Does no really mean no?

Before I answer that question, let me clarify. This is not some in-depth blog post about a person's right to say no or choices or anything else deep and thought provoking. Nope. This is simply the story of how I found my agent!

That's right! I have an agent!!!! <--- Can you tell how excited I am? 

I have signed with the wonderful Dawn Dowdle of The Blue Ridge Literary Agency. She is representing me for my series of romantic suspense books. 

Now, back to my question: Does no really mean no? Usually, yes. But in this particular situation, no. lol. Allow me to explain.

In December, I participated in the #pitchMAS pitch event. During that event, Dawn favorited my pitch on Twitter. So, I visited her website, did some preliminary research, and sent off my query on December 20th. According to the email reply I got stating she received my query, it would take two months for a response. And so the waiting began. I should add that other agents had requested as well, and the rejections were quickly rolling in, but still nothing from Mrs. Dowdle. 

Then, on January 31st, I got a response. She rejected. What a hell of a way to start the new year, huh? 

As much as it sucked, I didn't let it get me down. I revamped my query, revised my novel (again), and geared up for #PitMad, which was taking place on January 8th. The day of the event arrived, and I was ready to go. My pitches were pre-scheduled throughout the day, and I have a positive attitude. I'm happy to say that the requests started to trickle in. I was excited. 

But then Mrs. Dowdle requested. Again. 

I was shocked and confused, unsure what to do. Typically during this kind of event, if an agent or editor requests something they've already requested, they state to take the second request as a compliment but not to send another query. However, there was no such statement anywhere on her website or Twitter feed. Ignoring her request seemed rude. Tweeting directly to her seemed unprofessional. And I couldn't send her a direct message because she didn't follow me on Twitter. So I did what I always do when faced with a difficult decision -- I turned to my fellow author friends. 

The consensus: Send another query with a little note letting her know she's already seen and rejected my manuscript. So, that's what I did. Do I recommend everyone do this? No. I took a risk doing this, and I knew that, but I figured because of the unique situation of Twitter pitch parties and that she'd already rejected me, what harm could come from it? All she could do was tell me no again, right? 

The second query was sent to her on January 8th. On January 9th I received a reply stating because she'd requested again, she'd reconsider. Now, I seriously thought she was just being polite, but it was nice nonetheless. 

Then, a few weeks later, I got an email from her stating she'd like to set up a time to speak on the phone. So, we did, and now she's my agent!!! 

Overall, I'm thrilled with my decision to sign with Dawn, and I have the utmost confidence in her ability to sell my book(s). And I owe a HUGE THANK YOU to every single person who hosted these contests, retweeted my pitches, offered encouraging words, and supported me in this crazy, wild, emotional endeavor. I wouldn't be here without all of your help :-)

A Warning to Authors: Research Your Publishers!

A while back I did a post on How to Find a Reputable Publisher. Today, I'm going to talk about something very similar. Now that #PitMad and #pitchMAS is over, I'm swamped with queries, partial manuscripts, full manuscripts, and everything in between. Let me be clear: I'm not complaining. lol. But considering the nature of these contests -- both agents and small press editors making requests, I thought I should take some time to let authors know that they should make a choice based on information and not emotion.

Believe me, I know how tempting it is to sign the first contract that's offered the day it reaches your inbox, especially if it's your first contract ever! But,

DON'T DO IT!

At least not right away.

I know how crazy this sounds coming from an acquiring editor of a small press, but I want every single author I sign to Anaiah Press to do so with their eyes wide open, and a good feeling in their heart for doing so.

Whether you receive an offer of representation from an agent or a publishing contract from a small press, you have to do some research. I cannot stress how important this is!

So, where do you start? Here are the 5 steps I always follow when researching an agent/publisher for my own personal writing:

1. Visit the agents/publishers website. Look at everything. Click through every page they have available. If there are a lot of broken links then you might want to think twice about sending them your work. If there are a ton of authors who've only ever published one book with the publisher then it's a good possibility the publisher is an author mill and you want to avoid those. If the publisher has a sample contract available--READ IT! Also take some time to study the book covers. Do you like them? Would you be proud to have your name on a book with a cover similar to the ones they provide?

2. Research their reputation. Yes, this is possible. The first place I start researching is Preditors & Editors and Absolute Write. They are both free sites that offer advice and insight into various agents and publishers. I ALWAYS check these two sites. (And yes, you can feel free to go check up on Anaiah Press!)

3. Contact some authors. If you're seriously considering a specific agent or publisher, look at their client list/published authors. Randomly contact a few of them, let them know you're considering an offer, and ask what their experiences have been like. You'd be surprised just how willing and helpful they will be.

4. Ask lots and lots of questions. Seriously. Ask whatever questions come to your mind no matter how small or stupid you might think they are. If you've gotten to the point where they have sent you a contract, read it thoroughly. Have your attorney or a trusted author reader it. Then ask a ton more questions.

5. Trust your instincts. I cannot stress this enough. If you have that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, listen to it and heed its warning.

In addition to the above steps, I always look for warning signs and red flags. Here are some of them that you should be aware of:

• Poor quality website / not up to date
• Lack of authors - Sometimes this is due to the fact that the publisher is brand new (like Anaiah) and other times it's because authors are not willing to sign with the agent/publisher in question. Be sure to check to see how long the publisher has been in business.
• Unwillingness to communicate - If the agent/editor you've been in contact with refuses to answer your questions, gives overly vague answers, or tells you that they will answer all of your questions as soon as you sign the contract is probably a person/place you don't want to deal with.
• Unwillingness to negotiate - I've never seen a contract that wasn't negotiable. If you come across an agent/publisher who isn't willing to negotiate even one clause in their contract you might want to think twice about doing business with them. 

Signing with an agent / publisher is a big commitment, and not one that should be rushed into or taken lightly. The average publishing contract is for a period of 3 years, sometimes longer. So ask yourself, are you willing to spend the next few years in a relationship with this person / publisher? 

Polish Your Pitches - It's #PitMad Time!

Tomorrow is January 8th and it's the ever crazy yet exciting event known as #PitMad. Twitter will be abuzz with authors pitching their novels in the required 140 characters or less -- which is really hard to do! Agents and editor will be trolling the feed looking for the best, most intriguing pitches, and then making requests. It's going to be a TON of fun.

And of course, I will be stalking the feed, looking for some new YA and NA for Anaiah Press. So, I thought it would be much less chaotic for me to outline exactly what I expect during this party.

It's simple, I promise!

If I favorite your #PitMad tweet tomorrow please do the following:
1.  Send me a query letter and first three (3) chapters of your novel pasted into the body of the email to: karaleigh.miller (at) anaiahpress (dot) com

See? Told you it was easy :-)

A few things to please keep in mind:

• Don't participate in this event if your manuscript isn't finished, edited, and polished.
• Anaiah Press is a Christian fiction press and we only accept stories that contain themes of inspiration and/or faith (religious themes do not need to be overt) so if you know your story won't fit and I request it, please don't hesitate to send me a polite message stating you're not submitting for this reason.
• Despite popular belief, you don't have to submit to every single agent, publisher, and/or editor who favorites your pitch. If I request materials from you, but your dream is to land an agent, then by all means, feel free to politely decline my request. I'm an author, too. I understand how it goes. But please, please do not send your query if you have no intentions of seriously considering an offer from us.

Happy pitching, Twitterverse! I know it will be Happy Hunting for me :-)