The Three Stages of Querying

Eileen Astels Watson asked this question: How can writers KNOW when they’ve reached a level in their writing to confidently start shopping their work?

In other words, how can writers know when they’re ready to begin querying?

As I was thinking about Eileen’s question, I realized writers generally go through three stages when it comes to querying:

1. The naïve beginner:

When I first began querying, I didn’t stop to think about whether my story or writing was ready. I just assumed that if I completed a book, the next step was to send it out and “shop” it.

At this stage, we often have an elevated perception of our writing skill. We’re usually only one step above those who say, “Such-and-such (popular) book stunk. I bet I could write something better.” We haven’t really learned yet that the process of writing a publishable book is infinitely harder than reading a book or throwing words on the screen.

We may even think (or secretly hope) we have enough talent that we’ll be able to bypass the masses of other writers seeking publication.

So, we blissfully send out those queries.

And then, we’re dismayed when rejections start rolling in. Some writers give up at this point. Others become bitter with traditional publication (blame the system or agents for the rejection). Those who persevere will graduate to the next querying stage: the rejected optimist.

2. The rejected optimist:

When we begin to get rejections, we finally realize our writing skill or story might not be as good as we thought. We wallow in the sting of rejection for a while, but eventually we stop our temper-tantrum, pull ourselves off the ground, and get to work.

We immerse ourselves in the industry, buy the writing craft books everyone is talking about, and we put concentrated effort into learning what it takes to create a story people will actually want to read.

Some of us (myself included), spend years at this level. We’re optimistic that we have what it takes to get published but know we need to keep working to get there. From time to time, we attempt a trial run to see if we’re getting closer (either by sending out another query or entering a contest). Or we may get into a critique partnership.

Finally, after feedback from objective sources, we start to feel our writing is nearing a publishable level, especially when we get a request for a manuscript or garner interest from industry professionals.

At this stage rejections grow incredibly painful and have the potential to derail us. Those writers who can survive the heartache move on to the next stage: the seasoned realist.

3. The seasoned realist:

As we persevere through the difficulties, we begin to view our work more critically. We start to ask, “Is it really worth it?” or “Will I ever see a pay-off for all the work I’m putting into my writing?”

And the biggest question plagues us: “Why am I not moving forward? What’s wrong with what I’m doing?”

When we reach this point, we may want to consider doing several things that can help us evaluate why we’re still facing rejections on our queries or manuscripts:

*Find a new critique partner. Critique relationships or groups can become enmeshed after a while. The members become too much like family and not objective enough. A fresh pair of eyes can often give us a more realistic view of our work and offer us new ideas.

*Hire a freelance editor. Consider sending a sample chapter to a freelance editor for an evaluation, especially if you’ve exhausted all other courses (critique partners, contest feedback, etc.). Usually, most editors will allow a “sample” edit before making a commitment to more.

*Take a look at the story itself. Just because a writer has nearly perfect writing skills doesn’t mean they’ve told a gripping story. Consider testing your story with beta readers (preferably true readers who are familiar with your genre). Provide a questionnaire so readers can give feedback anonymously.

*Evaluate the market. Make yourself an expert of your genre. Look at what’s selling, find comparables, and know where your work fits and also differs. If your book/voice is too similar to what’s out there, look for ways to be more unique. If your book/voice is too different, maybe publishers just aren’t quite ready to take a chance on it.

*Never get stuck on one book. Keep writing. If consistent, multiple sources confirm your work is of publishable quality, you may still need to land upon the break-in book, the one that finally hooks the attention of publishing professionals.

So back to Eileen’s question. How can writers KNOW if their work is ready to shop?

My answer: I don’t think there is ONE right or EASY answer. I don’t encourage writers to jump into querying too soon. There’s no hurry. And you may save yourself a lot of pain if you do the growing and learning first.

No matter what stage you’re in, determine to make your book the best it can possibly be.

What do you think? What query stage are you in (and you can make up your own if you don’t fit my stages)? And how do you think writers can know if their work is ready to query?

Is the Query System Dying?

My agent, Rachelle Gardner, shared some statistics last week. This was one of them: “Queries received in 2010: around 10,000. New clients taken on from query (no referral): 0.”

When I read that statistic, I was shocked. If you read Rachelle's blog, did the statistic surprise you too?

Think about it. Those 10,000 queries represent approximately 10,000 writers who have dreams of seeing their book in print, who’ve likely spent months on a manuscript, who are desperately seeking a chance at traditional publication.

Out of 10,000 ideas, surely there had to have been a handful--even just a couple--that showed some promise. But Rachelle didn’t take on any new clients from those queries. Of course she took on new clients through other methods (referrals, conferences, blogging, etc.). But NONE through cold querying.

I can’t help wondering what this would have meant for me. You see, in mid-2008 I cold-queried Rachelle with The Preacher’s Bride. I didn’t have a referral from one of her clients—I didn’t know any of her clients. I’d never met her at a conference—in fact, I’d never even been to a writer’s conference. I hadn't mingled with her in cyberland—at the time I hadn't started blogging.

In other words, I was just another unknown writer and another statistic in her in-box. The truth is, if I’d queried Rachelle in 2010 instead of 2008, things could have been very different for me. My query most likely would have gone unnoticed along with the other 9,999. But that wouldn’t have meant The Preacher’s Bride didn’t hold promise or was unpublishable—because obviously, the book is now in print and recently hit the CBA best seller list.

So what does that say about the query system? Does it really work anymore? Is the system slowly dying?

Of course the system isn’t dead yet. From time to time, I still hear reports of writers landing agents through cold-querying. But if the statistics of gaining an agent through querying are slim and growing narrower, what can writers do to increase their chances of getting an agent?

Seek out new agents through reputable literary agencies.

When I queried Rachelle in 2008, she’d only been an agent for about a year. She was still actively building her client load.

Yes, there is some risk in going with a new agent. They don’t have a big track record of sales. Their influence among publishing houses might be minimal. But all agents have to start somewhere, and newer ones are often more open to debut authors; whereas, established agents have less time or need for new clients and are more choosey.

Realize the query system may not be enough.

Even though Rachelle requested a full as a result of my query, I didn’t gain her attention until I finaled in a nation-wide contest for unpublished authors.

Contest finals can often be a way to give our queries an advantage. A personal connection with an agent at a conference can help too. During those appointments, agents often give writers permission to send in a partial or full, which then bypasses the cold-query pile and gets the agent’s more immediate attention.

Shift to a new way of relating to agents.

Through social media, many agents are more accessible than ever before. Numerous agents hang out on twitter or have blogs. If a writer spends some time building a viable web presence before querying (like commenting on agent blogs or mingling on Twitter), then agents will already be familiar with our names and more likely to take a look at our query over a complete stranger’s.

My Summary: Yes, the query system as we’ve known it may not work well (to put it nicely). But as with all the changes in the industry, we have to be willing to adjust. Writer friends continue to land agents. In fact, a wonderful blogging friend, T. Anne, built a web presence, and after months of perseverance and connecting with agents online, she was offered representation by Rachelle Gardner. She’s celebrating over on her blog today!

So, what do you think about the query system? Do you agree that it’s dying? Has it failed you? And have you felt like a failure as a result? Well, take hope. The query system may not accurately reflect your potential or your story’s possibility. You may just need to look for other ways to seek out an agent.

How Can Writers Know if Their Writing Is Ready For Querying?

We spend months laboring over a book trying to perfect it. One day we push away from our laptops, stare at the last page, and get a nervous flutter in our stomachs. Is our precious book finally ready to face the brutal world of agents and editors?

Julie Musil asked: "How did you know your manuscript was ready before querying?"

Her question echoes that of most writers who finish a book. How can we know when our manuscript is really ready to query. We don’t want to send it out too soon. But we also don’t want to let fear hold us back. Is there a way to know for certain if our manuscript is at a point where it will garner the attention we so desperately want?

What I’m learning is that it’s usually incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for a writer to determine the worth of their own manuscript, with their own subjective eyes. Case in point, I recently turned in my second contracted book to my publisher, and I thought it was the best book I’d ever written. Their verdict? It’s sludge. Rewrite major portions of it.

Most of the time, writers have an inflated opinion of their work, like I did. Very few of us hit the send key and say, “Well, there goes that piece of junk. I just know no one is going to like it.” Instead we hold our breaths and check our inbox every few minutes, wondering when the bidding war will start.

Agent Chip MacGregor said this: “As an agent, I see hundreds of manuscripts every year that I reject for representation. Nearly all of these are rejected for one basic reason: the writer simply isn’t good enough. The ideas may be interesting, and the marketing may be slick, but the authors simply aren’t good enough to publish.”

None of us want to fall into that category of “simply aren’t good enough to publish.” So, how can we make sure we’re sending out our queries at the right time? Here are just a few of my thoughts:

Get two or more qualified and objective critiques on our books first.

The feedback must come from someone who isn’t afraid to tell us exactly what they think (hopefully in a kind way). And that someone needs to be knowledgeable about the craft of writing, preferably another writer or editor at our level or beyond.

Often critique partners don’t feel comfortable sharing their truest thoughts. If we want a deeply honest critique, then we can say upfront, “I give you permission to tell me exactly what doesn’t work. Please be completely truthful, even if it’s painful for me.” Then our critiquers will know we’re teachable which gives them more freedom to share openly and objectively.

Make sure we’ve made good strides toward mastering basic fiction-writing techniques.

As I’ve critiqued for contests and for other writers, I’ve been surprised at how easily I can distinguish where writers are at in their writing skills. Some are at a freshman level in the college of writing. Some fall in the middle—not struggling with beginner mistakes, but still needing to mature. Others are seniors and ready for graduation.

Writers must gain mastery over the way they string words together and bring a story to life. Our plots and characters don’t necessarily have to be perfect for us to garner the attention of an agent or editor. Most authors have to make rewrites for their publisher once they’re contracted. But. . . we have to reach a place where our writing skills aren’t inhibiting the story-telling. (In the next post, I’ll share specific ways I’ve challenged myself to grow as a writer.)

Expect that agents and editors will be the gatekeepers.

If we’re getting positive feedback from critiques, and if we’ve moved to a senior level in our writing skill, then we’re probably at a place where we can begin to query with confidence.

And yet, ultimately, in the set-up of the current traditional publishing system, agents and editors act as the final gatekeepers. If we consistently get no response, form rejections, or a “no thanks” of some form, then that’s probably another indication we may not be quite as ready as we thought. (Or that perhaps our story doesn’t have a fit in today’s market.)

From what I’ve seen, most writers who reach a publishable place in their writing skills will eventually get picked up by an agent, even if their stories still need work. It may take many months of persistent querying, but usually agents and editors can pick out writers who’ve worked to hone their writing skills and story-telling ability.

That's my opinion! Now it's your turn! How did you know when you were ready to query? And if you haven’t queried yet, what tests do you plan to use to help you know when to start?

5 Ways to Gain an Agent's Attention

The traditional editor slush pile may be near extinction, but the agent slush pile is still alive (See last post). But for how long? Already many agents no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts. And those that still do close their inboxes from time to time because they’re overwhelmingly busy.

Writers bite their fingernails and wonder if it’s possible to even find an agent anymore, much less get into a larger traditional publishing house. Is there hope? And how can a writer increase their chances of getting noticed?

Let me start by saying, yes, there is definitely hope. If an obscure wannabe like me can land an agent and a subsequent book deal with a major publishing house (Baker/Bethany House), then it can happen to anyone. I’m just an average writer and I didn’t have any inside connections to give me a boost.

So, how did I get noticed? How in the wide world of enormous, overflowing slush piles can any author gain an agent’s attention?

1. Write a book that grabs attention. Yes, this seems like a no-brainer, but while many of us want to write heart-grabbers, we don’t always know how or what.

I made myself a student of my genre. I read widely and decided how to approach my stories in a way that was unique from what was already available. If we can find a fresh spin, present a new voice, or develop a gripping plot, then we'll give agents a reason to take a second look at our story.

2. Learn industry standards and be savvy. We can’t crack open the latest Literary Marketplace guide and start sending out manuscripts. Instead we need to spend time familiarizing ourselves with the current market practices, learning standards, reading guidelines, and becoming a part of the pulse of the publishing world.

When someone tells me they’re a writer and then proceeds to ask me how to get published, I always point them to agent blogs. Read past posts, dig deep, learn as much as possible before querying. Agents can smell the difference between those who know their stuff and those who have absolutely no clue. And they don’t have the time to waste on writers heavily laden with the scent of ignorance.

3. Final in a writing contest. This worked for me. After I finaled in the ACFW Genesis contest, I emailed Rachelle Gardner to let her know. My manuscript was already buried in her slush pile, but the final was enough to perk her attention. She dug out my book, looked at it, and called me a day later.

Of course, the larger the contest the better, especially contests that agents and major publishing houses recognize. The book also needs to be finished and already out on submission or at least ready. I’ve seen far too many writers final in contests but not have their books completed and polished in order to take full advantage of that final.

4. Look for ways to introduce yourself to agents. Most agents blog and twitter. Following them not only helps us grow more savvy about the publishing world, but gives us an opportunity to leave comments or respond to tweets. In such interactions, we broaden our web presence, get our names out there, and perhaps eventually gain more than a passing glance.

Writing conferences can also give us access to agents, help them to get to know who we are, and give them a glimpse of our writing. The ten minute appointments may not be much, but combined with all of the above, could work to push us to the top of the slush pile.

5. Last but not least, persevere. When our manuscripts sit in agent slush piles for months, it’s easy to begin to think our books aren’t good enough, or that we’re not cut out for writing. But as I mentioned in the last post, most of us have done our time in the slush pile. We should just expect to languish a long time, and then if we defy the odds, we can consider ourselves blessed.

In the meantime, we need to write another heart-grabber. Agents and editors want to see that we can write more than one book, that we’re not a one-book wonder. And perhaps that second or third book will be the catalyst that pushes our other book out of the slush pile.

What do you think? Can you think of anything else that might help to get the attention of an agent? What do YOU plan to do?

Is the Slush Pile Really Dead?

The Wall Street Journal recently had an article entitled, “The Death of the Slush Pile.” (Jan. 15, 2010) As I read the article, I couldn’t keep from asking, is the slush pile really dead?

The “slush pile” is basically another name for the enormous stacks that used to accumulate on editor desks or floors consisting of unsolicited manuscripts authors would send with the hopes of getting "discovered."

Many years ago, when I first started writing, I remember trudging to the post office with my books and paying to mail them along with a SASE for the dreaded return. I knew my rubber-banded sheets would eventually make their way to a publishing house to a sky-scraper high stack, where they would sit until a harried editor gave them a quick glance.

The Wall Street Journal article said, “Now, slush is dead, or close to extinction.” Most major publishing houses no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts, not even emails. If writers call a publishing house like Simon & Schuster, they’d get an automated message that says something like, “Submissions must come to us via a literary agent due to the large volume of submissions we receive each day.”

The article went on to say the slush pile “has been transferred from the floor of the editor’s office to the attache cases of representatives who can broker introductions to publishing.”

In other words, the slush pile isn’t dead. It’s just moved location—it’s moved to the agent’s office. And not only has the slush pile moved location, it’s also no longer a “pile.” It’s a file, on a hard drive.

So, yes, in the traditional sense, the slush pile is indeed dead. But I want to propose that it’s still very much alive. Those of us querying agents can testify to the reality of the new slush file.

Stephanie Meyer author of Twilight, sent 15 query letters and got 10 rejections. One of those rejections came after she’d already signed with an agent and received a three book deal from Little Brown.

My book, The Preacher’s Bride (releasing in the fall), sat in Rachelle Gardner’s slush file for nearly 9 months. She had requested the full but didn’t pull it from her hard drive until I finaled in the Genesis Contest. Then she read it and subsequently offered me representation.

I’m sure we can all point to countless other examples of manuscripts languishing in slush piles. It still happens all the time. Agents are not only overwhelmed by the numbers of queries they receive, but then struggle to wade through the requested manuscripts that perked their attention.

What does all of this mean for us as writers?

1. Waiting in a slush pile is part of the process. It’s easy to get discouraged when we end up waiting for weeks, even months to hear back from agents. But remember, most of us have done our time in the slush (or are in the process of doing it). Look at it as part of the initiation into a writing career.

2. We can’t let slush piles determine our worth. Just because a manuscript isn’t picked up right away doesn’t mean it won’t go on to be published and have great sales. In other words, the slush pile time has nothing to do with the future success of a book. When our manuscripts sit, we get discouraged and begin to question our writing ability and our books, but we need to remember time in a slush pile is not indicative of our quality.

3. If our stories are good enough, they’ll rise to the top of the pile. . .eventually. Fortunately agents and editors are still looking for talented and well-crafted books. They want to find those gems within the pile. That should encourage us--if we continue to grow in our writing and ability to tell great stories, we’ll get noticed.

What do you think? Is the slush pile really dead? Have you done your time in a slush pile yet? What was your experience?

The Query Letter & What To Do After Sending It

How critical is the query letter? After we send it out, then what? How long should we wait before following up? How many agents/editors should we query before we stop? What does it really mean if an agent asks for a partial or full?

I'm definitely not the expert on querying. There are plenty of other writers and agents who offer excellent advice on everything from who to query, what to send, and how to write a killer query letter. But for what it's worth, here are my opinions:

How critical is the query letter?

While I believe it's important to craft a professional, appealing query letter, I also think sometimes we put too much faith in our queries.

In fact, yesterday, my agent, Rachelle Gardner, blogged about this very thing. She summarized my thoughts exactly: The query boils down to making a clear and concise presentation of your book. Just tell us enough that we get a feel for it and want to read it. Be polite and professional and try to avoid coming across like a crackpot. It’s worth putting some effort into, but 99.9% of your effort should be in your book.

My query wasn't anything special. Of course I was careful to summarize my plot, similar to a back cover blurb. I looked at my query as a tool to hook an agent into reading my sample chapters. Because, ulitmately the story and writing are critical to garnering the interest of an agent, not the query letter itself.

Once our book is "out there" what should we do next?

We've all heard this piece of advice before, but it bears repeating: Start the next book. The next book serves SO many purposes. It takes our mind off the waiting (at least a little!). It proves we're serious about writing (that we're not a one book wonder). And it helps us improve our skills (if we're intentional about it).

During the months my manuscript sat in Rachelle's slush pile, I worked hard on writing another book. By the time she got to my first book, I had another, even better book, ready to show her.

How long should we wait before following up to the agent/editor who has a query?

Most agents have their own set of guidelines for follow up procedures and we need to be diligent about searching out their specific policies. Let me say this, however, I never followed up with queries that went unanswered. I figured no answer meant "No, I'm not interested."

However, when an agent/editor asks for a partial or full, I do think it's appropriate to follow-up after giving them plenty of time (as in months). Not only does a brief email show we still care, but it puts our name before their eyes again.

How many agents/editors should we query before we stop?

Here's my philosophy, and it might not be the most popular. But, I think we should pick the agents who are best suited to our genre and style and stick to them.

When I queried, I narrowed my list to about a dozen of the best, most professional agents who represent Christian fiction. I decided if one of the top agents didn't want to offer me representation, then my story and writing were still not good enough and I would simply need to write a better book before querying again.

The longer I'm involved in the writing business, the more I realize that if a writer (particularly of fiction) has reached a publishable level of writing skill and has crafted a saleable story, a good agent will notice. . . eventually.

What does it really mean if an agent/editor asks for a partial or a full?

Again, my opinion might not be the most popular, but here it is anyway. When an agent or editor asks for a partial or full, it means they liked our sample writing and/or are intrigued by our story. In other words, they see potential. Yes, this is a good thing. But. . .

Anyone can doctor up the first few chapters of their book. I've seen plenty of writers final in contests with the beginning pages of their book but then weren't able to find representation afterward. I've come to realize most of us can slave away until our opening chapters are stunning, but if we don't write stunning middles and endings, the beginning won't do us any good.

And that brings us back to my previous post . . . we need brutal, honest, insightful feedback on our entire book--before we query.

So, what do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my answers? Please jump in with your thoughts and advice! Or if you have any further questions, ask away!

5 Ways To Increase Querying Success

While there is no magic formula for knowing WHEN to query, there are a few ways writers can increase their chances of having a successful querying process.

First, let me say that the key is getting QUALIFIED and OBJECTIVE feedback on our writing before querying.

Some feedback is neither qualified nor objective, and thus we should never rely upon it as a true gauge of our writing skill. Sources of untrustworthy feedback include:

• Postings on blogs. Most of the comments we receive are positive. Whether we share an excerpt from our books or just write something touching, our readers are always "nice." If you're like me, you'll usually find some way to encourage the blogger, and if you can't find something positive then won't say anything at all. It builds our egos, which is great, but we should never trust blogging feedback as a true measure of our abilities.

• Well-meaning relatives. Our husband may pick up our manuscript and gush over it, claiming he couldn't put it down until the last page. Or perhaps our daughter or mother read it for us, and declare it to be the next best-seller. The fact is, most of the time our relatives aren't qualified, and even if they are, they don't want to hurt our feelings by telling us the truth about our writing.

What, then, are ways we can gain qualified and objective feedback that will increase our chances of having a successful querying experience?

1. Hire a freelance editor. Yes, this is a controversial and expensive option. But I used a freelance editor and it was one of the best investments I ever made.

When you pay a trained, professional editor, you want to get your money's worth. So the more they find to help you improve, the better. They don't care if they hurt your feelings with their brutal honesty. It's what you're paying them to do.

2. Enter contests. Contests are a fairly inexpensive way to get feedback from published authors and editors. Of course, not all judges are qualified. But at least the score sheets give the judges direction, and the unanimity of the entries prevents bias.

When I entered the Genesis contest last year, I was able to compare and contrast the feedback from my three judges. When all of them noticed the same issues, I gave it greater weight in my revisions.

3. Join a skilled critique group. Notice I said "skilled." If we hope to benefit from a group, then the other writers must be at our level or beyond. Otherwise, the group functions as beta readers and not much more. They'll be able to give feedback, but more from a reader perspective than out of knowledge and experience that can help us improve.

While a critique group can work if the other members are qualified, they must also remain objective. As friendships form within groups, the objective quality may start to wan. It's hard to be completely honest when we know the truth will hurt our friends' feelings.

4. Keep learning and put it into practice by writing another book. I'm amazed at how many writers keep spitting out word count and new books, but never make an intentional effort to grow in their writing skill from one book to the next.

I firmly believe with each new book, we should find several areas where we need to improve. And we should actively and consciously look at how we can practice those skills in our first draft. How will we grow if we always put off incorporating a skill until the editing stage?

5. Research and learn industry standards. The internet makes agent and publishing house standards easily accessible for all of us. There are more writing blogs and websites than we could ever read.

We have no excuses for ignorance. We can learn all of the details about everything in the industry: guidelines, page formatting, and hot genres. If we're really desperate, we can even find out what agents are doing via twitter and why they're not reading our manuscripts.

When my manuscript sat in Rachelle's slush pile for eight months before she read it, I worked on doing the above points--I hired an editor, entered a contest, wrote another book, and learned industry standards. I even tried a crit. group for a very short time.

I should have done them before querying. Maybe then I wouldn't have had so many rejections. Perhaps I wouldn't have had to wait in Rachelle's slush pile quite so long. As it turned out, I redeemed myself by working hard during my wait. When Rachelle pulled my manuscript out to read, thankfully it was ready.

Don't make my mistake. Take the time before you query to increase your chances of success.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with anything in my list? What else do you think increases your chances of having a successful querying process?

How To Know When To Query

When should a writer begin querying a book? Surely after completing the writing and editing, the next course of action is sending the book to agents and editors, right?

I won't be the Scrooge of the writing world and say "No, you shouldn't automatically query each book." But I will utter a proclamation of caution, "Don't rush the process."

When I first started my adult writing career fifteen years ago, like most beginners, I was clueless about querying. Fortunately, I was wise enough to realize my first couple of books were "practice" books and definitely not ready to send out.

And also, fortunately for me, my mother was a writer and had shelves of writing craft books. Every time I visited her, I devoured her books and filled note cards with advice on how to become a better writer.

After I finished my third book, I thought for sure I was ready to query. I'd put into practice the skills I was learning, had read widely of the market I was targeting, and was gaining confidence.

But books three and four gave me my first experience with rejection letters. And rightly so. When I read now what I wrote then, I quickly realize I was NOT ready to query. Even though I had improved, I still had a long way to go.

I continued to read craft books and wrote book number five. When I finished, I had the intuitive sense that I'd crafted unique characters, a moving plot, and was finally implementing most of the craft techniques I'd studied. I sent it out with high hopes.

You can imagine my excitement, when after five years, and five books, I finally got a call from an editor. She told me she liked my book and asked me to make some changes. The short version of the story is that after making the rewrites, they didn't accept the book. Not long after the rejection, I gave birth to twins and took a seven year writing hiatus.

When I started writing again a few years ago, I reviewed my writing note cards, read the latest craft books, and this time had a whole new world of internet resources at my beck and call. When I finished writing The Preacher's Bride, I spent several months editing it.

Then I ran onto the querying playing field and joined the free-for-all tackle to grab an agent. I was slammed to the ground by plenty of rejections before one agent (Rachelle) asked to see the full. But even with that one sliver of hope, my manuscript seemed doomed to sit in her slush pile forever.

As most of you know, my Genesis contest final propelled my manuscript of out the slush pile. And after months of waiting, I finally teamed-up with Rachelle Gardner and the rest is history--she sold my book to Bethany House, got me a three book deal, and now The Preacher's Bride is releasing next fall.

In hindsight, I realize I queried The Preacher’s Bride too quickly, just as I had earlier manuscripts. I rushed into it before my manuscript was the absolute best it could be. During the months it sat in Rachelle’s slush pile, I decided to enter it into a contest. As a result, I ended up improving my opening and my book in a number of ways. When Rachelle finally read my manuscript, it was the new, better version.

What did I learn from all my querying?

1. We’re too subjective: Writers have an unrealistic view of their own work. It’s nearly impossible for us to read what we write objectively and know if it's good enough to query.

2. We’re too impatient: We’re so relieved and excited when we finish a manuscript that we become overzealous in our efforts to get it published and share it with others.

3. We’re too naive: Many of us query before we know enough about the publishing industry and how it works. The process of querying can educate us on the harsh realities, but why not learn as much as possible before starting?

So, how does a writer know when to begin querying? Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. Some writers might be ready after one book, and others like me, might struggle with their sixth.

There are ways to prepare ourselves so that our querying process is successful (more about that in the next post.) For today, I leave you with this piece of advice: As hard as it may be, slow down. We may only get one chance to make a good first impression and we don’t want to lose it.

What about you? Did you ever query before you were ready? What was the result?

Climbing Higher

Yesterday we talked about building our publishing history. Ultimately, what we're trying to do is advance our writing career, especially so that when we write a query we look professional. A growing publishing history is just one aspect of that.

What are other ways to climb higher, so that when we send our queries we don't look like amateur writers?

Here's what we're encouraged to do: join writing organizations (ACFW, RWA, etc.); belong to critique groups; attend writing conferences; start a blog and/or website; build a reader base; enter writing contests. (Did I miss anything?)

We strive to accomplish all of these things and more in order to advance ourselves, to be able list them on our queries, to prove to agents and editors that we take our writing career seriously. But. . .

In the end, the sell will come down to one thing. . .the STORY. In the modern publishing industry, a newbie author has to craft an incredible story to get noticed. It doesn't really matter how many conferences we've attended or how many writing groups we belong to. If our story falls flat, we will too.

Let's work to advance our careers in whatever way we can. But, first and foremost let's get busy writing an excellent story, a story that will stand out from the rest, a story that will push us higher than we've ever been before.

Let's start now! What is your writing goal for the weekend? Tell us in the comments, and then on Monday let us know how you did; we'll all check back to make sure you followed through!

My weekend goal is this: to complete 1500 words on my WIP

A Step Up

I wish I could avoid writing the publishing history part of a query letter. The experts tell us that in a query non-fiction writers should give their platforms and fiction writers their publishing history.

Those of us fiction writers who haven't made it to the City of Publication are in a bit of a bind. Do we mention that writing contest we won when we were in 7th grade or the really nice poem Grandma framed?

When I started querying, I realized I didn't want to look like a total amateur (even though I am!). So I decided I needed to find a way to have some kind of publishing history. I needed to move my writing career up a step.

That meant I had to take away novel writing time (already scarce) in order to work on other "smaller" writing projects. To my surprise, however, when I started crafting short stories and devotions I realized I enjoyed having another outlet for my creativity.

I still struggle to find time for all of my writing projects. But slowly I'm building a publishing history, one step at a time.

How have you built your publishing history? How do you balance all of your writing projects? I would love a few tips.

P.S. Today's Keys for Kids (March 19) is written by yours truly. Check it out here: http://www.cbhministries.org/kfk/home.php