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Tag: romance novel

What Writers Can Learn From Rejection

Posted on June 12, 2012November 3, 2014 by LJ

I'm baaaack!  I took a little hiatus to work on some non-writing goals, but I'm back baby and more fired up than ever.

Okay, so I got kicked out of the Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Contest during the pitch stage and two of the three e-publishers that requested to see excerpts of my legal thriller have rejected it.  I could sink into a funk, throw in the towel, and stop writing, or I can pick myself up, dust myself off, and see whether I can learn something from this experience.

As writers, we get a lot of rejection – whether it's a less than thrilling grade from a professor, a form rejection letter from an agent or editor, or a bad review of a published work.  Chances are that if you submit your work to public scrutiny and/or try to get it published, you will withstand a fair amount of rejection along the way.  They say that, to survive in this business, we must learn to be thick-skinned, to roll with the punches and to never give up.

In his book “On Writing” Stephen King tells us that we should be ready to paper our walls with rejection letters until we get that one shot.  In fact, he literally did that.  I don't know . . .   that would take up a lot of wall space and mess with my decor.

The thing is that not all rejections are created equal and the reasons for rejection vary.  Your work might be rejected because you didn't properly research an agent or editor and they might not represent the type of book you wrote.  You might get rejected because the type of book you wrote is not hot in the market at this time or the agency or publishing house already represents or has books by competing authors in your genre.  You might get rejected because you didn't do a good job of pitching or describing the story or your target market or because your prose or your storyline or your writing is not up to the standards  of a particular agent or editor.  You might be a fine writer and/or storyteller but your storyline might not excite or inspire an agent or editor to want to sign you up or publish your work.

The types of rejections you get vary as well.  Sometimes you get a form e-mail or letter simply stating that your work is not a good fit for that agency or publishing house, sometimes you get very detailed editorial comments, and sometimes you just get radio silence.  I seemed to have progressed from getting form rejections letters to getting very detailed comments on my excerpts from editors and agents alike.  That tells me that I'm close to finding the one (agent and/or editor) according to the tales told by successful novelists concerning their breakthroughs.

Sometimes, we can actually learn something from rejection.  In my last rejection letter, the editor told me some of the same things I had heard from my beta readers – that my book has too much legalese in it which threw her out of the story and that it started too slowly after the action- packed prologue.  So what did I learn from that?  I learned that I should listen to my beta readers and edit the beginning of the book to move it along.  The legalese and a couple of unnecessary scenes are slowing the book down.  Apparently, it takes flight after page 50 where the only legal scenes take place in the courtroom (as opposed to in the law firm) and are more dramatic.

Sometimes, you have to take some of the editorial advice you get with a grain of salt.  One editor, in her rejection letter, told me that she didn't like the fact that my hero was suing for the death of his wife and child and yet was attracted to his very sexy attorney.  All of my beta readers (with one notable exception) had no problem with that whatsoever.  They felt that almost two years was enough time for him to be ready to move on even though he was in the process of seeking revenge against the company that caused the death of his family.  If it was a romantic suspense novel (as opposed to being a legal thriller with strong romantic elements), I might have to rethink that storyline since romance readers might be more sensitive to that issue.  But I seem to be making more progress now that I've stopped trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.  I do not write romance novels.  Period. 🙂

What did I learn from being kicked out of the Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Contest at the pitch stage?  That I probably shouldn't have put a line as asinine as: “This book is a legal thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat” in my pitch. Oh well, I'll do better next year.

In the meantime, I have a legal thriller to edit and send out to more agents and editors, another thriller to rework, and a political suspense novel to edit and get ready to pitch at Thrillerfest next month.

Giving up is not in my DNA.  I bet it's not in yours either.

Peace.

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Posted in Life, WritingTagged "On Writing", agent, Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award, e-publishers, editor, editorial comments, legal thriller, pitch, rejection, romance novel, Stephen King1 Comment on What Writers Can Learn From Rejection

What I learned at the San Francisco Writers Conference: Be True to Thine Self

Posted on March 21, 2011 by LJ

The 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference was held February 18 – 20, 2011 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. This was my second time attending the event.

Although it was cold and rainy the first two days, the conference itself was, once again, fantastic. It was sold out. Writers from all over the country attended to network with fellow writers, find an agent or a publisher, learn from the many seminars given and/or have independent editors give them feedback and guidance on their work. I myself attended the conference for all of those reasons. My biggest reason, though, was to find an agent.

Mindful of the lessons I learned last year about knowing the market for my work, I prepared for the conference by researching the agents scheduled to participate in the conference's famed “Speed Dating With Agents” event, and by searching for other books similar to the ones I have written (preferably bestsellers) and being able to describe who buys such books.

Since my romance novel has morphed in the editing/rewriting process from being a plain romantic suspense novel to being a romantic legal thriller, I searched Amazon.com for similar novels. To my delight, I found several other romance novels featuring lawyers and judges as heroes and heroines. I even discovered a great series of novels involving an African-American woman attorney as the heroine written by Pamela Samuels-Young. I checked a number of books out of the library for the sake of research and, being the queen of procrastination, found myself reading them when I should have been writing. But I digress.

It was a lot harder for me to find books comparable to my second novel. This is the same book that gave me angst last year when I attended the conference. This novel is about a young African-American woman who is released from prison and is determined to turn her life around – not just for herself, but also for her son. She never told the baby's father that she was pregnant when she went to prison and she kept her mouth shut when they wanted her to testify against him for a deal. But when the state files a petition against him for child support and he retaliates by seeking full custody of their son, she's left with no other choice. To save her son, she'll have to gather evidence that he was the ringleader of the conspiracy of which she was convicted and testify against him. The question is will she live long enough to do that?

One of the great things about the San Francisco Writers Conference is the multitude of opportunities you get to interact with agents and editors alike. One of those opportunities is an activity I participated in last year called “Meet the Pros.” Basically editors from various publishing houses sit at tables of ten with nine writers at a time. Each writer gets an opportunity to pitch their book and then get feedback from the editor. You get to listen to each author's pitch and the feedback they receive.

The last time I did this, I pitched my second novel and was told by an editor that I was writing gritty urban street fiction. I was annoyed at this characterization of my work until I did some research and discovered that, while I was not writing gritty urban street fiction, the book did fall into the category of urban fiction which is really just a euphemism for Black fiction.

When I attended the Romance Writers of America conference last year, an agent told me that my second novel would be a lot easier to sell if it was a romance novel. She's right. The problem is that the book is just not a romance novel. Although there is romance (and certainly sex) in the book, it doesn't follow the conventions of a romance novel. And when I try to force it into being a romance novel, it just doesn't work.

Knowing that I wanted to pitch this novel again this year, I searched diligently for comparable novels. The closest thing I could find was gritty urban street fiction, although my novel is not really set in the streets and my characters don't really use the street vernacular you find in such books. I did, however, find romance novels featuring heroes and heroines who had just served prison sentences and were trying to turn their lives around. I decided to pitch the novel as a romance novel and try to force a square peg into a round hole.

I pitched the novel to an editor of a publishing house known for publishing a varied and eclectic mix of novels. She turned to me and said: “Honey, unfortunately, the only people who want to read about Black people getting out of jail are other Black people.” In other words, she was saying that the book would not have mass appeal and that I should target agents and publishing houses that target the African-American reader. At first, I was demoralized. How could I sell this book to agents and editors at the conference if I couldn't make them believe it would have mass appeal?

Knowing that I was participating in Speed Dating for Agents the next day and competing in a pitch contest that night, I went back to my hotel room and got to work on my pitch and in pinpointing the market for my book. With the editor's words ringing in my ears, I finally figured it out. Although I didn't find books exactly like mine, I did find a fiction book on Amazon.com featuring four African-American woman who were the wives, daughters, mothers, etc. of men serving time in prison. The book wasn't set in the streets and was written in English (not slang). According to the site, the people who bought that book also bought books from such bestselling African-American authors as Walter Moseley, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Brenda Jackson. The lightbulb went off. That's how I needed to package my book to the agents I was going to pitch the next day. The African-American market is a large market that is probably hungry for more books featuring African-American characters that don't fall into the realm of gritty urban street fiction. I know I am.

I wrote up a pitch for the book that stayed true to its theme and didn't cast it as a romance novel. That night, I competed in a pitch contest. I beat at least thirty other authors and came in second place. Since the contest was judged by three agents, that bolstered my confidence in my ability to successfully pitch the book to agents the next day. The next morning, however, after waiting in a very long line to get into the room to meet the agents, I panicked and tried to pitch the book as a romance novel to the first agent I approached. She was not interested at all. In retrospect, I can understand why. Because I wasn't true to myself or the book by trying to depict it as a romance novel, neither my passion nor the concept of the book shined through and I was unable to capture the agent's interest.

As I got up to get in line for the next agent I wanted to see, I cursed myself for being a fool. My original pitch had won over more than thirty other authors' pitches the night before. If it wasn't broke then why the heck was I trying to fix it?

I pitched the book to five other agents that morning, each of whom gave me their cards and asked to see the first 50 pages of the book and a synopsis. If they like what they read, then they'll ask to see the rest of the novel. If they like that, then they will offer to represent me.

So, what did I learn from this? The same things I keep learning over and over again. I relate to people best when I am true to myself (as opposed to trying to be someone else). My passion shines through when I am my authentic self. And, as for my second novel, what it is, is what it is, is what it is. And that's just as it should be.

Peace.

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Posted in WritingTagged African-American, authentic self, gritty urban street fiction, Meet the Pros, pitch, pitch contest, prison, romance novel, Romance Writers of America, romantic legal thriller, San Francisco Writers Conference, Speed Dating With Agents, true, true to myself, urban fictionLeave a Comment on What I learned at the San Francisco Writers Conference: Be True to Thine Self

The Benefit of Attending a Writers Conference Part II – Romance Writers of America 30th Annual Conference

Posted on October 8, 2010 by LJ

This post is way overdue. In fact, I should have written it in July upon my return from the 30th Annual Romance Writers of America Conference. I certainly meant to, however, other post ideas jumped to the forefront, namely, the health-related posts that have dominated my blog for the past several months. Sometimes it's hard to find a balance between two strong passions. Sometimes it's just hard to admit that, having lost more than fifty pounds, but not having yet published a book, I feel more qualified to talk about exercise, nutrition and weight loss issues than I do talking about writing. But then I thought about it. This blog is about my journey as a writer, a woman and a weight loss maven. I've learned quite a bit already in my journey to publish a novel and there are people out there who can benefit from that. So here goes.

The 30th Annual Romance Writers of America Conference was held July 28-31 in Orlando, Florida. I almost didn't attend the conference because my manuscript had just gotten rejected by two publishing houses for, among other things, not focusing enough on the central romance. Since that is, in essence, what differentiates a romance novel from, say, a suspense novel with romantic elements, I figured that I wasn't writing a romance novel and thus, had no need to attend a romance writers conference. Boy was I wrong.

It's almost impossible for me to tell you about how much I benefitted from attending the conference, but I will try. First, I got to see my favorite author – Nora Roberts – give a keynote speech. It inspired me so much that, even though I will have to almost completely rewrite the romance novel I thought was done, I am not demoralized in the least.  She turned out to be the most down to Earth, likeable woman and she had very useful advice about writing and the writers life.

Until I attended the conference, I didn't know that spitting out the first draft of a novel is just the tip of the iceberg. Although I knew that some editing had to take place to make it a coherent story, I did not know that much of the craft of writing – the layering in of detail, character voice, imagery, symbolism, etc. went into the second and third drafts of a novel. Until I took the seminars, I didn't know that every scene had to have conflict and had to have a hook to keep the reader wanting to turn the page. I didn't know that each character had to have their own voice, goals and motivations, and that the best way to create conflict and tension in a book is to have those goals in opposition. I didn't know that each character had to have their own story arc or that my dialogue had to reflect, for example,  the fact that men generally talk less than women (I should say most men – I know some exceptions).

Until I heard agents and editors talk about what they look for in books, I didn't know that it was a bad idea to have my romance novel start with a dream sequence or to throw too much backstory into the first chapter. Until I began to read the books on writing recommended by the bestselling novelists, agents and editors who spoke at the conference, I didn't know that there were rules to writing a romance – for example I didn't know that no more than ten pages should elapse without the hero and heroine interacting together in a scene. In short, I did not know all of the things that my romance novel was missing. I didn't even realize that the last editor who rejected my manuscript was actually encouraging me to keep trying by taking the time to point out some of the pros and cons of the chapters I sent her rather than sending me a form rejection letter. Apparently, that is pretty rare.

While at the conference, I interacted with other writers and learned about useful websites and got recommendations on books on writing to assist me in revising my manuscript. I met an agent while waiting for the airport shuttle who encouraged me to pitch my books to her, gave me great advice and told me to send her my manuscripts when they are complete.

The conference itself was a great value for the money. The registration fee included several meals, over a hundred seminars, book signings, etc. Prior to the conference, I had downloaded audio files of seminars given at prior RWA annual conferences for $8.00 per seminar. At the conference, they offered CD's containing the top 24 seminars given at the 2008 and 2009 conferences for $5.00 for the 2008 CD and $10.00 for the 2009 CD. They also offered a CD-Rom containing .mp3 files and handouts for all of the 2010 seminars and speeches for $99.00. Considering that more than a hundred seminars were given at the conference on everything from writer's craft to the writer's life and you could not possibly attend all the ones you wanted to since many were given in the same time slots, that is a bargain indeed.

The bottom line is that I am very happy I attended the conference and benefitted tremendously from the experience.  I'm looking forward to attending next year's conference which will be held 6/28/11 – 7/1/11, at the Marriott Marquis in New York.  Maybe I'll see some of you there.

Peace

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Posted in WritingTagged 30th Annual Romance Writers of America Conference, dialogue, layering in of detail, Nora Roberts, rejection letter, romance novel, Romance Writers of America, The Benefit of Attending A Writers Conference, WritingLeave a Comment on The Benefit of Attending a Writers Conference Part II – Romance Writers of America 30th Annual Conference

Writers Resources: Audio Downloads of Writers Seminars

Posted on July 22, 2010 by LJ

You might think of me as Johnyta come lately, but I recently discovered a wonderful resource for writers:  audio downloads of writers seminars.  The Romance Writers of America (“RWA”) offers audio downloads of the seminars given at its annual conferences in 2008 and 2009.  www.rwa.org  The seminars are given by bestselling authors, editors of large publishing houses and the like.  The topics of the seminars run the gamut from seminars on the craft of writing to seminars on writers' careers (i.e. networking, building an audience, surviving tax audits) to seminars on getting published (i.e. genre jumping, what editors seek, what bestsellers have in common).  There are also downloads available of seminars on how to do research for your book and the writers life (critique partners, finding your muse, etc.).  The downloads are $8.00 each ($12.00 for two-hour seminars) and are a great value.  Those who can't afford to attend the conferences can take advantage of one of the main benefits of attending for a fraction of the price.

The seminars are not limited to how to write romance novels either.  The craft seminars are applicable to all genres of fiction.  They cover such topics as how to write good dialogue, how to set the pace in a novel, how to build suspense, points of view, how to effectively edit the novel, the art of backstory, etc. 

I downloaded a seminar on how to do successful re-writes that will prove invaluable in reworking my romantic suspense novel and editing my second book. The author fully explained and helped me to understand some basic concepts of novel writing that I didn't know about.  Some examples of the things I learned from the seminar are: (1)  every scene in a novel should have a purpose,  (2) every chapter of the novel should have a hook to make the reader want to continue to the next chapter,  (3) if you start the book with too high a level of tension, you will have no place to go afterward, and (4) it's a good idea to ratchet up the tension in the book by increasing the stakes.  These concepts are extremely basic for experienced writers, but are not so second nature to novice writers like myself.   Hearing the author who gave the seminar talk about how much work her novel needed before it finally got published and became a bestseller made me feel better about my works in progress.

Check out the seminars on the RWA site and let me know what you think.

Peace.

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Posted in WritingTagged agents, audio downloads, backstory, bestselling authors, chapter, craft of writing, editing, editors, fiction, genres, getting published, hook, publishers, romance, romance novel, Romance Writers of America, romantic suspense, RWA, scene, suspense, tension, writers conferences, writers reources, writers seminars, writing seminarsLeave a Comment on Writers Resources: Audio Downloads of Writers Seminars

Finding The Time To Write

Posted on April 13, 2010 by LJ

As usual, I am trying to do way too much.  I'm working on editing my romance novel so that I can send a polished product to the editors and agents who have requested to see it.   I started drafting a science fiction script for Scriptfrenzy.  I'm working out and doing what I have to do to make sure I have healthy food choices available to me so that I can continue my weight loss journey.  I'm helping to plan a party for a friend.  I'm reading books on how to find time to write and 101 ways to improve my writing.  Oh, and did I mention that  I'm a lawyer who works full-time?  So all that other stuff takes place in my spare time.  The end result:  I am one tired chick.

On my doctor's advice, and in accordance with the book “Time to Write” by Kelly L. Stone, I decided to try to go to bed earlier so that I can wake up early in the morning to work out and then do an hour or two of writing.  But, instead of heeding the advice in the book and taking it one step at a time by setting my alarm clock five minutes earlier each day to gradually ease myself into a routine, I psychotically set it to wake me at 6:00a.m. on Monday morning. 

Since I have this thing about trying to get every second out of the  weekend and I usually watch Iron Chef America until 11:00p.m. on Sunday nights then putter around chopping fruit, brushing my teeth, washing my face, picking out my clothes, etc., I didn't get into bed until midnight and I didn't fall asleep until darn near 1:00a.m.   (I watched a re-run of NCIS I had saved on the DVR).

Needless to say, when the alarm went off the next morning, I swatted the snooze button ten times and woke up closer to 7:00a.m.  I dragged myself out of bed, worked out, edited my romance novel for half an hour, showered, dressed, packed my lunch and  headed off to work. 

When I got home that night, I was too brain dead to do anything more than have dinner and veg out in front of the television.

On Tuesday morning, I tried it again.   I got into bed at 11:30p.m. and laid there with my eyes wide open (but with the television off) until after midnight.  I then tossed and turned and barely slept because I was so expecting the alarm to go off at 6:00.m.  This time, I only hit the snooze button once. 

I dragged myself out of bed, worked out and edited my romance novel for an hour and forty minutes. 

By Thursday morning, I didn't have to hit the snooze button at all.  One of my favorite songs was playing on the radio: “Get up” by Mary Mary.  The song is really uplifting and all about waking up, doing what you've got to do and really living your life.  It was so appropriate that I hopped right out of bed. 

I've been doing this for two weeks now and I've made more progress with editing my romance novel than I have in ages. 

The early morning writing schedule isn't the only one that works, however.  According to the novelists quoted in Kelly L. Stone's book (many of whom are bestsellers), some writers who work full-time or who have small children write late at night when everyone else is asleep, on the train when commuting to work, at work before or after business hours, or in large chunks of time on the weekend.  Others write in ten and twenty minute increments or whenever they can find the time.  The key is to be flexible and creative and have a burning desire to write.

It really is possible to find time to write – even with a schedule as crazy as mine.

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Posted in WritingTagged agents, editors, fruit, Get Up, Kelly L. Stone, Mary Mary, NCIS, novel, novelist, romance, romance novel, schedule, science fiction, Time to Write, Weight Loss, write1 Comment on Finding The Time To Write

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