A New Season of Writing

By Michael Ehret

Last month in my Novel Rocket post “You’re Invited!,” I began telling the story of my participation in Allen Arnold’s ACFW Conference class, “The Wildness of Writing with God.” You can click back and read the previous post or this snippet from it will set the stage:

You're invited into The Story!

Last September at the … workshop … Allen Arnold announced that he had prayed for all of us and had asked God to give him the words each of us needed to hear about our creative lives. Then, he said, he had written those words into a notebook that he would present to us.

I felt that familiar tummy turmoil as he walked around the room randomly handing out notebooks. Questions raced through my mind as anticipation and fear warred.

Then Allen set a notebook in front of me. My notebook. And I knew it was not a message from him—he was just the conduit. It was a message—an invitation—from God.

And I feared to open it.

Why did I fear?

Why do we fear anything? The unknown. Failure. Lack of confidence in our abilities. There are a plethora of reasons why we fear hearing from God. For me it was all of those—and more.

For me the fear stemmed from knowing. I knew God had called me to write and I had purposefully been avoiding it since 2007, when an appointment with an agent at a conference took a dark, unexpected (to me), turn.

"You'll never be a writer."

It’s hard for me to talk about my own work, and the experience always leaves me trembling (I know many of you can relate). But I screwed up my courage and got a 15-minute appointment with my dream agent. I gave my horrible pitch and handed the agent my first chapter.

The agent, one of the most respected in the field, read several pages. Enough that I was feeling a little confident. After all, the agent didn’t toss it right away, right?

“This is not publishable,” the agent said, with no softening preamble. “You’ll never be a writer.”

Truthfully, the agent definitely said the first part of that quote. Without a doubt.

I remain unsure about the second part. It certainly seems like it was said. In my head I still hear the agent saying it. But from what I know about agents and editors, particularly in the Christian market, I have doubts that it was verbally said.

But regardless, I heard it. And I believed it. And I let it cripple me.

My notebook inscription

God's messages are all around us.

So when I received the notebook from Allen, I opened it in fear and trembling.

“I’m inviting you into a new season of writing. Aslan is on the move! Have fun!” —God

See what God did there?

The agent was correct. My manuscript was not publishable at that time. But that isn’t what God addressed in His affirmation. He addressed what my heart heard and took inside, “You’ll never be a writer.” He poked my wound—to bring healing. And reminded me that His will for me should bring me joy, not fear.

And He didn't scold me for running from my calling. Before the conference, I asked God for a clear sign. Something that could not be mistaken. "Is this still something You have for me? I need to know."

And now I know. Will I ever be published? Well, first of all, I already am. Have been many times. Will my fiction be published? I don’t know. It’s in my hands, and it’s not. But I know this: I am a writer. I’ve made my living as a writer (and editor) since 1986 and I expect that to continue in this “new season.” God told me so.

Are you willing to ask God for a clear sign? And when (not if) He answers, are you willing to listen to what He says? What is He writing in your notebook? Don’t be afraid to open the cover.

Read the story I wrote for ACFW about Allen Arnold's workshop.

____________________________________

Michael Ehret has accepted God's invitation and is a freelance editor at WritingOnTheFineLine.com. In addition, he's worked as editor-in-chief of the ACFW Journal at American Christian Fiction Writers. He pays the bills as a marketing communications writer and sharpened his writing and editing skills as a reporter for The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star.

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What Still Matters?

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of 15 novels, including The Unfinished Gift, The Discovery and When Night Comes. He has won 3 Carol Awards and 3 Selah Awards. Three of his books were finalists for Inspirational Book of the Year (RT Book Reviews). Dan is a member of ACFW and Word Weavers. He lives with his wife, Cindi, in the Daytona Beach area where they love to take walks and spend time with their grandkids. Click here to connect with Dan or check out his books.

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As I write this, presidential politics are front and center in the national news. The first official presidential election event just happened, the Iowa Caucus. Of course, presidential politics has been in the mainstream news every day for months. One of the big stories is how some of the leading presidential candidates are overturning everything that used to be considered the norm. On the Republican side, Donald Trump is shaking things up in a big way, while Bernie Sanders is doing the same with the Democrats.

The pundits are saying the mainstream political parties--the Establishment--are completely confused by these developments. Everything they used to do to influence the public isn't working anymore. It's like people are doing their own thing now. They aren't listening to the "powers that be" anymore. 

It almost seems like the same kind of shakeup is taking place in the publishing world. I came onto the publishing scene in 2009, when everything seemed to run the way it always had for almost a century. There were norms in place that were widely followed and acknowledged by all to be "the way things are done 'round here."

In the last couple of years, it seems like all of that has changed.  

I find myself asking this question: "What still matters?" Certain things were emphasized in publishing just a few years ago as being essential and of critical importance for success. Now? Some of those same things don't seem to matter much anymore at all. Other things matter. Newer things. Just about the time I figured out how to do some of the older things well, now it seems no one cares about these things anymore. They care about other things (things I'm not very good at and not sure I want to learn).

Let me give you a few examples:

Blogging - Used to be everybody who is anybody has a blog. You need a blog. I need to blog. Regularly, faithfully. If possible, also join a blog with several other authors. And you need to appear in other people's blogs and leave comments, not just lurk. Now I'm wondering...Does blogging still matter? Hardly anyone reads blogs faithfully and blogs that used to garner dozens of comments every day now barely receive a few.

Agents - Used to be every author needs an agent. And not just any agent, an A-lister, a real mover and a shaker. Without an agent, you're sunk. Publishers won't even look at your manuscript unless you are represented by a great agent. Does this matter anymore? With the rise of indie publishing, do authors even need literary agents anymore? If so, when? Is there a new norm when it comes to agents?

Print Books in Retail Bookstores - Used to be you weren't a bonafide author unless you had been signed by a mainstream publisher, because retail bookstores only accept books vetted by traditional publishers (well actually, this is still the case). Again, with the massive influx of successful indie authors and the rise of people reading their books on digital devices, does this even matter anymore? Do authors even need to worry about getting their books printed and made available in brick-and-mortar retail stores? I read articles that say traditional bookstores still matter but, if I'm being honest, I hardly ever see anyone in the bookstores anymore. Except in the coffee shop. I still love to go to bookstores, but I almost never see anyone browsing through the shelves. A few years ago, the same aisles used to be full. Additionally, I've met many indie authors over the past 2 years who are selling tens of thousands of books and making a great deal of money who've never seen even one of their books in a brick-and-mortar store.

I've got a number of other items I could share in this post, things I'm wondering whether they still matter, but blog posts aren't supposed to be this long. Then again, does that even matter anymore? I'd love to hear from some of you on these things (that is, what do you think? What's still matters in publishing and what doesn't matter so much anymore?).

And while I'm talking about things that matter, here's a pic of my newest novel, Rescuing Finley. This matters a lot (at least to me). It's a great book. That's not me saying it, but the 65 other people who've reviewed it on Amazon the last month or so (avg 4.7 stars). It's FREE on Kindle Unlimited and only $3.99 on Kindle. It's about a rescue shelter dog named Finley who winds up rescuing the female inmate who trains him and the Afghan war vet who adopts him. Click here and check it out. 

Dogs always matter.

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Agent Info

By Michelle Griep

An agent is a handy dandy buddy to have on your side. They come in a variety of flavors and sizes, but here are a few common traits you’ll find in most…

Bullies Beware

They help you with the sticky icky issues like not getting paid your advance and/or royalty check on time. Agents know the legal aspects of contracts and what to do when strife raises its ugly head in a writer/publisher relationship.

Sweet Networking Skills

They can get your manuscript into publishers that don’t take open submissions. It’s an agent's business to cultivate and maintain connections in the publishing industry. They know where your story will fit the best and bring it to that editor’s attention.

Wheeling and Dealing

They negotiate a higher rate of payback with a publisher that a timid author might not be able to finagle. Writers are generally solitary animals. Agents understand that and go out there into the big, scary world to fight for them.

Friends Like None Other

They hold your hand during the dark times like when you think you might not be able to make a deadline or have just gotten smacked upside the head with a rejection. An agent encourages you when the going gets tough, and trust me, it will.

Sometimes the cartoon bubble of what an agent is and does is skewed. . . 

TOP 4 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT LITERARY AGENTS

1. They are expensive.

Read my lips. You don’t have to pay up front for an agent. If you find one that charges you to sign with them, run far and run fast. Most reputable agents are paid a commission when they sell your manuscript for a pre-arranged percentage and require no payments before that sale.

2. They are easier to get than a publisher.

Nope. Not so much. You jump through the same hoops to get an agent as you do a publisher.

3. You don’t need to have an agent.

True. I’m living proof that you can get published without an agent. But (and I’ve always got a big but) your opportunity for snagging a bigger publisher is pretty much squat. It can happen, but that’s rare. A good agent is worth his or her weight in gold…and in this day and age, that’s a hefty amount.

4. They are hard to find.

Not really. Good agents are hard to acquire, but agents in general are not hard to locate. Check out conferences. Even if you can’t afford to attend, you can see who’s lined up to speak and snoop around their websites. Ask writer buddies for recommendations. And by all means, before you even think about querying an agent, polish your work to a fine sheen. When you do find one that looks good, don’t forget to make sure they’re really all that and a bag of chips by visiting Preditors and Editors.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas…professionally, however, for the past 10 years. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. Her latest release, A HEART DECEIVED, is available by David C. Cook. You can find her at: www.writerofftheleash.blogspot.com, www.michellegriep.com or on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

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It Came From Under The Stall: How Not To Impress Editors, Agents and Other Writing Professionals

by Thomas Smith

Gather ‘round children, I’m going to tell you a little story.

Once upon a time there was a very nice agent. She devoted a good bit of her time to attending conferences in order to help fledgling writers and scout potential new talent. After one particularly long day of teaching workshops, sitting on panels, taking fifteen-minute appointments and generally “doing the agent thing,” nature called. As she settled in for the first private moment she'd had to herself all day, she heard a voice from the next stall.

“I sure am glad I finally found you. Your appointment list was full, and I've got this novel I want you to take a look at.” Not two seconds later, a large manila envelope came skidding across the tile and came to rest on her brand new Franco Sarto slingback.

Sad but True

This tale would be hilarious if it wasn't true. Unfortunately, there are agents reading this column right now shaking their heads and reliving a similar moment from their own past. And while such a "marketing ploy" is sure to make an impression, it's probably not the impression you are hoping for.

It's not uncommon for writers to make the leap from friendly conference attendee to goggle-eyed lunatic at the mention of the words agent or acquisitions editor. From outlandish claims about their writing projects (“This will be the next Left Behind”) to downright bribery (Yes, there have been $5, $10, and $20 bills clipped to query letters ... and no, they weren't mine), there is something about an encounter with an editor or agent that brings the oddball gene out of its dormant state in even the most level headed people.

Equally frightening are the writers who run headlong into reality and don't know how to deal with it. These are the folks who meet an editor or agent for the first time and expect a line edit and an in-depth discussion about the manuscript they brought with them or they come in with a piece of uncommonly bad writing and find out (though generally in a kind way) that their masterpiece may need a little more work. Such an encounter has been known to make said writer a little cranky. Sometimes cranky enough to tell the offending writing professional exactly what they can do with their red pen. 

And while such an attitude certainly makes a lasting impression, it is probably not the one you want to make. Publishing is a small universe, and if you tick off an editor at one publishing house, and he/she moves to another house, you now have a bad reputation at TWO houses.

God Told Me…

Also, be warned: A one-on-one meeting is not the only way to breach the boundaries of good agent/editor etiquette. A less than well-placed query letter or proposal can do the same thing. Take for example a classic letter that opens something like this:

“Dear editor, God told me to write this story and He also said I should send it to you and you should publish it...” OK, with a show of hands, how many of you out there have a similar letter in your files? Um-hum, I thought so.

There is a response to this letter floating around out there, and I imagine there are many people who wish they had used it. The editor, having seen the story from God letter one too many times, evidentially said:

“Dear Writer: While I thank you for thinking of our publishing company we will not be able to use your story. Since God wrote the best selling book of all time, I can only assume He can spell better than what was evident in you manuscript...”

Now let’s have a show of hands from those of you who have ever written such a letter. (Wait, you there in the green socks … get that hand up). Not many, but a few.

The Road to Professionalism
So ... how does the average writer get in an editor or agent's good graces? It's not as difficult as you may think.

First, be respectful. Remember the magic words, please and thank you. And don’t forget the advice given by every card-carrying mother on the planet: mind your manners.

Don't call editors and agents by their first name unless invited to do so. For example, “Mr. Laube, may I speak with you for a minute or two about the project I'm working on?” will probably make a more favorable impression than, “Hey Stevie-Boy, hang on a minute and take a look at this proposal while I go get some lunch.” 

Here's another tip: Don’t carry a full book-length manuscript with you to your meeting. Most agents and editors don’t want to have to carry a stack of manuscripts with them on the plane. If they are interested in your project, they ask you to mail or e-mail the manuscript to them.A proposal and first three chapters is sufficient.

In short, act like a professional, even if you aren't one ... yet.

When communicating via mail or e-mail, keep the letterhead simple, professional, and as error-free as possible. No garish colors of fancy fonts.

When dealing with these nice folks in person, bring a clean, well-edited manuscript, proposal, one-sheet, or whatever is requested. Make sure it is formatted properly and meets their criteria (number of pages, etc.).

Think about what you want to say even before you arrive at the conference, or before you write that query letter. Have a clear image of the heart of your story in mind before you actually make the pitch. Then practice your pitch. A lot. Doing otherwise could very well scuttle your project in a matter of seconds. A seasoned editor or agent will know in less than a minute how much thought you have put into your idea.

When dealing with writing professionals, having a polite, professional bearing can carry you a long way. Accept criticism graciously, and always thank the other person for her/his time.If an agent or editor sees the potential in you and your work (you are, after all, a package deal), they will work with you to make the project the best it can be, and to help you become the best writer you can be.

You see, bad writing can be fixed, but a bad first impression is much harder to overcome.

NR: To be entered in a drawing for a copy of SOMETHING STIRS, leave a comment. U.S. residents only, please. The winner will be announced on Novel Rocket's Facebook page tomorrow. Be sure to like us there! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Novel-Rocket/129877663761335?ref=hl

Thomas Smith is an award winning writer, newspaper reporter, TV news producer, playwright and essayist. His supernatural suspense novel, Something Stirs, is available at a bookstore near you. In addition to writing he enjoys teaching classes for beginning writers at conferences and local writers’ groups. He has been a joke writer for Joan Rivers and his comedy material has been performed on The Tonight Show. Currently in his fifth decade of service, he is considerably younger than most people his age. Find Thomas onTwitter and Facebook

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Why Didn't You Sign Me!

In the spring of 2006 I went to my first writing conference to pitch my first novel, ROOMS. Four editors asked for my manuscript and by July I’d talked to three well-known agents who were interested in representing me.

I was elated. Three agents? Even though water still gushed from behind my ears I knew enough to realize having three agents interested was unusual. I figured I’d made it and one of them would offer to sign me soon.

Image provided by Freedigitalphotos.net

Didn't happen.

In August of that year I went to a mentoring clinic led by Cec Murphey, bestselling author of more than 120 books. Before the three-day clinic the eight of us were to send Cec five pages of our manuscript. Cec would critique the pages, then send them back ahead of time so we could hit the ground sprinting when the clinic arrived.

I sent in the first five pages of ROOMS and waited for Cec’s response. I imagined he’d write back and say, “Wow, this is excellent. Send me five more pages!” I mean, c’mon, I had THREE agents interested and FOUR editors.

Not what he wrote. “You have talent, Jim, but you have a long ways to go.”

Insert knife, twist twice, pull out and clean blade. Repeat.

Yeah, it hurt. But I needed the truth. I went to the clinic and was fortunate. Cec turned out to be even more brutal than I expected on my writing, but more compassionate and caring as a person than I could have imagined. He was the perfect combination to propel my writing to the level it needed to be at to warrant serious consideration from a publisher.

I reworked the entire manuscript and sent it to a fourth agent I’d developed a relationship over the summer with, and wanted to work with. He signed me ten days later.

Two years later I had lunch with one of the first three agents, Beth Jusino, who worked at Alive Communications during the time we were talking. I asked her, “Why didn’t you sign me?” She smiled and said, “You were so close, but you weren’t quite there.” Beth was right.

I didn’t know it at the time. I thought I was ready. Yes, I was close, but 90 percent of the way there isn’t enough. Steve Laube says when he looks at a manuscript the writing and story can’t be 90, or 92, or 94 percent of the way there. It has to be 95 percent or above.

(This is one reason I am not (in general) a fan of self-publishing. I believe most novelists think they’re at the 95 percent mark when they’re closer to 85 percent. I certainly was.)

See, your competition isn’t other unpublished writers. It’s me. It’s my fellow Novel Rocketers. It’s the other authors on the bookshelves.

Even though you’ve heard it again and again and again, ad nauseam, it is worth saying one more time:

The best thing you can do get published (and sell books whether traditionally published or not) is to work on your craft. Find (a qualified) editor that will be brutal on your writing and listen to them.

Because here’s the good news: Most aspiring writers stop at 90 percent. It gets hard. It’s daunting. The knife doesn’t feel good when it slides between your emotional ribs.

But if you’re one of the few who are determined to refine that last 6 percent, your odds of getting published go up exponentially.

James L. Rubart writes best-selling, award winning novels, but you knew that, right? His latest, SOUL’S GATE hits shelves in early November. His past tomes are, ROOMS, BOOK OF DAYS, and THE CHAIR. During the day he runs Barefoot Marketing which helps businesses and authors make more coin of the realm. (Yes, he can help you.) In his free time he dirt bikes, hikes, golfs, takes photos, and occasionally does sleight of hand. No, he doesn’t sleep much. He lives with his amazing wife and teenage sons in the Pacific Northwest and still thinks he’s young enough to water ski like a madman. More at www.jameslrubart.com

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