Hi, everyone!
So, I'm having difficulty focusing tonight. I think this is due to the fact that in the past week, I've read my manuscript two times. Eventually I just need a mind-break!
Anyway, I love quotes. I got a bit distracted while editing, started looking them up, and figured I would post some of my favorites :)
------
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
“Dreams do come true if you keep believing in yourself. Anything is possible.”
“What you want to do, and what you can do, is limited only by what you can dream.”
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”
“Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go so much further than people with vastly superior talent.”
“If the desire to write is not accompanied by actual writing, then the desire must be not to write.”
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be."
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”
-------
I hope everyone's having a great day!
xoxo,
Michelle
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The process of getting an agent
Farrah asked:
I write YA books too. I went through the query/agent search once, and learned the things I needed to improve. Once I graduated last May with a Bachelor's in English, I realized the mistakes I'd made and have been working to really polish up my manuscript. I saw you have an agent (CONGRATS!) and had a few questions for you. How long did it take? Where did you query? (I know there's a bunch of really fantastic agent query sites). What did you submit when they asked to see more? And if they ask to see more, is that a good thing? Realistically, how long did your agent say it could take to find a publishing match? I hope this isn't too much to ask :D I really wish you the best of luck. People don't understand how the industry works, and it's amazing that you have an agent! I really hope you land a deal soon. :D Thank you, Farrah
Hi, Farrah! Thank you so much, and congrats on graduation! I graduated in May with a Bachelor's in English, too :)
These are a lot of questions, so I'm going to divide it into sections to make my answer easier to follow. Remember that everyone has a different experience, so there's no "right" answer, but I do hope that reading mine will be helpful! :)
How long did it take to get an agent?
I finished writing the first draft of my first novel in May 2009. Then I went to the Writers Digest Pitch Slam. And okay, I'm going to be honest here. When I went to Pitch Slam, I still had one chapter left to write on my first draft. However, the event only comes around once a year, so my mom pushed me to go, even though I wasn't following the rules. I was totally embarrassed after giving my pitch, seeing an agent's interest, and then throwing in, "But umm, it's still a first draft. Is that a problem?"
Because I knew it was a problem. But hey, I needed to be honest, because I needed time to edit. Luckily I practiced my pitch a gazillion times and delivered it decently enough to pique agents's interests. When I went to Pitch Slam, all ten of the agents I spoke to requested to read more! I totally didn't expect that! I had a particularly great conversation with my current agent, Christine Witthohn at Book Cents Literary Agency, and she was so intrigued by the plot of my book that she said, "I don't care if it's only a first draft -- I want to read it anyway!"
So I sent her my first draft. Of the first book I'd ever written. I was totally freaking out. It wasn't ready, and I knew that. At the end of August 2009 she told me that she wanted to take me on as a client, but she wanted me to do some edits first. She gave me some advice, I implemented it, and signed with her in the beginning of November 2009 :)
I started writing that book in November 2008. The entire process (writing the novel, pitching the novel, editing the novel, and signing with my agent) took about a year.
This is unusual though, and I do not recommend (translation: you should not) query agents before your novel is completely polished and ready to go.
Where did you query?
I went to a live pitch slam, and if a pitch slam is in your area or if you can travel to get to one, I highly recommend doing this. It will get your manuscript read MUCH faster! However, if you can't get to a pitch slam, I highly recommend checking out www.agentquery.com.
What did you submit when they asked to see more?
I submitted what they requested! My agent requested to see my full immediately, so I emailed it to her. Some other agents requested a partial, full, or first few chapters. The majority of the ones I emailed with queries sent form rejection letters. Don't be discouraged with a form rejection. Agents get THOUSANDS of queries, and a lot of it comes down to personal taste. One agent can love what another hates. If they ask for more, they will always tell you what to send and how to send it, so just follow their instructions :)
If they ask to see more, is that a good thing?
Of course! It's better than them saying they don't want to see more ;)
Realistically, how long did your agent say it could take to find a publishing match?
When I first signed my contract, I had all these thoughts that in a few months I would be signing my first publishing deal, and that I would have a deal before graduating college! I wanted that sooo badly. (Now I just remind myself how most kids in college don't even have an agent -- let alone one of the best agents in the country -- and that makes me feel better).
Unfortunately, it didn't work that way. It does for some people, not for others. My first book is still out to some publishing houses (it's been out for a year!) and my agent says it could still get picked up. She once had someone get a deal who had been on submission for TWO YEARS! She's also submitted people who have gotten picked up immediately. Honestly, it varies; there's no formula. Trust me, I wish there was. That way whenever someone asks me when I'm going to hear back about my book I could give them a definite answer.
What I eventually learned was that it's not in my power. I hate that, because I like being able to DO something to make things happen, but I realized that what I need to do is keep writing books. So I wrote another book, and that one went on submission in November 2010. I haven't gotten any no's on it yet, which is a good thing! Then I wrote another book, and I finished the first draft of that about two weeks ago. Now I'm editing it.
So just keep writing! The more books you have, the better your chances!
I hope that was helpful!
xoxo,
Michelle
I write YA books too. I went through the query/agent search once, and learned the things I needed to improve. Once I graduated last May with a Bachelor's in English, I realized the mistakes I'd made and have been working to really polish up my manuscript. I saw you have an agent (CONGRATS!) and had a few questions for you. How long did it take? Where did you query? (I know there's a bunch of really fantastic agent query sites). What did you submit when they asked to see more? And if they ask to see more, is that a good thing? Realistically, how long did your agent say it could take to find a publishing match? I hope this isn't too much to ask :D I really wish you the best of luck. People don't understand how the industry works, and it's amazing that you have an agent! I really hope you land a deal soon. :D Thank you, Farrah
Hi, Farrah! Thank you so much, and congrats on graduation! I graduated in May with a Bachelor's in English, too :)
These are a lot of questions, so I'm going to divide it into sections to make my answer easier to follow. Remember that everyone has a different experience, so there's no "right" answer, but I do hope that reading mine will be helpful! :)
How long did it take to get an agent?
I finished writing the first draft of my first novel in May 2009. Then I went to the Writers Digest Pitch Slam. And okay, I'm going to be honest here. When I went to Pitch Slam, I still had one chapter left to write on my first draft. However, the event only comes around once a year, so my mom pushed me to go, even though I wasn't following the rules. I was totally embarrassed after giving my pitch, seeing an agent's interest, and then throwing in, "But umm, it's still a first draft. Is that a problem?"
Because I knew it was a problem. But hey, I needed to be honest, because I needed time to edit. Luckily I practiced my pitch a gazillion times and delivered it decently enough to pique agents's interests. When I went to Pitch Slam, all ten of the agents I spoke to requested to read more! I totally didn't expect that! I had a particularly great conversation with my current agent, Christine Witthohn at Book Cents Literary Agency, and she was so intrigued by the plot of my book that she said, "I don't care if it's only a first draft -- I want to read it anyway!"
So I sent her my first draft. Of the first book I'd ever written. I was totally freaking out. It wasn't ready, and I knew that. At the end of August 2009 she told me that she wanted to take me on as a client, but she wanted me to do some edits first. She gave me some advice, I implemented it, and signed with her in the beginning of November 2009 :)
I started writing that book in November 2008. The entire process (writing the novel, pitching the novel, editing the novel, and signing with my agent) took about a year.
This is unusual though, and I do not recommend (translation: you should not) query agents before your novel is completely polished and ready to go.
Where did you query?
I went to a live pitch slam, and if a pitch slam is in your area or if you can travel to get to one, I highly recommend doing this. It will get your manuscript read MUCH faster! However, if you can't get to a pitch slam, I highly recommend checking out www.agentquery.com.
What did you submit when they asked to see more?
I submitted what they requested! My agent requested to see my full immediately, so I emailed it to her. Some other agents requested a partial, full, or first few chapters. The majority of the ones I emailed with queries sent form rejection letters. Don't be discouraged with a form rejection. Agents get THOUSANDS of queries, and a lot of it comes down to personal taste. One agent can love what another hates. If they ask for more, they will always tell you what to send and how to send it, so just follow their instructions :)
If they ask to see more, is that a good thing?
Of course! It's better than them saying they don't want to see more ;)
Realistically, how long did your agent say it could take to find a publishing match?
When I first signed my contract, I had all these thoughts that in a few months I would be signing my first publishing deal, and that I would have a deal before graduating college! I wanted that sooo badly. (Now I just remind myself how most kids in college don't even have an agent -- let alone one of the best agents in the country -- and that makes me feel better).
Unfortunately, it didn't work that way. It does for some people, not for others. My first book is still out to some publishing houses (it's been out for a year!) and my agent says it could still get picked up. She once had someone get a deal who had been on submission for TWO YEARS! She's also submitted people who have gotten picked up immediately. Honestly, it varies; there's no formula. Trust me, I wish there was. That way whenever someone asks me when I'm going to hear back about my book I could give them a definite answer.
What I eventually learned was that it's not in my power. I hate that, because I like being able to DO something to make things happen, but I realized that what I need to do is keep writing books. So I wrote another book, and that one went on submission in November 2010. I haven't gotten any no's on it yet, which is a good thing! Then I wrote another book, and I finished the first draft of that about two weeks ago. Now I'm editing it.
So just keep writing! The more books you have, the better your chances!
I hope that was helpful!
xoxo,
Michelle
Thursday, January 20, 2011
"Any word on your novel yet?"
This is a total venting post. Be pre-warned.
Who else gets extraordinarily annoyed whenever a family member or close friend asks, "So, have you heard any word on your novel yet?" It drives me positively up the wall! I just want to look at them, give them a nasty look, and say, "If I heard anything about my novel, don't you think I would f@#$ing tell you?! Don't you think I would be bouncing off the walls in excitement, calling everyone in my address book, and posting it repetitively on Facebook?!" (Okay, I don't curse in real life, but that's what I'm thinking in my head!)
I know they're trying to be nice and make conversation, show that they care about what I'm doing, etc. But to me it just feels like every person who asks that is simply rubbing it in that I haven't heard anything back yet! It's like every time they ask and I say no, I can practically hear them thinking in their heads "She just needs to accept that if she hasn't heard by now then the book isn't going to sell." Or, "obviously the book isn't good enough if it's taking over two weeks to hear back."
Alright, obviously I can't know if they're thinking that or not, but it frustrates me because no one understands how slowly the industry works. Even if I try to explain it, it just doesn't get through to their non-book industry minds!
And no matter how many times I say, "Thanks for asking, but I promise if there's word on my books I'll let you know," in the most un-annoyed/pleasant voice possible, they still continue to ask. Can't they get a hint?!?!?
Okay, end of venting post. Do any of you feel the same way?
xoxo,
Michelle
Who else gets extraordinarily annoyed whenever a family member or close friend asks, "So, have you heard any word on your novel yet?" It drives me positively up the wall! I just want to look at them, give them a nasty look, and say, "If I heard anything about my novel, don't you think I would f@#$ing tell you?! Don't you think I would be bouncing off the walls in excitement, calling everyone in my address book, and posting it repetitively on Facebook?!" (Okay, I don't curse in real life, but that's what I'm thinking in my head!)
I know they're trying to be nice and make conversation, show that they care about what I'm doing, etc. But to me it just feels like every person who asks that is simply rubbing it in that I haven't heard anything back yet! It's like every time they ask and I say no, I can practically hear them thinking in their heads "She just needs to accept that if she hasn't heard by now then the book isn't going to sell." Or, "obviously the book isn't good enough if it's taking over two weeks to hear back."
Alright, obviously I can't know if they're thinking that or not, but it frustrates me because no one understands how slowly the industry works. Even if I try to explain it, it just doesn't get through to their non-book industry minds!
And no matter how many times I say, "Thanks for asking, but I promise if there's word on my books I'll let you know," in the most un-annoyed/pleasant voice possible, they still continue to ask. Can't they get a hint?!?!?
Okay, end of venting post. Do any of you feel the same way?
xoxo,
Michelle
Saturday, January 15, 2011
First round of edits, DONE!
Hiii, everyone.
So, today I went to the pool. Got a little bit more tan. Almost finished reading XVI. Anddd ....
I FINISHED THE FIRST ROUND OF EDITS for my yet-to-be-named contemporary YA that takes place in Las Vegas! Which needs a name, because it would just be easier that way, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it should be.
310 pages, and can't figure out a name. Go me.
I don't want to jinx myself or anything (not that I necessarily believe in "jinxing" oneself), but the first draft of this novel was relatively decent. I actually felt caught up in reading it. I'm not sure if that's a good thing because it's interesting to read (at least it was to me), or a bad thing because I might have missed edits, but we'll see. I'm about to print it out to do paper edits, and I usually catch more there.
And so the cycle begins. Computer edits. Paper edits. Computer edits. Paper edits. You get it. Sometimes it feels endless. And I feel bad for the trees because I use so much paper. But hey, at least I buy recycled paper.
On another note, I haven't heard back from publishers on the novel that my agent submitted recently. I'm going to be positive and look at that as a "no one has said no yet!" Which they haven't.
Watch me get a "no" tomorrow. Or, back to positivity, maybe I'll get The Call.
Except that it's a Sunday, so neither of those will most likely happen.
Time to do some MAJOR printing! As in, 310 pages of it. And then finish reading XVI.
xoxo,
Michelle
So, today I went to the pool. Got a little bit more tan. Almost finished reading XVI. Anddd ....
I FINISHED THE FIRST ROUND OF EDITS for my yet-to-be-named contemporary YA that takes place in Las Vegas! Which needs a name, because it would just be easier that way, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it should be.
310 pages, and can't figure out a name. Go me.
I don't want to jinx myself or anything (not that I necessarily believe in "jinxing" oneself), but the first draft of this novel was relatively decent. I actually felt caught up in reading it. I'm not sure if that's a good thing because it's interesting to read (at least it was to me), or a bad thing because I might have missed edits, but we'll see. I'm about to print it out to do paper edits, and I usually catch more there.
And so the cycle begins. Computer edits. Paper edits. Computer edits. Paper edits. You get it. Sometimes it feels endless. And I feel bad for the trees because I use so much paper. But hey, at least I buy recycled paper.
On another note, I haven't heard back from publishers on the novel that my agent submitted recently. I'm going to be positive and look at that as a "no one has said no yet!" Which they haven't.
Watch me get a "no" tomorrow. Or, back to positivity, maybe I'll get The Call.
Except that it's a Sunday, so neither of those will most likely happen.
Time to do some MAJOR printing! As in, 310 pages of it. And then finish reading XVI.
xoxo,
Michelle
Thursday, January 13, 2011
First draft complete!
Hi, everyone! So I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this, but someone suggested that I start blogging again, so I'm going to try doing that!
Last Saturday I finished the first draft of my third novel! This one is a contemporary YA, and I think that for a first draft, it's pretty decent. If you like Gossip Girl, then it will definitely be up your ally. I had lots of fun writing it because it's so different from anything else I've ever written -- my two previous novels were a YA paranormal romance and a YA urban fantasy. (More like suburban fantasy, but it'll get more urban as the series progresses).
So now I'm onto editing, which is a totally different mindset from writing. I can't believe how quickly I managed to finish writing the first draft -- I started in November and finished in the beginning of January, AND I took a break mid-December for winter vacation. 1,500-2,000 words a day really does get you far in the long run. It's crazy how quickly you'll see your word count increase. I kept track of my word and pages count on an Excel document when I wrote, and I loved looking back at it and seeing my progress in an organized way.
While I was writing my contemporary YA, I was also planning a new YA urban fantasy series. I have the beginning of the first book outlined, but I'll probably take a minor break from that as I enter the editing phase for the contemporary YA. Editing takes a lot of time! You have to read the book a bazillion times, and by the end you're super sick of it.
Speaking of editing, that's what I SHOULD be doing right now.
xoxo,
Michelle
Currently reading: I just finished Across the Universe last night by Beth Revis and LOVED it! It's really unique since we don't see much sci-fi in the YA genre, so I definitely recommend picking it up. The next book I'll be starting on is XVI by Julia Karr, which looks really interesting :)
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