Hope: The Best Remedy for Rejection

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I’ve written several times about the inevitability of rejection. As a writer writing about writing (say that five times fast), it’s a topic that I would be remiss to avoid. 

Today, however, I don’t want to talk about how much rejection sucks. I want to talk about my master strategy for taking the bite off an otherwise difficult experience: that is, how to cultivate hope despite the no’s sitting in your inbox. 

There are two steps that I take to dull the sting of rejection, and I find they work best when done (or at least started) simultaneously. 

Hope Rejuvenizer # 1: Revise your query and try again.

If you only send one query out, and you receive one rejection in response, it’s going to hurt. You know that saying about eggs in one basket? It’s the same idea—if all of your hope is resting on one query, it hurts twice as bad if it doesn’t work out and you have nothing to lean back on. 

Instead, make a list. Decide on five to ten agents or editors (or both) you’d like to send to, and send your queries in batches. If you get nearly all form rejections, that’s a sign that you should probably rewrite your query before sending out batch two (remember what I said about getting your query critiqued? Do it), but the point is that you get a batch two out there. 

The reason I call this a Hope Rejuvenizer is because with every query you send out, you have a new chance. A new open door. And maybe it won’t work out, it’s true, but maybe it will. And that’s what hope is all about. 

Hope Rejuvenizer # 2: Work on a new manuscript. 

This may sound like an anti-rejuvenizer because some may consider working on a new manuscript as a sort of throwing in of the towel. I know I did when I first started out in my writing journey, but it’s not true. 

You see, there are two benefits of working on a new WIP while querying another manuscript. 

1. Distraction. Do not underestimate the power of distraction. When you’re querying, it can often be very difficult to focus. Every e-mail feels like it could be the e-mail, even if you only sent that query out ten minutes ago. When you’re busy working on another WIP, it is much easier to set those panicky thoughts aside and immerse yourself in a new world where queries don’t exist.



2. Backup plan. Eventually there may come a time when you decide to trunk the novel you were querying. This often happens after a slew of rejections, and it can be very difficult to accept, especially if you don’t have something else to work on. Something else to be hopeful about. By working on a second (unrelated) manuscript while querying your novel, you have something to fall back on if you decide to trunk the first. You can say, ok, maybe this one didn’t work out—but the one I’m writing might! 


   
   Take my word for it. It really takes the edge off the sting. 

So those are my main hope rejuvenizers, but now I want to hear yours: what do you do to keep your chin up while dealing with rejections? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

Dealing with rejection? Here are two strategies to help you to keep moving forward. (Click to tweet) 

Rejection is hard, but here are two steps to remaining hopeful despite it. (Click to tweet)

Query Research Red Flags: When NOT to Submit

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When entering the query trenches, probably the most exciting (if not slightly nerve-wracking) part of the researching stage is to make the list. The record of agents that will have your query in their hands over the next couple weeks.

But while sending your query to more agents than you have fingers is a common practice among querying writers, it’s important to remember to tailor our choices to agents who actually be a good fit.

So while you’re developing your to-submit list, look out for these red flags indicating that you may want to move on to someone else.

You probably SHOULDN’T submit to agents who...

• Don’t represent your genre. I know what you’re thinking. Sometimes you’ll come across a totally amazing agent who has exactly the personality your dream agent has, has made a bajillion sales and made debut authors very happy and is totally witty on Twitter. Sometimes, said agent is even following you on Twitter and you’ve talked to them via the interwebs and they just seem completely perfect.
  
  Except, you know, the whole not-representing-your-genre thing.
  
  I know this is hard when it happens. I know just how tempting it can be to send your query anyway and hope that maybe you’ll be the exception. I know.
  
  But the thing is, agents know what they’re doing when they choose genres to represent, and they have reasons for not representing certain genres. As amazing and wonderful as this dream agent may be, if they don’t represent your genre, then I can promise you that they aren’t the right fit for you. They will not be your dream agent, because for one reason or another, they will not be able to best represent your book.
  
  So keep admiring dream agent for being awesome, but resist the temptation to submit.


• Are closed to submissions. This should really go without saying, but I’ve seen a couple agents comment about this, so I guess I’ll say it anyway.
  
  If an agent is closed to submissions, that means you shouldn’t submit to them.
  
  No, you shouldn’t DM them on Twitter or Facebook to ask if they’ll make an exception. No, you shouldn’t send it just for kicks (because the only one who will get kicked is you).
  
  It’s sad when an agent you want to submit to is closed, but it’s usually not a permanent closing. If you want to submit to them that badly, you’ll have to wait until they open up again.
  
  But until then, save everyone some aggravation and don’t send.
  


• Don’t have publishing credentials or sales and are on their own. The reason I lumped these together is because individually, they are sometimes ok. I have absolutely nothing against new agents, and in fact, they can often be great opportunities for writers because they have a much more open list than agents who are already established.
  
  What I’m talking about here, are agents who set off on their own without any experience whatsoever. Agents who start up their own agency and have absolutely no background to support them. Agents with zero credentials and zero sales and aren’t working with more experienced agents at said agency.
  
  This may sound a little crazy, but it does happen. There are people out there (both well-intentioned and not) who call themselves agents and set up a so-called agency without any experience whatsoever.
  
  Avoid these people.
  
  You want someone who knows the ins and out of the publishing industry. Someone with great connections to dozens of editors, with very happy clients who rave about their awesomeness. Someone well prepared to help and guide you along your writing career.
  
  So if the establishment you’re looking at seems a little sketchy, listen to that gut feeling and find someone else. 

What red flags do you look out for while choosing agents to query? Any you’d like to add to the list?

Twitter-sized bites: 

Are you a querying writer? Look out for these red flags when deciding who to submit to. (Click to tweet).  

For the querying writer, here are three signs that you SHOULDN’T submit to that agent. (Click to tweet). 

Why I Keep Track of My Word Count Progress

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I am a methodical writer. Despite previous pantsing trysts, I’ve found that I write a lot faster (and more
confidently) when I know where I’m going, and I keep a daily and weekly writing goal that I work hard to try to meet.

That being said, it’s likely little surprise to hear that I often keep track of my word count progress.

I’ll admit that it’s a practice I fell out of after using it for a couple WIPs, but after participating in NaNoWriMo last year, I remembered why I’d starting keeping track in the first place—and it wasn’t just to make the analytical side of me happy.

You see, it’s easy to forget what you’ve accomplished when you’re deep in the trenches of a first draft. The elusive words of “The End” seem impossibly far away, and the day after day slog can quickly become exhausting.

Keeping track of your progress, then, serves two purposes:

1. It shows you just how much you’ve written. Seeing your progress on paper can be really encouraging when you’re halfway through your WIP and it feels like reaching the end will be impossible. It can serve as a great reminder of how a little each day can add up to something fantastic, and for me, at least, it’s proven to be a great motivator.


2. Progress is progress. Writing down your progress every day serves a second purpose too—it encourages you to make daily progress. Even if you only write a few hundred words that day, the numbers prove that even small progress is progress.

During NaNoWriMo you get this really awesome chart thingie that shows your progress on an axis like this, that I completely love. As of yet, I haven’t found something to replicate that (except for doing it by hand in Excel), but you can try a widget like the one below to keep track of your total progress.

From Language is a Virus: 

42145 / 75000 words. 56% done!

(NOTE: If anyone knows where to find a NaNoWriMo-like replication of the progress chart, you will make me a very happy writer).

In addition to little bar graphs like the one above, spreadsheets are a fantastic way to not only keep track of your total word progress, but of your daily and weekly progress as well, which I highly recommend. But all in all, the important thing is to just keep track.

Do you record your daily or weekly word count progress? Why or why not? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

Why one writer believes it's important to keep track of your daily word count progress. (Click to tweet)

Do you record your daily word count progress while writing? Here's why you should. (Click to tweet)

How to Write a Great Twitter Pitch

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It’s that time again! We are just days away from yet another fantastic Twitter pitch contest, this one on May 28 from 8AM to 8PM EDT. You can find all the details, rules and extra tidbits here, as well as a post on why you should enter pitch contests here.

That out of the way, on to the real meat of the post: Twitter pitches.

Your goal behind putting together a Twitter pitch should be to sum up or give the essence your novel in a way that’s intriguing—all within 140 characters. Simple, right? (Right, let’s go with that).

By the end of your Twitter pitch, readers should know a few key things about your novel: 

• Who your MC is. 
• What’s at stake. 
• Essence of plot. 
• Genre. 
• Bonus: What makes your story unique. 
• Bonus: Conveying the voice. 

That seems like a lot to fit into 140 characters, and it is. But if done correctly, you may just catch the eye of a publishing professional. As an added bonus, a well-crafted Twitter pitch can be turned into a fantastic log line, which is useful in several stages of the publishing process.

Because it would be unfair for me to talk about Twitter pitches without giving examples, I’ll let you tear mine apart. Here’s a variation of what I’ll be using next week:

Cade is unaware a secret society has been watching since he killed his gf w/ a kiss—now an assassin isn't his biggest problem #PitMad YAPar 

It isn’t a perfect example by any means, but it hits the main points: you know who the MC is and what’s at stake, the essence of the plot comes across, and there’s the genre tag at the end. You also may have noticed that you need to fit the hashtag into the Twitter pitch. So you don’t really have 140 characters at your disposal, sorry.

For examples of some Twitter pitches that got requests in March’s Pitch Madness, check out this fantastic roundup from Carissa Taylor.

Finally, I’d like to do something a little different here at Writability in anticipation of the upcoming #PitMad contest—I’m hosting a pitch critique session right here in the comments from right now (May 24) until Monday, May 27th at midnight EDT. 

I’m going to do my very best to try to critique every pitch that’s posted, but I encourage you guys to lurk around and critique each others pitches as well—not only is it nice to interact with each other and make friends (we like making friends, yes?), but it’s actually fantastic practice. If someone other than myself critiques your pitch, it would be very nice for you to return the favor. As I’ve said before, you can learn just as much from critiquing each other as you can from getting a critique.

Also, if you’d like to critique mine while you’re at it, you’re more than welcome to. It’s not a requirement, but I do enjoy trading critiques, and it might be fun for you guys to have the opportunity to tear my stuff apart. Maybe. If you like that kind of stuff.

Note: If you do critique each other, please be courteous. I may have a thick skin, but not everyone does. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated and all that. Ok.

Anyway, so let’s get to it, shall we? Post your Twitter pitches in the comments below and let’s have some fun!

UPDATE 3/25/14: I am temporarily taking more pitches for a last-minute critique! I'll post here and on Twitter when the critiques are closed again. Good luck! :) 

UPDATE 3/25/14: Pitmad is over and critiquing is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!

Twitter-sized bites: 

Entering #pitmad? Get some tips and a critique on your pitch at @Ava_Jae’s blog! (Click to tweet)

Having trouble with your Twitter pitch? Here are some tips. (Click to tweet)

Writing Tool: WorkFlowy

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So about a week ago, I came across this blog post on YA Stands about A Cool Way to Outline Your Novel. The post was a recommendation for a free online tool called WorkFlowy, and it sounded interesting so I decided to check it out.

The basic idea behind WorkFlowy is to imitate our thought process—you start off with one bullet point, then build off from it to create more points, and before you know it you have several sub-lists with their own sub-lists and so on and so forth. It's a clean, minimalistic layout and it allows you to open up and collapse your lists and sublists and create a nice, organized, outline-like list.

Here's a video that can explain it a lot better than I can:

You guys may or may not remember my post from forever ago about how I'm a list person, and that has not changed since writing that post. I still enjoy working with lists, and when I begin my initial brainstorming, I do so with (surprise!) long, bulleted lists. I usually start this brainstorming with a pencil and paper, but there was always the issue of my bullets starting to not line up (straight lines? Who can actually draw straight lines?) and not really being able to add to the previous part of the list, and it can get a little messy on paper.

You can imagine, then, that hearing about WorkFlowy made me a pretty happy writer. And trying it out made me even happier.

The great thing about WorkFlowy is that it makes brainstorming ridiculously easy. The bullets work off of each other beautifully, you can move things around and add and delete points effortlessly, and when you're done, you can export the list into whatever format or document you'd like and continue writing from there. The only downside is that while it is free, the free version only gives you 500 items a month, which seems like a lot, but if you fall in love with it as quickly as I did, you will use those items up faster than you'd think. Nevertheless, it's still a great tool for brainstorming.

So if you're a list person like me, or would like to try brainstorming with lists, I highly recommend WorkFlowy as a wonderful writing tool. It's easy to use, intuitive, and it makes what can be a very messy part of the writing process simple and organized.

Have you ever used WorkFlowy or something of the like? Do you brainstorm with lists, or use another method?

Twitter-sized bites:

How one writer uses the free tool WorkFlowy to make brainstorming easy. (Click to tweet)

Have you tried this writing tool for your brainstorming and outlining needs? (Click to tweet)

Self-Publishing: It’s Not for Everyone

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I have written nine manuscripts. Four of them I have attempted to get published—three of which will likely never see the light of day—and four will need massive, book-altering revisions to stand a chance. Whether or not those revisions will take place remains to be seen.

Ten years ago, having nothing but a hard drive full of unpublished manuscripts and a dream wasn’t uncommon. Traditional publishing was just as hard to get into as it is today, and while self-publishing existed, it was extraordinarily difficult to be a successful self-publisher and was largely not taken seriously as an option.

But now things are different. Now self-publishing is a perfectly valid and wonderful option for many writers. Now you’re just as likely to hear about breakout indie writers as you are successful debut traditional authors. Self-publishing has proven itself, and there are opportunities for writers like never before.

And I’ve noticed for some time now, that there’s been a fair amount of pressure on writers like me—writers with books in the drawer who continue writing anyway without an agent, or contract, or other milestone of publishing success.

I’ve noticed people looking at writers like me and saying well, why haven’t you self-published? 

I mean, it’s a valid question, particularly for those with polished manuscripts and a lack of response from the traditional publishing world. But the thing is, self-publishing isn’t for everyone.

Those who have self-published know that going indie isn’t a decision you make on a whim—it’s a career move, and one that you have to be fully dedicated to in order to succeed. It involves taking full control of the book publishing process, from first draft to final, fully e-book formatted ready-to-publish draft. It means finding an editor and a cover artist and taking on the full responsibility of marketing, all the while writing the next book. It’s a lot of work, and for some people, it’s a fantastic choice.

But then there are writers who would rather trade the control over the cover and layout and marketing decisions for an opportunity to work with a publishing team—to have an agent by your side and some career guidance along the way. Some writers prefer the collaborative effort of creating a book, and don’t mind trading the lower royalties for the chance at wider, in-bookstore distribution. Not that there’s any guarantee of that, mind you, but for some, the risk is worth it. For some, that’s the choice that’s right for them.

I’m not going to say that I’ll never self-publish, because I don’t know that that’s true. Maybe one day I’ll decide that it’s time to wade into the indie waters, but for now, at least, I’ll continue to pursue the traditional dream. And if it never happens, then it never happens, but I’ll keep writing anyway and I’ll do it with no regrets because I’ll know I pursued what was right for me.

What do you think? For those who have self-published, would you agree that it’s not for everyone? For those that haven’t, have you ever been asked why not? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

Going indie isn't a decision you make on a whim. (Click to tweet)

Self-publishing isn't for everyone—and this is why. (Click to tweet)

Discussion: Do Writers Need Social Media?

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I remember reading this post by Nathan Bransford years ago on when you should start using social media. His post is actually what pushed me to take the plunge into Twitter and blogging, a decision that I couldn’t be happier with.

Now that I’ve waded around the social media world for two years and written posts on the best social media sites and accounts for writers, I’ve started thinking: do writers really need it?

I’m hesitant to make generalizations about what anyone needs to succeed (or generalizations at all, for that matter) with few exceptions. And while social media is not one of those exceptions, I do believe that being active in social media can at the very least make a writer’s life easier. And a little less lonely.

You see, social media is so much more than telling the world about what you had for breakfast—it’s a community, and lucky for writers there’s a rather large one of wonderful people who love words and just want to tell stories to the world. But more than that, social media is a world rife with opportunity—from pitch contests, to wish list requests from agents, to online writing conferences (which are actually a thing).

And that’s available to everyone long before publication is a reality.

Post-publication, social media becomes even more important. It allows writers to connect with their readers, both future and current. Social media drives word-of-mouth marketing, keeps readers in-the-know regarding your book, and it allows anyone and everyone to share their thoughts on your work.

So while I won’t say that it’s impossible to be a successful writer without social media, I do believe that social media can make a writer’s life much easier (and, dare I say—a little more fun?).

Even if you don’t think you need social media, it might be worth a try anyway. You never know—it might turn out to be one of your best decisions yet.

Do you think writers need social media? Why or why not?

Twitter-sized bites: 

Do writers really need social media? (Click to tweet) 

It may not be impossible to be a successful writer without social media, but it does make life easier. (Click to tweet)