I'd Rather Write A Query Than...

I moved recently. I managed to go two months without having to pay rent, and yet I'm still broke. It doesn't help that I keep avoiding hospital bills until they take me to collections agencies, so then I HAVE to pay them. Oops. (Turns out, knee surgery in November was a poor life decision.)

This means that I'm trying to pick up another job so that I won't have days off. (Time is money, honey) Baxter will be cranky, but he needs to see the Vet, and eat food, too.

With that said, I've been spending a lot of time filling out job applications. It turns out I hate them. It also turns out that while I thought I loathed query letters, I prefer them to job aps. Here's a list of reasons why query letters are better than the run of the mill fill in the blank job applications:

Supposed to symbolize writing vs real job stuff

*Job applications have you fill out basic information: name, soc number, birth date, high school, college, special skills. Query letters only ask what is important; contact info, this is my novel, this is my publishing background. Boom. Done.

*Job applications require references, phone numbers that are years old, old manager's names. Some even require previous living locations. Yea..I barely remember what I had for breakfast, you expect me to remember six months ago? Pass. Query letters involve character names. Maybe a conference name or two if applicable.

*Job applications are PAGES long. Query letter is a PAGE long.

*Job applications force you to BS your way though it, "I'm a people person! I love this, and this, and I think I'd be awesome at this job!" Query letters don't care. "My name is Lynne. I've been published in, and I've attended these conferences." I've heard of people getting agents without having anything published before. We're judged solely on our ability to convey emotion, verses our ability to convince managers that we're awesome.

*"Have you ever been fired from a job before?" Umm....no? *Darts eyes back and forth* "Why?" Umm.....shit. In a query letter, you don't mention how many times you've been rejected. Awesome.

*You can use the f-word in a query letter and still get a request. (I know this, because I've done this). You can't do that with a job application.

*If things go well, that query letter will get you more money than this minimum wage job will.

So, while I need a new job, I'd rather be spending time here, on my computer, working on query letters and submissions. Just sayin'

Breaking Points

Last August I went to Seattle to attend PNWA, and it was one of the highlights of my life. Every day at the conference was amazing, my friend who housed me, rocked.

Daylight in Seattle...no rain, just sun

But the second morning there, Jen walked me to the bus stop and asked if I'd be okay getting home that night because she would be at a friend's function. "Yep!" I said with full confidence, "I'll be fine!" (Famous last words, right?)

The panels were great, and dinner was yummy, but a full day of sessions started wearing on me, and I felt the way I do when I stay up writing til 3am and just need to sleep. Right now. I texted Jen to tell her I was on my way home and walked out of the keynote speaker I'd been waiting for.

When I got off the bus, it was about 9pm. It was dark. When I'd walked here this morning, it was bright enough to merit sunglasses. Now in the darkness, nothing looked familiar, and so I had to trust my instincts. (For those of you who don't know me, my instincts are wrong, 99% of the time....thus begins our story.)

I took a left, and started walking on what I thought was a somewhat familiar bike path. Jen said she was still with some friends, and I told her I thought I knew where I was going. Then came a fork in the path. I didn't recognize it at all. I looked left, didn't recognize the walk. I looked right, and nothing looked right, either. I started walking anyway.

Then my phone beeped to tell me my battery was dying. Time was rapidly becoming a factor. I needed to get home, now.

It gets so dark there!

I walked, and walked. Each step caused my one strap messenger bag to weigh more and more. I constantly transferred the bag from one shoulder to the other in the hopes I'd even out the back pain, but it didn't work.  It was the first time I asked myself, Why the hell did I buy so many books today?

I continued on the path. Everything was looking more and more foreign. I started questioning if I'd even gotten off at the correct bus stop. I called Jen when I reached a sign that mentioned some sort of a park. "I don't recognize that name at all," she told me. A sinking feeling took hold, but I refused to cry.  I can do this, I just have to keep walking.

She suggested getting off the path and walking on the road so I could at least read road signs. My battery light flashed at me, time was running out. "I'll try to start looking for you," she said, and gave up going to her friend's function because I was an idiot and bad with directions.

The high heels I'd been wearing
(Don't worry, I was wearing
dress clothes for the conference)

I got off the bike path and onto the road, and called Patrick who was in California at the time. Whenever I've been in a jam, or gotten lost before, he'd always bailed me out. He said he'd map quest me some directions, and there was a ray of hope.

I took off my high heels and we found a cross intersection. My heels now felt like a pummeled pumpkin, but I continued on after he told me which way to go.  Low and behold, the next street sign matched up to what he was seeing. He'd found me!

It was so dark outside and lamposts were few and far between. The neighborhood looked like I was going to get jumped at any time. Because I'm a writer, I imagined every worst case scenario possible, but reassured myself that it would make for a good memoir.

"I don't get it," Patrick said. "The road you're looking for should be right there."

"There's just what looks like an elementary school!" I cried into the phone. Just as Jen's phone number flashed across my screen, my phone gave one last valiant vibration and went black. I was cut off from the world.

Now, completely alone, and walking in the wrong direction, I checked my watch. It was 11:30pm, I'd been walking for 2.5 hours. I was lost, cranky, tired, and sore. My arthritic knees hated me and begged to stop moving. They were ready to give out at any moment, and so walking was rapidly becoming a factor now. I wanted to cuddle Baxter, to be home, to be at Jen's and drink some soy milk. Instead, I continued walking the same stupid streets I'd passed sixteen other times.

I passed an older looking man, dressed completely in black in this ghetto neighborhood, and asked, "Do you know where (name a street) is?" He pointed in the direction I'd just come from, "Are you walking honey?" Me, "Yes." "It's about ten blocks that way. About two miles...." he looked apologetic, and I wanted to scream.

Please no, I prayed. Please just let me be home. 

Jen, my lovely host, and wonderful friend

Instead, when the man was out of sight, I sat on the curb and cried. I stopped caring if I was going to get raped or murdered. I didn't care if I got shot. I was lost, Jen would never be able to find me. And the worst part was that I was going to miss the rest of the conference.

I'd reached the breaking point.

Out of some run down driveway, a small pure white cat emerged and crawled onto my lap. It wasn't Baxter, but I still spoke to it anyway. "Hello little friend," I sobbed. "I'm so lost, and I don't know where I am, and I hate this stupid city and buses." I whined to the cat for a long while while my aching feet and knees rested. Finally, I told my small friend I had to leave, and that I couldn't take it home, and resumed walking, taking sketchy streets with bars on windows, and found an open door.

Still hysterical, I stumbled in and rambled, "I'm lost, and I don't know where I'm going, and my phone died..."

The man behind the counter looked at me, and said, "Ma'am, I can't understand you. Take a seat, calm down, and we'll try to help you."

I sat in a seat, and cried more. An old man who smelled like he hadn't showered for the last few years sat beside me and asked, "You lost little girl?" and I cried harder and nodded my head. When the tears started to subside and I could breathe again, I looked around me. The man appeared to be missing some teeth and I wasn't sure that you could even consider what he was wearing to be clothing anymore. Meanwhile I was in a new dress I'd bought the day I'd arrived, and my new shoes. I'd even gotten ambitious and put make up on, which was now probably smeared all over my face.

To my right was what resembled a soup kitchen or pantry, at least the way they look on TV shows. To the left were stairs and empty chairs.

I'm in a shelter, I concluded.

Finally, I approached the desk, and explained the situation. They asked me if I knew of anywhere, and I didn't. Did I know Jen's phone number? No, and my phone was dead. Was I alone and on foot? Yes. Did you know it's not safe for a girl to be lost around here? I had a feeling, which has been solidified, thank you.

It took me a solid five minutes before I could even remember the name of the road where Jen lived. They informed me that I was on the other side of town, and the bus stop where I'd been dropped off at has a split where the roads all match each other. I should have crossed the road to get on the other bike path.

Just as I'd started to cry again, one of the men offered to give me a ride. Because I was still in the mindset of not caring whether or not I died, I took a risk and got in his small car.

Soon enough, I got to Jen's found the spare key, and went in. I dug out my phone charger, and called her to tell her to come home, I was safe. It was now after midnight. I called Patrick, who had left me several worried voicemails, and let him know I was alive.

When Jen came into the apartment, we both burst into tears and hugged. "I'm so glad you're safe!" she told me.

Eventually, I was reunited with my little man :)

So, why am I telling this story?

Because, this kind of thing happens to me a lot. That moment where you reach the breaking point and have to live in a friend's basement because you got fucked over on your living situation, or getting lost in Seattle, on foot, with no cell phone.

Submissions are a lot like this. Query letters, partial requests. All of those things are like this. We get rejected. We all reach the point where we sit on the curb and cry, and are completely ready to get shot in the face and die. (A little dramatic, but you know what I mean :) ). But then there's a little white kitten who crawls into our laps and whispers, Keep writing, keep editing, keep going. And so we get up, brush ourselves off, and stumble into something we never knew existed.

I believe that things work out. I also believe that things can get hard beyond belief. But if you reach your breaking point, keep pushing. You may still make it home.

The Idea Behind Querying

Being in the agent game is hard work, no? The query letter takes a million drafts, the query specific query letter takes even more. But there are reasons why this is done:

1) You know how you say, "My novel is complete at x-amount of words"?
2) You know how you say, "This is the genre of my novel"?
3) You know how you say, "This is a simultaneous submission"?
4) You know how you wrote a million drafts and edited the heck out of your novel?

We do these things, we write these things, so when an agent says, "Please send me fifty pages," or "Please send me your entire manuscript," you can push, "Upload Document" without flinching, or without having to go through and edit your 200+ page novel.

You make sure your word count is in the query, so the agent knows what they're getting into. You know your genre so your agent can start figuring out how to best market your novel. You drop the "simultaneous submission" to let the agent know that you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Even if your request gets rejected, keep your head up, allow yourself the 15 minute window, and start sending queries again.

Happy submitting! :)

Withdrawing A Submission

Whew, that was a long weekend. At some point, my roommate's dog ran away, but the good news is, he spent the night with some friendly people from New Hampshire and arrived safely home this afternoon. (I made sure to cuddle Baxter extra tight because I couldn't imagine him being gone for any length of time.)

Other than that, I received an e-mail yesterday from a gentleman asking if I had any advice on how to craft a letter that withdraws a submission. (This is kind of the flip side of Nudging an Agent :) )

So here's my advice (Fancy style):

Dear Baxter* 

 It is with great regret (or some very eloquent word here) that I must withdraw my query/submission/etc, The Night Baxter Slept on the Floor**, from your agency. 

Thank you for your time and consideration (this is always my favorite closing),

Lynne Schmidt


Another way (Super simple):

Dear Baxter*,

 I would like to withdraw my submission/query/etc, The Night Baxter Slept on the Floor**. 

Thank you so much for your time and consideration,

Lynne Schmidt

*Baxter is not actually an agent. Well, I mean, I do read some of my stuff out loud to him, but in all reality, he is my dog (see his page above?). So, with that--Be sure to address it as Mr. or Ms. Agent, but use their actual last name.

 **Include the name of your submission


Here's the key:
You don't actually have to say why you're withdrawing it; you just need to tell them that you are withdrawing it. You can thank them for their time, you can wish them a great day. It doesn't really matter, just be sure to get it to the correct agent (and agency), make sure they know which work is yours, and that you're withdrawing it.

I hope this helps :)

Tips For A Query Letter

So..I have massive amounts of writers block right now but I haven't blogged in awhile, so I figured I'll cover the basics of a query letter.

*Always address the letter to a SPECIFIC agent, not an agency, also not a "Dear Agent" you want "Dear X". 

*Make the letter personal but professional. Does this agent represent the genre of your book? Did you like the book? Why do you feel like your writing would be a good fit?

*What is the audience you're aiming for? YA? Adult? What genre is your novel? Paranormal? Romance? Heavy fantasy? Make sure to include this information SOMEWHERE in the letter.

*What is your novel about? --This is the hardest part of the query letter. Personally, I'm usually too emotionally involved in my writing to take a step back and say "This is my plot". I get help from friends who read my material and say "This is what I got out of the story". Make it interesting, use proper grammar, use correct spelling. It's like a mini-story.

*Do you have credentials? Have you been published before? Where? For what? Would the agent have heard of you? Do you attend conferences? 

*Try to keep this under a page (approximately 250 words)

*Sign your name and give information on how to contact you (name, address, phone number, e-mail address, etc)

*Lastly, before you send that letter, make sure you've checked the guidelines. Did the agency ask for pages pasted into the body of the e-mail? A synopsis? 

Those are the fast easy tips that I've come across in a lot of industry blogs. Hope this helps! Good luck! Oh--and if you get rejected, don't worry. It happens to all of us. Just keep trying!

Social Networking

Alright, I've sold out and obtained a Twitter (follow me! Lynne Schmidt :) ). And it turns out, it's much more fun than I thought it'd be....

Social networking is huge in the literary industry. It's why we have conferences, and book signings, and book clubs, and critique groups (the list goes on).
You can find many agents on Twitter, or some have Facebook pages or even blogs. It's amazing how open and honest and HELPFUL these people are. They'll tell you what they're looking for, what they're NOT looking for, what they'd LOVE to see. Some more insightful blog posts have actually explained to me why and how manuscripts are chosen. Some agents (See FinePrint Literary) even go out of their way to critque your pages for you, or even your query letter (have you heard of QueryShark?). Some give feedback, some are WAYY too busy. But in reality, all agents do the best job that they are able to do, and as a writer, that's something for us to keep in mind. Don't be offended by form letters, rejoyce in rejections that give reasons why you're rejected.

Moral of the story is: if you're trying to get published and you're not doing your research, you should be. There is a lot out there that can help.

What Is Your Novel About?

This question is one of the hardest questions for me to answer. For a couple of reasons:

1) I feel like the biggest nerd when I talk about my novels--Confessions of an Immortal heart deals with an immortal girl (woman?), most people chuckle and say "Not another Twilight". Don't worry, it's not. When I actually say what it's about, they're usually a little more interested:
(This is my query letter)
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tells the story of a love so intense, the two youths commit suicide rather than facing the rest of their lives without each other. In Twilight, Edward thinks Bella has died and chooses to end his existence rather than spend eternity without her. Both stories give the ideal ending in that both lovers are together again. But what happens when one half of the equation is permanently missing? Can true love really last forever, or will holding on just destroy you?

In Confessions of an Immortal Heart, the reader finds that the love interest has been murdered and all the narrator wants, is to die as well. However, due to some defect she can't figure out, she doesn't get hurt and she just won't die. The story revolves around the immortal narrator's inability to cope with her loss, lamenting all the times she should have stepped in to save her mortal's life. Each chapter gives insight to the development of their life together; when she comes home to find a him standing before her, her trying to kill him, their first kiss, the time he arrives after being attacked, up to the 'accident' that claims his life, and then her living in the Godforsaken world without him. The lack of names plays into the ending of Confessions of an Immortal Heart, because without him she's lost her identity.

Then...Igniting a Firestarter...
Deals with different covens and things like that, so I feel like a geek again. But it's cool because it's relate-able to real people, and people I've met every day....just exaggerated :) (I'm not posting this query letter because it doesn't quite rock yet).

2) It's hard to sum up your (my) entire novel in like 2 seconds and make it sound like it's the best thing since sliced bread. I've noticed if I talk too long people's eyes start to glaze over and I try to talk faster to say "But oh no!! They're in love, and it's an awesome story!!" Firstly, it is an awesome story (or so I think). Secondly, I need to get to the point already.

Outside of that...
I need to start preparing for the PNWA conference (which...I got my card in the mail yesterday confirming the fact I am a member :) ). But, there will be rapid fire rounds (I have 3 minutes to talk about either novel)...and I need to talk fast and coherently.

Even at first a query letter is hard because I'm too involved with the sub plots and while I think they're important the person reading about them...may not.

The writing life is hard....:)

15 Minute Window

So, you've received your first rejection letter. No? Maybe your sixth? Maybe more?

Firstly, congrats on submitting to that many people. Hopefully you researched them, and decided that you were what they were looking for.  (Remember, personalize each query, each submission, if you didn't do this, this may be why you're staring at a shiney rejection letter)
Secondly, from the second you open that letter, you have what I consider the 15 Minute Window. In this time you're allowed to think:
What the f@#k?!
Oh man, I'm so sad!
Why didn't they like me?
Who cares I don't need them! I'll find someone better.

***********NOTICE*********

I said THINK these things. DO NOT, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER send a letter to the agent telling them this. Keep these things to yourself, or maybe a friend who is in person. Do NOT write a blog complaining, do not blow up your facebook wall, or your twitter if you have it. THINK these things. Or eat some ice cream. Maybe some oreos (which reminds me...I just ran out). Maybe even open a beer.

For these fifteen minutes, you're allowed to cry, to throw things, to punch your pillows, whatever you feel, (except attack the agent or editor who rejected you). Once that 15 Minute Window passes...

GET YOUR HEAD BACK IN THE GAME

Chances are you were rejected due to a flaw in your manuscript. If people you've only QUERIED are rejecting you, maybe you need to start with your pitch. Re-edit. If you've been re-editing for what feels like forever and you're sick of your story, take a break from it. Start something new. JUST. KEEP. WRITING. Keep the creativity flowing. Hey, maybe even turn the person you were rejected from into an evil monster with sixteen eyes.

Keep trucking along. At some point, re-edit everything: your synopsis, your query, your MANUSCRIPT. Then find other agencies, other contests, and resubmit.

Yes, it's sad you've been rejected (I'm openly weeping for you right now). But the rest of us have been cast away too (even if it was being the kid picked last for dodge ball).

Keep your head up. This is a long distance race, not a short sprint :)

Patience

I'm not a patient girl. I never have been. I eat undercooked rice because it takes too long for the water to boil. I don't like making meals because the prep time is extensive. Usually I eat freezer ready meals, which magically after two minutes in the microwave still have chunks of ice on them. (As long as the chicken feels/tastes cooked, I don't usually go through round two of a microwave...I will most likely contract some form of food poisoning soon). I skim boring parts of books. If a movie doesn't take off quick enough, I do something else (like fall asleep). If I'm chatting with people and they take too long to respond, I get bored and walk away from the computer. (You get the idea.)


So, right now, my novel is completely written. Honestly, it has been since high school, and I've been editing it ever since. It has had a major facial reconstruction, and idea construction. To me, the ending finally makes sense. But, parts are still not as strong as I'd like them to be. So I've been going through, tearing apart pages and chapters, and making it stronger. I've also had the help of the wonderful Tammy Henry, Laura Schmidt, Alyssa Wells Midler, and Elizabeth Henry. Though being torn to shreds hurts...it helps to know "I can't engage with this character," and know I'm doing something wrong. Because of this editorial statement, the entire introduction and first chapter were re-done so that the reader has a better grasp of who this woman is. 


I've found people I want to submit to (as previously stated). The one woman I want to submit to more than anything wants a short and concise query letter. She wants paranormal romance. She wants something different...and I think I'd be a good fit for her. But, she also wants a very polished manuscript....Well, up to chapter ten or so is polished....?


Right now I have to keep my query letter in the FINISHED folder of my external hard-drive. I take it out and send to people to see what they think. I've just received word from a PUBLISHED AUTHOR, Zu Vincent, that she is willing to read said letter and give suggestions. (I met her last year at the AWP conference.) She and I will both be attending the 2011 conference in Washington D.C., and I'm hoping to be able to attend her panel. Either way, it is taking everything I have in me not to just balls out and type said agent's e-mail address into the "Send" tab, and blow my shot.


But kids, it takes patience. You have to be PERFECT. Your work has to be PERFECT. It pays to be patient, to wait it out, to continue editing. So, I have set a deadline: February 15th. Why? Because I fucking HATE Valentine's Day, and February, so this will give me something to look forward to. Plus, because there is a deadline, the possibility isn't stretching into the abyss, there is a set time frame I am forcing myself to work under. If my editors haven't finished, then I'm saying screw them and submitting anyway. I feel like my query letter is strong enough, I feel like the first three chapters are strong enough. 


But, I said I would wait, and so I will. 

The Query Letter

I secretly think that all writers hate these with a fiery passion. Personally, I enjoy the places that are all, "Let the work stand for itself, we don't care about your merit." It might be because I'm lazy, or because I'm afraid what I'm saying won't be good enough...Either way, I hate query letters.


For those of you who don't know, the query letter is essentially the pitch. It says "Hi, I'm Lynne Schmidt. This is the novel I wrote, this is what it's about, and here is my publication record." It also has to say "I've done research, I know what you're looking for, and you're looking for me," without being so pretentious. 


Some places allow simultaneous submissions (you're allowed to submit to more than one agency), some don't. You have so much homework to do before you can even think, "This is where my work is going." It's hard because aside from doing all of that, you have to edit your 190+ page novel and make sure it's perfect so when/if they say "Hey, I'd like to see what you have to offer," you can say, "Okay, here it is!"


It's also hard because some places reject you flat out if you don't have enough publication experience. (Read previous blogs, I'm pretty amateur.) I'm trying constantly to bulk up my resume, but that's also difficult because now I have to edit those stories or poems, wait the 3-6 months for the response period, and then update all of my information. I'm also submitting like crazy to competitions, but I also am lacking funds to be able to do so. All of this tires me out, constantly. 


Key things to have in your query letter:
*Genre--Contemporary, sci-fi, magical realism
*Word Count--Make sure it's complete and polished!
*Correct spelling of agent/editor
*Plot and examples; don't just say "And then tragedy strikes..."--Tell the person what happens, "Then, when X's sister dies in a car accident..." 
*Aim for it to be about 250 words
*Brief bio--"I've had publications in the following literary magazines....I received an MFA from... etc"
*Comparisons to your work--However, DON'T claim to be the next Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, J.K Rowling
*Contact information


Other than that, be sure to read the SUBMISSION GUIDELINES for each and every agent you query. Some want five pages, some want ten, some want none. 


There are two agents I'm looking pretty heavily into right now. Well, really one because she seems amazing. I keep talking to everyone about her as though she's my best friend, when I've never met the woman *that sounds stalkerish, my bad*. I love her personality, her online presence, what she's looking for....it all fits. I want to go to Starbucks with her and drink coffee. Honestly, I would be honored to have her, or any agent. You want to feel like you know these people, like you would have a good WORKING relationship with them.


I'm finding myself constantly wanting to jump the gun and just submit to someone already. But that's stupid and that's how you get rejected. I'm forcing myself to be patient, to look over my query letter when I'm bored and out of work. When I have no creative juices flowing, I edit my novel. When I have NOTHING to offer, I annoy the people I've been sending my stuff to to re-edit.


But, as I stated earlier, I get tired out. So it's time for bed :)

The Nerve Wracking Excitement

Firstly, I'd just like to say that I had to look up if the word wracking spelling and all, is correct. Turns out it is, so back off. :)

Secondly, the excitement. I said in my first post I had been rejected from Tin House. I lied. While I haven't been accepted, they've had my work for almost three months now. At the 90-100 day mark, I will be contacting them to see what the deal is.

This is why I'm SUPER excited though:

"Winter 2011 
Beauty. Deadline April 1.  For our special 50th Issue, we will be having some fun with the idea of beauty. We are looking for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that confronts notions of beauty across cultures, economic strata, genders, and races. What is beauty? What is art? We are looking for personal takes on what is beautiful. Think of Francis Bacon: "There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion." We’ll also be looking for pieces that look into the marketing of beauty, and how notions of beauty are used to create celebrity and at the same time to marginalize and exclude. "

Here is what my query letter said: 

"...I am submitting a prose piece with a word count totaling 1,678 words. It is titled Breaking Myself Down, about a girl essentially tearing herself apart bit by bit to get to something more natural to her and her being and less socially placed.  I feel like in today’s age they tell people to look, act, and think a certain way, to the point that the outside is the shell and the inside is a stranger. This piece is the recognition of that, and facing who you are/what you are/and what people go through..."

I feel as though I've submitted what they're looking for, and I submitted during their reading period. They've had it for awhile. Could this be the first piece I get published? (As stated before, I've had minor things in Zephyr and Authors of Tomorrow, but this feels different....i wasn't really trying with those)

I am super hopeful right now. I will keep ya'll posted.