Ten Things to Keep in Mind AFTER getting a Book Deal so You Don't FREAK out! by Hilary Wagner

Some day it will happen! Some day, you will wake up, thinking it's a normal day and then, suddenly, you get the call. YOU HAVE A BOOK DEAL! Here are some quick tips to help you through the process so you don't lose your mind!

1. Don't be scared of working with your editor! You'll do fine! Your editor is your friend and sounding board. They want to make your book the very best it can be.



2. Be prepared to take what you consider the most special parts of your book...OUT! The key here is you consider them the best parts. Your editor can see things you don't from an outside perspective.



3. Concerns? TALK TO YOUR AGENT! He/she knows the business and they will tell you if you're concerns are justified or you're freaking out for no reason. (I would fit into the "freaking out for no reason" category). If you don't have an agent, reach out to others you know who've been published. Most of your fellow writers will be thrilled to help you out and share their experiences.

4. Don't be afraid to ask your publisher LOTS of questions-- if you don't ask, you won't get.



5. Your publisher may change your release date several times--this is totally normal, especially for a debut.



6. Know that you have NO control over the cover art...but be happy when your publisher does ask for your input and/or gives your book a fabulous illustrator, and if they don't give you the illustrator of your dreams, have a nice piece of cake (preferably chocolate) and tell yourself, they know what they're doing.



7. Bear in mind that Barnes & Noble, along with big box sellers and Indie stores, do NOT pick up every book, even from big publishers! There is nothing you can do if they decide not to carry your book in their brick and mortar stores, so don't worry about it--it does not mean your book won't be successful.



8. Don't fret if you start on a one book deal (becoming the norm these days), but be merry when they buy the sequel six months later--off a proposal no less! That means they like you, they really, really like you!



9. There are a lot of things out of your control in publishing--in fact--most things. Before giving yourself a facial tick, take a step back, inhale a deep solid breath, and realize no matter what's in store for you, you made it...you did it...you're a first-rate writer--YOU!



10. Rinse and Repeat! In other words, write another book. ;)

A Book By the Numbers

Writing is such a piecemeal process. It's always kind of fun for me to think about a book in the big picture sense of things.

Here's the (numerical) story of my newest verse novel, BLUE BIRDS, so far:

first idea: 2008
research began: 2010
writing began: 2011
book sold: 2013
publication: 2015

number of research books read completely: 9 (reading some several times)
number of research books read partially: 4
number of websites visited: 1 zillion
number of months researching: approximately 9
number of printed / partially printed copies: 9
number of early readers: 13
number of drafts before selling: 1 zillion + 2
number of editor rejections: 7
number of poems in sold manuscript: 224
number of words in sold manuscript (excluding the author's note): 18,125

number of weeks to work on first-round edits: 10*
number of hours worked on first-round edits: 141.5
number of poems after first-round edits: 207
number of words after first-round edits (excluding author's note): 19,632
number of words added the first 8 weeks of first-round edits (excluding author's note): 3,551
number of words cut the last two weeks of first-round edits (excluding author's note): 2,044

number of weeks to work on second-round edits: 8
number of hours words on second-round edits: 107.75
number of holidays during second-round edits: 2
number of library visits during second-round edits: 1
number of school visits during second-round edits: 1
number of Skype visits during second-round edits: 2
number of days I wore a strand of pearls during second-round edits (to connect with my characters): 21

number of weeks to work on third-round edits: 4
number of hours on third-round edits so far: 44.75
number of times I've been sure I've "broken" the book: 2,305,491
number of times I've talked with my editor since receiving my third-round edits: 2
number of emails I've sent my editor since receiving my third-round edits: 6
number of days from now third-round edits are due: 10

number of days I'm grateful I don't have to get it right the first time: EVERY SINGLE DAY



*during those ten weeks, I also worked on the following:

• fiction and non-fiction pieces to accompany an anthology proposal: 5 hours
• "back matter" for my 2015 picture book, OVER IN THE WETLANDS : 10 hours

FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR: From Guest, Harrison Demchick (eden unger bowditch)

My guest is Harrison Demchick, editor, author, screenwriter. Harrison is a brilliant editor who has left Bancroft Press and now works with freelance editorial boutique Ambitious Enterprises (www.ambitiousenterprises.com). 

I was in a panic since he has worked with me on the first two Young Inventors Guild books and I cannot imagine life without Harrison as my editor, even beyond this series. He is deeply thorough and asks all the right questions that stimulate and allow for the author to be more attentive to the path of the story. And he is totally willing to be told 'NO' if need be.

All this said, he is the author of The Listeners https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6520594.Harrison_Demchick and is my writing partner of the screenplays for The Atomic Weight of Secrets . . . and The Ravens of Solemano . . .

Harrison is going to share his wisdom, first through these four questions and then through the discussion in the comments below.

Anyone who participates in the conversation below will be eligible to win a free critique of a synopsis and the first few pages of their manuscript!

1. As an editor at Bancroft, what did you find the most important thing when reviewing a submission?

I actually didn’t review many submissions, but when I did, and really whoever was doing it, the most important thing we would look for is something interesting and exciting. And that’s awfully vague, I know. But what small presses will sometimes do that big publishers usually will not is take on a manuscript that has the potential to be great, even if it isn’t there yet. On a fundamental level, the reason is that a publisher wants to be passionate about what it publishes.

We were passionate about great stories and characters.  I personally gravitated toward strong voices—the kind that transport you to a time and place so vividly that you may well have lived there yourself.

2. What would you suggest to an author struggling with a manuscript that has been rejected?

There’s not an author in the world who has never been rejected. All your favorite writers were rejected, probably many times, and ultimately the determining factor is the same one that got you to a completed draft to begin with: You need to have the drive and determination to see things through. It’s true of the writing process, it’s true of the revision process, and it’s true of the submission process as well—not to mention marketing.

But that said, what you don’t want to do is get into the mindset that everyone rejecting your novel is an idiot unable to grasp your obvious brilliance. You don’t want to decide, based on that, to self-publish exactly the manuscript you have. And that’s not a knock on self-publishing. If you feel that’s the path for you, and it has never been more legitimate than it is today, then by all means it’s the path you should take.

But not until your manuscript is as strong as it can be. If you’re receiving a lot of rejections, before you go ahead and ignore the whole submission process, step back and think: Maybe they have a point. Maybe I’m not finished yet. Maybe my book can be better.

And maybe that’s not the case at all, but you don’t want to put your work out there until it’s as strong as it can possibly be. Get feedback. Bring on an editor who doesn’t belong to a publishing house or agency—someone whose concern isn’t commercial viability, but rather purely quality. Take the time to revise. “Good enough” is never good enough.

3. Before submitting a manuscript (either to an editor, publisher, or with aspirations of getting a book deal) what would you suggest an author do to have the best shot at a positive response?

It depends on who you’re submitting to. If you’re bringing on an editor, the main thing you need to do is understand that there may well be a lot more work ahead of you. You’re paying an editor to be that professional pair of eyes that can see what you can’t, so you can’t expect him to say only what you want to hear. He’s going to tell you what you need to know, and if he’s really good, he’s going to help you fix whatever problems exist and reach your full potential. But you can only do that if you’re open to it.

As for publishers or agents, what you really want to show them is polish. That doesn’t just mean correcting incorrect spelling or grammar (although most submissions editors will stop reading in the space of a few pages if they’re not engaged, so obvious mistakes are a surefire way to get a manuscript rejected). It means that what you’re sending out should be as strong as you can make it. You’ve worked with an editor. You’ve taken critiques. You’ve grown as a writer and improved your manuscript. What you’re sending out there is genuinely the best you can do. Generally speaking, you can only send the same manuscript to the same agent or publisher once, so make sure it’s the best version of itself.

4. A few tips for all authors?

There are so many, and I hope I can give out a lot more in the conversation below. But I think the most important thing authors need to understand is that every struggle they hit—the rejection, the massive editorial letter, and everything before and after and in-between—is part of the process. You can’t write that amazing third draft without those somewhat less than brilliant first and second drafts. There are no shortcuts, even though you sometimes want there to be.

The other thing I can impart is kind of obvious, and we’ve all heard it, but it’s important: A writer has to write. A writer has to set the time aside. Back around August, my writer friends and I started gathering every Sunday at 3:30 to work on our own projects, and even though I never thought that was something I needed—I’ve always been a pretty self-motivated person—I have never been more productive in my entire life. I finished a screenplay, several times (because it wasn’t really done yet, and probably still isn’t). I started another. And I’ve had this perpetually regenerating writer’s high as a result.

And that’s something we should all keep in mind as well. Amidst the struggle and the frustration of the blank or otherwise imperfect page, let’s not forget that we’re writers because writing is fun. We want to write. We need to write. And when we take the time, it feels really, really good.

Now, I’d love for you all to take some time to ask me some more questions, because I’ll be hanging around Project Mayhem to answer them.

And even if you don’t win that free critique, don’t worry. You can still sign up for a free half-hour editorial consultation at http://ambitiousenterprises.com/contact/. And if you mention Project Mayhem when you sign up, you’ll get 10 percent off any developmental editorial service.

I’m looking forward to talking with all of you!

Web Ventures

Lately, I’ve been hearing the same thing from a lot of writers seeking publication. “I have to get my website up,” they’ll say, or, “I have to start a blog. I’ll never attract an agent or editor without one.” And, indeed, in writing circles these days, it seems like a lot of emphasis is placed on the oh-so-important “web presence.”

But I sometimes wonder if the significance of web presence is overestimated by those seeking to be published. Granted, if you’re writing non-fiction, where having a platform (a way to reach readers and sell your book to your target market) is considered crucial by many agents and editors, a web presence is probably pretty important. But if you’re a novelist, is it really all that critical to getting your foot in the door?

Don’t get me wrong—a web presence certainly doesn’t hurt your chances of getting an agent or editor. And if you enjoy blogging and designing websites and have plenty of time to do so, then why not? But if you’re not blessed with copious amounts of free time or a burning desire to launch yourself into the blogosphere, should you force yourself to do such things in the name of getting published? I worry there are writers out there pouring time and energy into endeavors that are perhaps not especially necessary, taking away from their time to write, polish their manuscripts, or nail that killer query letter. And many I’ve talked to recently seem convinced that publication will never happen unless they do. Some are even putting off sending out query letters, as they feel they can’t even approach an agent or editor without first being established online.

When I signed with my agent, I had nothing in the way of a web presence—and I do mean nothing. Zip, zero, zilch, nada. No website, no blog, no Facebook account, no Twitter account, no MySpace page, nothing. Basically, I had an e-mail address. The same was true when my agent found a publisher for my novel.

Now, in the months leading up to the publication of my book, I did make a point of launching a website—www.IvysEverAfter.com, if you’d like to check it out (shameless plug)—and I did join Facebook. Both have been great ways to get word of my book out there, and it’s been fun and rewarding to meet some really wonderful people who love children’s books as wholeheartedly as I do. Obviously, I’m also blogging here on Project Mayhem, and what a great experience that has been! So I’m not knocking the web thing. But I do wonder if the importance of having a web presence before being published is sometimes overemphasized.

Having a strong book is obviously the most important thing. Personally, I think if an agent or editor loves your manuscript, it’s unlikely they’re going to turn you down because you don’t have a blog.

But I’d love to hear other opinions on this. Anyone out there who has had their web presence play a major role in being published? Please, share your thoughts and experiences.

-Dawn Lairamore