Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 128

Valuable Links: Have a Little Fun, Will You!

Enough said. This week I went over to the dark side and indulged my inner child.  


Writing is a serious business for serious people ... Who the heck am I kidding? If you can't have fun with your time, then you're doing something wrong.


 

Break out the free smilies and throw a party! These are some of my favorites. You can find them here.




They're fun in emails and dropped into comments at your favorite writing community. I just wouldn't recommend putting them in query letters. 

Now, someone tell me how to get them to work in tweets.

Query Questions with Paula Munier

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.

IS ANYONE ELSE GETTING TIRED OF THESE QUESTIONS? IF SO, I NEED NEW QUESTIONS SENT MY WAY FOR UPCOMING INTERVIEWS!!

I'm so glad to have Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary Services! It's fantastic to have an agent to the blog that is looking for non-fiction.

Is there a better or worse time of year to query?Not really.
 Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?Yes.
 Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?I always look at the writing itself.
 Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?Sometimes.

If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?Yes, but don't call it a Prologue. Ever. Readers skip Prologues.  Give it a time/date/place stamp instead.
 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?Query one agent per agency at a time. We often refer projects to one another.
 Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?If you met me at a conference or took one of our boot camps or have been referred by a mutual friend/colleague, start with that. Otherwise, no small talk.
 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?Yes. Also give me a logline; I need to know that you know what your story is about and can articulate that succinctly.
 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?Yes. Stick to main characters and leading secondary characters. Remember that the query should be written from the protagonist's POV; that is, the query should tell the storyline of your protagonist.
 How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?More than a thousand a month. We ask to see maybe one in every two hundred of those that come in blind (that is, not by request or referral).
 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?Platform is critical in nonfiction--and can make the difference in fiction as well, although it's not critical.
 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?Not offensive to me.
 What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?Whatever might inform the work: I'm a cop who has written a police procedural, I'm an actor who's written a cozy set in a community theater, I'm a Francophile who's written a novel set in Paris, etc.
 What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you? Exactly that. I can only take on work that 1) I LOVE, and 2) I think I can SELL.

What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?Women's fictionMiddle gradeNonfiction book proposals
 What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? I have very eclectic tastes. Make me laugh, make me cry, make me your new biggest fan.
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For nearly twenty years, this framed quotation has graced my office: “Après les choses qui sont de première nécessité pour la vie, rien n’est plus précieux que les livres.” “après lesIt's from Pierre Simon Fournier’s 1764 typography manual, and it means: “After all the basic necessities of life, there is nothing more precious than books.”That’s how I’ve felt about books since my mother started reading to me as a baby. As soon as I could read my favorite stories on my own, my literary fate was sealed. I’ve lived in the world of words ever since—as a reader, a writer, an editor, and now as an agent.The only thing I love more than books are the writers who write them. I’ve had the privilege of working with talented wordsmiths of every stripe—from reporters, nonfiction authors, content creators, and memoirists to novelists, screenwriters, graphic novelists, cartoonists, comic book writers, short story writers, and poets.Writers are my tribe. I began as a journalist, and over the years I’ve penned countless new stories, articles, essays, collateral, and blogs, as well as authored/co-authored more than a dozen books, most recently Fixing Freddie, 5-Minute Mindfulness, and A Miscellany of Murder. Along the way, I’ve added editor, acquisitions specialist, digital content manager, and publishing executive to my repertoire—the common denominator being my commitment to writers and writing, no matter what my title. From Gannett, Greenspun, and Prima Games to Disney, Quayside, and F+W Media, I’ve fought the good fight for good writing and good writers. And I’ve loved every minute of it.But now, as an agent, I have the opportunity to support talented writers in the most direct manner possible, helping my clients do good work, land great publishing deals, and build successful writing careers. So if you’re a writer as obsessed with words and stories as I am, and you’re in it for the long haul, consider working with me. My specialties include mystery/thriller, SF/fantasy, romance, YA, memoir, humor, pop culture, health & wellness, cooking, self-help, pop psych, New Age, inspirational, technology, science, and writing.P.S. If you write crime fiction…you should know that I’m very involved with the mystery community, having served four terms as President of the New England chapter of Mystery Writers of America as well as on the MWA board. (I’m currently VP of that organization.) I’ve also served as both co-chair and Agents and Editors chair on the New England Crime Bake committee for seven years and counting. And I’m an active member of Sisters in Crime.

Fall Query Extravaganza #Uno

I'll be doing a limited number of query critiques this fall. 

Contact me on twitter if you want your query showcased. Comment on the query before and after yours. 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.

As sent to me:


Twenty-year-old Eric wants to find his father and cut him in half for raping his mother twenty years ago.
Armies are forbidden and war is substituted by a gruesome game called Orrek in which kings gamble kingdoms, cities, and women. But an evil king has secretly bred an army of thousands of monsters and is feeding citizens of Chaelsey to them. The only way to save Chaelsey is to win it from evil king’s champion, Azal in Orrek.
In Orrek, sixteen sorcerers of one country fight until death with sixteen sorcerers of another one by one on command of their Champion.
While searching for his father, Eric comes across a tourney of a variant of Orrek organized by his king. Eric participates in it, wins it, and comes to the castle for more clues. There he is appointed as deputy to their treacherous champion, Redrake. In castle, Eric discovers that Azal knows about his father. But Azal is a dangerous man to reach for outsiders. Only Redrake will have a chance to talk to Azal while playing Orrek against him in scheduled match for Chaelsey. Eric finds proof against Redrake, gets him removed, and takes his place.
As a champion, Eric leads a team of fifteen sorcerers in the match for Chaelsey against Azal, but fifteen fierce monsters instead of sorcerers stand in his way. Eric cannot save his fellow sorcerers dying one by one by his own command, save his love, save himself, and keep playing while the sand is running out.
Complete at 130,000 words, WALLS OF INFINITY is a fantasy novel. Thank you for the time you took to read my query.
Best Regards
With my silly comments:

Dear Agent: (don't forget your colon.)
Twenty-year-old Eric wants to find his father and cut him in half for raping his mother twenty years ago. Interesting. Not really digging beginning and ending with twenty. If you use the term 'father' the time period is pretty established. Maybe go with: Eric wants to find his father and cut him in half for raping his mother twenty years ago. 
Armies are forbidden and war is substituted by a gruesome game called Orrek in which kings gamble kingdoms, cities, and women. But an evil king has secretly bred an army of thousands of monsters and is feeding citizens of Chaelsey to them. The only way to save Chaelsey is to win it from evil king’s champion, Azal in Orrek. Now I'm confused because this seemingly has nothing to do with Eric, nor is he or his father mentioned. It's like we ran into a different story.
Plus you've given the reader no reason that Eric would want to save Chaelsey. In other words, we have no motivation for Eric being the hero of this tale. What pushes him into the fray? 
In Orrek, sixteen sorcerers of one country fight until death with sixteen sorcerers of another one by one on command of their Champion. I doubt that this detail is crucial to the story. You really need to keep the details to the very most important in your query. Save this for the synopsis.
While searching for his father, Eric comes across a tourney of a variant of Orrek organized by his king. Eric participates in it, wins it, and comes to the castle for more clues. Now I'm skeptical, because you told us nothing about Eric that shows he is an incredible warrior. So far he is more of a name on a page than a living character. You have to get us to invest in Eric by telling us a little about him.  There he is appointed as deputy to their treacherous champion, Redrake. In castle, Eric discovers that Azal knows about his father. But Azal is a dangerous man to reach for outsiders. Only Redrake will have a chance to talk to Azal while playing Orrek against him in scheduled match for Chaelsey. Eric finds proof against Redrake, gets him removed, and takes his place. That's a lot of names to keep straight. Remember that the characters are all new to us. Keeping your query to as few names as possible really helps an agent make sense of what's happening.
As a champion, Eric leads a team of fifteen sorcerers in the match for Chaelsey against Azal, but fifteen fierce monsters instead of sorcerers stand in his way. Eric cannot save his fellow sorcerers dying one by one by his own command, save his love, save himself, and keep playing while the sand is running out. I'm afraid that I lack a reason to feel enticed here. I don't have a clear reason to care for Eric or a clear idea of the stakes. What does this have to do with finding Eric's father? Is Eric's goal to find his father or save his country? I believe the beginning led me to a conclusion about the plot which isn't true.
Consider this hurried example of reorganizing:
Dedicated and intent (something about his personality), Eric wanted to find his father and tear him apart for raping his mother twenty years ago. But not every goal comes easy. Years of sweat and toil training in sorcery for that task, and it turns out the only way to accomplish it is to save his country first.
The key to finding his father lies in getting close to the king's champion, Azal. By law, war and armies are forbidden, and disputes and gambling debts must be settled in a game, by proxies. So Eric works his way into the system by entering a tournament and using his sorcery skills to win. He's hired by Azal's rival champion.
Just as Eric is ready to pound his father's location from Azal's ass, he learns the king has secretly bred an army of thousands of monsters and is feeding innocent civilians to them. Now Eric's torn between chasing the father he hates or saving the lives of thousands. He needs to blank or bad bad blank will happen.     Complete at 130,000 words, WALLS OF INFINITY is a fantasy novel. Thank you for the time you took to read my query. This paragraph kind of shouts newbie. No offense. I've been there. My first manuscript actually beat your word count at 146,000. You're probably going to need to whittle that number down by 30,000. Critique partners can really help with that. 

My fantasy, WALLS OF INFINITY, is complete at xxx,xxx words. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best Regards Go with the tried and safe Thank you for your time and consideration. 
You've thrown a lot of facts at us with this query, but not really given us a reason to care about the main character. My suggestion is to work in more personality for Eric and clarify what motivates Eric, In my example, I used finding his father as the motivation for why he would be at hand to save his country.
This sounds like a fascinating plot, it just needs a little reorganizing and a little pruning of the details. I hope this helps.  

Getting the Call with Melinda O'Neill

I love, love, love sharing these happy stories, though each tale of achieving an agent is just the beginning of a journey. I met Melinda through Agent Query Connect and invited her to share some inspiration. Here are her own words:  



Unlike some of the inspiring stories here, my journey to “the call” was more about learning to get out of my own way than the perseverance required to stick with it.
For a majority of the past fifteen years I have been a writer in the closet. Despite early encouragement from teachers and contests that my writing showed promise, my dreams of being a writer were discouraged as “impractical.”  English Literature and creative writing, my parents implored in stern grownup voices, were college courses that fulfilled basic requirements, not the foundation of a career. Lawyer and accountant were careers. A career title of “writer” was mostly claimed by those living in their parents’ basements, afflicted with Peter Pan syndrome.
In a compromise of sorts, I got my degree in business communications and headed into the corporate world. I should have been thrilled with my success, but the higher I climbed on the corporate ladder, the more miserable I seemed.
To alleviate my wretchedness, I started to sneak-write. Like a reformed smoker stealing away for just a quick relieving puff, I’d slink off to jot a scene or outline a character, allowing the momentary high of the creative outlet to course through my veins.
Eventually, I started to fantasize that my secret life as a writer might be able to live in détente with my day job. As my first manuscript neared completion, a MG fantasy, I contemplated maybe sending it off to see what would happen.  After all, I reasoned, I was no J.K. What was the worst that could happen?
Then my dad suddenly died and I inherited my mother, a grieving woman in the early stages of Alzheimers, who never let her disease get in the way of being a lovely, stubborn, opinionated crank. The manuscript was shelved and my secret writing sessions were traded for appointments with wound clinics and neurologists.
Before spending six years watching my mother’s memories be sucked away, I believed that life was not kind to dreamers. Chasing big dreams didn’t pay bills and often dished up unbearable heartache.
When you watch someone you love slowly and painfully die, it changes you. The experience strips you down of pretense and irrevocably alters your perspective. As I traveled to her inevitable end, getting to know a woman who had really been a stranger to me until then, I learned that ultimately, the chase of those big dreams is the only memory that really permeates through us.
In those last years, her stories trickled out, inspiring me by what a risk taker she had been – divorcing an abusive first husband in an era when divorce was still considered unseemly, cajoling my dad into letting her open her own business at time when he had made peace with women in the workforce, as long as it wasn’t his wife…
I also learned that despite how much we butted heads (or maybe because of it), we were kindred creative spirits. Clearing out her house, I discovered a treasure trove of poems and stories, many of them quite good. From the time she moved into the assisted living center, her daily routine involved writing music. As her memories faded, songs of a forgotten past continued to brighten each day.
We buried my mom two years ago.
The first year after was detox, trying to get back to some semblance of normal. This year has been about accepting her challenge to chase some of those big dreams. As such, we’ve moved to the Georgia mountains and I started writing again, out of the closet this time, completing a lighthearted humorous mystery.
Some habits die hard, though. I still believe that success in traditional publishing is as likely as winning the lottery. I always assumed I would most likely self-publish. But since I had to get through the move and I was still dealing with a lot of ups and downs at my day job, I didn’t really have the required energy to devote to it. While I waited for life to settle some, I figured I’d enter in some contests, shoot out to a few agents and see if anything happened.
This is the part of the story where I tell people that I do not recommend, under any condition, that they follow my path. I made a ton of mistakes.I think because I’m in corporate communications, the query letter flowed pretty well for me (never ask me to write a synopsis though J) and I had good success with it. In searching the web for a good query letter template, I began to fan girl an agent. She was one of the first ten I sent out my spiffy letter to. She promptly (within a day) requested the full.
I did not have anyone read my manuscript before I sent it out. I did not know what beta readers or critique partners were. Luckily, while searching for information on querying, I stumbled upon the need for these things. Unfortunately, I had already sent my manuscript to my fan girl agent before I’d received back feedback from my new beta reader friends. Oops. I had some work to do.
But fan girl agent didn’t say no. She sent me an R&R. And it was perfect. All her insights were spot on. So I didn’t send out any more queries and started my wait.
And I waited.
For sixteen weeks. I nudged.
She was busy. She was sick. Still hadn’t gotten to it.
In the meantime, I received news that the manuscript was a finalist in a national contest. That was the kick I needed to realize this was most likely not going to work out with my fan girl agent, but that it could still work out with someone and, so, I then queried widely.
Four weeks later, I had an email offer from a small agency. I was thrilled and excited and a complete nervous wreck. My call was a mess, as I was a jumble. But I got through it, and felt like this agent would do well by my story. (I highly recommend anyone in the query trenches to script out a blurb about themselves before their call. 3 of the 4 agents I talked to asked me some form of the “tell me about yourself” interview question and until I wrote something down, I bumbled it.)
I then nudged all the others with my full.  One of those was Priya Doraswamy from Lotus Lane Literary. Lotus was a new agency, but Priya was not a new agent, coming from another established firm with her own solid sales. She’d had my partial and had just requested the full when my offer came in. She immediately emailed me with an apology that she could not hit my target deadline, as she was out of the country, but she loved my manuscript and could I grant her an extension? Through a series of emails following we connected on a host of topics including my IT job, her being in India and a book recommendation for “Where Did You Go, Bernadette” (which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t read it). I thought she was wonderful and perfect and please, please, please let her pick me.
In addition, I was moving in the middle of all of this. Literally, boxes on trucks. I also needed more time to manage that.
As a newbie, I had no idea if the additional time frame would be a big deal or not with the other agency. I didn’t want to lose a sure thing on a maybe. So, I posted a thread about it on absolute write. And nobody replied. Trusting my gut, I sent the offering agent a note that my life was currently in a sticky place and that I was waiting for a reply from someone out of the country. She was very understanding and gracious about it. Whew!
But then the great Janet Reid replied. She told me a story, saying the point of the story was that if an agent really wanted something they’d figure out how to make it happen, vacation or not. Uh oh. Maybe wonderful possible agent doesn’t really want me?
When I got an email from Priya almost immediately thereafter, saying that she’d just finished my manuscript on the plane and was so excited she would have called me from the airport but was worried about freaking me out, I knew I had found my agent. We talked on the phone later that day and connected as well as we had in email. She got my book, had brilliant editing suggestions and a huge passion for selling it. In the end, I had three offers, all of whom were excellent, but there was really no choice to be made. (Oh, and when I sent my offer nudge to fan girl agent, she passed my rewrite to a junior agent who didn’t like it. Learn my lesson - don’t fan girl and if you do, query widely anyway.)
I’m now on submission with publishers. I still believe that success through traditional publishing is a long shot. But if I get rejected, I know I’ll keep looking for other avenues to see my dream come true. If it’s not this book, there will be another one.
After all, I’m a storyteller, just like my mom.
I’m currently looking for authors to participate in a series of interviews on writing and time management. If interested connect with me at email (melindajoneill@gmail.com) or my blog: melindajoneill.blogspot.com  
Or connect on Twitter: @melindajoneill

Query Questions with Tracey Adams

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.

Good news, interview fans! I have a ton of agent interviews in the kitty, thanks to agent suggestions from twitter. This week's interview features the insightful Tracey Adams of Adams Literary. 

Is there a better or worse time of year to query? I don't think so, but it will probably take longer to hear back in the summer, and in the period between Thanksgiving and the new year.  Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? Of course not! But do try your best to be typo-free. Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong? Only if the query piques my interest. Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? There is no possible way I could read all the queries and still get work done for my clients. We have an assistant who reads first.  If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? Of course. If it's not important enough to be included in sample pages, it's probably not really vital to the manuscript to begin with.  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? I'll pass it along to another agent within Adams Literary if I think it's of interest to someone else - and sometimes to an agent friend beyond our agency, but not very often. Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript? Huh?! Um, tell me about your manuscript please. That's why you're writing. If we have connections, though, please say so! 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? The genre always must be included. Word count is less important to me. I agree that it doesn't matter where this info goes in the query letter. I’ve heard sometimes query letters confuse age category for the genres, just saying YA for instance. Can you explain the difference between category and genres for readers? YA is fine. We read that as 12 and over. Middle-grade should be for ages 8 - 12, and very often the main character is twelve. Tell us if it's a chapter book (shorter, probably needs black & white illustrations) which is generally ages 7 - 10, or a picture book.  How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those? We receive at least 200 queries every week. We require the full manuscript to be attached, so we don't need to request them. Maybe ten per week are intriguing enough to open the manuscript and read. 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? It's helpful to have a presence on social media, absolutely. But if you've written an amazing book, that's TRULY all we care about. We and/or your publisher will eventually get you active on line if you're not already. I can't emphasize enough - concentrate on your writing, not social media. 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? Links are very helpful, and we all look! That said, be very sure that what we'll see is professional and related to your writing career.   What bio should an author with no publishing credits include? Don't worry about it. A great pitch is all you need. Everyone loves to find a debut author! What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you? To me, that means it's not something I'm personally excited about, or think I can sell for you right now due to market trends, or I may have too much that is similar.  What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query? There is a very long list, and some great stories. One picture book featured a snowman on a farm who was made out of manure. It came to life after being struck by lightning. Adventure ensues.  What three things are at the top of your submission wish list? Only one thing - something fresh, unique, different, surprising. What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Oh wow, there is such a range. Everything from contemporary to comedy to dystopian to sci-fi and historical. One of my all-time favorite movies is Almost Famous, which has such a YA feel to it. I love classic friendship movies like Stand by Me. And I'm a definite sucker for mother/daughter and sister stories. My husband and I just finished watching Battlestar Galactica, so we are in withdrawal. We also love Homeland and Game of Thrones. I adore gorgeous, lyrical writing that is so beautiful I want to read it slowly - like Toni Morrison, Isabel Allende. And most importantly - just look at our client list. THAT is what I love most. 

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Tracey Adams co-founded Adams Literary in 2004, after nearly a decade with literary agencies Writers House and McIntosh & Otis, where she was the head of the children's department. Prior to becoming an agent, she worked in the marketing and editorial departments of Greenwillow Books and Margaret K. McElderry Books.

A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Tracey speaks frequently about her profession and the children's book industry at conferences across the country. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Association of Author Representatives (AAR), and a founding member of the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) chapter in Charlotte, NC. 

In her spare time, Tracey enjoys Taekwondo, kickboxing, and test-marketing children's books with her two daughters.

GET READY TO SCREAM FOR NIGHTMARE ON QUERY STREET

Has your query ever made anyone scream?





I'm afraid too many of us would say yes, thinking, I'm sure, to their first versions of that letter. Well, if you enter Nightmare on Query Street you want people to scream. And when I say people, I mean our agents. Because what's more fun than a little fear? And this contest crew lives for fun!





Not only will you need to make us feel your main character's greatest fEAR, you'll have to inspire our agents to scream ... with delight! 





Agents will:


scream for a full request
shriek for 50 pages
Shiver for 10 pages
The rules of Nightmare on Query Street are here and the agents are here. So get those queries scream worthy and Mike, SC, and I will see you on October 19th.

Valuable Links: Get That Email There on Time

This week's valuable link is timely for all the contests (hint: Nightmare on Query Street) happening in October! Say you live in a particular time zone that doesn't really sinc well with New York Eastern time, but you want to enter a big contest. You've not keen on waking up in the middle of the night to do this.
Or perhaps you work a job where you can't be near a computer during the day to hit send on an email. (This describes my job by the way.) Are you just supposed to miss out on possible life-altering contests?
Heck no!!!
But your email server doesn't let you schedule those pesky emails. (Darn them.) Do you have to create a whole other email account just to enter contests? After all, you're kinda partial to that account, you've had it for years and the password is your deceased goldfish's name.  
Heck no!!!
So, what can you do? 
LetterMeLater sends that troublesome email for you and makes it seem as if it came from your very own account. Plus, you can schedule your email so it sends with pinpoint accuracy. Don't want to be too early or too late. LetterMeLater saves the day! All for free. 

Query Questions with Eric Ruben

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.

Nikola Vukoja requested to see an interview from today's agent. Welcome Eric Ruben of the Ruben Agency! If you've followed Mr. Ruben's #askagent or #tenqueries on twitter, you know to expect quick and honest answers to any questions put to him. 


Is there a better or worse time of year to query?

Not for me. If it's a bad time for me I just announce I'm closed until it's a better time.

Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
No. I sell books, not queries. For me, it's more about voice than technicalities.

Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
I always look at the sample pages. I can't promise I get through all of them. If it's clear the book's not for me, I may bail early.

Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?

No. I'm the whole office. At least for now.

If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?

I have a prejudice against prologues. I'll leave it at that.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
Keep it simple. If I like your work, we'll talk and get to know each other then.

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 don't know about flags, but I want that information. Please don't make me ask for it.


Is there a bias against querying authors who have self-published other books?

Not for me. But if you're trying to get me to rep a series you already started via self-pub, that won't happen unless you're a big seller.

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?
Anything that gives me more info about the author is welcome.
What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?
I won't say because I'm not mean. But I did recently get a query with track changes in it.


What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?

Books: A Christmas Carol, Siddhartha, The Bird Artist.
Movies: Casablanca, Jerry Macguire, The Shawshank Redemption
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A graduate of New York’s Cardozo School of Law and a veteran entertainment professional, I have over twenty-five years experience as an attorney, literary agent, talent manager, and professional performer. My unique perspective is valuable to performers, writers, artists, and others. Working in partnership with a diverse clientele, we determine how best to move their careers forward and achieve their personal, professional and artistic goals.
I am currently most interested in YA, all Romance (except inspirational), Erotica, LGBT, Mystery and more. I am NOT accepting screenplays, picture books, children’s books, cook books, literary fiction, non-celebrity memoir, short stories, novellas, graphic novels or poetry.
 

Another Query Kombat Success Story!

Contest naysayers, here's your proof. Though not a direct success due to Query Kombat, I think we can all allow that the contest played a big part in helping Melissa Grey with her wonderful entry for Burrito Thief. Now she has an agent and a book deal! 

All three Query Kombat hosts are so happy for her. Here's Melissa's story in her own words:






Querying is hard. And if you don’t think that querying is an intensely difficult process (emotionally, spiritually, grammatically), then there is a very good chance you’re doing it wrong. Or you’re extremely lucky, but let’s be honest ... the former is far more likely.
When I finally reached the point where I felt that my book (now titled FEATHERS AND FLAME, coming from Delacorte/Random House in spring 2015) was ready to be seen by agents, I had completed seven distinct drafts of the manuscript. By the time I had the same level of confidence in my query letter, I’d written over a dozen very different versions of it. The query letter is your first impression with agents, and I knew that if I lost their interest before they’d even reached my sample pages, I was already sunk.
When I learned about Query Kombat on Twitter, I’d just about run out of friends with fresh eyes that I could assault with my letter. Armed with draft #12 and a nifty nickname for my manuscript (Burrito Thief), I submitted my entry, feeling like I had it in the bag. I’d done well in other contests and I assumed I was on a roller coaster that only went up.
Oh, what a sweet summer child I was.
While I did make it into the first round of Query Kombat, I advanced no further. I was knocked out of the competition by a cleverly crafted pitch that snagged the audience’s imagination in a way that mine hadn’t. Draft #12 wasn’t nearly as strong as I believed it to be. I was disappointed, but not dejected.
You see, the point of a competition like Query Kombat isn’t winning. It’s improving.
My query letter was critiqued by well over a dozen people with varying levels of experience in publishing. Certain complaints popped up more than once, which should be a massive red flag to any writer, while other comments proved less than helpful (it must be said that not all feedback is worthwhile). Notes in hand, I attacked draft #12 with a stunning ferocity. I hacked away at the words until they began to resemble something coherent. Something intriguing. Something you could read on the back cover of a book. And then I kept hacking away at them some more. And when all was said and done, I held up draft #13 like Rafiki cradling a baby Simba. It was done.
I took my new and improved query letter into the trenches and within a month, I had six offers of representation to my name. And in every conversation I had with potential agents, the strength of the query letter was mentioned. If it hadn’t been for Query Kombat, let me tell you, that letter would have been a hot mess. In August, I signed with the wonderful Catherine Drayton of InkWell Management, and by the end of September, FEATHERS AND FLAME had gone to auction (if you think waiting to hear back on query letters is bad, just wait until you’re out on submission).
So, next time Query Kombat rolls around, if you’re laboring over your own letter, I strongly encourage you to enter. Honestly, I cannot recommend it enough. You and your query writing skills will be so much better for it. And remember, it isn’t about the thrill of victory. It’s about the (occasional agony) of improving.
Melissa Grey is a writer, teapot collector, and scented candle enthusiast. To read more about her path to publication or listen to her ramble on about The Golden Girls and caramel squares, head on over to Twitter ( @meligrey ) or Tumblr ( http://www.melissa-grey.com ).

Hamsters!

My talented daughter made a picture card for my birthday present a few weeks ago. And what did she pick for the subject?

She drew my hamsters from my middle grade story Pygmy Hazards!!!! Meet Tom and Jerry the Third up close and personal! Aren't they cute?