#pubtips

[heroes-fading]

any plans on sharing your original writing on ao3 👀

I don't think ao3 is the place for it so I am...figuring that part out! Gotta finish it first! I'd loosely describe it as Lady Bird meets I'm Glad My Mom Died (ha haaa is that delusional).

If anyone wants to read the final product though and give feedback I'd definitely welcome it, I'll post something when it's done for anyone who wants a copy and I've combed through it a million times (UNLIKE what I do when I post to AO3...when I finish and do the messiest of proofreads and then hit post....). It'll be a hot minute because even I'm not insane enough to write a novel in two weeks (my 9-5 would not be thrilled).

i am in a weird new space with this and it's a little exciting but also nervewracking. I do not know what I am doing. I am making it up as I go along.

[lianabrooks]

KJ Charles breaks down publishing legalese (circa 2023) for everyone so you know how to read a contract and what to do before your sign.

If you're thinking about publishing anything, go READ.

Quoted from the blog of KJ Charles

"This post ought to be filed under “Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious”. I hope most of you reading it will mutter “duh” and move on.  Everyone else, kindly have it tattooed on an unobtrusive body part.

The author’s biggest mistake is not, as you may think, having your heroine gaze into a mirror itemising her lush hair, full lips and high, firm breasts while feeling insecure about her ability to attract men. That’s #2. I’m talking about contracts.

Let’s start with some true stories.

Friend: [tells me about a complex set up she’s doing with a fellow creator involving transferring large sums of other people’s money] Me: You’ve got that down in a contract, right? Friend: Oh, I wouldn’t want to ask for a contract, that would suggest I didn’t trust her.

At a conference contracts panel

Me: Hands up who isn’t clear what “Grant of Rights” means in a publishing contract. [most hands go up] Me: Keep your hand up if you’ve signed a publishing contract. [most hands stay up. Embarrassed laughter.]

And in general:

Author: I don’t understand what all this legalese means but Publisher has always treated me well in the past, so I’m signing. Author: I can’t believe I’m really gonna be published! I got the contract today and you better believe I signed it right away and sent it back before they could change their minds LOL!!! Author: My brother deals with loads of contracts for the local council. He looked over it and he reckons it’s fine.

If that lot didn’t make your eyes bleed, you need to know more.

Contracts are scary, dull, and full of incomprehensible jargon. Nobody likes reading them, nobody likes negotiating them. But if you are an author looking to sign with a publisher, you have to read, and understand, and negotiate. It is culpably foolish not to.

The publisher’s job, and thus the job of everyone who works for them, is to make money for the publisher. Not for the author–that’s just a side effect which keeps the business lubricated. I have worked in publishing my whole life, over two decades, half a dozen companies. I have been a commissioning editor and a managing editor; I have negotiated, issued, and amended contracts, and dealt with rights exploitation and reversion. I was a publisher long before I was an author. And I know what I am talking about when I say that the publisher does not approach the contract thinking, “What are the most favourable terms we can possibly give?”

Writers are at a disadvantage here because, generally, we want to be published. We want to believe in the goodwill of the publisher with whom we’re dealing; we’re afraid of rocking the boat by being stroppy and asking too much. We probably can’t afford lawyers at all, and almost certainly don’t have access to an experienced publishing contract lawyer; many of us are unagented. Our eyes glaze as we read, and we’re not really sure what a lot of it means, but, you know, they publish lots of people, don’t they? The editor is lovely; authors say nice things about the publisher on Facebook. Surely it’ll be fine?

No. It is never okay to sign something you don’t understand. Your trust in the publisher’s goodwill will not get your rights or money back when things go wrong. Your unwillingness to read boring legalese isn’t an excuse, it’s an Achilles heel that covers your entire leg..."

KEEP READING

[avoliot]

Querying

I got an ask on querying, which I answered privately as it had personal details in it, but thought the info might be useful more widely. As I didn't officially query I have crowdsourced some tips from my agented friends who did (ed: the group chat would like me to say i have 'consulted the sages') so here is the collected wisdom, which I have sorted into categories.

Please note that this is largely based on querying US agents.

Before you start:

Prepare yourself emotionally for rejection. if at all possible, write another book. Really common not to get rep for your first novel and really common for the book you got signed for not to sell. Honestly a lot of the confusion around querying is like, this is not about getting a good mark in writing a book. This is starting a career.

Don't jump the gun - make sure you've polished your book as much as possible yourself, sought feedback from beta readers and critique partners etc.

Finding agents:

Use manuscript wishlist, query tracker etc to build a list of agents, research their sales history in your genre.

If you can: spring for a publishers marketplace membership for at least a month (it's $25 and you can cancel any time). That way you can see who is selling comparative titles and whether they are selling to reputable publishers.

Don't query anyone you're not actually prepared to sign with. No agent is better than a bad agent.

Query letter:

Make sure you actually understand your genre, are reading recent releases, and know where your book would sit on the shelf, the number of people trying to query 200k game of thrones clones and getting nowhere because the industry moved on from there two decades ago is shockingly high.

Have a really solid idea of what the marketable hook for the book is. Which doesn't have to be what you personally like about it or what makes it good.

Use resources to both read a lot of query letters and, if you like, get yours critiqued. QueryShark archives are free and incredibly helpful. r/pubtips is, despite being reddit, a pretty good place to get specific feedback on your query

Pubtips also has wiki resources on query letter structure, vetting agents etc.

More details:

Even if you've got a series ready to go, you'll probably get further querying it as a standalone with series potential, 'this is the first in a seven part series and I love my characters so much and blahblah' isn't as appealing as you'd think.

Don't editorialise and praise your own manuscript, let people decide for themselves whether it's sensitive/gripping/lyrical.

This is a business letter, you don't need to be SUPER formal, but also be polite and professional and don't get overly familiar.

Referring to other authors the agent reps and how you see your work fitting in with that list also can be effective, but on the whole, personalisation is only necessary if there's something you really want to say to that particular agent. "I'm querying you with my fantasy book because you rep fantasy" can just be left out.

Don't comp the absolute no. 1 bestseller in your genre, comping Sanderson for your fantasy book (or, even worse, Tolkein) will make you look wildly out of touch.

Misc:

be prepared to wait a billion years for a response, it is a shitshow right now

also if you don't know anyone in publishing that's normal but if ur serious about writing professionally please god make friends with some writers at the same career stage. not a query tip but truly essential for ur sanity

[spideronthesun]

querying resources 101

I am struggling with my query letter - help! QTCritique, /r/PubTips, QueryShark.

Where to look for agents? QueryTracker, Manuscript Wishlist, MSWishlist. Writers & Artists. Writer's Digest. AllAgents, But keep in mind that some agents don't use some of these websites, so you might want to still google.

How do I know if an agent has made sales in my genre? Publishers Marketplace!

OK, but I wanna query indie presses! QueryTracker, Reedsy, Poets&Writers, also check Goodreads to see who published your favourite book!

Where can I submit a short story? Who has an open call now? Duotrope (also great for looking up publishers & agents), The Submission Grinder, Authors Publish, Chill Subs, and Horror Tree.

Queried, got an offer, but something feels off? Writers Beware and AbsoluteWrite can help you vet the offer!

Tips:

Rejection says nothing about your worth as a writer. Sometimes, rejection is a blessing in disguise. It's a redirection. You will find yourself where you're meant to be.

A query letter should be 250 to 450 words. It should introduce your main character, their goals, fears, and motivations, as well as the conflict and stakes. We need the why behind their actions and why should it matter if it all goes wrong.

Make sure to research the agents you're querying. Check if they have a wishlist available, see who they represent, and whether they're a good fit for your target audience. Some agents only represent YA and MG, while others are mostly open to adult fiction.

98% of rejections are form. Rarely are they personalised. Unless the agent says something specific about your work in the rejection that resonates with you, then you're welcome to revise your first pages or query itself. But most of the time, it’s the same letter thousands of writers have received before you.

If you get no bites after your first 30 queries, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that you should quit. Don’t stress. You can take a break, revisit what you already have, or rework your query letter. But don’t give up just because there haven’t been any bites yet. All it takes is one yes.

When you're emailing an agent or press, put something like: Query / Title of Your Book / Genre, Word Count in the subject line. That said, always read the submission guidelines. Some will explain exactly what they want. And yes, if the guidelines don’t say otherwise, you’ll be pasting your sample pages into the actual body of the email.

But my work matches the agent's wishlist, and I still got a rejection. What did I do wrong? Agents get hundreds of queries a week, and there’s a huge chance they already represent someone who writes similar themes and tropes as you. You want someone who’s passionate about your work. Not just someone who says yes.

Some agents may never respond. It happens more often than you think. That doesn't mean your work is lacking.

Although, in some instances, your query might also have ended up in a maybe pile and the agent is still pondering over it.

Make sure that the comp titles you're using have been released in the last five years. Comps help agents understand the market your book fits into, and show that you are well read in your genre. Also, don't forget to italicise your comp titles!

Some agents will ask you for a one sentence or one paragraph pitch. Have them ready. Your synopsis should be no longer than 1000 words. It should cover the entire plot. Yes, even spoilers, and yes, even the ending. The agents need to know everything about your work. They need to fall in love with it.

Writing can be a very lonely journey. Please take breaks. Surround yourself with your beloved pets and your friends. But most of all, remember: You finished your story. You did the hard part. You relived your characters' lives over and over again. These characters are now all a part of you, they are ingrained into your veins. You're now the number one advocate for your own work. You're not an aspiring author anymore. You're an actual author. And someone's bound to fall in love with your story.

Don’t query more than one agent at the same agency at the same time. Some agencies treat one no as a no from all. Check their submission guidelines.

Don't check your email more than once a day. It won't help, and if anything, it will increase your anxiety. You deserve to be kinder to yourself.

And like I said, remember, rejection says nothing about your worth. You are a writer. You will always be one. And if you have not heard that lately, I am proud of you.

Good luck!

These were my personal situations and experiences. These sources helped me. Your experiences, needs and results may vary widely from my own.

[aritany]

hi! i saw your posts about being not being thrilled with your previous agent -- it seems to me like you were saying you didn't feel like they really understood/appreciated queer stories, and also felt like they were relying on the author-as-influencer phenomenon for marketing. these are both hurdles i anticipate with querying/publishing; do you have any advice? red flags to look out for, questions to ask?

yeah! we outgrew each other professionally and creatively since the time i signed with her. i came out publicly and gave myself the freedom to start telling primarily queer stories, and that just wasn't where her passion and expertise lay (and that's fine!), so parting was was less of a dramatic breakup and more of a natural end to this chapter.

i think the author-as-influencer phenomenon is becoming more and more common as publishing accelerates the way it has been the past few years, and since i haven't started querying again yet, i haven't had the opportunity to speak with other agents about it. i just couldn't get behind the almost frantic time to hustle energy - i really don't need more things to panic about.

in terms of advice: see if you can speak to other authors about their experiences with agents. all people change, and all agents will shift perspectives as they gain experience, but writers are usually more than happy to share their stories. i've heard rumour of a blacklist going around, but i haven't seen it myself, so i can't speak to its credibility.

here are a few examples of questions you can ask when you get to the stage of querying where you've got an offer and are having an interview:

why do you think this story is important?

why do you think queer stories are important in general?

do you believe that social media presence is essential in traditional publishing? is the onus for marketing on the author?

would you ever encourage an author to push past their comfort zone for the sake of selling books? if so, why?

further reading that might interest you:

Red Flag Warnings: How to Spot a Shady Literary Agent

r/PubTips: agent vetting

writer beware: literary agents

[loving-writing-duo]

Query letters for books are... so difficult. I've gathered some promising agents, written the manuscript, and all of this process has completely consumed my mind!

Ughh.... I wish the query would just write itself, it's all I'm struggling on.

Thank the lovely people on r/Pubtips for all the help.

(Some old art of the book I'm hoping to publish!)

[ttaibhse]

are any of yous pubtips readers

[ghostwise]

Found an interesting Reddit thread in r/PubTips, full of writing advice from a lit magazine editor and writer. I'm reading over it in my spare time today, it's here if anyone wants to take a gander. :)

Highlights so far:

"I’ve heard lots of different analogies and metaphors for what novels are and what short stories are, but my favorite is always the house. A novel is a whole house (both inside and out), including the backyard and garden. A novella is just the house, porches and all. A novelette is only the interior. A short story is a room or level of the house. And a flash is one item in the house. So, while they all exist in the same realm of story, novels and short stories are structurally different."

[judylmohr]

Is it a blurb or a synopsis? (Publishing term explained)

Terms like blurb and synopsis have different meanings depending on context. #writingcommunity #querytip #pubtip

There are some publishing industry terms that are designed to confuse us. It’s like the people who created the terms did it deliberately, determined to make all of us scratch our heads and question the sanity of those around us. Today’s term is doubly confusing, because it has different meanings depending on the context. Blurb and synopsis. Two words that can have the same meaning, but have…

[laments]

did you actually get a full request in a day? 😳 can you please share some querying details and tips

hello i promise i wasn't ignoring you i just forgot about it and had a half - finished answer in my draft.

but, yes! i looked at time stamps and it was actually kind of like 30-ish hours hours, but i sent out a bunch of queries one random day ( for a book that def. was not ready to query ), went to sleep without any responses, and woke up the next morning to my first response being a full request! it was quite an experience and i will 100% chalk it up to luck.

i think the only tips i can give are to: one, have an exquisite query letter — like the best thing you have ever written. agents receive hundreds of queries a week, yours needs to be more than perfect. the r/pubtips sub - r*ddit is an excellent source ( though, i didn't get feedback from anyone because i am a control freak ), but also utilize any writer friends or critique groups you have. two, have amazing pages, but make sure the rest of your project measures up as well. i fully admit that my manuscript was not ready to query, but my opening pages and chapters were amazing —  the rest fell short, however, and that will not carry you through. when people say that you should query agents when your manuscript is the best that you can make it, they mean it. the entire story needs to be as good as your query letter and opening pages.

but, truly, my actual number one tip to querying is to live, laugh, love ( genuinely, brush off the rejections, get back up, and do what u love to do ).

[lampshadewriter]

Reading is fundamental 😁 . . #pubtips #writers #wordboss #bepublished #publishing #hybridpublishing #authors #bestseller #publishabook #bookrelease #newbook #newrelease #bookeditor #bookediting #editor #writerslife #Writers #booksigning #signedcopy #bookpromotion #literaryagents #publishinghouses #bookreview #authorlife #bookbinding #fundamental https://www.instagram.com/p/COndvskLzJj/?igshid=zvd6zcgag1c7

[tunaforbernadette]

The posts at this blog offer an overview of self-publishing that is particularly helpful to beginners. 

[morganhazelwood]

Who left out the slide with the word count expectations? Me! #amwriting #writingTips #books #authortube #booktok #booktube #writersofinstagram #editing #wordcount #publishing #pubTips #writersoftwitter #authorsofinstagram #tradpub https://www.instagram.com/p/CqBA1ySLRKW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[atruebloodwrites]

I shared a post on Twitter today detailing how authors can take a little bit more control of their role in marketing and promo. Here are a few of my suggestions: 1: Podcasts 6 months before my release date, I contacted podcasters to see if they'd be interested in featuring me. It's a great way to promo your book while also chatting about publishing & your backlist. Recommended podcasts: Writer Writer Pants on Fire, What Book Hooked You? 2: Author/Book-Friendly Websites If you are open to it, many online pubs are interested in doing interviews or working with you to write an article for their website. I've worked with NerdDaily, Hypable, and Frolic, and they are all very friendly to authors. 3: Giveaways with Other Authors Last February, I was part of a multi-author giveaway for Valentine's Day. All of the authors involved agreed to promote on IG and it was a HUGE success. Working with other authors often takes the pressure off of doing something on your own. 4: Blog Tours/Bookstagram Tours This is the only promo option I recommend that costs a larger bit of $. Some book blog tours are free, while others charge. I saw a big uptick in my GR adds from doing a bookstagram tour. Many companies have several $ options to choose from. 5: Pre-Order Campaigns/ Indie Partnerships If you have a local indie, I highly recommend working with them to do signed preorders. This helps to build momentum for your release date. I've also had success with preorder campaigns which I began 6-8 weeks prior to release. 6: Release Date Countdown What makes your book unique? Were there any special things you had to research? Use the final days before your release to draw in readers with a unique hook via social media. For AABS, I used all the weird medical info I had to research for the book. It's true that there are many things in publishing out of our control. Not everyone will feel comfortable doing marketing/promo on their own, but it's one way to feel like you're doing something to highlight your upcoming book. #bookpromotips #bookmarketingtips #pubtips #yawriter #marketing #bookmarketing #bookpromo #writingcommunity #yawritingcommunity #writersden https://www.instagram.com/p/CObXorNr1Sq/?igshid=wnejdekl7e7g

[casual-eumetazoa]

any creative people out there know cheat codes from how to stop your brain from craving that sweet sweet validation and just permanently persuade yourself that you’re good enough regardless of what you make and how people react to it..?

(CBT exercises, psychological tricks, and magick spells all accepted)