Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 109
April 29, 2014
PitchSlam #7: Stumped, YA Contemporary
Genre: YA ContemporaryTitle: STUMPEDWord Count: 81 000
Song: It’s an album actually, Various Failures by World of Skin (AKA Swans)
PITCH: To prove he can still be a man in a wheelchair, sixteen-year-old Ozzy struggles to dump his virginity, but discovers the difference between sex and intimacy has a price higher than a sex worker’s fee.
FIRST 250: I splash on too much of my brother’s aftershave and it’s like stepping into a rental car. Shit. I reek of whatever this stuff is supposed to smell like. Pine trees, maybe? I never smelled a pine tree that stank like this. No wonder Finn left it behind when he went to college. It does mask the scent of chlorine that clings to me after a four-hour practice this afternoon. I rub my palm across my face and sniff it…nope. I can’t go meet Lainey smelling like this. She won’t be able to get anywhere near me. Not without choking. I can’t stay near me. God, this stuff’s awful. I glance down at my watch. It’s after six, but I guess I have time for another shower. I have to have time.
I shuck the towel from around my waist and turn the shower back on. The bathroom’s filled with steam from the one I took ten minutes ago. At least the water’s still hot. I climb in and let the liquid sluice over me. I don’t know if that’s enough to get rid of the awful aftershave, so I grab the soap and scrub my face and neck until they feel raw. That’ll have to do. For good measure, I soap the rest of me again too. Look at me, Mr. Clean. I lean back against the wall and think about Lainey. Those shorts she was wearing this morning should be illegal. At least on her.
Song: It’s an album actually, Various Failures by World of Skin (AKA Swans)
PITCH: To prove he can still be a man in a wheelchair, sixteen-year-old Ozzy struggles to dump his virginity, but discovers the difference between sex and intimacy has a price higher than a sex worker’s fee.
FIRST 250: I splash on too much of my brother’s aftershave and it’s like stepping into a rental car. Shit. I reek of whatever this stuff is supposed to smell like. Pine trees, maybe? I never smelled a pine tree that stank like this. No wonder Finn left it behind when he went to college. It does mask the scent of chlorine that clings to me after a four-hour practice this afternoon. I rub my palm across my face and sniff it…nope. I can’t go meet Lainey smelling like this. She won’t be able to get anywhere near me. Not without choking. I can’t stay near me. God, this stuff’s awful. I glance down at my watch. It’s after six, but I guess I have time for another shower. I have to have time.
I shuck the towel from around my waist and turn the shower back on. The bathroom’s filled with steam from the one I took ten minutes ago. At least the water’s still hot. I climb in and let the liquid sluice over me. I don’t know if that’s enough to get rid of the awful aftershave, so I grab the soap and scrub my face and neck until they feel raw. That’ll have to do. For good measure, I soap the rest of me again too. Look at me, Mr. Clean. I lean back against the wall and think about Lainey. Those shorts she was wearing this morning should be illegal. At least on her.
PitchSlam #8: My Favorite Mistake, NA Cont Romance
Genre: NA Contemporary RomanceTitle: MY FAVORITE MISTAKEWord Count: 94,000
Song: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow
Pitch: Katie won’t lose herself in someone again. However, her head and heart disagree about Will. As graduation nears, she must decide: take a risk on a reformed player or play it safe and leave him.
First 250: The problem with losing yourself in someone else is forgetting who you are and making dumb decisions to please them. Dumb decisions like agreeing to marry them. Or switching schools for your last year of college. Or swapping your friends and family for cows and farmland.
It’s dumb decisions like those that leave me fighting back tears and pretending everything is okay two days before classes start.
“Shit! Sorry!” Calloused hands prevent me from crashing to the floor and help me to my feet.
“No worries, sweetheart,” the owner of those hands says, flashing stained teeth. “That step cost me my keys many a time before. Granted, I’m usually half a fifth to the good when I do.” He chuckles, and it brings a twinkle to his eyes.
“Keys?” His explanation makes no sense. I glance at the step in the question, gritting my teeth against the tears. How embarrassing; just a single step up to the hallway where the restrooms are located. There’s no reason to miss it on my way back to the booth. No reason except the trio of co-eds now hovering around the pool table in the adjoining room.
“Built-in sobriety test.” The old man laughs again, hooking a thumb to a framed sign on the wall that reads: Miss the step, miss your keys. “Best hope Barb didn’t see you.” With another short chuckle, he drops his hand from my elbow, takes an exaggerated step up the lone stair, and weaves down the hall, whistling.
Song: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow
Pitch: Katie won’t lose herself in someone again. However, her head and heart disagree about Will. As graduation nears, she must decide: take a risk on a reformed player or play it safe and leave him.
First 250: The problem with losing yourself in someone else is forgetting who you are and making dumb decisions to please them. Dumb decisions like agreeing to marry them. Or switching schools for your last year of college. Or swapping your friends and family for cows and farmland.
It’s dumb decisions like those that leave me fighting back tears and pretending everything is okay two days before classes start.
“Shit! Sorry!” Calloused hands prevent me from crashing to the floor and help me to my feet.
“No worries, sweetheart,” the owner of those hands says, flashing stained teeth. “That step cost me my keys many a time before. Granted, I’m usually half a fifth to the good when I do.” He chuckles, and it brings a twinkle to his eyes.
“Keys?” His explanation makes no sense. I glance at the step in the question, gritting my teeth against the tears. How embarrassing; just a single step up to the hallway where the restrooms are located. There’s no reason to miss it on my way back to the booth. No reason except the trio of co-eds now hovering around the pool table in the adjoining room.
“Built-in sobriety test.” The old man laughs again, hooking a thumb to a framed sign on the wall that reads: Miss the step, miss your keys. “Best hope Barb didn’t see you.” With another short chuckle, he drops his hand from my elbow, takes an exaggerated step up the lone stair, and weaves down the hall, whistling.
PitchSlam #9: The Ledge, MG Adventure
Genre: MG Adventure
Title: THE LEDGE
Word Count: 37,000
Song: “Hall of Fame” by The Script
Pitch: 16yo discontent Jack drags his13yo survivalist-brother, Bryce, on a backpacking trip where Bryce has a tragic climbing accident and near-death experience (NDE). Alone and scared, Jack must risk his life to save them both.
250: Thirteen-year-old Bryce Harrison slid out of the Jeep, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and squinted at the trail-head sign in front of him. The faded words read, “Caution: Bears,” and below it, “Lily Lake: 16 miles.”
Walking to the edge of the swollen mountain river, Bryce picked up a smooth rock. Aiming, he chucked it sideways, trying to skip it on the swift water that instantly swallowed it up.
Second thoughts—doubtful ones, fearful ones—about this adventure crept like fingers up the back of his neck and into his mind, clambering for his attention. Bryce knew it—he shouldn't have let his big brother, Jack, talk him into going on this backpacking trip. “Death by bear attack” would be the writing on Bryce's tombstone. Even though he wanted to practice his survival skills out here, he didn't want to be mauled by a bear.
Tromping over to Bryce, Jack shouted, “Think fast.” He tossed a water-bottle too hard at Bryce. It hit him in the chest and bounced off, landing on a rock. Water started seeping out of a hairline crack. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head at Bryce.
“It's not my fault!” complained Bryce. It wasn't, but it didn't matter. Bryce knew that Jack didn't care.
New fingers of doubt replaced the old ones. Glancing sideways at Jack, Bryce feared what might happen if Jack wouldn't get along with him, or stranded him, or worse. Maybe Bryce's tombstone would read instead, “Death by stupid, mean big brother.”
Title: THE LEDGE
Word Count: 37,000
Song: “Hall of Fame” by The Script
Pitch: 16yo discontent Jack drags his13yo survivalist-brother, Bryce, on a backpacking trip where Bryce has a tragic climbing accident and near-death experience (NDE). Alone and scared, Jack must risk his life to save them both.
250: Thirteen-year-old Bryce Harrison slid out of the Jeep, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and squinted at the trail-head sign in front of him. The faded words read, “Caution: Bears,” and below it, “Lily Lake: 16 miles.”
Walking to the edge of the swollen mountain river, Bryce picked up a smooth rock. Aiming, he chucked it sideways, trying to skip it on the swift water that instantly swallowed it up.
Second thoughts—doubtful ones, fearful ones—about this adventure crept like fingers up the back of his neck and into his mind, clambering for his attention. Bryce knew it—he shouldn't have let his big brother, Jack, talk him into going on this backpacking trip. “Death by bear attack” would be the writing on Bryce's tombstone. Even though he wanted to practice his survival skills out here, he didn't want to be mauled by a bear.
Tromping over to Bryce, Jack shouted, “Think fast.” He tossed a water-bottle too hard at Bryce. It hit him in the chest and bounced off, landing on a rock. Water started seeping out of a hairline crack. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head at Bryce.
“It's not my fault!” complained Bryce. It wasn't, but it didn't matter. Bryce knew that Jack didn't care.
New fingers of doubt replaced the old ones. Glancing sideways at Jack, Bryce feared what might happen if Jack wouldn't get along with him, or stranded him, or worse. Maybe Bryce's tombstone would read instead, “Death by stupid, mean big brother.”
April 28, 2014
Query Questions with Chelsea Lindman
Writers have copious amounts of imagination. It's what makes their stories so fantastic. But there's a darker side to so much out of the box thinking. When a writer is in the query trenches, their worries go into overdrive. They start pulling out their hair and imagine every possible disaster.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
It's fantastic to interview an agent with this prestigious agency. Thank you Chelsea Lindman from Sanford J Greenburger & Associates.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chelsea Lindman is a literary agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Her primary interests include playful literary fiction, upmarket crime fiction, and forward thinking or boundary-pushing non-fiction. She is especially fond of writing that takes advantage of setting and location, so that a story’s place can almost be seen as another character. Chelsea also represents a select list of children’s book authors whose stories have an emphasis on voice-driven narratives. Most importantly, Chelsea is interested in working with clients that are looking to build a lasting relationship.Chelsea was previously with the agency as the Director of Foreign Rights for The Nicholas Ellison Agency, a division within Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, where she worked with international publishers to nurture and develop audiences abroad for the agency’s bestselling authors such as Nelson DeMille, Sarah Dunn, Jeff Lindsay, Christopher Moore, and Alan Weisman, as well as several debut authors. Chelsea began her publishing career as an editor at Europa Editions. She is a graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara, and is a California native.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
It's fantastic to interview an agent with this prestigious agency. Thank you Chelsea Lindman from Sanford J Greenburger & Associates.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
Spring and Fall tend to be busy for me, which only means that it will probably take me a bit longer to get back to you than at other times of the year.Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
Not at all! The query letter and submission need to be well written and professional, but I'm not going to reject an entire manuscript because of a small mistake.Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
It certainly helps if the query is strong! Personally, I look for three things in a query letter: an interesting concept or story, a strong author platform, a comparison to another book I love. If any of these appear in the query, you've piqued my interest in your work and I'm guaranteed to take a look at the sample pages.Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?
I like to read all queries myself. Taste is such a personal thing!If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?
Yes. In my submission guidelines, I request the first 50 pages of a writer's work. If an author thinks that her book begins with the prologue, then I would like to read from the start.Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?
All the time. If a project isn't right for me, but I do think that there's something special in the writing, I'll share it with a colleague who might be a better fit for the author and project.Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
I do respond well to queries that are personalized, so long as they are still professional and it relates to your work. For example, if you're querying me because you're a fan of an author that I represent, or you saw me speak on a panel, or read this very interview, and thought I might be a good fit for your work because of any of the above, please mention that in your query letter! It gives me a reference point while considering your work--and, to go back to your earlier question about when I look at sample pages, I'm definitely going to read your sample-- and it shows you did your homework. :)Most agents have said they don't care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included?
I like to know word count and genre.Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query?
I would recommend that writers do all that they can to clarify their query--whether that's limiting the number of named characters, or elaborate plot lines. I respond well to queries that quickly and concisely pique my interest, and get me to read the actual submission. If I fall in love with the work, I'll learn who all of the characters are there!Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?
A good title at the time of querying certainly helps, but it won't make or break a submission. If the writing is there, we'll find the right title for it.How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?
I receive about 30-50 queries per week, depending on the time of year. I'll request three to five full manuscripts.Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one?
Certainly. Writers who have a dynamic social media presence will stand out, so long as it pertains to their work. An author who demonstrates that she is serious about her writing, involved in her writing community, and willing to promote her work will get more attention from me--again, so long as I also respond well to her writing.Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I'm sure it's not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive?
No way! If I like your work, I'm probably going to do a Google search, so the way I see it, you're helping me out by including that information in your query letter.If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
If you've queried me and not heard back, I'm either still considering the work submitted or have declined the opportunity to represent you (depending on the time frame, as listed in my submission guidelines on our agency's website). With that in mind, I would urge writers to only submit the very best version of their work.What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
Let me know a little bit about you! If we will potentially be business partners, let me know who I'll be working with. Also, writers are often too modest when it comes to publishing credits. If you've studied under another author, or have gone to a writers retreat, are part of a writers group in your home town, let me know that!What does 'just not right mean for me' mean to you?
Good question! This is a hard one for agents, and I'm sure it's hard for writers to hear as well. For me, it means that I don't think that I'm going to be the best agent to champion your work, day-in, day-out.What themes are you sick of seeing?
None! I think that anything can be done well, and made brand new, with the right voice. Voice is a game changer!Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
I do work with my clients on an editorial level.What's the strangest/funniest thing you've seen in a query?
I'll say that the most inventive query I've received was a YouTube music video. Unfortunately, it was for a genre that I don't represent. Oh, and one time I got a cool key chain along with a manuscript query, but that was back in the day when we looked at hard copy submissions.What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?
I would love to see a novel told from the point of view of a strange and lovable young girl or teenager, something like Swamplandia! or Tell the Wolves I'm Home.I would love to work with more mystery and suspense writers, especially if they're work is dark or twisted like Gillian Flynn's or Daniel Woodrell's. I would love to read a manuscript that makes beautiful use of the novel's place, similar to Seating Arrangements or Rules of Civility.Bonus answer! Anything related to sports.What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
All of the books I represent are my favorite! Authors I return to time and time again: Joan Didion, James Baldwin, Jennifer Egan, Lorrie Moore, Richard Price, Marilynn Robinson, Jeffery Eugenedes, Meg Wolitzer.TV shows I'm obsessed with right now: True Detective, Girls, Mad Men.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chelsea Lindman is a literary agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Her primary interests include playful literary fiction, upmarket crime fiction, and forward thinking or boundary-pushing non-fiction. She is especially fond of writing that takes advantage of setting and location, so that a story’s place can almost be seen as another character. Chelsea also represents a select list of children’s book authors whose stories have an emphasis on voice-driven narratives. Most importantly, Chelsea is interested in working with clients that are looking to build a lasting relationship.Chelsea was previously with the agency as the Director of Foreign Rights for The Nicholas Ellison Agency, a division within Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, where she worked with international publishers to nurture and develop audiences abroad for the agency’s bestselling authors such as Nelson DeMille, Sarah Dunn, Jeff Lindsay, Christopher Moore, and Alan Weisman, as well as several debut authors. Chelsea began her publishing career as an editor at Europa Editions. She is a graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara, and is a California native.
April 25, 2014
Query Kombat Judges
We're looking for a few good writers.
Or actually more than a few. This is the moment for all those agented or published writers. We need you to help make Query Kombat a success.
For those new to Query Kombat, it is a head-to-head fight between queries and opening 250. We start with 64 entries and end with one grand champion chosen by our judges. Just like in college basketball's March Madness, brackets determine your opponents. We will try to group like genres together but anything can happen in later rounds.
Mike, SC, and I have decided to hold the agent round sooner. Now 32 entries will be seen by agents! Judges will give feedback and Kombatants will have opportunities to send revised entries. Plus there are other surprises in store.
We're looking for writers who are willing to give feedback on queries and first 250 words. The feedback will be in the form of blog comments. You will also have to leave a vote on the entry that will be moving forward in the pairing. It can be a tough decision, but your help can really make a different for fellow writers in the query trenches.
SC, Mike, and I plan to arrange judges into groups of eight or so and assign them to specific blogs and rounds. That way we will have fresh eyes as the rounds progress.
Query Kombat is a long contest. There are six rounds and it takes the entire month of June. But you won't be asked to judge all the rounds. You might be assigned to one early round and a later round. (Later rounds are much quicker. Less left to say. :-)
If you are interested in being one of our judges, please send an email to our contest address: QueryKombat(at)yahoo(dot)com. In the email please include a little information about yourself. Who is your agent? What have you published? What genre do you write? This can help us sort potential judges for better variety. Later we will need fuller bios and photos.
We need lots of talent and hope to have you join our Query Kombat team!
April 23, 2014
Spring Query Extravaganza #6
It's here!! I'll be doing a limited number of query critiques in the next few weeks to celebrate spring. Right now I have no spots open. Keep watching and it's likely I'll reopen near the end of the month.
Participants must comment on other Spring Query entries to pay it forward. If I notice someone not leaving comments, their query will get skipped.
Now to the fine print:
All query critiques are subjective. And rabbits don't come out of my hat, but I'll do my best. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buy one and I'll throw in a set of free steak knives, just pay separate shipping and handling fees. Plus, you know, I'm leaving pink comments in celebration of spring so you have to be able to tolerate pink.
As sent to me:
In Nyarteme, a world ruled by Muses and Artists, art is both beautiful and deadly. Words can cut you, songs can control you, and a play can imprison you forever.
But Merrick is no Artist. He is only a carnival man, blessed with nothing but a perfect memory and thieving fingers. His life is simple, safe, and artless - until he is forced to steal one of the mirrored masks of Propa, Muse of Acting. Within days, he is in the city of Syduire, seated at Propa's play, the mask within reach.
Then his childhood love Eanna puts it on.
Her eyes darken. Her hands extend. And with only a mirror for a face, she begins to strangle him.
He rips the mask away, but it is a temporary reprieve. Every day, the mask returns, and every day, the real Eanna slips farther away. An actress of Propa has taken her place, intent on creating the performance of a lifetime - with someone else's life. She knows every look and every lie that can hurt Merrick the most, and she will stop at nothing to return the mask to her Muse. Not even murder.
And she is not the only one who wants the mask. Merrick soon learns what he really stole - the first weapon in a war between the Muses themselves. Pursued on all sides with Eanna's time running out, Merrick scours the artistic world for a way to save her. His perfect memory may hold the key, but the difference between knowing someone and merely remembering them is greater than he imagines.
Artists of the Body is a literary high fantasy combining the style of Name of the Wind with the unique world-building of Brent Weeks' Lightbringer trilogy. It is complete at 125,000 words. Though it is a standalone novel, it is also the first in a series, and subsequent books are underway.
With my crazy comments:
Merrick lives In Nyarteme, a world ruled by Muses and Artists, where art is both beautiful and deadly. Words can cut you, songs can control you, and a play can imprison you forever. (I'm not sure if this is figuratively or literally. Do you mean art can get you in trouble with the government, or some kind of magic is at work?)
But Merrick is no Artist.(And we get to the MC. Ideally you want to lead with the MC and not the worldbuilding. See if you can't weave Merrick into the first paragraph. I made a rough attempt above. Then you can add this first sentence to the 1st paragraph and it can be a small hook.) He is only(I'd cut 'only') a carnival man, blessed with nothing but a perfect memory and thieving fingers.(hardly nothing) His life is simple, safe, and artless - until he is forced to steal one of the mirrored masks of Propa, Muse of Acting.(Why? Why he is forced to steal would be his motivation. We want to see his motivation. It's what moved him to act. Are they treatening to kill his love? Does he need the money?) Within days, he is in the city of Syduire, seated at Propa's play, the mask within reach. (This is a minor detail we don't need to know.)
Then his childhood love Eanna puts it on.
Her eyes darken. Her hands extend. And with only a mirror for a face, she begins to strangle him. (You've slipped into writing mode instead of query mode. You aren't describing the book anymore. You're reliving it. Try something like: Then his childhood love Eanna beats him too it, puts it on and becomes a killer, attempting to strangle him.)
He rips the mask away, but it is a temporary reprieve. Every day, the mask returns, and every day, the real Eanna slips farther away. An actress of Propa has taken her place, intent on creating the performance of a lifetime - with someone else's life. She knows every look and every lie that can hurt Merrick the most, and she will stop at nothing to return the mask to her Muse. Not even murder. (Your focus is wandering. Decide what is important. Merrick stealing the mask is not the plot. Trying to get it away from his girlfriend seems to be the plot. The query is about 50 words over the average length. Keeping the focus honed in will help with the length. Distill it down.)
And she is not the only one who wants the mask. Merrick soon learns what he really stole - the first weapon in a war between the Muses themselves.(Good. This ups the stakes.) Pursued on all sides with Eanna's time running out, Merrick scours the artistic world for a way to save her. His perfect memory may hold the key(I like this aspect. It's unique. Don't be afraid to play it up and maybe even add how it can save them.), but the difference between knowing someone and merely remembering them is greater than he imagines. ((That last part is very vague. I don't know what it means, which makes it fall flat as a stake.) And same here with the distilling. Agents want to see that you can condense and get to the heart of the plot. Something like this:
Merrick lives in Nyarteme, a world ruled by Muses and Artists, where art is both beautiful and deadly. Thanks to magic, words can cut you, songs can control you, and a play can imprison you forever. But Merrick is no artist.
He's a carnival man who happens to be blessed with perfect memory and thieving fingers. When his grandmother is kidnapped, he’s forced to steal one of the mirrored masks of Propa, Muse of Acting. He succeeds only for his childhood love Eanna to don the mask and become a killer.
Before she can strangle him, Merrick rips the mask away, but every day it returns. Knowing each look and lie to hurt Merrick, Eanna will stop at nothing to return the mask to her Muse (and what?) and put the power to blankblank in the goddess' hands.
Others also seek the mask. It’s the first weapon in a war between the Muses themselves that can grant (blank). Merrick’s perfect memory may hold the key to saving Eanna and humanity or (bad thing that will happen).
Artists of the Body is a literary high fantasy combining the style of Name of the Wind(One of my favorites) with the unique world-building of Brent Weeks' Lightbringer trilogy. (All very long works. But it's usual for a debut author to get this word count.) It is complete at 125,000 words.(Maybe just a touch high for high/epic fantasy.) Though it is a standalone novel, it is also the first in a series, and subsequent books are underway. (A standalone novel, it also has series potential. or A standalone novel, it is intended as a series.)
Condense. Distill. Trim down to the crucial parts. Tell us what will happen if Merrick fails and what power the mask can grant.
Participants must comment on other Spring Query entries to pay it forward. If I notice someone not leaving comments, their query will get skipped.
Now to the fine print:
All query critiques are subjective. And rabbits don't come out of my hat, but I'll do my best. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buy one and I'll throw in a set of free steak knives, just pay separate shipping and handling fees. Plus, you know, I'm leaving pink comments in celebration of spring so you have to be able to tolerate pink.
As sent to me:
In Nyarteme, a world ruled by Muses and Artists, art is both beautiful and deadly. Words can cut you, songs can control you, and a play can imprison you forever.
But Merrick is no Artist. He is only a carnival man, blessed with nothing but a perfect memory and thieving fingers. His life is simple, safe, and artless - until he is forced to steal one of the mirrored masks of Propa, Muse of Acting. Within days, he is in the city of Syduire, seated at Propa's play, the mask within reach.
Then his childhood love Eanna puts it on.
Her eyes darken. Her hands extend. And with only a mirror for a face, she begins to strangle him.
He rips the mask away, but it is a temporary reprieve. Every day, the mask returns, and every day, the real Eanna slips farther away. An actress of Propa has taken her place, intent on creating the performance of a lifetime - with someone else's life. She knows every look and every lie that can hurt Merrick the most, and she will stop at nothing to return the mask to her Muse. Not even murder.
And she is not the only one who wants the mask. Merrick soon learns what he really stole - the first weapon in a war between the Muses themselves. Pursued on all sides with Eanna's time running out, Merrick scours the artistic world for a way to save her. His perfect memory may hold the key, but the difference between knowing someone and merely remembering them is greater than he imagines.
Artists of the Body is a literary high fantasy combining the style of Name of the Wind with the unique world-building of Brent Weeks' Lightbringer trilogy. It is complete at 125,000 words. Though it is a standalone novel, it is also the first in a series, and subsequent books are underway.
With my crazy comments:
Merrick lives In Nyarteme, a world ruled by Muses and Artists, where art is both beautiful and deadly. Words can cut you, songs can control you, and a play can imprison you forever. (I'm not sure if this is figuratively or literally. Do you mean art can get you in trouble with the government, or some kind of magic is at work?)
But Merrick is no Artist.(And we get to the MC. Ideally you want to lead with the MC and not the worldbuilding. See if you can't weave Merrick into the first paragraph. I made a rough attempt above. Then you can add this first sentence to the 1st paragraph and it can be a small hook.) He is only(I'd cut 'only') a carnival man, blessed with nothing but a perfect memory and thieving fingers.(hardly nothing) His life is simple, safe, and artless - until he is forced to steal one of the mirrored masks of Propa, Muse of Acting.(Why? Why he is forced to steal would be his motivation. We want to see his motivation. It's what moved him to act. Are they treatening to kill his love? Does he need the money?) Within days, he is in the city of Syduire, seated at Propa's play, the mask within reach. (This is a minor detail we don't need to know.)
Then his childhood love Eanna puts it on.
Her eyes darken. Her hands extend. And with only a mirror for a face, she begins to strangle him. (You've slipped into writing mode instead of query mode. You aren't describing the book anymore. You're reliving it. Try something like: Then his childhood love Eanna beats him too it, puts it on and becomes a killer, attempting to strangle him.)
He rips the mask away, but it is a temporary reprieve. Every day, the mask returns, and every day, the real Eanna slips farther away. An actress of Propa has taken her place, intent on creating the performance of a lifetime - with someone else's life. She knows every look and every lie that can hurt Merrick the most, and she will stop at nothing to return the mask to her Muse. Not even murder. (Your focus is wandering. Decide what is important. Merrick stealing the mask is not the plot. Trying to get it away from his girlfriend seems to be the plot. The query is about 50 words over the average length. Keeping the focus honed in will help with the length. Distill it down.)
And she is not the only one who wants the mask. Merrick soon learns what he really stole - the first weapon in a war between the Muses themselves.(Good. This ups the stakes.) Pursued on all sides with Eanna's time running out, Merrick scours the artistic world for a way to save her. His perfect memory may hold the key(I like this aspect. It's unique. Don't be afraid to play it up and maybe even add how it can save them.), but the difference between knowing someone and merely remembering them is greater than he imagines. ((That last part is very vague. I don't know what it means, which makes it fall flat as a stake.) And same here with the distilling. Agents want to see that you can condense and get to the heart of the plot. Something like this:
Merrick lives in Nyarteme, a world ruled by Muses and Artists, where art is both beautiful and deadly. Thanks to magic, words can cut you, songs can control you, and a play can imprison you forever. But Merrick is no artist.
He's a carnival man who happens to be blessed with perfect memory and thieving fingers. When his grandmother is kidnapped, he’s forced to steal one of the mirrored masks of Propa, Muse of Acting. He succeeds only for his childhood love Eanna to don the mask and become a killer.
Before she can strangle him, Merrick rips the mask away, but every day it returns. Knowing each look and lie to hurt Merrick, Eanna will stop at nothing to return the mask to her Muse (and what?) and put the power to blankblank in the goddess' hands.
Others also seek the mask. It’s the first weapon in a war between the Muses themselves that can grant (blank). Merrick’s perfect memory may hold the key to saving Eanna and humanity or (bad thing that will happen).
Artists of the Body is a literary high fantasy combining the style of Name of the Wind(One of my favorites) with the unique world-building of Brent Weeks' Lightbringer trilogy. (All very long works. But it's usual for a debut author to get this word count.) It is complete at 125,000 words.(Maybe just a touch high for high/epic fantasy.) Though it is a standalone novel, it is also the first in a series, and subsequent books are underway. (A standalone novel, it also has series potential. or A standalone novel, it is intended as a series.)
Condense. Distill. Trim down to the crucial parts. Tell us what will happen if Merrick fails and what power the mask can grant.
April 22, 2014
Spring Query Extravaganza #5
It's here!! I'll be doing a limited number of query critiques in the next few weeks to celebrate spring. Right now I have no spots open. Keep watching and it's likely I'll reopen near the end of the month.
Participants must comment on other Spring Query entries to pay it forward. If I notice someone not leaving comments, their query will get skipped.
Now to the fine print:
All query critiques are subjective. And rabbits don't come out of my hat, but I'll do my best. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buy one and I'll throw in a set of free steak knives, just pay separate shipping and handling fees. Plus, you know, I'm leaving pink comments in celebration of spring so you have to be able to tolerate pink.
As sent to me:
Dear Agent:
Years of living in the sewers beneath Elite City have hardened seventeen-year-old Sylvia to all manner of creepy-crawlies. She never really got used to the giant, flesh-eating bugs, though.
The sewers are the only place safe from the Cull, nocturnal bugs that wander the overgrown city streets above. During the day Syl scavenges for food among the abandoned skyscrapers, but at night the Cull come out looking for a meal of their own. She thought gene splicing died with the war a century ago, disappeared with the scientists and their rusted machinery. She thought the bugs could be exterminated, the city rebuilt and the population replenished. She was wrong.
Whoever engineered the Cull isn't done playing God. Syl is abducted and tortured in horrific experiments that result in her DNA being spliced, slowly turning her into one of the bugs. Now she must find a cure and stop the person who violated her body before every remaining man, woman, and child is transformed into the abomination they fear.
SPLICED is a 65,000 word YA science fiction novel. It is a standalone with series potential.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
With my crazy comments:
Dear Agent: Just right! :-) Starting off easy.
Years of living in the sewers beneath Elite City have hardened seventeen-year-old Sylvia to all manner of creepy-crawlies. Interesting. Immediately I'm wondering why she lives there. But that's a good kind of question. It's curiosity. She never really got used to the giant, flesh-eating bugs, though. Was hoping for something with a little more punch. This is subjective, but I've never been a big fan of tacking on 'though.' And I'd define 'giant' with something comparable. Tank-sized, flesh-eating bugs hunting her day and night--not so much.
The sewers are the only place safe from the Cull, nocturnal bugs that wander the overgrown and abandoned city streets above. Ah. So that's why. I'd probably get in that the city is abandoned earlier. During the day Syl scavenges for food among the abandoned (empty, derelict, unsafe) skyscrapers, but at night the Cull come out looking for a meal of their own. SheSyl thought gene splicing died with the war a century ago, disappeared with the scientists and their rusted machinery. She thought(This seems more of a hope.) the bugs could be exterminated, the city rebuilt and the population replenished. She was wrong.(Consider cutting this last sentence and letting us form our own conclusions. I know you're going for voice, however this is a bad form of telling. Just add 'But' down below.
Or another possibility would be to say something like nobody is stepping up to take on that task. That would allow you to get in more world building to detail what their technology is like now.)
Whoever engineered the Cull isn't done playing God. Syl is abducted and tortured in horrific experiments that result in her DNA being spliced, slowly turning her into one of the bugs.(And you hit us with a twist! Increasing the stakes.) Now she must find a cure and stop the person who violated her body before every remaining man, woman, and child is transformed into the abomination they fear. (A picky point but 'they fear' could be interpreted as head jumping. I'd consider 'man, woman, and child is transformed into fearsome abominations.' You got an intense set of stakes defined.)
SPLICED is a 65,000 word YA science fiction novel(It has the hallmarks of a dystopian. Heavy sigh because dystopian is such a hard sell nowadays.). It is a standalone with series potential. (Maybe a short sentence about yourself.)
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, (Same with this closing as the other critiques. It's not really needed if you have the thanks above. Your call.)
This query sets out the plot and stakes quite clearly. The sentences connect really well, flowing from one to the next in a neat progression. The 3rd paragraph rackets up the tension. There's not a whole lot of Syl's personality being displayed here, so be sure it's in the opening pages. A strong query. Most of my comments are subjective and should be taken as such.
Participants must comment on other Spring Query entries to pay it forward. If I notice someone not leaving comments, their query will get skipped.
Now to the fine print:
All query critiques are subjective. And rabbits don't come out of my hat, but I'll do my best. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buy one and I'll throw in a set of free steak knives, just pay separate shipping and handling fees. Plus, you know, I'm leaving pink comments in celebration of spring so you have to be able to tolerate pink.
As sent to me:
Dear Agent:
Years of living in the sewers beneath Elite City have hardened seventeen-year-old Sylvia to all manner of creepy-crawlies. She never really got used to the giant, flesh-eating bugs, though.
The sewers are the only place safe from the Cull, nocturnal bugs that wander the overgrown city streets above. During the day Syl scavenges for food among the abandoned skyscrapers, but at night the Cull come out looking for a meal of their own. She thought gene splicing died with the war a century ago, disappeared with the scientists and their rusted machinery. She thought the bugs could be exterminated, the city rebuilt and the population replenished. She was wrong.
Whoever engineered the Cull isn't done playing God. Syl is abducted and tortured in horrific experiments that result in her DNA being spliced, slowly turning her into one of the bugs. Now she must find a cure and stop the person who violated her body before every remaining man, woman, and child is transformed into the abomination they fear.
SPLICED is a 65,000 word YA science fiction novel. It is a standalone with series potential.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
With my crazy comments:
Dear Agent: Just right! :-) Starting off easy.
Years of living in the sewers beneath Elite City have hardened seventeen-year-old Sylvia to all manner of creepy-crawlies. Interesting. Immediately I'm wondering why she lives there. But that's a good kind of question. It's curiosity. She never really got used to the giant, flesh-eating bugs, though. Was hoping for something with a little more punch. This is subjective, but I've never been a big fan of tacking on 'though.' And I'd define 'giant' with something comparable. Tank-sized, flesh-eating bugs hunting her day and night--not so much.
The sewers are the only place safe from the Cull, nocturnal bugs that wander the overgrown and abandoned city streets above. Ah. So that's why. I'd probably get in that the city is abandoned earlier. During the day Syl scavenges for food among the abandoned (empty, derelict, unsafe) skyscrapers, but at night the Cull come out looking for a meal of their own. SheSyl thought gene splicing died with the war a century ago, disappeared with the scientists and their rusted machinery. She thought(This seems more of a hope.) the bugs could be exterminated, the city rebuilt and the population replenished. She was wrong.(Consider cutting this last sentence and letting us form our own conclusions. I know you're going for voice, however this is a bad form of telling. Just add 'But' down below.
Or another possibility would be to say something like nobody is stepping up to take on that task. That would allow you to get in more world building to detail what their technology is like now.)
Whoever engineered the Cull isn't done playing God. Syl is abducted and tortured in horrific experiments that result in her DNA being spliced, slowly turning her into one of the bugs.(And you hit us with a twist! Increasing the stakes.) Now she must find a cure and stop the person who violated her body before every remaining man, woman, and child is transformed into the abomination they fear. (A picky point but 'they fear' could be interpreted as head jumping. I'd consider 'man, woman, and child is transformed into fearsome abominations.' You got an intense set of stakes defined.)
SPLICED is a 65,000 word YA science fiction novel(It has the hallmarks of a dystopian. Heavy sigh because dystopian is such a hard sell nowadays.). It is a standalone with series potential. (Maybe a short sentence about yourself.)
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, (Same with this closing as the other critiques. It's not really needed if you have the thanks above. Your call.)
This query sets out the plot and stakes quite clearly. The sentences connect really well, flowing from one to the next in a neat progression. The 3rd paragraph rackets up the tension. There's not a whole lot of Syl's personality being displayed here, so be sure it's in the opening pages. A strong query. Most of my comments are subjective and should be taken as such.
April 21, 2014
Spring Query Extravaganza #4
It's here!! I'll be doing a limited number of query critiques in the next few weeks to celebrate spring. Right now I have no spots open. Keep watching and it's likely I'll reopen near the end of the month.
Participants must comment on other Spring Query entries to pay it forward.
Now to the fine print:
All query critiques are subjective. And rabbits don't come out of my hat, but I'll do my best. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buy one and I'll throw in a set of free steak knives, just pay separate shipping and handling fees. Plus, you know, I'm leaving pink comments in celebration of spring so you have to be able to tolerate pink.
As sent to me:
Dear [agent name],
My YA fantasy novel, Dragonflame, is complete at 113,000 words. I am querying you because […].
As dragons invade her homelands, young mage Naya seeks an exiled dragon to stand with her against his own kind.
15-year-old Naya has just escaped from her homeland where the king persecutes girls with magic and sends them to prison. So when her rescuer, venerable mage Mariyana, learns the king plans an invasion, Naya is eager to join the adult mages in the defence of her new home.
As the enemy turns out to include a host of dragons set on revenge, the mages scramble to find a way to stop them, for they lost the ability to kill dragons many generations ago.
Following hints from reckless young mage Evulon, Naya discovers an exiled dragon could help them win over the powerful mages of Numara island, only to find he will not join a lost cause.
Yet when Naya suddenly holds his life flame in her hands, she has to decide how to use this dragon’s power.
DRAGONFLAME is a standalone novel with a potential for sequels following Naya’s and Evulon’s adventures in the Western Lands and beyond.
I am a trilingual management assistant and translator living in Paris. I am a member of the SCBWI and have attended several writers’ conferences and workshops. Dragonflame is my first full-length novel.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
With my crazy comments:
Dear [agent name],
My YA fantasy novel, Dragonflame, is complete at 113,000 words. I am querying you because […]. This is a big word count for YA. We don't want to scare anyone off. I'd probably save this information until the end. Try to let your query hook agents first.
Edit: So the author has contacted me to say the 113K is an old word count. It should ready 97K. A much more acceptable number. Time to update that query file. Make sure that doesn't accidentally get sent to agents.
As dragons invade her homelands, young mage Naya seeks an exiled dragon to stand with her against his own kind. (This is a stronger hook than last time I saw this.)
15-year-old Naya has just escaped is saved from her homeland where the king persecutes girls with magic and sends them to prison.(Maybe a little smoother to use: where girls with magic are persecuted and sent to prison.) So when her rescuer(Confusion. I thought she'd escaped by herself. This makes me think twice about Naya as an active MC.), venerable mage Mariyana, learns the king plans an invasion, Naya is eager to join the radult mages in the defence of her new home. (Try leading with Naya and keeping her the key role here. Don't let another character take center stage. Naya is eager to join her rescuers, including the venerable mage Mariyana, stop the king's planned invasion. If Mariyana is not mentioned again I'd delete her. Maybe go with ,including venerable mages,)
As the enemy(This confuses me again. They are Naya's enemy, that means they are working with the king? Try: One of the king's allies) turns out to include a host of dragons set on revenge, the mages scramble to find a way to stop them, for they lost the ability to kill dragons many generations ago.
Following hints from reckless young mage Evulon(I doubt we need this information about Evulon.), Naya discovers an exiled dragon could help them win over the powerful mages of Numara island(We don't know where this is or who these mages are. You're getting into a name lalapalooza. Don't let that happen. Stick to the basics. One or two characters with names. If you're going to name someone else, I'd go with the dragon. Every detail of how the story enfolds does not have to be included. Sometimes writers are too close to see what to leave out.), only to find he will not join a lost cause.
Yet when Naya suddenly holds his life flame in her hands, she has to decide how to use this dragon’s power. Right now the sinker line isn't setting up a choice or moral decision. We also don't see do this or this bad thing will happen. Keep the focus on her and the dragon. The rebels give Naya the task of recruiting a dragon to switch sides, but how? Their honor prevents it. When Naya suddenly holds the exiled dragon Firebreath's life flame in her hands, she has to decide whether to keep the dragon's power for herself or respect him as an individual and allow him to choose. OR STRONGER she has to decide whether to keep the dragon's power for herself or let him free and allow the king to win and keep girls imprisoned forever.
DRAGONFLAME is a standalone novel with a potential for sequels following Naya’s and Evulon’s adventures in the Western Lands and beyond. I'd leave Evulon out of it or make him important from the first paragraph. Replace him where Mariyana is now if you want to keep him and include why he is important.
I am a trilingual management assistant and translator living in Paris. I am a member of the SCBWI and have attended several writers’ conferences and workshops. Dragonflame is my first full-length novel. (Good.)
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, (Same here as with the other writer and the closing. You don't really need 'sincerely' with the thanks already there.)
I feel this query veers offtrack in a few places with a character soup and unimportant details. Sure world building is great but keep the focus tighter on Naya and what she needs to do. Beef up your stakes. There's nothing in here about what bad things will happen if the king succeeds. How will the king's winning hurt Naya? Show us what she struggles against. We saw a little of this with girls being confined. Is she fighting to help free girls? Maybe bring that back around to the ending line.
Participants must comment on other Spring Query entries to pay it forward.
Now to the fine print:
All query critiques are subjective. And rabbits don't come out of my hat, but I'll do my best. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Buy one and I'll throw in a set of free steak knives, just pay separate shipping and handling fees. Plus, you know, I'm leaving pink comments in celebration of spring so you have to be able to tolerate pink.
As sent to me:
Dear [agent name],
My YA fantasy novel, Dragonflame, is complete at 113,000 words. I am querying you because […].
As dragons invade her homelands, young mage Naya seeks an exiled dragon to stand with her against his own kind.
15-year-old Naya has just escaped from her homeland where the king persecutes girls with magic and sends them to prison. So when her rescuer, venerable mage Mariyana, learns the king plans an invasion, Naya is eager to join the adult mages in the defence of her new home.
As the enemy turns out to include a host of dragons set on revenge, the mages scramble to find a way to stop them, for they lost the ability to kill dragons many generations ago.
Following hints from reckless young mage Evulon, Naya discovers an exiled dragon could help them win over the powerful mages of Numara island, only to find he will not join a lost cause.
Yet when Naya suddenly holds his life flame in her hands, she has to decide how to use this dragon’s power.
DRAGONFLAME is a standalone novel with a potential for sequels following Naya’s and Evulon’s adventures in the Western Lands and beyond.
I am a trilingual management assistant and translator living in Paris. I am a member of the SCBWI and have attended several writers’ conferences and workshops. Dragonflame is my first full-length novel.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
With my crazy comments:
Dear [agent name],
My YA fantasy novel, Dragonflame, is complete at 113,000 words. I am querying you because […]. This is a big word count for YA. We don't want to scare anyone off. I'd probably save this information until the end. Try to let your query hook agents first.
Edit: So the author has contacted me to say the 113K is an old word count. It should ready 97K. A much more acceptable number. Time to update that query file. Make sure that doesn't accidentally get sent to agents.
As dragons invade her homelands, young mage Naya seeks an exiled dragon to stand with her against his own kind. (This is a stronger hook than last time I saw this.)
15-year-old Naya has just escaped is saved from her homeland where the king persecutes girls with magic and sends them to prison.(Maybe a little smoother to use: where girls with magic are persecuted and sent to prison.) So when her rescuer(Confusion. I thought she'd escaped by herself. This makes me think twice about Naya as an active MC.), venerable mage Mariyana, learns the king plans an invasion, Naya is eager to join the radult mages in the defence of her new home. (Try leading with Naya and keeping her the key role here. Don't let another character take center stage. Naya is eager to join her rescuers, including the venerable mage Mariyana, stop the king's planned invasion. If Mariyana is not mentioned again I'd delete her. Maybe go with ,including venerable mages,)
As the enemy(This confuses me again. They are Naya's enemy, that means they are working with the king? Try: One of the king's allies) turns out to include a host of dragons set on revenge, the mages scramble to find a way to stop them, for they lost the ability to kill dragons many generations ago.
Following hints from reckless young mage Evulon(I doubt we need this information about Evulon.), Naya discovers an exiled dragon could help them win over the powerful mages of Numara island(We don't know where this is or who these mages are. You're getting into a name lalapalooza. Don't let that happen. Stick to the basics. One or two characters with names. If you're going to name someone else, I'd go with the dragon. Every detail of how the story enfolds does not have to be included. Sometimes writers are too close to see what to leave out.), only to find he will not join a lost cause.
Yet when Naya suddenly holds his life flame in her hands, she has to decide how to use this dragon’s power. Right now the sinker line isn't setting up a choice or moral decision. We also don't see do this or this bad thing will happen. Keep the focus on her and the dragon. The rebels give Naya the task of recruiting a dragon to switch sides, but how? Their honor prevents it. When Naya suddenly holds the exiled dragon Firebreath's life flame in her hands, she has to decide whether to keep the dragon's power for herself or respect him as an individual and allow him to choose. OR STRONGER she has to decide whether to keep the dragon's power for herself or let him free and allow the king to win and keep girls imprisoned forever.
DRAGONFLAME is a standalone novel with a potential for sequels following Naya’s and Evulon’s adventures in the Western Lands and beyond. I'd leave Evulon out of it or make him important from the first paragraph. Replace him where Mariyana is now if you want to keep him and include why he is important.
I am a trilingual management assistant and translator living in Paris. I am a member of the SCBWI and have attended several writers’ conferences and workshops. Dragonflame is my first full-length novel. (Good.)
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, (Same here as with the other writer and the closing. You don't really need 'sincerely' with the thanks already there.)
I feel this query veers offtrack in a few places with a character soup and unimportant details. Sure world building is great but keep the focus tighter on Naya and what she needs to do. Beef up your stakes. There's nothing in here about what bad things will happen if the king succeeds. How will the king's winning hurt Naya? Show us what she struggles against. We saw a little of this with girls being confined. Is she fighting to help free girls? Maybe bring that back around to the ending line.
April 19, 2014
Submission for Pitch Slam
The submission window opens tomorrow for Pitch Slam, Battle of the Bands. It's a great contest where everyone get chances to revise before sending their final pitch and 250 words. In the first submission window you'll send only your pitch. The next window is for only your first 250. Then the final window is for both. The first two windows will include feedback from team managers and talent scouts.
Quite unique, eh? Here's where you can find all the submission information. And here are the executives from Literary Records who will make requests.
I'll be there reading the slush as a team manager with my good friend and CP Carla as my talent scout. We draw our inspiration from the smooth, some say soulful sound of Pop Rocker Gavin Degraw. Who I just happened to see in concert last week! Team Sweeter! You know I've got an eye for talent and Team Sweeter intends to find the best!
I'd better see you there.
Quite unique, eh? Here's where you can find all the submission information. And here are the executives from Literary Records who will make requests.
I'll be there reading the slush as a team manager with my good friend and CP Carla as my talent scout. We draw our inspiration from the smooth, some say soulful sound of Pop Rocker Gavin Degraw. Who I just happened to see in concert last week! Team Sweeter! You know I've got an eye for talent and Team Sweeter intends to find the best!
I'd better see you there.
April 18, 2014
Valuable Links: New Release Books for Free
If you love to read and you don't want to spend a fortune on new books, I've got the link for you.
The review site Net Galley offers free ebooks to readers who will post reviews online at Goodreads, Amazon, or your own blog. All you have to do is create an account and browse the list of offered books. Request the ones you like and wait for publishers to approve you.
The more books you review, the more likely you are to be approved.
In many cases these are fresh from the presses new releases or advance copies. And you'll find some big name authors here as well as debut ones.
If you're a published author, Net Galley is the place to offer your book to increase your number of reviews. They have various packages available, but I'd recommend seeking out alternative co-ops as Net Galley is pricey. (Ask me privately and I can recommend some co-ops.)
The review site Net Galley offers free ebooks to readers who will post reviews online at Goodreads, Amazon, or your own blog. All you have to do is create an account and browse the list of offered books. Request the ones you like and wait for publishers to approve you.
The more books you review, the more likely you are to be approved.
In many cases these are fresh from the presses new releases or advance copies. And you'll find some big name authors here as well as debut ones.
If you're a published author, Net Galley is the place to offer your book to increase your number of reviews. They have various packages available, but I'd recommend seeking out alternative co-ops as Net Galley is pricey. (Ask me privately and I can recommend some co-ops.)
