I've recently came in contact
with an amazing 16 year-old writer named, Lilly Maison.
I found her on Jessica (another amazing writer) Brody's blog HERE.
Her super short story won 3rd place at “A Chance to Unremember” hosted by
Figment.com.
And that's not all;
Lily was recently recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing awards for
one of her short stories and received a gold medal. Did I mention she's only
sixteen? Wow! Ah-mazing!!
Lilly is working
on editing her novel and preparing it for submission to literary agents. She
asked if I had any advice for her about the process? Oh, do I?!
BTW All you
seasoned writers, please feel free to direct a comment to her below. I know
there are probably some things I missed. And I know a lot of you have got some
great things to share.
Advice about the submission
process? Hmmmmm…let's see now, before you hit the Send button make sure you've
already sent your ms (manuscript) to several trusted CPs aka critique partners.
Don't have any? Join a writing group. There are some free ones online such as YALITCHAT. Ask around, referrals are
priceless.
The professional
ones are obviously not free but well worth it as you are in the midst of seasoned
writers (lots on bestselling authors too) and some even offer free classes. SCBWI, RWA, ACFW, ITW to name a few popular ones.
Follow your dream agents on Twitter, Facebook,
etc. Learn more about them. Sometimes they even send out tweets regarding what's
on their submission wish list. You can also create a list of them on Twitter or
star or group them on Facebook so they all can come up on one feed. Nobody will
ever know you're stalking them .
On Twitter you may list them
publically or privately. All you have to do is go to the person's page and
click on the person icon next to the Follow button. Click on 'Add or Remove
From Lists.'
And don't forget to personalize the query.
Mention one of your favorite authors they represent, if they do. Or if you
follow their blog and enjoy reading, don't be shy to let them know.
Always keep
track of who you query (also the agency they work for) and the date you sent it
out. When they respond, jot down the date and the status i.e. rejection or
request-full/partial. I also save my sent emails of the requests I send out,
organizing them in an email folder for reference. I don't know how many times I
went back when in need. It really saved me.
If you can, not crucial but definitely useful,
establish a platform. Get your name out there and interact. Agents and
publishers like to see potential authors working hard and building a fan base. Blog,
participate in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, even
Pinterest.
If you're querying, your goal is to get published—might as well start
with the platforming and building now. I've met some pretty amazing people just
by interacting with them on blogs and social networks. So it really isn't just
all work. It's very much worth it.
When sending out subs, query batches of maybe
six to eight at a time. It's best to get feedback and see how it goes rather
than ruining all your chances at once. And besides if everyone is noting the same
thing, i.e. "I didn't connect with the protagonist/didn't click with the characters"
or "The voice wasn't strong enough for me/GMCs weren't clear enough"
maybe it's time to reevaluate their feedback. Professional criticism is gold!
Here are some of my favorite sites to research
agents:
Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre's
Literary Rambles
blog
Lastly, EXPECT REJECTIONS.
Even the best of the best have to endure
those heart stinging oh, so lovely rejections. I know, I know but why? Why
can't it be easy? For some a streak of luck surpasses those dagger disses. But
keep in mind some of the most well-known work of all time have gotten the boot
too.
And if good fortune is on your side, you
might not have to endure many but for the most part rejections are definitely inevitable.
It's why I created an Encouragement page. If you ever need a little pick me up
click HERE. Hope it
helps. But don't let it get you down. Take what you can and learn from each and
every one (if it's not a form rejection) and grow, grow, grow. It does a
writer's mind good.
Keep in mind each rejection is closer to that
YES and THE CALL! Whoop whoop! Be like Stephen King and hang them on your wall
with a railroad spike. (Or not. If you live with your mom. I'm sure she'd freak.
I'm not responsible J.) He had so many but it didn't falter him. Be
like Steph.
In the process don't forget patience is a
virtue. Without it every writer would be shipped to the loony bin. Send your
work off and dive into another project. Always strive to grow in your craft. The
publishing industry is a lot like turtle racing. Most of the time, it's gonna
take weeks, sometimes months depending on the agent and/or publisher.
And if they happen to ask if you have
anything else, bam, now you have a great answer in return. <Why yes, I do (or will, depending on your
time frame with ms) Ms. Such & Such, thank you for asking. >
Questions?
Don't be shy. Leave them in a comment below!
And here's my For Writers link for more help. Best of luck and let us
all know when you get that call so we can celebrate with you!
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