STATUS: I’m taking your advice about being on vacation so here’s a picture just to show you that I”m having fun. It was a bit chillier today but still lovely. Here in New Zealand, they call it “tramping” instead of hiking.
On Friday, it is back to work as the Auckland Writer’s Conference starts then. Maybe I’ll be back in the blogging mood.
STATUS: I’m a mad woman! Cleaning contracts off my desk left and right. Right and left. I LOVE when final contracts come and they are ready for client signatures.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? COME AS YOU ARE by Nirvana
How cool is this? I just had to share because I’m so tickled. Now I have to figure out how to get it to display on the side bar. He sent me the html code but knowing me, I’d goof that up.
Dear Kristin,
Congratulations! Your site was nominated and later selected as the latest recipient of the Preditors & Editors’ Truly Useful Site Award.
Your site will be honored on a Preditors & Editors’ Sites of Distinction page along with a link to your site. As well, you are entitled to display our award on your site. An individualized GIF file of the award is attached for display purposes.
Again, our congratulations go out to you on your success in creating such an outstanding site.
In admiration of your efforts,
Dave Kuzminski, Editor
Preditors & Editors ™
STATUS: Finally, after two weeks, things are easing up and soon I will be able to share all kinds of good news…
What’s playing on the iPod right now? RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA by Brook Benton
I think it’s good to take a few breaks from the agency agreement blogs and mainly because I just had to share this story.
My author Jennifer O’Connell was doing an event to promote the Judy Blume Antho this past weekend. She thought it a bit odd that there was a person dressed in a baseball cap and sunglasses in the back row but didn’t dwell too much on it.
She had a great time talking about Judy Blume moments and about the essays. At the end of her author talk, the ball-capped person approached her and whipped off the cap and sunglasses to reveal, and I’m sure you could see it coming from a mile away, that she was none other than Judy Blume herself.
She jokingly commented that she thought she’d have to be dead first before getting a tribute like this.
But this story isn’t even the coolest part. Judy is so delighted with Jennifer and the anthology that she has joined in the chat at the B&N bookclub site. It’s going on right now and if you ever wanted a chance to talk with Judy Blume, then click here.
I’m only jealous that I didn’t get to meet the legend in person myself! I’m off to join the chat…
.jpg)
STATUS: It’s late at night. That should pretty much sum it up. I’m back in Denver though.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? MIDDLE OF THE ROAD by Pretenders
If you are going to have a brush with the famous, it helps to know who they are.
This is a completely non-publishing blog entry so feel free to skip it. I just thought you folks would get a kick out of this story. I’ll be back to talking about agency agreements tomorrow.
On my trip to St. Louis this week, I brought Chutney on the plane with me. She rides in the cabin with me and she’s a great traveler so it’s fun and easy. On my return trip to Denver, I arrive at my gate only to discover that the plane is delayed. Never a good thing when traveling with a dog but I notice a gentlemen softly strumming a guitar. Chutney loves music so I decide to sit near the guitar player for the mellow, calming effect. Worked like a charm. Chutney curled up and went to sleep but not before a gregarious fellow came over to chat. He had to meet her because he had just adopted two rat terrier brothers. I got to see the family pictures on his Mac and everything.
What can I say, Chutney is such a guy magnet.
So he goes back to strum on another guitar and it starts to dawn on me that several guys in this traveling party are quite musically gifted. But hey, I’m working on my computer and Chutney is certainly benefitting from the music (and the attention) so although unusual, I don’t think much about it. Then several young people approached the guitar strummers to ask for autographs.
Yes, I’m a little slow on the uptake. These guys I’d been casually chatting with are famous musicians and even if I had no clue as to who they were, others obviously did.
So here are the fellows I let pet Chutney while waiting for our plane at gate A18 in St. Louis.
I’m off to download some of their tunes onto the iPod so that I won’t be accused of living under a rock or something.
STATUS: Just my luck that a huge thunderstorm rolls through Denver right as I’m finishing up for the day and the broadband goes out. I’m typing this from home. If it’s not up by tomorrow, I’m going to have to call Comcast so as not to lose Monday as a work day. Just what I need during this busy time.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT by the Indigo Girls
I really do want to revisit the idea of analyzing bestsellers and really encourage readers to simply note what elements make them tick—what caught hold of the reader’s imagination. Even if you only use it as something that’s at the back of your mind.
I mention this because so many writers seem to write in a vacuum—that they simply write the story “of their heart” without necessarily thinking through the elements that could make the project universal or cross genre or age boundaries.
What happens then, as an agent, is that I end up reading stories where I think, “it’s just not big enough” or “there doesn’t seem to be a strong enough idea to carry the whole story” or “this is solid but it seems to be lacking that extra oomph.” It’s about the writing and this indefinable but crucial element that makes the difference between a pass and a yes.
And it’s also about timing. (You’ve heard that about relationships too, I know. It’s true for that as well.) And writers hate to hear it but timing is often the crucial component for a sale happening. I can’t count the number of sales where the project just happened to land on the editor’s desk at exactly the right time. Maybe an author on their list couldn’t make a deadline and a slot has opened up. The editor is scrambling to find that special manuscript and boom, it lands on his/her desk.
It happens. In fact, it has happened for me and one of my clients this year.
Maybe an editor is thinking “wow, I’d really love to see an XYZ project and the next day I just happen to call about a novel that’s going out on submission, and it’s suddenly like a gift has dropped into the editor’s lap. They read it overnight or whatever.
The crucial component.
STATUS: All good stuff happening but I don’t think it could get any crazier at the office if I tried. I’ll be able to talk more about why in a couple of weeks…
What’s playing on the iPod right now? SOUL MAN by Sam & Dave
I’m going to try and have this all make sense by the end of this blog entry. I’ve been reading THE TIPPING POINT for my book club, and I’m just fascinated by the whole concept he explores about what makes things tip in terms of a trend catching on like wildfire or a book becoming a huge bestseller seemingly out of nowhere.
Powerful stuff.
So I’m reading this nonfiction book right after I finished reading TWILIGHT over the weekend (because I couldn’t put the darn thing down). This is a good agent friend of mine’s book so I’m just over the moon for her that the book is doing so well. And I have to say I wanted to read it because this book has sold over a million copies world-wide (so it has tipped) and why is that.
I’m not sure I have any answers to that last question but I can tell you what drew me to the story and why I couldn’t put it down.
First off, Stephenie Meyer is the master of atmosphere. I FELT tense while reading the novel (and tense in a good way in terms of not being able to turn the pages fast enough). Her story is set in the rainiest town in Washington and let me tell you, the relentless rain becomes almost a character in itself.
Then there is Edward.
If you’ve read the book, you know exactly what I mean. The story itself is told in first person from Bella’s perspective but Edward is the character who is unforgettable. Their love is impossible, forbidden, and absolutely inevitable.
Timeless. Is that what made it tip? The tortured Edward (who has fans in his own right)? Is that what made it tip? Is it Bella’s voice?
My guess is that it’s a combination of all these things along with masterful writing that got readers talking to each other about how they must read this book.
But I think it’s worth analyzing (even if there is no clear answer) because whatever IT is, you want to capture it in you work whether you write young adult or adult fiction.
STATUS: Another phone day at the office. I have a submission that is causing some excitement but hey, that’s good.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? DON’T LET IT BRING YOU DOWN by Annie Lennox
How does this happen? I find myself going to yet another conference next week. I’ve done something like 5 or 6 already this year. I’m actually planning a conference hiatus for next year (except for Backspace, I still plan to be there).
This is all so spontaneous; I haven’t even had a chance to update the Nelson Agency website yet. So where am I off to? St. Louis. Yep, my hometown (and Laurel K. Hamilton’s as well). I couldn’t resist going and seeing the family.
Worldcon (the big science fiction convention) is going to be in Japan this year which means they also schedule a North American smaller version as well. This year it’s in Collinsville (just outside of St. Louis).
Besides, all of you know that I’m looking to build my list in SF&F.
Click here for the info on Archon. Click here for the program schedule. Yours truly is on three panels. Yikes. I need to prepare.
STATUS: I almost cracked the cover last night but refrained. It’s going to be a long week. Good thing there are exciting things happening at the office to distract me.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? MACK THE KNIFE by Louis Armstrong
I think I’m allowed to pat myself on the back every once in a great while. Today I passed on to several agent friends a manuscript that I liked but wasn’t right for me. I thought they would be a better fit.
Then I got this email. I’m a former English professor and corporate trainer so I’ve always enjoyed teaching. Last April, I did a query workshop at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference and Aaron was one of my victims—I mean volunteers. I really enjoyed his writing (and yes I looked at sample pages) but I knew the project wasn’t right for me. Armed with a great query letter, he obviously found the right person.
Yea Aaron! Yea Kristin for giving a query workshop where a participant actually learned something! (I always wonder if I’m being helpful…)
Hi Kristin,
I’m not sure if you remember me, but you gave me a tremendous amount of help drafting a query letter at this year’s PPWC–I was lucky enough to be one of the “projects” in your stellar workshop on query writing. In addition, I read and reread all the blog entries I could find of yours about how to write a great query. I wanted to let you know that I just found representation for my novel and I couldn’t be happier. My new agent is at Levine Greenberg in New York.
I made it to my agent thanks, almost entirely, to you. Not only did I use your advice to write (and edit and edit and edit…) my query letter, but I also used your list of agents that accept email queries as my sole source for submissions. After submitting to every agent on your list, I had three requests for partials, which quickly turned into two requests for fulls, which turned into two agents for me to choose between.
In addition to being my query guide, you have often inspired me and made me laugh with your blog. I really don’t know how to thank you for how much you’ve helped me and, I’m sure, countless other writers eager to enter this business–so I’ll just say: Thank you, thank you, thank you for your incredible generosity, wisdom and good humor. I hope the karma bank keeps paying you dividends for years and years to come.
All the best,
Aaron Brown
By the way, that list can be found online here. (Reminds me, I need to update that darn thing…)
STATUS: First day back in the office after being away for a week. Let’s just say there is a lot on my desk that needs handling. I did pretty well today but tomorrow will be the real determiner
What’s playing on the iPod right now? LITTLE RED CORVETTE by Prince
I did another panel last week called Bye-Bye Box: Writing And Selling The Rule-Breaking Book. We all had some interesting talking points so I thought I would share some of mine.
1. If you are breaking the rules, it’s all about the writing to make it work. The writing needs to be way above average and spectacular to really catch the eyes of the editors. (An example I gave was Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER but CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR would be another good example. Or better yet, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC.)
2. The biggest question that editors will have if the novel bends or blends genres is where will it be shelved? This carries a lot of weight.
3. My job as an agent when selling a rule-breaking book is not to focus on the rules being broken but how the uniqueness can be a selling point. (By the way, that’s a mistake writers make in their query letters when pitching an out of the box idea. They highlight the strange, different, or “out there” aspect. That doesn’t work. Your pitch should focus on what makes the story so human despite let’s say an unusual world, or setting, or plot twist or whatever. You have to focus on uniquely capturing your character’s conflict in a way that feels universal despite the rules being broken.)
4. Remember, world building becomes very crucial if you are rule-breaking. It has to be clearly defined and believable—even if you are setting the story in 2007.
5. For the rule-breaking book, are you leading the trend or are you behind it? Makes a big difference.
6. For “taboo” subjects, what’s the purpose for it? Is it simply to shock the reader or is the taboo subject an integral part of the story and the key to its unfolding? Big difference. I see a lot of queries that focus on the shock value and not on what will make the story appealing to readers to read.
7. Rule breaking comes with either great risk or huge reward. There isn’t much in between. Lots of rule-breaking books flop big time. We tend to only remember the huge successes.
But ultimately, it’s only writers who can do it extraordinarily well that end up being able pull it off.
STATUS: I had to get up early this morning for an 8:30 a.m. panel. Thank goodness for Chai lattes! And yes, I don’t normally blog on a Saturday but I making up for Wednesday’s missed blog. Have a great weekend.
What’s playing on the iPod right now? STAND BACK by Stevie Nicks
Last night I was at the Bantam/Ballantine cocktail party at The Mansion on Turtle Creek where I ended up chatting with a B&N book buyer. She said that the most important tool an author could have is a website.
And I agree. The buyers do actually look at author websites and potentially use them for their internet marketing.
But what is clear to me (and what I actually chatted about incoherently on today’s early morning panel) is that it can’t be any old website. It has to be dynamic.
Websites by nature are static. If very little changes, it won’t draw readers back to the site (and the purpose of the site ceases to be all that valuable). So here are the tips I shared with the attendees this morning. How does one make a dynamic site?
1. Have it professionally done. Amateur sites can hinder more than help. If you aren’t a plumber, then you wouldn’t try to tackle sweating pipes. Leave it to the professionals. It’s worth paying for expertise.
2. It’s all about the content—of course! You need to provide it. If it’s just about your books or you as the author, it won’t draw repeated visits. Make it valuable.
Ideas
Provide resources
Add deleted scenes that you love but didn’t quite make it into the final book
Get creative. Interview your characters.
Write a series of letters to your fans and post them there (and share them with Borders, B&N etc.)
Have ever-changing content or decide to blog (hint: If you can’t do this on regular basis, then don’t do it. It has to be regular to keep readers coming back).
How can you be interactive on the site? Chat sessions? Start a round robin story where fans can participate in the writing. Teach an online workshop.
Yes, this might mean you need to get more technologically savvy but remember, that could actually turn out to be fun. The internet is growing in importance for author marketing and since it’s not going away… embrace it!