A great query is worth...

A million words. Well, not really. But at least 70k. (Or however long your manuscript is.)

The query is what will get your foot in the proverbial agent door. Or get it slammed in your face. With no personal offense intended. I wish I could say that my first query was amazing and landed me an agent. That, however, would be a lie. It wasn't the worst query in the world. It got a partial request from my "number one" agent. Unfortunately, my writing wasn't where it needed to be and I got rejected. Four months later. And it was exclusive. Ouch.

So I edited my book, and revised my query. I got some more requests. Then I got more rejections. Rinse and repeat. Over and over. When I got that first partial request, I was sure I'd made it. I was going to be the next Stephenie Meyer with 14 rejections and one yes and a 6-figure deal within months. Ha ha. Ha. When I hit the year mark of sending out my first queries, and I was still querying, my bright eyed hope had worn just a bit thin. To say the least. It ended up taking me over two years to get an agent from when I first started querying. So let me share some tips I've learned along the way.

Since it would take too long for one post to go into all the details about tricks and tips I've learned for querying, I'm going to do it one post at time. I will also tell you more about my journey to getting an agent as we go.

Key component #1: Make sure your query actually sells what you claim to be selling. Does that make sense?

Let me try to explain. If you say your book is a paranormal romance, but half of your pitch paragraph(s) focuses on your MC's hard home life and her desire to escape her town and how she was teased mercilessly as a child... oh oh. Rejection. The MC's love interest should be in the first sentence if it's a romance. Second sentence at the absolute latest. The paranormal element better be disclosed right away. The conflict to their romance is your hook. And that is pretty much the whole enchilada. Your query should ONLY show the part of your plot and the hook of the MAIN genre you're pitching it as--aka, if it's paranormal romance, you pitch the romantic plotline and THAT'S IT.

I was very guilt of trying to do too much with my queries. My plot is just so amazing and complex, I can't whittle it down that much! I have to explain more or they won't get it! I have to show the agent how many stunning subplots are woven into my main theme! But! But! But!

No, you don't. Agent will be thinking, "Huh. I thought this was supposed to be a paranormal romance, but it doesn't seem like the romance is even a main part of the plot. I'm already confused, so... pass."

So that's hint #1. Keep it basic, and stick to your genre in the query. If it's fantasy, you pitch the fantasy. If it's horror, you roll out all the gruesome hookiness you can. (Yes, hookiness is a word. I promise. Okay, not really. But I'm an author, so I can make words up. Right?)

Let the agent discover your subplots and deeper themes gradually as they read your amazing manuscript--after they request it because of your simple, concise, and awesome query.

Since I'm headed off to FLORIDA you may not get the next installment of this until ten days from now. However! I have a couple of awesome guest posts lined up to help inspire and motivate you until I return. I hope you enjoy their posts as much as I did! Until then, have a great 4th of July and I'll be back before you know it. :-)

The five letter word

The QUERY.

Just reading that word is enough to give some people hives. Or to go into a catatonic state of shock and fear. That little one page letter that is the difference between getting an agent or getting rejected. True, the query itself won't actually get you an agent; but in order to get the coveted request to read your manuscript (which will then--hopefully--get you the agent), you have to nail your query.

If you aren't quite sure what a query is, there are TONS of great blogs and websites that explain it and I'd be happy to recommend some if you'd like. For now, the quick explanation is that you have one to two paragraphs to introduce your story in a way that is intriguing, unique, and shows your MC's voice, one paragraph to introduce yourself, and that's about it. Simple, right?

Yeah. Except that, as I mentioned, everything rides on those two little paragraphs. Think of it as a back of the book or cover flap summary. What makes you decide to buy a book in the store? It's the same idea for your query. When you read the jacket flap of a book at the store and put it back on the shelf, have you ever stopped to think about what it was that made you put it back? Queries are the same way.

The only difference is that agents are reading hundreds of them every week. Imagine if you read that many jacket flaps of books all the time; would it make you more discerning in what you decide to pick up and read? So tell me, what makes you pick up or put down a book - and how could you apply that to your queries?

In my next post (before I leave, woot woot!) I will discuss a few tricks and tips I've learned that helped me polish my queries and eventually helped me get an agent.

Home Again... for now

Well, I'm baaaack! For five days. Ha ha.

Yep, I leave for Florida on Thursday. But don't despair - I'm working on lining up some awesome guest posts to fill your days with brightness while I'm gone.

In the meantime, a couple of you asked for pictures of my trip, so here's a few to give you a taste of Portland. It is so green and beautiful!

Our hotel was on an island in the middle of the Columbia River, how cool is that? (A very big island) This is Mt. Hood, and one side of the river, as we were getting off the freeway to go to our hotel.
This is Mt. St. Helen's (sorry, taken again from my car). I was obsessed with this volcano as a child, so it was fun to see it in person again. We were going to drive to it, but Son A got really upset and didn't want to. (He was afraid it would erupt.) Oh well.

The Columbia River on our drive home.

The whole place is just gorgeous! (Yep, another picture taken from the car. We couldn't stop because Son B took a lot of his naps in the car and stopping = him waking up = not good.)

I love travelling, how about you? That's something I love about books. They can take you places you've never been--real or imagined. They can be an escape from real life, or from where you are at the moment. That can be truly physically and emotionally. Writing, for me, is often the best form of escape. I can dive into the lives of my characters, into their settings and emotions, their troubles and their triumphs. When I'm feeling grumpy, my husband will often ask me if I've written anything recently. I'm surprised at how often I realize the times I'm more on edge correlate with having not written anything for a while. I'm not talking about editing, or revising--I mean WRITING. New words, new ideas, moving my characters forward. Speaking of writing, I need to go do some more.

I made it back last night in time to make it to a BBQ with my old writer's group. (Yes, I'm gigantic. And I even took off my heels for this pic. Oh well!) We don't do a big critique group like we used to anymore, but we still get together to see each other, celebrate each other's accomplishments and have a great time. Janette Rallison came late, so she wasn't in the picture, but we were so glad she was in town so we could see her, too! She's too hilarious. So, from left to right back row: Me, Erin, Ally, (Teddy, Erin's little boy), Jamie, Pam, Julie, Carla. Bottom Row: Carolyn and Stacey. I love these ladies. It is so important and fun to have friends who really understand this crazy business. Thanks for a great night ladies!

So tell me, do you have a writer's group or CP? How did you find them? We all met at a writer's conference a year ago. (Some of us knew each other before) Also, do you find writing to be an escape, or is that just me?

Have a great weekend!

From the road...

Well, we made it to Portland. Phwew. That was a LONG drive. Even split into 2 chunks. The boys did really well though, so that's a relief. I spent all afternoon and night entertaining them alone while hubby went to meetings. They are both sleeping now (thank heavens) and I'm sitting here staring at my computer. My eyes are burning, I'm exhausted, and I can hardly think straight. I should go to sleep. Instead, I'm blogging and then going to read. I would try to write, but I'm pretty sure anything that came out would be drivel. Much like this blog post.

So the moral of the story is that you should get other people to do guest posts when you're travelling and still want to do blog posts. I will keep that in mind when I leave for my even longer trip to Florida next Thursday.

Yeah, you heard my right. My whole family is going to FLORIDA (courtesy of my awesome parents). DISNEY WORLD. HARRY POTTER LAND (or whatever it's really called)! Daytona Beach! For 10 DAYS! That trip is NOT a work trip. We just get to go be together and have fun the whole time. I am SO excited (even though it will be crazy busy and murderously hot). But when you're trying to get ten people's schedules to coincide, scheduling can be tricky, so July is when it could happen. The point is, I will make sure and line up some guest posts for that trip, because I pretty much guarantee my Internet time will be slim to none. Even though I know you're dying to read more awesome, rambling posts such as this one.

What does this have to do with writing? Um, nothing. Sorry. Just keeping you posted on my whereabouts, because I know ya'll were dying to make sure we were here safe and sound and somewhat sane. Check, check, and check. I promise to have a meaningful post about writing soon.

In the meantime, hope you're having a great week! I'm off to read.

Tell me (because I always love to find out), what are you reading right now?

Greener pastures... or something like that

Well, I'm going to be on the road again this week. This time, my hubby is heading to Boise and then Portland for work, and since he's driving, the boys and I are tagging along for the ride (again). It's nice to be able to do that, even though it means having to take care of two young boys in a hotel room (with no car - aka no escape) during the days. It's worth it to see Daddy at night, instead of being separated for a whole week. And I also get to travel and see fun cities and do fun stuff at night.

The last (and only) time I went to Portland was when I was a teenager, probably fifteen or so. I remember it being VERY green. And gorgeous. I hope it lives up to the memories I have! I'm really excited to see it again. Anyone have suggestions of fun things we should do at night, when my hubby is done with his meetings?

So, my blogging may be a bit sporadic this week, but you never know. Wireless internet + nap time might = lots of blog posts. You'll just have to wait and see! Here's hoping to the kids doing well in the car, getting lots of reading and writing done (ha ha, we'll see), and having a fun trip!

What fun plans do you have this week?

What's in a book?

Does anyone else find it interesting how two people can feel entirely different about the same book? One might love it while the other... ya know. Doesn't. So what is it about books that can bring out such varied (and often passionate) responses in readers?

I think the fact that everyone responds differently to books is a good thing. Of course I wish every person who ever reads my book(s) will love it, make book trailers for it, place it on their "untouchable shelf" and have everyone they know buy it. BUT. If everyone only loved the same books, the publishing world would be even harder to have a chance at breaking into. Not to mention how boring the book stores would be. "Oh, look another book that is just like all the others! Yippee!"

The fact that agents and editors also react differently to different books (or manuscripts in this case) is a huge bonus to us aspiring authors. Hear me out on this. There have to be similar elements in any manuscript for it to succeed (a tight, intriguing plot; well developed, interesting characters, polished writing, etc.). However, it is the differences in our stories that help us find the agents who are right for us--and then hopefully the editor who will love it and champion it as well. Agents and editors are people, too. (All rumors to the contrary aside; they aren't out to get you, I promise.) They have personal opinions and tastes, and they know what they're looking for. While your book may be incredibly well written and have been polished until it shines like the crown jewels in the Tower of London, if they don't LOVE love it, you probably won't get that offer. They have to be willing to fight for it, and they don't have the time or desire to fight for a book that just doesn't grab them. Would you want someone to rep you who doesn't love it that much? I wouldn't. Even if it is your so-called "dream agent." (That's a whole other post entirely.)

I, for one, am grateful that different people have different opinions about books. I'm glad my agent loved my book so much that she offered to represent me. I find it very comforting to know that the person who will be pitching my book to editors adores it as much as I do. I have no questions about how much she loves it, and that is a great feeling!

However, once it's on a shelf (please, please let an editor love it, too...) I fully expect everyone to think it's the best book they've ever read.

Ha, ha. Gotchya! I only expect 98% of people to feel that way. I'm dead serious. Okay, not really.

So, the point is, even though it's hard not to--don't take the rejections personally. They are doing you a favor by telling you no. If they don't love it, you don't want them signing you, trust me. Keep honing your craft, keep polishing, and keep moving forward. You will find someone who loves it. Thank heavens we all have different tastes!

Good and Bad

If you're like me, life is full of good days and bad days. Sometimes the same day is both good and bad. Many days fall somewhere in between. What is one of the best days you can think of? For me, a recent one that comes to mind was the day that I spent at the beach with my husband and two little boys in Cali. It was beautiful and sunny, the waves were amazing, we got to play in the sand and water and have ice cream on the boardwalk, watching the sun set. That was a wonderful day.

Today, while not a BAD bad day, hasn't been the greatest. Between Son B throwing up AGAIN (at least it wasn't on me and my iPod this time...), coming out from getting him down for his nap to find Son A playing with his AquaSand (even though I expressly asked him not to) and making a mess everywhere, and having all my fun plans for the day cancelled because of aforementioned puking (which also means that all my efforts to stay distracted from checking my email over and over again for the email that STILL hasn't come are now unable to happen)... not one of the days that falls under "good." (Yes, I'm aware that is one of the longest run-on sentences in blogdom, but I don't really care right now.)

However, can I stop living? Go hide in a corner, rocking myself in the dark, and mumbling? Um, no. I'm blowing bubbles for my sons to chase inbetween typing sentences of this post, and trying to figure out how to make dinner with what I have on hand since going to the store is out the window.

Writing is like this in many ways. You will have times when you sit down to write and the words are flying out so fast your fingers can barely keep up. Ideas flow, plots thicken deliciously, everything seems perfect.

Then, the next day, the only thing that comes out is word vomit. Nothing goes right. Scenes fall to pieces, characters won't listen or obey you, you spend the whole time cleaning up messes instead of creating art.

But do you quit? Do you throw your manuscript in a corner and give up? No.
You. Keep. Going.
Even on the bad days, you must keep plugging along. Clean up the mess and hope tomorrow is a better day.

I better go for now, Son A is blasting the soundtrack to Jurassic Park (he loves music as much as I do) and the bubbles have lost their magic for Son B -- he's now crying and grabbing my hands trying to force me away from the computer. Since I really don't like making him mad, or having him throw up on my keyboard, I will comply.

So no matter how bad your day is in life or writing, no quitting, you hear?? Good. Because the wonderful days make it all worth it, don't you think?

P.S. Jessie, thank you for the blog award, I will try to do it soon!