In case you haven't heard...

Firebrand Literary announces their first annual Query Holiday!


From their web site:


Query Holiday

The ability to write an amazing first chapter is a much more important skill, as a novelist, than
the ability to write a good query letter. So why even bother with a query?



That’s why we’re announcing the first annual FIREBRAND QUERY HOLIDAY—o support
authors who want to spend their time and energy perfecting their manuscripts and not just
polishing their sales skills.



We want to read your first chapter.



Our usual, query-based submission system will be closed for a short period starting on the 15th of December (don’t worry, any query that was already in our system will be answered even while the system is “down”). And then—beginning on December 15 and ending on January 15—we will be accepting sample chapters via a unique email address: queryholiday@gmail.com.



We pledge to review all samples by the end of January, and will respond to those that we are interested in no later than February 1.



Who should submit?



We’re looking for talented authors—with completed books—who are interested in working closely with an agent before and after a publishing deal is done. If you’re interested in revising your manuscript, partnering with an agent, and marketing your book—you’ve come to the right place.


It doesn’t matter if you’ve queried Firebrand before—all that matters is that you are ready to submit the best material you have to offer.

Instructions on What & How to Submit:

1. Paste the first chapter/twenty pages of your most polished work into a new word document. On a cover page provide the title of your work, the market, the word count of the entire manuscript, and your name, phone number, and email address.


2. Email this material as a word document attachment to: queryholiday@gmail.com between December 15 and midnight January 15.


3. If we like what we read, you WILL hear from us by February 1. If you don’t hear from us, we are sorry to say that have we passed on your manuscript. You should feel free to query us after Query Holiday with other works, through our normal website submission system guidelines. Happy holidays!

Firebrand's agents represent children and YA lit (as well as other types), and they include sci-fi and fantasy on their list.

From Agent Query profiles:

Nadia Cornier

• Fiction Interests: Literary Fiction Science Fiction Chick Lit Mystery Horror Christian Commercial Fiction Fantasy Women's Fiction Humor/Satire Romance Family Saga Historical Fiction Young Adult Thrillers/Suspense Children's Multi-Cultural Adventure Gay & Lesbian Military/Espionage Offbeat/Quirky Erotica Middle Grade Graphic Novels


• She'll look at SF/F but, please read James Maxey's BITTERWOOD for an idea of what kind of SF/F she's into - It's a genre-rule-bending, smart take on a tried-and-true subject.


• She's got a great YA list right now, so your book will have to really make her heart sing to catch her attention. She'll do her best to not sign "repeat" clients, so if you have a YA spy book, a YA vampire book, or straight chick lit YA voice, she's already got it on her list, love it, and she's not looking for any more that will conflict with the sales of her current clients.

Ted Malawar

• Fiction Interests: Literary Fiction Mystery Commercial Fiction Humor/Satire Historical Fiction Young Adult Children's Adventure Middle Grade


• He is looking for strong YA and select adult fiction, and to expand Firebrand's middle grade, chapter, and picture book list.


• For YA, he is looking for books that walk the line between commercial and literary, he likes high concept novels with great "hooks," unique premises, and great humor. (He likes to laugh a lot.)


• He also enjoys lyrical fiction, as long as it has an authentic and compelling voice. He´s a huge fan of mysteries, smart historicals, and urban fantasy about original topics (no vampires, please)


• For middle grade, he is drawn to unique coming-of-age stories. He likes stories that make him laugh, but if you can make him cry, even better. He likes projects with fantastical/supernatural elements, too, and action/adventure plots.


• He is also looking for author/illustrators.

Michael Stearns

• Fiction Interests: Literary Fiction Commercial Fiction Fantasy Humor/Satire Romance Young Adult Thrillers/Suspense Children's Middle Grade


• In terms of genre books, he's much more interested in non-Tolkienesque fantasy, paranormal romance, comic coming-of-age, and thrillers (all with some literary spin).


• He responds well to wit; not dorky funny but genuine wit.


• He's interested in both teen and middle grade fiction


• For picture books, he is relying on referrals only and he is only signing a few writers whose work he knows and trusts
  

Happy submissions!

:) Cheryl

Children's Fantasy Agents

Anyone looking for an agent who represents children's fantasy? I've come across a few new names over the past few weeks. Check out their sites for more info--and good luck!

• Stephen Barbara of the Donald Maass Agency (http://www.maassagency.com/; see http://www.almafullerton.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page27.html for an interview)
• Colleen Lindsay, a new agent at FinePrint Literary (http://www.theswivet.blogspot.com/)
• Ethan Ellenberg Literary (http://www.ethanellenberg.com/submissionguidelines.htm)
• Michelle Andelman at Andrea Brown Literary (
  http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.php)
• Jodi Reamer at Writers House, agent to Stephanie Meyer of Twilight fame (http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/JReamer/ -- hey, a girl can dream, can't she? )
• Ted Malawar of Firebrand Literary (http://www.firebrandliterary.com/fb_news.php)

Training the Writer...

Anyone who has studied up on animal training knows that intermittent reinforcement is one of the most powerful training techniques.

Intermittent reinforcement (Cheryl's non-technical definition) is rewarding a given behavior some, but not all, of the times that the behavior occurs. I used positive reinforcement to train my dog to sit--she got a yummy treat every time she did it right. Once she'd learned the behavior, I cut back on the treats. Intermittent reinforcement means that I give her a treat some of the time she obeys. Not every time, but just often enough to keep her coming back.

Well, it's occurred to me that my e-mail program (or editors and agents--or the world at large) has trained me to check my e-mail with increasing frequency. It provides that incredibly addictive intermittent reinforcement.

Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, my e-mail messages are unexciting (and that's not even counting the messages that head straight into my spam folder) but every once in a while--usually just after I've said "there won't be anything good, since I just checked my messages five minutes ago"--I get something great. A request for a manuscript...or a kind word from an editor...or correspondence about an article I have out in submissions land...

Luckily, I write longhand. Far, far, far away from my e-mail program!

:) Cheryl

Surviving the agent query process...

I have a midgrade fantasy manuscript that I'm (theoretically) sending out to agents and editors. I say theoretically, because I suffer from a common writer's problem: fear of rejection. Not as badly as, say, when I first began to write and submit, but the submission process is often tough.

For a variety of reasons, this manuscript is particularly tough to submit. After I queried a few agents the end of last year, I stopped. I had excuses--maybe the book wasn't ready, or maybe the concept wasn't marketable for a first-time author. The truth? Sending it out was (is) incredibly emotionally draining.

For the New Year, I resolved to get back on the horse. I'm researching agents and sending out queries to a few who seem like good fits, even though it's scary :). Here's how:

1. I told my critique group to keep me accountable. (They will!)
2. I send out a query or two in the morning. Then I meditate. THEN I write.
3. I tell myself that probably, nothing will come of the submissions. I bargain with myself, promise myself that I won’t have to worry about it for a while….
4. Blatant bribery. I mean, incentives. ("If you send out that query, Cheryl, you can buy a raspberry-lemon gelato at Glacier....")
5. And I keep working on several other deliciously distracting projects.

How’s it going? Well, I’ve sent out those first few queries. And I’ve gotten a few nibbles, from a few agents I’d be very excited to work with. Of course, my coping strategy #3 is failing me: obviously, I will hear from some of them! But I guess that was the point of submitting in the first place.

Just one question: does anyone else burst into tears when they get a request-for-partial email?! Goofy emotions.

Ooh, wonder if I can use that in a story?

:P Cheryl

The Perfect Pitch

Did I mention that I've resumed sending out queries for The Last Violin? That has me thinking a lot about how to write a good pitch. Donald Maas gives one formula in Writing the Breakout Novel (and suggests that "quest" is always a good word to include); Miss Snark provides additional advice in her blog archives(http://misssnark.blogspot.com/); and Kristen Nelson offers examples of winning pitch letters on her blog (http://pubrants.blogspot.com/). Here's a clue: different agents have different ideas about what makes a great pitch.

The latest SCBWI bulletin offers an interesting article that made me rethink my pitch/query approach. The author shares my trouble with pitch creation--and like me, she submitted queries with substandard pitches and her sample pages, confident that those terrific sample pages would speak for themselves. And she received lots of "no thank-you's." The same sample pages submitted with a shorter, sparkier pitch gained her requests for more.

Interesting. Obviously, the pitch is important.

Here's a winning pitch from YA fantasy author Hilari Bell: "Aided by an underpowered, unreliable trickster spirit, two teens must change the course of humanity." She adds that ""change the course of humanity" is a totally meaningless (and ungramatical) phrase, that has nothing to do with the story either, but the pitch worked, so she's not complaining too loudly!"

And her agent says that "quest" is definitely a no-no in today's market. "Spirit quest" gives your pitch the kiss of death.

I think I'll take another look at my query letter....

:) Cheryl

Wednesday Woolies

This is the time of week when all the days (and projects!) start to blur together for me. Maybe I'm working on too many things at once! (Again. Ya think?)

That said, I have a few things to celebrate today:

• I FINISHED my nonfiction picture book manuscript. I've been wrestling with that rewrite for nearly a year and a half, so hopefully the editor who requested it hasn't forgotten me :). It goes out my door tomorrow!


• I sent out a select few queries for my midgrade fantasy, The Last Violin, which has been languishing on my shelf for months now.


• I sent off some interview questions to follow up on a great article possibility I encountered while visiting Lima, Peru--thanks to friends. (Thank you, Jackie and Liliana!)


• My birthday! It's not today--it's tomorrow--but since tomorrow night is booked, I get to gather with two delightful boys and one sweetheart of a husband for a birthday celebration this evening.

Do all writers try to do too much? Or is it only me? At least "too much work" in writing translates into something like "too much fun." It's not exactly a bad thing, just busy.

:) Cheryl

Staying Motivated: Tips to Keep Going!

Aunt Kristina recently asked for tips on how the heck writers can keep motivated and keep trying to get published when we face rather daunting odds (and plenty of rejection along the way.) The process can be tough! I'll provide more details over the next few weeks, but here's a quick list of things that help keep me motivated:

1. Writing Classes


2. SCBWI/Writing Conferences


3. Critique Groups


4. Writing Books--Inspiration, Craft, and Writing Exercises


5. Multiple Projects, Multiple Genres


6. Writing Retreats


7. Motivational Tricks, Rewards, and Gimmicks :)


8. Writing some things that AREN'T for sale--Writing for me


9. Volunteering


10. Recharging: Reading, Resting, and Refilling


11. Having a Dedicated Reader (such as a husband, best friend, or a book-crazy kid--someone who will love your writing even if no one else will take a look at it)


12. Goals: Submitting, Submitting, Submitting

This is such a great topic. Thanks for the suggestion, AK!

~Cheryl

Confessions of a Mailbox Haunt

Successful writers seem to agree on one key to publication: you have to submit your work. It's not the only key, of course, but it is an important part of the process.

It's also a tough part of the process. I mean, you have to send your carefully-crafted story out into a world where books are business rather than emotionally-charged symbols of the author. In order to write a great story, you have to create an emotional connection with the characters; but in order to pursue publication, you have to relinquish that connection enough to let the inevitable rejections slide off your back. It can be challenging.

That's why I celebrate a bit every time I send out a manuscript. The Last Violin is currently visiting agent Andrea Somberg, of Harvey Klinger Literary Agency. I had the chance to meet her at the 2007 Pikes Peak Writers Conference. She made an exceptionally good impression on me--not only is she a delight as a person, she was quick on her feet in the question-and-answer session and she's a fan of Diane Duane's So You Want to Be a Wizard series. What more could anyone want?

Since I've been sending out articles and short stories for years now, I thought that I was immune to submission anxiety. I have a confession, though: I've become a mailbox haunt. At least, that's what I call it. I haven't heard it named before, but every writer I know has experienced it in some point in his or her career.

Here's how it works: After submitting a manuscript, I become acutely attuned to the habits of the postal service. I knows the sound of the postal truck's engine, know the precise time of day that the mail arrives (3:30 pm), and still make occasional mid-morning trips to the mailbox, just in case the postal carrier decided to make a surprise delivery. Any trips up the driveway also require mailbox checks. (I'm not sure what I'm thinking--that the mail will materialize within? That I somehow missed an important envelope in the rear? That the postal carrier made a stealth trip through the neighborhood?)

Each mailbox visit causes a slight increase in heart rate as my mind reviews the far reaches of possibility--quickly followed by another, more reasonable voice: "You just sent your story yesterday, Cheryl. It hasn't reached the editor's desk yet, much less prompted a reply."

Sigh. Luckily, I have plenty of other fun projects to distract me from this unfortunate tendency, because I know the drill: Submit, submit, submit, until my skin thickens a bit more and I no longer spend the day half-listening for the mail truck. Until I no longer fight the urge to haunt neighborhood mailboxes.

Wait--I sent Andrea an e-mail query! Gotta go check my in box....

:) Cheryl