Let this be a warning to all writers: Be sure you can back up that promise of literary gold.
Because I'm a writer of YA I naturally have to read the competition a.k.a the latest phenom fad Twilight. I have lot's of thoughts and feelings about this series, but mostly I enjoy it (and its sibling cinematic franchise) for its ability to entertain me.
When I recently saw this cover screaming at me from the checkout stand I couldn't help but buy it (good news for OK!). I'm usually more leery about these things, but I couldn't BELIEVE they'd flash a headline like this unless there was a serious truth behind it.
There wasn't.
In fact, it wasn't any kind of exclusive story because the only 'wedding' they discussed was from the fourth installment, Breaking Dawn.
This was some of the worse speculative 'reporting' I've ever read. At least with other so-close-to-libel-it-hurts stories there will be a tiny on-cover print that says 'As imagined by our writers' or some other disclaimer.
There was none of that here.
Suffice it to say I was P-O'd.
What does this have to do with writing??
Well, I'm glad you ask.
Once you've finished that brilliant manuscript and are ready to shop it around, you'll struggle (and I mean STRUGGLE) with writing a brilliant, mind blowing, catchy, and totally unique query letter.
You'll bend over backwards to make your novel's plot sound so cool, you might even consider fluffing it. I'm not saying you're looking to lie, goodness no, but you might write, rewrite and workshop it so much that your book's promise is more than what you deliver.
Things agents look for in your query include a snap shot of your novel's tone AND your style as a writer.
If you finish your glorious 300-word all-encompassing mini tale and pitch and you read it and are like 'meh'...STOP. Be 100% certain it isn't actually mimicking your story's style because if it is then...well you're being totally honest. That's good, but you may need some more rewriting.
If your novel makes you laugh, cry, shudder, etc. (and all in a good way of course) each time you think about it AND your query does the same, then you're promising is in line with what you can deliver.
Seriously, this is so important these days.
Earlier this year there was a flutter of posts (and they tend to pop up routinely) on agent blogs regarding the perfection of queries that only disappoint in the delivery of the novel.
Two things happen here: 1) The agent is ticked off for having been a fool and having their time wasted. 2) You'll be left in the dust wondering what happened to that excited agent.
So, back to the moral. How you sell yourself matters. Don't promise what you can't deliver because it's something akin to crying wolf.
I sure as heck won't be buying OK! again anytime in the foreseeable future or ever for that matter. I only tolerate getting burned like this once.
I'd hate to submit a 'misleading' query to an agent like me, and I'm certain there are more than a few of them like that out there.
Because I'm a writer of YA I naturally have to read the competition a.k.a the latest phenom fad Twilight. I have lot's of thoughts and feelings about this series, but mostly I enjoy it (and its sibling cinematic franchise) for its ability to entertain me.
When I recently saw this cover screaming at me from the checkout stand I couldn't help but buy it (good news for OK!). I'm usually more leery about these things, but I couldn't BELIEVE they'd flash a headline like this unless there was a serious truth behind it.
There wasn't.
In fact, it wasn't any kind of exclusive story because the only 'wedding' they discussed was from the fourth installment, Breaking Dawn.
This was some of the worse speculative 'reporting' I've ever read. At least with other so-close-to-libel-it-hurts stories there will be a tiny on-cover print that says 'As imagined by our writers' or some other disclaimer.
There was none of that here.
Suffice it to say I was P-O'd.
What does this have to do with writing??
Well, I'm glad you ask.
Once you've finished that brilliant manuscript and are ready to shop it around, you'll struggle (and I mean STRUGGLE) with writing a brilliant, mind blowing, catchy, and totally unique query letter.
You'll bend over backwards to make your novel's plot sound so cool, you might even consider fluffing it. I'm not saying you're looking to lie, goodness no, but you might write, rewrite and workshop it so much that your book's promise is more than what you deliver.
Things agents look for in your query include a snap shot of your novel's tone AND your style as a writer.
If you finish your glorious 300-word all-encompassing mini tale and pitch and you read it and are like 'meh'...STOP. Be 100% certain it isn't actually mimicking your story's style because if it is then...well you're being totally honest. That's good, but you may need some more rewriting.
If your novel makes you laugh, cry, shudder, etc. (and all in a good way of course) each time you think about it AND your query does the same, then you're promising is in line with what you can deliver.
Seriously, this is so important these days.
Earlier this year there was a flutter of posts (and they tend to pop up routinely) on agent blogs regarding the perfection of queries that only disappoint in the delivery of the novel.
Two things happen here: 1) The agent is ticked off for having been a fool and having their time wasted. 2) You'll be left in the dust wondering what happened to that excited agent.
So, back to the moral. How you sell yourself matters. Don't promise what you can't deliver because it's something akin to crying wolf.
I sure as heck won't be buying OK! again anytime in the foreseeable future or ever for that matter. I only tolerate getting burned like this once.
I'd hate to submit a 'misleading' query to an agent like me, and I'm certain there are more than a few of them like that out there.
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