Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Thursday, January 4, 2018
100+ Tips on Book Marketing (website list)
I've been doing some research on self publishing and self marketing. I figure at some point I'll need to know ALL. THE. THINGS. I'd like to share them with you, too!
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Two Firsts (Part 1) - First Live Pitch to an Editor
I just got back from an invigorating experience at the Idaho Writers League (IWL) 2017 annual conference. This year it was held in Pocatello, which really isn't a big, exciting city. In true Emily fashion, I made the most of it.
Our Travelodge was lackluster, but I only needed to shower and sleep in my room. The true gems of this place were the comfy chairs in the lobby and the bar with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The first night was all Smirnoff and southern rock, and it was pretty much our small group of older white folk playing pool and dancing until eleven o'clock.
The second night, we were outnumbered in a sea of culture. A better known group speaking rapid Spanish and serenading couples with a saxophone put some mariachi rock out there. The dance floor was packed. I nursed wine that night, and was dubbed the pool shark. The name was hilarious since the seven games in a row that I won were accomplished through no fault of my own. My opponents kept following the eight ball with the cue ball into a pocket.
You didn't come to this post to read about the fun, but its important to remember the details when you journal, or so the Gary Eckhart said in his talk on journaling. I think its time I start treating this blog like one and see what happens.
I spent almost as much time learning about Idaho Magazine, writing fantasy, and book marketing as I did running around and accomplishing some of my IWL duties as state treasurer and Coeur d'Alene Chapter president. Checks needed written, votes needed cast for big changes, and I needed to meet a lot of people. It's amazing how writing can forge friendships.
Why would I drive eight hours just to go to a conference? Well, I am a leader, and I really really really enjoyed the carpooling with friends and the free writing time. (Seriously, I haven't written that much in one day in over a year, and I got to do it twice in four days!). The biggest reason in my mind was pitching to a publisher.
Some of you know that I've had an agent for nearly two years now, and in that time I've written five novels, half a dozen picture books, and countless queries (my own and some of yours, too!). Small submission batches for the BIG publishers had already gone out via my agent, with some returning quickly and some not yet responding. When I saw the conference speaker bios and that I could pay for a 15-minute session, I had to check out the publisher.
I couldn't believe it. TWO of my books would fit right into their list. MOON DAUGHTER RISING was a middle grade fantasy with dark and family-based themes. They had also recently published some middle grade contemporary novels and had another one releasing, so ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS was another contender. This was my chance.
Twitter stalking was impossible, as the editor that was taking the pitches keeps a low profile on social media. I did check out their authors, excitement flaring at the pictures of book signings and readings plastered on their social media. That could be me!
My slot was scheduled about 11:00am when sweet Alice Dun of Pocatello chapter came with a slip of paper with 15 minute intervals in a list.
"How about 10 minutes from now?" she asked.
I quivered. I wasn't ready yet. I needed to go to my hotel room and talk myself straight. I asked her if I could have 45 minutes and she switched with me. I hugged her and rushed to my room.
Then I went back over my pitch and bio, as well as the blurb my agent told me to include with her take on the manuscript. I'd spent the last four weeks polishing it in case the editor wanted it next day. Those stories had been repeated to me by just about everyone I'd encountered and all our chapter members the week before at one of our meetings. I gathered my business card, my agent's business card, and the printed first chapter of the manuscript into a folder and pinned it all together with a paperclip. Deep breaths, ready. Not ready. No, no, I was ready.
I walked down the hotel hall with confidence, rocking my power outfit and heels. Preparation was my middle name. I had this.
I reached the coffee pot where it was far enough away to not intrude on the pitch in session, but close enough that they knew I was there and waiting. I was excited for my friend currently sitting with the editor, but he went way past his 15 minutes. I said a prayer and tried to hold still. A few friends walked through the lobby and into the presentations going on, each stopping to chat for a minute. They each calmed my nerves (thanks Lila, Jeremy, Larry, and Richard!).
My turn! The editor (who must not be named) invited me to sit, and I perched myself on the edge of the plush, red wing-backed chair.
I was vulnerable. I told her that it was my first pitch session but that I was excited to meet her. I asked if she'd like to hear more about me or my pitch first. She asked for the pitch. So I took a breath and managed to get the pitch out, including word count, comparison titles, and my agent's words of praise. Then I told her how I decided to pitch to her because I felt my books would fit right onto her list.
She asked questions. I responded. We joked like old friends. She complimented me, asked about my contemporary novel ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS, and seemed interested. I gave her the folder. Then she complimented me on my pitch, preparation, and said I did great.
via GIPHY
via GIPHY
Jeremy even insisted on calling the chair I sat in during the pitch my throne, and made me blush more then once talking about what happened.
So I've been doing another sweep through the manuscript and just sent it to my agent and a few critique partners for final read-throughs. Part two comes from one of these read-throughs, so if you haven't followed my blog yet, please do! You won't want to miss it!
Hint: I've always dreamed of seeing a child read my book....
Our Travelodge was lackluster, but I only needed to shower and sleep in my room. The true gems of this place were the comfy chairs in the lobby and the bar with live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The first night was all Smirnoff and southern rock, and it was pretty much our small group of older white folk playing pool and dancing until eleven o'clock.
The second night, we were outnumbered in a sea of culture. A better known group speaking rapid Spanish and serenading couples with a saxophone put some mariachi rock out there. The dance floor was packed. I nursed wine that night, and was dubbed the pool shark. The name was hilarious since the seven games in a row that I won were accomplished through no fault of my own. My opponents kept following the eight ball with the cue ball into a pocket.
You didn't come to this post to read about the fun, but its important to remember the details when you journal, or so the Gary Eckhart said in his talk on journaling. I think its time I start treating this blog like one and see what happens.
Speakers at the conference!
I spent almost as much time learning about Idaho Magazine, writing fantasy, and book marketing as I did running around and accomplishing some of my IWL duties as state treasurer and Coeur d'Alene Chapter president. Checks needed written, votes needed cast for big changes, and I needed to meet a lot of people. It's amazing how writing can forge friendships.
Why would I drive eight hours just to go to a conference? Well, I am a leader, and I really really really enjoyed the carpooling with friends and the free writing time. (Seriously, I haven't written that much in one day in over a year, and I got to do it twice in four days!). The biggest reason in my mind was pitching to a publisher.
My three carpooling buddies Kathleen, Bill, and Jeremy!
Some of you know that I've had an agent for nearly two years now, and in that time I've written five novels, half a dozen picture books, and countless queries (my own and some of yours, too!). Small submission batches for the BIG publishers had already gone out via my agent, with some returning quickly and some not yet responding. When I saw the conference speaker bios and that I could pay for a 15-minute session, I had to check out the publisher.
I couldn't believe it. TWO of my books would fit right into their list. MOON DAUGHTER RISING was a middle grade fantasy with dark and family-based themes. They had also recently published some middle grade contemporary novels and had another one releasing, so ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS was another contender. This was my chance.
Twitter stalking was impossible, as the editor that was taking the pitches keeps a low profile on social media. I did check out their authors, excitement flaring at the pictures of book signings and readings plastered on their social media. That could be me!
My slot was scheduled about 11:00am when sweet Alice Dun of Pocatello chapter came with a slip of paper with 15 minute intervals in a list.
"How about 10 minutes from now?" she asked.
I quivered. I wasn't ready yet. I needed to go to my hotel room and talk myself straight. I asked her if I could have 45 minutes and she switched with me. I hugged her and rushed to my room.
Then I went back over my pitch and bio, as well as the blurb my agent told me to include with her take on the manuscript. I'd spent the last four weeks polishing it in case the editor wanted it next day. Those stories had been repeated to me by just about everyone I'd encountered and all our chapter members the week before at one of our meetings. I gathered my business card, my agent's business card, and the printed first chapter of the manuscript into a folder and pinned it all together with a paperclip. Deep breaths, ready. Not ready. No, no, I was ready.
I walked down the hotel hall with confidence, rocking my power outfit and heels. Preparation was my middle name. I had this.
I reached the coffee pot where it was far enough away to not intrude on the pitch in session, but close enough that they knew I was there and waiting. I was excited for my friend currently sitting with the editor, but he went way past his 15 minutes. I said a prayer and tried to hold still. A few friends walked through the lobby and into the presentations going on, each stopping to chat for a minute. They each calmed my nerves (thanks Lila, Jeremy, Larry, and Richard!).
Playing with the Conference props. Theme: Rendezvous
My turn! The editor (who must not be named) invited me to sit, and I perched myself on the edge of the plush, red wing-backed chair.
Make eye contact, speak slow. I reminded myself.
I was vulnerable. I told her that it was my first pitch session but that I was excited to meet her. I asked if she'd like to hear more about me or my pitch first. She asked for the pitch. So I took a breath and managed to get the pitch out, including word count, comparison titles, and my agent's words of praise. Then I told her how I decided to pitch to her because I felt my books would fit right onto her list.
She asked questions. I responded. We joked like old friends. She complimented me, asked about my contemporary novel ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS, and seemed interested. I gave her the folder. Then she complimented me on my pitch, preparation, and said I did great.
THEN SHE SAID SHE WANTED A FULL MANUSCRIPT WITHIN TWO WEEKS AND SAID SHE'D BE CALLING MY AGENT!!!!!
via GIPHY
Guys, GUYS, this is what dreams are made of. I shook her hand and practically skipped back through the lobby. The rest of the weekend, my friends laughed at my dream face, like....
via GIPHY
Jeremy even insisted on calling the chair I sat in during the pitch my throne, and made me blush more then once talking about what happened.
This could be it! I had to chronicle the experience.
So I've been doing another sweep through the manuscript and just sent it to my agent and a few critique partners for final read-throughs. Part two comes from one of these read-throughs, so if you haven't followed my blog yet, please do! You won't want to miss it!
Hint: I've always dreamed of seeing a child read my book....
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Using Amazon Free Samples to Better your Writing
I have a confession. I may or may not be addicted to those free samples on Amazon. You know, the teasers you can download to convince you to buy the book?
It’s a great marketing tool, and an awesome way for readers to decide whether or not they want to invest in the characters. For writers, it is also a fantastic way to really study the beginning of the competition.
When I read these beginnings as an upcoming author, I like to look at the first line and see if it hooks me. Examining the sample allows me to figure out the best way to convince a reader that my words are worth their time and money. How does the author make the character or their plight memorable enough to warrant further reading? What unique features of the world or magic system (I love fantasy!) or government or society are highlighted so the reader is immersed? How can I apply those calculations or techniques in my own writing to make my agent able to sell my books to editors who can sell them to the public?
Do you utilize those Amazon samples as a reader or writer? Or do you study the beginnings and blurbs of books you buy? Have you ever done this to improve your writing and/or marketing strategy? Let’s chat about it in the comments below!
Monday, February 6, 2017
Discussion:Hello new writerly friends! Let's swap ten things.
I've had a lot of new friends via the #Nanobloghop subscribe to my social media and blog. Until now, most of my readers have been writerly friends I've met face to face or critique partners that I've been interacting with for years. It's been a pleasure to connect with so many creative, amazing people walking the same walk I am, word by word.
One such friend is Wendy Knight, and in her welcoming email for her e-newsletter, she offered ten fun facts about herself and encouraged us to respond with ten things too. I sent her a list and it sparked a really fun conversation that made me smile.
I want to reciprocate that on this blog post. So here are the ten fun facts about me that I want to share!
Let's not just click the like, tweet, and subscribe buttons! Let's encourage each other, share our success, our experiences, and our words! We can start right here in the comments of my blog! I'd be honored!
One such friend is Wendy Knight, and in her welcoming email for her e-newsletter, she offered ten fun facts about herself and encouraged us to respond with ten things too. I sent her a list and it sparked a really fun conversation that made me smile.
I want to reciprocate that on this blog post. So here are the ten fun facts about me that I want to share!
- I love almost every green vegetable and know how to cook most of them from raw state.
- I'm not a huge animal person, but I can sit and chat with the elderly all day, every day.
- I could live on ice cream, tea, and red meat.
- I deal with depression, and am so thankful for my religion and family for helping me through it.
- I have a husband, six chickens, two daughters, two dogs, a cat, and most recently we've added an adorable bunny named Oreo to the hobby farm.
- I love fishing. This may or may not be due to my love of the water, and most certainly is due to my father being a fishing tournament champion.
- I gave up coffee six, no - seven, times since December 31st. It's a problem.
- My family and I are big puzzle people. There's almost always one on a surface somewhere in my house. Its a wonder we don't lose pieces, but it rarely happens.
- I'm a health and wellness advocate, and use holistic medicine as much as possible. Need herb or vitamin suggestions? I may have an answer. Curious about essential oils? I'm an open book with lots of resources. Want some interesting stories about healing a body with food? I've got a heap... starting with healing my body from hormone imbalance and fixing my body to get pregnant.
- I solemnly swear I won't judge anything you say or do, or I will at least see situations from all sides. I always do. It makes decisions hard sometimes.
Please comment with one or more fun facts about yourself, or ask me questions about one or more of my ten things.
Let's not just click the like, tweet, and subscribe buttons! Let's encourage each other, share our success, our experiences, and our words! We can start right here in the comments of my blog! I'd be honored!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Storystorm Part 2: Some Ideas Deserve a Drawer
Well, for my second year in a row, I've completed #Storystorm. Technically, last year it was #PiBoIdMo. The general idea is an idea each day for a whole month.
I'm super excited about a dozen or so of those ideas.
And then there are the other ones.
You know, the ones that deserve a drawer and a bunch of brainstorming. The obscure, the odd ball, the flashes of brilliance that are ridiculous when you think of them and add them to your list but may later be the masterpieces you initially imagined they'd be.
Here are a few of mine for 2017:
Cutting wood - learning the value of hard work
Human squirrel
Mikayla's pile of blankets
Little glasses
So if they deserve the drawer put them there and slam it shut if it makes you feel better.
Just be sure to pull them out once in a while and see if they are ready to show off their shine.
I'm super excited about a dozen or so of those ideas.
And then there are the other ones.
You know, the ones that deserve a drawer and a bunch of brainstorming. The obscure, the odd ball, the flashes of brilliance that are ridiculous when you think of them and add them to your list but may later be the masterpieces you initially imagined they'd be.
Here are a few of mine for 2017:
Cutting wood - learning the value of hard work
Human squirrel
Mikayla's pile of blankets
Little glasses
So if they deserve the drawer put them there and slam it shut if it makes you feel better.
Just be sure to pull them out once in a while and see if they are ready to show off their shine.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
5 Reasons to sign up for National Novel Writing Month (and giveaway announcement!)
Wow, okay so an update: This summer was insane in all the right ways. Lots of editing on my fantasy trilogy novels, and roping a few new (fantastic!) critique partners. I also helped put together a local writers conference in September, and did my first official speaking engagement related to writing. It was "A Self-Starters Guide to Freelancing: How to Get Started." All those nerves slipped away as I hit all my speaking points and people had some great questions. I might have to do that again some day.
I'm also proud to say that my Freelance Editing Services got a tremendous boost this summer. I'm so thankful to all my clients, old and new, for making this dream a reality. Not to mention, it helps with life's expenses, not dis-cluding the tuition for my girl's school this year.
I've beenreading researching for my fantasy trilogy, and sliding a few new shiny ideas in a drawer to focus on my current monstrous project. Did you know that the always debated pantser versus plotter theory has actually been debunked? I've in fact found out that I am actually a plotser or something like that, meaning I actually do some plotting just on a minor scale and usually in my head. Go figure!
Also, I've discovered Amazon Unlimited. To my husband's exasperation, poor guy.
GUESS WHAT? A short story that I submitted and was paid for over a year ago is finally going to be printed in 2017! I got the official word this week via email, so keep your eyes on my social media for when it releases. It's for the story "Wearing Teresa's Boots" that I mentioned months and months ago!
Okay onto my favorite writing topic this time of year.....
I'm also proud to say that my Freelance Editing Services got a tremendous boost this summer. I'm so thankful to all my clients, old and new, for making this dream a reality. Not to mention, it helps with life's expenses, not dis-cluding the tuition for my girl's school this year.
I've been
Also, I've discovered Amazon Unlimited. To my husband's exasperation, poor guy.
GUESS WHAT? A short story that I submitted and was paid for over a year ago is finally going to be printed in 2017! I got the official word this week via email, so keep your eyes on my social media for when it releases. It's for the story "Wearing Teresa's Boots" that I mentioned months and months ago!
Okay onto my favorite writing topic this time of year.....
NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH IS UPON US!!!
I can easily confirm that #NANO has singularly made my writing career possible. I've won for three years in a row and intend to keep up the tradition. This year will complete the draft of my fantasy trilogy. I'm throwing out about 15k words from last year to rewrite now the first two novels are in better shape.
WHY should you join the world-wide wackiness that is NaNoWriMo? Here are five good reasons!
- International Event: You won't be alone! We're talking thousands of people committing to the same insane goal of 50 thousand words in 30 days.
- TONS of support: Forums to post in, blog and vlogs, virtual write-ins, local write-ins... if there is a will there is a way, so just do it.
- Cool swag before, during, and after, plus winner discounts and freebies...... example A below:
- What you really get out of it: Writing habit, creativity flow, networking, word counting convenience, and just plain writing the words down. No pressure, right?
- IF you need one more reason: #thequeryhelper be giving away three (3) query letter critiques at the end of the month for anyone that wins NANO! So be sure to follow my blog, network with me, and come on back on December 1st once you've crossed that finish line!
Are you participating in NANO this year? What's your favorite part of NANO or what are you most looking forward to?
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
#FicFest Fables #4 - Common Issues In Contest Entries
I need to apologize to those on my "give feedback" list who still haven't heard from me. Some health issues have clogged up life since #ficfest finalists were announced. My mentees have been patient with my delayed responses and I'm grateful for that. I will still be sending that feedback as soon as I'm able.
It truly surprised me how many of the same issues popped up in the #FicFest entries that didn't make it into my favorites list, and some of those issues existed in my favorites, too. Here's a brief list. I hope that this can help those who walked away from FicFest disappointed recapture not only their love for their story, but also with their future projects.
It truly surprised me how many of the same issues popped up in the #FicFest entries that didn't make it into my favorites list, and some of those issues existed in my favorites, too. Here's a brief list. I hope that this can help those who walked away from FicFest disappointed recapture not only their love for their story, but also with their future projects.
Passive Voice - I said it multiple times on Twitter as I read the slush, as did other mentors. Picture books only have so many words. Don't waste them on passive verbs (is, am, are, was, were) when you can use active, fun, meaningful verbs to entertain your readers. There are so many out there. Check out these great blog posts and resources to help you:
Incorrect rhyming - This was my biggest pet peeve and also the most frustrating of the common issues for me. SO many great premises got buried under horribly written rhymes. Meter and rhythm help make rhyme work, and a children's book can rhyme but it needs to be creative and interesting, not just rhyming for the sake of rhyming. I could easily pick out a dozen stories that had rhymes that could have been written better without it. Also, there are dozens of literary devices besides rhyme that could make your story fun to read. Repetition of word, refrain, or structure, alliteration, hyperbole to name a few.
High Word Count - This is a debated issues among mentors and mentees alike. A few years ago, the picture book word count sweet spot was 250-350 words, with a maximum of around 600. There are always exceptions to these rules, but at that time attention span seemed to rule the industry. However, in the last twelve months, some longer length amazing picture books have reset this way of thinking, bringing longer, more lyrical manuscripts back into vogue. Of course, word count will depend on your audience and your writing style.
Unfortunately, in the Ficfest slush, many books were way to long and it was obvious they could be reworked into a shorter, more focused and interesting manuscript to read. (My FicFest query contest winner was one of these!) Again, if you're going to write a long piece, every word needs to have a purpose to drive the story problem and paint a tight, interesting picture for your audience. Removing passive verbs, redundant phrases, and expressive, unnecessary words can help. A note: a few entries were also too low in word count, needing to give the reader just a little more to paint the full picture.)
Query Not Ready - Despite the thousands of query workshops and resources on the internet about how to write a query letter, it is still a highly personal endeavor that is difficult for most authors. By and far, it seemed almost every entry's query needed a little help. I'm going to throw out a few tips using the made up query I used for the query mentorship contest.
- Simple salutation
- Don't focus on the story's inspiration
- Don't give the story's ending away in the query. Instead, give them a stakes sentence to entice them to read it to find out the ending.
- Always give a little bit of info on yourself, even if you have no literary experience.
- Other PB manuscripts can and should be mentioned in picture book queries. Agents of PB want to make sure you aren't a one hit wonder. Offering up info on at least 2 other COMPLETED manuscripts is advised by several of the FicFest mentors. (I actually didn't know this, as my getting-an-agent journey focused on my entire age spectrum of children's works.)
- Always end with "Thank you for your time and consideration," NOT "I look forward to hearing from you" or "I can be reached by phone or email". Leave that ball in their court and expect nothing from them, at least in your letter.
Example:
Dear agent name;
A better story query paragraph:
BOOM, BANG, CRASH! As John and Mattie play hide and seek, the storm outside takes out the lights. The darkness makes finding each other hard and the once-familiar angles and hiding places of their house scary. Now, they must find each other by mimicking the sounds of the storm and decide whether to keep playing their improved game or find their way to Mom. Either way, they soon realize it will be more fun if they do it together.
illustrations anyways.
I am a writer and have been for about five years. My family says this is a perfect and fun book that any child would love to read. The agent won’t care what non-industry professionals think about it. If you have any questions, please feel free to calll me at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Don’t ever provide a phone number unless the agent asks for it. Even then, reconsider. I just know you’ll love it since I read on your personal website that you love thunder storms. While its good to do research, only mention things they like in their professional capacities, or things they’ve asked for on manuscript wish lists or in the contest you’re entering. Also, include a couple other PB manuscripts pitches that you have ready to go here. It's better to submit when you have at least three completed, ready-for-an-agent manuscripts.
Emily Moore
The #QueryHelper learned almost everything she knows from reading EVERY. SINGLE. EXAMPLE of query letters and the critiques on Query Shark, as well as reading blogs with great examples like Nathan Branford's blog. This is one place you don't want to short cut. The query can make or break your submission.
The #QueryHelper learned almost everything she knows from reading EVERY. SINGLE. EXAMPLE of query letters and the critiques on Query Shark, as well as reading blogs with great examples like Nathan Branford's blog. This is one place you don't want to short cut. The query can make or break your submission.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
#FicFest Fables Series #1: Congrats Team India Finalists + List of Critiquees
Abated breaths and rapid heart beats started the moment #FicFest host Tiffany Hoffman started pouring out finalists and hints a night early for the big writing contest reveal.
No one knew it was coming, but by the end of the night over 90% of the finalists knew whether or not they'd been chosen. Without further ado, I'd like to congratulate the newest members of Team India...
THE ARTIST AND THE CARP
And that was just the mentors.
Team India Pick 1
Jessica Townes
And her humorous ms
DOG SHOW DROPOUT
Working closely with Team India Leader E.G. Moore
Team India Pick 2
Ann Magee
And her non-fiction manuscript
DAREDEVIL DOLLY
Working closely with Team India Member Shari Schwarz
Team India Pick 3
Rebecca Cattie
And her humorous manuscript
I AM FAMOUS
Working closely with Team India Member Jae Lowell
Team India Alternate
Kelly Byrnes
And her sweet fiction manuscript
HOW DO YOU LOVE
Working closely with Team India Leader E.G. Moore, with input from entire team.
CONGRATS!!!!
The #QueryHelper also got in on the #FicFest action and offered up a query rewrite contest for an additional mentorship. It was a hard decision as 12 rewrites flooded my inbox, but my winner was...
Emily Kilmore
CONGRATS!!!!
Here is her winning query rewrite for my pb ms CRASH AND SEEK.
Dear Ms. Moore:
I enjoyed meeting you through the #FicFest Twitter event and appreciate your offer to look over my manuscript, Crash and Seek.After reading about your love of thunderstorms, I hope this story will pique your interest!
In Crash and Seek, siblings Mattie and John enjoy making up games and playing with each other. One day, while deep in a game of hide-and-seek, a low roar rumbles in the distance. Suddenly, lightning flashes through the sky like a spotlight and the wind pushes the trees towards the ground. Looking towards their house, the two notice it standing dark. Wondering if they should run home for safety and supper or continue their game, Mattie and John get wrapped up in the sounds of the storm -- crash, boom, bang – a natural orchestra is near! Similar to Bill Martin Jr’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Crash and Seek is a picture book text that plays up sounds, rhyming, and rhythm while also highlighting children's imaginations in creating a new storm-themed game of crash and seek.
I have been writing consistently for the last five years and enjoy reading children’s books with my family. The rhyming nature and focus on onomatopoeia in Crash and Seek will hook any young child. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions -- I look forward to hearing from you.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I also promised a list of those entries that would be receiving
feedback from me over the next week. Here is that list!
Top 7
(Not chosen by other #FicFest Teams)
BRIDGET WRITES A POEM by Rosemary Whatley
GABBY DOUGLAS, MEET BAILEY RAE JOHNSON by Tina Mowrey
TIAGO HOPS ON by Rebecca Carpenter
A WALL OF MURALS By Rupali S. Mulge
FIVE HAMSTERS GO CAMPING by Juli Caveny
BERTHA'S BIG TRIP by Eva Christensen Polites
WHATCHAMASAURUS by Jeremy Todd Sturgell
In addition to these feedback emails, I will also be offering some suggestions to the following manuscripts. These were the ones I felt had a great concept but weren't quite there yet OR that are nearly ready to query:
T-REX TROUBLES
THE ARTIST AND THE CARP
ONE DRIP ONE OCEAN
THE LAST LETSGOBOY
A MEATY TRICK OR TREAT
TICKA TICKA TAP
LOSING ZZZZS AT THE ZOO
KITCHEN MAGIC
ARMSTRONG AND SPUTNIK
ANTON TAKES A WALK
BEDTIME KISS FOR LITTLE SAMARAI
THE WITCH BABYSITTER
WANTED: A FRIEND FOR A QUEEN
WHEN THE PAINT RUNS OUT
DRAC LETS IN THE LIGHT
HUGEDINI
HENRY BUILDS A HENHOUSE
Please, please, please don't assume the worst about your manuscript if it wasn't chosen for #FicFest or I am not offering a critique. I simply don't have the time to give everyone feedback. Traditional publishing is more realistic statistically than any writing contest, and everyone is at their own place on their writing journey. I'd like to invite all the #FicFest #PB peeps to follow my blog or check back over the next few weeks for my #FicFest Fables Series, which will have fun and more serious topics to help you write the best version of your story. Topics will include query writing, hints and tricks to ensure proper rhyming, literary device use in picture books, FicFest tweets revealed and how I made my super tough decision, and more!
Thank you to ALL of you for trusting me with your words!
Thursday, April 21, 2016
#CPfest 2016 Query Critique (Belated) Day 2
Are you getting excited about
#FicFest? I know I am! In honor of this first annual manuscript contest,
a few of the mentors (incluyendome a mi) are giving away a query
critique each day leading up to submission day (that's April 25th guys, its sooooo soon!) For more details, check out my posts here and here, and the hostess with the mostest Tiffany Hofman's post here.
Technical difficulties means this one is running a tad late, but here is....
Day 2 #QueryHelper Critique
First thoughts: Great length of query and simple, straight forward salutation, if a little funny.
Dear Wise Mentors:
As
an unregistered dream spy, [C1] Delania
Mather knows the danger in marrying someone she can’t trust. [C2] Every
night, she drinks tinctures to send her into a deep sleep that will suppress
her abilities. Without the herbs, the dreams of her family, friends and neighbors
would invade her mind. She’d see their fears and desires, and they just might recognize
her presence there, which would be dangerous for someone who hasn’t registered
her psychic ability. [C3] Yet,
medicating herself unconscious every night would make her husband suspicious –
if she agreed to marry anyone.
Unsure how to wiggle free from an impending proposal and protect her
family from the punishment of being unregistered[C4] ,
Delania boards a ship destined for the Fog, an all-encompassing entity that
induces madness when sailors pass through it. She survives the madness desperate to return
home[C5] ,
but the ship is attacked by an enemy fleet from a war-mongering nation. She expects to
be held captive, but the King welcomes[C6]
her into the political intrigue of his court, inviting her to spy on his people’s
dreams for his own gain. [C7] Agreeing could
mean accepting the exploitation she spent her whole life hiding from, but
appeasing the King could also be her ticket home.[C8]
DREAM SPY is an 88,000-word YA fantasy that can best be
described as REIGN with magical abilities to spice up the rivalry and romance. The novel won
the 2013 PennWriters Novel Beginnings Contest and will appeal to fans of Maria
V. Snyder and Melissa Marr.[C9]
As
for me, I hold a PhD in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a
Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of St. Andrews. I
teach and conduct scholarly research on composition, literature, and creative
writing, and I’m a member of Backspace, Sisters in Crime, and PennWriters.[C10]
Thank you for taking the time to consider my request.
Sincerely,
Tamara G.
[C1]This
is a great hook! It makes the read wonder what a dream spy is, why she isn’t
registered, and why the society makes dream spies register in the first place.
[C2]Okay
this line makes me immediately think adult fiction, so you might want to add
Dalania’s age in this sentence so it settles firmly in the YA category in the
mentor/agent/editors mind.
[C3]This
sentence feels a little long. Also, you’ve yet to te us why she’s chosen not to
register.
[C4]So her
family can get punished too?
[C5]This
is confusing because she just boarded the ship to get away and know she
survives to come back home? Why the change of heart? It may be easier to just
say that she gets attached by the enemy fleet while aboard.
[C6]You
do a great job of not giving us too many characters in this query, but I sort
of want to know the king’s name.
[C7]Again,
sort of a long sentence with a lot going on.
[C8]I
think the stakes are great, but this sentence lacks tension/urgency. Also, why
does she want to go home when she just ran away? Maybe a snippet on that will
help make her situation seem more dire.
[C9]Great
specs!
[C10]Some
great things here, but I don’t know what Backspace and Sisters in Crime are so
maybe put “writers club” or “writers association” after them so the reader
knows.
Final thoughts: This query feels heavy and the stakes need some urgency. BUT it has an intriguing plot and won an award already. I could easily see #FicFest mentors fighting over this one.
Thank you Tamara for trusting me with your work!
If you'd like to get your query under the #QueryHelper's critical eye, be sure to check out this post and enter the rafflecopter giveaway for you chance to be chosen!
All
#PCFest posts for PB writers will be in the comments on Monday's post.
You are welcome to comment however you like, though if you are
specifically searching for a CP, you should make sure to include your
critiquing style, maybe some favorite authors of yours, what sort of
critique you are looking for, etc. You don't have to be entering Ficfest
to post in the #CPFest.
Come on back tomorrow for our next #CPFest critique!
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