Gabe Cole Novoa's Blog, page 61

Fixing the First Page Giveaway Winner #11!

Photo credit: litratcher on FlickrQuick off-schedule post today to announce the winner of the eleventh fixing the first page feature giveaway! Are you ready?

The winner is…

PATRICIA MOUSSATCHE
Yay! Congratulations, Patricia! Expect an e-mail from me very soon.

Thank you to all you lovely entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway next month, so keep an eye out! :)

4th Blogoversary Giveaway Winners!

Photo credit: Alan Cleaver on FlickrWow! So thank you all so much for entering—the response was pretty amazing and your excitement made me pretty darn excited. :) I'll have to do something like this again in the future.

There are a lot of winners, so here we go!

Query critique from Michelle Hoen: Kelly DeVos Query critique from Megan Easley-Walsh (five winners!): Elizabeth Flynn, Patricia Moussatche, Sussu Leclerc, Roxanne Lambie & Amelinda Berube Partial submission package critique (query, synopsis & first three chapters) from Cait Spivey: Don King Partial submission package critique (query, synopsis & first three chapters) from Phil Stamper: Sydney Paige Richardson First twenty pages critique from Liz Furl: Bridgette Johnson Query plus first twenty-five pages critique from K.T. Hanna: Dea Poirer Query plus first twenty-five pages critique from me: Samantha Harris First fifty pages critique from Nicole Tone: Chelly PikeFirst fifty pages critique from Jackson Eflin: Laurel Decher Query plus first fifty pages critique from Anya Kagan: Saratu Buhari Full MS critique from Jami Nord: Jodi Vorwald Full MS critique from Kisa Whipkey: AurorA Dimitre Proposal plus full MS critique from Nicole Frail: Mary Liles Eicher
That’s it! Thanks again to all who entered—and to those who see their names here, you should be receiving an e-mail very shortly (if it’s not already in your inboxes!). Keep an eye out today. :)
Finally, if you don't see your name here, don't despair! You can still win a first 250 critique to be featured on the blog (giveaway closes today!) and a Trish Doller book package that includes Something Like Normal, Where the Stars Still Shine and an ARC of The Devil You Know, (which also closes today)!
Thanks to all who entered, and good luck! 

“But The Book Gets Better!”

Photo credit: whisperwolf on FlickrOccasionally I’ll get questions from writers who are worried about their WIP because they’re aware of an issue in the beginning of their novel—whether it’s slow pacing, a ton of exposition, a protagonist who isn’t initially compelling, etc. Oftentimes, when I get questions like these the concern is that their book gets better, but readers might not stick around to see it improve. 
The truth is they should be worried. 
In terms of publishing, there are tons of manuscripts that are submitted to agents and editors every day. Way too many to even think about one person reading the entire submission every time—way too many to read more than a brief sample until one decides whether or not they’re interested. There's literally not enough time to read everything being submitted from cover to cover. 
In terms of self-publishing (or books that do get published), there are tons of books being published every day. Way too many to even think about one person reading (let alone buying) every book published even in a single day—way too many to read more than the back cover copy and maybe a quick sample until one decides whether or not they’re interested. There's literally not enough time to read everything being published from cover to cover. 
This is why first pages are so darn important. This is way getting your opening right and not wasting a single sentence is crucial. This is why compelling for one reason or another, is not optional. 
It’s also why “the book gets better” is never going to cut it. 
As of this moment, I have 362 books on my Goodreads TBR shelf. I add more constantly. And I’ll probably start removing books I added years ago that I’m no longer dying to read. Because the truth is, I literally don’t have the time to read them all—and that’s without adding to the list like I frequently do. 
If I start sampling a book on my list and the opening doesn’t grab me, it’s getting removed from the list. Period. There are too many books out there that I would really enjoy for me to waste time on a book that I don’t find interesting. And if I’m being entirely honest, and I hear from readers that the book gets better…well, to be honest, it’s too bad. Why should I slog through an opening I’m not enjoying if I could read (and spend money on) something I’d love from page one? The truth is, unless there’s an external reason for me to read the book (i.e.: assigned for class, book research, etc.) I won’t. 
This doesn’t change for submissions. When my boss sends me something to look at, I’m honest with him if the opening doesn’t grab me. On the other side of the desk, the publishing industry is not a place for sugar-coating—we have to be honest with ourselves as editors and assistants and interns and readers about whether or not we really think a submission could be successful. And if the answer is “maybe,” well, maybe usually isn’t good enough. Maybe might get you an R&R but it’s not going to get you a “yes.” 
You, the author, will not be there to tell that agent, or editor, or reader your book gets better. And even if other readers are there to say it, quite frankly, it’s not going to be good enough for every reader. Some might stick it out, maybe, if they hear really raving reviews from friends. But many won’t. Many just don’t have the time. 
I’ve heard people say online that some agents and editors look at submissions looking for a reason to say no. And while I can’t speak for everyone, I can say this: do you want to give anyone a reason to put your book down, even temporarily? 
I know I don’t. And I suspect you don’t either. 
What do you think? Would you stick it out for a book that “gets better”? 
Twitter-sized bites: 

"You, the author, will not be there to tell that agent, or editor, or reader your book gets better." (Click to tweet)  

Writer @Ava_Jae says "the book gets better" isn't enough. What do you think? (Click to tweet)

Vlog: One Year of Vlogging!

A year ago I posted my very first vlog! So thank you to all of you who have continued watching and commenting and all around being awesome. Let me know what your favorite vlogs are/what you'd like to see more of/if you have any book or writing related questions for me! :)


RELATED LINKS: 

This is Me (the first vlog ever)
What would you like to see more of with the vlogs? Any questions or topics you'd like to see addressed? Let me know! 

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #11

Photo credit: insEyedout on FlickrCan you believe we're nearing the end of May? Which means even though there are two giveaways still running today (with one closing today!) it's time for ANOTHER giveaway! Yay! 

I hope you guys love getting free critiques because they're raining from Writability. 

For those who’ve missed it in the past, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a PUBLIC (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.
For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.
Rules!
ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.
ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.
I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.
Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.
You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.
You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.
There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(
So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the tenth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below.  Since the end of April kind of snuck up on me, the entry window is short this time around—you have until Friday, May 22 at 11:59 EST to enter!

Also, in case you missed it, there's still another giveaway running on Writability right now in which you can win a pack of Trish Doller books! It's closing soon and the odds are pretty good and also I really want that ARC. (But alas, I can't enter. But you can!) 
Happy entering! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Writer Insecurities

Photo credit: pabak sarkar on FlickrSo the book that I’m currently revising, which I’ve started calling #NerdyWIP on Twitter, has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. One day I love it—the characters, the message, the voice, and humor, and fandom references, and the next day I’m pretty sure it’s secretly terrible. It’s been like this since I started first drafting, and even after I’ve gotten really awesome feedback from CPs, and betas, and my amazing agent, it’s still been a very up and down experience.

Of course, I know I’m definitely not alone with these feelings.

Please tell me that everyonehits a point in a draft where they truly hate their book and can't remember why they thought it was a good idea.— Olivia Hinebaugh (@OliveJuiceLots) May 12, 2015

Writing is a really personal experience. Even when you’re not intentionally making it personal or making parallels to your own life, it’s impossible to write without putting parts of yourself into the work, even subconsciously.

Every stage of the writing process has its own moments of terror: whether it’s the brainstorming panic of how will I ever write this book I’ve built up in my head? or the mid-draft my writing sucks block, or the finished draft what the hell did I just write? Then of course there are revisions which come with their own set of anxieties and insecurities that often run along the lines of how am I supposed to fix all of this?

To be honest, I don’t really have a solution or way to avoid this. It’s part of the process, and it’s scary when it happens. But the best remedies I’ve found are to keep going and/or talk to your critique partners (or agent, if that’s something you and your agent do).

But I think the important thing to remember is it does pass. And when you hit this point, know that it’s okay. It’s normal. It’s largely unavoidable and just about every writer goes through it repeatedly.

Experience it. Acknowledge it. Then move on. Just don’t let it paralyze you.

Have you experienced some writer insecurities? How do you get past it?

Twitter-sized bites:

Writer @Ava_Jae says, "it's impossible to write without putting parts of yourself into the work." What do you think? (Click to tweet) 

How do you get past writerly insecurities? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Discussion: When Do You Pre-Order?

Photo credit: guzzphoto on FlickrSo I received a very nice B&N gift card for Christmas, which meant I basically went on a pre-ordering spree. In the last couple months, I’ve pre-ordered:

Trust the Focus by Megan EricksonFocus on Me by Megan EricksonMade You Up by Francesca ZappiaHalf Wild by Sally GreenSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky AlbertalliMore Happy Than Not by Adam SilveraCarry On by Rainbow Rowell
Which is to say I’ve done a lot of pre-ordering. At least for me.

I’ve found that there are two main scenarios that lead me to pre-order:

I absolutely love the author and/or the prequel and must have the next book. (This was the case for Trust the Focus, Focus on Me, Half Wild and Made You Up. This was also the case for just about every Harry Potter book after Azkaban and all of the Grisha books after Shadow and Bone .)

The book is getting a lot of buzz from people I trust and just sounds friggin’ amazing. (i.e.: Made You Up, Simon vs. and More Happy Than Not). 
I’m curious, however, about what gets other people to pre-order. Is that reserved only for your favorite authors? Are exceptions made for debuts that sound amazing? Something else? What gets you to pre-order? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

When do you pre-order books? Do you pre-order often? Rarely? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Vlog: Elements of a Great Protagonist

What makes a great protagonist? Today I'm talking five essential elements to engaging protagonists. What would you add to the list?

 
RELATED LINKS: 

On Writing Messy Characters (vlog)What We Talk About When We Talk About VoiceThoughts from the Intern Slush Pile: Is Your Voice Up to Snuff?Voice: You Are Not Your CharactersCharacter Beauty in ImperfectionCharacters: Static vs. DynamicStupid Characters vs. Stupid Decisions: They're Not the SameOn Writing "Real" Characters
Twitter-sized bite: 

What makes a great protagonist? @Ava_Jae vlogs about five essential elements of an engaging MC. (Click to tweet)

Year Four Blogoversary Celebration!

So as I mentioned on Friday, last week was Writability's fourth birthday! And this week I'm celebrating with a huge giveaway focused on the most popular giveaway item here—critiques! All the critiques!

After doing a call on Twitter for editor-types who'd be willing to help out, I have seventeen prizes to give away from some really generous editors and interns. And here they are!




Michelle Hoehn—Query critique

Michelle Hoehn was born on a Monday, married on a Saturday, and last seen purchasing what has to be (in her opinion) the most delicious mini watermelon on a Sunday. For the past year, she’s worked as an editor with REUTS Publications. Michelle loves all kinds of storytelling, especially animation, comic books and television.

Twitter: @mah_hoehn
Blog: http://www.asleuthofbears.com





Megan Easley-Walsh—5 Query critiques

Megan Easley-Walsh has over seven years experience helping others improve their writing and content editing is her speciality. She is a certified English teacher, who has taught a writing course to international college students in Dublin, Ireland by request. She is also an author and poet, won her first computer in a writing contest in college, and has had her work requested for use in classrooms in the United States and South Korea to demonstrate writing techniques.





Cait Spivey—Partial submission package critique (query, synopsis, first three chapters)

Cait Spivey is the author of the paranormal horror novella series “The Web” and the forthcoming New Adult dark fantasy, From Under the Mountain (October 2015). She is also co-owner of Bear and Black Dog Editing LLC and a lead editor for REUTS Publications, and has interned for The Bent Agency and Corvisiero Literary Agency. She loves dark stories, unlikeable protagonists, and tragic romances.





Phil Stamper—Partial submission package critique (query, synopsis, first three chapters) 

Phil Stamper is a public relations professional who fled the States with his love of books to earn his M.A. in Publishing at Kingston University in London. He acts as the managing editor for RiPPLE, an annual literary magazine, and he is also an editor and proofreader for Booktrope, where he is actively taking on new projects. You can find him on Twitter, where he exclusively talks about 90s movies, British culture, and sometimes books.





Liz Furl—First 20 pages critique 

Liz Furl is the founder and editor-in-chief of Real Talk Magazine and the co-host of the Getting There podcast. She is also a freelance writer and editor, and blogs at Furl Unfurled. You can find her on Twitter at @LizFurl.





K.T. Hanna—Query + first 25 pages critique

KT has been a New York City Agency intern since August 2014, ecstatically devouring manuscripts and filling in reader reports. After realizing her love of editing, she became one half of Chimera Editorial Services. Her debut novel, Chameleon (The Domino Project #1), releases August 4, 2015.





Ava Jae (me!)—Query + first 25 pages critique

Ava Jae is a YA and NA writer, an Assistant Editor at Entangled Publishing, and is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. Her YA Sci-Fi debut, BEYOND THE RED, is releasing March 2016 from Sky Pony Press. When she’s not writing about kissing, superpowers, explosions, and aliens, you can find her with her nose buried in a book, nerding out over the latest X-Men news, or hanging out on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, Goodreads, Instagram, or YouTube channel.




Nicole Tone—First 50 pages critique

Nicole Tone is a NA and WF writer, MFA Writing candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design, an Editor at Pandamoon Publishing, and an Editorial Intern at REUTS Publications. Her NA Contemporary debut, LAKE EFFECT, is releasing Winter 2016 from REUTS Publications. When she's not writing or editing, she's playing tourist in her city or hunting for her next book idea. She's doing book reviews and travel writing on her blog, www.nicoleatone.com, and be sure to her on Twitter at @nicoleatone.






Jackson Eflin—First 50 pages critique

Jackson Eflin graduated from Ball State with an degree in Creative Writing and is trying to support his community in any way he can while assisting a teacher at an afterschool program for at-risk elementary students.  He's usually in the middle of four or five different speculative fiction books and was published in No Horns on these Helmets, an anthology of Viking Fiction, this May. Follow him on Twitter here!





Anya Kagan—Query + First 50 pages critique

Anya Kagan loves helping others shape the gems of their writing, working to draw out and enhance the author's vision. Since graduating from Brandeis University with a degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian Literatures), Anya has worked with authors such as Simon Quellen Field, Gabriel Böhmer, Aubrie Dionne, Sarah Andre, and many more. She is cofounder of Touchstone Editing.





Jami Nord—Full MS critique

Jami Nord has interned for Entangled Publishing, Bree Ogden, and a NYC Agency she’s pretty sure is Voldemort, since she’s not allowed to say their name. She comprises half of Chimera Editing, and still spends her nights curled up with great books.




Kisa Whipkey—Full MS critique

Kisa Whipkey is a dark fantasy author, a martial arts demo team expert, and a complete sucker for Cadbury Mini-eggs. She's also the Editorial Director for YA/NA publisher, REUTS Publications. Her personal blog--featuring sarcastic commentary on all things storytelling--is located at www.kisawhipkey.com.





Nicole Frail—Proposal + Full MS Critique (for fiction or non-fiction)

Nicole Frail is an editor of both fiction and nonfiction at Skyhorse Publishing in New York City. She acquires mainly cooking and lifestyle/hobby, adult genre fiction, and young adult fiction. Main interests include reading, writing, sleeping, and eating!

Note from Ava: Also, Nicole is my editor. So. Just saying. ;)

So many critiques! I've decided this time to put everything into one giant rafflecopter this time, so you only have one to enter. :) The giveaway will run until next Monday, May 18th at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally, if you don't have anything ready for critique, you can still enter to win hardcovers of Trish Doller's Something Like Normal and Where the Stars Still Shine as well as an ARC of The Devil You Know in this guest post! If I wasn't hosting, I would totally enter. Just saying.

Thanks for all of your awesome support! Happy entering. :)

Writability Turns Four!

Photo credit: billerickson on FlickrSo technically Writability’s fourth birthday was on Wednesday (May 6th), but I’m writing about it today because I’d already scheduled Wednesday’s post when I realized what day it was. Which is fine. This is close enough. 
Writability has hit a ton of milestones over the last four years, which has been really incredible to see. This blog has taken off way beyond any expectations I had when I first nervously posted four years ago, and I’ve met and connected with so many people because of it, and all in all it’s just been a really wonderful experience. 
So I have you guys to thank for that. Whether this is the first post of mine you’re reading, or the 696th, thank you. 
I’m currently in the process of setting up something really great for you guys that I think you’ll like. The details will be up Monday, and I’m pretty excited about it.  
In the meantime, I’m just going to leave this short post saying thank you. Writability’s success would not have happened without your amazing comments, lovely RTs and shares and inspiring suggestions. 
Without your support, Writability wouldn’t exist. So thank you, thank you, thank you.