Query Trackers Making Tracks, #18

Today is installment number eighteen of my "First Friday of the Month" series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

My guest today,  Rachel Harris, signed with her agent Lauren Hammond in August of last year, and by January she had signed a two-book contract with Entangled Publishing. And now her fabulous book has an equally FAB cover:

Available for pre-order now at Amazon
And deeply discounted at B&N for $5.70

 Wow, things are moving fast for Rachel! Let's get the inside scoop on her journey.

AGH: Rachel, could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?

RH: Quick, huh? Why is that always so hard to do? J Here’s a one-liner: When a teen walks into a gypsy’s tent and steps out into Renaissance Italy, she learns the only thing worse than an unwanted Sweet Sixteen is an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

But that does leave out gorgeous, aspiring artist Lorenzo….and sweet and innocent Alessandra…. And protective Cipriano…and the host of hilarity that follows Cat during her time travel adventure.  This book was so much fun to write!

AGH: Before you signed with your agent, how many books had you tried to query? 

RH: I queried one book before this, which is now actually being considered by my editor (*fingers, toes, and eyes crossed*)

AGH: What were the responses to those queries (stat-wise: fulls, partials, etc.)?

RH: For my first book, I sent 24 queries. Of those twenty-four, four asked for partials, ten asked for fulls, five passed with very personalized letters explaining why and giving feedback (which as a newbie, I so appreciated!), and five closed with no response.

For MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY, I sent my query out in batches of ten, and ended up querying thirty-five agents. Of those thirty-five, four asked for partials, ten asked for fulls, twelve passed with personalized letters back, and nine closed with no response. Four months to the day that I sent my first query, my agent, Lauren Hammond, emailed saying she received my signed contract and we were diving into revisions.

AGH: What genre(s) do you write?

RH: Right now, I write YA, though I just plotted out a fun adult contemporary romance. Within YA, my first manuscript is a contemporary romance, Super Sweet is a magical realism/historical/romance, and I also have a partial out with my editor that is a contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. I kinda like to experiment J

AGH: What inspired your very first book idea?

RH: I was first inspired to write after being completely sucked into the Twilight series—I just have to say that to begin with. I think the influence Stephanie Meyer has had on young people reading again has been amazing, and it also helped me remember how much fun it can be. But when I decided I wanted to try writing myself, it wasn’t paranormal that I was drawn to. I wanted to write about real life, a situation that any teen reading could relate to. I did pull some plot points from my own life as a springboard but it completely took off and morphed from there.

AGH: How do you come up with titles?

RH: Ha, my husband helps A LOT! I came up with the title for my first manuscript, 2nd Type of Girl, on my own and it just came from writing…. It was a term that the characters used a lot. But My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century was a complete collaboration with my husband, and the companion novel, A Tale of Two Centuries was all him. He likes to remind me of that often J

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

RH: I read so much—I’m kinda/a little bit/okay a lot obsessed with it—that it’s kind of a huge eclectic mix, but I would say if I had to pick the authors that most shaped the kind of author I wanted to be, I would have to say: Stephanie Perkins, Holly Schindler, Sarah McLean, Sarah Dessen, Simone Elkeles, Susane Colasanti, Mandy Hubbard, and Gayle Forman. J See, even that list is huge!

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

RH: I learned about Query Tracker from Mary Lindsay (Shattered Souls) who is in my local RWA and YA writers group. They were having a contest with her agent and she encouraged me to submit. Though I didn’t win, I did get an email from her agent asking for the first ten pages, and then a partial. Being my first attempt to send my work out, it was an amazing start to my writing career. Then using QT going forward, I learned of so many agents I would’ve have otherwise, and the most special part was the relationships built with the other writers in the trenches. Cheering each other on, lifting each other up. It helped me to see just how supportive and welcoming the writing community is, and was a complete blessing.

AGH: Do you have any current news to announce?  

RH: My editor just sent me the digital ARC, which has had me petting my screen for a few days, and we hope to have a handful of ARCS for the RT Convention in Chicago. I’ll be there and looking forward to meeting everyone! Then it is all about getting ready for the release in September and completing the companion novel, A Tale of Two Centuries, which will be released June 2013!

**Five for fun**

1)      Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

Sing in the rain. Definitely. Not only do umbrellas bother me—half the time I can’t figure the darn things out, and I get wet trying to open and close them anyway—but there is just something fun and childlike about dashing between the drops and splashing in the puddles J

2)      What’s your favorite breakfast?

I’ll eat anything—cereal, left over pizza, yogurt, cheeseburgers lol—but I HAVE to have caffeine! Sadly, I don’t do coffee much, but I can drink my weight in Dt. Mt. Dew.

3)      If I were at your house right now, what would I find in your refrigerator?

Lots and lots of Dt. Mt. Dew, water, lettuce, spinach, yogurt, left over salmon, strawberries, salsa, and jalapenos. Makes me sound a lot healthier than I am, trust me.

4)      When would you go to if you had a time machine, and why?

He he, I feel like I’m cheating since I kinda wrote about this, but yes, definitely Renaissance Italy. I’ve always loved that time, one of discovery, and art, and beauty. The clothes, the art, wonder. And come on, it’s Italy! But I would also love to go to Regency London (again with the clothes, the balls, the hot dukes and rakes), or 1950s America. Not totally sure why the last one but the music is so fun and innocent, the clothes interesting, and I’ve kinda got a crush on young Elvis. I blame my mother.  

5)   Drinking tea … pinky up, or heavy on the Long Island?

Ha! Heavy on the Long Island, but still pinky up….even with a cold long neck beer, my pinky remains up while I drink. Hey, I’m all about the classy.

***

Thank you for the interview, Rachel. Your book premise sounds amazing and FUN. I'm already crushing on Lorenzo (I have a thing for artists). I may not be a gypsy palm reader, but I see great things ahead in your future, lady!

To our readers, please feel free to offer support and kudos to Rachel in the comments. Also, you can follow her publishing star on the internet:

Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook author page
Facebook friend page:
Blog
Amazon author page

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Speed Dating ... Lit Style.

Today I'm posting about how characterization is like speed dating over at ADR3NALIN3. I actually cheated a little and used a prior post from this blog (just polished it up a bit). If you're curious which post it was, hope over and have a look-see.

I also want to give a shout out to my pal David Kazzie, who did an interview here a while back about going Indie with his book Jackpot, even though he has an agent. It really paid off for him because his book took off recently -- going from dead to the Top 100 and actually getting to #34 in the Paid store overall last week.

Want to know his secret to success? Hop over to this post and find out how he did it..

Have a great rest of the week, and hope to see you next week for a few writing tips and some Splintered updates!

Pardon our French...

One of my good friends, Mindy McGinnis from the Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire blog, has recently escaped the burning pit of submission hell (those of you who have been there, or are there still, know the truth behind that phrase) with a fantastic 2-book contract with Harper Collins, due out in Fall 2013.

Here's Mindy's PublishersMarketplace Announcement:

Mindy McGinnis's NOT A DROP TO DRINK, the story of a teenage girl surviving in a rural America where an ounce of fresh water is worth more than gold and death wanders the countryside as thirst, cholera, and the guns of strangers; when her mother dies in an accident, the girl must decide between defending her pond alone or banding together with a crippled neighbor, a pregnant woman, a filthy orphan, and a teenage boy who awakens feelings she doesn't understand, to Sarah Shumway at Katherine Tegen Books, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Adriann Ranta at Wolf Literary Services (World).

CONGRATS, girl!!

Mindy's not only a talented author, she's also a blogging WIZARD. She's come up with a whole slew of blog series ideas, and finds the funniest and most creative acronyms to represent them. One of my favorites, and most irreverent (but somehow even more fitting for that reason) is the S.H.I.T. (Submission Hell – It’s True) Interview, where she invites authors to talk about their submission journey once they've finally sold.

To celebrate Mindy's success, I thought it would be fun to have her interview herself using her own questions with my blog as host. So off we go!

Welcome, Mindy One and Mindy Two. You have the floor.

M1: How much did you know about the submission process before you were out on subs yourself?

M2: I knew quite a bit, due to the excellent crowd over at AgentQuery Connect, quite a few of whom are agented and / or published. I knew what to expect as far as the waiting process, although honestly it wasn’t all that bad in terms of length of time for feedback.

M1: Did anything about the process surprise you?

M2: A little. I had some passes from editors who loved the book but couldn’t get enough enthusiasm from others to actually make an offer. It was odd to think, “Wow, someone important loved this, but that wasn’t enough.” It takes more than one to get that cart rolling.

M1: Did you research the editors you knew had your ms? Do you recommend doing that?

M2: I did. I don’t know that I recommend doing it though, because it’s not like it helped me out in any way. Mostly it just made me antsy. Once I had some offers, THEN I did research. I needed to know what the best fit was going to be.

M1: What was the average amount of time it took to hear back from editors?

M2: Some were SHAZAAM fast, and those were all negative. So, I learned that waiting was a good thing.

M1: What do you think is the best way for an author out on submission to deal with the anxiety?

M2: Stay busy, in all things. I wrote, I cleaned, I read, I blogged. I didn’t let myself think about it.

M1: If you had any rejections, how did you deal with that emotionally? How did this kind of rejection compare to query rejections?

M2: Oh, I had rejections. It definitely hurt more than a query rejection, because it was like, “Not only do I reject your premise, but I reject your WRITING!! BWAA HA HA!!” *throws lightning bolt* OK, not really. My rejections were actually all very complimentary and explanatory about reasons for passing, which I did appreciate.

M1: If you got feedback on a rejection, how did you process it? How do you compare processing an editor’s feedback as compared to a beta reader’s?

M2: It was hard to process because some of it was directly contradictory to feedback I’d received the day before. My agent and I sat down in a phone conversation and culled through all our feedback at one point and we decided that a lot of what we were seeing was personal preference. However, there were one or two consistent points that weren’t working for editors, and we took that seriously.

M1: When you got your YES! how did that feel? How did you find out – email, telephone, smoke signal?

M2: I got my YES over email, as it came in late on a weekday evening. How did it feel? I literally slammed my laptop shut and took the Lord’s name in vain. Then I apologized to both the Lord and the laptop and opened it back up again. The email was still there. I was kind of freaked out. And I literally couldn’t sleep. I was up til 3 AM two nights in a row.

M1: Did you have to wait a period of time before sharing your big news, because of details being ironed out? Was that difficult?

M2: I had my first offer on a Wednesday, then a few more offers came in on Thursday. Adriann and I talked details and decided what the best fit was on Thursday evening, and my Publisher’s Marketplace announcement went up on Sunday. So no, I didn’t have to wait long. I told my family members, and they took my direction to keep it quiet very, very seriously. They whispered whenever they talked to me about it ☺

***

Thank you, Mindy(s)! Hee.

If any of you would like to see the query letter that started the ball rolling and won Mindy's agent, hop over here. Also, if you're looking for some inspiration, visit this post where Mindy gives a rundown of her ten year journey to success. It's a very inspiring story, and shows why tenacity and a tough hide are so important if you're serious about being an author.

Thanks for coming by! And please drop in tomorrow for my Trailer Thursday series. I have some pretty exciting news about Splintered to share. Until then, have a great Wednesday everyone!

Query Trackers Making Tracks, #13

Today is an abundance of interviews day. I'm hanging with the savvy Melodie Wright over at Forever Rewrighting where she asked some of the hardest most insightful questions I've ever had the pleasure of answering. Heh. In all seriousness, this girl is one of the best interviewers I've had the pleasure of working with.

And of course, here in the land of madness it's installment number thirteen of my "first Friday of the month" series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

I just realized how appropriate it is to have the 13th QT interview in October. But there's nothing scary or unlucky about today’s guest, Gennifer Albin. Her success story is one that would give anyone inspiration (not to mention cause much drooling in awe and wonder).  Genn had a whirlwind submission after she signed with agent Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary + Media. Within a matter of weeks there was an auction for her book which ended in a major deal. Her story on QT, here, was enough to leave me breathless just living vicariously.

By the end of today's interview, no doubt we'll all need inhalers. (◕‿-)

And onward we go...


AGH: Welcome, Genn. Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?

GENN: Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

AGH: Before you signed with your agent, how many books had you tried to query?

GENN: This was the first book I ever queried.  I'd come to close querying a book I never finished back in my naive days. I'm so glad I didn't.

AGH: What were the responses to those queries (stat-wise: fulls, partials, etc.)?

GENN: I had about a 70% request rate, about 40% of those were requests for partials and the rest were requests for the full.

AGH: How long did it take to find a publisher after you signed with your agent ?

GENN: We had out first preempt offer in a little over a week and then we went to auction about 3 weeks after I signed with my agent.  It was unusually fast.
 
AGH: What inspired your very first book idea?


GENN: I've been obsessed with a painting by Remedios Varo that shows women embroidering the world since I first saw it in college.  One day I wrote a one page prologue that came to me out of nowhere.  It was the story of a girl in the painting, and I went from there.

AGH: How do you come up with titles?

GENN: I have to have a title before a book will really flow for me, so I obsessed over this.  Originally I thought Tangled would be great, but when I googled it up came a new Disney movie!  I was so disappointed, although I actually loved the movie.  From there I pulled ou the thesaurus and started looking up weaving and sewing terms.  When I saw CREWEL, I knew it was perfect 

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

GENN: That's hard to say.  I have considerable time put in towards PhD in literature, so I think I'm heavily influenced by a lot of the themes from the early novels of the 18th century.  My next book is much more academically influenced.  But then I think I've learned a lot from rereading my favorite books and really studying the voice and style of people like Rowling and Collins, but then I think conceptually I was influenced by people like Margaret Atwood and Orson Scott Card.  I certainly have a mixed education in literature.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

GENN: The lovely Scott Tracey posted about QT and since I was so impressed by his success, I ran over and joined.  First of all, everyone should get the premium membership because it allows you to see all these special charts and reports, which is awesome when you want to obsess during the querying process.  I loved that people posted stats in the comments, and I still try to stop by and offer support when I can.  I also used the QT boards to vet my queries before I sent them out. Overall, it's such a supportive, welcoming community that I feel comfortable there.  Not too big, but constantly moving - QT was a perfect fit for me.

AGH: Have you recently learned anything about the business side of publishing that you can share with up and coming writers?

GENN: No one else's success will look like yours!  I think we all look to stories for insight into what to expect.  Like so-and-so was asked to share her favorite covers with her designer, or such-and-such got a huge ARC campaign - it doesn't mean anything in regard to what you will get!  Trust me.  It's a bad and good thing.  Share in others stories to support them, but keep your eyes on your own paper.  Focus on your book and your campaign and don't get stuck in comparison hell.

AGH: Do you have any current news to announce?

GENN: CREWEL is coming out October 16, 2012!

**Five for fun**

1)      In your opinion, what was the best thing before sliced bread?

GENN: Stew.  Everyone knows it was around the day man crawled from the primordial ooze.

2)      Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

GENN: Why can't you do both?  I loved to splash in the rain, but I use an umbrella since I wear glasses.  I also have my cake and eat it too.

3)      Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?

GENN: Cat.  I guess I appreciate having to work for my cat's love.  The Tuesday cat runs the house.

4)      If I were at your house right now, what would I find in your refrigerator?

GENN: Cheese.  So much cheese.  Dubliner.  Wisconsin cheddar.  Goat cheese.  Feta.  Pepper-encrusted pecorino.  And  Gouda.  Always gouda.

5)   Drinking tea … pinky up, or heavy on the Long Island?

GENN: I have to say I have a weakness for Long Island iced tea, but I also love Earl Gray.  But if I had to choose, heavy on the Long Island.

~~~

Thank you for sharing your amazing experience, Genn! CREWEL sounds incredible, and I love how you thought of the story and title. I'm so excited that you have a pub date now, and wish you every success! Although it's obvious you're already there. (◕‿◕)

Don’t forget to visit Genn’s blog and follow her on twitter to stay abreast of news and announcements. Also, please leave her any questions, comments, or kudos below. I know she'll be thrilled to see them.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you next week. 

Query Trackers Making Tracks, #12

Today is installment number twelve of my "first Friday of the month" series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

Today’s guest, Miss Bethany Crandell, wears many hats. She's known as: #shakiragoat, @rookieriter, or Rookstar on twitter, and BethanyMC on QT, or just good ol' Bethany over at her Rookie Riter blog. But underneath all those hats is the secret to her witty cynicism and hysterical charm: she has a brain hamster who keeps her creative wheels turning. And he's quite good at his job, considering Bethany has recently signed with agent Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch Literary Services. Click here for her success story on QT.

This interview is extra-special to my heart because over the course of the past few months, Bethany and I have become very dear friends. It's almost like I'm having her over to the house for the first time, so I'm all nervous and aflutter trying to get the dusting done  and the cobwebs swiped away (ergo the huge award post last week). Now that the big day has finally arrived, I'll push up the special chair for her,

Offer her a margarita, and once she's all comfy-cozy, we'll settle in for the interview.

AGH: Welcome Bethany! Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?
      
BC: SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS: After a botched party attempt at the country club, seventeen-year-old Cricket has been sentenced to work as a counselor at a summer camp in Western Michigan. As if being left for dead in mosquito country with limited cell coverage isn’t bad enough, she learns that Camp I Can isn’t just an ordinary summer camp. It’s a camp for disabled teens. What she learns about herself, and her differently-abled campers, after three weeks of handicapped hell is inspiring, funny and life-changing. 

Side note: I’m the mother of a special needs kiddo, so I’m personally connected to this topic. This isn’t a book with a message. It’s just a story about people being real—P.C. be gone!

AGH: Before you signed with your agent, how many books had you tried to query?
      
BC: One. STALKING PEGGY FLEMMING was my first attempt at a novel. I had no idea what I was doing. It's actually a pretty good story, but it needs some special lovin’ that I am not prepared to give right now.
 
AGH: What were the responses to those queries (stat-wise: fulls, partials, etc.)?
      
BC: Actually, not bad for a first effort. As I recall, I had a handful of partials and six or seven requests for the full. (I think I sent out about 90 queries). Most of the feedback was the same, though. Great concept, strong voice, but they didn’t know how to market it. The protag is 17 but the story is set in the late 1980s. A contemporary YA is usually current—was it YA? Was it women’s fiction? Oh the drama. J 

SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS was around 90 queries, too. I think there were a total of 12 requests for the full over ~6 months of query time.
     
AGH: What genre(s) do you write?
        
BC: Based on my answer to question #3 I’m probably not in any position to answer that. *hee* I write YA, and that’s what I considered the first novel to be, too.

AGH: What inspired your very first book idea?
        
BC: Growing up the youngest daughter to a Christian Reformed minister, I was well aware that the world’s expectations of who I should be didn’t mirror who I was. Thankfully my parents didn’t subscribe to that notion. I was given a ton of freedom to be myself—no matter how contradictory to my dad’s profession that seemed to the outside world. That’s ultimately what led to my first novel—the idea of what it would be like to have your parents wish you were someone else. STALKING PEGGY FLEMMING was about a girl whose mother was so obsessed with a former Olympian that she raised her to be just like her—instead of letting her be who she was.
 
AGH: How do you come up with titles?
        
BC: Usually while under my hair dryer. It’s true. I have a whole lot of hair, and my Revlon Ion Pro Stylist (I’m hoping to get paid for product placement someday) provides the perfect combination of solitude and white noise. I do my best thinking under there.

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?
     
BC: The first book I remember falling in love with was LORD OF THE FLIES. We read it freshman year of high school. I remember feeling anxious and uncomfortable while I read that—how chaotic it became when the boys started turning on each other, and then when they dropped the rock on Piggy…Poor Piggy! But as shocking as it was, it was also incredibly liberating. Up until then my reading fixes were through safer books: Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, etc., but that book allowed me entrance into a world that felt a little dangerous, but because it was on paper, I knew it was safe.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?
  
BC: I was having a private Google party one day and stumbled upon it. I used QT with my first book, but was too insecure about what I was doing to dare comment and actually “engage” in conversations with other writer’s about my book. (I didn’t even dare call myself a writer at that point.) As the rejections came in, and my skin grew nice and thick, I started revising, going to conferences, working with a writing coach, and then I got some courage to put myself out there. QT was the perfect format for that. When I was ready to query THE SHORT BUS I dove in head first; engaging with other writers, following comments, searching for new agents, looking up stats.

Bottom line: QT was a great place for me to get comfortable being a writer.
 
AGH: Have you recently learned anything about the business side of publishing that you can share with up and coming writers?
 
BC: I’ve learned that agents aren’t evil, manuscript-hating trolls who feast on the dreams of hopeful authors for dinner. They’re actually cool people who want your book to be as successful as you do. (Who knew?!)

AGH: Do you have any current news to announce?
 
BC: We are officially on submission. So far it’s going very well.


                                     **Five for fun**

AGH: In your opinion, what was the best thing before sliced bread?

BC: This is a toss-up. Either the DVR or guacamole.

AGH: Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

BC: I have LARGE hair. (My fro was frisked by airport security—no lie) Venturing out without an umbrella is completely out of the question. I’d be targeted as a terrorist for sure.
 
AGH: What’s your favorite breakfast?

BC: Mmm…maple & brown sugar oats topped with blue & blackberries with a banana on the side.
   
AGH: Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?
 
BC: I have no use for a cat. I have a nine-year-old daughter. If I’m in the mood to be ignored, glared at, or judged for things I’ve yet to do—I will just barge into her bedroom. GO TEAM DOG, WOOF!
 
AGH: Drinking tea … pinky up, or heavy on the Long Island?
    
BC: Neither. Pinkies will be wrapped around the beer bottle right beside the other fingers.

~~~

Thank you for the interview, Bethany! LOL about the airport security frisking your hair. That would actually make a hilarious scene in a book. ;D 

Don’t forget to visit Bethany’s blog and follow her on twitter to stay abreast of news and announcements. Also, please leave her any questions, comments, or kudos below. I know she'll be thrilled to see them!

 
Bethany, I'm so excited your book is on sub, and hope the submission trail is short and lucrative for you! I wish you every success. Everyone else, have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you next week.

QueryTrackers Making Tracks, #10

Today is installment number ten of my Friday series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

After an astounding SEVEN offers (whew-wee, I know!), today's guest, Lisa Iriarte, signed with agent Amy Boggs of Donald Maass Literary Agency. Much like me, Lisa found herself querying again after having parted ways with her first agent. You can read her incredible call story in detail on her QT interview and on her blog.

Now, without further adieu, let's welcome Lisa to the interview box.


AGH: Hello Lisa! So, what genre(s) do you write?

Lisa: I write science fiction/romance, and science fiction. I'm also thinking a paranormal may be in my future, since I have some coursework done in parapsychology.

AGH: Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?

Lisa: Well, VICIOUS CIRCLE is science fiction/romance. I pitched it as "Xena Warrior Princess in space." The protagonist is a female assassin. The antagonist is a demon-calling, power hungry maniac masquerading as a priest. Throw in some space pirates, some healing magic, and some not-so-subtle subtext, and you have VICIOUS CIRCLE.

AGH: How long did you query it, and what were your stats?

Lisa: I queried VICIOUS CIRCLE for approximately three months. I was actually querying two different novels at the same time to different agents. I sent out about 145 queries for VICIOUS CIRCLE alone. I won't say how many rejections I received, because I like to pretend they don't exist. :-) But I will say that I ended up with six offers of representation for VICIOUS CIRCLE (and one offer for the other novel I was querying.)

AGH: What inspired your book idea?

Lisa: I've always been fascinated by the assassin mentality. As I said, my protagonist is an assassin, so she only kills those who would harm/kill countless others. Still, even working for the greater good, I like to consider the psychological make up of such a person. How does she live with what she does? Who would her friends be? Who would love her, and would she be able to allow herself to love in return?

AGH: How did you come up with the title?

Lisa: Hah. Actually, I thought I was being so clever with this title. The character leaves (gets thrown out of) the Assassins Guild, and by the end of the story is forced to return there, hence the VICIOUS CIRCLE. Of course, since finishing the manuscript, I've discovered that this is a pretty popular title. There's at least one other novel currently on the shelves by that name.

AGH: Before you signed with your first agent, how many books had you tried to query?

Lisa: Yes, my current agent is my second agent. Prior to signing with my first agent, I had queried one book. The second book got me my first agent. After she left the profession, my third book got me my second agent.

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

Lisa: Too many to list here. The main ones would be Elizabeth Moon and Tanya Huff for my pure science fiction, Linnea Sinclair and Ann Aguirre for my science fiction/romance, and Vicki Pettersson and Gini Koch for the science fiction/superhero novel I'm currently working on. Right now I'm reading the latest in the VALOR series by Tanya Huff, and I've ordered Pettersson's last book in THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC series. Can't wait! Several of these authors are also personal friends who've critiqued my work or given me advice, and I value their input tremendously.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

Lisa: I actually don't remember how I found QueryTracker initially, but I'm going to guess it was through an agent's blog. The website was a huge help in narrowing down my list of agents to query, guiding me to agents' websites and information on each one, and keeping my queries and submissions organized.

AGH: Have you recently learned anything about the business side of publishing that you can share with up and coming writers, something you wish you’d known in the beginning?

Lisa: Well, not so much about the business side, but I will say this: I wish I'd realized how close I was when I queried for the first time, many years ago. I sent my first science fiction novel to about 75 agents. I got a lot of rejections, but also several requests for partials and fulls. In the end, I did not get any offers of representation, and I quit writing for a couple of years. Oh, if only I could have those years back! I had no idea what a full request meant. If I'd gone ahead and written another book right away, I probably would have found representation much sooner. So, bottom line, don't give up, and don't stop writing. Each book will get successively better, and your chances of catching an agent's attention (or six or seven agents' attention) will increase.

AGH: Do you have any news you can share, or new projects you can tell us about?

Lisa: Not too much yet. I'm working on a science fiction/superhero novel with romantic elements that is turning out to be a heavy action/fun romp. As this is being posted, I'm up in New York, meeting my new agent face-to-face for the first time. We're all heading off to Ninja New York for dinner (an appropriate choice for a writer of assassins, I think.) My husband, also a writer, won a scholarship to the Backspace Conference, so I'm accompanying him. Actually, I won the same scholarship a year and a half ago, and I highly recommend the Backspace conferences for networking with agents. It's where I was offered representation, in person, the first time I got an agent.

**Five for fun**

AGH: Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

Lisa: I'd sing in the rain. Prior to changing my college major to Creative Writing, I was a Studio Music and Jazz Voice major and also sang opera with several companies.

AGH: Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?

Lisa: I am totally Team Dog. We have two Chinese Crested Powderpuffs at home, both named after characters from my books. Don't get me wrong. I also love cats, and we have a "porch cat" who comes by for some food and affection on a regular basis. However, I am horribly allergic to cats, so we can't have them in the house.

AGH: If I were at your house right now, what would I find in your refrigerator?

Lisa: Oh, you're supposed to store FOOD in there? I thought it was just for Coke Zero and other sources of caffeine.

AGH: If you were tight with one of the Greek gods, which one would it be and what favor would you ask of them?

Lisa: Xena. Yes, I know she wasn't a Greek god, nor was she an actual part of Greek mythology, but I really want to learn how she twirls that dang sword. That is so cool! The hubby got me shooting lessons for my birthday, so I can accurately fire a 9mm pistol, but you don't find sword twirling lessons in the Yellow Pages, at least not around here. Maybe in Greece. Hmm . . .

AGH: Drinking tea … pinky up, or heavy on the Long Island?

Lisa: Um, both. I hate plain tea, unless I'm sick and need it to settle my stomach, so the Long Island version would be much more fun. But my grandmother always drank with her pinky raised, and I picked up the habit from emulating her as a child, so I drink everything, and I do mean everything with my pinky extended, and yes, I know that's weird. Can of Coke Zero? Pinky extended. Glass of ice water? Pinky extended. Here's to you, Grandma!
 
Lisa: Thanks again for the opportunity to share my writerly path and pinky raising quirks with you!

~~~

Thank you, too, Lisa! And for the record, I'm partial to quirks, especially the ones passed down by grandmas. ;) Your book sounds AWESOME (I mean, Xena? Can't beat a kick-bootie heroine like that).

Congrats on all of your successes so far, and I wish you much luck and happiness on the rest of your writing journey! BTW, I should let all of my readers know that Lisa is out of town so she'll be responding to comments here when she gets back.

That said, I hope to see you all next week. Until then, have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing weekend.

QueryTrackers Making Tracks, #9

Today is installment number nine of my Friday series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

Today’s guest, Kaylie Austen (KAusten to us QTers), is not only a prolific writer (it's rumored she can whip out 6-10k words a day--WOW), she also managed to land an editor without an agent. Amazingly, this same publishing house (kNight Romance Publishing--e-books and trade paperbacks) only accepts agented authors now. So, the lady also has really FANTASTIC timing. ;)

Welcome Kaylie!

Kaylie: Thanks for having me! I feel so honored.

AGH: And I'm honored to have you here. Seeing as you're about to be sitting happily on the shelves, you have a lot you can teach those of us still climbing our way up. I'm very excited to pick that prolific brain of yours. For starters, how many books had you written before you found your publisher?

Kaylie: Two poorly written sci-fi books. They had interesting concepts, but bad writing. I've learned a lot about writing since.

AGH: When was your first book accepted, and what is its title/genre?
             
Kaylie: Ravens was picked up last summer. It's a YA urban fantasy (with a smidge of sci-fi and romance). Ravens are those who are sought out by portals and dragged into a parallel dimension where they acquire superhuman powers. The have white eyes and black sclera, an uncanny look which earns them the name Ravens. Liam and Julie vanished 10 years ago, and Liam's illusions haunt Kendra. When she moves closer to the brink of sanity, he appears through his telepathic ability and coerces her into the portal. She is the last human to portal into a world where Ravens are hunted by humans. Kendra has ill-controlled powers, is trapped in a torrid affair with Liam, and desperately struggles to find a grip on her new reality.

AGH: Sounds like my kind of read! ;) Did you try querying the book first?
             
Kaylie: I queried Ravens for several months. I had a few bites from agents and publishers, but mainly rejections. As soon as I found a publisher who offered a contract, I accepted.

AGH: It's so wonderful that you found a home! How many books do you now have available to the reading public?
             
Kaylie: Ravens will be my debut novel, but I am contracted for three other series in the upcoming years in the genres of YA fantasy, sci-fi, and dark fantasy.

AGH: Wow. That's an amazing line up. Congrats! Are there any marketing tips you’d like to share for others who are venturing out into publishing?
             
Kaylie: Do your homework to see where your novel will find the best exposure. Large publishing houses have entire marketing teams, and trade publishers have small marketing teams. All I have to do is say is that I'd like to go here or there, and the team will try to set up a signing or appearance. They send out ARC's to reviewers, and work out business with bookstores. I've been known to approach local libraries and grocery stores to ask if they'd like to carry my work. If you do this, check with your publisher first. They might have a deal going already and don't want their authors doing the leg work.

My publishing house actually prefers that their authors concentrate on writing and they'll handle marketing, which was new to me. I've also gone after radio stations. Definitely look for free advertising like interviews, social networks, and sites which cater to your genre. Take advantage of connections. I know several business owners who are willing to put my books out in their stores, coffee shops, bakeries, and other businesses.

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced you (either in your writing or in your publishing decisions)?
             
Kaylie: I like almost anything that is fantasy or sci-fi, so I set out to look at publishers who are big in those genres.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?
             
Kaylie: I don't remember how I came across QT! But I'm glad that I did. I enjoy the community, the positive and informative feedback, and the new connections. It's good for new writers to learn about the experiences of others, no matter how long it took them to find writing success. It's very up building when QT'ers cheer you on and help you to keep going. Likewise, it's beneficial to learn about their struggles. You realize that you are not the only one who has difficulties. Actually, a friend from QT pointed me toward my publisher.

AGH: That's a really great friend. What advice on the business side of publishing would you give to up and coming writers … something you wish you’d known when you first started?
            
Kaylie: Read and research. Know the craft, know how to edit, find a critique partner to catch what you've missed. This saves your butt from a major spanking when the pro's are editing your manscript. Research the market, know what goes into contracts and rights, and get thick skin! This is a business. We may find friends along the way, but the publishing world wants quality books that make money, and they are not afraid to tell you what they expect from a writer. Being a writer is hard work even after the contract. You have to dedicate a lot of time and energy into your work including edits and marketing.

As you know, it's not as easy as people expect it to be.Take deadlines seriously, and don't do a half-butt job because you're busy, lazy, tired, or just stumped. If you truly want to be a published writer, consider it a career and not a hobby, but always remember that you do it because it's a passion, a skill, and you have a story to tell.

AGH: So true. Writers really have to be in it for the long haul. Do you have any current news to announce? A new book or books you’re working on?
             
Kaylie: Ravens will release in paperback and eBook on June 11, 2011 at local bookstores.

Currently, I have multiple projects that I'm working on. The release of Ravens will be followed by a YA fantasy series where mermaids and other mythological creatures destroy mankind and take over the world. This is a two-book series. There's been a lot of hype about my zombie mermaid joke prompted by the arrival of the Lady Washington (featured in The Pirates of the Caribbean). I didn't give in to turning my mermaids into zombies, but I started a different YA dark fantasy about mermaids, the secret of Atlantis, and zombies--err--sirens (who just happen to enjoy a succulent human or two). This is my "just for fun novel', but maybe it'll get picked up. Who knows?

Also, I'm working on a different YA dark fantasy which incorporates Egyptian mythology. This was sparked by all those History Channel documentaries (because I'm a nerd), and oddly enough, the TV series Vampire Diaries. Instead of vampire brothers, I use immortal Egyptian "gods" who are after something important that has fallen into the lap of an Egyptologist's daughter.

**Five for fun**

AGH: Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?
                              
Kaylie: Carry an umbrella! However, I live in the rainy state and no one carries an umbrella. They just wear hoodies, hats, or get wet. No thank you, I don't like getting rained on, plus I can't sing.

AGH: What’s your favorite breakfast?
                              
Kaylie: New Orleans French Quarter-Cafe Du Monde. A simple cup of cafe au lait, and a side of beignets (French powdered donuts). I'm literally moving there for this!

Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?
                              
Kaylie: Team dog. Cats are cute, but they're so independent and sometimes cranky. Dogs love attention and they are always excited to see you.

AGH: What would I find in your refrigerator right now?
                              
Kaylie: Lots of veggies and fruits, juices, and an assortment of cheeses. Oh, and Mike's Hard Mango Punch! Which I didn't know they made until it mysteriously showed up in my fridge.

AGH: If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
                           
Kaylie: The same as my characters in Ravens: Agility, superhuman strength, hyper-regenerative healing, heightened senses, telepathy, and the ability to fly.


Kaylie: Thanks so much for having me! This was really fun, and I hope to get to do it again! For anyone who's interested, you can become a member on my website www.kaylieausten.com and read about all of my projects as they come out; read my rants on www.kaylieausten.blogspot.com; follow my randomness on Twitter @kaylieausten, or friend me on Facebook www.facebook.com/kaylieausten. I look forward to hearing from you.

~~~

And thank you for the interview, Kaylie! That book cover is lovely. I'll bet you're looking forward to holding it in your hands. J And after seeing the kinds of food you keep in your fridge, no wonder you have enough energy to write so many words each day! I need to start eating more veggies. ;)

Congrats on all of your successes so far, and I wish you much luck and happiness on the rest of your writing journey! If anyone would like to show your support or ask Kaylie a question, please leave a comment below. I know she would love to hear from you.

I hope to see everyone next Wednesday on my new weekly blogging day. Until then, have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing weekend.

QueryTrackers Making Tracks, #7

Today is installment number seven of my Friday series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

I'd like to welcome Veronica Canfield who recently signed with agent Louise Fury of L. Perkins Agency . You can find her QueryTracker success interview here.

Welcome Veronica, to the interview box.

Veronica: First of all thank you for having me as a guest. I feel like a cool, professional author promoting my book rather than a harried mom trying to herd my son into the bath and push the cat off my keyboard. By the way, any typos, mistakes or ridiculous statements, I blame on the cat…or my son.

AGH: LOL. I totally understand, and promise to overlook anything that marks you as remotely human. So, what genre(s) do you write?

Veronica: I am generally drawn to paranormal/supernatural/magical realism for young adults. Give me a good vampire girl meets werewolf boy story any day. I work with teens as a behavior specialist, so I have enough real teen-aged drama in my life already.

AGH: Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?

Veronica: I’d love to. Here’s the query.

Armed with a snarky attitude and a bag full of dollar store mirrors, seventeen-year-old Jenna Gray catches and relocates lost and troublesome ghosts. Ghost rescue does have its problems, such as getting stuck with a spirit named Edwin—a gender confused, eighteenth-century, English drama queen, with a penchant for cross-dressing. That’s what happens when you bring home ghost strays…you get haunted by a diva.

Sure, being able to see ghosts is pretty cool, but hanging with dead people can put a serious dent in Jenna’s social life. Things start looking up when Colin Rees, an über hot transfer student, takes an interest in Jenna. She may be on her way to finding love.

When high school girls are found murdered and Jenna’s ghost friends begin disappearing, Jenna learns a group of Goth students dabbling in the occult has unwittingly unleashed a demon from hell. Now Jenna's abilities are drawing the demon to her and somehow Colin seems to be connected to it all. With the help of her BFF Eva, and her self-proclaimed BGF (best ghost forever) Edwin, Jenna’s determined to reveal the demon’s identity, find a way to defeat it and prevent herself from becoming the next victim—all before her 11:00 pm curfew.

AGH: Awesome query! This book sounds so fun. How long did you query it, and what were your stats?

Veronica: I queried for about 4 1/2 months—September ‘10 to January ‘11. Louise, my agent, was the 12^th query I sent out and that was in my third week of querying. She was very enthusiastic, but due to time constraints she didn’t read my manuscript until the end of December and she offered representation in January. So really, it was my 12^th query that got me my agent.

93 queries sent

19 requests for partials or fulls

Lots of rejections and no replies, but it only takes that one agent who loves your work.

AGH: So true about getting just one yes. What inspired your book idea?

Veronica: Last summer I decided to trunk my first manuscript until I was ready to do some serious rewriting. It’s a deeper, darker young adult novel that took a few years to write so for a change I wanted to try something fluffy and fun. I was lounging around at home, half watching Discovery channel or TLC, can’t remember which, when a show came on called “The Haunting”. It’s sort of a reenactment of hauntings with interviews of the haunting victims. I wondered why ghosts never seem to be fun and playful. I took it to the next level. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a snarky ghost in the house that drives you bananas, but is also like your best friend? Hmm, you’d have to be able to see ghosts all the time though. And wouldn’t it be fun to have little tips explaining the ghost terms, like it was a handbook for a wannabe ghost hunters? That was the start of the novel.

AGH: How did you come up with the title?

Veronica: I wanted something light and funny so the reader would know what to expect from the novel. I knew I wanted the word “handbook” or “guide” in it because of the ghost tips. Ghosts are a major part of the novel, so that was easy to include. “Boys” seemed to be necessary for the romance part. And “Other Weird Things” pretty much covered all the other paranormal elements in the book. So I ended up with A Girl’s Guide to Ghosts, Boys and Other Weird Things. I apologize to boys everywhere for putting them in the category of “weird things”, but to girls, boys are pretty much an enigma and vice versa.

One of my author friends on the Backspace forum suggested A Girl’s Guide to Ghosts, Boys and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night. I got a laugh out of that because the idea of boys going bump in the night was…interesting.

AGH: Haha. Okay, I was thinking that your friend's suggestion would’ve been a great title before your … clarification. How many other books had you tried to query before you signed with your agent?

Veronica: I queried one other book, which I am still very fond of, but it needs work.

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

Veronica: It’s hard to say, I read such a wide variety of authors. But when it comes to writing, I’m defiantly more influenced by the young adult authors such as Karen Cushman, Meg Cabot, Lois Duncan, Lois Lowry and Roald Dahl. But I did get some inspiration for the fun, snarky voice of a Girl’s Guide from authors like Katie MacAlister, Helen Fielding and Charlaine Harris.

However, I think everything you read eventually influences how you write.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

Veronica: I think I read about QT on one of the “Top Sites for Writers”, but I can’t remember exactly. I can say with confidence I don’t think I could have done it without QT. It is such a fabulous resource. When I was sending out snail mail queries, I had such a hard time keeping track of who I contacted, when, which query I sent, their response, etc. Becoming a premium member of QT resolved all those problems. The database is a life saver for tracking everything and the forum members are very supportive.

AGH: Have you recently learned anything about the business side of publishing that you can share with up and coming writers, something you wish you'd known in the beginning?

Veronica: Really work on that query and send it out first to the people lower on your wish list. Chances are, you’re going to have to tweak the query and you don’t want to “waste” a contact on a less than perfect query. Also, make sure you polish, polish, polish! I’m lucky that my agent liked my story enough to look past the rough spots. When I went back to make the changes she suggested, I realized my MS was NOT ready to be queried. I found typos, some poorly constructed sentences, a few continuity problems and a lot of unnecessary words. It really needed to be polished again, and that was after having already gone through it no less than six times. I also wish I had known about the technology resources that have made the process easier: Querytracker for tracking queries and the supportive forum, Natural Reader for having your MS read back to you—helps with typos, Dropbox for keeping all the changes to your MS and having access to it whenever you need it and Autocrit to tighten your MS.

AGH: Wonderful tips, thank you! I didn’t know about Natural Reader or Dropbox. Linked up now. So, are you involved in any new projects you can tell us about?

Veronica: Book two of A Girl’s Guide. Finding out I was already working on the second book with the intention of a series is what sealed the deal for my agent. It’s what she already had in mind when she read my MS.

**Five for fun**

AGH: In your opinion, what was the best thing before sliced bread?

Veronica: The bread itself. I LOVE carbs—tortillas, bread, bagels, pita bread. Yum. Who needs sliced bread anyway? A big ol’ hunk of steamy, sour dough bread, all crusty on the outside and soft on the inside has the same amount of calories as a slice of Wonder bread anyway, right?

AGH: Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

Veronica: Sing in the rain. I have curly hair with a mind of its own. Once the humid weather hits it, any semblance of style is gone. I may as well sing in the rain, since an umbrella won’t help in the vanity department.

AGH: Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?

Veronica: I am a true animal lover so I am Team Dog and Team Cat, Team Hamster, Team Llama, Team Gecko, Team Everything Animal, except Team Bug.

AGH: If you could morph into any food, what kind would you become and why?

Veronica: Honey—it’s smooth, sweet, golden and practically lasts forever. It’s been found in Egyptian tombs and was still tasty after thousands of years (I want to know who lost the bet that persuaded that person to try two-thousand year old honey). How could you go wrong with something made of flower nectar and is barfed up by bees?

AGH: When would you go to if you had a time machine, and why?

Veronica: I think I would go back to the early eighties so I could buy lots of Microsoft and Apple stock. Then my family would be set and I could write full time. It’s sort of a selfish wish, but I’d give money to charity to offset my capitalistic desires.

~~~

Thank you for the interview, Veronica! And you taught me something. I never knew people sampled the honey found in Egyptian tombs. *supresses gag reflex* Heh.

Visit Veronica's website to stay abreast of news and announcements. It's a great site! There's even a question and answer section where you can interact with Edwin, the cross-dressing English drama queen ... ahem.. king. ;)

Congrats, Veronica, on all of your successes so far, and I wish you much luck and happiness as you climb to the shelves.

Everyone else, have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing weekend!

Although I'm not here to answer comments today (having some outpatient surgery), if you have questions for Veronica -- or would like to show her your support -- please feel free to leave comments below for her to enjoy. I'll stop in later this weekend to answer any left for me.