Publishing Advice –

Novel Beginnings: An Interview with author Clara Gillow Clark

K.L. Going — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 17:19:42 +0000

Are you writing a novel? Looking for guidance and nurturing?

March 16-19, 2017, I will be co-hosting a Highlights workshop with the lovely and talented Clara Gillow Clark. We only have a few spots left open, so if you’re interested in registering, you can find out more through the Highlights Foundation.

Hope you enjoy this interview! We’d love to have you join us!

Q. What makes the start of writing a novel so challenging?

CGC: Before I begin to write a novel I go through a spell of what I call “dream time” when a character has caught my attention who has a story that wants to be told. Dream time is sweet, the sweetest part of the writing process for me. I always walk my stories, and that’s when scenes come to life and characters tell me things. What a shivery sort of thrill it is when that happens. The opening pages start to take on shape as I jot down notes. But, still I wait. And I wait some more, waiting for the character to share her secrets with me. And still I wait. Images come. Maybe they’ll turn into a symbol or a metaphor, but it isn’t until I can see where my character will be at the end of the book, that I sit down to write.

Usually, some of the first chapter comes out smoothly and fully formed, but there are always hard places where the writing is a struggle. Likely, it’s that unwieldy back story that begs to be included in the very beginning, because I really MUST put it there. Or I decide a prologue would be nice, which always seems a delightful way to begin and such a great way to slip in all the information readers MUST know. Kill the prologue. Give it up. Then I remind myself of Flannery O’Conner’s words to writers: Don’t worry about what to say; just make pictures and conversation. And that’s what I try to do.

Q. What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?

CGC: Everything changes. Everything. We write and over time we become confident and feel comfortable with our style and our writing voice; and at the beginning of our careers when we’re first published, we think it will always be that way. We do all the right things–study craft, practice craft, and read other authors’ works. One day we realize the industry is changing, and it’s not just a trend. The reality is that both publishing and language is influx and will continue to be so in the future. But know this: It has always been true that we need to be original and unique in our vision for a story that has a thousand faces already. That’s where I am now, reinventing myself and my writing, going deeper, but still always writing from the heart. Embrace change and don’t be afraid. Keep reading and your vision will adjust.

Q. What is a common mistake you see when critiquing new writers?

CGC: Most new writers who are serious about the craft of writing have a pretty good grasp of story, because they’re readers. But often when we read, we zoom in on the action and read on to find out what’s going to happen next. We see the twists and turns, the pitfalls and setbacks, but seem to miss what’s really driving the cart over that cliff, which is emotion. Often aspiring writers skip right over the interior development of their protagonist and often tell instead of show their character’s emotion. Other things that are often problematic for new writers are deep point-of-view, verb tenses – especially if they’re writing in the present tense, and transitions.

Q. What are you most looking forward to about our upcoming Highlights Foundation Workshop, Novel Beginnings?

CGC: Meeting new writers, mentoring, but also experiencing that warm feeling of a kind of homecoming. That’s how I feel when I’m at the Foundation. I’m in a safe and nurturing environment with like-minded people who love to learn, love books, and want to be better writers. I’m looking forward to forging new friendships, but also seeing old friends who work there like Chef Amanda. What could be better than that?

The Power of Video: How Novel Writers Can Utilize YouTube Marketing

In the world of publishing, getting your book out there and noticed can be a daunting task. With thousands of new releases each year, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. However, with the rise of digital marketing, novel writers now have a new tool at their disposal: YouTube.

YouTube is a video-sharing platform with over 2 billion monthly active users, making it the second largest search engine in the world. Utilizing this platform can help you reach a wider audience, engage with readers in a new way, and ultimately boost your book sales. Here are some tips on how novel writers can utilize YouTube marketing:

Create a book trailer: Just like a movie trailer, a book trailer is a short video that showcases your book’s plot and characters. This is a great way to capture potential readers’ attention and give them a taste of what your book is about.

Share your writing process: Many readers are curious about the writing process and enjoy behind-the-scenes glimpses into how their favorite books were created. Consider creating videos that show your writing process, from outlining to editing.

Host Q&A sessions: Interact with your readers by hosting live or pre-recorded Q&A sessions. This allows them to ask you questions about your book, characters, and writing process, and helps build a sense of community.

Collaborate with other YouTubers: Partnering with other YouTubers in the book community can help you reach a wider audience and introduce your book to new readers. Consider collaborating on book reviews, tag videos, or even co-writing a book.

Offer exclusive content: Reward your subscribers by offering exclusive content such as deleted scenes, character interviews, or even giveaways.

In conclusion, YouTube marketing is a powerful tool that can help novel writers reach a wider audience and ultimately boost book sales and Marketing Heaven is the best site to buy YouTube views. By creating engaging and informative content, interacting with readers, and collaborating with other YouTubers, you can create a loyal following and build your brand as an author.

Learn more about our upcoming workshop by clicking on the link: Novel Beginnings: Building Strong Foundations for Your Novel and Your Career 2017

Unhooking from Praise and Criticism

K.L. Going — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 19:03:23 +0000

Recently, a friend of mine shared a link that truly resonated, and in light of my previous blog about being gentler and more generous with ourselves in 2015, I thought I’d share it with you. Although the presenter, Tara Mohr, gears her comments to women since this was originally posted on Emerging Women Live, I think writers will find her presentation useful regardless of gender.

In a world where obesity rates are on the rise and the quest for effective weight loss solutions never-ending, Rybelsus has emerged as a potential game-changer. This medication, originally developed for type 2 diabetes management, has garnered attention for its ability to aid weight loss. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of Rybelsus weight loss reviews, exploring its effectiveness, side effects, and what users have experienced in their before-and-after results.

Understanding Rybelsus

Redefining Weight Loss

Rybelsus, also known by its generic name semaglutide, belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. It was initially developed to help manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However, it has since been found to have a significant impact on weight loss. This discovery has led to its increasing use as an off-label weight loss treatment.

Rybelsus Weight Loss Reviews: The Verdict

Efficacy and User Experiences

Rybelsus has gained popularity primarily due to its impressive weight loss results. Many users report substantial reductions in body weight when incorporating this medication into their daily routine. However, it’s important to note that individual results can vary.

Before-and-After Results

Transformation Stories

One of the most compelling aspects of Rybelsus weight loss reviews is the before-and-after stories shared by users. These testimonials provide real-world insights into the medication’s potential. Users often highlight their journey, detailing the challenges they faced before starting Rybelsus and the remarkable transformations they achieved afterward.

Common Side Effects

Balancing Benefits and Risks

Like any medication, Rybelsus weight loss is not without side effects. It’s crucial for users to be aware of potential adverse reactions, which may include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. These side effects are usually mild and temporary, but it’s essential to discuss them with a healthcare provider.

The Safer Alternative News

Balancing Safety and Effectiveness

While Rybelsus shows promise as a weight loss aid, it’s essential to remember that it is an off-label use of the drug. As such, there may be safety concerns and uncertainties about its long-term effects. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any medication for weight loss.

Conclusion

Rybelsus weight loss reviews offer a glimpse into a potential solution for those looking to shed excess pounds. The medication has shown significant promise in helping individuals achieve their weight loss goals. However, it is essential to approach its use with caution, ensuring you have all the necessary information and guidance from a healthcare provider. While the before-and-after stories are inspiring, it’s crucial to remember that individual results can vary, and the safest path to weight loss always involves a holistic approach that includes a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

This article focuses on providing readers with safer alternatives to Mounjaro side effects for achieving weight loss goals. It discusses the benefits of a balanced diet, regular exercise, and seeking guidance from healthcare professionals. It emphasizes the importance of sustainable and long-term weight management.

Tara Mohr — Playing Big: Find Your Voice, Your Mission, Your Message

Part of what I love about Tara’s message is the idea that we need to unhook from praise as surely as we need to unhook from criticism. This is an idea that doesn’t get discussed very often, yet as writers, we are incredibly susceptible to the folly of basing our self worth, and/or the worth of our writing, on the stamp of approval we receive from others, namely our readers.

In the best circumstances, praise and criticism are tools we use to evaluate our work and to decide how it fits into the current market place. When we put ego aside, praise and criticism can make us better suited to publication by giving us insights into what readers like or dislike — what might motivate someone to buy our book or reject it. Tara aptly points out the fact that praise and criticism don’t really tell us anything about the quality of our work, per se. Instead, they reveal something about the market, and something about the person doing the critiquing. So, our manuscript may be rejected by every editor at every publishing house, but that still doesn’t mean it’s not groundbreaking storytelling that will one day be celebrated.

Our first job is to be clear about our goals. (What do we want to produce: unique, independent art regardless of its ability to sell in the current marketplace? Or material that both meets our personal standards AND will sell to others?) And our second job is to determine when praise and criticism are functioning as learning tools, teaching us how to improve our craft, and when they’re functioning as ego boosters or deflators.

Figuring out our relationship to praise and criticism can have huge ripple effects on our happiness, so its worth spending some time on this topic. I hope you’ll find Tara’s presentation as illuminating as I did!

Finding Your Writing Voice

K.L. Going — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:38:33 +0000

Once again, I’m pleased to pass along a blog written by my co-leader for a Highlights Foundation workshop. Kim Griswell is both an author (most recently of the picture book Rufus Goes to School, which my son Ashton loves!) and an editor (Portable Press), and she’s a fabulous teacher. I’ve been privileged to co-lead workshops on The Hero’s Journey and Mastering Setting with Kim, and now we’re combining forces to offer Finding Your Voice. Check out Kim’s blog, posted this week on the Highlights Foundation website. And please, if you know of someone who might benefit from this workshop (October 12-15, 2014) spread the word!

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Editor and writer Kim T. Griswell is leading our Finding Your Voice workshop this fall, along with author K.L. Going. Here Kim gives some suggestions on how to find your voice:

Much of what passes across an editor’s desk has a dull sameness. There may be nothing really “wrong” with the writing. It’s competent, but it falls under the category of NNUTS (Nothing New Under the Sun). Nothing new in the ideas, nothing new in the characters or plot, and nothing new in the writing. Beginning—and sometimes experienced—writers often submit manuscripts that do not have unique voices.

Our greatest writers write from their guts, from their truths. They dig deep until they reach a vein within themselves that is pure gold. They tell stories that only they can tell, as only they can tell them. That, in a nutshell, is voice.

It often takes years for a writer to find his or her authentic voice. Voice is not simply the way a writer says things; voice reflects a writer’s unique way of viewing the world. Every editor is hoping to pick up a manuscript and find an original voice. That’s why finding your voice should be on the top of your writer’s to-do list.

Here are six ways to begin to understand voice and find your own:

Get a journal with a key—one of those kid ones. Write things in there that are so honest you have to keep them under lock and key for fear anyone will read them.
Write a page a day. Come on—you can do it! If you can’t stop yourself after one page, keep writing.
Read, and learn to write, poetry. Even if you don’t consider yourself a poet or have any desire to write poetry, you will develop your voice. (I’m not talking rhyming doggerel here. I’m talking Billy Collins, Rita Dove, and Langston Hughes; Eileen Spinelli, Karla Kushin, and Myra Cohn Livingston.)
Use photos from your childhood as writing prompts. Write from the voice of who you were in (or at the time of) the photos.
Blog. Much like a vocalist’s morning scales, this kind of “conversational” writing will help to loosen your writing voice.
Read the first pages of these books: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch, every Newbery winner you can get your hands on. (I dare you to stop reading after page 1.)

Finding your voice will help your work rise to the top of the same-old-same-old manuscripts piled on editors’ desks. And that’s a goal worth pursuing!

If you’d like a jumpstart on finding your voice or want to expand on these practices, I hope you’ll join K.L. Going and me for Finding Your Voice, October 12-15, 2014.

Crash Course in Publishing

K.L. Going — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 14:35:47 +0000

Defensive driving can reduce your risk of a car accident

Learning to drive defensively can reduce your chances of getting in accidents.

Car accidents are dangerous and happen often. In fact, you are bound to pass an accident just while driving down the highway. Statistics show nearly 37,000 people die each year in car accidents.

While car accident injuries are not pleasant to think about, they are preventable in certain situations.

Prevention is the most important step to take to guarantee the safety of you, your passengers, and other drivers on the road.

But it’s still easy to assume that just because you are a cautious and careful driver, the other drivers around you on the road will be also.

Assuming that the other drivers will stay in their lane, safely react to road hazards, or wait to safely pull out onto a major roadway can often be a dangerous mistake.

Other drivers on the road are often distracted, rushed, or just drive aggressively for no good reason. Looking ahead and keeping your eyes moving can help you anticipate the actions of other drivers and stay safe.

With a focused mind and a little precaution, the following tips can keep you and others safer while driving on the road.

What’s Defensive Driving?

Defensive driving refers to a set of driving skills or a style of driving that allows you to avoid accidents and defend yourself against irresponsible drivers, drunk drivers, bad weather conditions, and the unexpected in general. Get the best results at IMPROV traffic school.

As a defense driver, you assume other drivers might make mistakes.

You are on guard in the event that other drivers make errors and watch ahead for advance warning of any hazards on the road. By watching ahead, you have enough time to avoid potential accidents.

Defensive driving will reduce the chance of you being caught off guard by an unexpected hazard as well as increase your chance of reacting appropriately and avoiding accidents.

However, defensive driving cannot guarantee that you will make it from point A to point B without incidence. It just increases the odds in your favor.

The Department of Motor Vehicles even offers courses on how to be a defensive driver.

No matter how good you are at driving, you can’t control what happens around you. Extreme weather, aggressive drivers, mechanical malfunctions, and roadway obstacles can all jeopardize the safety of you and your passengers.

This is where a defensive driving course comes in. These courses teach you safe driving techniques that help you gain better control over your vehicle in emergency situations.

These courses also teach you tactics for dealing with emotional stress, road rage, and fatigue.

Georgia defensive driving courses can also help you financially by reducing your fine should you receive a traffic violation as well as reducing your auto insurance payments.

Defensive Driving Tips

When you are driving on the road, it is crucial to be observant of your surroundings.

Knowing what’s happening around you and being aware of all drivers and pedestrians on the road nearby is the first step to decreasing your chances of an accident.

In order to become a defensive driver, all of your attention must be focused on driving, which means you need to put away the snacks, don’t try to apply makeup, don’t text, or adjust the radio while you drive.

This allows you to stay alert at all times while behind the wheel.

As a defensive driver, you should also understand the importance of making yourself seen.

Many drivers assume that if they can see another vehicle, that vehicle’s driver can see them as well.

But, that’s not a smart assumption to make.

To make yourself more visible, make sure that you always drive with your lights on while it is raining or dark outside.

You should always use your turning signals when changing lanes so the other drivers on the road will know what you are doing.

Always avoid lingering in another driver’s blind spot for longer than absolutely necessary.

If you do get stuck in a blind spot, you should either speed up or slow down so you can be sure to make yourself visible to the other driver.

Defensive drivers typically assume the worst in other drivers. It’s a hope for the best but expect the worst kind of deal.

That means you should never assume that another driver will remember to use his turning signal, check their blind spot before changing lanes, or stop soon enough at a stoplight.

Assuming the worst in other drivers allows you to be prepared for anything that comes your way.

For instance, let’s say you are approaching a four-way stop at the same time as another vehicle.

Even if you know you have the right-of-way, you should never assume that the izes this.

To avoid an accident in this situation, pause for a moment to make eye contact with the other driver or drivers.

You have to be sure that the other drivers do not plan on going through the intersection first.

Being a defensive driver doesn’t automatically guarantee your safety, but it will help you do a better job of protecting yourself on the road.

Why My Husband Is An Awesome…

K.L. Going — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:45:35 +0000

Writer. Yes, folks, this is going to be a writing blog. ;-}

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate my husband for becoming a finalist in the Writers of the Future contest. For those of you who haven’t heard of this contest, I invite you to check out their website at www.writersofthefuture.com. In a nutshell, this is one of the largest and best known contests for aspiring writers and illustrators of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. Thousands send in their short stories and art work each quarter, and of those entries, eight Finalists are chosen in each category (along with various levels of Semi-Finalists and Honorable Mentions). Every quarter, from each of those eight, three will be named the official winners. The winners works will be published in the annual Writers of the Future anthology. According to their website, “Winners have gone on to publish over 700 novels and 3,000 short stories, and have appeared on international bestseller lists, even reaching the #1 slot on the New York Times and London Sunday Times.”

I’m writing about this for two reasons. First, I’m pretty darn proud of my husband. And second, I think he’s doing a lot of things exactly right and hopefully others can learn from his example.

Publishing is a tough business to break into you need to learn about management and mandatory tax deduction and more. These days, more people than ever are competing for the few select spots on a publisher’s list. True, many people are now choosing to self-publish their work in e-book form, but every single one of them is working hard to grab the public’s attention. So how can an aspiring writer hope to reach a place where their writing is singled out? How does one reach the top? By now we all know there’s no magic formula, but I think my husband is a prime example of someone who is slowly and methodically doing everything right.

1) He has a long term perspective. He’s set himself a goal of being published, but he realizes it might take years of hard work. He isn’t in this for the short haul, ready to drop out at the first big disappointment.

2) He’s done his homework. He knows that in order to build writing skill, it takes practice. So, he gets up every day at 5 or 6 AM in order to write for an hour or two before our toddler wakes up. He’s already written what he refers to as his “practice novel” – an entire book written and edited for the purpose of improving his craft with no intention of submitting it anywhere. There’s no rush to send out every word he types. Again – he’s in this for the long haul.

3) He’s researched his field and made connections with others who are writing in the same genre. We live in the middle of nowhere, so there’s no writer’s group nearby, but he actively participates in two on-line forums and exchanges work regularly with writers he met in these venues. They critique each others’ stories and offer suggestions for improvement. He learns from their comments, and he also learns from critiquing their work.

4) He’s building up writing credits as he hones his craft. Once he learned about the Writers of the Future contest, he started entering stories every quarter. So far, he’s received two Honorable Mentions and now he’s a Finalist. This means, when he’s ready to start sending out query letters to agents and editors, he’ll have some known credentials that are meaningful in his field. It’s worth mentioning that, although almost any credits are better than none, there’s nothing better than a known and well respected credit. So, winning your local town writing contest is great, but winning a well-known, professional contest is even better.

5) He’s making an effort to read as often as possible. Because we have a little one, this is not easy. Mornings are for writing, day time is for working his full-time job as a custom’s broker, evenings are for family time, and at night it feels like there’s barely an hour to relax before we start everything again. I tease my husband about being the world’s slowest reader, but in truth he reads a few pages a night before he falls asleep. And I give him full credit for that. He knows that reading is important and he’s making it happen.

6) Despite being completely busy, and despite the fact that with both of us being self-employed money is usually tight, he still found the time and resources to attend Orson Scott Card‘s writing conference. There are a million excuses that prevent writers from attending conferences, but the truth is, they’re important. And if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen. You may need to be choosy and pick the one that’s best suited to your goals, and it might not be something you can do every single year, but if it’s important enough, it can happen.

7) If it’s not obvious already, my husband is working hard. He has no sense of entitlement that would allow him to slack off and assume that others should recognize his genius. Step by step, day by day, he’s moving forward, improving his skills, learning, reading, writing…

And that, my friends, is what it takes.

Congrats, Dustin!

Article vs. Book: Choosing the Right Idea

K.L. Going — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:33:46 +0000

The following is a short excerpt from my book Writing and Selling the YA Novel, published by Writer’s Digest. This section appears in the chapter on finding ideas, and it focuses on one of the most frequent litmus tests used by agents and editors to decide if a proposal is worthy of publication. Knowing whether your idea is an article or a book is crucial to making a sale. It’s also essential for writers who need to maximize their time and energy.

When I worked at Curtis Brown, Ltd. we often submitted non-fiction proposals to editors. One of the most common reasons editors gave for rejecting a proposal was the phrase: “This is an article, not a book.” In other words, it’s catchy idea, but no one’s going to want to read two or three hundred pages of it. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, the “article test” is a good one to apply. Ask yourself what kind of depth an idea can inspire. What level of conflict is present? What might a character need to learn from beginning to end and which obstacles might they have to overcome? Is there enough substance to sustain a whole book?

It might be helpful at this point to determine what your motivation is for wanting to pursue a given idea. Are you driven by a true desire to tell the story or do you see the story as a vehicle to make a point? When it comes to books for children and teens, writers often want to teach or guide young people, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as the story comes first. Otherwise, you’ll most likely find that your idea fizzles midway through. Could you read a two hundred page lecture? Probably not, and neither will the average teen. If your motivation is primarily to instruct, perhaps there’s another venue better suited to what you have to say.

In fact, choosing the right venue for an idea is as essential as coming up with a good idea in the first place. Certain ideas will, naturally, be better suited to certain styles of writing. I’ll give you an example from my own experience. One afternoon, my husband was relating a story about an event that happened in an NFL football X-Box game he’d been playing with a friend. He told about the event as if it had been real and it was only because of my prior knowledge of the game’s existence that I knew he and his friend had not actually made the play he was telling me about. This sparked a “What if . . .” question. What if in the future easyslots games become so common and so advanced that people cease to do anything real but still feel as if they have accomplished great things?

Based on this question, I extrapolated a scene where a group of teens discuss their accomplishments. Only at the end of the conversation would the reader realize the characters had never left their own living rooms. Their “great deeds” had all taken place in virtual reality.

At first this idea seemed novel-worthy, but as I began to think about it, I wondered if it would really carry through for several hundred pages. Would I be able to maintain the illusion so that the ending could be a surprise? How would my action and character development be limited because of my plot device? Was there a single character that I could develop in a compelling way? How would that character change from beginning to end if the success of the story was dependent on the reader’s discovery that the character had, in fact, been doing nothing?

As I looked at the elements involved, I realized that for me, this story idea would work best as a short story. It’s clever, but clever doesn’t sustain hundreds of pages. Characters do. An alternative would be to develop an interesting character who could fit into the pre-determined plot, but that kind of plot-driven novel often seems forced. So, while compelling, this idea was a wrong fit for my next novel.

Figuring out which ideas are compelling and which ideas are merely clever can be one of the most difficult parts of your journey to becoming a published writer. As you gain experience, you’ll learn which forms of writing work best for you and then you’ll be able to decide which format most naturally suits both the idea and your writing style. This will save you countless hours of work and allow you to focus on the stories you can tell with passion and drive. For more information about books visit here.

Agent Interview – Cameron McClure

K.L. Going — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:24:51 +0000

I’ve been privileged to know Cameron McClure for a long time – ever since our days as assistants at Curtis Brown, Ltd. Since then she’s risen in the ranks at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. I’m very pleased to introduce her to all of you!

The artsy and elegant Cameron McClure...

1) How did you become a literary agent? Did you always know that you wanted to work in publishing?

I got into it by accident. I moved to New York to work in publishing, and I thought I wanted to be an editor. But I got a job offer from Curtis Brown, working as an assistant agent, and the more I learned about agenting, the more I liked it. You have a lot more freedom to work with the kind of material you like (and believe you can sell), and your compensation is more directly tied to the success of those books. This is, of course, riskier than being paid a flat salary, but very motivating and exciting when things work in your favor. The flip side, of course, is that I take it pretty hard when books I believe in don’t work out.

2) What kinds of work do you represent? Is there anything you’re not taking on at this time?

I represent mostly fiction, though I do take on non-fiction projects here and there. In fiction I am drawn to books that are plotted like genre novels, but written like literary novels. I love genre fiction for the quick pacing and high tension, but miss the deeper character development, internal conflicts, and attention to language that you find in literary novels. Yet I can’t get interested in beautifully written novels with little external conflict. I’m open to science fiction and fantasy, crime, some young adult and middle grade. I don’t work with poetry, picture books, category romance, or prescriptive non-fiction.

3) What do you love or hate in a query letter?

A query letter needs to do two things: make me want to read more, and present the author as someone who takes their writing seriously. Many query letters try to hard – present themselves too stridently – and emphasize the wrong information. All I need to know in a pitch is the setting, characters, and conflict. That’s two or three paragraphs. Then a paragraph about the author. And our agency requests the first five pages, which I find to be enormously helpful in making the decision in whether or not to request more material.

4) How long does it generally take you to respond to queries? partials? full manuscripts?

This varies. At the moment, I am responding to e-queries within a week or two, and partials and full manuscripts run closer to a month. Though I haven’t been that quick in the past, and can’t promise that I will be in the future! I’ve been sitting on one particular full manuscript for 5 or 6 weeks, because I’m on the fence about whether to pass or ask the author to revise. The thing to keep in mind with response times is that slow response times aren’t always an indication of a slow or lazy agent. For me, when my response times become extremely long, it’s because I have a lot of client manuscripts to read, most of which are under deadline with publishers, or I have a higher than usual volume of film, foreign, audio, or electronic deals to attend to. I don’t want to undervalue my query pile, because I have found some of my best clients in there, but because there is less urgency and certain money attached to it than any of my other responsibilities, it often comes last.

5) Are there any specific conferences you recommend for writers?

No, not specific conferences, though I would be careful in making sure that a conference you attend makes sense for the type of material you write and where you are in the writing process or your development as a writer. Obviously, it doesn’t make much sense for a science fiction writer to attend a conference for, say, romance writers or thriller writers, yet you’d be surprised at how often this happens.

6) Describe your working relationship with your clients. Do you offer editorial suggestions?

I really enjoy being involved with my clients on an editorial level. Even once I’ve set an author up with an editor, they send their first draft to me, and we go back and forth a few times before submitting to their editor. I help some clients brainstorm new book or series concepts, while others prefer not to share any material until they are at least 1/3 of the way through. And when I’m shopping a new project I think it’s critical to get it into the best shape possible, otherwise it’s too easy for an overburdened editor to turn it down. Sometimes I will ask a potential client to go through a round or two of revisions before signing them, to make sure we are truly on the same page editorially and that they are up to doing the necessary work, and aren’t just trying to skate by with superficial fixes.

That said, I recently began working with a very well known and long published author, who doesn’t take editorial advice from agents. This is a first for me, as I’ve always seen editorial guidance as part of my job, but as that isn’t something this author wants from an agent, I’ve adjusted my role. It will be a welcome challenge to try and be the kind of agent this author needs.

Writing is so deeply personal, so it’s important for me to be flexible and acknowledge that not every writer has the same priorities.

7) What are some newly-released or upcoming books by your clients?

Robert Jackson Bennett’s THE COMPANY MAN came out in April – he recently won the Shirley Jackson Award for best novel, for his debut book MR. SHIVERS. John Pitts’ HONEYED WORDS, the second in an urban fantasy series about a lesbian blacksmith was published in July, and has already gone into a second printing. HEAD RUSH, the third book in Carolyn Crane’s Disillusionist Trilogy will be released at the end of this year.

Some of my clients have been putting together multimedia projects – Brian Francis Slattery recently released “Pictures from a Liberation,” a digital album where he sings parts of his second novel, LIBERATION, accompanied by musicians. Sonya Bateman’s MASTER OF NONE is being produced as an audiobook by ACX. It’s fun to be a part of these out-of-the-box projects.

Now for some fun questions!

1) If you weren’t a literary agent, what profession would you choose?

I’d like to think I’d be doing something outdoorsy and daring, like making sure scientists don’t get lost in the Amazon, or guiding a white water rapid tour, sailing around the world, or leading one of those outward bound groups, or at least heading up one those bizarre wilderness camps for drug addicted teens where they learn how to use a compass and a camp stove and somehow overcome the urge for beer. In truth, I’m sure I would still be working in sales, selling a different product. Except this time around, I would try to sell something that more Americans want to buy.

2) What non-work related book did you read last? Did you enjoy it?

Sophie Hannah’s LITTLE FACE. I read it at the same time as a friend who always solves the mystery before it’s revealed, and this book stumped her until the end. I enjoyed it immensely. A very suspenseful crime novel with lots of plot twists and extremely well developed characters.

3) What’s your favorite work-related memory?

I don’t think it’s fair to pinpoint just one. I get an enormous amount of personal satisfaction from working with authors and selling books, seeing those books find readers, and helping to shape careers. The best of these memories are tinged with that sense of inevitability, that I’ve found my calling, the thing I’m good at, and the thing I love. I also met my husband through work, so while those are favorite memories of a different sort, they are mixed up with my job.

4) If you could go anywhere in the world right this minute, where would you go?

Honestly? Right now? I would go to sleep. A most underrated destination.

5) What’s the one interview question you never get asked, but wish that you would?

No one ever asks me if I’ve gone rollerblading lately. If they did, my answer would be YES, yes I have! I was inspired (by a manuscript of all things) to dig through my closet and unearth my rollerblades. To relive the dream of the 90s. I was accompanied on my rollerblade outing by my son, who rode his bike and isn’t old enough to be embarrassed.

6) Who was your all-time favorite co-worker? I mean, in the history of co-workers around the world, who really rocked? We’re talking the best one ever…

There is, obviously, only one right answer to this question: K.L. Going! As assistants we sat across from each for nearly 2 years at Curtis Brown. The view beyond my computer was K.L.’s face. Our downtime was full of wonderful and silly conversations.

Awww… I am honored. Even if I did set you up. But considering the fact that you also worked with your future husband, I wasn’t at all sure I’d win the prize even after my considerable goading. :-}

Getting Your Query Through the Slush Pile

K.L. Going — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:52:37 +0000

As part of my manuscript critique service, I invite my clients to submit their query letters for review. If you don’t know what a query letter is, here are some resources to learn more about them. I cover the basics in my book Writing and Selling the YA Novel. Writing-Selling-Young-Adult-Novel And you can always find information in the Writer’s Market Guide. Writers-Market In addition, there are countless websites and blogs devoted to the topic, so even a quick search will keep you reading until Christmas. But my purpose with this blog is not to define a query letter, but rather to discuss the art of getting one through the slush pile. And yes, it is an art.

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One of the most common experiences I have when reading both a manuscript and the query letter is that the query letter does not adequately show the writer’s talent or the manuscript’s potential. The manuscript is great, but the query falls flat.

When a writer sends me their work, I usually read the query first, but I don’t make any comments or suggestions until I’ve read their book. Then I’m able to look back on the query letter with new eyes and see if it is the best representation of the novel. Too often, it isn’t. Although their actual writing might be publishable, their query probably won’t make it through the slush pile.

Back when I was an assistant at Curtis Brown, Ltd., part of my job was reading query letters and deciding which ones would get passed along to the agents I worked with. Now, every assistant does their job differently, but I had a system. (You know, cause that’s just the kind of organized assistant I was.*cough, cough*)

I’d start by making three piles. First, there was the definite YES pile – people with publishing credentials who had an awesome idea that I knew my agents would love, and/or people who had some sort of personal connection with the agent. This included people they’d met a conferences – so don’t be shy about including that information in the opening line! This was a ticket straight to the agent’s desk.

Then, there was the definite NO pile. This included people submitting work outside of the genres my agents represented, queries that were unprofessional, and people who seemed… well, insane.

Finally, there was the MAYBE pile. This pile was by far the largest one. The maybe pile included submissions that were strong — almost always from unknown writers. The letters were professional and their novel ideas seemed like possible matches for my agents. The problem was, the maybe pile required culling down. I couldn’t pass along a foot high stack of queries to my agents every week. So how to decide which ones would land on the agent’s desk?

The first, most important factor was always the story idea. After a short time working with my two agents, I knew their tastes and preferences pretty well. By the end (almost five years!) I could predict which manuscripts they’d request with uncanny accuracy. I want to mention that the taste issue isn’t just about genres (ie: an agent represents romance, but not sci-fi) That’s part of it, but the issue goes a lot deeper than that. Just like any reader, agents have preferences within genres – do they like humor? Dark stories? Are they huge tennis fanatics (can’t imagine where that came from, Ginger!)? Do they have a soft spot for animals? As a writer, you don’t have a lot of control over whether your story matches an individual agent’s tastes and preferences. You can try to match your submissions to tidbits you might glean from conferences or interviews, but most of the time, you’re not going to know the secrets to an agent’s soul. Sobering? Maybe, but it should also be a bit liberating. Just because you receive a rejection doesn’t mean that either your query letter or your story are inadequate. There’s a good chance that form rejection letter means what it says: your story is just not the right match for that agent.

What about the queries that did seem like potential matches? Here’s where the art comes in.

I think a great query letter should evoke some small spark of emotion in its reader. Yes, I realize this is asking a lot from a three paragraph business letter, but trust me, it’s in your best interest to try and achieve this goal. Just today, a writer sent me their query letter and it made me laugh. Twice. It sparked something and I found myself thinking, “You know, this guy is really talented.” Humor is probably the easiest emotion to evoke, but the others aren’t out of the question. If your book is a dark drama can you make me feel – even for a second – as if I’m being pulled into a world of darkness? If it’s a thriller, can you aim for even one extra heartbeat?

In my opinion, the most important quality in a query letter is balance – you’ve got to strike a balance between presenting yourself in a professional, polished way, and evoking some sort of feeling from your reader. Err on the side of being too business-like and your query will probably fall flat. Err on the side of being too creative and you run the risk of seeming gimmicky. The best queries are the ones that hint at something deeper – don’t just lay out the facts about your story, infuse its description with the same heart you put into writing your book.

Finally, my advice is this: push yourself. Work and rework your query letter. Play around with different versions. Write a draft where you go overboard, then writer a draft where you pull back. Try to evoke an emotion from your potential reader. Eliminate any potential confusion. Consider ways you can distinguish yourself without looking like an amateur. As with revising your novel, remember that a lot can be accomplished with a little. One or two powerful lines might be all it takes to escape the slush pile. Use this as incentive – visualize the maybe pile, and tell yourself that you don’t want to get stuck there. Chances are, your book deserves better.

New Interview!

K.L. Going — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:38:11 +0000

I’ve posted a new literary agent interview on my web site for anyone who is interested. This time, it’s the fabulous and talented Jennie Dunham of Dunham Literary. She provided great responses to my questions, so be sure to check out all she had to say.

You’ll find the interview at www.klgoing.com on the Writer’s Resource page.

Ginger Knowlton – Tips for a Heart Healthy Diet

K.L. Going — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:46:15 +0000

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. You can greatly reduce your risk for heart disease through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medicine, Click here.Sometimes when people suffer from coronary heart disease and blockages or suffer a heart attack, a physician will recommend a program called cardiac rehabilitation. A cardiac rehab program is recommended for people who have had a heart attack or heart failure, have undergone heart surgery, or had a heart transplant, stent or balloon angioplasty.Many of these heart patients will trade habits for more heart-healthy choices following an event like a heart attack. By making slight adjustments to our diet and exercise routine, we can do ourselves a favor and take care of our heart health. cbd gummies for pain may offer potential benefits for overweight people with heart disease due to their anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. CBD has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can contribute to heart disease. Additionally, CBD may help manage weight by regulating metabolism and appetite.

Allison Bridges, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian with more than 20 years’ experience in nutrition and dietetics.

She has worked in a variety of settings including acute care hospitals, university instruction, long-term care consulting and outpatient counseling. For the past five years, she has found her niche providing group education and individual counseling for patients in the cardiac and pulmonary rehab settings. In this role, she is able to help patients make healthy eating an enjoyable and natural part of their lifestyles.-

Five Ways to Make Your Diet Heart-Healthy

Make your plate colorful.

Think about colorful fruits or vegetables to add to your meal. Those foods are nutrient dense but don’t have a lot of fat, sodium or calories. Fast Lean Pro is a product designed for a healthy diet. It is a combination of natural ingredients that promote weight loss and suppress appetite. This supplement helps to burn fat by increasing thermogenesis and boosting metabolism.Go and check fast lean pro reviews, it contains ingredients such as green tea extract, caffeine, and raspberry ketones that have been known to aid in weight loss.

Add omega-3s.

Omega-3 fatty acids are shown to reduce risk of mortality from cardiovascular events as well as lower triglyceride levels and reduce inflammation. Sources of omega-3s include fish such as salmon and tuna as well as plants like flaxseed and walnuts.

Reduce sugar intake.

One easy way to reduce sugar intake is to limit the consumption of sugary beverages (sweet tea, soda, sports drinks) which have “empty calories” or offer little nutrition or satiety, the feeling of fullness.

Add soluble fiber.

Increase the feeling of being “full” or satisfied after eating by increasing the amount of minimally processed foods you eat such as choosing plant-based foods to get more fiber. Fiber aids in digestion and the feeling of satiety, which helps us to eat less junk food. Soluble fiber found in oats, legumes, lentils, peas and apples may also help lower cholesterol levels.

Limit sources of animal fat.

Fats from animal sources such as butter, cream, and fatty cuts of meat contain large amounts of saturated fat that may increase blood cholesterol levels. When cooking, replace butter with olive oil or avocado oil. For protein sources, choose plant proteins such as legumes or lean animal protein sources such as skinless poultry or fish most often.

Think about plant foods you can add to your diet and what colorful fruits and vegetables can be used to replace processed snacks or sides to benefit of our heart health. While it may be difficult to make extreme changes all at once, adding these plant-based options or making small adjustments can improve your heart health and lower risk of cardiac problems. Fast lean pro also provides energy and improves mental clarity, making it easier to stick to a healthy diet and exercise routine. Fast Lean Pro is a safe and effective way to reach your weight loss goals.