least, that’s what the police are saying. So is the district attorney.

 

But CeCe knows the story is more complicated, that a terrible thing happened when she was trying so hard to make things right. Cyrus was addicted to prescription pain killers and had deteriorated into an angry, violent version of his former self. CeCe had no choice but to adopt a fragmented identity: part drug dealer, part honor student, part sister, part daughter. Now, locked up and facing a murder charge, CeCe must make her lawyer understand how sometimes the best intentions lead to the worst possible outcome.

 

THE PEOPLE VS. CECELIA PRICE is 60,000 words. It has not been submitted to editors/publishers and the synopsis/full manuscript for my New Adult paranormal romance, STAR STRUCK, is also available.

 

Currently, I have two young adult novels forthcoming from Walker Books for Young Readers: TASTE TEST (August 2013) and JUST LIKE THE MOVIES (Spring 2014.) I have my MFA in Poetry from West Virginia University and I’ve received two Mid Atlantic Artist Awards from the Maryland State Arts Council. You can learn more about me at my website, www.kellyfiorewrites.com.

 

I’ve pasted the first five pages of my manuscript below. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Best,

Kelly Fiore

 

***

 

So, you can see that my letter is a little different than a first timer. I left my agent and was re-querying, so the beginning is something you wouldn’t normally see. The second section is where I’d probably start if it had been a traditional query, so it would have looked something like this:

 

Dear (name of agent),

 

Cecelia Price murdered her brother, Cyrus. At least, that’s what the police are saying. So is the district attorney.

 

But CeCe knows the story is more complicated, that a terrible thing happened when she was trying so hard to make things right. Cyrus was addicted to prescription pain killers and had deteriorated into an angry, violent version of his former self. CeCe had no choice but to adopt a fragmented identity: part drug dealer, part honor student, part sister, part daughter. Now, locked up and facing a murder charge, CeCe must make her lawyer understand how sometimes the best intentions lead to the worst possible outcome.

 

THE PEOPLE VS. CECELIA PRICE is 60,000 words. It combines the raw and compelling aspects of popular television shows Breaking Bad and Intervention into a character study of a seventeen year-old girl.

 

I have my MFA in Poetry from West Virginia University and I’ve received two Mid Atlantic Artist Awards from the Maryland State Arts Council. You can learn more about me at my website, www.kellyfiorewrites.com.

 

I’ve pasted the first five pages of my manuscript below. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Best,

Kelly Fiore

 

***

 

Okay, so it is shorter and organized a bit differently. The important thing is that you personalize the letter with names – DO NOT DO A MASS EMAIL – and include what is requested. In this case, it was the first five pages.

 

When I first queried in 2008, I made a spreadsheet with the following categories: agent, agency, First Response, Pages Sent, Final response. In many cases, the first three were the only ones filled in. The first response would be a pass and that was that. In lots of other cases, people requested pages – anything from 30 to the whole MS. In that case, I cataloged what I sent and when I heard back. And I included dates on everything so I’d know when to nudge the agent if I hadn’t heard back in 6-8 weeks.

 

So, the key really is to do your research, find the agents you’d like to work with, and craft a killer, personalized query for every agent you send it on to. From there, you hope you get an offer of representation…but that’s another topic for another day…:)

The Detox Diet: And so it begins…

 

Technically, this isn’t a picture of a detox diet…but it’s a picture of food and I took it, so good enough.

I’ve talked a lot on the blog about how much my life has changed for the better, and it definitely has. But one thing that hasn’t changed for the better is my health/weight. I’ve gained about 20lbs in the last couple of years, which is A LOT on my 5’4″ frame.

Another thing I discuss on the blog a lot is food. My whole world really does revolve around it. From my son’s diet to our commitment to eating local, my husband and I have made food our business – literally! I wrote a book about cooking and he works in the restaurant industry.

So now we both feel a little less than comfortable in our skin. After looking into lots of programs to jump start our efforts, we decided on a three day juice cleanse. Having just completed it, I can tell you that it really wasn’t all that difficult. But we also did a modified cleanse, where we ate fruits, vegetables, and nuts, along with our juices.

Here’s what we ate, in a nutshell – no pun intended

Juices: 8am – Carrot Orange Ginger, 10 am – Berries and Green Vegetables, 12 pm – Tomato-based juice with peppers and lemon, 2 pm – Green Apple juice with spinach

Snacks throughout the day: nuts like almonds and cashews and dried fruit, along with fresh fruit and veggies

For meals, like lunch and dinner: I did a couple of things. Roasted Brussel sprouts, a chopped Asian salad, sautéed mushrooms…anything that was vegetable based

What you avoid: (get ready…it’s a long list) animal proteins and products (ie all meat and dairy), eggs, processed foods, wheat/gluten, alcohol, sugar, coffee

It was really only going to be a three day thing, but we’ve decided to move forward with Dr. Oz’s “Clean Detox” diet, which has similar modifications, but with more range. He adds back in fish and various other things, and allows honey, which I really missed.

We have only just started, but I’m excited about the change and the potential for the future

Publishing 101: You’ve written a novel…now what?

 

Well, we’ve reached the end of NaNoWriMo.

 

I wish I could say I finished an entire first draft — I didn’t. I did write about 20k words of a new YA contemp that I’m super-excited about, but I didn’t finish it. As the semester wraps up this week, I’m hoping to devote some more time to writing. My goal is to reach a complete draft by the end of 2013.

Anyway, now that NaNo is over, I thought I might start posting some information about how writers do what they do and, more importantly, how they get there. This will be a series of posts and I hope to cover the following topics as clearly as possible:

 

- How to get a literary agent

 

- How to write a query letter

 

- How to write a synopsis

 

- An agent is interested! Now what?

 

- I have an agent! Now what?

 

- The Process of Pitching Books to Editors

 

- How Editors/Publishers acquire books

 

- What can you expect when your book is purchased by a publisher?

 

I’m sure there will be more topics that I will think of as we go along. For now, though, I’m going to start from the ground up.

 

You’ve completed a novel. Congratulations! If you want to go into traditional publishing — this means the kind of publishing that involves publishers and editors, who buy the rights to your book — than this will begin to help you navigate the steps to get published.

Disclaimer: If you are interested in self-publishing or Print-On-Demand publishing, I’m not the person to ask because I’ve never done it. However, there are plenty of resources out there for you and I encourage you to use them!

 

Step One: The first thing you want to do, before you look into getting an agent, before you even begin writing a query letter, is to set your book aside for a period of time so that you can distance yourself from it. The length of time is different for everyone — it might be 3-4 days or a week, or longer. But it’s important to read your manuscript with fresh eyes at least one time before sending your work out to the professionals. Trust me, I know — this is HARD. When the book is finished, you just want to send it out there and get it read. You want validation. I get that. But the chance of you getting that validation is much, much higher if you take a breath, set the book aside, and come back to it.

Step Two: Re-read your manuscript — every word. You might find mistakes this time that you didn’t notice before. What’s more exciting is that you might get new ideas for additions or changes. Embrace those ideas! This is the beauty of the revision process.

Step Three: When you have reached the point where you are sure that you have a final, polished project, it’s time to start researching literary agents.

 

What is a literary agent? And why do you want one?

Well, an agent is one of many important people in your publishing life. Some people consider them gatekeepers to the publishers, but I consider them the keys to the publishing door. A good literary agent is like an editor, a cheerleader, a lawyer, and a teacher — all wrapped into one. When an agent agrees to sign you, you have a much greater chance of reaching the right editor and publisher for your work. An agent’s job is to know what editors are looking for and where your work will best fit.

 

(My agent is Suzie Townsend and you can visit her blog here: http://confessionsofawanderingheart.b...)

 

You can look for an agent at a handful of great sources:

 

1. Agent Query: http://www.agentquery.com

 

This is a database of agents and their interests/genres they work with, along with what they are looking for now.

 

2. Guide to Literary Agents (A Writer’s Digest Blog): http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-b...

 

Chuck Sambuchino makes it his business to know what’s going on in the world of agents and his word is good. This blog is updated multiple times a month.

 

3. Publisher’s Marketplace (www.publishersmarketplace.com)

 

This is a subscription only site, so you’d need to pay for access. However, it shows you what agents are most successful at selling which type of writing and gives you an idea of where your work might fit into their portfolio of authors.

 

You should make a list of multiple agents that you are interested in working with, along with their email addresses, and the specifics they ask for (query letter only, query and 10 pages, etc.)

 

Next Post: How to craft a query letter that will get you noticed!

*All GIFS were borrowed from Nathan Bransford’s AMAZING publishing post, which you can find here: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/08/the-publishing-process-in-gif-form.html

 

Foodie Fall Week Three: Cheesecake Factory, Outback, or Macaroni Grill

Congrats to Sammy, who won last week’s Spicy Eats contest! Sammy, contact me for your gift card to Chipotle, Panera, or California Tortilla!

For the four weeks of November, to celebrate the focus on both food and family in TASTE TEST, I’m giving away a swag pack that includes a fun kitchen tool or item that you can use while cooking (or even eating) Thanksgiving dinner and your choice between three gift cards to popular restaurants.

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It’s Week Three (November 17th to November 23rd) and that means I’m giving away a TASTE TEST Oven Mitt and a $25 gift card to Cheesecake Factory, Outback or Macaroni Grill. To win, you need to answer the following question:

In TASTE TEST, Christian Van Lorton has worked and eating in dozens of high-brow restaurants — his dad is a famous chef, after all. If you could go to any restaurant in the world (maybe even owned by a famous chef), which one would it be?

 

Enter the contest by writing your answer and adding it as a comment to this post — and make sure your contact information (email) is included in your entry.

 

Want to enter twice? Tweet about this giveaway! You can write your own tweet about the contest (make sure you put the website, www.kellyfiorewrites.com, and my handle, @kellyannfiore, in your tweet) or you can use tweet the following message:

 

It’s Foodie Fall on @kellyannfiore’s blog – enter to win a popular restaurant gift card every week this month! http://kellyfiorewrites.com

 

Good luck everyone! Thanks for giving me something to be so thankful for!