I really like this quote from bestselling author Lisa Jewell.

“It’s very important NOT to go into writing your first novel trying to create something for a market.”

She said this in the October 18 episode of the Olivia’s Book Club podcast. She went on to say:

“You should absolutely only write the thing that comes out of your head when you put your fingers on the keyboard and start making words happen. Just let yourself in, don’t let the market in because that’s not how great books are made.”

This is so important! It might be harder to sell your book to a publisher if it doesn’t fit the current zeitgeist, yet the best books come out of a writer’s imagination rather than an attempt to ride a trend.

It’s different with nonfiction, where you really must be aware of the market and write a book that’s needed. But for a novel, as Lisa also said:

“Just have faith in yourself, follow your instincts, put your faith in front of a screen, put your fingers on a keyboard and make some words happen.”

Great advice, right?

The post Should You Create Your First Novel for a Market? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Even if you’re published, conferences can be a great way to network, make friends, continue your education, and most of all, be a part of the writing community.

Writing is a solitary endeavor, so it’s helpful to be reminded that you’re a part of something bigger.

Plus, those friendships with other writers can be invaluable when nobody in your “real life” really gets you.

Conferences aren’t a necessity but depending on your situation and budget, I recommend you consider going to one every year or two.

Click here for more information.

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So you’re sending out submissions with no luck. Why? Well, your query may need work. The book idea itself may need work.

OR…

Your query and your book might be just fine. But because there are so many other queries in the queue, and perhaps bad luck and lack of serendipity and an annoying scarcity of fairy dust, agents and/or publishers aren’t biting. There’s just a lot of competition.

The problem is in being able to figure out which it is. You must do the work of figuring it out. Get a qualified critique partner. Hire an editor, someone who can address the big picture of your book: Is it interesting or is it boring? Does it feel derivative, or fresh? Does it make readers want to turn the page or fall asleep? Is it pretty good but have a fatal flaw?

Study your query letter, and read lots of resources on queries. How does yours stand up? Is it compelling? Does your book seem sellable?

This is where it’s helpful to be part of the writing community. If you have other friends who are writers, they can be of tremendous help in identifying where the problem might be. Unfortunately, friends who aren’t writers and don’t understand this whole process are usually no help at all.

There could come a point where you’ve done all you can, nobody’s biting, yet you have objective outside feedback that says your book really is good. What should you do?

Any or all of the following:

-Keep querying.

-Self publish.

-Write another book and query that one.

Just remember, the problem could be your book. Or… maybe not.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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A basic but important question: what do you put in your query subject line?

I’m sure there are plenty of possible creative answers to this, but I’m going to err on the simple side. I like a subject line that includes the word “Query” along with your book title, and possibly the genre.

Some examples:

Query: The Best Novel Ever (fiction)

Query: How to Write a Book (NF, self-help)

Query: My Life as a Novelist (memoir)

Tips:
*You may be tempted to use a click-bait subject line, but it usually backfires. (Ex: “Stephen King endorsed my writing.”)

*If you were legitimately referred to me by a client or publishing colleague of mine, you can use that in your subject line. (i.e. “Query — referred by Susie Editor.”)

*Avoid the temptation to include your book’s entire title and subtitle because it’s probably too long.

*You don’t need to include your name, i.e. The Best Novel Ever by Jane Jones, because your name is already visible on the email.

*Avoid the generic subject line, i.e. “Looking for an agent,” since the gut-level response to that is, “Hello Captain Obvious.” If we end up corresponding back and forth, your subject line with your book’s title is a helpful reminder to me.

Did I miss anything? Hope this helps!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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Is there anything you should avoid in a query that would lead to an automatic rejection?

People ask me this question all the time, and I want to start by saying that every agent is different, and we probably have different things that make us immediately decline a query.

For many agents, failing to follow submission guidelines is one reason for a rejection. For example, most of us specify “no attachments” so if you include an attachment, it won’t be seen or worst-case scenario, your query will be deleted.

Of course, if your book is in a genre that the agent doesn’t rep and they clearly state this on their website, they’ll automatically delete it and may not send a pass letter.

But the more important things to avoid are probably things that you would never do. One of the biggest red flags for agents is when a writer makes grandiose or unrealistic claims. “There has never been a book like mine.” “This book is guaranteed to be a bestseller.”

If you’re writing a nonfiction book, especially in a popular category like parenting or self-help, and you don’t have any platform, that will be a pretty quick rejection. These are the ones that make us sad. We don’t want to say no just for the lack of a platform, but we can’t sell it to a publisher without one.

You can find practically unlimited advice online about how to write a query letter. I’ve got quite a few posts about queries on my own website, including in my submission guidelines because I want to set you up for success! Take your time with your query and good luck!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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Writers are often told, “write what you know.” Is this good advice?

Absolutely! It’s great advice… if you understand what it means.

You can’t take it literally to mean something like, “Only write about things for which you have specialized knowledge.” Nobody has specialized knowledge of fairies or monsters or vampires, and most people don’t have firsthand knowledge of murders and evil plots and detective work… but plenty of people write great books about them. So what does it mean?

Write what you know means write from a deep place. Be honest. Don’t write from the surface. Be real. Be passionate. Write what you truly believe. Fiction or non-fiction, it’s important to write from the depth of who you are.

Don’t reflect what you know from other people or from movies or TV shows… write what you know from your own inner life. Write your truth.

When writing a novel, the plot and the research can come from your head, but the deeper truths of a great story come from a different place. Some might say the heart. I say, wherever you find the most “real” part of you.

You can take your characters into all kinds of worlds, real or imaginary. You can write about different kinds of people, families, relationships, occupations, time periods. Maybe you haven’t personally experienced any of those, so some might say you don’t “know” them. But when you write what YOU know to be true in terms of real motivations, real conflicts, real depth, real emotions… you are writing what you know, and you will connect with readers. Your story will feel authentic.

So, write what YOU know. This is where your originality and uniqueness will come from. Your experience of life is different from anyone else’s.

And, write what you KNOW. Not what you think, or what you’ve heard. Write what your gut tells you is the truth.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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When you are looking for an agent, how many queries should you send?

The short answer is: as many as it takes!

There are several hundred literary agents out there. Once you’ve narrowed it down to agents who rep your genre, you’ll probably still have a pool of 100, 200, or more.

You can keep sending queries until you get an agent. You can send to a lot of agents at a time — don’t wait for responses.

You’ll want to pay attention to the responses you’re getting, or the lack of responses. Ideally, you’ll want to see your responses getting closer and closer to “please send me your manuscript.” Sometimes you’ll get feedback that helps you tweak your query. Sometimes you realize it’s not the query, it’s the book concept itself that needs to change. It’s hard to know, but be open to changing things along the way.

Author TJ Newman of the thriller “Falling” said on a podcast that she received 41 agent rejections before she got her agent. That’s not a whole lot — it’s normal. So be persistent!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post How Many Queries Should I Send Out? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

First, it’s important to know that a memoir is not your life story (that’s an autobiography). Your memoir is a piece of your story, centered around a particular time or event in your life that sent you on a different trajectory.

Make sure you know your theme. Is it a coming of age story? Dealing with loss? Overcoming adversity? Or is it about something you had to persevere through to achieve one of your greatest goals? Be clear on the theme, and write your story in such a way as to convey the theme without ever crossing over to “teaching.”

A memoir that stands out is written in such a way that it completely captivates the reader. There are very few unique stories, so you can’t count on the uniqueness of your experience to sell the book. Thousands of others have overcome adversity, beat cancer, escaped an abusive relationship, or defied the odds to find success despite massive hurdles — and they’ve written about it. So your story has to be told in a way that is vibrant, page-turning, and evocative.

It’s always hard to put your memoir out there, because it’s so personal. Remember that if you don’t find success immediately, it’s probably because so many people are writing memoirs. You’d be surprised how many people are writing about experiences similar to yours. If you don’t find a traditional publisher, self-publishing can be a viable option.

Happy writing!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post What would make my memoir stand out to a publisher? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

A professional critique can be helpful when you’ve already been through multiple rounds of revisions, hopefully worked through it with a critique partner or two, and you’ve polished it as much as you can. It’s kind of like straightening up the house before the house cleaners come. You don’t want to waste money having an editor fix things you could have fixed yourself.

I recommend only seeking out a professional critique or edit if you’re ready to learn from the feedback. Sometimes we are too close to our manuscript to receive corrective criticism without feeling defensive. So be ready to accept suggestions, and even more importantly, be ready to learn things you’ll take with you as you go forward in your writing career.

If you’re ready to learn what someone on the outside thinks of your book and what potential it has, it’s time to pay an editor. There are many places to find professional editors; I have a list of good editors here.

Happy writing!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post Should you pay for a critique or professional edit? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

It’s a personal decision, but there are a few good reasons writers enter contests.

First, the prize money! That’s always nice.

But what if you don’t win? Was your time spent entering the contest wasted?

Entering the right contests can be helpful for writers of both fiction and non-fiction. The feedback is often invaluable. Most contests include a critique of your work from one or more contest judges. It can be just the boost you need to keep going, or it might give you the feedback you’ve been needing to take your writing to the next level.

Winning awards can influence readers and future publishers.
If you win, you become an “Award-winning Author” and can post it everywhere you promote your writing.

If you don’t win, you may feel your money was wasted and that your time could have been spent in a better way, or worse—the rejection could discourage you from writing. But if you look at contests and the resulting critiques as learning experiences, then you’re a winner even if you don’t get the prize.

You can find a list of writers’ contests at writersandeditors.com.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post Should you enter writing contests? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

The dreaded comps!

When you’re trying to interest an agent or publisher in your book, you’re often asked to provide “comps” — other books that could be compared to yours, or books that might compete with yours.

A good book proposal always has a “Competition” or “Comparable Books” section, and even if you’re self-publishing, it helps if you give readers a frame of reference in the form of similar books.

How do you figure out what books to include? Do you look for books with the same premise or plot? Same time period? Same writing style? What to do?

I’m going to make it easy for you. Ask yourself, “Who are my readers? What are they reading right now?” That can help you identify your comparable books.

Keep in mind that people tend to read numerous books on the same nonfiction topic or in the same fiction genre. You’re adding your book to what’s already out there. Where does your book fit? What does that stack of books on your ideal reader’s nightstand look like?

If you can’t readily identify six to ten books or authors whom your potential readers are already reading, then stop what you’re doing and (1) become clear on who your audience is, and (2) get a lot more educated about what’s already out in the marketplace for them. Knowing your audience is the first step to being able to identify your comps.

Have you had trouble identifying comps? What have you found helpful?

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post How Do I Find Comps for My Book? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Song lyrics!

It’s oh-so-tempting to use them in your novel, isn’t it? Or your memoir. Songs can be so evocative… they can express that exact right feeling in the exact right way.

But hold up. Sometimes it’s not the best idea.

If you’re going to include lyrics – or excerpts from poetry – you’ll need to get permission from the publisher of the song or poem. Even if you’re only using a few words.

Getting permission means you’ll also need to pay the fees. These vary widely but can be hundreds of dollars. Not too bad if you’re only including a single lyric in your book. But if you’re hoping to include many? For example, you want lyrics at the beginning of every chapter? Well there goes your entire advance.

Make your decision about lyrics or poetry carefully. If you don’t have a publisher yet, do your research ahead of time and find out what the cost will be if you decide to include it. Once you have a publisher, you’ll be expected to show all your relevant permissions at the time that you deliver your manuscript.

Plenty of writers have a vision of their book that includes songs scattered throughout, only to have that vision fade once they learn the reality. It’s okay – in fact, it’s probably better. Songs are so personal and affect each of us so differently. It’s unlikely they’d have the impact on your reader you think they will.

Bottom line, you can include song lyrics and poetry, but you must obtain permission and pay to use them.

Have you included lyrics in your book?

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post Can I Use Song Lyrics in My Book? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

It’s important for you to not only know this, but make sure it comes through any time you’re talking about your book — pitching it, writing a query, writing a proposal — the WHY must come through loud and clear.

This has occurred to me as I’ve been taking pitches at several online writers’ conferences lately. I can see that the writer is passionate about their topic. I can see why they wanted to write about it. But they haven’t convinced me that anyone is going to want to read it. They haven’t convinced ME that I want to read it.

Take a step outside of yourself. Understand who your target reader is. Figure out how to talk about your book in a way that makes that reader say, “Wow — I REALLY want to read it!”

Unfortunately, many of the pitches I hear sound uninteresting, or unoriginal, or so personal and specific that it would be hard to find an audience outside of the writer herself.

Between the title/subtitle, the hook or elevator pitch, and the brief overview (or back-cover copy), it should be obvious who your book would appeal to and why they’d want to read it.

It’s a challenge! It takes some thinking.

So, tell me. Why would someone want to read your book?

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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The post Why Would Someone Want to Read Your Book? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Book titles!

Here’s the important thing to remember:

**YOU CANNOT COPYRIGHT A TITLE.**

This is why you see the same titles on multiple books, movies, songs, albums – any creative work. Nobody has a claim on any particular title. You want to name your book The Godfather? Go for it.

When you’re thinking about your title, you definitely want to Google & Amazon-search it, to see what already exists. But just because it’s already in use doesn’t mean you can’t use it. It’s your choice. Will it create confusion? Will it interfere with sales? Will it make readers mad and cause them to give you 1-star reviews because they thought they were getting “an offer they couldn’t refuse” and instead got your memoir?

Make your decision based on factors such as: How old is that other book? How popular is it? Is it similar to yours, or entirely different?

There are some pretty famous books out there that share the same title. For example, I know of at least two books with the following titles:
Great Expectations
Forever
Cloud Atlas
Life After Life
Possession

There are countless lesser-known books that share titles. Some popular ones are The Choice, The Secret, things like that.

The point is, titles can’t be copyrighted so you can use whatever title you want. Also, you don’t need anyone’s permission to mention a title (of a book, song, poem, anything) in your book or article.

Copyright law is fascinating and the idea of copyright is out of fashion in some circles, but your book title needn’t be part of that conversation.

Choose whatever book title you want!

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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