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1. Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun. -Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. |
What happens in the Cave doesn't always stay there... Conversations and news from Ellora's Cave Publishing, an erotic romance publisher.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Great Beginnings - Favorite First Lines
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Great Beginnings
There’s a certain amount of irony inherent in the fact that I am writing a blog article about great beginnings…and I can’t find a way to start for the life of me. I’ve tried everything by this point: impersonal facts. Frightening editorial tales. Definitions. I even tried drumming up a few bad jokes to get the ball rolling.
It was a dark and stormy cliché.
It was the best of submissions, it was the worst of submissions…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a busy editor in possession of a spare moment must be in want of a manuscript.
And so on.
A good beginning is important. No, I’ll go a step farther and say it’s vital. While a title and a good cover may be what draw a reader’s eye, the first paragraph of a book is what keeps her from immediately putting the book away. The same holds true for editors, except in our case there is nothing but the cover letter and those first few words to get us interested. No handsome men and no kickass women posed with werecoyotes howling in the background—just the bare bones of the very best beginning you can manage.
Each editor has his or her own way of dealing with external submissions. Some faithfully read three chapters all the way through before making a decision. Some read only until the first typo. Some read the first page.
And, of course, there are some editors who will only give you that first, vital paragraph. That leaves it up to you to impress them, interest them, immediately. That leaves it up to you to come up with a truly great beginning.
There’s a catch 22 in this, however. While it’s important to start your story off with a bang (whether it be with an interesting question, an exciting event or an irresistible character), it’s all too easy to fall into the beginner’s trap of crafting that perfect opening line…and not following up with a story that matches. Or, even worse, to put so much emphasis on the opening line that it may as well be waving flags and shooting off fireworks. You do need a hook to capture my attention, but you also need it to fit your story. If your first few lines are a promise to the reader that you’ve got something worthwhile to say, the rest of your book is a delivery on that promise.
So, to recap: the hook of your story is vital to getting it read, getting it sold and getting it to as many readers as you can. But beware of the temptation to put so much into the hook that it no longer fits within the meat of your story. You have to deliver on the promise of that first line and offer not only a great beginning but a great middle and end as well.
That said—who has a first line from their own book to share?
It was a dark and stormy cliché.
It was the best of submissions, it was the worst of submissions…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a busy editor in possession of a spare moment must be in want of a manuscript.
And so on.
A good beginning is important. No, I’ll go a step farther and say it’s vital. While a title and a good cover may be what draw a reader’s eye, the first paragraph of a book is what keeps her from immediately putting the book away. The same holds true for editors, except in our case there is nothing but the cover letter and those first few words to get us interested. No handsome men and no kickass women posed with werecoyotes howling in the background—just the bare bones of the very best beginning you can manage.
Each editor has his or her own way of dealing with external submissions. Some faithfully read three chapters all the way through before making a decision. Some read only until the first typo. Some read the first page.
And, of course, there are some editors who will only give you that first, vital paragraph. That leaves it up to you to impress them, interest them, immediately. That leaves it up to you to come up with a truly great beginning.
There’s a catch 22 in this, however. While it’s important to start your story off with a bang (whether it be with an interesting question, an exciting event or an irresistible character), it’s all too easy to fall into the beginner’s trap of crafting that perfect opening line…and not following up with a story that matches. Or, even worse, to put so much emphasis on the opening line that it may as well be waving flags and shooting off fireworks. You do need a hook to capture my attention, but you also need it to fit your story. If your first few lines are a promise to the reader that you’ve got something worthwhile to say, the rest of your book is a delivery on that promise.
So, to recap: the hook of your story is vital to getting it read, getting it sold and getting it to as many readers as you can. But beware of the temptation to put so much into the hook that it no longer fits within the meat of your story. You have to deliver on the promise of that first line and offer not only a great beginning but a great middle and end as well.
That said—who has a first line from their own book to share?
Friday, March 14, 2008
When Tragedy Strikes
by Nick Conrad
We’ve mentioned before that backstory, while important, shouldn’t define the character. Likewise, backstory shouldn’t be defined by traumatic events alone. Bad things happen to good people all the time, but there’s such a thing as too much.
PROBLEM: The same bad things repeatedly happen to the character throughout the story.
EXAMPLE: The heroine is still coping with a rape she experienced. Then she’s attacked again. It happens in real life, and it can be a strong plot point—having to face one’s past by experiencing something similar. If it happens repeatedly throughout a story, though, the reader will start wondering what the character is doing to attract such misfortune. Their suspension of disbelief will be tested, and they’re going to stop empathizing with the character and start resenting her.
HOW TO FIX: Don’t let the tragedy become the character. And in some cases, consider what something that happens to the character says about them. If the hero is a warrior facing battle daily, of course he’ll get injured. But if he comes home torn to shreds every other day, readers will wonder what kind of warrior he really is.
PROBLEM: The backstory is full of tragedy that transcends belief, sometimes overpowering the plot altogether.
EXAMPLE: When young, the hero saw his mother killed by men who were never caught. Years later, they came after him and killed his girlfriend, but he escaped. Then persons unknown blew up his apartment complex, killing his wife and child. Now someone’s after the hero’s new squeeze. Not only does it sound like a slasher film, but the guy also seems like bad news—he’s terribly unlucky and he has a ton of baggage.
HOW TO FIX: Use moderation. There is no one-tragedy-per-lifetime limit, but don’t overdo it. Otherwise, not only will it be less plausible, but the tragedy will eclipse the character.
PROBLEM: A character experienced a traumatic event for which they needlessly blame themselves. The less at fault they were, the guiltier they feel. This is often used to make the character seem more sympathetic.
EXAMPLE: The character experienced a violent assault and/or had a loved one who was assaulted or murdered. The key factor is that this was clearly done to the character, and this passivity defines the character.
HOW TO FIX: Feeling guilt over a tragedy is normal and understandable, and many excellently written characters do exactly that. When a character is so overwrought that the tragedy permeates every aspect of their being (or when so much tragedy occurs that it tests believability), the character becomes a caricature. The reader shouldn’t want to shout, “Snap out of it!” The character’s anger and grief are expected, but hopefully they’re fleshed out enough that there’s something else there too—something to make them real and genuinely sympathetic. While it’s never fair to expect characters to just “get over it”, it’s important that they start the transition from being a victim to being a survivor before the story is over.
PROBLEM: There are convenient holes in the effects of the traumatic event.
EXAMPLE: The heroine was raped and struggles to trust again, but when she meets the hero she immediately jumps into bed with him because his love is so strong that it “heals” her. The story moves on with no mention of the earlier rape—unless the plot slows, and then the past trauma comes back to haunt the characters, taking over the plot completely.
HOW TO FIX: Make sure the tragic event and the character’s feelings about it are dealt with in a logical and consistent manner. If the hero has trouble trusting women, why is he nonchalantly giving his new fling the keys to his apartment?
When tragedy strikes, of course it takes over the lives of the people affected. But when it happens in your story, don’t let the tragedy bury all that character development you’ve established.
We’ve mentioned before that backstory, while important, shouldn’t define the character. Likewise, backstory shouldn’t be defined by traumatic events alone. Bad things happen to good people all the time, but there’s such a thing as too much.
PROBLEM: The same bad things repeatedly happen to the character throughout the story.
EXAMPLE: The heroine is still coping with a rape she experienced. Then she’s attacked again. It happens in real life, and it can be a strong plot point—having to face one’s past by experiencing something similar. If it happens repeatedly throughout a story, though, the reader will start wondering what the character is doing to attract such misfortune. Their suspension of disbelief will be tested, and they’re going to stop empathizing with the character and start resenting her.
HOW TO FIX: Don’t let the tragedy become the character. And in some cases, consider what something that happens to the character says about them. If the hero is a warrior facing battle daily, of course he’ll get injured. But if he comes home torn to shreds every other day, readers will wonder what kind of warrior he really is.
PROBLEM: The backstory is full of tragedy that transcends belief, sometimes overpowering the plot altogether.
EXAMPLE: When young, the hero saw his mother killed by men who were never caught. Years later, they came after him and killed his girlfriend, but he escaped. Then persons unknown blew up his apartment complex, killing his wife and child. Now someone’s after the hero’s new squeeze. Not only does it sound like a slasher film, but the guy also seems like bad news—he’s terribly unlucky and he has a ton of baggage.
HOW TO FIX: Use moderation. There is no one-tragedy-per-lifetime limit, but don’t overdo it. Otherwise, not only will it be less plausible, but the tragedy will eclipse the character.
PROBLEM: A character experienced a traumatic event for which they needlessly blame themselves. The less at fault they were, the guiltier they feel. This is often used to make the character seem more sympathetic.
EXAMPLE: The character experienced a violent assault and/or had a loved one who was assaulted or murdered. The key factor is that this was clearly done to the character, and this passivity defines the character.
HOW TO FIX: Feeling guilt over a tragedy is normal and understandable, and many excellently written characters do exactly that. When a character is so overwrought that the tragedy permeates every aspect of their being (or when so much tragedy occurs that it tests believability), the character becomes a caricature. The reader shouldn’t want to shout, “Snap out of it!” The character’s anger and grief are expected, but hopefully they’re fleshed out enough that there’s something else there too—something to make them real and genuinely sympathetic. While it’s never fair to expect characters to just “get over it”, it’s important that they start the transition from being a victim to being a survivor before the story is over.
PROBLEM: There are convenient holes in the effects of the traumatic event.
EXAMPLE: The heroine was raped and struggles to trust again, but when she meets the hero she immediately jumps into bed with him because his love is so strong that it “heals” her. The story moves on with no mention of the earlier rape—unless the plot slows, and then the past trauma comes back to haunt the characters, taking over the plot completely.
HOW TO FIX: Make sure the tragic event and the character’s feelings about it are dealt with in a logical and consistent manner. If the hero has trouble trusting women, why is he nonchalantly giving his new fling the keys to his apartment?
When tragedy strikes, of course it takes over the lives of the people affected. But when it happens in your story, don’t let the tragedy bury all that character development you’ve established.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Ask Me Anything
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1. To whom does this person go when they're having a crisis? |
Monday, March 10, 2008
Building Character
By Meghan Miller
If you were asked to describe yourself, you'd probably come back with basic facts: your name, your age, where you live, your occupation. You'd probably throw out some other information, too. Maybe you love cats, have an undergrad degree from SUNY, hate canned mushrooms, and secretly fantasize about moving to a Walden-esque setting and living off the land. Or maybe you have a pet turtle, are afraid of spiders, taught yourself how to program when you were seventeen, started a small software company, drink too much Diet Coke, and would like to meet Mr. Right, but only if he's not going to get uptight about working long hours.
Neither of those descriptions tells us a lot about you, but it gives us some idea of where to start, at least, and maybe we could bond over our shared hate of canned mushrooms or our love of Diet Coke.
That's how it goes when people are asked about themselves. Ask someone about a character in a book that they're writing, though, and the story seems to change. "My heroine?" they say. "Well, she's twenty-seven. Her parents were killed in a car crash when she was fourteen, and since then, she's been mostly on her own. Her boyfriend raped her when she was seventeen, and now she doesn't trust men very much. A few months before the story starts, she was contacted by a lawyer who told her that her long-estranged grandmother had recently passed away and, as the only living relative, she was entitled to her grandmother's estate, which included a large but financially struggling company, and now she has to figure out how to keep it afloat."
Obviously, there's nothing inherently wrong with having that as a backstory. But look at the difference between the two descriptions. One if about who the person is--their likes and dislikes, what they want, what they've done. The other is about what has been done to them. The person being described is passive and has very little input into the description, which is all about other people's actions. And let's face it: if you have a character whose personality is defined by other people, you don't have a very interesting character. It's not that knowing someone is allergic to pineapple makes them more interesting, but it gives you a little more insight to the character. You’re not writing a story about what happened to the character ten years ago, you’re writing about what’s happening now. To make the character come alive, you need more than just their backstory and whatever the current plot is. You need hints of who that person is, their likes and dislikes, their fears and fantasies.
Maybe some of these details will never make it into your story, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't know it. Knowing your character's favorite color or least favorite pizza topping might not make the next plot twist completely apparent to you, but everything you know about a character will inform their actions and, ultimately, make for a more believable, better-written character.
If you were asked to describe yourself, you'd probably come back with basic facts: your name, your age, where you live, your occupation. You'd probably throw out some other information, too. Maybe you love cats, have an undergrad degree from SUNY, hate canned mushrooms, and secretly fantasize about moving to a Walden-esque setting and living off the land. Or maybe you have a pet turtle, are afraid of spiders, taught yourself how to program when you were seventeen, started a small software company, drink too much Diet Coke, and would like to meet Mr. Right, but only if he's not going to get uptight about working long hours.
Neither of those descriptions tells us a lot about you, but it gives us some idea of where to start, at least, and maybe we could bond over our shared hate of canned mushrooms or our love of Diet Coke.
That's how it goes when people are asked about themselves. Ask someone about a character in a book that they're writing, though, and the story seems to change. "My heroine?" they say. "Well, she's twenty-seven. Her parents were killed in a car crash when she was fourteen, and since then, she's been mostly on her own. Her boyfriend raped her when she was seventeen, and now she doesn't trust men very much. A few months before the story starts, she was contacted by a lawyer who told her that her long-estranged grandmother had recently passed away and, as the only living relative, she was entitled to her grandmother's estate, which included a large but financially struggling company, and now she has to figure out how to keep it afloat."
Obviously, there's nothing inherently wrong with having that as a backstory. But look at the difference between the two descriptions. One if about who the person is--their likes and dislikes, what they want, what they've done. The other is about what has been done to them. The person being described is passive and has very little input into the description, which is all about other people's actions. And let's face it: if you have a character whose personality is defined by other people, you don't have a very interesting character. It's not that knowing someone is allergic to pineapple makes them more interesting, but it gives you a little more insight to the character. You’re not writing a story about what happened to the character ten years ago, you’re writing about what’s happening now. To make the character come alive, you need more than just their backstory and whatever the current plot is. You need hints of who that person is, their likes and dislikes, their fears and fantasies.
Maybe some of these details will never make it into your story, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't know it. Knowing your character's favorite color or least favorite pizza topping might not make the next plot twist completely apparent to you, but everything you know about a character will inform their actions and, ultimately, make for a more believable, better-written character.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Submission Savvy, Part 2
by Raelene Gorlinsky
On Tuesday I listed the steps for getting your submission ready and sending it in. So, what do you do after that? (Besides chewing your fingernails to the quick, having long emotional phone conversations with all your author friends, and collecting up all your good luck charms, that is.)
Step 4: Be patient
Response times are often longer than stated. If you haven't heard back right away, at least you know it wasn’t rejected at first glance.
Do not call or email the editor/agent a week later and ask if they've read it yet. Check their website for the average response time, and wait that long to inquire.
Step 5: Responses - Reject, Revise, or Accept
Reject: This is what happens to 96 - 98% of unsolicited romance fiction submissions. Don’t argue, it is pointless. Do not write a nasty note back! A thank you note (brief, professional) is not necessary but is a nice touch. You may want to submit something else there in future. Don’t burn your bridges.
Yes, it's discouraging and disheartening. Take a day or a few days to cry and mope and eat chocolate. Then send that submission out to another place. And get to work on your next book!
Face reality. Publishers are companies, they have to turn a profit. They determine what is selling in their market and offer readers what they want to buy. The book of your heart may be something that does not tug at sufficient other hearts.
Revise and Resubmit: It's not too common, but sometimes an editor will indicate they are willing to look at the story again if you make certain changes. Yes, it’s a rejection, but the door is still open. The editor took a lot of time to analyze your story and explain what needs to be revised—so she must see a good bit of potential in it.
Really think about the advice. If you don’t agree, or it doesn’t match what you feel for your story, you don’t need to take it; try submitting elsewhere. But if you keep getting similar advice…
Accept: Joy and celebration! Ask lots of questions early. Find out the process, the timeline; develop realistic expectations. This is your chance to be a “newbie”, your editor will be more tolerant now than later. Be friendly with your editor, but keep it professional, not personal.
Be professional and realistic in contract negotiations. Be responsible for understanding all the ramifications of your contract.
If you have contract questions, it's worth paying for an hour of time from an experienced literary agent or literary attorney to go over the contract with you. Do not consult a lawyer who is not experienced in the publishing industry—forget about the nice woman who drew up your will, or your brother-in-law the divorce attorney. The advice you get will not be useful, and will only make you look inexperienced and cause aggravation to your publisher. Use an experienced literary attorney.
Don’t take the attitude that a publisher will be trying to trick or cheat you. If you think that about them, why did you submit there in the first place? Start with the belief that the publisher is looking out for your joint best interests. They only make money if your book sells well. I’ve heard authors claim that a publisher tried to harm them by purposely giving them a bad cover, or delaying the release of their book, or other nonsense. Why would we want to reduce sales, and therefore our profit, by doing that?
Find out how to handle future story submissions. You want to be multi-published!
Step 6: Get published.
Meet your deadlines. Be reasonable and cooperative about revisions. Don’t turn into a prima donna. Remember that your editor has a lot of other books and authors to handle.
Your editor is your coworker, not your mother or your psychiatrist or your best friend.
Not all stories that get bought, get published. There are bumps on the publishing track, and some of those could derail your book. They may be out of your control, and this can be very frustrating. Keep aware of what is going on at your publishing house and in the industry as a whole; network with fellow authors.
And be sure to celebrate your accomplishment—by turning in your next book for publication!
On Tuesday I listed the steps for getting your submission ready and sending it in. So, what do you do after that? (Besides chewing your fingernails to the quick, having long emotional phone conversations with all your author friends, and collecting up all your good luck charms, that is.)
Step 4: Be patient
Response times are often longer than stated. If you haven't heard back right away, at least you know it wasn’t rejected at first glance.
Do not call or email the editor/agent a week later and ask if they've read it yet. Check their website for the average response time, and wait that long to inquire.
Step 5: Responses - Reject, Revise, or Accept
Reject: This is what happens to 96 - 98% of unsolicited romance fiction submissions. Don’t argue, it is pointless. Do not write a nasty note back! A thank you note (brief, professional) is not necessary but is a nice touch. You may want to submit something else there in future. Don’t burn your bridges.
Yes, it's discouraging and disheartening. Take a day or a few days to cry and mope and eat chocolate. Then send that submission out to another place. And get to work on your next book!
Face reality. Publishers are companies, they have to turn a profit. They determine what is selling in their market and offer readers what they want to buy. The book of your heart may be something that does not tug at sufficient other hearts.
Revise and Resubmit: It's not too common, but sometimes an editor will indicate they are willing to look at the story again if you make certain changes. Yes, it’s a rejection, but the door is still open. The editor took a lot of time to analyze your story and explain what needs to be revised—so she must see a good bit of potential in it.
Really think about the advice. If you don’t agree, or it doesn’t match what you feel for your story, you don’t need to take it; try submitting elsewhere. But if you keep getting similar advice…
Accept: Joy and celebration! Ask lots of questions early. Find out the process, the timeline; develop realistic expectations. This is your chance to be a “newbie”, your editor will be more tolerant now than later. Be friendly with your editor, but keep it professional, not personal.
Be professional and realistic in contract negotiations. Be responsible for understanding all the ramifications of your contract.
If you have contract questions, it's worth paying for an hour of time from an experienced literary agent or literary attorney to go over the contract with you. Do not consult a lawyer who is not experienced in the publishing industry—forget about the nice woman who drew up your will, or your brother-in-law the divorce attorney. The advice you get will not be useful, and will only make you look inexperienced and cause aggravation to your publisher. Use an experienced literary attorney.
Don’t take the attitude that a publisher will be trying to trick or cheat you. If you think that about them, why did you submit there in the first place? Start with the belief that the publisher is looking out for your joint best interests. They only make money if your book sells well. I’ve heard authors claim that a publisher tried to harm them by purposely giving them a bad cover, or delaying the release of their book, or other nonsense. Why would we want to reduce sales, and therefore our profit, by doing that?
Find out how to handle future story submissions. You want to be multi-published!
Step 6: Get published.
Meet your deadlines. Be reasonable and cooperative about revisions. Don’t turn into a prima donna. Remember that your editor has a lot of other books and authors to handle.
Your editor is your coworker, not your mother or your psychiatrist or your best friend.
Not all stories that get bought, get published. There are bumps on the publishing track, and some of those could derail your book. They may be out of your control, and this can be very frustrating. Keep aware of what is going on at your publishing house and in the industry as a whole; network with fellow authors.
And be sure to celebrate your accomplishment—by turning in your next book for publication!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Common Confusibles/Memory Mnemonics
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1. advice (n. opinion or counsel) / advise (v. to offer advice) Be wise when you advise. 2. aid (v. or n. help) / aide (n. an assistant or helper) An aide is by your side. 3. beach / beech A beach is by the sea. A beech is a tree. 4. breath (n.) / breathe (v.) Breathe with ease. 5. capital (city that is the seat of government; material wealth, assets; first and foremost; first-rate, excellent) / capitol (building where the legislature meets) Cash is a form of capital. The capitol building has a dome. 6. cavalcade (ceremonial procession) / cavalry (mounted troops) / Calvary (hill outside Jerusalem; a great ordeal) The cavalry were valiant. 7. coarse / course We’ve lost our course. 8. compliment (praise, congratulation) / complement (complete or make up the whole) A complement completes. I like compliments. 9. desert (dry sandy place) / dessert (yummy food at end of meal) The desert is sand. A just desert is what you deserve. Strawberry shortcake is dessert. 10. discreet (prudent, careful; modest and restrained [noun is ‘discretion’]) / discrete (separate and distinct) The ‘t’ separates the ‘ee’s. 11. passed / past (no longer current, gone by, over) The ass passed me. Last year is in the past. 12. principal (main or first) / principle (basic rule or doctrine) The principal is your pal. A principle is a rule. 13. stationary (unmoving) / stationery (writing paper) A stationary object stands still. Stationery is paper. |
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Submissions Savvy, Part 1
by Raelene Gorlinsky
How to give your manuscript the best chance when submitting is one of the questions we get asked most frequently. Because, after all, if you don't submit "right", even the most brilliant story may sabotage its own chance for acceptance and publication.
But the whole process of submitting a manuscript starts long before you actually send it off. There is a lot of research and planning you should do first.
Step 0 – Before submitting
1. Become a pro at your profession.
~ Learn your trade: join writer organizations, attend conferences, go to book signings.
I’m amazed when new authors ask me for advice on what to do at a booksigning, and admit they’ve never been to one. Go watch an experienced author!
~ Learn the industry: magazines like Publishers Weekly and RWR; publisher websites.
~ Know your “customers”: readers. Reviews, discussion lists, blogs, RT BOOKreviews magazine.
~ Read. Read a lot. You can absorb writing techniques by seeing how other authors do it. This will also help you be aware of what types of books are being published—and who’s publishing them.
2. Be sure your “product” is ready for sale. It's done, it's clean, it's been proofread and formatted. You've written a blurb and synopsis.
~ Story needs a great “grabbing” start to get and keep the editor’s attention. You only have a couple of pages to convince the editor to keep reading your submission.
3. Use critique partners and proofers. (Family members, close friends, or rabid fans do not count!)
It is not an editor’s job to be your proofreader, or to teach you grammar. Most editors will not even consider submissions that clearly need massive editing. Interesting story lines are continually rejected because too much editing work would be needed. It isn’t worth it when other stories just as good can be finished with less time and effort.
~ Writers groups can be a great way to get feedback and find critique partners; they also often sponsor writer conferences where you will have the opportunity to talk to editors, agents, and published writers.
~ Contests: A way to get feedback on your work. Especially consider those that use editors or agents as judges.
Now you are ready to submit your story. Remember, if your manuscript is accepted, this is the beginning of what you hope will be a long and profitable connection with the publisher and editor—so do everything you can to start the relationship off right.
Humbleness does not hurt. Inflated egos send editors running.
Step 1: Where to submit
Know the publishers and agents, what they are looking for. Be familiar with the books they publish or represent. Check out their websites. Ask questions. Send only to appropriate places!
RWR semiannual Market Update; publisher websites for most current information.
Step 2: Submission guidelines
Read them, follow them. Use common sense.
Do what the submission guidelines say! Don’t expect special treatment, don’t argue about the rules.
Step 3: Cover letter/email, synopsis, sample chapters
Customize each submission letter. Make it easy to read, a quick summary of you and your story. Always be polite, don’t be too aggressive, don’t sound overconfident.
Do not say something like “Thank you for the chance to express myself.” This scares off an editor, who wants to read a marketable story, not your emotional purge.
I’ve gotten emails that mentioned “the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope”; the author clearly just did a cut and paste from the standard letter she mails to publishers.
On Friday, I'll post the steps for after you've submitted--the waiting and hoping.
How to give your manuscript the best chance when submitting is one of the questions we get asked most frequently. Because, after all, if you don't submit "right", even the most brilliant story may sabotage its own chance for acceptance and publication.
But the whole process of submitting a manuscript starts long before you actually send it off. There is a lot of research and planning you should do first.
Step 0 – Before submitting
1. Become a pro at your profession.
~ Learn your trade: join writer organizations, attend conferences, go to book signings.
I’m amazed when new authors ask me for advice on what to do at a booksigning, and admit they’ve never been to one. Go watch an experienced author!
~ Learn the industry: magazines like Publishers Weekly and RWR; publisher websites.
~ Know your “customers”: readers. Reviews, discussion lists, blogs, RT BOOKreviews magazine.
~ Read. Read a lot. You can absorb writing techniques by seeing how other authors do it. This will also help you be aware of what types of books are being published—and who’s publishing them.
2. Be sure your “product” is ready for sale. It's done, it's clean, it's been proofread and formatted. You've written a blurb and synopsis.
~ Story needs a great “grabbing” start to get and keep the editor’s attention. You only have a couple of pages to convince the editor to keep reading your submission.
3. Use critique partners and proofers. (Family members, close friends, or rabid fans do not count!)
It is not an editor’s job to be your proofreader, or to teach you grammar. Most editors will not even consider submissions that clearly need massive editing. Interesting story lines are continually rejected because too much editing work would be needed. It isn’t worth it when other stories just as good can be finished with less time and effort.
~ Writers groups can be a great way to get feedback and find critique partners; they also often sponsor writer conferences where you will have the opportunity to talk to editors, agents, and published writers.
~ Contests: A way to get feedback on your work. Especially consider those that use editors or agents as judges.
Now you are ready to submit your story. Remember, if your manuscript is accepted, this is the beginning of what you hope will be a long and profitable connection with the publisher and editor—so do everything you can to start the relationship off right.
Humbleness does not hurt. Inflated egos send editors running.
Step 1: Where to submit
Know the publishers and agents, what they are looking for. Be familiar with the books they publish or represent. Check out their websites. Ask questions. Send only to appropriate places!
RWR semiannual Market Update; publisher websites for most current information.
Step 2: Submission guidelines
Read them, follow them. Use common sense.
Do what the submission guidelines say! Don’t expect special treatment, don’t argue about the rules.
Step 3: Cover letter/email, synopsis, sample chapters
Customize each submission letter. Make it easy to read, a quick summary of you and your story. Always be polite, don’t be too aggressive, don’t sound overconfident.
Do not say something like “Thank you for the chance to express myself.” This scares off an editor, who wants to read a marketable story, not your emotional purge.
I’ve gotten emails that mentioned “the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope”; the author clearly just did a cut and paste from the standard letter she mails to publishers.
On Friday, I'll post the steps for after you've submitted--the waiting and hoping.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Power Play
by Meghan Miller
You come across a lot of things when you're reading romance novels: dominant alpha-male personalities, beautiful submissives, a bit of kinky handcuff play, BDSM clubs, full-time D/s relationships, relationships that fulfill that dynamic in the bedroom only... One of the things that you don't see a lot of, though, is femdom, or a D/s relationship in which the dominant partner is a woman.
On the surface, it seems like femdom should be appealing to romance readers—there's a certain glamour, after all, to being in charge, to having that sort of power. It seems like it would be the height of female empowerment, making a man bow sexually to you.
Possibly you caught the "should" and "seems like" in the previous paragraph. In practice, fewer woman than one might expect enjoy the femdom dynamic, at least in fiction.
To be a Domme is to hold a lot of power. In a femdom relationship, or any sort of D/s relationship, the Domme (or Dom) is by necessity the responsible partner — responsible for the safety of what they're doing, for ensuring that the sub finds their activities pleasurable (or not, if that's the point), responsible for their own pleasure. To really dominate someone, one must be constantly aware not only of the sub's headspace, but also of their own, and of how both headspaces will shift as the scene progresses. On the surface, it doesn't seem like there should be anything off-putting about that, and maybe in real life there's not.
In fiction, though, it's another thing entirely. As a rule, readers of fiction are seeking out some sort of fantasy. When you've spent the last twelve hours wrangling children, arguing with co-workers, trying to find something to eat for supper, calling the phone company to try to figure out why last month's long-distance bill cost two hundred dollars, and having to be on top of things and in control all the time, most people don't want to fantasize about having to care for someone else. They want to fantasize about having someone else care for them.
For many people — not just women — submitting to someone can be a very powerful experience. A good Dom will nurture and care for his sub, doing everything he can to ensure the sub’s comfort and happiness. Additionally, the combination of pain and pleasure that is present in a D/s scene triggers the sympathetic nervous system, evoking a high with both physical and mental effects. Pain tolerance increases, and the sub feels dreamily detached, not unlike the way one feels when taking narcotics. When the scene ends, it is likely that the sub will be exhausted, which is why aftercare is sometimes necessary.
In a D/s relationship, the sub is ultimately the one with the power. Not only is the Dom trying to please them, but all it takes is one word, their safeword, and the scene ends. No one goes into any sort of D/s situation in hopes that they’ll be miserable — they do it because of the pleasure and power to be found in submitting. It's understandable that a woman who has to be responsible and "in charge" for most of her day — the femdom in dealing with life — could fantasize about not having to take the dominant role in the bedroom.
You come across a lot of things when you're reading romance novels: dominant alpha-male personalities, beautiful submissives, a bit of kinky handcuff play, BDSM clubs, full-time D/s relationships, relationships that fulfill that dynamic in the bedroom only... One of the things that you don't see a lot of, though, is femdom, or a D/s relationship in which the dominant partner is a woman.
On the surface, it seems like femdom should be appealing to romance readers—there's a certain glamour, after all, to being in charge, to having that sort of power. It seems like it would be the height of female empowerment, making a man bow sexually to you.
Possibly you caught the "should" and "seems like" in the previous paragraph. In practice, fewer woman than one might expect enjoy the femdom dynamic, at least in fiction.
To be a Domme is to hold a lot of power. In a femdom relationship, or any sort of D/s relationship, the Domme (or Dom) is by necessity the responsible partner — responsible for the safety of what they're doing, for ensuring that the sub finds their activities pleasurable (or not, if that's the point), responsible for their own pleasure. To really dominate someone, one must be constantly aware not only of the sub's headspace, but also of their own, and of how both headspaces will shift as the scene progresses. On the surface, it doesn't seem like there should be anything off-putting about that, and maybe in real life there's not.
In fiction, though, it's another thing entirely. As a rule, readers of fiction are seeking out some sort of fantasy. When you've spent the last twelve hours wrangling children, arguing with co-workers, trying to find something to eat for supper, calling the phone company to try to figure out why last month's long-distance bill cost two hundred dollars, and having to be on top of things and in control all the time, most people don't want to fantasize about having to care for someone else. They want to fantasize about having someone else care for them.
For many people — not just women — submitting to someone can be a very powerful experience. A good Dom will nurture and care for his sub, doing everything he can to ensure the sub’s comfort and happiness. Additionally, the combination of pain and pleasure that is present in a D/s scene triggers the sympathetic nervous system, evoking a high with both physical and mental effects. Pain tolerance increases, and the sub feels dreamily detached, not unlike the way one feels when taking narcotics. When the scene ends, it is likely that the sub will be exhausted, which is why aftercare is sometimes necessary.
In a D/s relationship, the sub is ultimately the one with the power. Not only is the Dom trying to please them, but all it takes is one word, their safeword, and the scene ends. No one goes into any sort of D/s situation in hopes that they’ll be miserable — they do it because of the pleasure and power to be found in submitting. It's understandable that a woman who has to be responsible and "in charge" for most of her day — the femdom in dealing with life — could fantasize about not having to take the dominant role in the bedroom.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Beloved Betas
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