Gibbs Smith Call for Submissions

I’m pleased to announce a wonderful submissions opportunity from Gibbs Smith! Editor, Michelle Witte contacted me and asked me to help spread the word. #YAlitchat Community members were alerted last night. Gibbs Smith is seeking both agented and unagented writers with great ideas for middle grade activity books for children anywhere from 6–14 years old. Submit a detailed outline of the proposed project and a writing sample (generally the first three chapters) using the online submission page. They will invite you to send the entire manuscript if they are interested.

Please note: Gibbs Smith not accepting submissions for children’s picture books or fiction of any kind. They will only contact you if they are interested.

For more about what Gibbs Smith is looking for, please read the official Gibbs Smith Blog.

Query Me This (Query Tips From Expert Wendy Burt-Thomas)

Wendy Burt-Thomas’s new book THE WRITER’S DIGEST GUIDE TO QUERY LETTERS was released in January 2009. Wendy was nice enough to share an interview she did while on a blog tour to promote her book with our #YAlitchat family. I hope you enjoy the interview. You can also visit Wendy online at www.AskWendy.wordpress.com.

1. Can you tell us about your book?

The book was a great fit for me because I’d been teaching “Breaking Into Freelance Writing” for about eight years. In the workshop, I covered a lot of what is in this book: writing query letters to get articles in magazines, to land an agent, or to get a book deal with a publisher. Since I’m a full-time freelance magazine writer and editor with two previous books, this was incredibly fun to write because it didn’t require tons of research. I was lucky enough to receive lots of great sample query letters from writers and authors that I use as “good” examples in the book. I wrote all the “bad” examples myself because I didn’t dare ask for contributions that I knew I’d be ripping apart! In addition to the ins and outs of what makes a good query, the book covers things like why (or why not) to get an agent, where to find one and how to choose one; writing a synopsis or proposal; selling different rights to your work; other forms of correspondence; and what editors and agents look for in new writers. It was really important to me that the book not be a dry, boring reference book, but rather an entertaining read (while still being chock full of information). I was thrilled that Writer’s Digest let me keep all the humor.

2. Why are query letters so important?

Breaking into the publishing world is hard enough right now. Unless you have a serious “in” of some kind, you really need a great query letter to impress an agent or acquisitions editor. Essentially, your query letter is your first impression. If they like your idea (and voice and writing style and background), they’ll either request a proposal, sample chapters, or the entire manuscript. If they don’t like your query letter, you’ve got to pitch it to another agency/publisher. Unlike a manuscript, which can be edited or reworked if an editor thinks it has promise, you only get one shot with your query. Make it count! I see a lot of authors who spend months (or years) finishing their book, only to rush through the process of crafting a good, solid query letter. What a waste! If agents/editors turn you down based on a bad query letter, you’ve blown your chance of getting them to read your manuscript. It could be the next bestseller, but they’ll never see it. My advice is to put as much effort into your query as you did your book. If it’s not fabulous, don’t send it until it is.

3. There’s an entire chapter in the book about agents. Do you think all new writers should get agents?

Probably 99% of new writers should get an agent. There are lots of reasons, but my top three are: 1) Many of the larger publishing houses won’t even look at unagented submissions now; 2) Agents can negotiate better rights and more money on your behalf; 3) Agents know the industry trends, changes and staff better than you ever could.

4. You’ve been a mentor, coach or editor for many writers. What do you think is the most common reason that good writers don’t get published?

Poor marketing skills. I see so many writers that are either too afraid, too uniformed, or frankly, too lazy, to market their work. They think their job is done when the write “the end” but writing is only half of the process. I’ve always told people who took my class that there are tons of great writers in the world who will never get published. I’d rather be a good writer who eats lobster than a great writer who eats hot dogs. I make a living as a writer because I spend as much time marketing as I do writing.

5. What are some of the biggest misconceptions that writers have about getting a book deal?

That they’ll be rich overnight, that they don’t need to promote their book once it’s published, that publishing houses will send them on world book tours, that people will recognize them at the airport. Still, you can make great money as an author if you’re prepared to put in the effort. If it wasn’t possible, there wouldn’t be so many full-time writers.

6. What must-read books do you recommend to new writers?

Christina Katz (author of “Writer Mama”) has a new book out called “Get Known Before the Book Deal” – which is fabulous. Also, Stephen King’s “On Writing” and David Morrell’s “Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing.” Anything by Anne Lamott or my Dad, Steve Burt.

7. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a full-time writer?

Seize every opportunity – especially when you first start writing. I remember telling someone about a really high-paying writing gig I got and he said, “Wow. You have the best luck!” I thought, “Luck has nothing to do with it! I’ve worked hard to get where I am.” Later that week I read this great quote: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” It’s absolutely true. And writing queries is only about luck in this sense. If you’re prepared with a good query and/or manuscript, when the opportunity comes along you’ll be successful.

8. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Writing the “bad” query letters. I’ve read – and written! – so many horrible ones over the years that it was a little too easy to craft them. But misery loves company and we ALL love to read really bad query letters, right?

9. What do you want readers to learn from your book?

I want them to understand that while writing a good query letter is important, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can break it down into parts, learn from any first-round rejections, and read other good queries to help understand what works. I also want them to remember that writing is fun. Sometimes new writers get so caught up in the procedures that they lose their original voice in a query. Don’t bury your style under formalities and to-the-letter formatting.

About Wendy Burt-Thomas

Wendy Burt-Thomas is a full-time freelance writer, editor and PR consultant. Her credentials include more than 1,000 published articles, reviews, short stories, poems and greeting cards. She’s also written three books: “Oh, Solo Mia! The Hip Chick’s Guide to Fun for One” (2001, McGraw-Hill); “Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick” (2003, McGraw-Hill) and “The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters” (2009, Writer’s Digest Books). Her fourth book, an update of “The Everything Creative Writing Book” (Adams Media) hits stores in April 2010.

St. Martin’s Press Twitter Poem

Was feeling inspired, had some time before reading submissions, needed to post an update and hadn’t written a twitter poem in a while. Figured I’d kill a few birds with one stone. I kinda hate that expression. Killing bird seems so wrong. Anyway, the original poem on twitter was shortened (certain words) to meet the 140  requirement.

Writers with stars in your eyes, send a submission & you’ll be surprised, how easy it is to make dreams come true when St. Martin’s Press publishes you.

#YAlitchat With JJ From St. Martin’s Press + Contest Update

As of this post, midday on day 2 of our “New Adult” Submissions Contest Sponsored by #YAlitchat, we have over 50 submissions!

JJ and I have already reviewed more than half of the submissions and have decided to request four.

The level of talent we’ve seen is just astonishing. The decision to choose only four thus far was quite difficult.

So that you know, if you are one of the lucky writers in this initial group of four, your request will come on the Monday following the end of the contest-so check your emails!

JJ will be our guest of honor during tomorrow’s #YAlitchat. Because things can get a little crazy, I thought I’d help JJ out by opening questions in advance. Please post questions you have about the contest, St. Martin’s Press, crossover YA, New Adult, publishing etc. and we will try to get them answered during tomorrow night’s #YAlitchat.

For those of you who have not yet joined us in a chat, #YAlitchat is each Wednesday at 9PM Eastern on twitter. More info can be found here.

Please post your questions for JJ in the comments section below. We will take them through 3PM Eastern on Wednesday. All other questions may be posed LIVE during #YAlitchat but JJ will address those posted here first.

xoxo-
G

Interview: JJ, St. Martin’s Press Editorial Assistant

I had the pleasure of sitting down with JJ, Editorial Assistant over at St. Martin’s Press and working quite closely with her over the past week on a submissions contest for unagented YA writers. We talked in depth not only about what she does, but about what St. Martin’s Press is looking to acquire under the leadership of their new Publisher-at-Large, Dan Weiss. Enjoy the interview!

Congratulations on your role at St. Martin’s Press. Can you tell me what you do there?

I am Dan Weiss’s assistant, as well as general editorial assistant at St. Martin’s. My job is to help seek out and acquire submissions to publish, specifically in the areas we are looking to expand–“new adult” or fiction and nonfiction for older teens (college-age) and twentysomethings. I read for a living! How awesome is that?

Awesome indeed. For those who are unfamiliar with St. Martin’s Press, can you give us a brief history?

St. Martin’s is part of Macmillan and has a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction in nearly every category. Notable examples include Augusten Burrough’s WOLF AT THE TABLE, Janet Evanovich’s STEPHANIE PLUM books, as well as the paranormal teen romance series HOUSE OF NIGHT by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.

I’m certain many of my readers are familiar with P.C. and Kirstin Cast for sure. You came to me because St. Martin’s Press is actively seeking specific kinds of Young Adult works. We called them “new adult” or “older YA” on my blog. Can you give me some details?

Dan believes that the market for young adults–that is, adults who are young–is largely untapped. We are a generation that grew up reading YA, but once we grew up, we couldn’t find fiction in the adult sections applicable to our lives. You’re not prepared for the adult world just because you turn 18. We still have more in common with teens than we do with “grownups.” We’re looking for books that call to us (Dan calls us “Gen Y”) and there is a lot in YA that is appealing: finding a place in life, discovering who we are, etc. Hence we want to find books that are like YA, but targeted to us slightly older readers. Of course, if we find a really great YA that’s really for the YA market, we won’t say no! If it’s perfect for another one of Macmillan’s imprints, we’ll try and publish through them.

This is more than just main characters who are older, what about the content of the literature?

I’m fond of the term “bildungsroman”–a coming of age story. Michael Chabon’s THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH is a good example. In all honesty, the age of the protagonist matters little. Hannah Tinti wrote a novel called THE GOOD THIEF (I reviewed it here: http://sjaejones.com/blog/2009/i-like-thieves/), which had a 12-year-old protagonist and it was published as adult. PREP by Curtis Sittenfield, which was about boarding school, was also published as adult. However, while I think the themes in “new adult” and YA are similar, the content would be similar to older, edgier YA. The complaint about too much violence and sex in YA wouldn’t be applicable here. The stories that would apply to us include first serious relationships (possibly leading to marriage), first jobs, college, and all the bits about being a grownup without knowing how to be one (similar to YA, I think). Examples of YA I think could have been published as adult are Malinda Lo’s ASH (which I reviewed here: http://sjaejones.com/blog/2009/the-lesbian-cinderella/), GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (reviewed here: http://sjaejones.com/blog/2009/aloha-and-mahalo/), and A CURSE AS DARK AS GOLD by Elizabeth Bunce (I reviewed that here: http://sjaejones.com/blog/2009/white-harp-reviews-a-curse-dark-as-gold/).

We’re doing a contest to allow unagented writers to showcase their work for your consideration. However, is there an advantage to an agented submission over and unagented submission?

It’s all about the work. A good manuscript is a good manuscript, regardless of whether or not the writer is agented. However, I will say that agented submissions generally have priority–mostly because the editors are familiar with the agents and trust their tastes. On a related note, I think having an agent is advantageous for the author, not for getting submissions read, but for helping him or her navigate the business of publishing.

What else are you looking for in a writer?

Oodles of talent with enough humility to understand why we want to kill their darlings in a manuscript. Being media and web savvy is also a definite advantage. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and blogs are all big pluses, as long as the web presence is maintained with decorum and discretion.

What can an unagented writer expect when sending their submissions to St. Martin ’s Press? What is the acquisitions process?

In many ways, it’s much like submitting to an agent. If we like it, we will contact you and ask for the full manuscript. If we really, really like it, we will offer you a contract, the details of which will vary from writer to writer, book to book. There will be an advance and a pay-out schedule, the likes of which have been described by other publishing bloggers like Kristin Nelson at http://pubrants.blogspot.com/.

And if St. Martin’s Press is not interested in the writer’s work? What is communicated and in what period of time? Please set the expectation.

Dan and I make it our policy to respond to every submission we receive through this contest, so none of this “no response means no” nonsense. We will try and respond in a timely fashion–within reason, of course. I will try and keep response times up to date on my blog.

How about distribution? Are St. Martin’s Press release available readily? Where can we find them?

In bookstores everywhere and wherever else books are sold!

What about eBooks? Are St. Martin’s Press releases available in eBook format?

This varies from title to title. Going forward, Dan and I would like to experiment with digital publishing and we most certainly would love to publish eBooks–either individually or simultaneously with print. Dan has a lot of experience in this area with SparkNotes and we want to continue exploring the changing landscape of book publishing.

Any advice you can give aspiring writers hoping to be published with St. Martin ’s Press?

Read. A lot. It’s important to understand what makes a good book (craft-wise and storytelling-wise) and what makes it sell. But more than that, it’s important to discover what you love and then write it. We can always tell when someone is writing for a fad or a trend. Have passion for your work and never stop writing and honing your skills.

Advice from Dan: It’s important to find what’s unique about your voice. Know your characters inside and out so that there may be authenticity in your work and make sure the stakes are high for your characters, so that your readers may care about them.

Thanks so much to Georgia for hosting me on her blog and for hosting #YAlitchat. I will pop in to chat on Twitter as often as I can.

Looking forward to reading submissions from the contest!

Always,

JJ

St. Martin’s Press “New Adult” Submissions Contest Sponsored by #YAlitchat

St. Martin’s Press “New Adult” Contest:Sponsored by #YAlitchat

St. Martin’s Press is actively looking for great, new, cutting edge fiction with protagonists who are slightly older than traditional YA and can appeal to a younger adult audience. Since twenty-somethings are devouring YA, St. Martin’s Press is seeking fiction with a YA sensibility that can be published and marketed as adult; kind of an older YA or “new adult.”

They are hoping to find what they’re looking for from the pool of #YAlitchat writers on twitter! I’m personally thrilled that they’ve recognized the talent among us and to be a part of this amazing endeavor.

The contest begins Monday, November 9 and ends Friday, November 20, 2009. Submissions will be taken online and read by JJ of the St. Martin’s Press editorial department and Georgia McBride, Founder and Host of #YAlitchat!

St. Martin’s Press “New Adult” Contest Submission Rules
1. One submission per author.

2. All works must be complete, edited, proofed and ready for submission upon request by St. Martin’s Press

3. Protagonist must be at least 18 years old though early 20’s. However, age of protag is not as important as overall story and appeal to adult market.

4. Submission must include author first name, valid email address, 2-3 sentence hook/pitch and first paragraph of story ONLY. Any additional content will be discarded.

5. Please only post submissions on submissions page. If you have a question, please let me know and I will do my best to get it answered for you on my blog or via email.

6. Please read interview with JJ, Editorial Assistant from St. Martin’s Press prior to submitting your work. In it are specific guidelines and details pertaining to what they are seeking to acquire.

How it Works

Submissions will be reviewed by the Editorial Department at St. Martin’s Press and Georgia McBride, Founder and Host of #Yalitchat. Based on the criteria defined by St. Martin’s Press; submissions are assessed and if we are interested in seeing more, authors will be contacted via the email provided in their submission post and a partial (first fifty pages) of your manuscript will be requested. If we request the first fifty pages, and it falls in the middle of a chapter, please round down or up as needed.

Your manuscript should be edited, proofed and ready for submission upon request. If the editorial team at St. Martin’s Press would like to see more of your manuscript after reading your partial, they will request the remainder of your manuscript. Please make sure that your manuscript is properly formatted, spell-checked and ready to go.

Winners

Winners in this “contest” are those who submit and are asked to have their manuscript reviewed for consideration by St. Martin’s Press. Ideally, we would all go on to be offered a book deal, but that is not realistic. The goal is to give as many #Yalitchat writers an opportunity to have their work considered by this great publisher as possible. In doing so, we all win.

St. Martin’s Press is giving away copies of P.C. and Kristin Cast’s latest HOUSE OF NIGHT book to the “first, second, and third-place” winners. That is, authors with novels/concepts that they feel are the most interesting/right for them. The book is TEMPTED, paranormal YA.

Disclaimer

St. Martin’s Press does not guarantee to publish the material requested and cannot be held liable for a book published through St. Martin’s Press with similar content to any submission from the “New Adult” Contest sponsored by #YAlitchat.

Click here to submit!

St. Martin’s Press Has New Publisher and Good News for YA Writers

From Publishers Marketplace November 4, 2009

Dan Weiss Joins SMP As Publisher at Large

Former SparkNotes publisher and packager Dan Weiss is the latest seasoned executive to join Macmillan, taking the new position of publisher-at-large for St. Martin’s, reporting to paperback publisher Matthew Shear. Weiss will develop and acquire both fiction and nonfiction properties targeted at the audience of “twentysomethings, Gen Yers, and older young adult readers–those emerging adults who are navigating career, love and family in a 24/7 connected world.” Those books will be published through St. Martin’s as well as other Macmillan imprints as appropriate.

 

—-

 

What does this mean for YA writers? St. Martin’s Press is actively looking for great, new, cutting edge YA with protagonists who are slightly older and can appeal to an adult audience. Since twenty-somethings are happily reading YA, St. Martin’s Press is seeking YA that can be published and marketed as adult; kind of an “older YA” or “new adult.”

I’ve been asked to help spread the word within the YA community and to assist in identifying potential content. More details on that later (rumor has it there may be a submissions contest for #YAlitchat members).

 

I’ll be talking to their new editorial assistant known around twitter at “The Great Miss JJ” right here on my blog in a few days regarding just exactly what they’re looking for.

 

In the mean time, click here to learn more about JJ and her role at St. Martin’s Press. She tells me she’ll be posting some information about the goings on there.

 

Lipstick Apology Winner!

Congratulations to Sara! She’s our LIPSTICK APOLOGY winner. I don’t make the rules, folks. I just follow ‘em. Here’s the winning entry chosen by Jennifer. Check your mailbox, Sara. A signed copy of LIPSTICK APOLOGY is on it’s way.

Dear Emily,

Please forgive me. I never meant to leave you with just four little words. I hope someday you’ll understand why I did what I did. The jewels were so beautiful, I couldn’t resist them. I never dreamed I’d lose control of the plane.

Never feel alone. I will watch over you always. When you feel the wind brush against your shoulders, know that it’s my love reaching out to wrap you in its arms.

Please forgive me. I love you.
Mom

 

Read Any Good YA Books Lately? We Have!

Ever wonder what Young Adult authors talk about when you get them in a room together? Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, faeries? Nope. Sex, drugs, rock-n-roll? Not even. But when we do get together, once a week for #YAlitchat we manage to have a good time–despite ourselves. Last night was particularly awesome! We started with a discussion about books read recently that we most enjoyed. I promised to compile a list and share on my site. So, here we go. Please keep in mind, this list is in no particular order.

As You Wish, Jackson Pearce

The Forest of Hands And Teeth, Carrie Ryan

Give Up The Ghost, Megan Crewe

Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick

Graceling, Kristin Cashore

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Coffee House Angel, Suzanne Selfors

Gallagher Girl Series, Ally Carter

All American Girl, Meg Cabot

The Maze Runner, James Dashner

Fire, Kristin Cashore

Ash, Malinda Lo

Nation, T. Pratchett

Marcello In The Real World, Francisco Stork

Candor, Pam Bachorz

Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld

 Ballads of Suburbia, Stephanie Kuehnert

The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness

So Yesterday, Scott Westerfeld

Going Bovine, Libba Bray

Graceling, Kristin Cashore

Forest Born, Shannon Hale

Sunshine, Robin McKinley

Speak by Laurie Halse Andeson

Sabriel, Garth Nix

Knife, RJ Anderson

Tithe, Holly Black

Looking For Alaska, John Green

Queen of Everything, Deb Caletti

#Askagent

After #YAlitchat last night, Colleen Lindsay, an agent with Fineprint Literary Management assembled agents and editors for #askagent on twitter. It was a more than two-hour long chat session that answered questions from, “how long should my synopsis be” to “can I query every agent at your firm” to everything in between. I give them a lot of credit for making themselves available on short notice and for keeping their cool even when some people refused to follow the “no  query question” rule.

Too often, agents and editors are accused of not giving aspiring writers enough of their time or not responding personally to queries. Other times, writers may feel limited in their ability to connect directly with someone due to lack of funds needed to travel to a conference. #askagent is certainly the next best thing. It may be even better–if you are the particularly shy type.

Agents and editors were online and accessible for about five hours last night in total (including #yalitchat) not because they had to; but because they wanted to. Making you better writers and smarter about the business you want to be part of –in the long run–makes their job a whole lot easier.

NB: The list of participants changes. Check #askagent to see who will pop in next time!

Participating in the chat were:

Sara Kase, Assistant Editor at Sourcebook

Rebecca Sherman, Literary Agent, Writers House

Elana Roth, Literary Agent, Caren Johnson Literary Agency

T.S., Former Junior Editor, Little Brown Books for Young Children

Jennifer Laughran, Literary Agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Suzie Townsend, Literary Agent, Fine Print Literary Management

If you missed #askagent, you can check out the transcript here!