I thought it would be a pretty good idea to document my Amazon adventure in self-publishing so I had a small archive to refer to. It also might help the average person make a decision on whether to pursue this type of publishing or not. I say average, because that's about what I am. I do have two other novels and two short stories up on Amazon, but those are there compliments of trade publishers. Those books pull average rank and sales numbers, sitting anywhere from 95,000 to 450,000 in rank and sell maybe one or two books each a week. Boringly average. I have a newish blog, you're reading it right now, that is about five months young and has almost 5,000 pages hits and 70 subscribers--boringly average. I think a 1000 hits a month is average.
My decision to self-publish was an arduous decision. I'd read all the Joe Konath brough-ha-ha, and then I read the other side of the coin--the side of the coin that spelled out disaster, failure or very tepid sales returns. I just found out that there is a mid-list self-published sect and these authors claim that they pull anywhere from $500 a month to $5,000 a month, with a mean average settling in about $2,000 or so. Most of them admit that these mid-list figures result from multiple books, stories or novellas. Now, me, I've really got that new car smell. I'm putting up one book, and one book only. Okay, so we can either fly out of the gate with huge sales numbers (realistically unlikely), take the slower road to mid-list, or our book can disappear into the huge swamp of ten million books on Amazon. My wish is/was to hitch a ride on the mid-list train and gradually build a reader base.
I knew from the beginning that I had to start with a popular genre and a great book. For my experiment I was going to try a back-list title which had already seen the limelight but died a swift sales and rank death. It was pretty easy for me to ask my publisher for an early release and a rights reversion. I decided early on that a fresh title would be too risky--that's why I wanted this back-lister. Besides, my agent would probably sneer at me if I didn't offer her my newest projects.
I decided on Gate Walker, a paranormal romance. Sub-genres were thriller and YA. YA since my MC was an 18 year-old female, and the reviewers had stated that it qualified for such. This book was published by a small e-press that is pretty well known. It carried the third highest publisher ranking for six months then moved to the number sixth position for another three months. It had one four and one five-star review from Bitten By Books and Aurora. I can't remember how many author interviews I did, where I plugged it, maybe five or six. Oh, and it had a dynamite storyline and fairly unique concept. I sold about 60 copies of this book in the first quarter of publication, then nothing for 18 months. And I pushed the promo on it like mad for that amount of time. Still nada. Typical? Yep.
I pulled the latest edited version of Gate Walker from my files and went over it and tried to catch every typo that might have been missed. I revised some scenes and paragraphs. Now this book went through five major editorial passes that lasted for six months with the original publisher. I'd gone through it about three times prior, so I knew it was damn close to being very copy-ready. There's always the chance you'll miss something in the text, and I probably have. But the major work was done, and I just put the finishing touch on it one last time. Tip: don't skimp on this editing process. It'll pay dividends later or flat out embarrass you.
I'm a tech idiot. I know word programs and email and that's it. I don't know how to create a cover or format for Amazon, Smashwords or anybody else. I was looking at medium or major expense to have this done. Then a miracle happened. I never asked for help. I only mentioned in some forums that I wished I had the experience of some of these self-publishers who'd done their own work and uploaded their books. Two people took pity on me--a guy who could format with his eyes closed, and a professional cover artist. I'll mention Greg and Farah Evers here as the two angels that came to my rescue. Greg did the formatting in one day, and Farah produced the cover and title even quicker. And there it was, The War Gate--formatted, retitled, re-edited and covered!
I had to register and create an account on Amazon. It was a little daunting but I found all the drop-downs and field boxes that required you to list your name, personal info, blurb, tags, price information, method of payment and the program. It doesn't cost you anything to do this. I started off with the KDP program, which is the basic package. KDP allows you to publish on all the other venues. It seemed pretty straight forward. I'd heard time and time again that the sweet spot price for a full length novel of 100,000 words or so was $2.99. The War Gate would go for $2.99.
I hit the submit and publish button, took a deep breath and then organized all of the target promotion spots I would hit. I wasted no time. I first went to Book Blogs and added some groups to the ones I'd already had. I joined a total of 18 groups, but realized that about 10 to 12 of them were adequate for announcing the debut launch of The War Gate. I simply pasted a refined query letter into the topic box, added a cover that I copied directly off the Amazon page, and listed the price--$2.99. I went to Gather and shared about four announcements in separate groups. I hit LinkedIn, announced there, then GoodReads, Pinterest, Stumbled Upon, Chronicles SF forum, Writers.com. Absolutewrite, SFF Chronicles, Bookwhirl, Shelfari, Red Room, Accentuate Writers, Library Thing, Stage 32, Authors.com, WritersCafe, Bookhitch, Wattpad, Published.com, Booksie, Twitter, FaceBook, SFF World, Published.com, and just about any other YADS (yet another display site) I could think of. I didn't use any PR webs, since they often require a purchase plan. I would spend no money on promotion, marketing or advertizing. I pushed this campaign for five days straight.
I sold two copies in the first two days. Then The War Gate laid down for a rest for five straight, inactive days. When its rank reached 450,000, I panicked and wondered what in the hell happened. After all that media blasting, I'd managed to sell two copies? OMG. Visions of the Amazon swamp came over me in nauseating reality. How in the name of the Maker could I get out of this mess? What had I done so wrong? Or was this really an average reaction to a new title by an unknown author? Or was it really true that self-promotion does absolutely nothing. I was beginning to have my doubts. Then I had an epiphany. There was another way to skin this cat.
I would join the Select Program and offer The War Gate free to the world.
To be continued....
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Small Press Warning Signs.
Just how much promotion and marketing
is your small or indie press doing for your book?
Granted, I know from past publisher that the author should participate and do promos (per most of my contracts), but I keep hearing from other authors that their publisher "puts their best foot forward" and does lots of promotion and marketing. Oh, really? And how do you know that unless you Google your book's title and perform a thorough online search to find out if that book is listed in any other venues, like review sites, blog fillers, online retailers, display sites, press release services or paid advertising slots? Has your publisher emailed you and alerted you to these showings and announcements? Publishers who actively promote and market your book will have no problem alerting you to the fact. If you see nothing but listings on your publisher's website, Amazon and nowhere else, you've got a problem.
If you see these problems it is an indication that the publisher's "best foot forward" is going to kick the author in the butt and tell him/her to get out there and sell books.
Just like a recent publisher told me what to do upon a new release. "Get out there now and sell books." All I had to do was Google the other publisher's books to see where they appeared. Then I would have to differentiate between what the publisher had listed and what the author had done themselves. Look for the publisher's distributor. If they have no distributor that actively sells to the libraries and bookstores, they have no significant distribution. They are in what amounts to be online book catalogs.
I took great offense to the publisher's direct order and, frankly, am getting fed-up with hearing these push/shove tactics from small press. I've had my share of grief from these amateur printers, and have delighted in tearing up more contracts than I've signed in the past 12 years
A free sales force is the most enticing aspect of why small mom and pop publishers go into business in the first place. They have to make money to survive. That's understandable. A love of books and respect for their authors comes second, IMO. There are exceptions, but the fine lines are still there.
I don't mean to paint this with such a broad brush. I do have some very involved and aggressive publishers who really know what they're doing. But you have to watch out for the others and perform due diligence during research. It took me a while to spot the lazy or insolvent ones by carefully reading their mission statements. Any excessive author promo and marketing commandments that appear in a publisher's mission statement is enough for me to back off and seriously reconsider. I'm talking about above the normal expectations of what an author is expected to do.
If they ask you to outline how many book readings and personal appearances you're scheduling for the year, how much money you're spending on ads, what is the size of your mailing list, how many books are you prepared to buy and resell, or if you can meet their minimum author book purchases, consider yourself hired on as a non-paid traveling book salesperson. If you see any of this in your contract, don't sign it.
If you've signed such a contract too hastily, unaware that these nasty little clauses escaped you, start proceedings to remove yourself from the contract and have your rights returned. (Watch out for termination and buy-out clauses that will cost you money upon contract release).
If you're asked to purchase the publisher's promotion/marketing book--run like hell before contract signing. Don't pay for a catalog listing your book.
If you're asked to compile a friends and family list with email addresses, house addresses or phone numbers--refuse it. This request can pop up after contract signing.
If you get bombarded with instructional emails on how, why, when and where to market and promote your book--beware.
If you're asked to contribute financially to a group ad for the publisher so your book can be included in a major media publication--duck and cover.
If you're asked to guarantee a comprehensive marketing plan and budget--run like hell.
If you are required to do book signings and you must perform a certain amount of signings within any type of a time frame at your travel expense--run like hell. Especially if you're required to purchase your own books for resale.
If you can see that the publisher sells exclusively from their website, with little or no penetration into the other online retail stores or lists--run like hell.
If you are warned that low sales might be grounds for halting paperback publication and going to out-of-print status--run like hell. If fact, if you have to sell a minimum amount of e-books to qualify for a paperback version, give it serious thought.
Read that contract and obtain legal advice, preferably from an attorney that specializes in literary contract (law) clauses and publication rights. If you'd had an agent, he/she would have never let you get into this situation to begin with.
ATTENTION:
Granted, I know from past publisher that the author should participate and do promos (per most of my contracts), but I keep hearing from other authors that their publisher "puts their best foot forward" and does lots of promotion and marketing. Oh, really? And how do you know that unless you Google your book's title and perform a thorough online search to find out if that book is listed in any other venues, like review sites, blog fillers, online retailers, display sites, press release services or paid advertising slots? Has your publisher emailed you and alerted you to these showings and announcements? Publishers who actively promote and market your book will have no problem alerting you to the fact. If you see nothing but listings on your publisher's website, Amazon and nowhere else, you've got a problem.
If you see these problems it is an indication that the publisher's "best foot forward" is going to kick the author in the butt and tell him/her to get out there and sell books.
Just like a recent publisher told me what to do upon a new release. "Get out there now and sell books." All I had to do was Google the other publisher's books to see where they appeared. Then I would have to differentiate between what the publisher had listed and what the author had done themselves. Look for the publisher's distributor. If they have no distributor that actively sells to the libraries and bookstores, they have no significant distribution. They are in what amounts to be online book catalogs.
I took great offense to the publisher's direct order and, frankly, am getting fed-up with hearing these push/shove tactics from small press. I've had my share of grief from these amateur printers, and have delighted in tearing up more contracts than I've signed in the past 12 years
A free sales force is the most enticing aspect of why small mom and pop publishers go into business in the first place. They have to make money to survive. That's understandable. A love of books and respect for their authors comes second, IMO. There are exceptions, but the fine lines are still there.
I don't mean to paint this with such a broad brush. I do have some very involved and aggressive publishers who really know what they're doing. But you have to watch out for the others and perform due diligence during research. It took me a while to spot the lazy or insolvent ones by carefully reading their mission statements. Any excessive author promo and marketing commandments that appear in a publisher's mission statement is enough for me to back off and seriously reconsider. I'm talking about above the normal expectations of what an author is expected to do.
If they ask you to outline how many book readings and personal appearances you're scheduling for the year, how much money you're spending on ads, what is the size of your mailing list, how many books are you prepared to buy and resell, or if you can meet their minimum author book purchases, consider yourself hired on as a non-paid traveling book salesperson. If you see any of this in your contract, don't sign it.
If you've signed such a contract too hastily, unaware that these nasty little clauses escaped you, start proceedings to remove yourself from the contract and have your rights returned. (Watch out for termination and buy-out clauses that will cost you money upon contract release).
If you're asked to purchase the publisher's promotion/marketing book--run like hell before contract signing. Don't pay for a catalog listing your book.
If you're asked to compile a friends and family list with email addresses, house addresses or phone numbers--refuse it. This request can pop up after contract signing.
If you get bombarded with instructional emails on how, why, when and where to market and promote your book--beware.
If you're asked to contribute financially to a group ad for the publisher so your book can be included in a major media publication--duck and cover.
If you're asked to guarantee a comprehensive marketing plan and budget--run like hell.
If you are required to do book signings and you must perform a certain amount of signings within any type of a time frame at your travel expense--run like hell. Especially if you're required to purchase your own books for resale.
If you can see that the publisher sells exclusively from their website, with little or no penetration into the other online retail stores or lists--run like hell.
If you are warned that low sales might be grounds for halting paperback publication and going to out-of-print status--run like hell. If fact, if you have to sell a minimum amount of e-books to qualify for a paperback version, give it serious thought.
Read that contract and obtain legal advice, preferably from an attorney that specializes in literary contract (law) clauses and publication rights. If you'd had an agent, he/she would have never let you get into this situation to begin with.
ATTENTION:
Welcome to The War
Gate, a paranormal romance/thriller. IT WILL BE LISTED
ON AMAZON FOR FREE, STARTING AUGUST 9TH AND LASTING FOR TWO DAYS.
Reviews will be greatly appreciated!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Debut--The War Gate!
I think I pretty much warned everybody that I was going to self-publish one day. It came sooner than I thought. I couldn't resist when I was offered professional help with the formatting and cover art. I'm glad that was taken care of, because "techless" me, had a hard enough time loading all the book info on the Amazon accounting and registration page. After some glitches and conversion failures, it just went live today. I learned a lot in this process but not nearly enough to instruct anyone else on how to perform the whole download shebang. If and when I do, I'll pass it on here in layman's terms.
Welcome to The War Gate, a paranormal
romance/thriller that will leave you breathless from it's scope and
pace. It's now available on Amazon for the reduced price of $2.99.
Enjoy the extended three-chapter sample now.
“This was a solidly written tale with
a trace of fantasy and complex thought used in defining the concept
of leaping from one time gate to the next—excellent job of
structuring.”
Terrie G, Bitten by Books, 4 out of 5.
“The War Gate is a captivating book.
Mystery, magic and the paranormal blend together in a perfect mix. I
would thoroughly recommend this book to fantasy enthusiasts who also
like romance.
Orcid, Aurora Reviews, 5 out of 5.
When the reincarnated Avy Labrador is
kicked out of her stepfather’s house on her 18th
birthday, she has no idea that the man who raised her framed her
mother to cover his murder so he could acquire a major software
empire. Now, years later, with the help of her magician boyfriend,
Sebastian, Avy is about to discover that her birth was otherworldly
and for a purpose. The ancient Roman God Janus was so appalled by
the heinous murder of Tom Labrador by his brother Drake that he
opened up a War Gate. Avy has received half of her mother’s soul
light and half of a God’s essence. Her mission is to put the real
killer behind bars. The only catch: she must learn to “Gate-Walk”,
that’s time traveling to the layman. She soon finds out that she
is a drunk driver on the space/time continuum super highway.
War Gate Author's Note: The
antagonist character, Wax Man, is not for the squeamish. I warn you
ahead of time that he is the most disgusting, vile creature/human
you're ever likely to read about. You will literally smell him off
the page. Not for younger readers under 13.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Are You a Carpet Bomber or a Single Shot?
Talking about submissions here, folks. You know, those nasty little packages you send off to agents and editors. Yep, those. Commonly called the query-go-round, query hell, or jumping on the sub train, we all go through it sooner or later and many of us are stuck on it for a time, or are permanently on it. The questions is, do you carpet bomb--sending off dozens of queries at a time or do you prefer the more conservative approach--picking your targets conservatively and sending out laser-guided missiles in ones and twosies? There's no right or wrong way, but there's a few things to consider before you start.
First establish your genre-genres and consult a good, up-to-date directory of publishers and agents. Query Tracker is a great source for agents, and Preditors and Editors works fine for publishers of books and magazines. Consider all of your sub-genre options. If you have a thriller-suspense novel, does it also qualify for military espionage, action-adventure, or maybe cross over into mystery? How about Romance? What's the sub-genre? Could it be fantasy or paranormal? Could it stand on its own in the fantasy or paranormal genre? Make a list of every genre you think your book or story qualifies for. Don't be stingy, just don't make any obvious attempts to cross over into every genre on the list. Limit it to about three or less. The reason I say this is because you've often heard that once you've suffered about 100 rejections, it's time to put that manuscript on the back burner. What's worse, is that I've heard writers complain that they've used up their submission possibilities with only 30 or 40 sources. Just to give you an example, I had one book that clearly fell into the genres pools of thriller, action-adventure and military espionage. I found no less than 450 agents that took those genres. Did I submit that many? Yes, I did, and it took me over four months to do so. But...big warning here: everyone of those queries and submission packages were personalized. Which brings me to...
You better know something about who you're soliciting.
By that I mean you'd better address them with their correct proper last name. No first names until you're on a friendly basis. Then what? How do you lead off? Forget about introducing yourself out of the gate, that will be your next sentence or paragraph. You're going to capture your reader in a very personal sense. Read their Twitter or FaceBook profile, if they have one. Go to their website. Read their staff profile. Check the web for any articles or interviews they've participated in or written. Read any one of those little gems, and if something you like catches your eye, comment on it in a kind of "By the way, I was impressed by your mission statement concerning...I happened to read your blog and found your post on such-and-such revealing...I found it interesting that you worked with dogs as a side hobby; I also have a fondness for our canine friends...Hey, I graduated from the same university that you did...I'm glad that you have a priority for distopian tales because it just so happens that... You get the idea. You're setting a hook by showing that you've investigated your target agent or editor.
You took time out to look them up and get a real feel for them--their likes, dislikes, quirks, talent, phobias, etc. Believe me, nothing can capture an agent's or editor's heart than showing that you labored to know exactly who you're dealing with. This type of opener cannot be cut and pasted. Obviously not. Sorry. You're going to have to work for it. You can paste the rest of your intro and query, if it's generic enough to pass for one and all. A sentence or two, or a small paragraph is all that's needed. Don't go overboard; it's only a tidbit of observation on your part. Avoid asking any personal questions about family, work or marital issues. Try and keep it academic.
How many queries or packages? First run that query and your synopsis through critique hell. Over and over again until your betas approve with a big thumbs up. Highlight your main character, their goal-goals, the plot and your, let's hope, incredibly unique premise.
What's a conservative number of submissions, if you're a bit of a chicken? Try six to eight subs. Then kick back and wait. Be prepared to wait from weeks to months. With so little out there, you might only get some of your responses back and that could take up to six months or more. A more firm number would be 12 to 14 or so, and this could be considered about average. If you're dead certain you have a expertly crafted, bullet-proof query or package, up the stakes to 20 or 25--this will show faster results more often. I call this carpet bombing, and it's my practice. Consider that a full 30 to 40 percent of your targets will not respond back, lose you in cyberspace, or spam-kick you out of the universe. Submitting five query-packages a day for five days will take care of your first round, for the 25. Prepare for a second, third or more rounds, depending upon your tally. For the smaller six to eight subs, send them all in one day, if it suites you. Take two to three days for the 12 to 14.
Expect to get form rejections, which are cut and paste rejection responses. These "form Rs" say very little in the way of why the material was rejected. Don't agonize or analyze. Get it behind you. Pay rapt attention to personal rejection responses that point out specific plot points, character issues, pace and style issues. If you have three responses that highlight the same problem, you have good reason to go ahead and revise your manuscript. In that case, stop or curtail your query round and revise as necessary.
If you receive a R & R, or a revise and resubmit request, then weigh the pros and cons for doing so. Always keep your original copy, and knock out the revisions as instructed if it really hits home and makes logical sense. Send it in and cross your fingers. R & Rs are very positive responses--they lean a bit more on the positive side of "maybe."
Good luck in query hell. Or heaven, if that's prerogative.
First establish your genre-genres and consult a good, up-to-date directory of publishers and agents. Query Tracker is a great source for agents, and Preditors and Editors works fine for publishers of books and magazines. Consider all of your sub-genre options. If you have a thriller-suspense novel, does it also qualify for military espionage, action-adventure, or maybe cross over into mystery? How about Romance? What's the sub-genre? Could it be fantasy or paranormal? Could it stand on its own in the fantasy or paranormal genre? Make a list of every genre you think your book or story qualifies for. Don't be stingy, just don't make any obvious attempts to cross over into every genre on the list. Limit it to about three or less. The reason I say this is because you've often heard that once you've suffered about 100 rejections, it's time to put that manuscript on the back burner. What's worse, is that I've heard writers complain that they've used up their submission possibilities with only 30 or 40 sources. Just to give you an example, I had one book that clearly fell into the genres pools of thriller, action-adventure and military espionage. I found no less than 450 agents that took those genres. Did I submit that many? Yes, I did, and it took me over four months to do so. But...big warning here: everyone of those queries and submission packages were personalized. Which brings me to...
You better know something about who you're soliciting.
By that I mean you'd better address them with their correct proper last name. No first names until you're on a friendly basis. Then what? How do you lead off? Forget about introducing yourself out of the gate, that will be your next sentence or paragraph. You're going to capture your reader in a very personal sense. Read their Twitter or FaceBook profile, if they have one. Go to their website. Read their staff profile. Check the web for any articles or interviews they've participated in or written. Read any one of those little gems, and if something you like catches your eye, comment on it in a kind of "By the way, I was impressed by your mission statement concerning...I happened to read your blog and found your post on such-and-such revealing...I found it interesting that you worked with dogs as a side hobby; I also have a fondness for our canine friends...Hey, I graduated from the same university that you did...I'm glad that you have a priority for distopian tales because it just so happens that... You get the idea. You're setting a hook by showing that you've investigated your target agent or editor.
You took time out to look them up and get a real feel for them--their likes, dislikes, quirks, talent, phobias, etc. Believe me, nothing can capture an agent's or editor's heart than showing that you labored to know exactly who you're dealing with. This type of opener cannot be cut and pasted. Obviously not. Sorry. You're going to have to work for it. You can paste the rest of your intro and query, if it's generic enough to pass for one and all. A sentence or two, or a small paragraph is all that's needed. Don't go overboard; it's only a tidbit of observation on your part. Avoid asking any personal questions about family, work or marital issues. Try and keep it academic.
How many queries or packages? First run that query and your synopsis through critique hell. Over and over again until your betas approve with a big thumbs up. Highlight your main character, their goal-goals, the plot and your, let's hope, incredibly unique premise.
What's a conservative number of submissions, if you're a bit of a chicken? Try six to eight subs. Then kick back and wait. Be prepared to wait from weeks to months. With so little out there, you might only get some of your responses back and that could take up to six months or more. A more firm number would be 12 to 14 or so, and this could be considered about average. If you're dead certain you have a expertly crafted, bullet-proof query or package, up the stakes to 20 or 25--this will show faster results more often. I call this carpet bombing, and it's my practice. Consider that a full 30 to 40 percent of your targets will not respond back, lose you in cyberspace, or spam-kick you out of the universe. Submitting five query-packages a day for five days will take care of your first round, for the 25. Prepare for a second, third or more rounds, depending upon your tally. For the smaller six to eight subs, send them all in one day, if it suites you. Take two to three days for the 12 to 14.
Expect to get form rejections, which are cut and paste rejection responses. These "form Rs" say very little in the way of why the material was rejected. Don't agonize or analyze. Get it behind you. Pay rapt attention to personal rejection responses that point out specific plot points, character issues, pace and style issues. If you have three responses that highlight the same problem, you have good reason to go ahead and revise your manuscript. In that case, stop or curtail your query round and revise as necessary.
If you receive a R & R, or a revise and resubmit request, then weigh the pros and cons for doing so. Always keep your original copy, and knock out the revisions as instructed if it really hits home and makes logical sense. Send it in and cross your fingers. R & Rs are very positive responses--they lean a bit more on the positive side of "maybe."
Good luck in query hell. Or heaven, if that's prerogative.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Great Opener? Or Have You Slammed the Door?
I have countless first chapters that are absolute messes--info dumps,
character dumps, needless exposition--no mention of plot, By-the-way-Bob
dialogue, etc. Gak. No wonder I"ve been asked over the years to flash back
or rewrite the beginning. Great openers? Hell I've slammed the door on agents and editors, more times than I can say, "This author bores the hell out of me and I'm only on page three." It took me a long time to understand what was meant by a good opening sentence, paragraph, first page or chapter. But hell, they're all related because one segment-bit leads into another.
For the longest time I thought that opening a first scene/pages with explosions, chase scenes, gunfire, a murder or other physical movement examples of mayhem and disorder, were the order of the day. I thought this is what agents and publishers meant by creating a hook. Not so. A hook, or more precisely for this article, a good beginning, comes in many forms and techniques. Reading a lot of openings in good books, books that have been praised for great pace and reader enthusiasm, will show you the broad strokes of compelling writing out of the gate. What have I learned?
An example of an interesting opening that contains no action:
"Tilly Breedlove never thought she would end up in an institution like this and hear her father utter such dreadful, embarrassing words across a counter top.
“I’m Reginald Breedlove, and I have an appointment for the last stage of the program. I’m here to pawn my daughter.”
I’m here to pawn my daughter. Tilly knew they had another word for it, because she and her girlfriends used to laugh at the K-Span commercial spots on late night Holoview. She wasn’t laughing now. She’d never seen so many kids gathered in one spot, except at a school assembly.
The first floor of the auditorium-sized building had at least twenty standing lines and a waiting area filled to capacity. Sure, there were sniffles and tearful goodbyes, with an occasional knock-down-drag-out, but the worst scenes were reserved for the six to twelve-year-old kids, the next wing over. Those kids were on the Daffodil Plan, commonly called, Daffy’s, and their screams pierced through the air conditioning vents."
A few people asked me via PM where that quote came from. It's from my own YA distopian, The Girl They Sold to the Moon. The first four submissions resulted in partials and full requests, or partials that led to fulls. The second submission won the first place grand prize in a novel contest, offering an advance and publication. I refused it and sent the book to my agent--she wants to try the big boys with it.
The beginning (a little further in) shows a very heart-wrenching scene, and portrays a girl totally out of her element--which is a non-action opener. I purposely left it kind of vague so the reader ends up with questions in their mind. If you leave the reader with questions in their mind or scratching their head over something, they're inclined to read on because it has that WTF factor. Question: How has society gotten so bad that the head of a household is legally sanctioned to pawn dependent household members? Question: What year is this--they mention Holograms? Question: Who are the Daffodils, and why are they screaming?
Challenge the reader to ponder (hard), to guess, to unravel, but don't give them enough to solve anything. Trip them up and lead them down a dirt road. If you can do that page after page, you've got them by the literary nads. And that's incredibly challenging. You don't need a gang fight, a murder, gunfire, chase scene, explosions, unbridled emotion, heated dialogue with lots of swear words, or an overly graphic sex scene.
On the other hand, don't try to get too purplely and literary in your first paragraphs. Try and avoid a scene that starts from a basic beginning--like someone waking up, showering, getting in the car and arriving at a point of interest. Place your character right at the point of interest in the first paragraph, and have him/her involved in the first hint of the plot, or conflict, or mystery etc. There is no need to stage or prep your characters and their actions. Go very light on any physical description in the beginning. Physical descriptions can bog you down, cut the pace to a snail's crawl.
Watch out for static openings, where you have characters sitting down for a meal, laying in bed, or discussing things over a drink at a bar. Not bad beginnings if you do them right, but they're incredibly boring if muffed. Involve the character right away, if you can, with some pivotal point or decision. You can even have your character witness something very, very strange and lead the reader on that way. Try to avoid describing the weather or a person's reflection in the mirror--these are cliche and overused. If you have one, make sure it is very relevant to the plot or general storyline.
I've actually seen openers where the author describes the environment with such detail and beauty, I wanted to know where this place was. He hooked me with a sense of wonder and awe at what his MC was looking at.
I differentiate between a hook and good beginning, in that I think a good hook is more concept oriented. Great beginnings = page turning. Pull the reader a little bit at a time--set one paragraph or scene up for the next. How can you tell if you have a weak beginning? If your partials or first sample pages are getting hosed, you've failed to reel in the reader. And it's uber important if those readers or agents and editors.
Happy trails. Happy beginning trails, that is.
* * *
Yes, the obligatory plug. You saw it coming didn't you?
The crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are on the tail end of a salvage mission in the asteroid belt when they encounter a ghost ship. Faced with a volatile substance onboard, the crew race against the clock to commandeer the vessel before it reaches the Exon Refueling Station. What they find on the ship will stress their abilities to the limit, and put their lives in imminent danger.
For the longest time I thought that opening a first scene/pages with explosions, chase scenes, gunfire, a murder or other physical movement examples of mayhem and disorder, were the order of the day. I thought this is what agents and publishers meant by creating a hook. Not so. A hook, or more precisely for this article, a good beginning, comes in many forms and techniques. Reading a lot of openings in good books, books that have been praised for great pace and reader enthusiasm, will show you the broad strokes of compelling writing out of the gate. What have I learned?
An example of an interesting opening that contains no action:
"Tilly Breedlove never thought she would end up in an institution like this and hear her father utter such dreadful, embarrassing words across a counter top.
“I’m Reginald Breedlove, and I have an appointment for the last stage of the program. I’m here to pawn my daughter.”
I’m here to pawn my daughter. Tilly knew they had another word for it, because she and her girlfriends used to laugh at the K-Span commercial spots on late night Holoview. She wasn’t laughing now. She’d never seen so many kids gathered in one spot, except at a school assembly.
The first floor of the auditorium-sized building had at least twenty standing lines and a waiting area filled to capacity. Sure, there were sniffles and tearful goodbyes, with an occasional knock-down-drag-out, but the worst scenes were reserved for the six to twelve-year-old kids, the next wing over. Those kids were on the Daffodil Plan, commonly called, Daffy’s, and their screams pierced through the air conditioning vents."
A few people asked me via PM where that quote came from. It's from my own YA distopian, The Girl They Sold to the Moon. The first four submissions resulted in partials and full requests, or partials that led to fulls. The second submission won the first place grand prize in a novel contest, offering an advance and publication. I refused it and sent the book to my agent--she wants to try the big boys with it.
The beginning (a little further in) shows a very heart-wrenching scene, and portrays a girl totally out of her element--which is a non-action opener. I purposely left it kind of vague so the reader ends up with questions in their mind. If you leave the reader with questions in their mind or scratching their head over something, they're inclined to read on because it has that WTF factor. Question: How has society gotten so bad that the head of a household is legally sanctioned to pawn dependent household members? Question: What year is this--they mention Holograms? Question: Who are the Daffodils, and why are they screaming?
Challenge the reader to ponder (hard), to guess, to unravel, but don't give them enough to solve anything. Trip them up and lead them down a dirt road. If you can do that page after page, you've got them by the literary nads. And that's incredibly challenging. You don't need a gang fight, a murder, gunfire, chase scene, explosions, unbridled emotion, heated dialogue with lots of swear words, or an overly graphic sex scene.
On the other hand, don't try to get too purplely and literary in your first paragraphs. Try and avoid a scene that starts from a basic beginning--like someone waking up, showering, getting in the car and arriving at a point of interest. Place your character right at the point of interest in the first paragraph, and have him/her involved in the first hint of the plot, or conflict, or mystery etc. There is no need to stage or prep your characters and their actions. Go very light on any physical description in the beginning. Physical descriptions can bog you down, cut the pace to a snail's crawl.
Watch out for static openings, where you have characters sitting down for a meal, laying in bed, or discussing things over a drink at a bar. Not bad beginnings if you do them right, but they're incredibly boring if muffed. Involve the character right away, if you can, with some pivotal point or decision. You can even have your character witness something very, very strange and lead the reader on that way. Try to avoid describing the weather or a person's reflection in the mirror--these are cliche and overused. If you have one, make sure it is very relevant to the plot or general storyline.
I've actually seen openers where the author describes the environment with such detail and beauty, I wanted to know where this place was. He hooked me with a sense of wonder and awe at what his MC was looking at.
I differentiate between a hook and good beginning, in that I think a good hook is more concept oriented. Great beginnings = page turning. Pull the reader a little bit at a time--set one paragraph or scene up for the next. How can you tell if you have a weak beginning? If your partials or first sample pages are getting hosed, you've failed to reel in the reader. And it's uber important if those readers or agents and editors.
Happy trails. Happy beginning trails, that is.
* * *
Yes, the obligatory plug. You saw it coming didn't you?
Journey
Interrupted, from the Planet Janitor series, has just arrived on
Kindle and can be had for $.99. This prequel short is 32 pages long
and contains artwork crafted by the talented Toni Zhang. Get ready
for some tragedy this time; all is not well in the conclusion.
(BTW,
now I know what it's like to write one of the Star Trek episodes—it
ain't easy)
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Janitor-Journey-Interrupted-ebook/dp/B008I7N4IC/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1342585553&sr=1-5
The crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are on the tail end of a salvage mission in the asteroid belt when they encounter a ghost ship. Faced with a volatile substance onboard, the crew race against the clock to commandeer the vessel before it reaches the Exon Refueling Station. What they find on the ship will stress their abilities to the limit, and put their lives in imminent danger.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Journey Interrupted Hits Kindle
Forgive me. Another publishing announcement. They just keep rolling in.
Journey
Interrupted, from the Planet Janitor series, has just arrived on
Kindle and can be had for $.99. This prequel short is 32 pages long
and contains artwork crafted by the talented Toni Zhang. Get ready
for some tragedy this time; all is not well in the conclusion.
(BTW,
now I know what it's like to write one of the Star Trek episodes—it
ain't easy)
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Janitor-Journey-Interrupted-ebook/dp/B008I7N4IC/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341692678&sr=1-5
Book Description
The crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are on
the tail end of a salvage mission in the asteroid belt when they
encounter a ghost ship. Faced with a volatile substance onboard, the
crew race against the clock to commandeer the vessel before it reaches
the Exon Refueling Station. What they find on the ship will stress their
abilities to the limit, and put their lives in imminent danger.
Product Details
- File Size: 566 KB
- Print Length: 32 pages
- Publisher: Engage SF (July 5, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B008I7N4IC
- Text-to-Speech:
Enabled
- X-Ray:
Not Enabled
- Lending: Enabled
- Would you like to give feedback on images or tell us about a lower price?
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Interview--We Do Write by Dorothy Dreyer
Author Update: Chris Stevenson
Don't you love return guests? So do I! That's why I'm glad to
announce that author Chris Stevenson is back to chat with us. He's got a
new book coming out, so let's learn more about it.
http://www.bookstrand.com/the-wolfen-strain
http://www.amazon.com/The-Wolfen-Strain-ebook/dp/B008G0PE2U/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341685785&sr=1-4
Welcome back, Chris! Tell us about THE WOLFEN STRAIN. What’s the story about?
Tagline/Hook:
Seth Anson, a
lovelorn forest ranger, never thought that he would shoot the first
eligible woman he met after his divorce. Nor did he think that he would
fall in love with her after nursing her back to health. But he certainly
isn’t prepared to find out that she is the result of a DNA cloning
experiment gone horribly wrong and, is in fact, a hybrid wolf/human. To
complicate matters, she also has no idea of her true identity.
Seth
finds out early on that Melina Salinger is a handful. He mistakenly
believes that she suffers from hypertrichosis (werewolf syndrome), and
that she has escaped from a care facility. She confesses later that she
has been confined in an underground missile silo by her geneticist
father, Davis Salinger, and the only thing she knows about everyday life
has been gleaned from video movies and television. Now she wants to be
a normal girl.
It isn’t easy
trying to indoctrinate a woman into society who pants, growls and thinks
that Emerald City is a real place somewhere over the rainbow. The
ritual shavings and skin maintenance are enough to drive him crazy.
Moreover, when she goes into a feverish estrus cycle, sex and passion
seem like blunt-force trauma.
Just when Seth
thinks he has things under control, Melina becomes deathly ill. Her
mysterious father shows up to offer aid, and then shockingly confesses
that she carries ancient wolf DNA. After recovering, Melina, shamed and
traumatized by this knowledge, becomes suicidal and runs away. Only her
father left out the part about her other litter mate – a grotesque
monster, Romulus, has just broken out of the silo compound. Romulus is
bent on finding her for the purpose of mating and will kill anyone who
gets in his way.
Seth has to use
his skills as a ranger to find Melina in the Wyoming wilderness. He has
Romulus out in front of him, the National Guard, the sheriff’s office, a
maniac cryptozoologist, and every monster-hunting vigilante in the
state hot on his heels. He has to decide if it is guilt that drives him
on his quest to find Melina, or that somehow, this wild and beautiful
female was destined to be the love of his life.
The Wolfen Strain examines the lurid morality issues that are dealt with in The Island of Doctor Moreau. Yet the predominant theme is that of forbidden love, found in Beauty and the Beast, only with the gender rolls reversed.
How did the idea of the story come to you?
When my second
agent went to the BEA a few years back, he did so with the express
purpose of asking each editor he met what (exactly) they were looking
for as pertains to the next big thing. He made a lot of face to face
contact and scribbled voluminous notes. One publisher, the small black
and white bird from the Antarctic, replied that they would love to see a
new spin on a werewolf tale. My agent queried me and asked if I was up
to the task. I said I was, and that I had conditions. The conditions
were, that I would not follow the general trope—howlings, full moon,
Lycanthropy and silver bullets. If they wanted a unique concept, I would
really give it to them. I thought about what Michael Crichton had done
with Jurassic Park, and thought about the current Thylacine Project, and
how ancient DNA was being processed to resurrect extinct, hybrid
animals. So I devised a way to find and reproduce the genome in an ice age
dire wolf. But this dire wolf was a man-eater. When the scientist
performs the experiment, his protocol serum somehow replicates the human
gene, which gives birth to a human/wolf hybrid. In addition, two other
litter mates are spawned: a true ice age dire wolf and a grotesque
monster. Of course, with this three-pack combination, all hell breaks
lose.
Without giving too much away, what's your favorite part of the book?
Melina Salinger is
just the strangest female creature that Seth Anson has ever seen. He
has a lot of trouble teaching her about ladylike behavior and what is
expected of a woman in today's society. The funniest part is when she
enters an estrus cycle and chases Seth around the tower room, demanding a
mating ritual. He more or less gets raped when she overpowers him. It's
an awkward, but memorable scene.
Best time of day to write?
I try to get in a
major chunk of writing during the morning hours. That's when I have most
of my energy. Then I have to do my farm chores, which might take about
three to four hours. I'll come back to the house, shower, and attempt to
pull another stint at the keyboard. I steal as much time as I can
during the day, and have been known to writer into the late, wee hours
of the night and early morning.
Who are your top three favorite characters from books by other authors?
Ethan Fortune, in
Alan Dean Foster's book, Icerigger, is a favorite character of mine.
He's stranded on an ice world with a race of furry giants, and just
can't seem to get with the program, without embarrassing himself or
breaking some kind of cultural law. Skua September (from the same book),
is the opposite of Ethan—he's brash, reckless and a fighter, who
doesn't really care who's cultural laws he steps on. Philo Skinner, from
the book, Black Marble, is an unforgettable rogue who schemes his way
through every hour of the day, taking advantage of anyone who crosses
his path. He's disgusting, smokes three packs of cigarettes a day, and
gags so frequently that he cannot speak at times. He cries often, and
wonders why life has dealt him such a terrible lot.
Where can we find your new book online?
As of this writing, The Wolfen Strain is not up on Amazon yet. But it will be this month, after June 26th.
You have only to Google it in the Kindle section. A trade paperback
will be released two months after the ebook release. You can find it
also from the publisher's website here:
http://www.bookstrand.com/the-wolfen-strain
ETA: THE WOLFEN STRAIN HAS JUST HIT AMAZON KINDLE AT THE TIME OF THIS NOTATION. FIND IT HERE:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Wolfen-Strain-ebook/dp/B008G0PE2U/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1341685785&sr=1-4
Thanks for updating us, Chris. Good luck with your new book!
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Wolfen Strain--Official Release Day!
This book has hit some bumps, curves and setbacks along the way, but it's finally made it. So far, it's available on the publisher website and BookStrand. Amazon, of course, is taking their sweet time, but it should be up soon.
I dedicated this book to Michael Crichton for some rather obvious reasons--it's a werewolf tale, but yet it's not. It's a big, complex multiple viewpoint story set in the grandeur of the Wyoming wilderness, a picturesque and beautiful setting.
The concept and origin of the story is best explained in my interview with Dorothy Dreyer on We Do Write:
http://we-do-write.blogspot.com/2012...stevenson.html
Available at:
http://lachesispublishing.com/prodde...heWolfenStrain
http://www.bookstrand.com/the-wolfen-strain
Blurb:
In a remote compound in Wyoming a geneticist created the first female human-wolf hybrid and adopted her as his daughter. When Melina Salinger discovers who and what she really is she escapes her father's domain and sets out into the wilderness—any other life would be better than the one that was forced upon her.
Seth Anson, a ranger stationed at the Wheeler Ridge watchtower, is trying to get over a bitter divorce—working in the majestic Shoshone forest is the only way he knows how to get on with his life. Consequently, he is unprepared for the strange and mysterious woman he accidentally shoots and then must nurse back to health. As Seth and Melina form a close bond that leads to something deeper—they have no idea that the geneticist’s other creation—the result of a DNA cloning experiment gone horribly wrong—is bent on finding Melina and committing a monstrous act.
Tagline/Hook:
Seth Anson, a lovelorn forest ranger, never thought that he would shoot the first eligible woman he met after his divorce. Nor did he think that he would fall in love with her after nursing her back to health. But he certainly isn’t prepared to find out that she is the result of a DNA cloning experiment gone horribly wrong and, is in fact, a hybrid wolf/human. To complicate matters, she also has no idea of her true identity.
Seth finds out early on that Melina Salinger is a handful. He mistakenly believes that she suffers from hypertrichosis (werewolf syndrome), and that she has escaped from a care facility. She confesses later that she has been confined in an underground missile silo by her geneticist father, Davis Salinger, and the only thing she knows about everyday life has been gleaned from video movies and television. Now she wants to be a normal girl.
It isn’t easy trying to indoctrinate a woman into society who pants, growls and thinks that Emerald City is a real place somewhere over the rainbow. The ritual shavings and skin maintenance are enough to drive him crazy. Moreover, when she goes into a feverish estrus cycle, sex and passion seem like blunt-force trauma.
Just when Seth thinks he has things under control, Melina becomes deathly ill. Her mysterious father shows up to offer aid, and then shockingly confesses that she carries ancient wolf DNA. After recovering, Melina, shamed and traumatized by this knowledge, becomes suicidal and runs away. Only her father left out the part about her other littermate – a grotesque monster, Romulus, has just broken out of the silo compound. Romulus is bent on finding her for the purpose of mating and will kill anyone who gets in his way.
Seth has to use his skills as a ranger to find Melina in the Wyoming wilderness. He has Romulus out in front of him, the National Guard, the sheriff’s office, a maniac cryptozoologist, and every monster-hunting vigilante in the state hot on his heels. He has to decide if it is guilt that drives him on his quest to find Melina, or that somehow, this wild and beautiful female was destined to be the love of his life.
The Wolfen Strain examines the lurid morality issues that are dealt with in The Island of Doctor Moreau. Yet the predominant theme is that of forbidden love, found in Beauty and the Beast, only with the gender rolls reversed.
I hope you enjoy this twist on the werewolf tale.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Do You Think You Have a Breakout Novel?
When considering my interpretation of a breakout novel, for this topic I'm referring to a book that is pre-publication and pulling in a lot of interest from either agents or editors. That's why I phrased it, "Do You Think...?" A breakout novel can also be one that immediately takes off in sales, garners voluminous reviews and climbs the best-selling ranks in very short order. That's post-publication. We've seen some of the self-published e-books do this just recently. But what if you're in the beginning of the query stage and, unexpectedly, you are receiving mass requests for partials and fulls, or are drawing contract offers right out of the gate? You just might have a breakout novel on your hands and not know it, or be sitting there in a daze, unable to fathom what's happening. I think I'm going through this right now, and it's a shock if you're not expecting it or prepared for it. And, incidentally, this goes for agent subs to the major houses, but in that case your agent will know precisely what to do if this happens--it usually means a high initial floor bid or an auction.
Let's say you have, in your opinion, a dynamite query letter, a great first chapter (or front pages) hook, and an intriguing story that holds the readers interest from act 1 to act 3. Let's say you also believe that your concept or premise is original, or so damn interesting that is will compel an agent or editor to read on. This pretty much describes all us writers--we really wouldn't put anything out there if we didn't believe in it. And, unfortunately, we are always ready for those inevitable rejections or non-responses, because this is really how most books are processed and rejected. We expect somewhere around a 10 or 15 percent request rate, which is pretty nuch the norm, unless we've really goofed our query and sample pages.
But what if lightning strikes?
What's lightning in this scenario? Let's say you've sent out 10 queries and sample pages, or a synopsis and three chapters, depending upon the guidelines. If you pull six or more requests for additional pages, or fulls from agents or editors, you can bet this might be one of the first signs of a breakout. If your requests come within a few weeks of submission (ignoring standard response times), you can almost guarantee that you have something very special and you've landed in sweet spot, breakout territory. This mass love would also apply to multiple R & R requests. So you sit back and wait for determinations on your full manuscripts. Then in a very short period of time, days or weeks (again, ignoring the standard response times), you're offered representation or contract offers, out of that same 10 original submissions. If you have, say, four or more contract offers out of those 10, you can rest assured that you have a possible breakout novel. The higher the number of offers, the more solid your conviction will be that you have a winner. If, at this time, you are only submitting to publishers, I suggest you drop what you're doing, put all offers on the back burner and immediately seek agent representation. Without being bragadocious, calmly explain to the agent what's happening. Do this by email--don't call--you're not a client. Yet.
The realization of a breakout can happen in a number of ways other than the above. A publisher, or several can advise you to seek agent representation, if you are without one. Several editors or agents can regretfully pass on the manuscript but give you direct, personal referrals to competing houses or agencies. Some agents or editors might ask you for an exclusive, even though they're not known for this procedure. Just remember that your request rates will be very high in the initial query stage, followed by numerous contract offers. The ultimate decision is up to you--who you're going to sign with. At this stage, it's best if you hold out and submit to your dream agents or top 10 publishers. If you wish to publish with any of the Big Six, you will need an agent.
My indications came a little bit differently, but nevertheless raised my antenna. I sent out about six query packages, or synopsis and chapters. The first response I had was for a full within one week. After the full, the editor asked if I would agree to some major tone changes. He said the premise and hook were outstanding, but he felt a major personality change was needed for the second half of the book. This went back and forth for three weeks until I politely declined. My second response arrived with a request for a full, as did the third and fourth. I'm still waiting on these at the moment. My fifth response came back with a notation that I'd qualified for a YA distopian novel writing contest, sponsored by the publisher. Thirty days later I was notified that I was in contention for the first place, grand prize slot. One week after that, they told me I'd won, and they offered an advance and publication. My sixth response came back after the award announcement, via a publisher, who offered a contract. My submission process lasted about 50 days, and those were the results for six submissions. Truth be told, I tossed all of this positive news at my agent in bits and pieces as I received them. She hadn't even read the book yet, but promised to get on it and get back to me.
If you're experiencing this type of reaction to your initial queries, congratulations are in order! Does this lead to best-sellerdom? That's difficult to project, since this business is so subjective. But it puts you, or you and your agent in the driver's seat, completely in control of your ride to fame or fortune, or at least, in possession of a book that drew a little spark of lightning. One of the questions we always ask ourselves is, "How can I repeat this? How did it happen and can I bottle this formula?" It's hard to answer because so many variables come into play. It's taken me years to narrow it down and guess at the answer. First it lies in the query, that all important intro to your story. And it's there where an editor or agent can discover it before turning a page. It would have to be concept. An original premise that has that OMG factor. Nothing else can pop off the first page of your proposal better than a groundbreaking concept. If it has "high" concept, well the stars your destination.
Good luck, and breakout from the pack!
Let's say you have, in your opinion, a dynamite query letter, a great first chapter (or front pages) hook, and an intriguing story that holds the readers interest from act 1 to act 3. Let's say you also believe that your concept or premise is original, or so damn interesting that is will compel an agent or editor to read on. This pretty much describes all us writers--we really wouldn't put anything out there if we didn't believe in it. And, unfortunately, we are always ready for those inevitable rejections or non-responses, because this is really how most books are processed and rejected. We expect somewhere around a 10 or 15 percent request rate, which is pretty nuch the norm, unless we've really goofed our query and sample pages.
But what if lightning strikes?
What's lightning in this scenario? Let's say you've sent out 10 queries and sample pages, or a synopsis and three chapters, depending upon the guidelines. If you pull six or more requests for additional pages, or fulls from agents or editors, you can bet this might be one of the first signs of a breakout. If your requests come within a few weeks of submission (ignoring standard response times), you can almost guarantee that you have something very special and you've landed in sweet spot, breakout territory. This mass love would also apply to multiple R & R requests. So you sit back and wait for determinations on your full manuscripts. Then in a very short period of time, days or weeks (again, ignoring the standard response times), you're offered representation or contract offers, out of that same 10 original submissions. If you have, say, four or more contract offers out of those 10, you can rest assured that you have a possible breakout novel. The higher the number of offers, the more solid your conviction will be that you have a winner. If, at this time, you are only submitting to publishers, I suggest you drop what you're doing, put all offers on the back burner and immediately seek agent representation. Without being bragadocious, calmly explain to the agent what's happening. Do this by email--don't call--you're not a client. Yet.
The realization of a breakout can happen in a number of ways other than the above. A publisher, or several can advise you to seek agent representation, if you are without one. Several editors or agents can regretfully pass on the manuscript but give you direct, personal referrals to competing houses or agencies. Some agents or editors might ask you for an exclusive, even though they're not known for this procedure. Just remember that your request rates will be very high in the initial query stage, followed by numerous contract offers. The ultimate decision is up to you--who you're going to sign with. At this stage, it's best if you hold out and submit to your dream agents or top 10 publishers. If you wish to publish with any of the Big Six, you will need an agent.
My indications came a little bit differently, but nevertheless raised my antenna. I sent out about six query packages, or synopsis and chapters. The first response I had was for a full within one week. After the full, the editor asked if I would agree to some major tone changes. He said the premise and hook were outstanding, but he felt a major personality change was needed for the second half of the book. This went back and forth for three weeks until I politely declined. My second response arrived with a request for a full, as did the third and fourth. I'm still waiting on these at the moment. My fifth response came back with a notation that I'd qualified for a YA distopian novel writing contest, sponsored by the publisher. Thirty days later I was notified that I was in contention for the first place, grand prize slot. One week after that, they told me I'd won, and they offered an advance and publication. My sixth response came back after the award announcement, via a publisher, who offered a contract. My submission process lasted about 50 days, and those were the results for six submissions. Truth be told, I tossed all of this positive news at my agent in bits and pieces as I received them. She hadn't even read the book yet, but promised to get on it and get back to me.
If you're experiencing this type of reaction to your initial queries, congratulations are in order! Does this lead to best-sellerdom? That's difficult to project, since this business is so subjective. But it puts you, or you and your agent in the driver's seat, completely in control of your ride to fame or fortune, or at least, in possession of a book that drew a little spark of lightning. One of the questions we always ask ourselves is, "How can I repeat this? How did it happen and can I bottle this formula?" It's hard to answer because so many variables come into play. It's taken me years to narrow it down and guess at the answer. First it lies in the query, that all important intro to your story. And it's there where an editor or agent can discover it before turning a page. It would have to be concept. An original premise that has that OMG factor. Nothing else can pop off the first page of your proposal better than a groundbreaking concept. If it has "high" concept, well the stars your destination.
Good luck, and breakout from the pack!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Gate Walker, a Paranormal Romance, Twisting Time
TIME FOR A PLUG SHOT ON A LOST AND FORGOTTEN TITLE.
I've neglected this book, my first YA in the paranormal vein, but it has always shown me sales, albeit small ones, every month without fail. It seems harsh for me to let it languish and fall into the cracks of obscurity. I think the story excels on a few levels, in that I explain time travel in great detail, instead of glossing over it. It has an undercurrent of Roman mythology, and I have to say that the character, "Wax Man" , is the most horrific, disgusting and vile antagonist I've ever crafted. I think he makes Freddy Kruger look like a candy striper in comparison. Gate Walker held sixth place for highest ranking publisher's novel, in a field of over 200 books, and for a period of six months.
Gate Walker is listed on Amazon for the blowout price of $.99.
Here is a five-star review from Aurora that surprised and delighted me:
Gate Walker by Chris Stevenson
Publisher: Lyrical Press, Incorporated
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (234 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Orchid
Don’t drink and drive, especially when traveling the space-time continuum highway.
Avalon Labrador is convicted and sentenced to die for her husband's murder. In a twist of fate, before the sentence can be carried out, an odd priest informs her that she is being given a second chance to right the wrongs of the past. Avalon must die, but before she does, she must also give birth to a part of herself.
Avy Labrador doesn't know what to make of the odd twists life has thrown her way since she turned eighteen. All she knows is that something isn't right and it has to do with the death of her mother and her husband many years ago. As if an odd priest, powers she never knew she had, and a brand new magician boyfriend aren't enough to turn her life upside down, she finds her own life in danger as she tries to solve a crime that happened more than three decades ago and prevent a new one from occurring.
Will Avy accept her fate and learn to become a Gate-Walker in order to clear her mother's name and find the real killer?
An eighteenth birthday should be celebrated, but Avy's party comes to an abrupt end when her Uncle Drake arrives home. First he tells her friends to leave, then he tells Avy she should strike out into the world on her own. He provides her with a large cheque and a letter from her real mother.
Avy is the biological daughter of Avalon who was married to Drake's brother. Avalon was sentenced to death for her husband's murder. Many years and appeals later the execution had to be delayed when it was found Avalon was pregnant. Avy's mother died giving birth to her and no one knew who her father was. Drake and his wife adopted the baby, Avy.
She finds a job with Sebastian, a magician. She enjoys the work and also feels an attraction for Sebastian. The letter convinces Avy of her mother's innocence. Avy is determined to clear her mother's name - but how?
Father Janus, an acquaintance of Sebastian, tells Avy she is a Gate Walker and can travel through time and space. He instructs her to use this ability to find the real murderer and stop more evil happening. Avy's response is total disbelief - then Janus walks through a wall and doubt creeps into her mind.
With the help of Sebastian and Chubby, a prison guard who knew and adored her mother, Avy sets out to learn how to use her new skills and prove her mother's innocence. They also have to keep one step ahead of the mysterious individual who is following their every step.
Gate Walker is a captivating book. Mystery, magic and the paranormal blend together in a perfect mix. The story holds the imagination and although Avy's abilities would not be believed in the world as we know it, between the covers of Gate Walker they seem very natural.
Avy acts much older than her eighteen years, but at times her youth shows through. She uncovers a lot of information about the people who were around at the time of the murder. In the process she also discovers information about her uncle which refers to his illegal activities in the present time.
I would thoroughly recommend this book to fantasy enthusiasts who also like romance. Romance readers would find this story very much to their liking as the paranormal abilities add excitement and intrigue. Young Adults of sixteen years an over would also find this to their liking. Definitely a book I would read again and again - I keep coming back when I really enjoy a book. Well done Chris Stevenson, have you written any more books like this? If so I'd love to read them.
I've neglected this book, my first YA in the paranormal vein, but it has always shown me sales, albeit small ones, every month without fail. It seems harsh for me to let it languish and fall into the cracks of obscurity. I think the story excels on a few levels, in that I explain time travel in great detail, instead of glossing over it. It has an undercurrent of Roman mythology, and I have to say that the character, "Wax Man" , is the most horrific, disgusting and vile antagonist I've ever crafted. I think he makes Freddy Kruger look like a candy striper in comparison. Gate Walker held sixth place for highest ranking publisher's novel, in a field of over 200 books, and for a period of six months.
Gate Walker is listed on Amazon for the blowout price of $.99.
Here is a five-star review from Aurora that surprised and delighted me:
Gate Walker by Chris Stevenson
Publisher: Lyrical Press, Incorporated
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (234 pgs)
Rating: 5 suns
Reviewed by Orchid
Don’t drink and drive, especially when traveling the space-time continuum highway.
Avalon Labrador is convicted and sentenced to die for her husband's murder. In a twist of fate, before the sentence can be carried out, an odd priest informs her that she is being given a second chance to right the wrongs of the past. Avalon must die, but before she does, she must also give birth to a part of herself.
Avy Labrador doesn't know what to make of the odd twists life has thrown her way since she turned eighteen. All she knows is that something isn't right and it has to do with the death of her mother and her husband many years ago. As if an odd priest, powers she never knew she had, and a brand new magician boyfriend aren't enough to turn her life upside down, she finds her own life in danger as she tries to solve a crime that happened more than three decades ago and prevent a new one from occurring.
Will Avy accept her fate and learn to become a Gate-Walker in order to clear her mother's name and find the real killer?
An eighteenth birthday should be celebrated, but Avy's party comes to an abrupt end when her Uncle Drake arrives home. First he tells her friends to leave, then he tells Avy she should strike out into the world on her own. He provides her with a large cheque and a letter from her real mother.
Avy is the biological daughter of Avalon who was married to Drake's brother. Avalon was sentenced to death for her husband's murder. Many years and appeals later the execution had to be delayed when it was found Avalon was pregnant. Avy's mother died giving birth to her and no one knew who her father was. Drake and his wife adopted the baby, Avy.
She finds a job with Sebastian, a magician. She enjoys the work and also feels an attraction for Sebastian. The letter convinces Avy of her mother's innocence. Avy is determined to clear her mother's name - but how?
Father Janus, an acquaintance of Sebastian, tells Avy she is a Gate Walker and can travel through time and space. He instructs her to use this ability to find the real murderer and stop more evil happening. Avy's response is total disbelief - then Janus walks through a wall and doubt creeps into her mind.
With the help of Sebastian and Chubby, a prison guard who knew and adored her mother, Avy sets out to learn how to use her new skills and prove her mother's innocence. They also have to keep one step ahead of the mysterious individual who is following their every step.
Gate Walker is a captivating book. Mystery, magic and the paranormal blend together in a perfect mix. The story holds the imagination and although Avy's abilities would not be believed in the world as we know it, between the covers of Gate Walker they seem very natural.
Avy acts much older than her eighteen years, but at times her youth shows through. She uncovers a lot of information about the people who were around at the time of the murder. In the process she also discovers information about her uncle which refers to his illegal activities in the present time.
I would thoroughly recommend this book to fantasy enthusiasts who also like romance. Romance readers would find this story very much to their liking as the paranormal abilities add excitement and intrigue. Young Adults of sixteen years an over would also find this to their liking. Definitely a book I would read again and again - I keep coming back when I really enjoy a book. Well done Chris Stevenson, have you written any more books like this? If so I'd love to read them.
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