When Plans Don't Go Your Way - Day 164

When you’re an aspiring author preparing you manuscript, going through the query trenches, and researching the industry, you hear all the time that even published authors get rejected. Once you get that contract, it doesn’t mean your woes are over. You hear these things, but the stories about these instances are few and far between, so they’re a little hard to believe. When you so desperately want to be noticed and seen, you don’t want to hear that it’s just the start of the journey.

I started this year hopeful. I had goals and plans and ideas of how I was going to make them happen. I learned what a kanban board was and set up my notecards and sticky notes for my writing, marketing, and social media goals for each quarter. This was the year I was finally going to get my author career figured out! I was even going to start blogging again!

Well… you know what they say when you tell God your plans…

2023 has not gone as I planned, and I’m seeing more and more of what people were talking about when they said the struggles don’t end when you get a publishing contract.

That’s not to say everything is awful and I’m getting rejected left and right. I have an amazing and supportive publisher and editor. My local library this year has been my biggest cheerleader. Other authors I’ve met and gotten to know have been the most fun and supportive people. I went to Washington DC for AwesomeCon and had an “awesome” time. My list of events to attend keeps growing. My third book was released. There’s been a lot of good.

But, there are more days than I’d like to admit that haven’t been quite as exciting. Days I doubt myself and wonder if I’m doing anything right. More often than not, I spend my writing time staring at the computer screen or my notebooks instead of putting words on the page and can’t figure out why I can’t get my ideas and stories together.

The last couple of weeks I’ve dropped a short story project, asked for an extension for my book deadline, and have had to rethink my latest pitch to my editor because I’ve been slow on getting it to her and other people have too similar of ideas.

None of these things are the end of the world and happen all of the time to writers. I never intended that to be me though. I always wanted to be the person who turned in her work on time and had multiple projects going and ready for something new at any time.

It’s been a reminder that I’m only human and can only do so much. 2023 hasn’t been kind to me or my family, and it’s natural that my mind and body is saying “hey, you can’t do everything.”

At first, there were a lot of emotions and tears. I beat myself up for taking so long and dragging my feet. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t “Just get it together.” Then, once it was done, it was like I could breathe again. Would it have been great if I didn’t need extensions and I’d gotten my new book pitch in sooner and I could have done that fun short story project?

Defintiely.

It’s not worth my mental health though. Because if I push myself too hard and force it out of me, the writing and the stories will suffer. I will suffer along with it.

So, this is my reminder to you. If you’re an aspiring author still waiting to have your first book published, be patient. It will come and know that those of us who are published are having the same doubts and insecurities you do. And if you’re early in your carereer like me, be patient with yourself too. We’re all on different paths and journeys and need to do what works best for us, our writing, and our lives.

We got this, and sometimes there will be stumbling blocks. Sometimes there will be days (or months in my case) where the words just don’t come. And that’s okay.

5 Things I'd Keep and 5 Things I'd Change as an Author at a ComiCon - Day 92

This past weekend was AwesomeCon in Washington DC, which is their local big ComiCon event. Cast members from Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who were there, and some of the most amazing cosplayers!

Oh, and I was there too.

I’ve done a good handful of local library and vendor events here in the Chicago suburbs, but I’d never done a big comicon event at a convention center before, and I was equally excited and scared of how things were going to go. It was such a fun weekend! I hung out with other authors with my publisher, spoke on a panel, and got to connect with a bunch of other authors and readers I never would have been able to before. It was exhausting, but also one of the most fun experiences!

Here’s a few things I learned about what I plan to do the same, and some things I plan to switch up for my next one.

What I’ll Do the Same At My Next Con

1. Bookmarks & Signs with QR Codes

   I already was using this technique when I attended small local events. People love having a simple code they can use right then and there so they can purchase the ebook or check out your website, or even if they want to look later. It’s my number one tip I give to other newbie authors when they ask about what to bring for an event. I have on all of my bookmarks and a table sign a QR code that leads to my link tree. At the top of my linktree it has my website, then right under it is a place to sign up for my newsletter and order links for all of my books. Yes, it’s great to have your website printed on a bookmark or business card, but what’s the liklihood of someone walking by your table of typing your website into their phone as they go? Not high. But being able to take a quick picture of your code that leads them directly to where you want to go? Much higher. The easier you can make it for readers to find you, the better.

   Sometimes people will ask for a business card, and that works instead of a bookmark too. But, as an author, most people were just as happy with a bookmark over a business card as long as they could get the same information. And, if they’re readers, they’ll probably use your bookmark in the future and will have that reminder in their hands longer than they would have with a business card they might lose.

2. Newsletter Sign Up

   This is another thing I learned early on when doing local events and it worked great in a large con setting too. I don’t get a ton of newsletter sign ups, and there is an option to sign up with my QR code. But, having a place where people can write down their information to get a free short story (or whatever your freebie is for your newsletter) and/or updates from you without having to click on links, still works! And this way, even if they lose my bookmark or don’t look up my social media during the con, when they get home they’ll have something from me in their email and can find me in the future.

3. Reaching Out to (Almost) Everyone

   Whenever you hear people talking about marketing, they always say “know your audience.” You need to know your age group, what their interests are, what other books they like to read, etc. Which is great advice! You want to be sure you’re aiming towards the people who are most likely to read your book so you’re not wasting your breath and time on people who most likely won’t like it.

   However…

   I was shocked at how many people stopped at my table that didn’t fit what I imagined for my demographic AT ALL and purchased something. I had husbands who were all “yeah, my wife just finished some ‘Court’ series with fairies in them?” and walked away with all three of my books. Or, I had one man come by in a sci-fi space military uniform, was very stoic, but oddly interested in what I had for sale. I pitched him the epic fantasy side of my books, but then he asked “does it have any romance?” So… I told him about the love stories. While he remained stoic, I could tell he was interested. He then said thank you and left. The other authors around me and I looked at each other and were all “We didn’t peg him for a romance reader at all.” He later came back at the end of the day and purchased The Night’s Chosen.

   So yes… know your audience. But also, you never know who is going to be excited to read your book. Especially in a setting like a big con, don’t be afraid to reach out to literally almost anyone because the person you least expect could be your future biggest fan.

4. Go on a Panel If I have the Opportunity

   This point could go two ways, and both are valid. There are a couple of authors I talked to who said they don’t like doing panels while at a big con because they don’t want to spend an hour away from their table and miss a sale. I was afraid of the same thing at first.

   I was so glad I did a panel though. When you have a table at a big con, they are long days of standing and talking without much of a break. Having a panel to go to in the middle of the day was such a nice relief to have a place to sit for awhile, chat with colleagues you may not have been able to before, and have your face in front of potential readers in a way that’s not just you yelling out from your table “do you like to read?”

   It also gives you a little bit of credibility on your genre and craft. When people see you at a table and being asked questions about that certain topic, it’s evidence that “yes, I do actually know what I’m talking about sometimes” and shows off your personality a bit more.

   On top of it, it’s fun!

   As for worrying about missing a sale, I had a sign on my table saying where I was and would be back soon, and a place for people to sign up for orders I would ship to them for free since they missed me.

5. Bundle Pricing

   People love a good deal! I had different pricing for if people bought one book, then another price for two books, and another for three. While I may not have made quite as much of a profit if I didn’t bundle, it was much easier for people to agree with purchasing three books at a time for an author they’ve never read before when it was discounted than if it was full price.

What I’ll Do Differently at my Next Con

1. Bring more copies - especially of the first book!

   While packing and prepping for the con, I was so worried I was bringing too much and would have to find a way to lug all of my extra books back to Chicago from Washington DC. Was I wrong!

   Other authors and my publisher told me to bring more copies of my first book than the others since most (if not all) the people you interact with will be new readers and want to start at the beginning of the series. It was advice I followed, but I still didn’t bring nearly enough. While I had a good amount of people who purchased all three books (yay bundle pricing!), a majority of my sales were still only book 1, and I sold out of The Night’s Chosen the fastest, and it made selling the rest of my stock even harder than it needed to be.

2. Higher Stands

   While I think I have a good display, there are some authors whose displays are amazing! What made them stand out though wasn’t only their pretty covers or eye catching banner (although they help). It was that they had their books displayed on taller stands at people’s eye level. For my next con, I want to be sure I can put my books up higher so when people walk by, it’s going to catch their eye even easier than before.

3. Bring Better Snacks

   This might sound weird, but it’s so true. I had a table to myself without any help, and I packed a few cookies and pistachios and a water bottle to keep with me in-between meals. I thought I’d at least have time to run over to the concession booths to grab a quick lunch each day.

   Nope.

   I was even afraid to leave my table and use the bathroom! There are so many people walking by through the entire day, you never know who is going to come by and be interested. I was terrified of losing a sale because I’d stepped away too long. Even people who were sharing a table with another author or had a friend or family member there to help out felt the same way. Next time, I’m going to be sure I eat a big breakfast in the mornings, then have extra good snacks to take with me in my backpack to munch on until I can get dinner at the end of the day.

4. Freebie Hand Out

   I had some bookmarks to give away, and people loved them! But, I wish I had more. Some authors had printed hand outs with either a short story or a few sample chapters, then a QR code at the end to where people could order their book. I thought this was a great idea! People’s eyes lit up when an author handed them a little booklet with something free to read while they stood in line and wandered around the con all day. For my next one, I want to have a stack of hand outs like this and see how it goes.

   There were also authors who had stickers, buttons, etc. which were so cute! They were eye catching and a great conversation starter to get people interested in their books.

I’m so glad I went to my first big ComiCon event and I can’t wait to do more! If you’ve done one of these events, what else would you add to either of my lists? If you’re a newer author and getting ready to go to a con, or would like to in the future, what would you want to know more about? Let me know in the comments!

Making Connections - Day 47 on Day 71

There are two stereotypes of authors I see floating around on the internet.

1) We love to write, but hate marketing and are terrible at it.

2) We’re introverts and the idea of having to leave our little cozy hobbit writing hole is terrifying.

I can admit I relate to both of these, and the first more than the second. I’m that weird author who is both an introvert and an extrovert. When I’ve taken the Meyers-Briggs personality test, I’ve always been borderline introvert and extrovert but falling more on the extroverted side of the spectrum. The introverted writer side of me loves nothing more than a quiet day at home where I can cozy up at my desk or in a comfy chair to slip away into fantastical worlds I’ve created in my head and read books by some of my favorite authors. (I also have a new puppy at home, so the excuse to stay into cuddle with him is always welcome.) Then… the extrovert in me comes out. If I’m home on my own for too long without human interaction, I get antsy and lose my motivation. One of my favorite things in the world is when my social life and my write life collide.

Sometimes, social media can help fill that void. The Internet has a lot of pitfalls, but it’s also an awesome opportunity to connect with both other authors and readers. I’ve made some amazing friends over the years from all of my different Internet adventures. Some that I’ve known now since I graduated college and still text with on a near daily basis.

Talking about my day to day life is my favorite part of social media. It’s just people being people. But when I have to use it to market my books? ::shudder:: Some days I’m not too bad, and even get excited to share my upcoming releases and come up with fun videos to share about my characters and world. Or I’ve done a few live chats and interviews and readings lately, which have been such an awesome opportunity to connect with people I never would have before.

Other days…. it’s more of a chore than anything. I know there are a lot of authors who can relate.

But that’s when in person events come into play, and those, I love.

Over the past year I’ve been able to do a handful of local events, my most recent being the Oak Lawn Public Library Fan Fest at the start of May. I did this event last year too, and it was one of my first ever. Along with me last year were a couple of other local authors who had never done an event before either.

This year we all came back, and I have to say, it was so fun to see how much we’d grown since then. The way we can draw people to our tables, the number of books we have on display, the set ups, we’d all grown and learned over the past year.

I was a little nervous going into this one. It was the first I’d done since my dad passed, and only the second event I’d done so far through the year. It sort of snuck up on me and I wasn’t sure if I was ready. But once I got started, I remembered how much fun these things were. Being able to talk with readers, getting to know the other vendors around me, and this year it exploded with local authors! I was able to meet with a few I’d only seen online, and others I just met that day. Some readers who stopped by my table were even returning people who’d read my first book and were ready to start books 2 & 3, and one who’d met me last year but had no interest and now turned around and purchased all three!

I’ll be 100% transparent, sometimes having a table isn’t super profitable. Depending on what sort of crowd they draw, it may or may not be the audience you’re looking for. But even then, it’s worth it. Being able to connect with people face to face and not just comments and likes on posts is one of the things that makes my heart soar and gives me that motivation to keep going.

It was a day where I was able to remind myself that “oh yeah, I’m an author.” This isn’t just a thing I do as a hobby or alone at my desk. I can connect with other humans with writing and stories and a shared love of fantasy. That’s the beautiful thing about any art form, it brings people together. For me, that’s one of the best things about the creative life, connecting with other people.

No More - Day 44

As a person who writes fairy tale retellings and listens to musical cast records all of the time, what’s one of the most “on-brand” things I can do? Go see a musical that’s a bunch of fairy tale retellings.

Into the Woods has been on of my all time favorite musicals ever since I was a kid and far too young to understand or appreciate it outside of seeing fairy tale characters running around on stage. (Particularly to be seeing the Wolf’s costume. I mean… how did my mom allow me to watch this?)

But, I came away from the musical not noticing that particular costume and it’s anatomy until I was older (praise Jesus), and usually skipping over most of Act 2 because it was “too depressing.”

Which is fair. It gets pretty dark and if you want to only imagine your favorite fairy tale characters having happy endings then you might want to skip this particular show.

I hope you don’t though. Because the older I got and the more I watched this musical, the more I understood and appreciated the darkness of act 2. I love the exploration of how these characters have to navigate a dangerous world and having your wishes come true may not have the consequences you think they will. There’s one particular song I remember always skipping as a kid because it was “so boring.”

Which is another fair point. In his darkest moment The Baker signs a song called “No More” and out of all of the songs to come from Broadway… this isn’t the most exciting one. It’s quiet and long. Most people would likely say that for the more serious and emotional songs of this musical, there are others which are superior. But yet, as I sat in the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago watching Into the Woods, it was this song that stuck out to me and touched me.

“No more giants / waging war! / Can't we just pursue our lives, with our children and our wives, /' Til that happy day arrives, how do you ignore / All the witches, all the curses, / All the wolves, all the lies, the false hopes, the good-bye's, / The reverses, / All the wondering what even worse is still in store! / All the children. / All the giants.. /No more.”

This musical came out in 1987, and here in 2023 the words still ring true. I think for a lot of us, especially since 2020, can relate. I can’t count the number of times when I’ve wondered “Can’t I just write?” or “I just want to live my life!” There was a time when I thought I could change the world. But now, more often than not I’m just tired. The news can be on for five minutes and I’m ready to shut it off because I’m exhausted of hearing about wars and injustice and violence and tragedy.

When I first started blogging again back at the end of March, I was already dragging myself out of a writing slump. I’d lost my dog who was 15 years old in February, and even before then I’d been in a slump. Then, with the release of The Forest’s Keeper, I was getting excited for my author career again.

Then, April 1, my dad passed.

It was both expected and entirely sudden, making April the longest and shortest month of my life.

When I watched Into the Woods for the millionth time this past Sunday and seeing the characters experience loss and death and hardship, I felt a kinship to the Baker I hadn’t before. I understood his desire to just say “no more.” Oddly, it was comforting to remember that people have always experienced these things and these emotions where it’s all too much.

It’s one of the reasons I love fairy tales so much. Reading the old and original versions of some of these tales, the problematic elements and plot holes are so big they almost slap you in the face. But yet, there’s something about them that still speak to our world now. Overcoming impossible odds and facing lifes challenges in the hope that we’ll all get a “happily ever after” in the end, whatever that might look like for each person.

““Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.””

— GK Chesterton

I’ve always loved that quote. Fairy tales don’t only teach children that dragon can be killed, but they teach us adults too. Sometimes we need to remember that while yes there are terrible things in life, those terrible things can also be overcome.

So, here I go again. Trying to slay those dragons and keep writing. It’s slow and not as often as I’d hope. But, the words will come.

Getting into Good Habits - Day Seven

Like with most things I write, the moment I hit “publish” on my last blog post, I had that immediate feeling of panic and regret. It happens each time I send a draft of a book to my editor. I want to crawl into my laptop and the depths of the Internet to grab whatever it is that I sent and say “I take it all back! Never mind!”

“Should I have said that?”

“Did I really write that sentence?”

“Should I be doing this at all?”

“I don’t have time to do this.”

“Did I really just announce to the Internet I’m in therapy?” (To be fair… it’s 2023. If you aren’t in therapy now, or never have been, you probably should be.)

“Girl, do you even know how to blog anymore?”

Alas, it’s out in the world and I guess there’s no going back now. Part of me wondered if I should even bother writing a second post since I already am not writing every single day. But, I want to get back into good habits. Habits of things that make me happy, even if it takes me awhile to get myself to do them.

It’s amazing how sometimes things you genuinely love, can be the hardest to be motivated for. The last several months I’ve been neglecting so many things that I love and are good for me. Doing yoga regularly, cleaning and organizing my spaces, and of course… writing. For awhile I had the excuse of The Forest’s Keeper coming up. That won’t work anymore.

Today, I decided I needed to get myself up and back into it. I set my alarm and got up, did yoga, cleared off my desk, and tried to write. It was only about 100 words. But they were 100 words I didn’t have before and my goal was to get back into that good habit more than a word count goal. The word count goals will come of course. Sometimes though it’s just about putting my butt back in that chair and opening up Scrivener to my work in progress.

I guess that means, I should blog too. So here I am, writing a post. It’s a short one, but it’s here. And you know, it feels good. Yoga this morning felt good as did getting those 100 words in and writing a blog. Sometimes, all you need is that little reminder of “Oh yeah… I actually like doing this” to get you back up and going.

There’s this myth about writing and creativity that you have to wait for your muse to arrive or for inspiration to hit. Then all of the sudden, the words (or whatever art you’re creating) will magically flow out of you in a flood. Maybe sometimes it’s that way. I’ve had those times when I can’t stop writing because the ideas have to escape my brain or else I’ll explode.

You know when I get the most writing, and best writing done though?

When I’ve been doing it on a regular basis and have a goal. The NaNoWriMo months. The times I’m on a deadline. The moments where I have a routine established and I’m regularly (not necessarily daily) sitting at my laptop and putting words on the page, even if it’s only a few. Its like when I do yoga. When I only practice it every few weeks or months, each session is tough and harder to do. Then, when I get back into the routine, my body remembers and each time it gets better and is more fulfilling. Writing is the exact same way. It can be tough to do and the first few sessions are a little painful. But the more often I sit there with my laptop, the more the words flow. The muscles in my creative brain turn on again and in time, the words come. My hope is that will happen with this blog too.

A Year In the Life of an Author - Day 1

Today, my third book was published. Naturally, I thought “This is the perfect time to start blogging again!”

I was never known for having the best or most thought through ideas.

---

Some history:

It’s been years since I’ve blogged, and even longer since I blogged regularly. When first started blogging, (I’m talking with an actual website and thought out posts, not just my emotional ramblings on Xanga in my college days. Did I just age myself? Yes, I did.) it was back in my early 20s when I was living on my own for the first time and navigating the world in all of the glory only a recent college grad can have. Thankfully, I found on the internet a bunch of other people who also were in their early 20s and blogging.

Honestly? It was a blast. Maybe this is my nostalgia talking, but we had a ton of fun writing about whatever we felt like and sharing all of our random stories and thoughts. Then, as time went on and social media grew, so did our relationships with the internet. Blogging wasn’t just for fun anymore, it was branding and marketing and having a certain vibe to your Instagram photos and finding sponsors.

It was exhausting, and while it made me some wonderful friends and I learned so much about the publishing industry and ultimately led to my own books being published, by the time that happened I was running out of ideas of things to write about on the blog all of the time. Besides, I wanted to conserve my writing energy for my novels. I think it has done me well to be quite honest.

---

And now here we are. Three books deep into my romantic fantasy fairy tale retelling series (I really need to find a way to shorten that), The Cursed Queens, and seemingly out of nowhere I’m back!

For awhile now, Instagram has been my main “home” on the Internet for all things books and writing. Twitter has fallen by the wayside, and while I have a Facebook page and group for my writing, that platform is mostly me asking for recommendations from friends and family on various things I want and need to buy, and my Youtube channel is collecting dust. TikTok… well… that’s an adventure. But I feel like the people who are thriving on there have the same feelings I did when I first started blogging and exploring the Internet and it makes me happy for them.

But I’ve wanted to expand more. It hasn’t felt “right” to stay in my one tiny corner. Not just for my own marketing and books, but for myself too.

Last night I was talking with my therapist, (about something entirely different but it’s what got me on this ridiculous train:, and she told me “You’re writer! Just write!” Which… makes sense. She knows it’s what I want to do and what makes me happy. I’m not a photographer or graphic designer or video editor or director. I’m a writer. It sounds so simple, but oddly, harder than you’d think.

But, also oddly feels write. I like sharing my thoughts and putting them into words. There’s so many avenues I’m in love with for telling stories and sharing my heart. Music, theatre, and sometimes the occasional fuzzy photo on Instagram. But words on the page (or screen as the case may be) has always been my defualt, and always will be.

---

There you have it. I want to talk about my life now. As an author with three books out and still feels like she’s beginning and figuring out how to navigate this.

So, a year in the life of an author. In an ideal world, I’d post every day. But… I also don’t want to set expectations too high. I will try to post and share this journey as often as I can. Likely, I’ll talk about writing and books the most. But I’d like to talk about other things too. We’ll see where this goes.

---

Oh… and I guess you should read my books too. Because you know, marketing.

Dust on The Altar Review

Dust on the Altar is a dark urban adult fantasy with magical witches and a touch of sci-fi. It's set in an alternate Earth timeline, where cities are ruled by technology and their citizens have marginalized witches to the townships, where they can practice magic with little fear of reprisal.

Jade loves her life in Sun City: their technology is cutting edge, she's right-hand woman to the country's most powerful business owner, and no one suspects she's a Witch. But when her old coven's High Priestess and last remaining family member is murdered, she’s expected to leave her beloved city life behind, regain the powers she abandoned years ago, and take her place as coven leader.

Going back to Sugar Hill won't be easy. She'll have to find a way to reconcile with her former best friend who's the man she must now call partner, find the keys to her ascension ritual, and stop a Witch who will do anything to bring his daughter back from the dead.

With the coven's magic fading and a whole township counting on her to bring it back, will she find the strength to face the ghosts of her tragic past, or will she run from her responsibilities, again?

Michelle and I met online several years ago and I read an EARLY EARLY EARLY version of this book (and she’s ready early versions of mine too!) so when it turned out we were going to release our books in the same month, I was so excited! I was even more excited when she asked me to be part of her blog tour.

This is such beautiful urban fantasy. It has mystery, love, friendship, and of course - magic! Michelle Winkler offers an intricate and unique world where magic and technology are at odds, and our heroine Jade is caught in the middle.

Jade is both admirable and relatable, and all of her side characters are charming and heartwarming. You quickly grow to love each and every one of them and wish you could bury yourself in this book and join the coven of Sugar Hill! I read this book in one day, and it was a delight from start to finish. If you are looking for a fresh new urban fantasy, you need to pick this book up!

Michelle’s Website

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

The Night's Chosen Cover Reveal

It’s finally here! The moment we all have been waiting for!

MY BOOK COVER REVEAL!

For a few months now I’ve had the final cover sitting in my files begging to be let out and it’s been so hard not to share it with the whole world. Seriously, each time I look at it my mind is completely blown. I’m obsessed with how the cover turned out and I hope you all love it too.

The stars! The castle! THE DRESS. Isn’t it all so beautiful and magical and dramatic? It captures the spirit of The Night’s Chosen so perfectly.

Being able to talk with my publisher and editor about the cover design has been one of the most fun parts of the process so far. It makes it all feel so much more real.

Most Common Pitfalls for Newer Writers with Janet Walden-West

It is my pleasure to host Janet Walden-West today! She’s another author with my publishing house, City Owl Press, and writes Contemporary, Paranormal, and Urban Fantasy. She’s a Pitch Wars alum and Pitch Wars mentor and is here to share with you some of the insights she’s learned from the query and submission process for new authors.

---

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in possession of a completed manuscript must be in want of an agent and/or book deal.

When the world is turned upside down, books and other forms of creative expression are especially important. It’s perfectly understandable if a writer’s reaction to the stress that is 2020 if stepping back from writing. However, it’s equally okay to dive even deeper into words as a form of self-care and therapy. 

Keeping an eye on industry statistics shows that with people in self-quarantine, or venturing out far less and with fewer events available, book sales have picked up in some genres and formats. Readers are reading, agents are signing, and publishers are acquiring.

So for those of you wondering if it’s possible to query now, go for it.  But learn from our, and other new writers’, mistakes.

In the past 13~ months, I’ve participated in a large mentoring program, as well as tried to pay it forward with manuscript reads, and critiques of query packets for multiple projects and relief auctions.

After going through well over two-hundred packets, I saw a number of issues and common problems that might result in an agent/editor rejection.

The very first is jumping into querying too soon. FOMO is a thing—I get it. Patience isn’t my friend either. However, agents and publishers will still be there, in some form, in a month, six months, a year. 

My best advice is finding critique partners, and not just asking them to read for you, but swap manuscripts. From my group’s experiences, it can be much easier to spot problems with plots, character arcs, and pacing in someone else’s manuscript. Personally, my writing leveled up as much from identifying things done right and things gone wrong, and having that light bulb moment of identifying the same flaws in my story, as it did from actual reader critiques. 

Along the same lines—unneeded prologues and slow first chapters. It’s difficult to overstate how important first pages are. Those few paragraphs are often all an agent reads before hitting send on a form rejection.

From my reads, in most cases the first pages were well written. But they did nothing to draw a reader in either because there was nothing but backstory going on, or the opposite and they started mid-fight. In the first instance, if there’s no anticipation, no tasty question of what happens next, readers will close the book. In the second, jumping into a life-or-death situation without giving readers an emotional attachment to or reason to empathize with a character can have the same result.

Aside from the manuscript, the next most common pitfalls involved the query. 

Queries are no one’s favorite thing. They are tricky, frustratingly short, and utilize a different skill set than that of writing the story itself.

The biggest stumbling block I saw was confusing the query and synopsis. The query is the stage on which to showcase and tantalize, dropping juuust enough information to get the reader wanting to know how the central conflict plays out. Make sure to highlight the thing(s) that makes your story unique, or subverts the expected trope. 

Save the point-by-point plot wrap-up for the equally dreaded synopsis. It’s incredibly difficult to get both voice and plot arc into a synopsis, especially the standard short synopsis. Best practice is to prioritize plot over pretty.

The final reason I identified was simply writers not understanding the genre they thought they were writing. Make yourself aware of expectations in your genre–happy ever afters/happy for now in romances, centering the heroine(s) journey in women’s fiction, resolving the main mystery in mysteries. As a loose rule of thumb, if you can’t find similar books to compare to yours in your genre, think about taking a beat and researching where your manuscript meets or fails to meet genre standards.

I hope my quick and dirty notes are helpful on the journey to publication.

Stay safe, y’all.

---

Janet Walden-West lives in the southeast with a pack of show dogs, a couple of kids, and a husband who didn’t read the fine print. A member of the East Tennessee Creative Writers Alliance, she is also a founding member of The Million Words craft blog. She pens diverse Urban Fantasy and inclusive Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.

A 2X PitchWars alum, 2019 Pitch Wars Mentor, and Golden Heart® finalist, her debut multicultural Contemporary Romance, SALT+STILETTOS, released in April 2020 from City Owl Press. She is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary Agency.Find her at:

Website: https://janetwaldenwest.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetwaldenwestauthor/​Twitter: @JanetWaldenWest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetwaldenwest/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Janet-Walden-West/e/B07DD9FNQ5/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/janet-walden-west

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18062729.Janet_Walden_West

---

I’m over on her blog today too, talking about what I’ve learned as a debut author. Check it out!