Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Hi y’all. Today is my day on the Southern writers blog, A Good Blog is Hard to Find. Hope you’ll pop over for my post on all the ways that reading our favorite authors can inspire us. Thanks! :)

While I was looking for blog posts to tweet last week, I came across a site where a blogger was particularly dejected over a rejection.

The blogger had met an agent at a conference, established a solid connection, and sent a manuscript to the agent, as invited to do.

The blogger is active in the online writing community, writes well, and follows industry news.

He’d been doing everything right, and he was getting frustrated. He mentioned throwing in the towel.

That’s a very natural response. I sent off each of my carefully-written, carefully-targeted queries with a good deal of hope and optimism.

When I’d see my SASE back in my mailbox, I can remember the sinking feeling I’d get. Some days I’d rip the envelope open quickly to get the pain over with—sort of like tearing off a Band-Aid. Some days I’d open everything else in my mailbox first…even the bills.

Either way, it felt like a punch in the gut. Particularly when I felt like the agent and I were a good match for each other.

So I wasn’t having any luck. My agent search was now stretching over the space of years.

Finally, I decided to go to Plan B. I’d keep the agent queries in circulation, but I decided to go ahead and submit directly to some carefully-targeted publishers, too.

I approached this a couple of different ways. I did submit directly to editors at smaller and independent publishing houses that accepted queries from the unagented (I usually got the editors’ names from the thank yous in authors’ acknowledgment pages.)

I also, I’ll admit, submitted to larger publishers who were closed to queries from the unagented…and a couple that were closed to queries altogether.

Sometimes, I think a different approach is really the only way to keep moving ahead. Obviously, you’ve still got to really make sure that the publisher is the one that fits your manuscript. You need to have a great query. You need to address it to the right editor.

But you don’t have to have an agent first. I’d rather have done it that way…but at the time, it wasn’t going to happen. And it ended up working out well for me—I ended up with a book at mid-sized mystery publisher Midnight Ink and interest from Penguin books, resulting in a new series. And, soon after that, an agent.

Change it up, go to Plan B. But please, don’t throw in the towel.

I don’t know what it is about me lately, but I’ve been a difficult reader to please.

I think it’s the fact that I’ve been unusually busy since late-July. But it seems to me that I’ve been a more impatient reader than ever before—that when I reach a boring patch, it shouldn’t last very long or else I’m going to find something else to read.

This worries me—as a reader and a writer.

I was an English major and classical literature is known for its boring spots. :) I was always able to wade through it before…but I had a whole lot more time on my hands and was definitely a more patient reader.

As a writer, I’m working harder to make sure my story doesn’t drag. I’m reading my manuscripts as an impatient reader and looking for places where my book needs a little shaking up.

Here’s a list I’ve come up with on little ways (well, some of them are bigger ways) to keep things interesting for readers:

Change the setting (are the characters spending too much time sitting and eating?)

Add more dialogue.

Introduce a new character. Or, if you’re me, kill off an old one. :)

Shake up the sentence structure. Are all your sentences starting with the subject, followed by a verb (should you start some with participles or subordinate clauses)? Are there too many nouns preceded by adjectives (should you be choosing stronger verbs)?

Introduce a plot twist.

Add to the conflict.

I also get worn out with too much conflict (I warned you I’m becoming the impossible reader!) So maybe infuse some humor to break up the tension.

Move the characters around. Have them engage in an activity if they’re sitting a lot.

Use both long and short sentences.

Show more than tell.

Cut out the dead wood in the book. Do I have any scenes that seem dead? Do these scenes serve a purpose, or can they be cut out…or could the information in the scene be conveyed in a different way (through dialogue, etc.)?

How do you keep your readers interested?

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past week.

There are fewer this week because I went on tweetcation for the Thanksgiving holiday. :)

If you’re looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

How to Build a Real Network (Not a List of Strangers): http://dld.bz/7R6J

Finding the theme of your book: http://dld.bz/7HVq

How to Get Unstuck: Mind Shifts for the Freelance Writer: http://dld.bz/7HUV

Formatting for E-Readers: http://dld.bz/7HUN

A crime writer’s top 10 crime locations (Guardian): http://dld.bz/7HTS

Agent pitching technique: http://dld.bz/7HTu

Subtexting in Dialogue: http://dld.bz/7HTj

Why so many people want a Kindle for Christmas (Telegraph): http://dld.bz/7HST

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Some Cranberries—for Drinking! http://bit.ly/eelF3U

How to Nurture Your Creativity as a blogger: http://dld.bz/7HS5

The Most Dangerous Moment for an Author: http://dld.bz/7HSe

Christian Fiction and the Awkward Bookstore Dance: http://dld.bz/7HRN

Motivation to Write – How Writers Get and Stay Motivated: http://dld.bz/7FQe

Tips for writers to stay focused on writing while not abandoning other responsibilities: http://dld.bz/7FPn @swkehoe

NaNoWriMo Week 4 – Beginning of the End: http://dld.bz/7FNF

What Can Trade Book Publishers Learn from Comic Books about Branding? http://dld.bz/7FN5

The Knotty Problem of Quantum Gravity: http://dld.bz/7FMZ

7 Common Causes and Proven Cures for Procrastination: http://dld.bz/7FMJ

Letting Action Define Your Characters: http://dld.bz/7FMv

4 Types of Tweets: Don’t Yell Into the Wind– http://dld.bz/7FMs

Becoming An Indie Author: Is Success Based On Luck? http://dld.bz/7F62

Practical Tips For The Nighttime Novelist: http://dld.bz/7CNx

List of dialogue tags: http://dld.bz/7CNu

7 Tips for Editing Your Way to the Best Story on the Planet: http://dld.bz/7CNs

Call me Ishmael… When to reveal your MC’s name if writing in first person: http://dld.bz/7CNc

10 Tips for Attending Writers Conferences: http://dld.bz/7CMW

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar and Pecans from Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/fVSllG @CleoCoyle

The Making of a Novel: What Support Means to a Writer (Huff Post) : http://dld.bz/7BCu

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Published-Author Life: http://dld.bz/7BAF

How to write when you’ve got nothing to say: http://dld.bz/7BA5

Use Facebook and Twitter to Drive Crowds to Your Blog: http://dld.bz/7BA3

4 Reasons Why Best Sellers Get to Suck & You Don’t: http://dld.bz/7BAx

Writers–do you have impostor syndrome? http://dld.bz/7BDP @rebeccabehrens

How to build a character: http://dld.bz/7BAe

An agent on what *not* to do during the query process: http://dld.bz/7xUm @RedSofaLiterary

6 Ways to Cope With Writing Fears: http://dld.bz/7xVS

Acceptance and rejection–balance in the creative life: http://dld.bz/7xVJ

Author Intrusion: How To Stay Invisible: http://dld.bz/7xV6

Your Query Submission Checklist: http://dld.bz/7xTU @RedSofaLiterary

3 ways to get the distance you need for rewriting: http://dld.bz/7xTC

Revising A Manuscript That’s Already Making the Rounds: http://dld.bz/7xTv

At the Core: The Premise and How it Ties it all Together: http://dld.bz/7xTa

Writing ‘high concept’: http://dld.bz/7xST

23 Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger: http://dld.bz/7xSy

Six Tips for Getting the Most Out of Conferences: http://dld.bz/7xSt

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: RAGGEDY ANNE COOKIES http://bit.ly/cTTzjA @CleoCoyle

Authors, Social Media and the Allure of Magical Thinking: http://dld.bz/7xSd

Reference help–the reverse dictionary: http://dld.bz/7xRS

When Errors Are Found In Royalty Statements: http://dld.bz/7xPT

How high are the stakes? Building better conflict and dilemma into your book: http://dld.bz/7xRs

10 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Next Post: http://dld.bz/7xPJ

Inspiration: Even When You Don’t Want to Write: http://dld.bz/7umP

Top Five Mistakes Authors Make in Proposals: http://dld.bz/7umA

Preparing for hibernation–building a winter writing rhythm: http://dld.bz/7xQt

Handgun Tips for Writers: http://dld.bz/7um5

Tips for introverts at writing conferences: http://dld.bz/7umx

6 Ways to Shoot Yourself in the Foot: http://dld.bz/7umk @victoriamixon

Why Creative Writers Need To Reveal Themselves In Their Work: http://dld.bz/7umf

A plot twist too far – was Rick Deckard a replicant? http://dld.bz/7ukW

When Spell-check Fails: Proofreading and Your Manuscript: http://dld.bz/7ukT

Voice: Authenticity and Heart: http://dld.bz/7ukE

If you’re serious about becoming a better writer–just sit down and write: http://dld.bz/7ujU

Facebook Messaging: Why Text and Email Aren’t Equal (Wall St. Journal) : http://dld.bz/7uj7

How to write ‘hot’: http://dld.bz/7rp2

Best Articles This Week for Writers 11/19/2010: http://dld.bz/7u9t @4kidlit

Supporting characters–recipes for conflict: http://dld.bz/7rm6

For crime writers–handling lengthy investigations in our fiction: http://dld.bz/7usF @mkinberg

The writing life is a tough one for many reasons…and it doesn’t help that friends and family don’t completely get what we’re doing.

But still, most of us get some support from the people around us.  We might have a first reader among our friends and family. 

We might have a spouse who gives us the time and space to stare out the window and write for a while.

And then, when our books come out, we have friends who are excited for us and rush out to buy our books.

Right?

Last week, I tweeted a post by mystery publisher Agatho (he’s anonymous) entitled For God’s Sake, Buy Your Friends’ Books.  It was one of the most retweeted tweets that I made. 

I got many direct messages from writers on Twitter saying that all of their family and friends expected them to provide them with a free copy.

This is, actually, pretty shocking to me.  I usually have one person who might angle for a free copy, but everyone else I know is at the bookstore soon after release day—supporting me.  My latest release was $6.99 at full retail…but even if it had been a lot more, they’d be trying to help me out. 

Because we wrote a book.  It took us many hours of relative isolation, writing and rewriting, and work to get that book in a bookstore.

As Agatho put it:

Please tell me why you choose to ignore this remarkable accomplishment by a family member or someone you call a “friend.”  This person has labored, most likely for years, not only in writing a manuscript, but also in jumping through an endless series of hoops to get an agent and/or publisher. S/he has then had to exercise the utmost patience in rewriting several times to please an editor. Then, of course, comes the proofreading, which is even more work.  At the end of the process, s/he holds an extremely affordable, compact, 300-page book that is the culmination of years of hard work and determination.  And you – who will spend $4 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, drop $100 for dinner for two at a trendy restaurant, or waste your money on cheap plastic crap at Walmart – cannot find it in your heart to buy a copy of this book?

Truthfully, though, some of the responsibility for this problem goes to the writer—who is giving these friends or family members free copies of the book. 

I know it’s tough because writers can be reticent and don’t want to address the problem—it’s easier to just hand out the freebies.

But honestly, this is the best response (and it’s true…this is what we’re supposed to be doing with our author copies): “I’m sorry, but all of my author copies are spoken for. My publisher specifically requested that I send them to book bloggers and other reviewers to drive up sales.  But I see that my book is available at ____________ for just  $_____.  I hope you’ll pick up a copy because I really think you’ll enjoy it.”

We can’t force them to buy our book…but we can educate them about the purpose of author copies.

Have you got good support on your book launch days?