"So, what are you doing this summer?"

This is a question every teacher is asked every year. Here's my answer:

Summer is a busy, busy, busy time of year for me. As the school year ends and the summer begins, the days and nights are filled with ceremonies, celebrations, and obligations. At that time of year, teachers attend enough meetings and classes to numb even the strongest...posteriors.

Now that school's finally out, my mom has monopolized my time with all of the little errands that have needed done since Spring Break, but that "will wait until school's out...*sigh.*" (In order for that last line to work, you have to feature my 70-something mom with the back of her hand to her forehead. Got it? Good. Now re-read the line.)

Since the official last day of school on May 27, I've had four days of school-related meeting/work days and six Mom days. I've also had several "let's do lunch" engagements with my friends, who are dear enough and patient enough to understand that, during the school year, it's almost impossible for me to socialize and who allow me to play 'catch up' during the summer. They really are the greatest. A friend's health crisis has also eaten up quite a bit of time.


Also, I am checking my emails (a little too often) looking for a response from the agent who asked to read my completed novel. It's only been four weeks, so that's a little too soon to expect a response, but I still check daily. A story I co-wrote with the lovely and talented father-daughter team of Tom and Amanda Howard is slated to appear in an anthology which will be released this fall, and as it is a contest, we each get to vote on our favorite story in the book. So add "reading a galley proof" to the list of things to do. Plus I've written and posted a short story to a contest on Figment.com (a link: http://figment.com/books/89930-The-Collectors  BTW, if you read the story and like it, please click the little heart to vote for me. Thanks!) And I still need to write another short story for another contest.

So what am I doing this summer, you ask? The answer is "none of the above." The answer is "writing." And by writing, I mean writing my next novel. I'm trying to write every day. Not always as much as I want to. Not always as often as I'd planned. But my objective is to complete the new novel by mid-July. With the last project, I discovered something about myself as a writer: I get the best results with the "Write Now, Edit Later" philosophy espoused by the Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month.* And so I'm writing as fast as I can, with the goal of completing the new novel, a young adult gothic romance/ghost story, by July 15. I'll be submitting my first fifty pages--our page limit--to my writing group for our July meeting.

Happy Summer!



*For those of you who are aspiring writers and who need a little bit of a kick in the pants, I highly recommend NaNoWriMo as a means of receiving that boot to the keister. During the month of November, you and about a million of your closest friends and writing buddies each write 50,000 words--which is the length of a short novel. For more information or to sign up, go to www.nanowrimo.org.

The End of the World As We Know It

Over the last couple of months, the internet has been abuzz with articles predicting the End, prognosticating exactly what will happen next, and speculating about the fall out and what might happen to those who choose not to fall in step. Blogs offer a wide range of opinions, ranging from dire predictions of total devastation to cynical jabs at the doomsayers. Social networking sites are filled with pleas to stop the madness, calls to bring it on, and quips about the panic that has ensued.

No matter what your hopes for the future, one thing is certain: the publishing industry as we know it is undergoing what may be the most revolutionary change since the invention of the moveable-type printing press. The reasons for the change are broad and varied, but basically, the advent of a whole new format for delivering and enjoying books has shaken the industry to its core. And traditional publishers have realized that they must re-write their business models or perish.

Over the last century of so, the business model morphed into a giant playground in which the behemoths of the publishing world held all the marbles. In order to maximize profits, they bought books from writers at the lowest possible price. They decided who to published, who got publicity, who got the perks. They refused to read unsolicited manuscripts. They dictated to book stores which books to feature on end caps and in displays. They’ve been the Big Dogs on the Block for so long that they seem to have forgotten that sometimes, a whole bunch of little dogs working in a pack can overpower the big ones.

That’s exactly what has been happening for the last few years. Small publishers have been popping up all over, giving the large houses a run for their money. Improved software made self-publishing a viable option for many writers. Online booksellers, particularly Amazon, have amassed enough clout that they are now in the driver’s seat on many issues, particularly pricing issues. Many of the larger houses are now on the ropes, struggling to survive.

And now the biggest of the little dogs has entered the scene: ePublishing. This may be the single most important innovation to hit the publishing industry since Guttenberg started printing Bibles back in 1452. What makes it so revolutionary is that it cuts out most of the middle men. No need for agents or publishers. All an author needs to succeed is a computer to produce his manuscript and a platform to launch it on.  

As someone trying to break into the field, I see many reasons eBooks are good for the authors, and especially for new authors. As publishing costs have risen and the amount of disposable income has fallen, traditional publishers have become less likely to take a chance on an unproven author. They would rather publish books by proven entities or books with themes that can be easily promoted as "this isn't Twilight, but it's like it." Most publishing houses won't even look at a manuscript that has not been vetted by an agent. Any author wishing to be published traditionally must first find an agent who will accept him as a client, then hope that the agent has enough connections to get the book in front of an editor—but not just any editor. It still has to be the right editor. I know it's always been that way, but with the money being so tight and with so many publishers being on the ropes financially, breaking in is tough right now.

If an author's book is picked up, he usually has to sign a five-book contract with the publishing house. In exchange for his signature, he is given an advance, usually between $4000 and $7000, against future sales. He will receive nothing else until his sales have reached the point that he has repaid that advance. And because he has an agent, he must also pay a 15% commission from the advance check and from all future royalty checks. Don't get me wrong—I'm not dissing agents. I think if you are going the traditional publisher route, an agent provides services that are invaluable.  

EBooks eliminate all the middle men. The author simply formats and posts his book to the eBook site (Kindle, Nook, etc.) and lets the internet do all the work. In exchange for hosting the eBook, the online bookseller gets 30% of the sales price. The author gets 70%. That's right—70% seems to be the industry standard right now. Considering that, with traditional publishers, an author often gets pennies per book sold, I’m beginning to think that epublishing may be the wave of the future as far as authors are concerned.

The upside for the authors becomes readily apparent. But is there an upside for the reader? Of course there is. In fact, there are several. Firstly, eBooks are often slightly cheaper, with many of the classics being available for free download. Storage is less of an issue, as hundreds of books fit into a device the size on an oversized paperback. And because any author can ePublish a book, the number of available titles becomes mind-boggling.

Of course, one of the drawbacks of ePublishing is that any author can publish a book. No pesky editors to make changes or corrections. No stick-in-the-mud agents telling him that this book really stinks. No one to stop his dream of becoming a writer. With no gatekeeper, any goober with a computer can publish a book, upload it to Amazon, and voila, he gets to write the word “author” on the occupation line on his tax forms. There is no guarantee that the “book” will even be readable, let alone enjoyable.

Many readers refuse to participate in the revolution. They prefer their old-fashioned, paper-and-cardstock books. They romanticize the feel of the paper, the smell of the ink. And that’s okay, because the world is about choices. 

My take on this whole thing: there's room in this world for both kinds of books. Traditional bound books, their pages blanketed with ink. Electronic books glowing, the soft hum of the eReader. We may decide to purchase books in different formats, depending on the purpose of the book, the meaning it holds for us, and the cost. Imagine not having to tote around all your college textbooks, but instead having only one eReader. Imagine renting textbooks electronically, and when the semester is over, simply jettisoning the text from Introduction to Philosophy. Imagine the symbolism of giving your love a hard back edition of Sonnets from the Portuguese or giving your child a copy of Now We Are Six.

It's an exciting time to be a writer.

To Cuss or Not to Cuss...

  This blog entry is rated PG-13 for indelicate language, radical ideas, and a photo of sexy shoes.

To cuss or not to cuss. That is the question. And it's a question most writers have to face sooner or later. Sure, it's probably "nobler in the mind" to cut loose with the obscenities and allow a character to express himself in a way that might be quite natural for him. Let the chips fall where they may. Like all artists, a writer has to establish some level of credibility with his readers or he risks being thought of as a hack, or worse, a sell-out.

But the dilemma arises when the writer realizes that "Hey! I have a great story here. Why isn't anyone buying it?" is bumping up against the wall of "We here at Magazine Magazine love all writers and all story types. We encourage writers to be creative and use words brilliantly in order to establish engaging, real characters. But no gratuitous cussing."

Of course, the problem is in establishing the definition of gratuitous. What's gratuitous to one person may be quite tame for another. What's gratuitous in one crowd is ordinary in rowdier one. And while the writer can try to figure out exactly where the line is for a given magazine by reading several back issues, it's often difficult to decide whether the lack of adult language is due to the policies of the magazine or the timidity of the writers. Zeroing in on "the line" is easy when coarse language is present; the barrier is much more difficult to find in the absence of an f-bomb.

I recently found myself wandering in this territory. The first-person protagonist in one of my short stories is a scrappy, somewhat angry twenty-something whose spirit of adventure leads her to be blindsided by misadventure. I decided to send the story to a well-established magazine with no guidelines regarding language, gratuitous or otherwise, using their on-line submission system. The guidelines said they are interested in stories that "take risks," yet another phrase that is problematic. Risk as in jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, or risk as in drinking milk three days after the expiration date? I'd read several stories, and found no compelling evidence one way or the other that the magazine had an unpublished "no cursing" policy, nor did I find a clear definition of "risk." 

The story was rejected within one minute. The auto-mailed message that told my story had been opened was time-stamped at 9:33; the rejection, at 9:34. Perhaps there were other problems, but I can't help thinking that the reason for such a speedy turnaround is the use of the phrase "Fuck, fuck, fuck" as part of the girl's character-establishing inner dialogue at the top of the second paragraph. Just for the record, the phrase is used as a non-sexual expression of frustration.

Perhaps we will soon find out if my theory is correct. Yesterday I submitted the story to another publisher, this time omitting the triple f-bomb on page one. I did not, however, remove the reference to "fuck-me pumps" on page seven. After all, I don't want to be a total sell-out. 

It's Been a While...

Sometimes, life gets in the way. That's how it's been here lately. Too many irons, too many fires. And before you know it, three weeks have passed and the Blog Fairy hasn't dropped by to update your blog, making you look like an incredible slacker. Stupid fairies.

Speaking of fairies...

Lately, I've been thinking about how one branch of the arts can feed another. Famous examples abound. Mendelssohn wrote incidental music for "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which includes a theme that, for me, is the very embodiment of fairies and their flitty, flighty movements. Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones created the Briar Rose Series of paintings based on the story of the Sleeping Beauty, first published in 1697 by Charles Perrault.  

And how, you might wonder, does this pertain to my writing? Quite simply. My writing is better, stronger if I listen to music while I'm writing. Music can provide a focus. It can stir the emotions. Music is a driving force in my creative process.

That said, I thought I might share a couple of songs from my playlist for the recently completed novel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOZsckDTjhg&feature=related


I listened to Garbage quite a bit when writing one character in particular. Chloe, the crazy goth chick, has one foot in reality and the other...well, no one really knows where she goes when she steps out. And this Seether song got heavy play during the chapter in which our hero is involved in some nefarious activity.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7br3d2eV8Q


Okay. You are a bright group, so I'm sure that by now, you've probably caught on that I really don't have much to say at this time about the writing process or the agent quest. So here's the skinny: I just sent a query letter to an agency today, so the waiting has begun again. I've gotten a lead on an anthology that may be the perfect place for my vampire short story and will be reworking it slightly to emphasize the theme of the anthology. And I'm writing a short story for another anthology in a round-robin with couple of friends.

That's my writing life at this moment.

On Rejection

As you have probably guessed from the title of this entry, I've heard from the agency. They don't love me. In fact, two agents at two different agencies don't love me. And a magazine doesn't love my short story, either. So all in all, kind of a "You're a loser!" week on the writing front.

But that's okay. Rejection is part of the game. Like they always say, "If you're not getting rejections, you are not submitting." That's true for people who are just starting out. It's true for authors of most calibers. I'm just guessing here, but I'm fairly certain that there are only a few working authors who don't get rejection slips any more, and I'm fairly certain most of them have boxes full of them from early in their careers. Every now and then, a fluke will happen and the stars will all align and a brilliant new sun will blaze in the sky without a single rejection notice, but those moments are rare.

Here's a run-down of the events of the past two weeks:

The agency I really wanted to have represent me--the agency I emailed my query letter to back in December--held a contest, one that they compared to a "speed-dating" event. Hopeful authors had a one-hour window to submit their names, after which entries were closed. From the entrants, one hundred twenty-five names were drawn at random. Those people were invited to submit three pages of their finished novel. I was one of the fortunate few. (I feel like I should insert a smiley face icon here!)

A couple of days later, the field was narrowed to twenty-five, and those people were asked to submit ten pages. Again, I was in the running. (Would another smiling icon be too much?) The following week, the field was narrowed once more, this time to the top fifteen. Again, I was invited to submit, this time the first three chapters. When the next announcement was made, the agency would ask three contestants to submit their completed manuscripts.

This is where the dream ended for me. I got the email that told me that I was not among the three finalists. The gracious note basically said, "You did well, but we're not interested in your project at this time. Feel free to submit something else." So there it was, in black-and-white. They've looked at my book and don't want to see it again.

Not wanting to let any grass grow under my feet, I submitted a query letter to my second-choice agent that same day. Four days later, I had my rejection email from her.

The magazine I submitted to? They have an automatic notification to let you know when they've opened your submission. The rejection notice was time-stamped one minute later.

That's my fortnight in review. Rejection, rejection, rejection. And you know what? With all those rejections, I feel more like a writer!

Why An Agent?

In this time of tremendous changes in the publishing industry, many people might wonder, "Do I really need an agent?"

My answer is, "Yes." Just like I would never dream of buying or selling a house without a real estate agent, I would never dream of selling a manuscript without a literary agent. There are so many aspects in the world of publishing that are complete mysteries to me. Agents know and understand contract law. They are familiar with publishing houses and with the editors at those houses, allowing them to submit directly to the right person at the right publisher. Any book can generate offers in other fields: foreign sales, ebook editions, audiobook editions, and occasionally, movie rights. Negotiations. Complications. Disagreements. Difficulties. My head starts to spin when I think of all the things that could go wrong. My solution for dealing with them: Magic Fairy Dust.

But with the world shortage of Magic Fairy Dust, I am left to more mundane solutions, and the solution I like best is having an agent. A good agent is a guide through the mean, labyrinthine backstreets of the publishing world. His or her job is to make my job easier. And if you're really lucky, your agent can also be your friend.  

Here's a video in which Lucienne Diver from the Knight Agency explains what literary agents do and how to find a good, reputable agent. She covers most of the issues I had thought of, then adds a few that had escaped me.

And so, the Great Agent Search continues. More about the progress on that front next week. Until then, keep reading! And keep writing!

Now What?

Those of you who have been following me since the beginning know that, on December 31, I sent a query letter to a literary agent, asking if she would like to look at my novel. No groveling. No begging. Just a simple letter asking the woman who is the agent of some of my favorite writers if she would like to take a look at my novel.

The thing I think most people don't realize is this: once you hit "send," the simple task of acquiring an agent becomes a waiting game. According to the submissions section of this agency's website, potential clients should hear something within four to twelve weeks. They also suggest that, if you haven't heard anything within eight weeks, it may be advisable to resubmit your query letter using a different email address.

Tomorrow, it will be nine weeks since I sent the query. I've allowed one extra week, due to the fact that I submitted during the holiday season. After all, agents are people, too, with families and festivities. But I've decided that, if I haven't heard anything by tomorrow evening, I need to resubmit. I don't want to appear to be anxious or pushy, but I'm beginning to wonder if my query letter was lost in the Electronic Mail Room.

Ah, the glamorous life of a wannabe writer. :-)

In the meantime, because I was very bad last week and didn't blog like I was supposed to, here's a poem. I hope you like it!

           

Does writing come from the head or the heart?

 

As infants, as toddlers,

We don’t know how to communicate in any way

Except from the heart—

We live by our emotions.

We cry when we’re hungry.

We laugh when we’re happy.

We scream when we’re angry.

And someone answers our needs.

Life is simple.

As children, as teens,

We are taught how to communicate, how to write,

And we are taught that communication is governed by the head—

We live by our intellect.

We are taught the rules of grammar.

We are taught the rules of composition.

We are taught the rules of research.

And the simplicity of communication is crushed out of us.

Life is complex.

As adults, as writers, as authors,

A new understanding dawns on us:

Words must be governed by the head, but felt in the heart.

For the words to communicate, the syntax must be logical;

For the meaning to be clear, the words must be carefully chosen;

The words must work together and follow the rules in order

To communicate.

But we also know that, without emotion,

The words make no connections.

Without feelings, the words fall on deaf ears.

Without passion, our words will not be read—

And for a story, for a poem, not being read is

Death.

Writing is ruled by the head and the heart.

It cannot exist with only one and not the other.

Choose your words carefully,

Structure them well,

For it is the duty of your words to reveal a bit of your soul to the world.

And in the complexity of our writing,

We will find that people will answer our needs.

And our lives will be multifaceted: simple and complex and logical and emotional

And meaningful,

All at the same time.

Write well,

And you will be fulfilled.