A One Year Celebration!

A year ago I, along with my friends Dana Carey and Lisha Cauthen, launched an idea that had been rolling around in my brain for some time. I may be a classifiable introvert but I wanted to be able to talk queries and submissions with writers. Lots of writers. Because when you're sending out submissions there is lots to talk about! It's been an amazing year and I have to say that not only has it been great to have writers to talk to about submissions, but starting a club has really helped me to break out of my little writing shell that I live in here behind my computer. I mean, I haven't turned beet red from posting something in quite a long time. And yes, that used to happen a lot!

Anyhow, Sub It Club is one year old now and I wanted to let readers of my blog who aren't a part of the Club that we're having a celebration with some great prizes from agents and authors! Come on over  to www.subitclub.wordpress.com and check out the prizes. I added as many options as I could think of so hopefully everyone can find a way to enter. And if you're up to it, join us at the Club (we are all over the web but the private facebook group is our main place for member discussion.) But I warn you, I can get a bit chatty.

Once Upon a Time a Writer Found the Perfect Agent

Once upon a time there was a girl who liked to write. The more she wrote, the more she liked it. The more she liked it the more she wanted to see something she wrote turned into a book. And when that actually happened she then wanted to see something else she wrote turned into a book because, as she had learned, writers are never finished, they just move onto the next project.

Many times she felt all alone and like she needed advice. Along her travels she made many writing friends. She liked them so much she started a club where they shared writing secrets with those who knew the secret handshake. But she longed to find that one brave knight who would help her find her way through the publishing forest.

One day, when she was wallowing in the depths of the murky river of writing woe, the knight magically appeared telling her how wonderful her writing was and that he was there to help her make her way through the forest and…

WAIT A MINUTE!

Whose story is this? Well, it’s mine. Sort of. But it didn’t happen quite that way.

I did (and do) write. A lot. I’ve had a bit of success along the way.

I have great writer friends. 

And now I do have the perfect agent for me. I found him the best way I knew how—by querying!

Was there magic involved? Perhaps a little. I wrote a story I really liked. I got it critiqued. Revised it. A lot. I studied agents, made a list of what I thought were the best matches, and queried them. Guess who was my top choice? Sean McCarthy. And amazingly enough he was busy starting his own agency when I was ready to query.

When I read the news about Sean McCarthy Literary Agency I got my submission ready immediately. But I didn’t send it. What if he didn’t like it? Was I ready to be disappointed? Apparently I talked about it quite a bit because my daughter finally said, “Mom, just send it to him already! He's going to love it!” (When your daughter rolls her eyes at you because you’re being childish it can really help you do the things you need to do.) So I did. Click. Done. Wait.

I didn’t have to wait too long.

You want the fairytale ending? Sean did like my manuscript. And he read a bunch more of my work and liked that too! Plus he’s thoughtful, understanding, concerned, informed, open, honest, helpful… all those things you hope to find in an agent. Heck, look at his fabulous list of recent books! So yes, now I can say,

I am represented by Sean McCarthy of Sean McCarthy Literary Agency! 

As for the rest of the tale? It has yet to be written. 

But I think I'll end this story with... 

                                                       ...and they lived happily ever after.

Goals!

With the start of a New Year writing and submitting time seems to reset. It just can't help but feel like an exciting time to kick up our heels, freshen up those goals, and make some brand spaking new ones.

As writers, goals can really help us move forward instead of flailing around in limbo trying to decide what we should do next. But this is important: MAKE YOUR GOALS REALISTIC!

I've seen this sort of thing so many times. People say they are going to sell a book this year (or five!) Or are going to get an agent (or even a specific agent!) These things are absolutely, positively NOT UNDER YOUR CONTROL! You cannot force an agent to love your work. And selling a book? It can take a multitude of people to say yes at one house alone for you to be offered a publishing contract. Not that it can't happen. I know you've heard it before, just write the best book you can! The rest is not totally up to you.

Of course, there are great goals you can make that are under your control. What do you want to write in the New Year? Do you have partially finished manuscripts that you want to get completed? What about submissions? Submission goals are great! (That's why I love Sub It Club!) There are cover and query letters to write. Maybe a synopsis. And research! Plus there's all that extra online stuff. Need to freshen up that blog? *raises hand. Update your about pages on your social media? *raises hand again.

So much to do! For sure, the more great things you write and the more well targeted submissions you make, the more chances you give yourself for publishing success. But, a successful year is going to be different for each and every one of us. Be sure to take your time constraints along with the way you work into consideration when making your goals. Of course, big goals are good, but be sure to put smaller ones in there too. Small successes can definitely help you keep going.

My goals can tend to get a bit out of hand. I have lots of things I want to write and not enough time to write them all. I'm in the process of going through my humongous list of picture book manuscripts and picking out the ones I think are most viable. I also have more than a few new titles I want to complete as well. I want to get my chapter book out for critique and ready for the next phase, which is hopefully submission. And I have a YA that keeps knocking on my brain. I'm 6 chapters in and feel like completion in 2014 as a goal is iffy. But, I can't help but put it on my list anyway. I'm a dreamer, and sometimes I surprise even myself.

Monster List of Picture Book Agents - Mary Cummings of Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises

Mary Cummings is the literary agent representing children's writers at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises where she has been since 2008. According to the website, Mary represents children's fiction and poetry but not nonfiction.

There isn't too much online information on Ms. Cummings but I learned from a former client that, "she is kind, professional, and supportive, she loves lyric and she loves sweet!" Also, Mary works book by book.

There is a 2009 article, Made in Minnesota: The Rise of Agent Mary Cummings at Children's Literature Network.

You can see a few comments on submissions writers have made on Mary Cummings' listing at Querytracker.

Writer Maria Ashworth lists that she is represented by Mary Cummings on her website.

Mary Cummings can be queried via email with the entire picture book manuscript pasted into the body of the email. Read her entire submission guidelines on the Betsy Amster Literary website.

This post is part of the Monster List of Picture Book Agents. If you have any changes that you think should be made to this listing, please contact me or leave them in the comments. Thanks!

Avoid Clichés Like the Plague

Avoid clichés like the plague. ßHa! See what I did there?

Yup, we use clichés all the time. It seems to me that clichés come to be because they hold some element of truth. But haven’t we heard them enough?

Here's a fun game: pick out all of the cliche's that you hear in this song. I've never been able to make it to the end before rolling my eyes so hard I get a migrane.

Yup, it seems that songwriters can get away with using as many clichés as they want. Maybe because it makes it so easy to remember the words to the songs.

As writers we need our work to be fresh. Exciting! New! Surprising! A feast for the eyes. ßOkay, I’m cutting it close there. ßAnd there.

You see, it’s a lot quicker and easier to fall back on simple descriptions and clichés than it is to make something truly your own. That takes time, thought, and creativity-- those same old key elements of success. Dang it, it's hard work, but it's worth it!

So, if you need to fall back on cliche's, it's fine to do so in your first draft. Then come back and revise them within an inch of their lives. Your readers will thank you for it.

The Monster List Logo!

I've been posting to The Monster List of Picture Book Agents for a while now. Yes, sometimes there are can be longish periods of time in-between posts but I am for sure dedicated to updating the list as often as I can. So I'd like to present The Monster List of Picture Book Agents logo by Dana Carey!

I love the imagery Dana created to represent the list. Mysterious. A little intimidating perhaps. But behind the door there is opportunity! There are many agents out there who represent what you write. You have to open that door and find the agent for you!

I've known Dana Carey for a while now. Since a bit before she did her Unread interview with me I suppose. Not only is Dana is the Assistant Regional Advisor for SCBWI France, she's a fabulous writer and illustrator (obviously). Not too long after that interview I got brave and asked Dana if she wanted to trade picture book manuscripts with me. She did! I'm so glad I asked because now not only is she my good friend with a level head that I can also count on for good advice, she's also my partner in Sub It Club.

I didn't know this when I asked her to help me head up Sub It Club, but Dana was a graphic designer in New York City before she moved to France. I feel so lucky to have her in charge of all of Sub It Club's graphic design along with the Monthly Goalpost, Illustrator Postcard Posts, and day to day duties!

And now, not only will my Monster List posts look great, I can post them to Pinterest and make them a resource on the Sub It Club Pinterest pages as well!

THANK YOU!!! 

Dana Carey for being a wonderful friend, a fabulous critique partner, and for giving me the gift of a beautifully designed logo!

How I Track Submissions

Keeping track of submissions is important! I posted this over at Sub It Club, but thought I would post it here too because so many of you come here looking for submission information. Plus I've been really bad about blogging lately and it will make me feel so good to get something posted! So, here's how I track submissions:

Yes, I’ve heard the news. We should use a spreadsheet to keep track of our submissions. Lisha Cauthen showed us how to keep track of our submissions using fancy dancy newfangled technology. Pretty spiffy! But me, well, I prefer to keep track of my submissions the old fashioned way—with pencil and paper.

I know, it’s hard to believe!

There actually are a couple of reasons I like going old school for this. The biggest one? There are so many things that have to be done on the computer! Typing up manuscripts, blogging, social media, agent and publisher research… it goes on and on and on! If I can eliminate even one thing that I have to do in front of a screen, I’m doing it.

The other thing is, I like to be able to sit down and look through my submissions in a leisurely fashion. I can flip through pages. I have something tangible to hold on to while everything else about submissions being out is beyond my reach. I can look at every single sub I have out. The subs I’ve done for one manuscript, or all the subs I’ve sent to a particular publisher. My submission book holds all the information I need.

Back when I was starting out I didn’t need much. I didn’t have much to keep track of. But these days I like to have in depth information. My submission book has evolved into three sections:

• A Master List of all submissions that are out
• A Manuscript Page for each manuscript that is out on submission
• A Publisher Page for each publisher I have looked into

Now this may seem like overkill but it is a system I have found to be the most useful.

The Master List is a quick way to see everything I have out in one glance. I list date sent, publisher or agent, company, what sent and by which method, and expected response time. When I get a reply I simply put a thin line through the submission to cross it off the list.

Each Manuscript Page has the title of the manuscript on the top. I write the date submitted, who submitted to (both publisher and editor or agent and agency when applicable), how submitted (esub, snail query, etc.), expected response time, and actual response date. Plus I leave room for notes on response. (Form, personal, etc.)

When you do a lot of research on publishers, you see the beauty of having a page or two for each. On the Publisher Pages I list manuscripts sent, along with all the pertinent information I have listed previously. I also keep notes on things I find in my research. Tidbits on what a certain editor or publisher likes. Notable books that compare with mine. Stuff like that. The thing that has been especially helpful is writing down my manuscripts that might be a future match with someone while I am doing research for submitting a different manuscript-from manuscripts I’m not sending yet to works in progress. I am doing future research as well as working on getting a submission out and tracked. Far out man!

Now, you may have noticed that I write the same information in more than one place, but it really does make it easier later. When you’re only doing a sub or two at a time it really isn’t a big deal. It can actually feel like an accomplishment!

Tracking your manuscripts the old fashioned way really doesn’t have to be a big production, and keeping track of things on paper definitely does not have to be messy! There are a few “rules” that make it easier. Write neatly. Leave yourself enough room for response notes. Use a three-ring binder. That way you can add pages where and when you need to. It’s sort of like creating your own personal Writer’s Market, but with the information tailor made for you.