Interview with Rebecca Barnhouse

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! Even more special - this is a WoW! Edition of the SAT - We're Ohio Writers! Yeah - cause we grow 'em here.

Rebecca Barnhouse is the author of The Book of the Maidservant (2009); The Coming of the Dragon (2010); and Peaceweaver (coming March 2012). She teaches English Literature and Writing at Youngstown State University. The Book of the Maidservant will be out in paperback on April 5, 2011.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

A combination: I know the broad outline, but things change as I write, leading me in surprising directions.

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

So far, there is no typical. My first novel was a ten-year process of writing and rewriting, while I also wrote other books and did other things during those ten years. My second novel took two years. My third, because it was under contract, took a year. I work full time, so that year was pretty stressful!

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

I'm a multi-tasker in that I teach and try to write simultaneously, but I usually focus on one writing project at a time.

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

No fear---but then again, I had no expectations, either. I was writing to write, not to try to be published. Of course, that was many, many years ago.

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

I've lost count, but at least five.

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

I haven't quit in the middle of a manuscript, but I've finished a manuscript, realized it wasn't very good, and trunked it without ever sending it out.

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

My agent is Anna Webman at Curtis Brown. I had an offer from an editor before I officially signed with her (although the two things happened within a single frenzied hour). My critique partner referred me.

How many queries did you send?

I didn't do much querying; instead I spent most of my time sending work directly to editors. I met the woman who would eventually become my editor at the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference, which I was accepted to the second time I applied.

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

I am the wrong person to ask. Not only did I never do much querying, but I can't for the life of me write a decent query letter. But I can whole-heartedly recommend the Rutgers conference for meeting other writers as well as agents and editors.

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

I'd had some scholarly and professional books published previously, so I knew my own reaction would be muted excitement. Having a novel published was wonderful---but it wasn't life-changing for me.

How much input do you have on cover art?

On the first novel, which is historical fiction, I was consulted about historical accuracy and some changes were made based on my comments. I had no input on the cover for the second or third novels.

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

I had no idea how much say the marketing department would have in everything from the cover design to whether the book would be designated as MG or YA.

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

I have a website but because my teaching job keeps me pretty busy, I don't do nearly as much marketing as I feel like I should. I've read comments by people who do a lot of self-marketing but who see no real difference in sales, which I use to rationalize my own lack of marketing! I do mostly local marketing (having an article about my books in the local Sunday paper was particularly effective).

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

My perspective on it is that it's the writer's job to write the best books they can. If I had been thinking about all this stuff while I was trying to craft my novel into a publishable story, I probably would have given up in despair; after all, there's plenty to despair about already, what with all those rejections!

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

I don't think it builds mine because I don't use it effectively, but I think it helps lots of people build their readership.

Cheryl Rainfield & A Query That Worked

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!

 Cheryl Rainfield is the author of  SCARS (an ALA Top 10 Quick Picks & Rainbow List book) about Kendra, a girl who must face her past and stop hurting herself before it's too late; the upcoming HUNTED about Cassie, a telepath on the run from government troopers who must choose between saving herself or saving the world, and two hi-lo (high interest, low vocabulary) fantasies: SkinWalkers: Walking Both Sides, and Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon.  YA author Ellen Hopkins described SCARS as "a brave novel, a read-in-one-sitting-except-when-you-have-to-put-it-down-to-breathe novel." Cheryl is an advocate for teens who’ve been through rough experiences, especially self-harm and sexual abuse, as well as teens grappling with sexual identity.  Trailers for SCARS and her It Gets Better and Reasons Not To Hurt Yourself videos attest to her dedication.

Are you a Planner or a Panster?

I used to be mostly a panster, but I’ve started to do more planning with recent books. I used to start writing with just an idea of the issue or topic, a first line in my head, and knowing where I wanted the character to end up, and then I would do a huge amount of rewrites and edits to bring it up to a publishable level. (I did over 30 drafts for SCARS before it was published.) Lately, I start off with my idea, first line, and where I want to end up, but I also write out the major plot turning points and reveals once I’ve got a draft. I go through my notes from John Truby’s ANATOMY OF A STORY and Michael Hauge's WRITING SCREENPLAYS THAT SELL, and then I figure out in detail the things I need to show, change, or add. In my next book from scratch (I’ve other manuscripts that I’ve already finished that I may want to rework) I may try to plan out details before I write a complete first draft.

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

My first draft takes me about two months, but then I rewrite and edit and re-edit it. I edited and rewrote SCARS for more than 10 years before it was published. Hunted (coming out this October from WestSide) took a lot less; I did 14 drafts before it was accepted. I think I’m getting better. (smiling)

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

I try to work on just one book at a time, but sometimes I have to work on two, with ideas for another percolating. I’m always working on the next novel while I’m editing or doing book promotion on the current (and past) books. I do book promotion every day, which takes a lot of time, focus, and energy.

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

No. Writing came easily to me. It was talking aloud that was hard for me (my abusers threatened to kill me if I talked about the abuse). Writing was my safety, my way of reaching others and communicating, and it usually flows for me.

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

I had about 8-10 manuscripts already written before I was agented and before I got my first book contract. Some of those manuscripts I will be rewriting, editing, and polishing in the hopes of future publication. Others I may put away or scrap.

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

I haven’t completely quit on a ms yet, though I’ve set some of them aside and don’t know if I’ll get back to them. I have other books I want to write as well.

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

Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger agency is my wonderful agent http://www.andreasomberg.com ; she's sensitive, thoughtful, savvy, and really knows her stuff. Can you tell I like her? (grinning) I’d submitted another manuscript to her before SCARS, and she’d rejected it with the kindest, most thoughtful rejection letter I’d ever received, with helpful feedback, saying if I had another project and didn't have representation by then, she’d like to work with me. I’d read that one way to get an agent is to contact them after you get an offer. So I wrote her when I got an offer from WestSide for SCARS, and thankfully she liked the manuscript and became my agent. I am so happy with her!

How long did you query before landing your agent?

I submitted SCARS (and edited and rewrote it) more than 30 times over 10 years before I got both a contract and a agent. I lost track of how many queries I sent out (to both agents and publishers) but it was hundreds. I should have been targeting agents more narrowly, though. I was also working on other books during that time.

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

It felt wonderful. Seeing my book in a real live bookstore, seeing it available online—what a good feeling!

How much input do you have on cover art?

Authors don’t usually have a lot of input on cover art. I was lucky; I mentioned to my publisher that I had a professional photograph of my (scarred) arm, and wondered if they’d be willing to look at it. They were, and they used it on the cover of SCARS. I’m so happy with it! I’d worried beforehand about possibly having a cover that sensationalized self-harm, or that glossed right over it. What they did with the photo of my arm felt perfect to me—it tells the reader immediately what the book is about, but it isn’t violent, and the scars are muted yet still visible.

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

I used to think that being a writer meant mostly writing. I knew from my research that I’d have to do book promotion—but I was surprised at how much book promotion I actually have to do. I work on book promotion every day, and it takes a lot of time and energy.

How much of your own marketing do you do?

I do a huge amount. I am very active on Twitter and email/elists, and I have my own website and blog, which I regularly update. I also post to Facebook and to other sites, like RedRoom and AboutMe, and I have a Tumblr and Facebook site for SCARS. I often do author interviews and guest blogs, buy my own books (directly from my publisher) and mail them out for review to online reviews who've agreed to review it, hire people to create book trailers for me, get bookmarks printed and mail them out to people and bring them to signings, do signings and appearances at the major conferences my publisher asks me to be at, and keep trying to network.

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

I think it’s important to start gaining an audience even before you get published, if you can. I created a website and had it established for years before I was published, and I think it helped. I know it helped me have a higher ranking with my website, at the very least.

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Immensely! I think social media has given me and other writers a real boost. I get to talk to readers, other writers, editors, agents, who I wouldn’t be able to talk to otherwise. I really think it helps get the word out about my books; SCARS might have been buried under all the other books that get published without it.

Cheryl was wonderful enough to share her Query that Worked with us - check it out. It's a great example of how to get an agent *after* securing your own contract.

I just received an offer and a contract from WestSide Books for my edgy YA manuscript, SCARS. I was wondering if you would work with me. I would really like an agent I trust to work with the contract--and to help me with future books. You previously considered a YA ms of mine, and gave me extensive and kind feedback about it. You also said that you thought I was a very talented writer, and that if somewhere down the line I found myself without representation but with a new project on my hands, that you'd love to take a look.

I went through my emails and found yours, and realized how much I liked what you said to me in your rejection letter. How comfortable I felt with your approach, personality wise. How much I valued how you really praised/liked my work and were personable. I really want to like the agent I work with, to feel comfortable with them, and to have them love my writing. I think I would have that with you. So, please let me know.

I really like the vision for my book the the editor at West Side has, and her ideas of promotion. I would like to go with WestSide Books. I want someone I trust to negotiate what can be negotiated on the contract, and to help me submit future books, of which I will have many. I have written 7-10 YA manuscripts already, though they need a lot of editing. MIND TRAVELER is the next closest to publication, I think. I write and edit quickly, but I put my manuscripts through many edits. I am starting to get better and faster at that, though, and seem to need less revisions to produce good-quality writing. I write both YA fantasy and realistic fantasy, and have also recently written a first draft of a middle-grade magic realism book (but I need to put it through a few edits before it is publishable material).

In SCARS, my 44,500-word YA manuscript, fifteen-year-old Kendra Marshall is keeping a secret, even from herself—the identity of who abused her. It hurts too much to remember, yet still the memories claw at her mind. Kendra cuts to stop those memories—but someone is following her, threatening to kill her if she talks. With the help of the girl she loves, Kendra must face her darkest secrets to find safety, and, ultimately, her own strength.

Many teens secretly self-harm; it is often a painful, hidden issue. I have drawn on my personal experience of self-harm to offer an insider perspective in SCARS.

I write both edgy YA fiction and YA fantasy. My YA hi-lo medieval fantasy, Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon will be published by HIP Books in Sept 2009, and I have agreed to write another book for them for 2010. Two of my non-fiction articles on self-harm and self-care are published in Jan Sutton’s Healing the Hurt Within by How to Books (2005). My paranormal‑suspense short story ‘The Healer’ was published in an anthology by Red Deer Press (The Horrors Terrifying Tales: Book Two, Peter Carver (ed), 2006), and my short story 'Comfort Food' was published in a YA horror anthology by Graveside Tales (Fried! Fast Food, Slow Deaths, Colleen Morris, Joel A. Sutherland (eds), Dec 2007). I am a member of SCBWI and CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers), and have been part of a regular YA critique group for more than 10 years.

Success with Self-Published Author Cyndi Tefft

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!

There are many roads to success, and today's SAT features an author who chose a non-traditional route - self-publishing.  Author Cyndi Tefft's romance, BETWEEN, is a sweet and touching paranormal romance which escapes the abundant cliches in the market.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

Definitely a pantser. I like to start with an idea and just run with it. Sometimes that means I get stuck or even burned out and have to come back to it later, but it's the excitement of discovering what comes next that feeds my creative energy. I tried to plot out a novel once. I wrote the synopsis and detailed the plot from start to finish, but by the time I was done, I didn't want to write the book because I felt like I'd already read it!

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

Well, since I've only done it once, I can't say there is a "typical" amount of time. Ha! Between took me six months to write and was over 800 pages when I got to the end of the first draft. I eventually split it into two books and spent about a year editing the first one. So I have a good chunk finished on the sequel already, but I am not sure how long it will take me to get that one to the finished stage.

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

I prefer to work on one writing project at a time. I am easily distracted, though. The temptation is always there to start something else (the New Shiny Idea!), but if I do, it's that much harder to come back to the first project. Distractions abound: email, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, television, movies, other books I want to read...  Just staying focused (especially when the writing gets hard) is half the battle!

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

Truthfully, no. When I first decided to write the book, it was mostly because I wanted to see if I could do it. I am notorious for getting excited about a project, getting bored and then moving on to something else. I honestly didn't think I would get all the way to the end. The story itself kept me going, along with encouragement from friends and family.

The fear didn't really begin until I started querying the book and agents began to reject it. I suddenly questioned whether it was any good at all. That worry still sits on my shoulders when I go to write now, which is unfortunate.

Did you go the query/agent route before deciding to self-publish? What made you choose that path?

After finishing my first draft of BETWEEN (which of course, I thought was perfect as soon as I'd typed the last sentence), I made a newbie mistake: I whipped up a query and emailed it to dozens of agents, certain the requests would come pouring in. They didn't.

I had so much yet to learn and I spent the next year reading books (and blogs) about writing, editing, and the publishing industry. I got feedback from others through writing sites and started building my social network. The emotional rollercoaster of the query process was draining, but I loved the story and didn't want to let it die.

Eventually, I was offered a contract by a small press, but I turned it down in favor of self-publishing. I'd been looking into the option for several months—researching how to do it, the pros and cons—and decided that I wanted to go that route. I wanted that direct connection with the readers and since I wasn't going to be published by one of the big houses, I figured I'd have to most of the promotion work myself anyway. The process has certainly been challenging, but it was definitely the best decision for me.

Any advice to aspiring writers out there?

You can spend a lot of time reading books about how to write, how to craft characters, how to build tension, etc. That’s all good and you should do that. Still, the most important thing is to sit down and write the story you want to write. Don’t worry about all that other stuff; you can learn it as you go. Have fun with it.

And when it gets hard (because it will!), remember why you started writing in the first place. It probably wasn’t to earn scads of money or to be on Oprah. It was probably because you had a story in your heart that you wanted to get down. Or maybe it was because you came up with a crazy idea and wanted to see how it would play out. Whatever the reason, let that be the fuel that keeps you going when the words fail you.

Don’t write for validation from others. Write because you enjoy it, because you want to, because you have to. If that’s not true, then rent a movie instead because being an author is not for the faint of heart. Still, if you want it, you can make it happen!

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

To be able to type my name into the search bar at Amazon.com and have BETWEEN pop up for sale is still quite a thrill. To hold the paperback in my hands the first time was sheer bliss. The time and dedication it takes to go from idea to publication is mind-boggling, and to have physical proof that I—yes, I, Cyndi Tefft, She Who Gets Bored Easily—was able to stick it out and make it that far was sweet nectar indeed.

How much input do you have on cover art?

My graphic artist skills are sorely lacking, but I had an idea of what I wanted the cover to look like. I chose the black background and the image of the blue smoke, along with the Celtic lettering in the title. Then I handed that vision over to Woulds & Shoulds Editing and Design, who created pure magic. I am completely in love with the cover and highly recommend their services!

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

Formatting a manuscript is an absolute bear! I had to learn not only the industry standards, but all about mirrored margins, widows & orphans, section and page breaks, text styles, headers & footers, and then how to convert the whole mess from Word to PDF. I had no idea that part of the process was going to be so difficult. I just about threw in the towel at the final stage. Ha!

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

All of it. :) Though I am sure a fan page will pop up any day, LOL. Here are a variety of ways to connect with me online: My blog, Twitter, Facebook , Goodreads, Shelfari, and Library Thing.

In addition, you can find BETWEEN for sale online at a variety of retailers:
Print only:
Signed copy from me and
Createspace.com

Ebook only:
Smashwords.com or Apple.com

Print or ebook:
Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

When do you build your platform? After an agent/publication or should you be working on it before?

No matter where you are in your writing process (haven't started, just finished a draft, ready to go with a polished manuscript), start social networking now if you haven't already done so. Create a blog and get followers. Set up an author page on Facebook. Play and connect with other writers (and readers) on Twitter. Join communities on Goodreads, LinkedIn, AbsoluteWrite, Authonomy and others. Marketing is about getting your book in front of people, so the more eyes you have access to, the more successful you will be when the time comes. Above all, be friendly and supportive!

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Word of mouth has always played a crucial role in marketing products, but it’s even more important to the self-published author. Very few people respond to an author saying, “Hey, buy my book. It’s awesome!” So it’s important for authors to find others to shout it from the rooftops on their behalf.
Book blogs are becoming increasingly important in the changing world of publishing, as many people look to them for suggestions on what to read next. In truth, readers don’t really care who published a book. They just want a good story and they’ll be more willing to give unknown authors a try if a trusted source (like a blogger) recommends them.

Thanks so much for having me on the blog!