Rejections

Writers often look at their work and believe, “This is really good. I’m sending it off.” I won’t say in most cases but quite a few, these submissions often come back stamped ‘REJECTED’. Why? The reason is simple- these writers didn’t step back to look at the piece objectively wearing a reader’s hat but looked at it wearing a ‘mommy’s’ hat. These are two different hats to be wearing when it comes to really looking over your manuscript. Another reason is they submitted a first draft they believed was fully fleshed out, their characters were realistic and not stick people, and subbed it to various publishers they happened to come across while researching various markets.

What is wrong with this scenario?

First Draft

I will admit I’ve read quite a few first drafts that were tight, but haven’t come across any first draft that read complete in any which way you looked at it. Something always needed changing: characters needed more dimension, setting needed more presence, dialogue had to be spruced up and taglines removed, or more of the five senses had to be written in to bring the scene to the reader’s mind with more clarity and vividness.

Characters

Are your characters flat, lifeless, no personality to set them apart from your secondary characters? Not sure? Well, that’s why it’s a good idea to get your story critiqued by another pair of eyes other than your own. These critiquers will be able to pinpoint areas they feel, as readers, need more fleshing out. Remember that you can’t please all of the readers all the time, but if you can offer a character that is three dimensional from the start, then perhaps you will please most of your readers.

The one biggest flaw I find in some writers is the fact they do not accept any comments where their work is concerned. Writers are always learning, always open to suggestions in order to guide and help them enhance their talent. The more they understand the areas they are weak in, the quicker these flaws disappear.

Publishers

Publishers know who their readers are. This is an area a writer also needs to understand. When you research a publisher, make sure to take the time and read one or two of their books to see if your genre fits in with their ‘style’. If you wrote a young adult novel, and you Googled ‘Children’s Publishers’, don’t send your manuscript to them UNLESS you check their guidelines. There you will see if they accept young adult manuscripts, their preferred word count, and other information needed in order to process your submission.

Do not be one of the writers who eagerly wait for months for a response only to discover the rejection letter states, “We are sorry but at this time we are not accepting any Young Adult manuscripts.” Waste of time.

Be smart, after all, you worked long and hard on your book, it deserves a chance to reach the right publisher.

Interview with Vivian Zabel

I’m thrilled to have Vivian Zabel as my guest today. She is the publisher of 4RV Publishing.

I had the privilege of meeting Vivian a couple of years ago at my online Muse Conference and we hit it off. Right after I submitted a YA manuscript. The waiting period to see if her readers liked the book or not was excruciatingly suspenseful, but at the end their comments on my unpublished book elated me. It actually gave me insight as to what this market liked or didn’t, and the reading level for my target audience. Very helpful to say the least.

Now, without further delay, my interview with Vivian Zabel:

What is the most consistent error you see many writers doing?

This is a difficult question to answer because I see more than one consistent error.

1. Writers are "satisfied" to submit a draft I would consider a rough draft, not one that's finished. A well-written manuscript often takes many edits and revisions

2. I realize "show,don't tell" has almost become a cliche, but too many authors don't show. They are lazy and tell.

3. I guess everything comes down to writers willing to learn their craft and doing what is needed to be a good writer.

Vivian, as an editor, I totally agree with you that many writers feel their first or second drafts are ready to go. I always suggest they put the manuscript away for a spell and move on to another. Giving some time to put that book out of your system allows you to reread it with a pair of fresh eyes. Only then will you possibly see errors needing a fixer-upper.

What, for you, defines a fully rounded manuscript?

A fully rounded manuscript has strong three-dimensional characters, a consistent and interesting plot, coherency, clarity, and an acceptable level of believability. Correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and other mechanical elements are a must.

Is the synopsis for 4RV Publishing the make or break part for you as a publisher whether you ask for sample chapters?

The synopsis is not a make or break element, but if it gains interest, it helps. It is a guide for us to see what the manuscript should offer.

What do you look for, once a writer has passed the synopsis stage, in the sample chapters submitted to you?

Interest must be grabbed immediately. I won't wade through more than a page or two at the most before tossing something if the writing hasn't caught my attention. Coherency, clarity, and comprehension must be apparent from the beginning.

Do your manuscripts go through readers as a test cycle before considering it for a contract?

Our first readers/acquisitions editors include youngsters for books written for children and middle/young adults (yes, we have a special acquisitions editor who is 14). We have parents and grandparents who read to children. Our other readers/editors for older level books are avid and voracious readers.

As a publisher, what advice would you give writers?

Learn your craft, keep learning, and never give up. I taught writing for thirty years and studied writing for over fifty years; but I'm still learning. If I had allowed rejection to stop me, I would never have anything published. However, every rejection caused me to look at my writing and try to find what was wrong, why it was rejected -- learning and not giving up.

Thank you, Vivian, for stopping by today. If anyone has any questions for Vivian, please leave a comment and she’ll get back to you as soon as she can.
I’m thrilled to have 4RV Publishing as one of my publishers. Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us, a book about friendships, bullying, and secrets is a YA novel published in 2008. For more information or to purchase, CLICK HERE

I also have another manuscript contracted with 4RV Publishing, a children’s picture book also about bullying, Libby the Odd Squirrel, but aimed at the younger readers.

Plot To Die For!

In every genre what a writer needs to remember is that, although we may think our plot or ending or theme hasn’t been done, chances are it has. This is where reading tons of books in your genre will help you figure out what would make a totally different end than others similar in plot. This takes someone like my Mr. Muscle with tons of determination and perseverance to accomplish his goals.

I’m not saying to go out and buy the whole section on the genre you love to write, but just remember to study the few books you are reading, and spot what makes that book so irresistible to you, how does the author string you along, what makes his character so ‘alive’…then put these thoughts down on paper and refer to them often when you are beginning a new story. These seemingly inconsequential tidbits will, down the line, be very valuable to you as a writer since they will have your initial reactions to books you've read and what made them magical to you.

Developing your own writing voice is something you need to practice.

Although we may study our favorite artists, taking some of their qualities and then turning it around to fit who ‘you’ are will define you as a writer and not as a ‘copycat’ writer.

And if you can pick a subject no one has even thought of, well, kudos. You’re on your way to becoming a ‘thinking’ writer.

Now just another point I need to make or rather an observation: if you, as the writer, are not remotely drawn into the storyline...guess what- neither will your reader. So find a plot that excites you, motivates you, makes you pick up that pen and not stop writing because that character of yours is so riveting you can't help yourself.

Okay, now that I've fired you up, go write your book.

New Writers Boo Boos

At times I wonder how many band-aids it would take to cover one writer with all the writing boo boos he or she makes. An odd visual, but clearly a funny picture to visualize. As an editor I do have a few of these boo boos to mention and beware of when drafting your manuscript:

Passive Voice and Stuff

The only thing passive voice successfully does is to remove a reader’s connection to the storyline and/or the character. A writer cannot eliminate passive voice entirely, but a good proportion of it. Delete ‘was’ for one thing from your sentences. Yes, it takes time to reword sentences, but in the long run you will build stronger sentences with more clarity and visualization.

Choosing the right words to paint a picture is another area to improve your writing. For instance, and I’ve used this example hundreds of times:

A dog ran after him
A Doberman ran after him.

The first doesn’t give the full scope of the ‘fear factor’ in the person running. Replace ‘dog’ with ‘Doberman’ and now a visual of the ferocious animal chasing this person becomes clearer. (Apologies to all the Doberman owners for using them as an example.)

‘Walk’ is another word I find quite often in manuscripts I edit. Depending on the character’s situation, ‘walk’ doesn’t always give you the right picture to fit the situation at the moment. Someone who is being chased won’t ‘walk fast’ – first off you’re using two words where ‘ran’ tells the same thing. So choosing the right words to give a better image is one important step editors look at while going over your manuscript.

Another area some writers are weak in is…here, let’s see if you can guess:

“Hey, what’s up?”
“Nothing, what’s up with you?”
“Nothing, same old thing just a different day.”
“What’s in the plans for today?”
“What do you want to do?”
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…

Yep, you guessed it – DIALOGUE. Although we actually do have conversations like the example above, in fiction it’s boring, tearfully boring. More than that, it doesn’t move the plot forward. We break up narrative passages and use dialogue to reveal something in the character’s personality, their actions and reactions to situations, to reveal part of the plot or inner/exterior conflicts. Place the above dialogue in your book and not only will the reader put it down you risk them tearing up the pages for toilet paper. Okay, bit of an exaggeration but you get my drift. Remove idle chit-chat – no room for it in any manuscript.

YOUR TURN: What other areas have you discovered over the several drafts you've edited that made your manuscript read 'dull'?

Emotion Connects Readers

Characters need a deep emotional level to connect to readers. Their woes become the readers woes, bonding them. It helps to solidify the situation on a realistic ground. One way of achieving this is to give your characters inner and outer conflicts.

Another way to bond a character to your reader is by offering visuals they can feel, touch, see, hear, and smell. Yes, the good old fashioned ‘Using the Five Senses’ ploy. Using body language helps your reader to step into your character’s shoes, allows them to feel the heart pounding, the goosebumps taking over her/his skin, the wobbly legs, etc. You are bringing out an awareness factor in your reader by using precise words to reflect emotions and other feelings or situations experienced by your character.

So bring out emotions in your characters to bring out the deep realistic connection to your readers. Remember that readers have issues that connect them to your characters situations. The more three-dimensional and fleshed out a character’s plight and struggle to overcome and the steps they take to achieve their goals, the closer you bring your reader to the storyline. However, don’t forget to give flaws to your character. No one is perfect in real life so why should it be any different in fiction. Who would want to read about Mr. or Mrs. Perfect?

Flaws add tension to a storyline. Readers know that the flaw(s) will create a problem down the line and anticipate this. Don’t disappoint.

So go, make my day…pen that story that will make my skin crawl with anticipation and suspense, melt my heart with romance, fire me up with characters I want to bash one minute and hug the next.

If you don’t know how to do this then consider using either Pen Perfect Associates and/or DKV - http://www.dkvwriting4u.com - for your editing needs.

Marketing 4 UR Writing

Act like a stomping ferocious dinosaur when it comes to your promotion. Okay, this dinosaur looks a bit too happy, but...Marketing is a part, or it should be, of any writer’s life. Without it no one will ever hear about your efforts. This is where an outline of your goals and how you are going to achieve them come in handy. By putting them down on paper you have committed to them – in some way if you are determined – and will move the process toward an attainable victory.

One of the items on your goal plan can be to submit so many manuscripts and/or articles a month to various sources. Before you do this, however, you need to research your target, find out what their guidelines are, what they are seeking, etc. Don’t target romance if it’s a children’s book you have penned. I know, I know, this sounds ridiculous but it’s not. I know writers who have done this because in their haste the only thing they notice is ‘publisher’ and assume everyone takes any genre for all audiences. Very far from the truth and a BIG rejection will be headed their way.

Remember that writing is a commitment, it’s your business. Like in any business plan you need to formulate a plan to achieve goals. Writer’s block or not, marketing is a chore that needs tending to every week. Whether it’s blogging, twittering, updating your site, sending out your newsletter, seeking out blogs/interviews, setting up blog book tours, preparing for booksignings/workshops/conferences…these are all part of the game and you must, must, must be prepared to spend at least one day a week in promoting yourself because you’re neighbour ain’t gonna do it.

Creating a buzz about your book and branding yourself as a writer builds your readership/followers. Without a buzz, once again, no one knows you. Therefore, unless you’ve got the bucks to get a publicist, you need to do some legwork.

A few of us got together a couple of years ago and put together a sample PDF we distributed for FREE on our websites to help promote ourselves. Within this sampler each of us had a short bio, links back to our sites, blurb and jpeg of our novel, and a short excerpt that gave the gist of our books. At the end of the excerpt we had a direct link to the purchase page.

For those with a new book coming out why not host a Birthday Bash. Sounds ridiculous but how many writers consider their manuscripts as their ‘babies’? Invite family and friends for a cup of coffee, prepare the room in the book’s theme – if your book’s locale is in an exotic island locate a restaurant that’s similar to your settings and have them ‘lend’ you a part of their establishment for your booksigning – be creative! Bookstores are not the only place to host book signings.

Hold a contest and promote it through fellow writers’ websites.

Exchange links with like-minded writers who pen in the same genre as you.

Consider donating a portion of your sales to a local school library, cause, charity.

Get your fliers and business cards ready to distribute to anyone and everyone you come in contact with. Heck, many place business cards when they pay a bill.

Put a book trailer together.

What it comes down to is this: be creative, get out there, talk up a storm, and do some legwork. You’re a writer. I’m sure you’ll think of other creative things to add to my list above.

YOUR TURN:
What’s some of your marketing and promotional legwork you’ve done?

I want to take a sec and promote DKV Writing4U, another excellent editing resource:

With any writing project or marketing campaign you need the right resources and content. That's where DKV Writing 4 U comes in. We offer: blog and article content; ghostwriting; proofreading, basic editing, or professional editing (by award winning author and editor, Lea Schizas); simple, yet effective copywriting; resumes; press releases; research; editing of college papers; and more. For information visit: http://www.dkvwriting4u.com. Check out our Learn to Write page.

And, check out http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com for two free ebooks about writing for children.

Come On...Talk To Me Dirty

Before you get excited, I’m not going to talk dirty. Instead, I’d like to discuss romance…erotica in specific. Many believe that erotica is nothing more than porn, tons of fast and meaningless sex, with no storyline. That can’t be further from the truth.

Yes, erotica does have the vivid and at times graphic descriptions of the sexual act, however, the good writers understand that erotica also needs a bonding of characters that will grab and capture the reader’s emotional attention.

Erotica is not the physical abuse, rape, incest, torture that many fear. Although in some erotica you find these elements, the ‘good’ writers again understand how and when to use them to fit in with the storyline just as any other genre requires you to round off a good read.

Some characters in erotica love to fantasize and in their stories they are lucky enough to find the right people to play out these fascinations. Some props used might be candles (tons of candles), bath scenes, romps in the kitchen, car, and anywhere else the couple feel is a ‘danger’ zone to be caught, wine, sex toys, whipped cream, etc.

Erotica is much more than ‘just sex’ – there is an actual story told, or at least there should be. As an editor I toss stories out that have nothing more but sex after sex page after page without the deep emotional pull between two characters. I can’t connect with these types of characters. There is no story to reveal their hardships, their goals, their final resolution to come at The End.

An erotica story must also use the five senses to bring its world alive just like any other genre.

So go on…make my day…say something ‘dirty’ to me.

YOUR TURN: Do you read erotica? Do you find most of them are romantic reads or filled with nothing but filth?

Your Beginning

How many times have we read the beginning must capture your reader’s attention? Numerous times, right? Then why is it so many writers still don’t grasp this all-important step? If you don’t grab, hook, nab, chain them to your book from the beginning, do you believe they will stick it out until page 103 where the action begins? I don’t think so. And for those nodding your heads saying, “They will.” I’m so sorry but you’re going to be very disappointed.

When a reader puts down a book they tend to remember who the author is and vow never, ever to buy a book published by that author again. Is this the first impression you want to give? Again, I don’t think so.

Although many writers, and I’m one of those writers, love to freehand a story with no plot outline or direction, there are those who spend more time plotting than actual time writing the book. Regardless what type of writer you are it’s the end result, the final draft to be submitted that counts. And the grabber is THE BEGINNING. That’s not to say the middle and end don’t play a big part for the reader, they do, but we’ll post more on those at a later point.

Let’s look at these two beginnings and you tell us which is more interesting:

1- The sunlight gleamed through the lace curtains and Martha leaned against the counter. She basked in its warmth, forgetting about her woes.

2- The woman clutched the dead child in her arms as she ran across the mine field.

Which one grabbed your interest right off? To be honest, they both caught my interest as I wrote them, but it was the second one, as a reader, that would keep me interested. I would ask myself why is she holding a dead child. Is it her child? Where is she to be in a mine field? Who is she running away from?

For the first one I would ask what are her woes, and that’s it.

The more questions a reader asks the more you’ve captured their attention. They are going to want to seek the answers and that’s where the middle comes in – making sure you answer these questions and not disappoint your reader. Never place foreshadows or imply anything you are not going to fully flesh out. A no-no.

YOUR TURN:

Leave a comment and give us the best opening you’ve read in a book. Tell us why it grabbed your interest. Your answers alone will help new writers better understand what they need to do to flesh out their own beginnings. This is an interactive blog and we welcome comments. While here, make sure to follow our blog. We've got tons more coming your way.

Pen Perfect Associates NOW OPEN

We may be the new kids on the blog corner, but far from new in the editing and writing world.



We want to welcome you to the Pen Perfect Associates blog, where each week we'll post info to help you in your writing career.

If you've been inundated with rejection slips maybe it's time to consider a professional editing service. There's nothing like a second pair of experienced eyes to tell you where your manuscript needs fleshing out. This is where we step in.

We currently edit for several publishing houses and understand what it takes to make a story spellbinding, to bond with the reader, and ascertain they keep on reading.

Our motto: quality over quantity! is something we're proud of. We won't rush a job, nor will we sugar-coat. We're diplomatic and to the point, offering suggestions and comments throughout the manuscript to allow the writer to grow and learn for his or her next project.

For more information, check out our guidelines to the right.

For more services, such as ghostwriting, copywriting, and more, check out DKV Writing 4U.