Athletes expect to practice to sharpen and grow their gifts. Here's why writers need to adapt the same mindset.
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Read More“Something big happened. In mid-February (on my birthday), I signed with a small literary agency. This summer, my agent negotiated a five-book deal with a publisher. Now, she has sold the audio rights for all five books. ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! Keep on working your magic, Patrick.”
Finding an agent who is excited to work with you is more like dating than choosing a skilled doctor to visit. It’s personal. It’s subjective. It’s about first impressions, common interests, and establishing mutual excitement to build a bright future together. Ideally, it’s a committed, long haul relationship, prepared to weather any bumps. It’s no wonder that there can be frustrating rejections of “I like but just don’t love enough to pursue.”
BUT there are smarter ways to vet and curate your wishlist—to tip the scales a little closer in your favor. And it boils down to doing your homework. Sometimes lots of homework to tailor your search, so it seems like “fate” has landed your query in said agent’s in-box.
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It’s every aspiring writer’s least favorite scenario: waiting to hear back from a literary agent.
But it’s possible—hardly even uncommon—to never get a response from your queries, or even after an invite was extended. What gives? Is your work that bad or wrong for them to justify query amnesia? Are agents so inundated that even a form letter rejection is too much to ask? Because, like in dating, getting “ghosted” is by far THE WORST.
Well, I’m going to let you in on some secrets. Or rather,
12 Hard Truths About Getting Rejected (Or Receiving “the Silent Treatment”) from Agents
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I recently had a lot of fun being a guest on the Startup Hustle Podcast to talk about the process of publishing a book and the business behind it. There’s loads of practical advice regarding making the leap from idea to manuscript. Plus we give plenty of attention to the rise of indie authors.
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Remember how you once dreamed of aimless free time—solitary or otherwise—to jumpstart that novel, revise that troublesome chapter, or do a little necessary research? If only we had more time to work on our craft.
CUT TO… the couch, remote in hand.
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Congrats to Horace Hough, former middle school vice principal and director of an all-boys mentoring program, on the recent publication of 8 Things Every Boy Should Know About Being a Man (Bethune & Nest).
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I don’t know much about numerology but 2020 just feels good, doesn’t it?
As creative people with things to say, I declare 2020 the year we choose to abandon perfection and fear. Instead, let’s focus on creation, expression, trusting instincts, and following our inherent need to write.
No ifs, whens, or buts—just butts in seats.
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Everyone respects the value of a strong and memorable book title, but have you given much thought to the power of a well-crafted subtitle? It’s often overlooked and woefully underused. And that’s a shame because its purpose is essentially to close the deal.
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Ever try to read a story and find yourself thinking, I seriously don’t care what happens to these characters?
Maybe you’re a chapter in and already getting antsy, your mind drifting to dinner options. Or worse, bored on the very first page. If so, it doesn’t matter how amazing it gets because the writer is about to lose a reader.
Likability equals reader investment. No one voluntarily hangs with—and I’d argue that’s what pleasure reading is—someone they don’t care about (yet). It applies to heroes and villains and all the desirable real-life shades in between.
How then do you hook readers’ interest and empathy early on?
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It’s always thrilling to watch clients’ aspiration and hard work become published reality.
This month two very different projects hit the marketplace and are finding their audience.
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Everyone knows to capitalize names. I mean “patrick” looks so weird that spellcheck tried to automatically fix it. But it’s very common to get tripped up when we’re talking about Mom and Dad.
Or is it mom and dad? My Mom? Our dad?
What should be simple can leave you second-guessing or using inconsistently.
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As readers, there’s no better feeling than when we can’t put down a book.
But how do you keep readers invested in your work? How do you get them to tune out everything else and gladly get lost in your words?
Here’s a shortlist of vital ways to hold readers’ interest. And they don’t apply to thrillers only, as every work should be thrilling in its own way. Otherwise, the placed bookmark will simply note where the reader moved on.
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Congrats to Chris Roberts on the publication of his inspiring personal tale, You’ve Earned It!
Increasingly, indie publishing can be a viable alternative to the “query and wait/pray” path of traditional publication. If you’re willing to invest in yourself, producing a polished book helps build one’s vital “platform” and share your ideas or story with others. And with print-on-demand (POD) and ebook formats, no longer is “self-publishing” a dirty word or synonymous with a car trunk or closet stacked with books.
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Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, titling your book can feel:
Easy (“I’ve known the perfect title since Day One.”)
Challenging (“There’s a working title but it doesn’t feel quite right yet.”)
SUPER HARD (“Kill me now—this is impossible.”)
For most, it falls between challenging and hands-up despair. Why do these few words create such turmoil when you’re able to otherwise craft entire books? It’s because a title is the work’s most hardworking calling card.
And while a bad cover may turn off a prospective buyer/reader, a bad title can bury your book.
No wonder it feels like a lot of pressure.
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I know it’s hard. It’s a little scary to put yourself and your words out there.
As creative people, thoughts and ideas are often pulling us in every direction…except forward. Sometimes we just need a little push.
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To increase the odds of getting a book offer, it’s essential to think like an acquiring editor.
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When it comes to successful publishing, category is king. Yes, it may sound unsexy or restrictive, but a category does not to take away from your work’s uniqueness. It’s a necessary beacon.
Read MoreEven the most camera-shy should get with the picture. Like an appealing cover and a strong book title, a quality author photo is an essential part of the publication “package” for both indie and traditionally published authors in most any format or genre.
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Writing a strong query letter is a necessary part of procuring a literary agent. But sometimes that one all-important page can feel, well, overwhelming.
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