Summer Writing Series Part 4: Finding a Publisher or Agent

I recently took a trip to Victoria, BC, a lovely place to visit full of interesting historic sites. These two captured my imagination:

Emily Carr's House

A statue dedicated to Scottish Poet, Robbie Burns

I've always loved reading and writing and dreamed of having my own books on a shelf one day. Here's a little bit of what I've learned about the publishing process.

Step One: Write a great query letter. Start with a general letter and then personalize it for each publisher, editor, and agent. A query usually needs the following:

·         A short bio – one to two sentences about yourself. This is your chance to sell yourself and your writing. Take your time!

·         Your working title and word count – Your novel must be finished before you send it out

·         A one-sentence pitch – sometimes called an elevator pitch. Sell your entire novel in one sentence! I find this extremely difficult.

·         A one-paragraph summary

·         A one- to two-page synopsis – I’m no expert. I used the Save the Cat format to write my last synopsis. I think it helped, but I still haven’t sold my book😊

Step Two: Research publishers, editors, and agents. I do general Google searches and include my genre and the year. The TCK website usually has great suggestions.

Step Three: Start sending and keep sending queries until you land an agent or publisher. Read submission guidelines carefully. Make sure to send exactly what they want and nothing more. For instance, some publishers want to see three sample chapters. These must be your first three chapters. Don't send more than three.

Also, Some agents and publishers do not accept simultaneous submissions (ie. When you send your work to one agent, they do not want you to send it to any other agents until they have accepted our rejected your work.) I don’t bother with these anymore.

Ideally, try sending three or more every week. I also like to send three more as soon as I receive a rejection. It used to take me a week or more to get over each rejection. Now, instead of wallowing, I turn this energy to researching other avenues.

Step Four: Start a new project. You are a writer, not a marketer, although marketing is extremely helpful to writers. You should become better at marketing yourself, but what I’m trying to say is that writing is your passion. Don’t stop writing! This is the part that feeds your soul and inspires you. Searching for a publisher or agent can be a crushing process. Writing something new should keep you grounded. If you need to take breaks from the query process, do it. Or, better yet, if you can afford it, hire someone else to do this for you.

Best of luck! I'd love to read about your experience in this journey in the comments below. Click here if you want to read more about my first experience landing a publisher.

Summer Writing Series: Revising

I am a huge believer in letting my work rest. I can’t see my work clearly for a few weeks after each draft. Now is not the time to let others read the whole thing. I might share a few chapters here and there. I find reading them aloud to trusted listeners very helpful. I also like to write a few short stories, blog posts, or even to start a new novel while I wait for the first draft to rest. If problems or ideas for revision pop up while I wait, I jot them down for later – in a notebook or as a note on my novel. These ideas can wait. Here is an example from my book Taking Comfort.

Originally, I called the book Canada Day. I checked off edits as I went!

After the wait, I reread the whole novel slowly. I do a quick edit – spelling, extra words, wrong words, mistakes, anything that stands out. I also make notes, either directly on the manuscript or in my notebook, about things that need developing, or storylines I drop later. I know I will need to do another revision. I find it overwhelming to attempt these revisions the first time through. Again, it helps to let these ideas simmer, like a stew gathering flavour for hours on the stove. After the second draft, I wait another few weeks.

I have also created Timelines for my books as I edit. This helps me keep track of months, seasons and years. Here is an example from my book Expectations:

I even used the date for each event!

The third time through, I try to fix the problems I noted during the second draft. Often, there are still problems I can’t fix. I note these down to ask my Beta Readers. I pass the book onto trusted friends and writers after my third draft. More waiting while they read and answer my questions.

In my first novels, I found feedback difficult – embarrassed by my weaknesses. I don’t find this anymore, but don’t be surprised if it happens to you. Give it a few days. Then, you should be ready to accept the suggestions with more perspective. You may also find you need to use different readers for your next novel.

On the fourth draft, I don’t read the whole novel again. Instead, I go through and fix whatever my readers have noted. I really love it when they use Track Changes and I can go through and read their comments or simply accept changes made.

At this point, I usually start sending my novel out to agents and publishers. I’ve received some excellent tips this way. If I could afford it, I would send my book to an editor instead. Maybe one day.

I recently received some excellent tips from Leanne Morgena, Senior Editor at The Wild Rose Press. Thank you, Leanne! Here are some of the tips I am currently using to improve my books:

·         Search for passive phrases “it was, it is, it’s, there’s, there was” etc.

·         Don’t paraphrase dialogue

·         Look for times when I say “felt, heard, noticed, thought” Usually, these sentences should be rewritten to show rather than tell

       I use these tips to go through my novel in detail. After this point, I can’t do much else alone. I send it out. I hope for the best!

       Next week, I will share what I’ve learned about seeking a Publisher or Agent. 

Summer Writing Series Part 2: The First Draft

First Draft

I love delving into my own world. For me, the best day of writing is when I have escaped into a new reality, breathing, seeing, and hearing what my characters experience. For this reason, I let myself go, without rereading, forgetting about editing until later. Terry Pratchett says, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” Revel in this. If you find it difficult, remember you can change anything and everything later. For now, just go! Don’t self-edit, don’t tell yourself you are being ridiculous, simply play. No criticism allowed!

Planning

I haven’t used a specific organizational format for any of my novels. I jot down, as quickly as possible, whatever I know about the novel as I go – a character sketch, a brief plot line, even a conversation. 

I think I could improve here. I plan to use Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat outline before I start my next novel. I used it after my latest works in progress were completed. I also continue drafting throughout the book.

For a while, I left a synopsis whenever I stopped writing for the day. One or two sentences about where to go next. I also keep a character journal where I keep track of details about each character – age, hair colour, favourite phrase, names of friends, siblings, or pets.

Finishing the first draft

Finishing the first draft is so exciting! But one of my problems is that I anticipate this completion and tend to rush my endings. Knowing this, I try to draw the ending out. Again, Save The Cat has helped me in this area. Brody has a very specific set of steps necessary for the ending. I have used her process to help me revise my ending, but I’m hoping my next book ending will be smoother if I plan first. 

I think it's important to celebrate this momentous occasion. I like to keep track of the days I write, how many words I write, and when I complete each draft in a little notebook. Perhaps this is the schoolteacher in me. I like to see what I’ve done – to keep a record of my work. When I finish the first draft, I like to go out for dinner with my husband, or at least buy myself a fancy coffee.

Does any of this sound like your writing process? I'd love to know.

Summer Writing Series Part 1: Novel Beginnings

I’ve been reading a lot of books about writing and I wondered – After 25 years of writing, do I have anything to say about writing? My favourite writing books are On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lammott, Save The Cat by Jessica Brody, and The Right to Write by Julie Cameron. What could I add to their great advice? 

Here is part one of several posts about my novel writing process.

Questions

For me, ideas for novels have grown out of questions. Questions I can’t answer any other way. What would King David’s story look like in Modern Times? (After His Heart) 

What happened to Elizabeth and Darcy after Pride and Prejudice? (Expectations)

How did my grandmother manage teaching for a year with no salary? (Emmy in Harding)

These questions have to be big enough and interesting enough to sustain me for several years. This thought can be overwhelming, so I often tell myself to just write a short story (Expectations should have been a 20-page continuation for my sister’s 29^th birthday.) 

I have several books started that fizzled out. The questions I asked in these books weren’t big enough. Or another question took over and I stopped writing those books. I still mean to return to Prairie Book Club one day!

In my next blog, I'll talk more about the First Draft. Subscribe now so you don't miss an article in my Summer Writing Series