Successful Author Talk With Lori M. Lee

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Today's guest for the SAT (Successful Author Talk) is Lori M. Lee. Lori is the author of young adult
fantasy GATES OF THREAD & STONE, coming August 5, 2014 from Skyscape. She has a borderline obsessive fascination with unicorns, is fond of talking in capslock, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

Absolutely a Planner. I outline like a fiend. In fact, I’ve been known to have outlines as long as 50 pages. And that’s not counting the various documents on world building and characters. I have a problem.

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

The first draft of GATES OF THREAD AND STONE took 4 weeks to write, and then 1.5 months to self-edit. After that, it took another month to edit with CP feedback before I felt it was ready to query, so it was a little over 3 months total. Of course, “finished” is relative considering it went through quite a few more rounds of editing once I found an agent and then an editor. The first draft of its sequel took 6 weeks to write and 4 weeks to self-edit. I was on deadline, though, which totally shook things up lol. My husband began to complain that he hadn’t seen me for a month.

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi-tasker?

I try to work on one project at a time, unless the siren call of another one is too strong to resist. I began a second WIP while writing the sequel to GoT&S, so I wrote 2k words a day on the sequel and then wrote whatever I could on the second WIP. That didn’t last longer than a week though. I managed to get a good 15k words into the WIP before my motivation began to ebb. I tend to work best when I’m completely focused on one thing.

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

Every time I sit down to start a first draft, there’s that paralyzing question: OMG WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ANOTHER NOVEL IN ME? Once I get past that, it becomes much easier. But man... that obnoxious voice never quite goes away.

How many trunked books (if any) did you have before you were agented?

Discounting the portal fantasy romance I wrote when I was twelve, just one. (If we’re counting the portal fantasy romance, then two :P) I’m now recycling some of the mythology and characters in that trunked book for a new fantasy I’m working on. It’s been fun breathing new life into those old ideas.

Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?

I’ve never quit on a ms before it was fully written. You just never know what it might become until it’s done! Having said that, I tried really hard to get that trunked book to work, but I knew it was time to let it go when, after getting the same feedback from my agent and CPs, I just didn’t know how to fix it. 

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them?  

My agent is Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary. It’s a bit of a long story, but GoT&S initially came to her attention via a referral. To my delight, she loved my book and offered and now she’s stuck with me.

How long did you query before landing your agent? 

I queried with that aforementioned trunked novel for months. It got a lot of interest, but it just never panned out. With GoT&S, I queried for about a month before receiving Suzie’s offer.

Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?

Everyone says this, but that’s because it’s true: keep going. Each rejection feels personal and it never stops hurting, but unless you’re getting personalized feedback all telling you the same thing, you keep sending out more queries and you keep pushing forward. Achieving your dreams isn’t supposed to be easy!

How did it feel when you saw your sale announcement?

I was dying inside, but I had to remain cool and calm on the outside because I was at work at the time. So I had a mini freak out in a relatively quiet hallway before returning to my desk grinning like an idiot.

How much input do you have on cover art?

I was allowed to provide feedback at every step of the way, which was fantastic. In the end, although the final product surprised me a bit, I really love it.

What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?

You know how everyone says publishing involves a lot of waiting? Yeah, even though I knew that, the waiting was still kind of surprising because... there really is a lot of it. Like... A LOT a lot.

How much of your own marketing do you?  

I try to accept whatever opportunities float in my direction, but I’m kind of just paddling along. I blog on occasion. I’m also on Tumblr and Twitter more often than I should be. And I’m also on Facebook, although I’m trying to be better on that platform.

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

I think you should do what’s comfortable for you. I don’t see using social media as work. Mostly I just goof around. I began tweeting well before I even wrote GoT&S, but I know authors who don’t tweet at all. It’s really up to what you want to do.

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Not necessarily. Having a high number of twitter follows in no way guarantees that number of book sales. But it does help you connect with like-minded people, writers, and readers. And if a few of those people decide to check out your book, then that’s totally cool!

Interview with Jenn Marie Thorne

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em! Today's guest for the SAT (Successful Author Talk) is Jenn Marie Thorne, author of THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT, coming from Dial/Penguin 2015.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

I am 100% a planner. Outlines/spreadsheets/character breakdowns, you name it. Whenever I hit something even vaguely resembling “writer’s block,” it’s because my outline has gotten fuzzy or otherwise failed me. I take those days to re-outline, then forge ahead fresh.

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

Before I had kids or after? ☺ These days, it takes me about four months to get from prep (outlining, making character notes) to a draft I’m prepared to show my agent and beta readers. Then I’ll redraft once or twice (or three times!) before it goes out to editors. That takes about a month. But in terms of writing a rough draft from start to finish – two months on average. I like to get into a steady pace where I’m writing something every day. Not necessarily NaNo numbers, but NaNo certainly helps.

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi tasker?

I really have to focus on one thing at a time. I need that monogamous infatuation with a project in order to really be creative about it – that thing where everything reminds you of your book and you solve the third act problem while you’re taking a shower because you’re obsessed. But edits do pop up with other books, so I’ll put projects aside and pick them up again as needed.

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

Oh yeah. I still do! My rampant insecurities have not gone away, especially since every new book is more challenging than the last one. I always question whether I’m qualified to write the book I’m writing. But I set small goals that are easily exceeded, and then I get into a nice groove of patting myself on the back before terror strikes again in the form of Draft Two.

How many trunked books did you have before you were agented?

Two trunked books – a fantasy MG and a future-set Western, both of which I’ll likely dismantle for pieces and rewrite in the future. I’m proud of having finished multiple drafts of both of them, even though they’ll never see the light of day in their current form. They were great learning experiences. I call them “my free MFA.”

Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?

I’ve never quit in the middle of a draft, but I’ve got a whole graveyard of discarded ideas on my laptop. I have a long enough “concept queue” that I’m able to look back over concepts or hooks that I thought were genius when I came up with them and can now see are excruciatingly derivative.

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them?  

My agent is the lovely Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management. I came through the slush pile – and am therefore a huge proponent of the query system. When I was querying my first two books and getting no bites, I heard so much “The system is rigged against us, it’s all about who you know,” but that just rang so false to me. I kept writing and querying. Katelyn read my second book and had sent me some incredible notes for a revise and resend, but in the meantime, I’d written THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT, so I sent that to her as an FYI. That wound up being the book she signed me on.

How long did you query before landing your agent? 

Oh gosh, it’s so hard to say with that many trunked books! Two years? My query list got much, much smaller and more targeted as I gained more experience in querying, so I’d only sent THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT to a tiny handful of agents who had specifically asked to see more from me after reading the trunked previous book.

Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?

Write. Another. Book. I mean – embroider that and frame it and hang it over your desk. If this is the career you intend to have, then start treating it as your career now - keep writing and reading and querying and learning and growing. The stars will align when they’re meant to.

How much of your own marketing do you?  Do you have a blog / site / Twitter?

I’m on Twitter but I think it’s probably more of an addiction than a platform at this point! I have a website but I can’t commit to blogging at the moment. Although, I do feel tempted from time to time.

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

Twitter is tremendously helpful while you’re in the slush pile trenches – and when you’re working on a book, which hopefully is always. I don’t think you need a website before you’ve sold a book, unless you have a particularly interesting blog with content you can’t find anywhere else.

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Absolutely! Sometimes it does feel like preaching to the choir, but hey – choirs sing. Loudly. If social media is something you enjoy, something that comes naturally to you, there is absolutely no reason not to use it to spread the word about your work. If you’ve never tweeted in your life and suddenly you’re on Twitter every hour linking to your Amazon page and retweeting reviews and…nothing else? I don’t think that helps much. You’ve got to be authentic or it’s just kind of a downer for everybody who’s trying to interact with you in their own authentic way.

Interview with Gayle Rosengren

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Today's guest for the SAT (Successful Author Talk) is Gayle Rosengren, author of WHAT THE MOON SAID, a historical MG novel set during the Great Depression. Gayle writes full-time in her home just outside of Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband, Don, and slightly neurotic rescue dog, Fiona. Gayle is living her dream, writing books she hopes will make the same difference in children's lives as her favorite books and authors made in hers.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

I'm a planner. I don't like to write even my first sentence until I have a good idea what my last one will be. It's not that I rigidly cling to the vision I have in place when I begin a new manuscript. If I come up with something better as I'm going along--as I often do-- I'm delighted to go with it. But I won't begin without a destination and a plan in mind for getting there. It's too easy to get lost somewhere in the deep dark woods of the middle and never find the right path out into the sunlight again.

Although I don't outline per se, I do block out chapters with a sentence or two describing what should take place. I find this to be the most efficient way to keep the action moving and the plot from stalling. Again, if better ideas evolve as I'm writing, I welcome them most happily, but chapter-blocking keeps me focused on the primary plot points. And knowing where I'm going enables me to see the most natural ways to get from "here to there" often several chapters in advance.

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

In an ideal world, the first draft takes an average of three months. At this point I run it past my critique group to get their input. Then I go through it a second time, editing with their comments and suggestions in mind. During this same pass, I also do a lot of line editing. The first time I'm too eager to get the story down to worry overmuch about how pretty it is. The second draft is my opportunity to make it smooth and shiny. It may take a month or more. At this point, I send it to my editor, and when she sends me her thoughts and suggestions, I revisit the manuscript with them in mind. This is usually where it goes from pretty to downright gorgeous and will end up ready to send to copyediting. These three drafts usually total approximately nine months of work: In. An. Ideal. World. When everything goes well.  Some books are more of a struggle than others, though. Those can take years instead of months, requiring much hair-pulling and entire rewrites not once but twice or three times. Argh! Just like every child, every manuscript is different.

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi tasker?

At first I worked on one project at a time, but I've learned to be a multi-tasker-extraordinaire. While one book is being considered by my editor, I'm busy working on a new one or reviewing copyedits on a previous one. Time is precious. If I'm not writing manuscripts, I'm preparing presentations for school and library visits, I'm doing online interviews or scheduling appearances at book fairs and literary events, or updating my website. Being a writer is a multi-faceted profession these days, so being able to multi-task is more and more important.

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

I have always been writing--since back in elementary school--so writing is as natural as breathing to me. Nothing scary about that. Much scarier to think of NOT writing.  

How many trunked books (if any) did you have before you were agented?

I'm not agented.  I'm one of a rare and dying breed who connected with her editor at a conference.  And I don't really have a trunk. On the contrary; because I write relatively quickly and hate doing submissions, I have a few manuscripts that have not yet been seen by editorial eyes. I refer to them as my arsenal. ☺

Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?

I've taken breaks on a few manuscripts, but I've never completely quit on one. Some of my breaks have been years long, but I never count any manuscript "out" because it's always about something I felt passionately about, and if the manuscript didn't work, it was probably because somehow my writing hadn't done the idea justice. These manuscripts simmer on the back burner of my mind like a stew that just needs time and seasoning and occasional gentle stirring for the juices to blend. Eventually I'll either lose my passion for a story or serve it up. 

How did that feel, the first time you saw your book for sale?

I'm still not over the giddiness I feel when I see or hold my book. It was a long-held dream that finally came true. It may sound corny, but I think I will savor the joy of it forever.

How much input do you have on cover art?

Not much, really. I was asked for some ideas of what I thought the farmhouse should look like, but that was about it. The artwork was finished when I saw it for the first time. And I was so delighted by it that all I could do was hyperventilate and say "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, it's beautiful!  I love it!"  --

Does that count as input?

I have absolute faith in the Putnam/Penguin art team. They gave What the Moon Said the most exquisite cover without any help from me, and I'm sure they'll do the same for my next book. 

What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?

I had no idea how much of my writing time would need to be diverted to social networking and marketing. At first this was disconcerting, but now that I'm seeing the positive results, I'm glad I'm doing it. I think with a first book especially you must give it all you've got; that's the best way to ensure that there's a second book. Obviously there is a point when a writer has to ease back on the throttle to give the majority of her time and energy back to writing. But in the beginning, the more you can do to promote your book, the better.

How much of your own marketing do you? 

I do a lot of my own marketing, but lately I'm finding that the more I do, the more help I'm receiving from others. It's so sweet and so very much appreciated!  I might send out a tweet about an appearance I'll be doing and several of my "people" from blogs and SCBWI and my debut groups and bookstores forward my tweet to other book people.  I post a photo from  a recent appearance on my Facebook page and the same thing happens.  I've said it before (although The Beatles said it first!)  but it's worth repeating: In book marketing as in so many things in life, we "get by with a little help from our friends".  

I have a site, a Facebook, and a Twitter. I do not have a blog of my own, although I have nothing but admiration for those writers who can maintain one in addition to their manuscript-writing. I'd be burnt out in a matter of a few weeks! 

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

I didn't worry about building platform until after I had an offer for my book. Then I set up a website--very rudimentary at first, containing only the most basic information about myself and my book on a very pretty home page. Then I added to it gradually over the next year until publication and continue to add to it now.

After the website was begun, I joined two debut children's authors' groups: Class of 2K14, which has a maximum of 20 members, requires an initial payment of dues, and is focused on marketing; and OneFourKidLit, which is more of a support and information-sharing group. Both have websites that promote all the members' books and both have proven invaluable. I highly recommend joining both groups if you can.

I have long been a member of SCBWI, and it is another awesome source of support and information and is a super advisory group on marketing.  If you're not already a member, join at once!    

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Absolutely. Readers need to know about your book before they can read it. Sure, most young readers will just stumble on an MG novel in their public or school library, but the librarian needs to hear about it so she'll place that book order. And even if she sees it in a journal with good reviews, her funds are limited. Whether she chooses your book or another one may come down to which one she heard good things about in an online blog or literary chatter on Twitter. 

The truth is there is no accurate way to measure what "works" and what doesn't when it comes to social networking, but getting your title out there in a positive way certainly can't hurt.