BUST THAT QUERY STRAIGHT IN THE FACE!

This week was the release of my newest book, Blood Soaked Ashes. It’s book two of The Eramane Saga, and I can’t wait to share this segment of the story with my readers. Publishing this second book has been an amazing experience. I owe much thanks to the lovely ladies that worked closely with me on this. My editors are amazing and my cover artist is a genius. Enough about that. Go get the book! Ok, now that you’ve gone and supported my habit, we can move forward. I am a few days away from finishing up a project that I will be submitting to agents. This manuscript has been on my desktop for a year and a half, and I’m excited about its potential. But what I’m totally stoked about is that I actually have a solid query for it. What does that mean, solid? As opposed to what? Haven’t you been sending outstanding queries, Frankie? Well, I thought I had. I thought I had the best queries that had ever been written and “Why the hell weren’t the agents biting?!” I mean, I had researched what other authors posted as their queries on their websites, and I had read countless articles on ALL.THE.SITES., and I had several rejection emails that offered some friendly advice on what did and didn’t work. I was the master query writer. So “Why the hell weren’t the agents biting?!” I had no answer as to why my queries were being rejected. For almost two years I battled back and forth with this question. But then I decided to seek expert advice. I reached out to my small network of author acquaintances and humbly asked for help. And I got it. And it kept coming and doors kept opening and finally after re-working my query I ended up with a “fantastic” one. (Yeah, that’s an air-quote.) And once I read the final, kick ass version, it was like a light bulb (like one of those coiled hazmat ones) exploded above my head. Der! How simple. How extremely f-ing simple you nerf-hearding ding dong. Yes, I can be hard on myself. But that’s what we authors do. We have to. If we don’t push ourselves and force our perspective in the right direction, no one else will. So, to celebrate my enlightenment, and the release of Blood Soaked Ashes, I would like to offer free query critiques to the first TWO WRITERS OF YOUNG ADULT FICTION that respond. I want to help you find your light bulb. SERIOUS ENTRIES ONLY. PLEASE READ!! PREFERENCES AND STIPULATIONS: Queries for young-adult fiction only please. All genres welcome. Your manuscript should be completed so that you can build a thorough query and essentially a synopsis, which is often required by agents. But before you submit what you think is a good start, check out this website for a well-rounded structure as to what a query should look like. Check out this website for a good example. If yours is already formatted like this, then go ahead and request a critique in the comment area. Make sure you offer the genre and word count and briefly describe the plot. If your query fits my simple and limited requirements, I’ll reply with how you can submit your query to me, and how the process will work. Keep in mind that this is a free critique. It is not in any way an edit, nor will I re-write the query. It’s free author advice, and I’m glad to help. This offer is no longer available.

Updates and Announcements, and a Funaaaay Video!!

The 2014 Book Expo America is just around the corner! With the event nearing, the nervousness and excitement are making a knot of fluttering in my stomach. I shouldn’t be this nervous; no one knows who I am, I’m doing a short signing event at the Independent Book Publishers Association booth, a small corner at a gigantic show, the paparazzi surly will not be following me around, and NO ONE KNOWS WHO I AM. So, why am I nervous? Hmmm…I should seek the oracles. I’ll let you guys know how that goes…if I make it out alive!!!
Looking beyond the BEA, I am preparing myself for what is possibly a huge event in my career. I mentioned this briefly on my Facebook fan page, but I’d like to elaborate with you here because, as Christopher Walken says in one of the funniest Saturday Night Live skits, I can “really explore the space.”
Of course you know I’m going to hook you up with the link to watch it.
So, the news is just as big as it is small. Whaaa?…you say. Keep reading.
A few months ago I submitted ERAMANE to an agent and included all of the amazing reviews. Seriously, they are awesome. This agent emailed me back and explained how my personality reached them and they wanted some more information on the book, sales so far and such. But I’m a self published author with only me promoting my work, so being a newbie puts me in a dark hole with countless others. It’s amazing how much room is in there!
Anyway, we exchanged several emails before it occurred to me that I have a project which hasn’t been published (cause it isn’t finished) so I took a shot and mentioned my WIP. With enthusiasm, the agent asked that I submit a formal query to them as soon as it is finished!
So, there it is my huge/tiny news. No it’s not an announcement that I’ve been agented, or better than that picked up by a publishing house, but it is an announcement that my work has caught the eye of a person that has the capability to get me signed, and that my friends is pure awesomeness!
Now that I have written a short story for you, I will wrap this up, but before I do I want to mention that in a few days I will have the times for my book signing at the BEA which I will post here, Twitter, and my FB page, and look for a short story that I will be releasing June 2014 for $0.99 entitled Serial Wanda. It’s a dark comedy and has been fun to write. I will announce this again when the release date gets closer.
Okie dokie. Thanks for hanging in there and reading all of this. You guys rock, and thanks for sticking with me.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m curious as a cat, that’s why my friends call me Whiskers”

 

If you guys remember that Saturday Night Live skit from Will Ferrell and Jeff Goldblum…awesome! If not, watch it here before reading this post. No, it’s not insightful, or even necessary for you to watch before continuing on. It’s just that’s it’s so freakin’ funny and I weep for those who haven’t laughed their pants off watching it.

Done? Ok.

So, as I said…I’m ever curious, always researching and because of this kitty cat characteristic (say that five times fast) I have stumbled upon yet another beneficial writer’s site.

Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe, has a Reddit hangout, YA writers, and I go there from time to time, check out what peeps are asking, offer my opinion, and leave. But today, a post is up and it offers authors an opportunity that I feel is extremely important, manuscript critiques!

But it’s not just any critique site, it’s operated by YA authors! How awesome is that!? They have a website that offers services for manuscript critique, editing services, and query development.

It’s super important to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before submitting to an agent, and this site is your one-stop-shop for doing just that, (gah what a cliché…apologies) and you know the quality of work is Grade A, prime cut, FDA approved, wait! I’m pretty sure I’m wrong about that one, you get my drift. These gals know their bizz and any author wanting to perfect their manuscript before submission would do their work a great service by at least checking it out.

No. But maybe. But probably not.

You know that commercial, the one with James Earl Jones and Malcolm McDowell?  Well, I thought that commercial’s premise was simple, until yesterday.

You see, I got my first no, but maybe, but probably not, and it did not relate to my senseless texting, oh no. It correlated exactly to my efforts of traditional publication, getting and agent…that whole merry-go-round.

I queried, as many of us do, and waited, as we all must do, and received more than a handful of rejections (you feel my pain right about now don’t you?). But yesterday evening, an agent told me that they liked my swag, that I was only slightly less cool than Pam from True Blood (they didn’t really compare me to her, but I knew where they were going with it).  But even though my personality gleamed like a brand new pair of Jimmy Choo heels, my books sales were less than impressive which gave this agent great pause, like the kind of pause you have when you’re in the ocean and see that giant fin only a few feet away. Instead of flapping in the waters like a baby seal though, this agent gave me some advice on how to continue on with my indie books, encouraging me to expand my social media presence. Also, they asked for a partial of the manuscript.  Errm, huh? But heck yeah, I’ll send it! And holy crap, thanks for asking!

And here I am, left thinking only of that commercial, hearing those words of indecision, and hoping that this is the universe’s way of opening the door to all the yeses.

Book Expo, Queries, WIPs, & Gravy. YES. GRAVY.

A few weeks ago I announced that I would be attending the 2014 Book Expo America in New York, and that it hadn’t been finalized as to whether I’d be actually signing or not. Well, it’s official…I will be signing at the Book Expo!

The date is set but the time is not, as of yet, so I will wait to give all the deets as soon as I get them.

I’m stupid excited about this, and I’ve even ordered T-shirts with the cover of ERAMANE on them.

I’m going to take sooooo many pics and post on Twitter like a beast (please don’t unfollow me it’ll just be for one day I promise!).

Onward. I am still sending out queries. Checking my emails an unhealthy amount of times. Scrunching my face when I read a rejection saying “sorry for your bad luck.” They don’t really say it like that, but maybe they should because at least that’s funny! I did get a nibble, a request for a partial, but we aren’t supposed to get excited when this happens because it could easily turn into a rejection, so until I know more…I’ll take it as a “meh” instead of a “pphhttt, heck no.”

I am still working diligently on ERAMANE, book #2 and the “other” project, and I can’t wait to announce release dates for both. Yes, I’m optimistic, ambitious, and maybe a bit presumptuous that I can publish two books, two well written and meticulously edited works in 2014. But I learned how to make homemade gravy, so…

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I was sitting in front of my laptop, staring at a project of roughly 35k and thinking, what am I doing? My book ERAMANE has been out since August 2013. Before hiring Archway to publish it, I queried nearly 60 agents; most replied instantly with a rejection, some didn’t respond at all (the hardest form of rejection I feel).

But I got to thinking, just because ERAMANE is out, doesn’t mean I should stop fighting for it. So, I put on my big girl pants, opened up Google, and with only a slight cringe, began to search for new agents. I found around ten, after reading countless bios, that might be a good fit for ERAMANE.

So, I reworked my previous query letter, the one I wrote when I was…less knowledgeable (yeah that works) and once I liked the new one, I re-worked it again. This took ALL day. I’m not even kidding. I even Tweeted it I think, that it took me so long to get this query to what I felt was a great one.

With a newly forged blade, I commenced to whacking (my metaphor for the query process).

It took me nearly two hours to query those ten agents, each having their own submission stipulations, (gotta get that stuff right) and since then, I have been checking my inbox every ten minutes. This is seriously cutting in to my writing time.

But, I feel good, like I haven’t let the flame burn out on ERAMANE, and even though I have other projects I’m working on, one in particular has consumed me, I know that while my attention is not set on ERAMANE, it is still stirring about out there. Maybe I will get a request for the full MS, maybe, just maybe, ERAMANE will grab one of them by the brainmeats (I totally stole this word from Jay Kristoff) and not let go. *Fingers crossed*

Disclaimer: Fingers will be uncrossed during periods of writing, eating, cleaning, driving, etc.