Today, I’m thrilled to host this guest post by Kalyn Josephson. The author of The Crow Rider talks about the story behind her story. The book will be released on July 7, 2020 and published by Sourcebooks Fire. Check it out!
Thank you, Kalyn and the publisher, for gifting me a print copy and FFBC Tours for having me on this tour.
Continue reading Guest Post: Kalyn Josephson, author of The Crow Rider + Int. Giveaway – FFBC Tours
Today, I’m thrilled to host this guest post by Tanaz Bhathena. The author of Hunted By The Sky tells us about the story behind her story and cover. The book was released yesterday, June 23, 2020 and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Check it out!
Thank you, Tanaz Bhathena and the publisher, for gifting me a print copy and FFBC Tours for having me on this tour.
Continue reading Guest Post: Tanaz Bhathena, author of Hunted By The Sky + US/CAN Giveaway – FFBC ToursA couple of weeks ago, I discussed how querying an agent can be a waiting game. This week, I want to give you a comprehensive list of places you can go to find an agent. So, here is how to find an agent: From a basic web search to specialized events (and a few helpful tips I’ve picked up along the way), you will find everything you need to get started in your hunt for the perfect agent.
While self-publishing is always an option, sometimes what you want as a writer is to be able to reach a larger audience and benefit from the support of an established publisher. Or maybe you’ve previously self-published a book, but now you want to be picked up by a traditional publisher. There are many reasons why traditional publishing is best for you. Typically, the only way to do this, however, is through a literary agent.
A literary agent is an agent who represents you and your book to publishers (and even films studios, if they handle subsidiary rights). An agent is responsible for selling the rights of your book to publishing companies and negotiating the terms of your contract. Agents often have more responsibilities than just those two things, but for the purposes of this post, we’ll stop there.
You’ll want to ensure that your literary agent has your best interest at heart and that they are capable of helping you reach your goals as an author (and level expectations, if needed). Finding the right literary agent for you is very important. It’s like a second marriage. You need to make sure the agent you choose is right for you, and this starts early on in the process.
There are a number of websites designed to assist you in finding the agent that will fit best with your needs. The first step is to know your genre (i.e., fantasy, horror, romance, etc.) and your audience (i.e., middle grade, young adult, adult, etc.). You will need to research each agent to see what genre they represent.
Do NOT send your query to everyone– you will be wasting both your time and the agent’s time and you’ll end up frustrated with the process.
Before sending a query, there are several do’s and don’ts you should follow, but the most important thing is to always follow the submission guidelines.
The easiest way to find an agent and find out if that agent is right for you is to check out the agent’s website. There you can see what they’re looking for, whether they represent the genre/audience of your book, and what specific submission guidelines you have to follow for your query.
The implication here is that you have names of agents whom you know who represent an author who writes similar books or that you met at a writing conference/seminar.
Tips: To find agents that represent your genre, read the acknowledgments of published books similar to yours. Agents are often mentioned in those lines. Now, a word of caution – these agents may no longer be accepting submissions. This is why looking them up is important. Also, if you’re a debut author, these agents may not be your best bet since they already have an established list of clients, but it’s worth a shot if they’re accepting submissions because these agents already have the right contacts to put you on the path to success.
If you don’t have names of specific agents or would prefer to target agents open to receiving submissions, the following sites are your best bet. These are all essentially online databases designed to connect literary agents and authors through a trusted resource.
The site usually requires that you first create an account, but the subsequent search process is pretty straightforward. Sometimes you will also have the ability to look up projects an agent recently sold, which can give you an idea of the agent’s workload.
Writer’s Digest is a wonderful resource for authors/writers.
Every year, a new edition of Guide to Literary Agents is released. I guess you could say it’s the yellow pages of literary agents. Agents are all classified by literary agency, under which you’ll find a list of agents with details about what they’re seeking and more.
Last week, I attended a seminar where an agent read the first 10 first pages of my book and provided feedback. She pointed out a few things I had missed, but her words were encouraging. She also provided insights on the market I’m trying to break into, which was a needed insight for me.
I revised my pages accordingly and sent them back to her. I’m still waiting on her final feedback, but overall the experience has been invaluable. This seminar also provided to all writers attending the opportunity to discuss with the agent about comments from the feedback or questions related to the industry. This live discussion was very informative. I believe attending a seminar like this is a good way to determine if you’re ready to present your work.
The agent also pushed me to think of my book as a product. I found looking at my work from her point of view very interesting. In a nutshell, I highly recommend this type of seminar for new writers.
Another thing I like about WD is that they have posts on their blog about new agents and what they’re looking for. This blog is a fantastic way to learn more about the industry.
WD hosts two conferences a year. In August, the first conference is held in New York where they often hold a pitch wars session with numerous agents. It’s a little like speed dating. This is one way to meet agents and pitch your ideas in a short amount of time.
The other conference is held in Pasadena in October. I met agents there who only accept submissions if you’ve attended their class. These conferences are a great opportunity to access agents. You get to meet them and get a sense of whether your personality and work ethic will match.
I would first advise you to start with the sites and the book I mentioned above, but it can also help to get involved in some specific events on social media, especially on Twitter.
For example, PitMad on March 7 is an event not to be missed if you’re querying agents. You’ll have the ability to pitch your book on Twitter using the #PitMad hashtag and agents will be online all day reading all the pitches.
If they are interested, they will like/favorite your tweet. You can then reach out to interested agents (who may have a guideline specific for this event on their website). You should send them an email with “PitMad request” or something similar in the subject line. Don’t forget: agents do not like attachments, so put everything you want to say in the body of your email.
This event is a wonderful way to reach a lot of agents at once. There are many more events like these on Twitter, but the two main Twitter events for pitching are PitMad and DVpit. This year, DVpit will be held on April 23 (Children and YA) and April 24 (Adult).
Here is another article from Publisher’s weekly written by Claire Kirch about events on social media that connect writers and agents. This article also provides some excellent pitch examples.
Publisher’s Marketplace is another website that provides a plethora of information on how to find a literary agent, an editor, or articles on the various trends in the publishing industry.
This information is very useful and informative. This site is great for authors who want to obtain pertinent information, especially if you are deciding whether or not to sign with an agent. To access this site, you are required to pay a $25 monthly fee (with no long-term commitment). I would say this site is a good way to find out more about new deals that were recently signed and other industry information.
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Overall, finding an agent isn’t hard, but it requires time and meticulous research. This is something that can be extremely beneficial for you as an author in the long run. Keep in mind that the querying process can be as challenging as writing the book itself. At the last writing conference I attended, someone asked a published author what set them apart from other authors, what they thought they had done differently that made them more successful. The answer given was “persistence.”
Don’t give up! This week I read Martine Fournier Watson’s article, “How to Find a Literary Agent in 109 Easy Steps” and I highly recommend you read it as well. In the article she shared, “Here are my statistics: I spent more than 18 months querying my book, and in that time I sent out 109 queries. I was rejected 108 times.“
Some of you will be lucky and will find representation quickly, but for the rest of you, remember to be persistent. Figuring out where to send a query is the first step toward success. If your work is the best you can do, and you have had it thoroughly reviewed by enough beta readers that you feel confident the story is flawless, don’t let the pile of rejections tell you otherwise.
If you have any tips or want to share your experience, please feel free to comment. I’d love to hear about your own experience. No writer is or has to be truly alone.
Until next week… Happy writing!
The path to traditional publishing is a slow burning fire. In the U.S. and maybe elsewhere, (I imagine each country has its own rules), if you decide to take the traditional path, you first need to query an agent. Once you’re offered representation, the agent will then sell your book to a publishing house, and that’s how you get a book deal. You have to decide whether you want to go through all that or just self-publish. That is your choice, but if you do choose the conventional path, querying becomes a required (and dreadful) step.
Continue reading Querying an agent: May the waiting game begin
C. Penticoff, fantasy author and owner of A Novel Connection, started creating books the moment she could pick up a pen and write with it. Her first book, Weathering the Wicked, is one she started writing at the age of 12. After 14 years of throwing crumbled up pieces of paper in the trash and going back to the writing board, she finally had the masterpiece she had dreamed of publishing since middle school.
Aside from writing, her passion is running and growing her website, A Novel Connection, which offers readers free books in exchange for honest reviews.
When she isn’t writing, she is homeschooling her two young boys and daydreaming of worlds beyond our own.
Continue reading Interview: C. Penticoff, Fantasy Author of “Weathering The Wicked”
S.E. Ellis currently lives in Colorado and enjoys eating ramen (every day), going for long hikes under the sun (and under the moon), writing, reading and searching used bookstores for hidden treasure.
Often seen on the High Line Canal trails talking to raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, crows and ravens.
S.E. Ellis is the author of “Hestia the Dreamwalker.”
Continue reading Interview: S.E. Ellis, Author of “Hestia the Dreamwalker”
Ferishta Ganga is the author of debut novel, The Rebels. She loves writing beyond words and reading anything in the YA genre. The Rebels is her debut novel and she had the most fun times writing it.
She claims to be a sucker for romance, and enjoys building tension in her stories in order to pull her readers in deeper and keep them there until the story has ended.
When not writing, she can be found surfing the net and ordering more books to add to her TBR shelf.
Continue reading Author Interview: Ferishta Ganga, Author of debut novel, “The Rebels”
MailChimp users, have you looked at your emails yet? All users should have received an email yesterday providing information on the upcoming changes. October 31st will be the effective date, and that means that you have a choice to make by then.
For those who aren’t familiar, MailChimp is an email service provider like AWeber or MailerLite. It helps you build your email list, and as a writer/author, you definitely should have one. If you haven’t started building your email list, now would be the time to start and not when your book is ready, but this is a different conversation about your Author Platform.
Continue reading MailChimp announced a big change. Learn how it will affect you.
When it comes to NaNoWriMo, I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions over the past few months, and quite frankly, they were all solid reasons. This web-based event isn’t for everyone, and if it is for you this year, it doesn’t mean it will be next year and vice versa.
Whether you participate in NaNoWriMo or not, there is certainly value in doing so. But in the end, it’s all about who you are, what’s in you, and whether it’s the right time or not. Let me explain this.
Continue reading Is NaNoWriMo right for you? #AuthorToolboxBlogHop
Katherine Dell is a young adult fiction author fascinated by the supernatural and the stories that surround them, and has recently released her debut novel, Harmless. She began her writing endeavours in 2011 when she wanted to reinvent herself from her previous career as an event planner.
I’ve had the great pleasure to publish a guest post “Starting, Stalling, and Finding Another Gear” from her in November 2016 while she was writing this book, and she returns today to discuss its release and her journey as an Indie Author.
When she’s not writing, she can be found in cold hockey arenas sipping coffee, working on her tan at little league games, or trying to keep her dog out of her many gardens. She lives with her husband, two boys, and fur babies, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Continue reading Interview – Katherine Dell, Author of Harmless, a YA Paranormal novel
Matt Mayr grew up in a small mining community north of Lake Superior, where he learned to hunt and fish from a very young age. He holds an Honours English Degree from York University, and attended the Humber School for Writers mentorship program twice.
Continue reading Listen to the voice inside your head – By Matt Mayr
Kevin Lux is a twenty-two-year-old comedy writer from Luxembourg. He writes comedy articles about all sorts of subjects and is always looking for different ways to make people laugh with his words.
This week, Sarah L. Johnson wrote a wonderful post filled with humor and invaluable information for Authors on how to approach Indie Booksellers. She shares insights she gained while working at an independent bookstore. This Guest Post is a must read for all Authors and Aspiring Authors.
Continue reading 10 Author Tips for Making Friends with Indie Booksellers – by Sarah L. Johnson
G.W. Renshaw hasn’t done everything, but he’s trying: Canadian Forces, retail slave, forest ranger, computer programmer for 30 years, college teacher, film actor, security and intelligence, jeweller, black smith, Search and Rescue manager, and member of the Society for Creative Anachronisms.
Continue reading Interview – G.W. Renshaw, Author of “The Chandler Affairs” Series
Nabila Fairuz is Bangladeshi-Canadian author who published her first novel “The Chronicles of Captain Shelly Manhar” a few months ago. She resides in Alberta where she is working on a new novel that should turn into a trilogy.
The Chronicles of Captain Shelly Manhar tells the story of Shelly, a young girl whose entire family disappears under cryptic circumstances. Not only that, Shelly also has to witness the death of her only sister in a fight. Growing up, Shelly decides that she needs answers and find out if any of her remaining family members are still alive. Her past fuels her on to become a fearsome pirate captain. Throughout the course of her journey, she faces many dangers (and some humorous situations) while she sails across the waters of the Caribbean Sea until she finally realizes her own destiny.
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Continue reading How to Sell Dark Fiction to the Right Audience – By J.J. Reichenbach
Although she started making books at the age of nine, Joan Marie Galat wasn’t published until 12 years old, when she became a paid weekly newspaper columnist. Today she is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books, with new titles scheduled for 2017 and 2018. Her newest title, published by Whitecap Books is Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories of the Aurora.
Born in Toronto, Canada, KJ enjoyed a nomadic lifestyle during her early years, living in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Caribbean, which gave her an insider’s view into many different cultures. While abroad, she read every book she could find, which triggered in her a desire to create her own stories.
Continue reading Author Interview – K.J. Howe, Author of “The Freedom Broker”
It depends on your situation and what matters to you. For some, what matters will be the display of their book in a bookstore, the help of an experienced and recognized team, the higher earnings through royalties, or the freedom to decide what’s best for your book. Many writers, especially those with an established Author platform, will prefer self-publishing.
As opposed to traditional publishing, you get to exercise full and decisive control over your work. You get to decide what needs to be edited, how the ideas are presented, the title of your book and the cover design. These are all roles that are taken on by the publisher when it comes to traditional publishing, which can be a real downer and hindrance to your creative prowess.
I can’t stress enough how important having your book edited by a professional is. Since there isn’t a set standard of quality, self-publishers are expected to publish high-quality work. Unfortunately, the industry usually has a view of low quality and poorly edited work when it comes to self-publishing. I’m sure you’ve read books where there are so many typos and errors that you can’t enjoy the book. Yes – it also happens with traditional publishing, but much less. Lots of readers have become skeptical of the work that comes off of self-publishing. Therefore, even if your work has exceptional quality, it takes time for it to be recognized and to receive the appreciation it should.
Since you will be working on everything by yourself, you have too much of a workload on your hands. This affects your performance and sets you back by a considerable amount of time. You might easily get stressed out and give up on the project due to frustration.
This is a great alternative to self-publishing since it is part self-publishing and part traditional publishing. It limits the cons of both self-publishing and traditional publishing and offers you a wonderful solution.
Continue reading The Best 4 Tips for Writing Dark Fiction – By JJ Reichenbach
Nerd, Paranormal Fantasy Author, Doctor Who fangirl, Las Vegas Native, and SuperMom to three awesome kids!
Continue reading Social Networking Faux Pas – By Katie Salidas
Talented author, Kate Harvie is coming back with a new inspiring guest post on “How to know when to publish your book.” Kate is the Author of the upcoming Believe It and Behave It: How to restart, Reset, and Reframe your Life.
Continue reading How to Know When to Publish Your Book: Heart, Not Hustle by Kate Harvie
An agent or publisher is more than likely to take you on as a client if they are assured of your demand value. Unless you are an established author with a strong credibility or a celebrity, then your writing and story is the only thing you can showcase, and sometimes it’s not enough. Having a solid following, however, assures the agent or publisher of your demand value. It shows that as an author, your work is appreciated by enough readers to ensure sales once published on a commercial scale.
As mentioned, your author platform can act as an avenue to reach out to more people. If you have an author platform, you can use this as a stepping-stone to drawing in more readers into your following. Most times, if your work is truly exceptional, you will not have to ask your readers to help you bring in more people into the fold. Instead, your work will do all the talking for you, and you will find your platform growing. If you need a good system to sell your book, I do recommend to read Tim Grahl’s “Your first 1000 copies.” It’s a great book.
As an author, there may come a time when you need fresh ideas for new books. An author platform might come in handy in such a situation. Your readers might offer some useful insight into what they want from you or what they expect of your books and characters. Do you, for instance, need a book series for a certain title? If so, how would the sequels progress? What is expected of the main characters and how can you keep the readers glued to your books? They can generate ideas for a sequel, and it will give you an idea of what your readers want from you. Also, the more you see this kind of comments, the better it is because it means they are involved in your story. At the end of the day, you remain the author, but it’s a great connection for you to have with your readers.
Twitter can be an intimidating little bird when you first start. It’s natural to question its relevance as a writer, blogger or an author. After all, our time is precious and unless you find something of value, why should you bother? I started using Twitter in June 2016 and this social media keeps surprising me.
As a writer and blogger, I sincerely believe Twitter is becoming a powerful tool for your business/author platform, especially when you know how to use it.
Continue reading 9 effective ways to use Twitter for Writers
