QUERY

 

Dear Ms. Meadows and Ms. Zhang,

How can your life change and open up if you let more people in?

Seventeen-year-old Sadie Snow’s social circle consists almost entirely of emotionally distant Amber and virtual big brother Ethan. When Amber dumps her without a word, Sadie is left hurt and confused. She turns to Ethan, who has always been her rock, for support, confident that he’ll be there for her.

When Sadie’s long-time crush, pseudo-bad-boy Anderson, is kicked out of his house, Sadie’s social worker mom takes him into their home. Still reeling from the loss of her best friend, Sadie finds herself drifting towards Anderson, who, much to Sadie’s surprise, returns her affections.

As Sadie comes to grips with losing Amber, Sadie and Anderson grow closer every day, while Ethan drifts further away. Concerned about her friend, Sadie confronts Ethan and he admits a game-changing secret. Sadie must decide whether changing the terms of her romantic and platonic relationships are worth the risk of losing them.

Leaning Towards Optimism is contemporary YA. It would appeal to readers of Kasie West’s “The Distance Between Us” and Robin Constantine’s “The Promise of Amazing.” It’s complete at 69,000 words.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[AUTHOR]

 

THOUGHTS

         

KAT: I think the largest issue here is the vagueness of the query. We get introduced to a number of characters, but we don’t really get a sense of action or plot. What happens? What are the stakes? What is the path of action leading to possible resolution?

JODI: I agree. We’re missing a sense of urgency and emotional attachment to the characters, which I think is one of the most important things a query needs to do: it needs to make the reader feel connected to the character so the reader cares what happens.

KAT: Yes! Also, I think we’re missing the “why” to a lot of the actions that are listed. We don’t need a lot, but I’m left wondering: Why did Amber dump her best friend? Why is Ethan drifting away? Without knowing the “why,” again, I don’t know the stakes. I assume that the “game-changing secret” is going to be a large part of the plot and stakes, but I’m left wondering what exactly the “game” is.

JODI: Yep. I think understanding the stakes would go a long way toward helping the reader grow closer to the characters. A couple other things that stood out: the rhetorical question at the beginning (I immediately started coming up with my own answer — almost never the writer’s intention, I think) — and the “virtual big brother” which sounded very 1984 and creepy, though I don’t think it was supposed to be. So while this query has a good format — inciting event, game-changing, and characters doing things — I’d like to see it pushed a little further: more focus, attention to alternate meanings for various details, and — like you said — a clearer picture of what is at stake, exactly.

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So, there are our thoughts! What do you guys think about this query?

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In preparation for our QUERYPALOOZA next week, I (Jodi) dragged out an old how-to post written for WriteOnCon. It was originally posted about four years ago — ages ago in internet time! If you saw it then, wow! If you’re just seeing it for the first time, I hope it’s useful to you!

Next week, Kat and I will be discussing some of the queries we received specifically to post on Pub Crawl. We received a bunch of options (you guys rock!), but we could only choose five for this. We tried to pick the ones we thought would be the most useful for you all to see, which means our choices had nothing to with what we liked and didn’t like (there were so many cool ones!), and everything to do with what we thought would be educational.

So until next week, here’s a little about queries!

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YOUR CHANCE TO SHINE:

I like queries. No, I love them. They’re such short, humble things, but their importance is undeniable. Queries are the initial step to nabbing an agent. They’re your first impression, and your best chance at getting an agent to pay attention to you.

Considering how drastically queries can affect careers, it always shocks me when writers carelessly throw something together, assuming it will be adequate. Which is not to say I think people should get worked up over things like margins and which paragraph your wordcount/genre should be in. There’s also no point in trying to find magic offer-of-representation-words. They don’t exist. No, you must query responsibly and realistically.

The purpose of a query is to make someone so interested in reading your manuscript they can’t eat or sleep until they read it. And that’s the tricky part.

KNOWING WHAT TO INCLUDE:

If you don’t already know how to format a query letter, get thee to Google. This post isn’t about what font you use. This post is about how to show the extreme awesomeness of your story.

Beginning a query description can be really intimidating! To get started, answer the following questions:

1. Who is the protagonist and what is their goal? (Motivation.)

2. What is keeping the protag from achieving that goal? (Conflict.)

3. How will the protagonist overcome this problem? (Plot.)

4. What happens if the protagonist fails/what choice does the protagonist have to make? (Stakes, and why the reader should care.)

I can’t give you these answers, but I can help you learn how to turn them into a clear, kick-butt query.

FILLING IN THE BLANKS:

My favorite method of query-writing involves three paragraphs and modifying from there. Sometimes you may find you need four or two paragraphs for the best effect. Be open to change if necessary, but for the purpose of this example, I’m going to use my usual three paragraphs. While you’re reading this, keep in mind the questions above.

Paragraph one: This sentence introduces the character and a goal/problem in a hooky way. This sentence expands on that and explains why it’s so important. This one talks about the character’s great idea to solve their problem. This sentence presents a new problem that complicates their original problem and renders their other solution useless.

Paragraph two: This paragraph is more fluid. It might explain worldbuilding, or tell the reader about interesting situations the character gets into. It will use specific details strong enough to influence the reader’s perception of the story/character/world. It will keep the tension rising, and not veer from the problems introduced in paragraph one. It ends, perhaps, with the character deciding on yet another solution to their problems, or realizing something horrible. It will drag the reader into the final paragraph.

Paragraph three: This sentence introduces a big choice or complication that directly relates to the main problem. The final sentence makes the stakes clear and hooks the reader.

The most important thing is to make the reader care desperately about your character, their situation, and the choices the character will have to make.

A FEW POINTERS:

1. Agents are reading lots of queries very quickly. Make this easy for them. Minimal character and place names. Don’t list multiple plot twists and expect anyone to remember them; it’s a hook, not a synopsis.

2. Focus. Your story may be filled with lots of subplots and secondary characters with their own agendas, and that’s cool, but focus. Main character, main plot. Again, hook. Not a synopsis.

3. Action! Things move forward. Things get worse. Choices are difficult and emotional.

4. Snip. Chop out all extra phrases and scaffolding. Make it fast and easy to read. Stay around 150-200 words.

THINGS YOUR QUERY REVEALS:

Writers are often shocked to find out how much agents can tell about a book based on the query, but if you read a couple dozen of them, then peek at the sample pages, you’d be surprised how much the queries reveal.

1. One of the biggest, most obvious things agents see is an author’s writing skill. Not fair to judge an entire manuscript based on one 200-word description? Think about this: Would you want to read a manuscript if the query was filled with typos, scaffolding, and confusing sentences? I doubt it. But I bet you’d want to read something if the query had smart, snappy writing, or prose that made your heart melt.

And if the writing in your query doesn’t reflect the actual manuscript — see above about folks just whipping something together.

2. Plot — whether you’ve got any, whether it’s like everyone else’s, or whether it has the potential to be awesome.

A query for a manuscript with plot shows conflicts and choices; it will answer the questions above. The query does not list every event and give away the end — save that for the synopsis — but it gives enough specific details to show the agent there’s potential in this. A query without conflict and choices is most likely a query for a manuscript without plot.

As for a plot that’s like someone else’s, how would anyone know? Ah hah. But what is the first thing you think of when you see this: Mylight is about a teenage girl who’s fascinated by the boy who sits next to her in class. Unfortunately, he seems to hate her no matter how hard she tries to be nice. But when he saves her life, she begins to unravel his mystery. He’s a hot supernatural love interest and he’s smitten with her. While he fights the urge to kill her because of his nature, she must convince him that true love is more powerful.

3. Characters and their development. Same thing as above. Great characters stand out in queries. So do Mary Sues. Dull characters will have no motivation, no drive to do anything. Who wants to read about boring characters?

THIS SECTION WILL NOT INCLUDE A NUMBERED LIST:

My favorite thing about queries is that they force you to see what your book is really about. You must look at your manuscript like an outsider, paring it down to its most basic — but biggest — elements. Queries can change how you look at your story, sometimes inspiring amazing revisions. (What if the book your query talks about is way better than the one you wrote?)

You may also find query descriptions useful when beginning a new story. Often queries reveal the most interesting things about a manuscript, and they can help writers focus on those things. If you don’t know where the story is heading, writing the query can help you figure out the stakes and choices your characters will face in the end, giving you somewhere to aim.

So there you have it. I know that’s a lot to take in, but with enough practice, it will be second nature. Read other people’s queries. Participate in different query critiques; there are lots available for free on the internet. Soon you’ll be hooking agents right and left.

Questions? Comments? The floor is yours.

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by

Jodi Meadows

–

Last month I posted part one of the Pressures of Publishing. That post has a bunch of caveats and reminders that I know how lucky I am to be able write books that other people can read. So this time, I’ll just jump right in with a list. Obviously experiences will vary, but I did a super unscientific poll on Twitter.

And if you are feeling any of these things, know this: you are not alone. I repeat: you are not alone.

It might be easiest to organize these by type (sort of), so we’ll start with . . .

1. Vulnerability

Writing is a pretty personal thing. Especially when my stories are new and shiny, I love them so much. Little pieces of myself get stuck to them — hopes, dreams, fears, ideas, passions — and letting other people read that can be like letting them peek between my ribs to see my heart. (Sorry, that’s kind of gross sounding.) Even when I know the person reading it — like a critique partner or friend — it’s still a very vulnerable feeling.

You know the saying “Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed.”? Yes. That feels very very true. And then you give your blood-spattered pages to other people. (Gross again. Sorry.) Sometimes they love it. Sometimes they hate it. Sometimes they are apathetic about it. It’s hard not to worry about what other people think of your story, not even on a career level, but a personal, emotional level.

2. Fear of disappointing others

One of the things about publishing is how many people take a chance on you. They take risks for you, for your book, for your career — all because they believe in a story you made up. I know so many authors who worry about disappointing their agents, editors, and other publishing people. They want their book to do well so these people they admire so much will feel that it was worth all the time, money, and effort they put into it.

And it’s not just the professionals authors worry about. We worry about disappointing readers who thought the book looked good and then spent money on it, and time reading it. And when more books come out, we worry about disappointing established readers. What if they don’t like the new one? What if we’ve lost them forever?

3. Writing as a job

Writing at any stage isn’t easy, but once writing also becomes a job, it seems to become even more difficult. Suddenly, there are deadlines to meet, promotion and marketing to take care of, and all the other things authors have to do that Aren’t Writing. Once the first book is turned in, we start thinking about the next one, and whether the publisher will believe in the first enough to take on the second. That next book needs to get out fast enough so that readers don’t forget about us, but not so quickly that we saturate our own market. A lot of writers feel like their process doesn’t conform to what publishing needs, usually in a time-related way, which makes those deadlines and regular release dates tricky.

There’s also the branding issue. If your first book is a light-hearted romance about a fairy and a giraffe, is that what’s expected of you for the rest of your career? What if you want to expand? What if publishers or readers only want the one thing from you? It’s pretty scary to think that the first subgenre you publish might be the only thing anyone ever wants you to write again.

And then, because writing is a job, it must be done. Even when it isn’t fun, contracted books must be written or there will be consequences. Because writing is a job, not something you do simply because you love telling stories.

4. Anxiety and other black holes

This whole blog post has been anxiety-inducing, but yes, there’s more. Lots of writers feel unqualified to talk about writing, do school events, talk about anything with any sort of authority. Plus, getting up to speak in front of people can be just plain scary.

There’s a lot to be afraid of: hoping the next book will do better than the first (and being afraid it won’t), worrying you’ll get no marketing for the book (or you’ll get a ton and the book will flop anyway), and a hundred other things I’m running out of room to name.

But I don’t want to forget the green-eyed monster, jealousy of other authors (and knowing that jealousy accomplishes nothing but gray hairs). It’s so freaking easy to assume what other authors are putting out into the world is the only thing that’s happening to them. Lots of marketing, ridiculously high sales numbers, and adoration from readers everywhere. Even though most of us know others share only the good things, it’s easy to forget that.

The truth is, every author struggles with some sort of pressure. Some of them are mentioned in this post. Lots probably aren’t. There are days I have to remind myself that I write books because I love telling stories — because it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. And like any job, there is stress involved.

What helps me? (Besides cookies, of course, which don’t help my pants.) Remembering the book love. Reading happy reader mail. Taking regular breaks. Acknowledging that there are some things I can’t change. Try to cut out whatever frustrating/upsetting/jealous-making things I can — which sometimes means ignoring various parts of the internet when I’m feeling particularly susceptible to negative feelings. And above all, I remember that there’s one thing I can control.

My writing.

–

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy and the forthcoming THE ORPHAN QUEEN Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).
*A Kippy is a cat.

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by

Jordan Hamessley London

and the Pub(lishing) Crawl Gang!

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About three months ago, I had a life change. I left my job at Grosset & Dunlap at Penguin to become an Editor at Egmont USA. It was a very exciting move for me, if a bit scary. Grosset had been my first publishing job and my first “real job” out of college. I had a ton of memories there and it felt like my second home.

When I arrived at Egmont in December, I was thrilled to begin working on a new list and with a new team, but I realized something was missing. Now, this may sound crazy, but hear me out.

My desk at Grosset had been very lived over the course of my five years there, I had acquired numerous action figures, plush toys, photos, and trinkets from my authors. When I got home from my first day at Egmont, I knew I needed to bring in the little things that would make my desk feel like “home” again. What are those things?

Well, my Benjamin Linus bobblehead, of course.

 

And my paper machete, inspired by an amazing typo written by one of authors (attempting to spell papier mâché) and what I use on particularly intense edits!

 

At last, my workspace was complete!

My journey to complete my new workspace made me wonder where all of the other Pub(lishing) Crawl members do their work. Here’s a sneak peek at where they write/agent/and sell their books!

 The Pub(lishing) Crawl team is a great example of how everyone has a different place where they work. What makes your workspace unique and special to you? 

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Jordan Hamessley London is an Editor at Egmont USA, where she edits middle grade and YA. Her current titles include Isla J. Bick’s new series, The Dark Passages (#1 White Space), Bree DeSpain’s new series Into the Dark (#1 The Shadow Prince), and more. Prior to Egmont, Jordan worked at  Grosset and Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers where she edited Adam-Troy Castro’s middle grade horror series Gustav Gloom, Ben H. Winters and Adam F. Watkin’s series of horror poetry Literally Disturbed, Michelle Schusterman’s I Heart Band series, Adam F. Watkins’s alphabet picture book R is for Robot and more. When not editing, Jordan can be found on twitter talking about books, scary movies, and musical theater.

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by

Jodi Meadows

–

The other night, I asked Twitter what I should write about for my post this month, and someone said she wanted to hear about the pressures and problems of being a published author — as opposed to tips on how to get published.

It’s a good topic, but before I get to the real meat of the discussion, I’d like to preface it with what looks like it’s going to be part one of ???:

This is something I talk about frequently, but in private, in small, safe places with people who I know won’t say, “I’d give anything to have your problems” or, “Well, at least you’re published.” As if that makes the struggles any less challenging or real. Believe me, I remember what it’s like to want someone else’s problems–what I saw as desierable problems–and I know how blessed and fortunate I am to be able to have writing as a career! It’s very rarely an easy career, though.

And the truth is, it’s a lot simpler to talk about challenges I’ve been through, like hundreds of rejections, or writing seventeen novels before INCARNATE was picked up. It’s not always comfortable talking about those things, because I remember the anguish and struggle of being in the middle of all that. But I believe it’s important to talk about them, especially now that I’ve come out on the other side of them, because they’re encouraging stories for others in those same places. It shows them that I survived, and they can, too.

Now that I’m published, it’s a bit different. After all, this is something I want to keep doing, struggles and all. This is the career I wanted. There’s not really another side where I talk about the difficulties but tell people I made it through. And looking at publishing as if it’s one huge thing that will (hopefully) last the rest of my life, that’s pretty overwhelming. It’s much more manageable to break problems into smaller bits and look at them individually.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of good things about being published. Too many to name. (This is probably another reason why authors rarely talk about how difficult it can be — they don’t want to come off as ungrateful. I certainly don’t!) But it’s not all sunshine and flowers once that first contract is signed. For me, writing actually got a lot more difficult.

Which, at this point, is another post, because this one will soon get unwieldy . . .

(But, with that in mind, I want you to know something: I am surviving. And you can, too.)

–

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).
*A Kippy is a cat.

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by Kat Zhang (featuring Jodi Meadows)

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Today is the release day of our very own Jodi Meadows’ novella, PHOENIX OVERTURE. Even before I read the novella itself, I loved that title, and now I can say I love the novella just as much! Novellas are tricky to write, and PHOENIX OVERTURE does such a great job of telling a self-contained story that, at the same time, allows readers a deeper look at the characters we already love. In this case, of course, I’m talking about Sam!

Oh, Sam. Baby Sam. Okay, so he’s obviously not actually a baby in this novella, but he’s worlds younger than the Sam we know from INCARNATE and ASUNDER, and I found it fascinating to get to know this version of him. Jodi paints a character who is very much recognizable as the boy Ana falls in love with lifetimes later—but also one believably newer to the world.

Sam isn’t the only familiar character who shows up—though for fear of spoilers, I’ll let you read the novella to see who else makes an appearance We also get to meet some characters who, while very important to Sam’s life, don’t play a role in the first two novels.

I loved getting to know the characters better, as well as getting tantalizing hints as to the history and origin of Ana and Sam’s world. Not to mention—now I’m dying even more for INFINITE!

To celebrate the release, I’m giving away a copy of the novella

Have the happiest of release days, Jodi!! <3 <3

 

 

In the wilds around the Community where Sam and his family have taken shelter, life is dangerous. Dragons, trolls, centaurs, and other monsters fill the world. The word comes from the council that everyone must leave and journey to rescue their leader, Janan, who has been abducted by a mysterious new enemy in the north. Faced with overwhelming threats that bring death and destruction, Sam and the others reach the northern Range and, reunited with Janan, are given an unimaginable opportunity. Although it would give them the privilege to live and learn and love without fear, the choice is not without its own dire consequences. And lives—though not theirs—are sure to be lost. Just how much are they willing to give up to save themselves?

 

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This week we have two books that feature immortality in their own unique ways. INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows follows Ana, a new soul born into a world where everyone else has been reincarnated for thousands of years. In THE ALCHEMY OF FOREVER, a potion allows you to "swap bodies" before you die, thus allowing you to live forever...if you do it right.

Enjoy!


Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Click here to read or write reviews for this book.





The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Click here to write a review for this book.

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Welcome to the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt!
This week, 48 bloggers are celebrating the release of INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows by participating in a treasure hunt with clues, activities, and lots of prizes including signed books and THE COOLEST handknit fingerless mitts made by Jodi herself.

You've reached a CLUE blog, which means somewhere on this page is a clue to finding the hidden page with a grand prize entry form on Jodi's website. Follow 26 clues to get there!

For more information on the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt, check out Jodi's post.

For now, check out Jodi's mad knitting skills. She actually knitted Ana, the main character from INCARNATE. That kinda blows me away.




Thanks for stopping by during the INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt! Good luck!

My clue for the password is . . .

Fourth word: r
Remember, there are no spaces in this password!


Click here for more INCARNATE Theater Treasure Hunt fun:
Letters Inside Out
B's Book Blog!
Mon Palais

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Is the worth of a person's life or their soul connected to how many years they've lived?  The longer you've lived, the more you're worth?  Is a soul really strong enough to transcend time and rebirth?   

In the land of Range, reincarnation is the norm.  The cycle of life, death and rebirth has been happening for thousands of years - until Ana is born.  She's the first Newsoul in Heart and her birth has thrown their world into a panic because it signifies the end of another's chance at rebirth.  Forever.  

For most people, including those closet to her, Ana represents a curse and is living a life that doesn't belong to her.  There is one person though, who believes she's good and wants to help her find out how she came to be.  If he can get Ana to see her worth, he might be able to convince the rest of Heart to see it as well, but they'll have to survive their journey first.


Click to read my full review...

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