How I Got my Agent Back!

Whenever I feel like I've hit rock bottom, or I'm barely surviving a low in my writing / publishing career, something good tends to happen, something I'm truly not expecting, and this is a trend I've never really noticed until recently. Then again, hindsight is 20/20. 

Way back in 2014, a publisher I'd been signed with was careening toward an unavoidable implosion. I was terrified of what might happen to my books I'd published with them, to what I'd do next. I mean, how do you recover from something like that? And then, I snagged an agent. You can read all about how that happened HERE. 

Fast forward three years and I was once again facing another major blow in my writing career. Read all about that HERE. As a result, I'd parted ways with my agent. I was sad and discouraged and really on the verge of just giving up. But I didn't. I took some time to assess what I wanted to write and what direction I wanted to take my career. 

Fast forward another three years, and here we are at the end of a very long and difficult year. Despite it all, I've had a productive year in terms of writing and publishing, and while I'm happy with what I've accomplished, I was left feeling like I was still missing something. I'd finished a massive 6-book series, and I was floundering on what to do next. Did I dive into a new YA series I could self-publish? Did I write an adult book I could query agents with? Did I finally finish my series written as Lexi and self publish that? (Which is something I'd been considering for a while.) And then, I got an email....

The publisher of my Lexi books was investing in some new marketing for my book in January. Let me tell you how big of a boost this was! I eagerly jumped in to help with their efforts, revived Lexi on social media, and my enthusiasm for this series sparked once again. I reached out to my former agent, who had originally sold this series for me and who I'd always been in contact with throughout the years and let her know what was going on. During our discussions, I asked if she thought my publisher might reconsider publishing the 3rd book in this series. We agreed I'd ask and see what happened. 

Much to my surprise, they agreed to take a look at the 3rd book and reconsider!!!! And so, I gave the book (which had been written for years) another read through, cleaned it up, rewrote the ending, and sent it off to Dawn, who had agreed to submit it on my behalf considering she'd repped the first two books in the series. 

And now it's official---I have re-signed with my former agent, Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency!! 

She has sent my third Lexi book to the publisher, and now we wait for their decision. If they ultimately say no, I'll forge ahead with self-publishing it so I can continue to rebuild my pen name. And I'll eventually work on something new for Lexi as well. In the meantime, after speaking with Dawn about what she's looking for, I'm working on a proposal for a new series: small town cowboys that will ultimately be published in some form under my Kara name! I couldn't be more excited about this prospect, and I'm so thrilled to be working with Dawn again :-) 

January (2018) Joys

In an effort to stay positive, productive, and accountable, I've decided to check-in at the end of each month. I'll share what I've accomplished along with any ups or downs I've experienced. So, let's get to it...


WRITING: 
I finished the first draft of my YA paranormal romance!!! YAY! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this.... It's been four years in the making! I sent it to a handful of beta readers, and the feedback is starting to roll in. I'm looking at a complete overhaul of the opening chapters, but that's okay. I've gotten some great ideas, and I'm excited to jump back in and revise. I also started working on my Christmas novella for Anaiah -- it's a sweet contemporary romance.


QUERYING:
My co-author and I are querying a YA thriller. We sent right around 50 queries, and so far, we've received 1 full request (YAY!) and 30 rejections (boo!). The rest are still outstanding. While I'm being realistic about this project, it's nice to know at least one person liked it enough to request, but I have that sinking feeling this book has "missed the market" so to speak. But, we'll see how it goes.


EDITING:
I've been crazy busy with editing. I joined forces with fellow PitchWars Mentor, Lisa Amowitz, and we started The Choppy Shop, which is a pop-up editorial service specializing in query letter and first chapter critiques to prepare authors for querying. I completed two freelance editing projects, finished edits on a YA manuscript for Anaiah, and have begun contents on a contemporary romance for Anaiah.


READING:
Sadly, I haven't read anything for pleasure this month, but I did beta read a manuscript that was a ton of fun -- lots of family drama, secrets, twists, murder, and romance.


PERSONAL:
My oldest daughter turned 19 this month. Yikes--that makes me feel old. Ha! I took her to a Black Veil Brides concert which, up until that night, I had never heard of. The music was loud and full of screaming, but some of it was good, and I added a couple new songs to my writing playlist.

My other daughter turned 13 -- Another teenager in the house, goody. <sarcasm font> She had her birthday party at the bowling alley, which also offered virtual reality. Fun was had by everyone. She really has a great group of friends, though, and seeing them all together (no fighting / drama) was great. It makes me happy to see that she's surrounded herself with positive, supportive people.

I've been fighting off something icky, either a sinus infection or the start of the flu. I think a trip to the doctor is in my near future. For this reason, I didn't make it to the gym nearly as much as I wanted to--I think I only went two or three times. Oh well, February is a new month and I'll hit it hard :-)

So, what has everyone else done in January? Is 2018 off to a good start for you? Share in the comments!

New Year's Goals: 2018

It's that time of year again! GOALS TIME! I actually really look forward to this every year. I love setting goals. It gives me direction and keeps me accountable. So, without further ado, here are my 2018 goals...

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LEARN TO LOVE WRITING AGAIN. 
AND THEN WRITE!

2017 was a rough year for me, and along the way, I lost my love for writing. I had lots of ideas, but when it came time to put my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard, I blanked. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the words out. Needless to say, it's been frustrating. So, I'm going to continue to take my time. I'm not going to push myself to write or get upset with myself if a day (or twelve) goes by that I don't write. And I'm going to focus on just the writing for a while. Basically, I'm going to write what I want to write--the market be damned! Then, eventually, I'll see what I have and jump back into the publishing pool.


1. Finish Eternally Cursed, which is the first book in a YA paranormal romance series.

2. Write the sequel to Eternally Cursed.

3. Write Meet Me at The Mistletoe, a sweet Christmas romance novella for the Christian market.

4. Finish Deception, which is the first book in a new Christian romantic suspense series.

5. Take an inventory of all my half-started YA projects and see if any of them are worth salvaging.

6. Query something! Probably my paranormal romance because it's the only thing I have that's close to finished.

KEEP ON BLOGGIN'

Yup, this is on my goal's list. Again. I should just accept that this is a permanent fixture on this list. LOL. I actually have a few blog posts written and ready to go that I plan to release soon. I'll be talking books, writing, and sharing every step of my journey to finding a new agent.

READ

I'd like to read 2-3 books per month--my TBR pile is monstrous--but I'll be happy with a conservative 1 book per month. Like I did last year, I'll keep a list of what I read and share it at the end of the year.

BETTER SELF-CARE

I'm going to start going to the gym again, at least twice per week. Not because I want to lose weight--although it certainly couldn't hurt!--but because when I exercise regularly, I have more energy and I'm much more productive. It really does get the creative juices flowing.

POSITIVITY

This is my mindset for 2018. When things seem like they can't get any worse, I will find something positive to focus on. Even amidst rejections and bad reviews, there is always something positive to take away from it. This year, I will become a master at finding the good and sharing it!

What are you goals for this year? 

Share in the comments, or post a link to your own goals post!

Looking back on 2017...

It's been a real "Hold my beer and watch this" kind of year, hasn't it? Between politics and publishing, I'm exhausted! And quite honestly, I'm glad to see 2017 go. But, before it does, it's once again time to look back on the year and see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2017.

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My 2017 Goals Included:

1. Propose and potentially write a fourth book for a contracted series. 

Status: GOAL KINDA MET

My Thoughts: I wrote a proposal, and it was rejected. My editor felt it was too dark in comparison to the rest of the series. In hindsight, she's right. (She always seems to be right. LOL.) Also, for various reasons, the third book will not be published, so it seems silly to write a spin-off. 

2. Finish Savage Passion (Midnight Rebels, Book 1) and allow my agent to start sending it out on submission. Also, outline the entire Midnight Rebels Series--which, right now, is looking like it could be 7 or 8 books total.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My Thoughts: Because I am no longer writing adult secular romance, and because I've parted with my agent, this project has been officially shelved. Maybe I'll revisit it in the future. 

3. Complete the R&R for The Georgia Corbins.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My Thoughts: I had very good intentions with this one. I love this story so much, and I want it back out in the world. And I am not giving up on this series. But, for the time being, it's not at the top of my priority list, mostly because I don't know what to do with it. Rewrite and resubmit? Self-publish? Query it again? I'm not sure yet. 

4. Finish Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1), my YA Gothic romance, and send to agents.

Status: GOAL KINDA MET

My Thoughts: I have been working on this book a lot lately. It has undergone a title and genre change. It's now called Eternally Cursed (working title) and it's a YA paranormal romance. I'm 15k away from it being finished and ready for beta readers. I am so in love with this book and these characters! 

5. Blog

Status: GOAL KINDA MET

My Thoughts: I've been doing more blogging over on the Anaiah Press Blog, but this blog has been all but ignored. 

6. Read more books for pleasure.

Status: GOAL MET!

My Thoughts: While I didn't read as much as I wanted to, I read a lot more books this year than I did the past couple of years. Here's what I read:

Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
Running Home by Katie O'Connor
Engaged in Death by Stephanie Blackmore
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer 
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Fire in You by J. Lynn
Fall With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Forever With You by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Frigid by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
We Can Be Mended by Veronica Roth
The Vampire Diaries (The Awakening) by LJ Smith
The Vampire Diaries (The Struggle) by LJ Smith
The Vampire Diaries (The Fury) by LJ Smith
The Vampire Diaries (Dark Reunion) by LJ Smith


Out of 6 goals, I fully achieved one and kinda achieved two. Those aren't very good numbers, huh? So, at this point, you're probably wondering: What the heck did you do all year, Kara? I'm glad you asked. I did a LOT! Honestly! Take a look...

Professionally:

• I've written a total of 313,522 words on various personal projects this past year. 
• I edited 2 fantastic manuscript for freelance clients; one of whom went on to sign with her dream agent.
• I've edited a total of 7 manuscripts for Anaiah Press, and acquired a whole heck of a lot more.
• My alter-ego edited, released, and promoted two books. 
• I GOT MY FIRST FAN MAIL LETTER!!!!
• I co-wrote and queried a contemporary YA that deals with mental health and suicide.
• I started a new Christian romantic suspense series. The first book is titled Deception, and it deals with a cult. 
• I participated in a couple Twitter pitch events for some co-authored YA books, and even got a few requests!
• I learned how to use Canva to make book teasers.
• I made some big decisions about my writing career. 
• I learned a lot about myself as a writer and editor--what I can and want to do, what my limits are, and most importantly, that the world isn't going to stop spinning if I don't do all the things all the time. 

Personally: 

• I went to NY to visit my parents and my daughter.
• I went to Moline, IL to see Twenty One Pilots in concert for my daughter's 13th birthday. It was her first concert and was such a wonderful experience!
• My eldest daughter moved back in with me after having lived with her father for the past few years.
• My eldest daughter graduated from high school!
• My son graduated from 8th grade and started high school. 
• My daughter skipped 7th grade and went into 8th--She's doing wonderful, too! 
• I saw a live Burlesque show!
• I have finally learned the importance of self-care. 

Even though I didn't meet many of my original goals, I still accomplished a lot. I'll consider it a mildly good year, all things considered.

What did you get done this past year? 

Share your success in the comments!

Gratitude, Good News, and Going in a New Direction

GRATITUDE:
It's been an interesting few weeks, to say the least. The response to my last blog post has been overwhelming! The outpouring of support has blown my mind--I've had so many people reach out to me to encourage me not to give up (which, for the record, I'm not!) and share their own stories with me. And it was all of these heartfelt messages that reminded me why I love the writing community so much. From the very bottom of my heart...

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GOOD NEWS:
A year or so ago, I co-wrote a YA thriller that we pitched as LOST meets AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. We've been querying it on-and-off. Two days after my last blog post, two days after I made the decision to focus on writing YA, we got a partial request from an agent! I know. It's not an offer--not even close--and it ultimately ended in a very encouraging rejection, but you know what? It was the sign I needed that I'd made the right decision and that I'm on the right path. So, I'm counting this as a win.

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About four years ago, I started a YA. Throughout the years, I worked on it here and there, but it was never my priority. Why? Because it was something just for me--a stress-free fun project I never had any intentions of sharing with anyone. I guess you could call it fan-fiction. (Any guesses on what book I love enough to write fan-fic?!?!) Over the years, the story has morphed into something different and unique, and it would be a stretch to call it fan-fic now.

Recently, I opened the doc and read it. And to my surprise, it was GOOD! And so I began to write a bit more of it--purely for fun. I'm both a bit shocked and super thrilled to say I'm enjoying it. A lot. Writing this doesn't feel like a chore or work--it's FUN! Right now, my plan is to stick with it until I run out of steam, but I have no plans or expectations for it.

GOING IN A NEW DIRECTION:
In addition to focusing on YA instead of romance, I'm doing some other new things...

1.) As you can see, I'm in the process of re-branding my website / blog to fit with my new direction. I know, it looks pretty bland right now--it's still a work in progress. I hope to have it all sparkly and new by the end of the year.

2.) I'm going to blog more. Now, before you laugh and remind me that I say this every single year, hear me out... I've been reading a lot more, and I've decided I'm going to blog about the books I'm reading. I'm also going to blog about my journey to finding a new agent and (hopefully) a new publishing deal.

3.) I'm toying with pen names. Should I wipe the slate clean and use a new one? Should I just write as Kara? Should I use my legal name? Which, by the way, is not very publishing friendly. What do you think?

Well,there you have it. I hope y'all will stick around during this new journey--I'm sure it's going to be a wild ride!

Getting Up When All You Want To Do Is Stay Down

As I sit here staring at this page, I have no idea where to even begin.... I suppose I should start by saying I never dreamed I'd ever have to write a post like this. And I pray no other author will ever have to go through what I'm about to explain, but sadly, I know how unrealistic that is. My hope is that this post will help someone in someway. So, here goes...

I have a super secret pen name--although, it's not that big of a secret. If you dig hard enough, you'll figure it out. In 2015, under this pen name, my agent got me a three-book deal. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement. Shortly after, I began working with my editor to get the book publication ready, and let me tell you: the edits were intense! But I enjoyed the process. I had fun reshaping the book and spending time with my characters. Months of hard work were about to pay off.


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Or so I thought.

The book went up on NetGalley to garner some pre-release reviews. IT. BOMBED! I had two dozen one and two star reviews. It was horrible. I questioned every word I wrote. I doubted myself as a writer, big time! I wanted to quit. (Thank God for awesome writer friends who talked me off that ledge.) Together with my editor and publisher, we decided to pull the book from the release schedule and rewrite it. I spent 6 weeks rewriting the book from the ground up. Literally the only thing that stayed the same was the characters and the setting. Everything else changed.

It was once again release time. I held my breath every time I'd visit Amazon or Goodreads. To my relief, the reviews were GOOD! I began to regain a bit of my writerly confidence. My editor and I moved on to work on book two, which as the time of writing this post, hasn't released yet. I will say that the reviews are mixed--equally good and bad.

During all of this, I had pitched my editor FOUR different projects. Every single one of them was rejected!


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Granted, a couple of them were books I'd written earlier in my career and aren't as strong as my current stuff. And some of them simply didn't have enough romance for this specific publisher--I knew that was a risk when I submitted. Still, every rejection stings.

Fast forward to my first royalty payment. Exciting, right?


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I won't get into specific figures and amounts, but let's say I made way less than $100. For more than a YEAR of my time and effort to write and rewrite this book. If we say it was simply one year--12 months and I had earned an even $100--that means I earned $8.33 per month while writing this book. Let that sink in for a minute...

Still with me? Good. Today, October 10, 2017, six days before my second book is set to release, I get the devastating news that my publisher has decided NOT to publish the third book in my series, which, by the way, has already been written. Why? Because of poor reviews and low sales.

I work in publishing, so I get it. I do. This is a business, and they need to make smart business decisions--decisions that are in the best interest of their company and its bottom line. But for me, IT SUCKS! On so many levels.

My agent, who has been by my side through all of this, consoled me. Encouraged me. (Although, let's be honest, nothing anyone says is going to make me feel better right now. I need to wallow in this for a bit before I can get past it.) She also gave me a hard dose of reality. Because of my low sales and poor reviews and cancellation of my third book, the chances she'll be able to sell anything new under this pen name to another publisher is slim. What publisher would want to take a risk on an author with such a bad track record? Again, this would be a business decision for any publisher--I get that, and I'm not trying to place the blame on anyone. It just is what it is.

But what does this mean for my alter-ego? She's done. Finished. I will never write another book under this name. (Unless I want to self-publish, which I don't want to do. But more on that below.) On the surface, that probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but when I step back and look at the fact that I've spent the last THREE YEARS building this persona... I feel like I've wasted all of that time. I feel like I could've been doing something else, something more productive, something with a higher pay-off.

I have officially hit rock bottom. I'm numb. I'm sad. I'm angry. I'm confused. I feel like a complete failure. And now, more than ever, I want to delete every trace of social media, set my laptop on fire, crawl into a deep hole and hide forever.


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You're probably wondering why I chose to share this long, depressing, embarrassing story of failure with the world. Well, because there aren't enough of these types of stories out there. Day after day after day we hear about six-figure deals, movie options, awards, best sellers lists.... And day after day after day, we wonder, why not me?

It can be hard to see all those success stories while you're struggling every day to open your WIP or write a single word or send a single query. I want you to know:

YOU'RE NOT ALONE! 

If you take nothing else away from this blog post, please take that. You are not alone. I'm struggling, too, and I'd bet there are dozens if not hundreds of other authors out there who're questioning if they should keep going. And you know what?

IT'S OKAY!

It's okay to feel unsure, to wonder if you're cut out for this business, to question the things you write. Don't get angry for doubting yourself. Embrace those feelings. Because it's not the feelings that are bad--It's what you choose to do with them that makes the difference. You can let them beat you down, or you can use them as fuel to come back swinging.

I honestly don't know where to go from here. But I do know I'm re-evaluating everything about my writing career, right down to what genre and age category I want to write from this point forward. I have made a few decisions, though...

1. I will no longer be writing adult romance, as Kara or as anyone else. As a result of this decision, I have split with my agent. She reps romance, and if I'm not writing romance... You get the point. I have no ill feelings toward my now former agent. I wish her and the agency all the best.
2. Above all else, I'm going to take some time for me. I'm taking the rest of the year off from writing. I'm going to start going back to the gym. I'm going to finally make a dent in my TBR pile. I'm going to enjoy the upcoming holidays with my family without looming deadlines or guilt for not writing any words on a given day. 
3. When I do come back to writing--and I will--I'm planning to focus on YA. I've written quite a few young adult stories, and I have ideas for a lot more, and it's about time I did something with all of them. 

As a very close friend said to me recently: "We can't have talent and passion and get no where with it. I refuse to believe that."

I refuse to believe that, too! 

Dear Authors: Do Your Research!

Dear Authors:

Yes, I was a literary agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency for a very brief period of time. Note the "was" -- as in past tense. Due to personal reasons, I made the difficult decision to leave. (To learn more about why, please read this post.) When I made the announcement, I received an outpouring of support and encouraging messages. Heck,I'm still getting messages. I was humbled by the sheer amount of concern and well-wishes heaped upon me, and I cannot begin to tell you how much that has meant to me. So to everyone who reached out and to those who kept me and my family in your prayers, THANK YOU!

Just last week, the wonderful Chuck Sambuchino tweeted that I was a new agent looking for certain genres. (On a side note - I had the chance to meet Chuck earlier this year, and he's just as personable and friendly and knowledgeable in person as he is online. Seriously, if you have the chance to attend one of his workshops, do it!) That single tweet received dozens of retweets and favorites, and resulted in me gaining a lot of new followers. Chuck was simply doing what he does and trying to help. Unfortunately, in the midst of dealing with family issues, I never emailed Chuck to alert him to the fact I was no longer an agent. The blame for this is on me, and I fully own that. Let me be very clear: I do not blame Chuck in the least. He's a great guy and I fully support his efforts within the writing community.

However, since that tweet, I have gotten an influx of emails from authors seeking representation. At first, I answered all of them, explaining that I was no longer an agent and wishing them well. But the emails continue to come. I just got two more this morning. And you know what I realized? They are being sent to my Anaiah Press and / or my personal email address! And you know what this tells me?

Authors aren't doing their research! And that, dear authors, is on you. Yes, I should've made sure Chuck knew I was no longer an agent. Yes, I should've shared my announcement more frequently on social media. But it's your responsibility, as an author, to do your homework, to know who you're submitting to and what their role is withing the publishing industry.

I mean, that is the number one thing authors are told when they start querying -- DO YOUR RESEARCH! It's clear that none of these authors have, because if they did, they would've learned two very important things:

1. I am no longer an agent. I'm no longer listed on the Corvisiero Literary agency website. There is a post on my blog about it. I've tweeted about it. Posted on Facebook about it.

2. Anaiah Press is a publisher who is in the business of publishing Christian fiction. They are not a literary agency and they do not represent authors. They publish books.

I cannot stress this enough, authors, DO. YOUR. RESEARCH! Know who you're submitting to, know what they're looking for, and most importantly, know the difference between agent and publisher. Don't send a publisher an email asking them to represent you and your books. And conversely, don't send an agent an email and ask them to publish your book.

Anyone who knows me or has ever had any interactions with me will tell you that I am always more than willing to teach and help authors in anyway I can. And that hasn't changed. But please, I beg you, do your research. From this point forward, I won't continue to answer emails asking for representation; and honestly, I really shouldn't have to because if you're doing your research, you'll know I'm not a literary agent and that I don't represent authors or their careers.

All my best,

~Kara

MONDAY MUSINGS: Book Auctions and Fast Deals

Let me start with a massive disclaimer: I have never had a book go to "auction" with agents or publishers. But that's okay, because I'm not here to talk about what it's like behind the scenes. I'm here to talk about what it looks like on the outside, as someone peering in, gazing longingly from the sidelines.

Recently, I've seen a few Facebook posts, blogs, and tweets about books that have gone to auction, where agents and/or editors have fought to a bloody death to get their hands on said book. Or a situation where a book is snatched up within days of querying. And it's exciting, right? Of course it is. For those who are directly involved in it. But for everyone else? Not so much. In fact, these success stories are harmful, and in my opinion do more harm than good. Personally, I really dislike reading stories like this.

Now, before you go lighting your pitchforks and calling me "jealous" or "bitter" or whatever else you want to call me, allow me to explain...

I'm always one of the first people in line to shout cheers of congratulations when someone lands an agent or gets a book deal. I know how hard it is to get there, and so it absolutely deserves a celebration when an author achieves their dreams. I'm not denying anyone their successes. But here's the thing....

When an author -- whether brand new or seasoned -- reads these awesome stories about a book that was offered representation by 19 different agents, or was offered representation within hours of querying and then the book is snatched up by an editor within a few more days, it sends the wrong message. It makes authors think it's the norm. Why? Because these types of success stories are the ones that go viral. Which is sad, because these types of stories are the exception NOT the norm. And so authors sit back and think, "My book isn't going to auction or selling that fast. Something must be wrong! I suck. I give up!"

Well, I'm here to tell you, YOU'RE WRONG!!

It's absolutely normal for a book not to sell fast, to wrack up rejection after rejection after rejection. And you know what?

That's right. IT IS OKAY! You're not a lessor author or your book isn't bad just because it doesn't sell fast or get into an auction. So many authors wrote numerous books, wracked up dozens if not hundreds of rejections before finally landing an agent or getting a book deal. Unfortunately, those stories, the ones of numerous setbacks and rejections and perseverance... THOSE stories don't get shared often enough. And they should! I mean, why not? Why not celebrate all the times people told us "no" only to then come out on top where we want to be?

So, this post is dedicated to all of you! Share your stories in the comments. Don't be afraid to tell us how many rejections you got or how many years it took to get where you are now! Wear your success (and your "failures") like a badge of honor. Own it. Flaunt it. Be proud of it!

Do You Know Your Agent?

The author - agent relationship is a unique one that requires a great deal of trust, probably more so than any other relationship you'll ever have within this industry. An agent is basically a person who will manage your career. They will help you edit and polish your manuscript; create an outstanding query package; sell your manuscript to a publisher; negotiate your contract for you; and just be an all-around champion for you and your work. In addition to all of that, your agent will be responsible for collecting and disbursing your royalties to you, so there's a very delicate fiduciary relationship that shouldn't be ignored or left un-discussed. 

There are a lot of agents out there with new ones showing up on the scene every day. So, how do you know which ones are the good ones? By doing your homework. I always tell authors to research, research, research! NEVER sign with an agent unless you're 100% confident in them and their ability to represent you. 

Here are the steps I took BEFORE I ever sent a query letter to any agent:

1.      The Agent's Website – Okay, this might seem like a no-brainer. I mean, duh, right? How else will you know how & where to submit? But, don’t just visit the submissions page. Take the time to click through every single page on the website. Do all the links work? Are there missing pages? Does the site itself look professional? Is it full of silly grammatical errors? Is there an “About Us” or a “Staff” page? What kind of experience does the agent have? Is there a list of current authors? Is there a page for recent deals? What kind of deals has the agent recently made? Are they to traditional Big 5 publishers or are they small press deals? How long has the agency been in business?

2.      Preditors & Editors – (http://pred-ed.com/) This is an alphabetical listing of publishers and agents along with a “recommendation.” Search for the specific agent you’re thinking of submitting to and see what recommendation they’ve been given. If they’re listed and “not recommended” or “highly not recommended” you might want to cross them off your list.

3.      Absolute Write Forums – (www.absolutewrite.com) Go to Google, type in the name of the agency / agent, and then add “absolute write” after it. This usually results in the first hit being a direct link to the forum that discusses said agent. Take the time to read every single posting. Some will have 20+ pages, and some of the comments will be nothing more than “I got an offer!” Weed through those to get to all the other stuff. Oftentimes, current and/or past authors will chime in and give their personal experiences with the agent. This information can be invaluable.

4.      Ask Friends & Fellow Writers – If you don’t already belong to writing groups on Facebook, go join some right now! They’re invaluable. Make a posting asking about said agent. Ask if anyone has any experience with the agent and if so, what it is.

5.      Check the Agent's Social Media Accounts – Facebook, Twitter, blog, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. How big of a following do they have? Are they active on those accounts or has it been months since they last posted? Are they using them to help promote their authors? Are they using it to interact with readers? Are they conducting themselves professionally?

6.      Make Google Your New Best Friend – Google the agent's name. Do any articles or interviews come up? Read them. Is there anything that gives you pause?

7.   Check Publisher's Marketplace - Most agents will announce deals they've made on this site. It's a great way to see what types of things they've been selling and to whom. Are you looking for a traditional deal, but the agent works primarily with small presses?You may want to cross him/her off your list and move on. 

So, your agent of choice has made it through your initial round of scrutiny and you polish up your query and hit send. Then you wait and wait and wait… Until one day you get an offer! YAY! I know how tempting it will be to just sign on the dotted line and get your book moving toward publication. DON’T! Take a step back. You’ve still got a lot of work to do.

AFTER you’ve received an offer for representation, it’s time to dig a little deeper and do more research.

1.      Read the Contract – Again, a no brainer. Read it two, three, four times. Have a lawyer read the contract. If you don’t have one or can’t afford one, ask a friend who has experience working with contracts to read it for you. As you do, compile a list of questions. Even if everything seems straightforward and you understand it, ask a question anyway. Create a list of items you want to negotiate. If you feel the contract is fair and there isn’t anything you want changed, come up with something anyway and ask for it. Doing these two things (asking questions, negotiating) will show you two things: (A) how communicative the agent is, and (B) how willing they are to work with you as an author. The standard agent fee is 15%, so if the contract is granting the agent more than that, find out why!

2.      Contact Current Authors – Go back to the publisher’s website and look through their current author list. Randomly chose 6 – 10 authors, hunt them down on the intranet, and email them. Politely let them know you’ve received an offer of representation with Agent and you’re touching base to see what their personal experiences have been like. It’s very rare an author won’t respond, and trust me, they will be brutally honest with you. 

** An argument can be made to do this step before querying, but I find this specific step to be very time-consuming and is often better done once an offer is on the table because at that point, you have a lot more invested and a lot more to gain / lose. **

3.      Do a Business Search – Once you get the contract, it will have a lot of information such as the owner’s full name, business address, telephone number. Plug these into trusty ‘ole Google and see what comes up. Alternatively, you can search for the state where the business is located and search their business database. (All companies registered as an Inc., LLC, etc is public information and as such must be listed somewhere.) Is the business legally registered in the state listed in the address? Are there any formal complaints against the business? Does the business listing information match what is on the contract?

** Note: A lot of agencies will have this basic information available on their website -- if not a full street address, at the very least a state listing. Those that don't -- take pause and ask yourself why? **

4.      Ask to Speak on the Phone – Nowadays, a majority of publishing is done online and communication is via email. However, don’t be afraid to ask to schedule a phone call to speak about contractual terms or anything else you want to talk about. Honestly, I don't know of a single agent that won't immediately schedule a call with you, so if an agent isn't willing to do this, it's a major red flag! It’s so much easier to gauge tone and inflection when speaking as opposed to email. You can ask the tough questions on the phone and listen to how the agent responds. Is he/she dodging your questions? Talking in circles? Are they actively engaging you regarding your manuscript? Are they excited about it? Did they even read it?? (Yes, I have heard of this happening.)

6.      Ask Questions – In addition to asking contractual questions, ask lots of other questions, too. Some common ones to ask are:

• Will you edit my manuscript before we begin to query? If so, what is your process for that? How long does it generally take? 
• What is your vision for my book? What types of big, global changes do you think need to be made?
• What is your submission plan? Who will we submit to first? 
• Will you represent just this book or every single book I ever write?
• What happens if my book doesn't sell?

I typically save this questions until after I’ve reached out to current authors and have heard back from them. This way, I can compare the publisher’s answers to the actual experiences of the authors. 

Remember that everyone’s experience is different, and although these steps will help you make an educated decision whether or not to query an agent, use common sense and come to your own conclusions. Only you know what is best for your career.  

Do you have anything to add? Are there any other steps you take or websites you visit? Share them in the comments :) 

How I chose my #PitchWars Mentee and Alternate

With the looming reveal of the mentors' #PitchWars picks, I thought I'd take a moment to explain how and why I chose my mentee and alternate. Although I can't tell you who they are yet, I can explain what my decision process was. 

I'm sure every single author who didn't get chosen will wonder, why? Why did so-and-so's manuscript get picked and mine didn't? It's a fair question, and one I asked myself last year when I wasn't chosen. And even though it's HARD to tell so many talented writers "no," it can be easy to tell them why they weren't picked. As much as we hate to say it and face it, it's easy to point out what isn't working, but have you ever tried to concisely explain why something does work really well? It can be HARD! 

For me, it all started with a gut feeling. I know. That's cliche and totally subjective, but it's the truth. I narrowed down my inbox according to the submissions I just couldn't stop thinking about. There were 6 of them at the start. Then it went up to 8. Back down to 6 and eventually down to a Top Five. (I can be very indecisive at times. lol) 

This is what ensued next:

(1)    I looked a bit closer at their query and their pages to see if they had that hook, that thing that made their MS stand out above others in the genre.  

(2)    I became an author stalker. I watched them on Twitter. Hunted them down on Facebook (if I could find them), and spent some time on their websites / blogs. I got a feel for them as people because I needed to make sure whomever I chose would be compatible with me. 

(3)     I asked myself: What can I offer this author? And can we honestly accomplish the needed work within the time frame we have? 

(4)     I studied the participating agents list and what they want. (Even though I took this into account, it wasn't the ultimate deciding factor in my decision.) But at the end of the day, the agents are also volunteering their time to come check out the wonderful offering of new books, and it's only fair we give them a little something they want, too. 

(5)     I printed the query letter of each of my Top Five, pinned them to my wall, and threw darts at them. LOL. Okay, I'm totally kidding. I did NOT do this!!! 

In the end, I went with the two that really spoke to me, the ones I just couldn't get off my mind. They are the ones you look at and think: "Damn it! I wish I'd written that!" 

But to everyone who submitted to me: THANK YOU! It's such an honor and privilege to know you trusted me with your work and that you wanted to spend a few months working closely with me. I know it's not the same as being chosen, but I hope the emails I send to all of you explaining why I didn't choose your manuscript will be of some help. If nothing else, I want you all to get some helpful feedback from this experience. And remember: You've written a book!!! (And you showed it to a complete stranger.) That's a huge win already! :-)       

Don't ever give up. Keep writing. Keep querying. 

And keep believing in your dreams.