MSFV Success Story Authors at EMLA

I absolutely love this picture.  I love staring at it.  And I'm thankful that Peter Salomon had the presence of thought to gather these folks for the photo op.

The scoop:  Erin Murphy Literary Agency holds an annual retreat in Vermont for its clients.  While attending this year's retreat, Peter realized that TEN PERCENT of EMLA's clients are part of the MSFV Success Story family.  As in--each of the authors in the above picture attributes a portion of his or her success to this blog.

More specifically, Ammi-Joan Paquette and Tricia Lawrence are both long-term supporters of this blog, and have been involved in many events over the years, including the popular Baker's Dozen Agent Auction each December.  In addition, Joan has been a hard-core lurker here, and has signed more clients from MSFV than any other agent.  Let's just say that, if she paid me back in a year's supply of chocolate for each MSFV client she's nabbed, I'd have chocolate for quite some time!

Pictured above, from left to right:

Peter Salomon, Tara Dairman, agent Joan Paquette, J. Anderson Coats, Joshua McCune, Ann Bedichek Braden, agent Tricia Lawrence.

It is a blessing and a privilege to have played a small role in each of these author's journeys.  Look how beautiful they are!  This photograph is, for me, like a virtual group hug.

I'm proud of you guys, and I'm happy for you.  Thank you for allowing my words and my life to brush against yours.  And thank you, Joan and Trish, for trusting me enough to offer your continued support and involvement.

L'chaim!

Blog Critique Tour!

Here it is, folks!  Your opportunity to critique 10 excerpts on the authors' own blogs, while also being entered to win a 15-page critique from Authoress Edits.  It's win-win!

While leaving your feedback for these brave writers, please observe the following:

1.  Use a screen name OTHER THAN "Anonymous".  I can't enter you into a drawing that way.  Any entry signed "Anonymous" will not be included in the drawing.

2.  Please be kind as well as honest in your critique.  A little tact goes a long way!

3.  Shout this out in your social media hang-outs!  Let's support these authors and their blogs.  (Also?  If this is successful, we'll do it again.  You might be the next author-with-a-blog hoping for traffic and critique!)

Each thoughtful critique that you leave equals one entry in the drawing, for a total of 10 possible entries.  Please note:  Leaving 1 sentence doesn't count.  So if you go through the entries and leave, "I love this!" on each one, I won't include those in the drawing.

And now, without further ado, here are our 10 authors and the links to their blog posts.  At the bottom of each post, you will find a link back to this page; that way, you can easily navigate to the next author's blog.

Have fun, everyone!

OUR 10 WINNING ENTRIES:

 1.  KATHLEEN S. ALLEN (YA Dark Contemporary)

 2.  GEORGE KULZ (MG Mystery)

 3.  LAURA DIAMOND (YA Contemporary)

 4.  MICHELLE MASON (YA Contemporary)

 5.  JUSTIN HERD (Urban Fantasy)

 6.  JOHN M. DAVIDSON (YA SF)

 7.  KATE LARKINDALE (YA Contemporary)

 8.  AUBREY CANN (YA Historical Fantasy)

 9.  ADRIENNE PROCTOR (Historical Fantasy)

10.  ELIZABETH JANETTE (Romantic Suspense)

On Trend-Chasing and the Unpublished Novel

If you're aspiring to be published, you already know that the popularity of specific genres waxes and wanes with infuriating unpredictability.  While in the throes of birthing a new story, it can be tempting to jump on the what's-hot-right-now bandwagon.

"Oh!  YA Contemporary is the THING.  I will write one right now."

"Look at all these thrillers coming out!  Probably I should rewrite my current project as a thriller."

"My critique partner's friend's agent told her that MG Coming-of-Age Magicial Realism Mysteries are rushing to the top of every editor's list.  I'll get right on that."

And you know what I'm going to say next:  Don't do it.

The thing about trends is that they're sort of like tornadoes.  You're tracking them carefully as they gain speed and momentum, and then, without warning, they change direction, tearing up everything in a completely different path.

Trend-chasing will always set you behind the curve.  Why?  Because by the time you've plotted and written and revised and queried your manuscript, the trend will have changed.  Your query letter will only add to the agents' overwhelming sense of ugh-not-another-Divergent-clone, and you'll rack up more rejections than you'd like to count.

Now, there is definitely something to be said about taking the pulse of the industry, which isn't the same as jumping on the latest bandwagon.  Paying attention to what's selling consistently, but isn't, perhaps, at the peak of the mountain, will give you a solid sense of where your work fits and if it has a chance of flying.  This happens in more general terms, like "MG is enjoying a resurgence lately" or "Regency Romance seems to remain stable in an overall volatile marketplace".  Far better to understand what's out there and what sells than to throw your I'm-not-sure-what-I've-got-here project blindly into the abyss.

But.  Throwing yourself into the latest frenzy is only going to frustrate you.  So make sure you understand the difference.

Here comes the disclaimer:  At the end of it all, still write what you love.  While you're honing your craft...while you're learning the publishing ropes...while you're discovering your own, unique voice...write what you love.  Even if it is an on-the-rise trend.  Even if there are way too many wannabes clogging the pipes of your chosen genre.

Writing what you love isn't the same as chasing a trend on purpose.  If your heart is content, then pour yourself into your work and bide your time.

I know this all too well.  I write science fiction, and my favorite sub-genre is dystopian.  I know, right?  Because it's to the point where editors back away while waving garlic cloves and muttering curses.  I write straight science fiction, too, which has become an almost-as-tricky sea to navigate.  Recently, I received a rejection-that-wasn't-a-rejection on my YA SF.  It was glowing praise for my story from an editor who wanted to acquire it--but encountered an in-house impasse.  What can you do?  Nothing, really, but press on.

I printed out the Words of Praise and hung them on my bulletin board.  They read like something from a starred review, and I glance at them frequently to remind myself that, yes, I can write, and someone out there really, really liked it.

All it takes is one yes.

So don't try to be something you're not.  Don't try to write something just because it's the next hot potato, and you want to get ahead of the curve.  Chances are, you won't.  Write what you love, and work your tail off to become the best you can be.

The reward for your hard work will come in its own time.

#BLOGPITCH Winners

It was fun reading all the entries!  Thank you to EVERYONE who entered.  Here are my top 10 picks, in no particular order:

@michelleimason - YA C: LIAR SOCIETY meets 12th NIGHT when 16yo Hannah becomes Gid at summer camp to catch the boy who put her brother in a coma.

@DiamondLB - Getting a new heart might not fix 17 year old Adam's broken one.

@GAKulz - MG: Brain-injured Jason becomes detective to solve case of the school bully's missing pin. Why? Jason's the number one suspect.

@kathleea - 15yo Zoey escaped from a kidnapper two years ago. He's supposed to be dead but someone is stalking her and she's sure it's him.

@AuthorEJanette - The vigilante justice business gets mighty complicated when the killer you're tracking might turn out to be you.

@almccall - Trapped in her past life, Devana becomes a pirate to survive. When she falls for the capt she must choose: love or home.

@Vampyr14 - American Pie meets The Sessions as 16 YO Ozzy struggles to dump his virginity and prove he can be a man in a wheelchair.

@JustinDHerd - Pursued by cops through a heathen port city, mobster Raine Morgan has bigger things to worry about: he just killed a god.

@jdavidsonwrites - A kill away from the sandman quota, a dream assassin learns the outlaws he killed aren't who he was told. And neither is he.

@AubreyCann - Dava must find the boy who tried to bump off her crime-boss father before he returns to finish the job.

All winners will need to post their logline and first 250 words ON THEIR OWN BLOGS, and email me the link by Sunday, July 6.  The BLOG CRITIQUE TOUR will go live on Wednesday, July 9, when everyone will have the opportunity to critique the winning entries.  (And remember -- each valid critique you leave = 1 entrance in a drawing to win a 15-page critique from AUTHORESS EDITS!)

CONGRATULATIONS, winners!

Editing Slots Open for July!

Vacation is over (alas! alas!) and AUTHORESS EDITS is back in business.

I have space for 2 (yes! two!) PREMIERE CRITIQUES during the month of July.  For those of you who have been waiting, here's your chance!

A Premiere Critique includes:

• a detailed line-edit of your first 75 pages (no first drafts, please)
• an editorial letter
• a guaranteed 1-week turnaround

Cost:  $260

As always, I will accept new clients on a first come, first served basis.  Email me at authoress.edits(at)gmail.com if you would like to secure a spot.  I require a 50% down payment.

For those of you who are interested in my normal 30-page critique:  Good news!  I've caught up, and right now my response time is 1 month or less.  The sooner you get your name in the queue, the more likely you will be to get your critique back pretty darn fast.

My regular 30-page critique includes:

• a detailed line edit of your first 30 pages (no first drafts, please)
• an editorial letter
• 1 month or shorter response time

Cost:  $95 

Email me to secure your spot in the queue.  The down payment is $50.

FUN FUN FUN: I'm accept 3-page critiques again!

A line edit of your first 3 pages will cost you $18.  The turnaround is 1 to 4 weeks.

FULL MANUSCRIPT EDITS:

If you're looking for a content edit (and NOT a line edit!), my irreplaceable critique partner, Julie Butcher, is your gal.  Her editing window will be open July 7 - 31, and she's GOOD at this.  Prices and contact information are HERE.

And, finally, a reminder that trusted critique partners should always be the first step in your editing process!  When you're ready to go to the next level, I'm here for you.