Advice on Finding and Working with a Literary Agent by Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck

Hey, writers! Annette here. Have you ever been in the market for an agent? I know some writers have found success without an agent. I also know how difficult it can be to get into the traditional publishing arena without one. Plus, all that publishing-contract legalese is rather intimidating, don't you think? Today, Rachel Hauck is back to share some helpful tips for finding the right agent for you. Read on!

Advice on Finding and Working with a Literary Agent

By Rachel Hauck

I wasn’t looking for an agent when an author and friend called after reading the opening chapter of my first chick lit. Enthusiastic, (don’t you love those calls?) she suggested I submit the work to her agent. After learning of the agent’s reputation and client list, I wholeheartedly agreed.

There’s a tendency to get in a hurry when seeking an agent. Seeing other authors pick up agents, sell trade books out of the gate, win awards. “What, am I wood? Am I standing still?”

My prayer has always been and remains, “Lord, You’re my editor, agent and promoter.”

I signed with my first agent in early ‘04. She really challenged me to go deeper in my writing and to keep reading and studying.

Yet, by mid-2007, I felt I was losing some momentum. I knew I needed help on how to increase my brand and visibility.

I began to pray about what to do—I was even willing for God to end my writing season—when I came across an agency that seemed keen on marketing and branding.

In the meantime, God opened a door for me to write with country artist Sara Evans. And then I changed agents. Closed my eyes, breathed in faith and jumped.

It was an interesting but a short season.

Through a series of interesting and fun events, the Lord led me to my next (and final) agent, Chip MacGregor.

I didn't set out to have more than one. I never wanted to agent shop or get disgruntled and change for the sake of change. An agent/client relationship is a living, breathing thing that must be maintained and treated like all relationships: with good communication.

Here’s my advice on finding or working with an agent:

1. Ask God to direct you to the right one. After talking with other writers, and watching the publishing world, it’s possible that some agents are wonderful for launching your career, but another agent will take you the rest of the way. Pray about your relationship with your agent.

2. Be professional. Do your homework. Follow agent blogs. Meet with agents at conferences. Talk to other authors about agents or agencies. Study agencies’ websites.

3. Whom does your potential agent represent? Look at their client list. Is this a good “field” for you? Do your research.

4. Attend conferences where you can meet agents. There are those HARD days when you need to talk to your agent about your career. You want to do that with confidence. Know you feel comfortable with this person. Your heart’s desire will be in their hands.

5. Don’t be afraid of hard words, of being told to go back and rework your proposal. Listen to the agent’s advice. Don’t fire back that they don’t know what they are talking about.

6. Ask any potential agent their philosophy on marketing and branding.  Since authors are required to do more and more social networking to boost sales, I think it behooves agents to be more marketing and promotions savvy. 

Finding an agent is fun and interesting, frustrating and hard. But hang in there. It’s better to have no agent than one who is wrong for you.

~~~~~

A March Bride

As part of  Zondervan's Year of Weddings novella series, A March Bride released in late February. 

Susanna has found her true prince, and their happily ever after is just around the corner. But when Nate asks her to give up something precious to her, Susanna can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign that their love is not meant to be.

Susanna Truitt (Once Upon A Prince) is three weeks from royalty. She’ll soon marry King Nathaniel II of Brighton Kingdom. But when the government insists she renounce her American citizenship before the wedding, coupled with the lack of involvement by family and friends, Susanna’s heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God's plan for her.
Nathaniel would do anything for his bride-to-be. But he knows his position requires that she give up a lot to be with him. Her life will never be her own---right down to her very identity. When she travels home to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, right before the wedding, Nathaniel fears she won’t return. Gathering his courage, he devises a plan to win his bride all over again, and together they seek out a kingdom to treasure above all.

~~~~~

Besides being an award-winning and best-selling author, Rachel Hauck is one of the mentors of MyBookTherapy. She leads worship and writes her royal tale from a turret! (true story) You can learn more about her here: 

Website: www.RachelHauck.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhauck

Twitter: @RachelHauck

Making Your Deadline Work For You by Liz Johnson

I sometimes work really well under pressure, how about you? Read on for Liz Johnson's tips on making deadlines work for you. ~ Annette

Making Your Deadline Work For You

by Liz Johnson

Today, let’s wrap up this four-part series on deadlines. By now you know how important they are, how to set one that works for you, and even have plenty of tools to make sure you meet it. Deadlines don’t have to be feared, and in fact, they can be something to look forward to.

Three words. MOTIVATION. MOTIVATION. MOTIVATION.

Your deadline should be a motivator for you to sit down at your computer and get your manuscript written. It should be a gentle nudge keeping you on track and the voice in your head reminding you to get your word count in for the day.

After all, by this time we’ve figured out how to meet our deadlines drama-free. That date isn’t looming in front of us, taunting and teasing us. It’s pushing us to achieve what we know we can. To do our very best. It’s the banner at the end of the race telling us that we’re almost to the end.

I’ve only ever run one road race in my life. It was a 5K in July in Nashville, TN. Do you know the best part of that race?

The orange slices they gave us when we crossed the finish line. I’m not usually a big citrus lover, but those oranges were especially sweet—because I’d worked so hard for them.

Do you need to dangle a reward on the other side of your deadline? Maybe you don’t, but I sure do. When I reach my milestone, I celebrate. And unlike those oranges, I don’t make it a surprise. From the start I hang a prize at the end of the race and run (or write) as hard as I can to to get to it.

I recently turned in the manuscript for my fourth novel, and I was thrilled. Not just to turn it in, but also because I’d promised myself a trip to visit some friends to celebrate. The trip was wonderfully refreshing and so good for my soul. And it was all the sweeter because there wasn’t a late manuscript dangling over my head.

Celebrate your victories. Even the little celebrations can give you a boost toward your next goal.

Like setting your goal and making a plan, your celebration will probably be unique to you. Some of you male writers out there might not enjoy a spa trip. Maybe a fishing getaway is more up your alley. Maybe you’ll treat yourself to a five-course-meal or a date night with your special someone. Maybe you’ll just give yourself a week off from writing (I confess that I did this, too).

Along with sweet oranges, another unexpected part of that July 5K was a sudden burst the last quarter of a mile. I could hear the crowd, and I felt the surge of adrenaline propelling me forward before I even turned the last corner. Many writers experience the same last-minute rush.

A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend, who has published nine novels, and is under contract for her next three. The first in her new series is due in about six weeks, and she’s only about half way done. When I asked her if she felt like she was in good shape to finish it by her deadline, she said she was. “I write better under pressure.”

I think a lot of us write better under pressure. With that deadline looming we push out all distractions, focusing intensely on the story before us. I always like what I write at the end of a story better than the beginning for just that reason. It isn’t cluttered or distracted. I know right where I’m going, and I’m moving toward those two little words: The End.

If you’re like my friend and I, make your deadline work for you. Make it propel you toward your very best.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this month on deadlines. It’s not a four-letter word and shouldn’t be dreaded or feared. Keep it in its place and use it to meet your goals, celebrating each one along the way. Best of luck on your writing journey.

What do you do to celebrate the big and little writing victories? Do you write better under pressure? Do you have any other questions about writing under deadlines as we wrap up this series?

~~~~~

Liz Johnson is a five-time deadline survivor and a New York Times bestselling author, who makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she works in marketing for a major Christian publisher. She loves great stories in nearly any format: books, movies, and interpretive dances. Her last novel was Code of Justice, and her next, A Promise to Protect, is scheduled to release late in 2012. Follow her adventures in publishing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com or on twitter @lizjohnsonbooks.

Meeting Your Deadlines (Almost) Every Time by Liz Johnson

Are you enjoying this series on meeting deadlines? Speaking from experience, Liz Johnson has some great tips below for planning ahead to meet those due dates. Read on! ~ Annette

Meeting Your Deadlines (Almost) Every Time

by Liz Johnson

If you missed the last two weeks, we’ve been talking about deadlines. Yes, they’re important. No, you don’t have to fear them like a spider running over your toe. But in order to meet your deadlines and gain all the wonderful things that go along with that, you’ve got to stock up on the right tools. Here are the ones that have worked best for me.

Make a plan. You’ve probably heard that old adage, if you fail to plan, plan to fail. It’s never more true than for writers. Writing a book is a big task, so it’ll easily overwhelm you, if you don’t first make a plan. Figure out how fast you’ll need to write to meet your word count by your deadline.

Set small, obtainable goals. Maybe your goal is to write for thirty minutes three nights a week. Maybe it’s to write 1000 words every day. Whatever your goal, make it measurable and attainable. Saying that you want to write a book probably isn’t going to help. Committing to get up thirty minutes early and spend that time writing every day this week will help. Meeting smaller goals will make the bigger goal manageable.

Get some help. You don’t have to do this alone. November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and if you’ve ever participated in the challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days, you’ve probably heard about write-ins in your area. This is just a group of people who get together in a coffee shop or restaurant and write together. Something about having someone else with you doing the same thing helps you stay on track. Set one of these up with your other writerly friends—either in person or virtually. When I first started writing, I had a standing writing date with a friend and fellow writer. Jess and I met every Monday night for an hour of undisturbed writing time. We faced each other, our laptops open, tapping out our stories. I wrote the majority of my second novel across the table from her.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for support. I finished my first novel only because a good friend of mine kept me accountable day by day to stick to the calendar I’d planned out—writing three nights a week for three months. Every morning when I got to work, she asked me if I’d written the night before. It was rotten having to tell her I hadn’t. So I started doing it. Talk about motivation.

And don’t forget about prayer. Help comes from above when we ask for it. If you’re lacking energy or creativity, ask for it. God, who created the heavens and the earth, has promised to never leave or forsake us.

Lest you think I’m perfect and always use these tips, I’ll make a quick confession. I nearly missed my deadline for this blog post. I failed to take any of my own advice. I had no plan, no obtainable goals, no accountability, not nearly enough prayer. Thankfully, this post and the others in the series aren't thousands of words each. If these had been books, you’d have found me on the floor of the Denver airport (where I wrote these) curled into the fetal position. Sometimes our very best intentions fall apart.

So what’s a writer to do if she’s going to miss her deadline? Editors aren’t cold-hearted. They understand that life happens. It happens to them, too. So if an emergency arises that is going to keep you from meeting your deadline for a contracted manuscript, get the conversation started as soon as possible. If you have an agent, rely on him or her for advice on how to deal with the situation. If it’s a personal goal, don’t beat yourself up, but don’t let yourself off the hook either. Get back on track and set a new deadline.

Ultimately, your plan needs to be tailored to your needs. You alone know what works best for you and your schedule. Just don’t skip over putting one in place.

What other tools do you use to meet your deadline? What advice have you heard that doesn’t work well for you? Why is that?

Be sure to swing by next week as we wrap up this series on deadlines.

~~~~~

Liz Johnson is a five-time deadline survivor and a New York Times bestselling author, who makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she works in marketing for a major Christian publisher. She loves great stories in nearly any format: books, movies, and interpretive dances. Her last novel was Code of Justice, and her next, A Promise to Protect, is scheduled to release late in 2012. Follow her adventures in publishing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com or on twitter @lizjohnsonbooks.

Setting Deadlines that Work by Liz Johnson

Maybe you've had to meet several deadlines over your writing career. Or maybe meeting writing deadlines is new for you. Suddenly an editor is counting on you, or your agent is waiting. Thankfully, because you're an integral part of the process, you often get a say when it comes to due dates. Liz Johnson is back today with some practical advice for setting helpful deadlines. Read on! ~ Annette

Setting Deadlines that Work

by Liz Johnson

Last week we talked about why it’s important to meet your deadlines. There are lots of reasons to make it a priority in your writing, but did you know that you have a say in your deadlines? Yep. At virtually every level of writing, you have some say in when your project is due. At the very least, you have the power to decline an opportunity if the due date isn’t within your capabilities.

Before we dive in, let’s briefly cover a few of the opportunities that might arise for writers (especially of books) to identify specific deadlines for completing full manuscripts, sample chapters, and/or proposals.

1. An upcoming writers’ conference, for which you may want to finish a proposal or manuscript in case an editor or agent requests it.

2. A request from your agent for a new proposal.

3. Suggested dates included in your proposal that you could turn in a manuscript if offered a contract.

4. And the big kahuna, you’ve been offered a book contract, and must sign a contract with a date that you’ll turn your manuscript(s) in. (Many publishers will suggest deadlines, but they may ask for your input in setting due dates too.)

Of course, there are plenty of other personal reasons for setting a deadline. Maybe you’re trying to get a manuscript in order for your critique group or simply to prove to yourself that you can finish a manuscript.

I’d also like to point out that deadlines shouldn’t be set for dreams. Dreams are things that we work toward, but ultimately we don’t control. Goals are things we can control. For example, finishing your manuscript is a goal that you might want to set a deadline for. Getting a contract from a traditional publisher for that manuscript is a dream, ultimately not in your control. It will happen in God’s timing, not in anyone else’s. So set deadlines for goals. And keep dreaming, but don’t pressure yourself to make your dreams come true by a certain date. Keep working on the things you can control.

Back to the many reasons you might have for a deadline, there’s a lot to consider before you commit to a specific date. There isn’t a perfect formula or a guaranteed best choice. Rather, you have to ask yourself a series of questions and then make your best educated guess. The more questions you ask, the better you’ll be able to identify your individual optimal date.

Here's a list of questions to ask before committing to a deadline:

1. Do you have any foreseeable life changes coming up? Are you planning to get married, have a baby, or make a major move?

2. What does the publisher need? Are they looking to fill a specific slot? I recently read an article about an author who sat next to an editor at a writers’ conference. Their conversation quickly turned to a possible project related to the anniversary of an historic event. As it turns out, the editor was looking for just such a book, but in order to release it in time for the anniversary, it needed to be turned in right away. You know that author had to weigh her options carefully before committing to turn around a book in a few short weeks.

3. What other projects have you already committed to? How much time will they take?

4. How fast can you write? I have a friend who types 100 words per minute. I type about 60wpm, but often have to stop and think things through as I write. So naturally it takes me a little longer to write than some others. But I know I can finish a 55,000 word book in about three months. That’s my general rule of thumb. Yours will be unique to you, and your style.

5. How much research do you need to do to write this book? Does it require interviewing professionals or traveling to a distant locale?

6. Do you need to add a bit of padding? I always give myself at least an extra couple weeks beyond what I guess I’ll need. This gives me time to revise and run past a crit partner before turning in my project. It also gives me a little leeway in case of an unforeseen emergency. I learned this from my 8th grade English teacher. She suggested that if a project was due on the 10th, write it on your calendar to be due on the 7th or 8th. I’ve used that tip all through my career, and it helps me feel confident knowing that I have a little cushion just in case.


What are other questions you ask before setting target dates for your writing? What are some other occasions you’ve set writing deadlines?

Next week, we’ll talk strategy for meeting your deadlines. Let’s make sure that even when the unexpected strikes you have the tools to get your writing done and your project turned in drama-free. See you then!

~~~~~

Liz Johnson is a five-time deadline survivor and a New York Times bestselling author, who makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she works in marketing for a major Christian publisher. She loves great stories in nearly any format: books, movies, and interpretive dances. Her last novel was Code of Justice, and her next, A Promise to Protect, is scheduled to release late in 2012. Follow her adventures in publishing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com or on twitter @lizjohnsonbooks.

You're a Professional!

 

 You're a Professional!

Working with Editor Series: Part Three

Net's Notations Tuesdays

Last Tuesday, we discussed the need to take some time when you get edits back, time permitting, and focus on other projects or activities. Go weed your garden, or take the grandkids for a walk, or have lunch out with a friend. (especially that last one *wink*) This week, a practical directive on tackling your edits.

After taking that much-needed breather, and the time comes to sit down and tackle the edits (or face the contest scores, or your crit partners’ comments), remember—you’re a professional. You’re a writer. An author. This is your job. Face those edits as objectively as you can. Step back and ask yourself: would these changes make the story better? Don’t let pride stand in the way of a good story. Then, dive in. Don’t fret about all the red on the screen or pencil marks on the paper (my crit group uses pencils to mark potential changes on the printed copies we bring to our meetings). Consider each change/comment’s merit, and proceed accordingly.

Did you catch that? Potential changes. Reminds me. Generally, editors are flexible. Some changes will be no-brainers, like adding an apostrophe or changing out a homonym. Other changes may affect voice or tone or areas you’d rather not change—areas that may require a discussion with your editor. Remember, that is always an option. Like I mentioned last month, you don’t want to exasperate your editor, but a few discussions about this project you’re editing together will not bother him/her. My advice: save them up until you’re ready with a list of them. Sending multiple emails a day will probably not endear him/her to you. *grin*

As I said, remember you’re a pro. You’ve got a professional contract, and these edits are part of your job. So, tackle them as you would any other job—as a professional. If discouragement attempts to rattle your calm, stop. Pray. Breathe. Tackle one tracked change at a time and pretty soon you’ll get to the last page and read those ever-endearing, two favorite words spelling out tremendous accomplishment: The End.

Remember, too, the editor (or contest judge or crit partner) is just doing his/her job as well. They’re an objective voice attempting to help you make a strong project. Trust them. Respect them, (and know they respect you). It’s a symbiotic relationship.

So, open the file. Click on the first tracked change and BEGIN! You’ve got a job to do! 

Want to talk about it? Share with us: What are your thoughts when you get feedback on your manuscript (whether from editors/critique partners or contest judges)? Do you need a breather before diving in? What methods work best for you as you tackle the potential changes?