The Query Letter: Revising With Feedback By Kate Hart

Congratulations! You've finished a manuscript! Your critique partners have shredded it, you've revised and polished it to a brilliant shine, and you've researched literary agents. Now you're ready to click send on a query that's also been shredded by your most trusted advisers and--

Wait, what? You didn't let anyone critique your query?

STEP AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD.

This is for your own good.

Yes, I know, a query is just a short email. You send hundreds of those a week! You can proofread it yourself! But a good query does more than prove you can run spellcheck-- it proves you can craft a compelling piece of writing with an arc that leaves readers wanting more. Just like with your manuscript, you need someone to read for clarity and appeal, as well as mechanics.

Ideally, you'll have several someones. At least one should know next-to-nothing about your book-- just like the agent who'll receive the query. Think of this reader as an abbreviated version of Veronica Roth's Strictly Objective Beta Reader: "He or she doesn't even point out weak areas. All he or she does is tell you what you have." If the main conflict and themes s/he pinpoints aren't what you intended, it's time to revise.

At least one other reader should be a beta who's read your manuscript. This person can tell if your query's tone matches your manuscript's, and let you know if your summary sounds anything like the story s/he read. For instance, a friend said my first query could be describing Beautiful Creatures... which was problematic, since my book was supposed to be more like Friday Night Lights.

You'll probably have to repeat these steps several times, whether with fresh eyes or very patient re-readers. But if you're in need of readers, don't despair! I found most of my critique partners on Absolute Write, where members can also post in Query Letter Hell for feedback; I believe Verla Kay's forums have something similar. Beth Revis has a great post on finding beta readers, and there are lots more querying, revision, and other writing links on the YA Highway Publishing Road Map (as well as examples of successful queries).

Now: Get back to that keyboard and revise!

KATE HART is a young adult writer and history nerd represented by the lovely and brilliant Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary. She and her husband build treehouses, and on Fridays she writes the round up at YA Highway. She has two little boys, an oversized garden, and a fairly strong Southern accent.

Want to see the query that landed Kate seven (!) offers of representation? Check out this post with her and her agent's (awesome) comments as part of YA Highway's Query Series! 

 

Awesome Guest Blogger: Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman, Authors of the SIRENZ series!

Today I'm stoked to share with y'all a guest post by two lovely ladies: Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman!! Charlotte and Natalie wrote this book:

and this book:

Here's a little bit of info about both of them:

In Sirenz, boarding school roomies Meg and Shar learned the hazards of making a deal with Hades, Lord of the Underworld. The wearing of a Tiffany's diamond ring in Sirenz Back In Fashion reactivates their contract. They find themselves back in his employ as sirens. And things are a little different this time; Shar is whisked off to the Underworld to play hostess as the dark god attempts to win her affections, while Meg is stuck topside, obligated to send spoiled rich girl Paulina Swanson to the Underworld. Hot gods, mere mortals and the Underworld have their secrets. Will Meg and Shar ever ditch Hades, and keep their wardrobes and souls intact?

Not only do Charlotte and Natalie write awesomesauce books, they also write awesomesauce guest posts. Without further ado, I give you ze Authors of Awesome! :)

Who's Waiting For YOU On The Other Side?

The most fascinating people are on the other side--of the river. The Styx, to be exact.

In Sirenz Back In Fashion, you’ll find that the Underworld—the Elysian Fields and the not so nice parts—are full of famous (and infamous!) people who have passed from this world into the next. Can you imagine being able to meet and greet someone from the past? Who would you want to meet? As for us, we’d like to meet…

Nat: Jesus. I have questions.

Char: Oh, so many to choose from… religious, historical and cultural icons. I believe I’m meeting some on the other side of life anyway, so I’ll say Rameses the Second, because I’d like to know all about Egypt in his time, if he really knew Moses, and all that parting of the seas went on. I could ask about the pyramids, and the Sphinx.

What about you? If Hades gave you a round-trip ticket to Tartarus, who would you want to meet? Leave us a comment and enter to win a divine Sirenz Back In Fashion Prize Pack!

You heard them!! Make sure you leave a comment on this post for your chance to win BIG! Trust me. You do not want to miss out!

And, of course, I have to give a HUMONGOUS thank you to Charlotte and Natalie for stopping by!!! Go pick up your copy of Sirenz Back In Fashion, which is available in stores now!

When not playing with pointed objects, Natalie Zaman is usually writing. She lives in Central New Jersey with her family and several fine looking chickens. Find her over at her website and her blog!

Lover of sparkly things, Char doesn't have as many shoes as she'd like, but wouldn't have time to wear them anyway with her three boys, husband, cat with issues, demented squirrels and insistent characters all demanding her time. She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency and is hoping to get all her characters into print just so they'll be quiet. Find her over at her website and her blog!

Top Ten Reasons Why YA Is Awesome: Guest Post By Kate Hart!!

So. There's this group called YA Highway. And they're awesome.

Kate Hart, a YA author and member of said awesome group, has graced Operation Awesome with her presence. And awesomeness.

But don't take my word for it. I'll let her show y'all herself.

Take it away, Kate!!

TOP TEN REASONS WHY YA IS AWESOME

1) First Kisses

Seriously, where else in literature do you get the thrill of a first kiss? Better question: Where else in literature do you get the unbearable awkward of the first kiss?

2) Stuff Actually Happens

I’m not knocking the great esoteric tomes of the Western canon. I’m just saying, plot = good, and some of them are lacking in that department. In YA, even the literary variety, navel gazing is kept to a minimum, and plot momentum to a maximum. 

3) You’re Not Alone 

(or, alternately, You Think You Have It Bad? Here. Have Some Perspective.)

Afraid you’re the only one who hasn’t gotten her period? Judy Blume has you covered. Ashamed of masturbation? Judy Blume again; see also: Sherman Alexie. Recovering from rape or eating disorder? Laurie Halse Anderson has your back. Missing a deceased loved one? Jandy Nelson is your girl. Reeling from the suicide or death of a friend? Go see Jay Asher or A.S. King. Scared of bullies? Courtney Summers will help. Out but not-yet-proud? David Levithan and John Green are waiting. Concerned that something’s wrong with you because you *gasp* like sex? Read some Kody Keplinger. Alienated from your family? Check out Veronica Roth. Think you’re the only person in the world who hasn’t been kissed? 


Hey, even Harry Potter stressed over that one.

And guess what, folks: There are plenty of adults still grappling with these questions, or finding with relief that they weren’t some kind of teen deviant. 

4) YA: Leaping Tall Buildings In A Single Bound!

YA is the current superhero of publishing. It’s keeping some prints afloat—and giving Hollywood an alternative to yet another tired remake.

5) A Chance To Force Your Morals On Young, Unsuspecting Minds

Just kidding. Don’t do that. Seriously. 

6) Real Life Is Boring Sometimes

But YA lets you visit alternate universes. You want vampires? We got vampires. You want werewolves? We got werewolves. You want faeries, witches, ninjas, mermaids, ghosts, angels, demons, wizards, zombies, past lives, time slips, or children battling to the death? You’re in the right place, and while some of them are just having fun, some of them are subtly taking on questions of morality and human existence. 

7) You're a Neo Maxi Zoom Dweebie

Courtesy of author Kathleen Peacock: YA is awesome because “it’s the only section in the bookstore where all the genres party together. It’s like The Breakfast Club.” 

8) Fan-tastic Voyage

Friendships, marriages, and sometimes lifelong enemies are born of the fandoms that spring up around YA novels. We agonize over the sociopolitical ramifications of Hunger Games casting. We made “Team So and So” a household term. We stick our kids with horrible names like Renesmee and Draco. The “Harry Potter Generation” has gotten Quidditch recognized as an actual sport on college campuses, people. YA fans are not to be trifled with. 

9) Being A Grown Up Is Overrated

Everyone talks about YA as an escape for soccer moms and cat-lady spinsters, but I don’t think that’s it. At least, that’s not all of it. We’re all trying to make sense of the choices we made in younger years, to forgive ourselves for mistakes and live up to the ideals we once cherished. Reading YA makes me remember what once mattered the most to me. It helps me assess which of those dreams were worth hanging on to—and which ones I was smart to let go. 

10) Such a Nice Neighborhood

The YA community is nothing short of amazing. Raise thousands of dollars for charity? Where’s the challenge in that-- let’s do it several times over! Need encouragement? Head over to Absolute Write or Verla Kay’s Blueboards and meet your new best friends! Have a question? Ask Twitter and get great answers!

In fact, I put this question to the YA Twitterverse, and I will leave you with their great answers.

YA is awesome because…

... it is full of hope. @MirandaKennealy

... being a grown-up is overrated.  @AlysonCGreene

… because the books are fun to read AND meaningful, and because the YA community is just so fantastic. :) @Caitlin_Renata

…. because when I see my younger cousins I know they're ransacking through my bags for books and not money #halfkidding #ihope  @KOrtizzle

… because YA books= books in which STUFF HAPPENS. @LRothCulli

… because it's more fun than real life. @Fussymonkey2

… BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME. @JodiMeadows

Kate Hart is a history nerd YA writer, represented by Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary. 

She has two little boys, an oversized garden and a fairly strong Southern accent. You can find her at her website, Twitter, or YA Highway. 

Guest Post: Jessica Bell Talks Self-Publishing

Today I'm excited to welcome the awesome Jessica Bell to Operation Awesome. 

There has been a lot of talk about self-publishing floating around the blogosphere (and internet in general) lately. With authors like Amanda Hocking (who since self-published 8 books in April 2010, has sold over 185,000 copies) landing huge deals it seems like self-publishing is a good idea. Jessica has just released a self-published collection of poems, Twisted Velvet Chains, and has come to chat about self-publishing. 

Take it away, Jessica... 

To self-publish or not to self-publish.

To be honest, I was hesitant to self-publish this collection of poems because of that horrible stigma related to self-publishing. Due to my debut novel coming out with a traditional publisher this November, I was worried that people were going to think that the novel will be self-published too. See? WORRIED. Why was I worried about such a silly thing? Because of the STIGMA. That horrible green worm that burrows its way into our heads to try and make us think something isn’t worth reading or spending money on.

PEOPLE!? Let’s destroy that immediate feeling we get when we realize something is self-published: “It mustn’t be up to par with what I’m used to reading. I want quality, not something some author was desperate to get into print.” That is what we all think, right? Well, I’m hoping that this poetry collection can be a teeny-weeny stepping stone towards thinking the opposite. Well, it certainly is for me, from the point of view of an author who has more often than not felt the same way about other self-published books.

I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m really PROUD of this poetry collection. I believe it’s different and powerful and worth reading. People who have never even read poetry are getting into it, and I think that’s something really positive. I just want to share this book. And I also want to ignore that need to have a publisher validate my work. I don’t want a publisher to validate it. I want to be confident about it on my own. I want to trust myself.

And let’s face it. Poetry is hard to sell. Even well-known poets are lucky to sell 50 copies of their collections. There just aren’t enough people reading poetry anymore. So spending all my time and energy seeking out a publisher who would probably only print about 100 copies anyway, just didn’t seem worth the effort. Because in the end, what would be the benefit? The only benefit would be that I get to “say,” my book is being published by a reputable name. That’s all it is. A name. Just like Prada is to fashion. So I bit the bullet and self-published a poetry book. I hope you can all give poetry a chance. You never know, you might really enjoy it and start writing some yourself!

Do you read and/or write poetry? If so, what sort of poetry do you get into? Have you read any poetry lately that you would willingly recommend others read? What made it worth the recommendation? 

Jessica Bell Bio

Jessica writes literary women's fiction, and poetry. Her debut collection of poems, Twisted Velvet Chains is now available and her debut novel, String Bridge, is scheduled to be published by Lucky Press, LLC, late 2011. You can follow her blog here.

Top Ten Tips For Awesome Stories: Guest Post By Author David Baboulene!

Today Operation Awesome welcomes David Baboulene, author of the The Story Book! 

He's here to talk about how you can make any story shine a bit more. Without further ado, I give you David!

The Top Ten Tips for Awesome Stories!

In my work I have been fortunate to have conversations with famous people who have made their money from stories, including:

• Bob Gale (scriptwriter of Back to the Future);
• Lee Child (16 million Jack Reacher Novels sold);
• John Sullivan (TV comedy writer of Only Fools and Horses; Just Good friends; Citizen Smith…);
• Mark Williams (Actor in The Harry Potter films; Shakespeare in Love; 101 Dalmations...);
• Willy Russell (Theatre supremo and writer of Educating Rita; Blood Brothers; Shirley Valentine…)

to name but a few. So, from the insights from these fine gentlemen, from my own experiences getting published and writing The Story Book, my work as a story consultant, from working on films and from undertaking my PhD in Story Theory, here are my top ten tips for awesome stories!

1) If you want to be a writer, read a thousand books.

2) Write every day. 

Make it a priority, build it into your schedule and discipline yourself to it. Set yourself a manageable word count and make sure you achieve that. Stephen King reportedly writes 2000 words a day, every day. Sunday, Christmas Day, his birthday - every day. And when he finishes a book, if he's only done 1500 words of his daily count, he gets a clean sheet of paper, writes 'Page 1' at the top, and starts the next one. Self-discipline, folks. Yes, being a writer is glamorous to talk about and a romantic place for dreamers, but the ones who make it work very hard, are professional and productive.  

3) Don't try to learn 'how to write'. 

No course or method or guru can tell you how to write. There's only one person who can tell your story your way, and that's you. Those who make it have self-confidence in writing what THEY think is great. Yes, learn about STORY - where the power comes from in stories, how they work, why they exist, how they resonate, what factors are present in all great stories - then use that understanding to get the most you possibly can out of your story ideas in your style. Then you can use your personality and your knowledge to take responsibility and write your story YOUR way to the best it can possibly be.

4) Understand story structure, but structure is NOT a starting point for story development, so don't let it drive you. 

Let your creative brilliance run wild and free and write from the heart in creating your story, then later, use your understanding of structure in problem-solving, tightening and streamlining the story.

5) Most of all, understand SUBTEXT. 

And understand the creative behaviours that embed subtext. Subtext is the substance of story. If you have no subtext, you have no story. The more subtext there is, the better the story is perceived to be by the audience. Fact.

6) Stories are about character behaviours. 

Don't think about 'plot' and 'character' as separate things. What a character does when he takes action will define his true character and what a character does when he takes action will also provide the action. Character behaviours define both plot and character. Get this right, and your story telling will be tight, cohesive and superb.  

7) All the greatest stories show us a character learning and changing and growing through the experiences of the story events (or failing to learn and grow, but the lessons are still evident to us as readers/viewer). 

Try to ensure that at least one character is offered the opportunity to climb the ladder of life. You will find that this is actually your real story, and this is what resonates with your reader or audiences and elevates your story.

8) True character comes only from putting your protagonists under pressure to make difficult decisions. 

For a mountaineer to climb a mountain might be a huge challenge, but  he'd be delighted to do it, so the conflict is not meaningful and therefore the story is not meaningful. For a mountaineer to climb a mountain to save a stranded friend... risking his own life whilst his children are begging him not to go and his wife says she’s leaving if he does... that is a story. Sit your characters on the horns of a dilemma wrapped in a choice of evils and sandwiched between rocks and hard places and your readers will be gripped...

9) Be professional and unemotional in marketing your book. 

It's really important to learn to handle rejection (there WILL be rejection...) otherwise you will never send anything off. I know many, many writers who develop their stories... then develop and develop some more... and the real reason is because they are so scared of the Judgment Day that comes the moment they admit it’s finished. There's no easy way. You have to grasp the nettle and get on with it. Put your ego to one side (the vast majority of rejections are nothing to do with your ability or the literary merit of your story); dig deep, be strong, and put it out there. When I asked John Sullivan for his advice for aspiring writers he gave me this series of steps that should define a writer’s life:

    A) Write the best stuff you can.

    B) Send it off.

    C) Go to A.

It ain't rocket science! But you do need to be brave, or else you won't get anywhere. As soon as your material is good enough, you WILL be awesome... and you WILL get a deal! And I promise you - once you’ve had 10 rejections, the 11th don’t hurt so bad!  

10) If you would like more detailed information on any of the above, get in touch with me and I will send you a free chapter from The Story Book on the topic that is puzzling you.

Very best of luck with your work. Oh, before I go, I think there might be just one more tip we could all benefit from...

11) Get off the internet and go do some writing!

David

Yep. That last tip was SO directed at me... *blushes*


Huge thank you to David for stopping by!! 

You can check The Story Book out on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Story-Book-development-principles-ebook/dp/B004G093BM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=digital-text&qid=1300159994&sr=1-3

If you'd like to contact David, go here.

For other info on David's tour, you can check out his tour page here.




Now tell me: are there any other writing tips that have helped you craft an awesome story?