Authors - Why you should have a website & Winners announced.

I already had a blog set up, but when I saw this interview with Sara Megibow on YA Highway, and in other interviews, it prompted me to look into developing more than just a blog. To summarise, Sara said that her ideal client is publishing ready, not just with their manuscript but also with their website, social media, teen networking and overall professionalism.
It was a leap of faith to sink money into a website when I don't have an agent and have a very small publishing resume. But it was an investment in myself and my career-in-waiting. And it was actually a lot less than you would expect.

To create a domain name website through Blogger is only $10 a year and through Wordpress it's not much more. All you need is a credit card and you're set.

If you don't know how to make it all work - like me - then there are plenty of people with the know how who do freelance work. I was fortunate enough to have a friend, Evie, who speaks code as a second language and has stylish skills as well. There are also lots of blog specialist sites that offer basica layouts for free or at a small cost. But make sure what you have created in the layout has the same feel as your writing.

My website is using blogger and check out Kelley Vitollo's website for what can be done using Wordpress. You can also see the difference between the ambiance of our websites - Kelley writes YA contemporary and her site is fresh and vibrant, while I write YA speculative fiction, scifi, steampunk and have a lot of dark elements to my work.

So, why should you have an author website:

• To show agents and editors that you're serious about being a writer and are on board for the promotional aspect of the job.
• To improve your online presence, which flows onto the points below.
• To help create a following that will help you with the hype with you do have news to share.
• To create an image that reflects your writing and who you are.
• To provide people an opportunity to connect with you (make sure you have your contact details on there, including social media).

There's no excuse not to have something. So get out there and shine.

And now here's the winners from my website launch giveaway:

(Winners were picked using random.org)

•  Meagan: A $50 Barnes and Noble e-gift card.
• Michelle Scheponik: A query critique from YAtopian and kNight Romance author Chanelle Gray.
• Katherine Amabel: A chapter/first ten pages critique from YAtopian and Entangled author Kelley York.
• Lori M Lee: An ebook copy of Angelfall courtesy of YAtopian and member of YA Rebels. Sarah Nicolas.
• Laura "Burgandy Ice" Armstrong: An ebook copy (preorder) of Sweet Evil courtesty of YAtopian and Crescent Moon author Kelley Vitollo.
• Laura "Burgandy Ice" Armstrong: Sweet Evil bookmarks courtesy of YAtopian and HarperCollins author Wendy Higgins.
• Jasmine Williams (Isabel Davis): A copy of Carrier of the Mark courtesy of YAtopian and HarpCollins author Leigh Fallon.
• Nicole Zoltack: Additional prize in! A first chapter critique from YAtopian and Pendrell Publishing author DJ DeSmyter.

I'll be in contact with the winners over the next couple of days on how to get their prizes.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered. If you have a blog, my mate Chanelle Gray is looking for bloggers to help her with a cover reveal - there are 31 prizes up on offer.

Interviewing 101

Interviewing an agent, author or editor can make great posts, but a lot of people get stuck on what to ask their interviewees. I did get a good grounding in the area because I studied journalism and was a cadet for a while, but there are a few easy tips that will make interviewing easier.

Step 1: Secure the interview

Most figures int he publishing industry are happy to be involved in interviews. An important thing is to develop a good platform for yourself, have a professional looking blog layout and ensure you've conducted yourself professional on your blog.

Step 2: Research
You should google your subject, looking for specific information such as:

• Bios
• Their website
• Their Twitter Feed
• Other interviews they've done
• Any unusual or interesting facts about them that aligns with your audience.
• For authors research their stories, and preferably have read them.
• For agents and editors, know their client list, preferred genres and wish list.

Step 3: Compose your questions

Your audience should be foremost of mind here, but you also need to remember that the person your interviewing will want to have key points they'd like to get out too. So you'll want your questions to:

Be relevant to the audience, which is likely to be readers for authors and writers for agents and editors.

• Cute and interested fact questions can be woven in,
• For authors include things like: key release dates, inspiration for stories, WIP information and also give the the opportunity to plug anything you don't know about.
• For agents and editors focus on their wish list, views on trends and any key client work.

A really important thing is to ask open ended questions, being questions that require a lengthy answer. The key words/phrases in questions that help you do this is: Why, How, What and Tell us about.

So you want to ask questions like(but personalised):

What was the inspiration behind...
What do you see as....
Why did you decide to...
How did this idea come about...
Tell us about your book

There is a time for one word questions. Rapid Fire questions at the end of an interview are a great way to show a more personal side of the interviewee and can be a lot of fun. Don't for to ask for photos and links.

Step 4: Putting the post together
You should try to ensure there is a natural flow to the interview by grouping similar questions together. You don't want to chop and change between topics. Make smooth transitions where ever possible.

If you think the responses need plumping up, or you find that the answers given have created more questions then don't be afraid to go back and ask them.

It is also important to include an introductory paragraph to set the tone of the interview. Include any important links as well, such as website, blog and twitter (plus any that the interviewee requests).

Example: Beth Revis

I haven't interviewed Beth Revis (just occasionally stalked her Twitter feed and fallen totally in love with her writing) and she's someone who I'd love to interview, so I thought she'd make a perfect subject matter to illustrate how it all ties in together.

Here is the questions I would ask Beth and why:

1. Congratulations on the success of A Million Suns. Tell us a bit about where the Across the Universe sequel takes us? (give the interviewee a chance to plug their wares)
2. I know that originally ATU was designed to be stand alone, why did you expand the series? And talk us through the process of expanding a stand-alone to series? (I knew about the stand alone from an interview Beth did here and thought the process would be of interest to other writers?)
3. What's next for Amy and Elder with Shades of Earth? (another change for her to pitch her upcoming release dates etc).
4. You are a fan of Star Wars, Firefly and Doctor Who. How much of an influence were those shows on your work? (The information is straight from Beth's bio and an interview, so it's a fairly logical conclusion to draw that the space shows would have influenced her space dystopian).
5. Space wasn't a big seller in YA when you pitched ATU, but now it's hailed as the next big thing. What's your thoughts on being a YA genre trendsetter?
6. What's it like writing a story in dual POVs?
7. Research is such an important part of developing a novel with technical aspects. How did you go about getting the information you needed? (Interviews here and here talk about research a bit and Beth comes off as being passionate about it, so I'm hoping it's something she's still passionate to talk about).
8. I find writing is an organic process, have stories taken on a life of their own for you as you write, and if so, how? (Well, I already know from this interview that her original synopsis for the trilogy has changed)
9. You "lust" after books. What titles are you hanging out to read and why? (Beth says on her own website that she lusts after books on Goodreads. It's a fun thing to throw in. Readers who enjoy her writing would be interested to see what Beth wants to read and will probably check those books out too).
10. What do you miss the most about being a teacher? (This should be an interesting question for readers as the majority of them are teens and probably still at school).
11. You're a very accessible author to your fans through social media, what made you decide to have such a strong presence?
12. If you could travel through space, what job would you want on the ship and why? (try to let the interviewee have some fun questions that still relate to their area of expertise/subject matter).
13. How has watching Game of Thrones impacted on your writing time?

(To be honest, twelve questions are too many. You probably want 10 max. There are so many more things I could have asked - like the Beatles references, how life has changed for her - but the interview shouldn't be a chore for the person).

Rapid Fire Questions:

Peanut Butter or Nutella? (cause I saw crunchy peanut butter and nutella mentioned in interviews)
Unicorns or Griffins? (I thought I saw unicorns mentioned on Twitter once)
Purple or Pink? (just cause they're the two main colours on her ATU cover)
Paper and pen or computer (gives an insight to her writing style)
Serenity, Tardis or Millennium Falcon? (Oh, that's mean making her choose)

Other examples:

My interview with John Cusick.
Sarah Nicolas' interview with Jodie Meadows on YAtopia.
My interview with Jeyn Roberts.
My interview with Amanda Rutter.
My interview with Mandy Hubbard.
My interview with Vickie Motter.
Angela Slatter's interview with me.

And finally, a question for you? Who would you love to interview and why?

PS. Don't forget there's still time to enter my website launch giveaway.

Website Launch and Gigantic Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of my new website "The Weird Writing World of S.M.Johnston" I'm having a giveaway.
Firstly I'd like to thank and acknowledge my great friend Evie who is responsible for this amazing creation. I look at code and tremble, where as Evie owns it and bends it to her will. She is beyond awesome. Secondly, I'd like to thank my fellow YAtopians Chanelle Gray, Kelley York, Sarah Nicolas, Kelley Vitollo and Wendy Higgins who have donated prizes for my site launch giveaway.

So, the giveaway. Up for grabs is:

•  a $50 Barnes and Noble e-gift card.
• A query critique from YAtopian and kNight Romance author Chanelle Gray.
• A chapter/first ten pages critique from YAtopian and Entangled author Kelley York.
• An ebook copy of Angelfall courtesy of YAtopian and member of YA Rebels.  Sarah Nicolas. 
• An ebook copy (preorder) of Sweet Evil courtesty of YAtopian and Crescent Moon author Kelley Vitollo.  
• Sweet Evil bookmarks courtesy of YAtopian and HarperCollins author Wendy Higgins.
• A copy of Carrier of the Mark courtesy of YAtopian and HarpCollins author Leigh Fallon.
• Additional prize in! A first chapter critique from YAtopian and Pendrell Publishing author DJ DeSmyter.

Note - this is not all the prizes for one winner. There will be a winner for each prize and you can win more than one prize, so extra entries help.

To enter you must be a follower of this blog and promote the competition either via a blog post, twitter post or Facebook status. But there are ways you can get bonus entries:

• Subscribe to posts via email +1
• Follow me on Twitter @S_M_Johnston +1
• Follow Evie's blog +1 (and see who made this awesome website)
• Follow my group blog YAtopia +1
• Follow my group blog's Twitter @YAtopia_blog +1
• Follow Chanelle's blog +1
• Follow Chanelle on Twitter +1
• Follow Kelley York's blog +1
• Follow Kelley on Twitter @elixing +1
• Follow Sarah's blog +1
• Follow Sarah on Twitter @sarah_nicolas +1
• Follow Kelley Vitollo's blog +1
• Follow Kelley Twitter @KellyVitollo+1
• Follow Wendy's blog +1
• Follow Wendy on Twitter @Wendy_Higgins +1
• Follow Leigh's blog. +1
• Follow Leigh on Twitter @Leigh_Fallon +1
• Pre-order Wendy Higgins' debut novel Sweet Evil +1 (cause I've had the pleasure of being a Beta reader for her and it's awesome beyond belief). You can find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
• Follow DJ's blog.
• Follow DJ on Twitter @LifeinFiction.

So to enter include:

A comment on what books you would buy if you win the e-voucher and a note of which critiques your interested in (everyone is entered for all other prizes)
Name:
Email:
Follower confirmation:
Promotion confirmation:
Entries (if you have a + for a pre-order or email subscription you will need to email me your receipt if you win):

Entries close on Valentine's Day, February 14th, at midnight. So feel the love and get your entry in.

Something is coming

Something is coming.

Something will be revealed

There will be prizes

Come back to Down Under Wonderings on 1 February to find out what is being unveiled and what you could win.



Deadly Hemlock Cover

YA writer, geek and self-professed probably fodder in the event of a zombie apocalypse, Kathleen Peacock, wonderfully gave Australian bloggers a sneak peak at her Australian/UK cover for her novel Deadly Hemlock. DH will be released in July.

Here's five things I love about this cover:

1.  The red coat. Apart from the contrast of colours being gorgeous, and the fact it ensures it's not a clone of other covers, the link to Little Red Riding Hood is so much fun.
2. The Wolf in the branches. OMGoodness! How awesome is it.
3. The colour of the sky - it's so iridescent and eye catching.
4. The fact we can't see Mac's face - it allows us imagine her ourselves. I love that.
5. The author name - why don't I have a cool surname like Peacock.

If you want to find out more about this cover came into being you can read an interview with cover designer extraordinaire Nick Stearn who worked on the artwork, here.

Thanks so much Kathleen for sharing this with us and I look forward to seeing Deadly Hemlock on the shelves and reading it.

Take that Writer's Block

I'm back from my blogging vacation. And I've got a question for you all.

Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at the computer wondering where the words have gone? Well here's some tips for battle an author's enemy - writer's block:

1. War Words - I am so addicted to these now. You and your writing buddies set up a time to be online together. It can be on facebook, via email or on a community forum like inkpop. You set the start time in minutes (as in :30) and how long you'll write for (fifteen minutes), write like crazy at the start time then post what you wrote in the time with the word count and get feedback from your buds.
2. Relocate - get off your butt and write outside, preferably AWAY from internet access. If you don't have a laptop then you can write the old fashioned way (and I don't mean lug a typewriter with you.)
3. Meow - Written? Kitten! is a website that allows you to be rewarded with a new picture of a kitten for ever 100, 200, 500 or 1000 words you write depending on your preference. You will get to see pictures like this and this  because images are randomly selected from Flickr's “most interesting” photos matching the tags “kitten” and “cute.”
4. Create a writing play list and then listen to it - keep a note pad handy because those creative juices are often stimulated by melodic sounds.

And if you are still stuck after those, try google fun cat pics. It won't cure your writer's block, but it's a lot of fun.

What's you're cure for writer's block?

When aspiring authors attack

Some writing friends of mine recently alerted me to an aspiring author attacking a published author on Twitter. An author was accused of being a fraud because he was doing a three week tour that only went to major areas. When I read the Twitter feed my jaw nearly hit the floor with the one question…Why?
What would possess an aspiring author to do such a thing? I thought by now most people who want to break into publishing know the following tings about the industry:

1. It's a small, small world.
2. Agents/editors may check up on your online presence, and they want someone professional.

So many authors put themselves out in social media and respond to fans when they have no obligation to. They answer questions, support bloggers and give fan insights into their life as a writer (and sometimes their personal life too).

Social media is a great way for people to network, gain valuable industry insight and knowledge and create an online presence that shows agents and editors that you are serious about this journey. Ranting tweets against people in the industry is a good way to burn bridges and expose yourself as someone who is unprofessional. For more on Twitter ettique, check out this post from Angela James.

I'm not going to get into the ins and outs of the argument, but I will say that the published author handled himself like a true professional with logical responses. He impressed me so much I'm going to buy one of his books.

Coliloquy & creating buzz

Anticipation is such a great social media strategy. Create the buzz, get people salivating before you've even launched is the ultimate sign of success.

Peguin did it with the "Sekerit" project, aka Book Country. And now Kindle are doing it with Coliloquy.

We know that they're publishing in a new interactive publishing platform and have given an author a 10-book deal!

We know that agents are excited. We know that authors are excited.

Know I want to know - are you excited?

Finished! Done!

Squee!! Excitement plus. I finished my rewrite. Thanks to the editorial advice I received from Zoe Walton, I rewrote MISHCA, and renamed it SLEEPER. Hopefully now my blogging will resume.

It was a hard thing to take your baby, rip it apart and then put it back together again. The hardest thing was that I actual had to dump the original concept that sparked the whole MS. But never fear, it that concept will work in book two.

So what's next? I've got multiple stories that I will work on, and I'll let myself be guided by the muse. They include:
DESERTER: The sequel to SLEEPER.

KARMA: A Greek Mythology - a novel version of the short story I wrote for the Australian Literary Review's YA short story competition and was the runner up.

GROWTH: A YA Contemporary version of the short story I wrote for THE BASICS OF LIFE anthology.

BOY FROZEN: A YA Science Fiction that looks at twins, epilepsy, aliens and high school.

DIRTY RAINBOW (working title): A YA Dystopian set thousands of years in the future, where men are extinct and cyborgs help the human race live on.

EMERALD: A YA Steampunk/dystopian set in the future after a nuclear fallout and environmentalist rule.

Do many ideas, so little hours in the day.

Kittens help you write!

Not a kitten from the site, but my kitty, Nermal

A wonderful friend of mine shared this link with me and it's too good not to share:

Written Kitten

This fantastic site gives you a new kitten for every 100 words you write.

I think I'm going to be increasing my daily word counts now!

While I've still be posting on YAtopia, Down Under Wonderings has been a bit neglected. I've been throwing myself into a rewrite of Mishca, which is now called Sleeper, based on feedback I received through a pitch session at the CYA Conference in Brisbane (my pitch session was from last year - it scored my a full request and I recently got the feedback and an offer to resubmit - woo hoo). I'm also working on a contemporary YA story and lots of brainstorming.

So now, I'm jumping back into editing and writing. Have fun!

Fantasy Hook Your Book Contest

Lisa L. Regan is hosting a Fantasy Novel Hook for Your Book contest here on my blog which will be judged by my agent, Jeanie Pantelakis of Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency.

Read more about it and enter here. Good luck!

RIPPLEs of Influence: Mandy Hubbard - Agent, Author Interview

The fantastic author and D4EO agent extraordinaire Mandy Hubbard has dropped by today for a pre-competition interview. As an author and an agent, Mandy has fantastic reach and influence in the publishing industry and may be the perfect person to represent your work. She is hosting a agent pitch competition on YAtopia on September 29. So hone your two sentence pitches over the next two weeks! But right now, if you're IN TOO DEEP, GETTING CAUGHT up in queries and YOU WISH that Mandy Hubbard would represent you, then read on (sorry Mandy, BUT I LOVE HIM and PRADA & PREJUDICE where too hard to fit in =P)

1) Tell us a bit about your journey into writing?

I really began as a reader-- first with books, of course, and later on fictionpress.com. It's a site for novice writers. After spending several weeks reading stories, I decided to try writing one. Over the next few years, I wrote a half-dozen novels. I had never actually considered myself to BE a writer until much later.

2) RIPPLE is your latest release, would you share with us how you came up with the concept?

I had wanted to do something with more fantasy or paranormal elements, but I wanted it to be grounded in the real world. I decided the main character would be half normal, half otherworldy. It was just a matter of what kind of otherworldly. I used wikipedia to decide on a siren.

3) You cowrote GETTING CAUGHT with Cyn Balog. Would you share with us a bit about the book and the cowriting experience?

Cowriting is such a blast! It combines writing and reading into one experience. I loved it. I wish Cyn could write half of all my novels. :-) The book is about two teens in a prank war that will only end when one of them gets caught. It's contemporary, humorous, with a big focus on friendship.

4) How did agenting become a part of your career?

Back when I was on submission, I had a big involvement in the submission process. I probably drove my agent nuts. One of the first offers I ever received for Prada & Prejudice was from an editor I chose. By the time BUT I LOVE HIM went onto submissions, my agent just let me choose who I wanted it to go to. As time went on, I became involved with a number of writer friend's projects-- helping them through extensive revisions and watching them land agents quickly thereafter. So when an internship opened up, I jumped on it. Interning confirmed my love, and I found an agency to join fairly soon thereafter. It's been a blast! I love the business side as much as the creative side.

5) How do you balance your agenting work with your own writing?

I get up early. I stay up late. I juggle. It's hard to stay creative for more than an hour or two at a time, so it tends to be a back-and-forth thing. I write for an hour until 8AM, and then switch to business mode. Then I write again late at night, after 8:30pm.

6) To give writers an idea of your tastes, what recent releases/authors do you wish were on your client list?

I LOVED Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. It used history in such a modern way. THE LIARY SOCEITY by Lisa and Laura Roecker is Ah-Maz-Ing. Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley is a great contemporary story with a big hook. I'd kill for a contemp romance author who mastered the tension and sexiness of Jennifer Echols or Simone Elkeles. Still searching for a mystery or suspense.

7) What are the biggest mistakes you see in queries?

There are a lot of obvious mistakes, and those are easy to fix-- typos, targeting the wrong agents, focusing more on yourself than the book, being too wordy, etc. The hard thing is that probably 50% of queries don't make any obvious mistakes, they just sound boring, hum-drum. You have to work hard to craft a query that sounds intriguing and different. It's truly an artform.

8) What stories are you hanging out to see in the YAtopia pitch competition?

Pitch contests like this are hard for the more literary works, but sometimes people just nail it-- there's beauty in a pitch, even in just a couple of sentences. Those always impress me. I'd love something new and fresh under the fantasy umbrella, whether that's Sci-Fi, Epic, etc. And something girly and MG with a big hook!

9) What is an "ultimate" query to you?

Occasionally one strikes a real chord, and I can't request it fast enough. I saw Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE as an intern, and couldn't send it along fast enough. It blew me away. Queries like that are one in a thousand. But so worth the work to find them!

Find out more about Mandy as an agent and an author at her website: www.mandyhubbard.com or by following her on Twitter @Mandyhubbard and start following YAtopia if you want a shot at catching her agenting eye.

A new boutique publisher: A Bit of Grace (Part 2)

Debut author, publisher and the woman who had to leave her agent to follow her dream - Kate Grace.

Part 1 of this interview can be found on YAtopia.

Sharon: So does ABoG have plans for more books coming out anytime soon?

Kate: Yes. There are actually a few additional elements to Burden of the Soul (book one) that will be released through the fall, including the paperback edition and bonus chapters that give the perspective of other characters within the book. We are also hard at work on the second book in the Burden series, set to release in late 2012. Our end goal is to be a fully operational boutique publisher, but on principle we're working out the kinks of the process on my books first. Once we feel ready to take on other authors and fully support them and their work we'll open for submissions.

Sharon: What will be the submission process of ABoG?

Kate: It's difficult to say given that we're still in the early stages of defining ABoG, though I can say we will stay within the realm of children's and teen literature for now with the goal of expanding into literature aimed at female readerships. I'm actually really excited for this, having been an editor myself and being connected to such a wide variety of talented editors and artists. I love the idea of creating teams around a work, tailored to the work itself. When we get there, we'll select manuscripts based on our interest in them and the way they grab us. Then we'll go out and find the perfect team to work with the author to create the best possible literary experience for readers. The structure we're experimenting with right now gives everyone on the team a stake in the project, encouraging active participation in every phase of a work. The test run for Burden of the Soul has worked extremely well, and we're going to test drive it again before we apply it to others' works. But we're hoping to have it fully polished and ready for outside submissions in 2012.

Sharon: What other stories/novels are you working on at the moment?

Kate: Right now I'm working on the bonus chapters of Burden of the Soul, which is so much fun. It adds so much to the writing experience to play around in other characters' perspectives. I really believe it adds dimensions and discoveries to the story as a writer, whether they're made public or not. Beyond that we're hard at work on the next book in the Burden series. There are, however, other characters unrelated to Burden living in my imagination right now with their own stories to tell, and occasionally they demand attention. As far as I can tell at this point they're not geared at the YA genre, so when the time comes I'll figure them out, but for now they serve as a great stretch.

Sharon: What are some tricks & tips you use to over come writers block?

Kate: It sounds so simple and so difficult at the same time, but the best way I have found to combat writers block is to keep writing. A block is rarely created by the part of ourselves that wants to write – it's created by that part of ourselves that wants to edit or critique as we go. Don't let that inner voice judge your work in progress! Keep going and write for the sake of silencing that inner voice. Tell it to shut up by writing more. If you need a break from what you're working on, write something else or find another creative outlet to keep that playful sensibility about expression. Show yourself some compassion and grace, and allow yourself to be a beginner. If when sitting down to write the first sentence you're worried about getting an agent, getting a publisher, having good sales, being able to pay off student loans... Oh my world, you'll never get to the end of that sentence! This is playtime, everything else comes after. Push it out of your mind and just allow that creative part of your self to run around a play for a bit without the manufactured risk of failing. There is no failing in writing if you get the words down. If you just write, you've succeeded already!

You can find Burden of the Soul for sale online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. You can find Kate on Twitter, Goodreads, A Bit of Grace Blog and Facebook.

Yes Ma'am! Angela's instructions on 'What to write next'

I often read how the second novel is harder to write then the first one. Five started novel manuscripts later, I understand why. One manuscript I started, and love, will be pretty controversial for some. So I put it on hold. Another was my NaNoWriMo project for last year. My Dad died on 1 November, so I'm sure you can understand why that one was a "fail". Another was an old concept I tried to reignite the passion for, but I just wasn't "feeling" it. Then there was the novel version of a short story that I placed second in for a national YA short story competition. I love the short story, and think it would work as a novel. But couldn't get in the groove.

Then finally there is DESERTER, the sequel to SLEEPER. I had started work on it immediately after I finished the-novel-formerly-known-as-MISHCA, but put it aside. NOT because I wasn't feeling it, but because after all my internet cruising on writing I thought that it was poor form to have finished your second book in a series before being signed with an agent. It was something stupid I'd put together in my head about the agent and editor guiding your novels direction.

Then ny mentor and manuscript cooker, Angela Slatter, put me straight. I'm the writer. I wrote the first story. I set the direction.

A potential agent and editor shouldn't have to hold my hand. They will certainly have a high level of input, but it's still my imagination, my story.

Angela told me that my situation was not the norm. It's not common for agents to provide feedback with an offer to see a revised version (breaking my no blogging about queries rule AGAIN). My wonderful mentor expanded my ego by telling me that means they recognised I have talent. And the next step is to show them that I am professional and strategic with my writing by finishing a draft of the sequel. My day job includes planning and strategy, so I found this appealing.

My "home work" is to undertake a detailed plot of DESERTER. I am such a pantser that this is a big change, but a welcome one. The Plot Whisperer's YouTube series has been helpful in turning a pantser into a plotter. It's a 27 step series and well worth your time.

I guess one of the main I learnt from this advice from Angela is not to pay that much attention to the conflict advice that's floating out there in cyber space. Even if the advice is right for a part of the industry in one country, it's not going to be right for everyone. The best thing to do is to network (there's that word again), take courses with your local writers' centre and go to conferences. If you're really committed, find yourself a mentor and let them guide you through the ins and outs of the publishing world. Don't be a hapless noob, be an informed novice.

Now I'm off to do some more plotting. Mwahahahaha. Oh yeah, not that type of plotting.

Magestic Mentoring with the Awesome Angela Slatter

Angela Slatter (photo by David Pollitt)

This week I scored myself a mentor! The wonderfully talented Angela Slatter, one of Australia's best speculative fiction short story writers is helping me "cook" my manuscript, guide me through the publishing industry's intricacies and mould me into a "real" spec fic writer. I am blogging about it from the mentee's POV and Angela is blogging about her experiences with me and her other writing wards from a mentor's POV. I strongly recommend you follow her blog to pick up on some great industry advice. Today I'm going to talk about how I got to the point of working with Angela.

I had been writing for myself for years and years. When I finally let one of my friends read some stories, she encouraged me to go further with it. I knew navigating the publishing industry was going to be tough, but I had no idea just how tough. From the research I had done, it encouraged writers to seek advice from people in the industry, and if possible, get feedback from an industry professional on work. Great in theory, but how in the world does a publishing industry noob like me do that?!

About a year ago I went into the Queensland Writers Centre to join up membership, hoping that would introduce me to some new opportunities and give me access to some resources that would help me in my journey. But it has also provided me with networking opportunities, which I've learn can be one of the most important things in publishing.

Angela Slatter met me at the counter. We got chatting and hit it off. She took some time out and starting talking to me in depth about the Australian publishing industry, giving me some advice on agents to query. At the time, I was still so green about querying (my queries are not something I normally blog about, but I'm breaking that rule here).

So fast forward to today. I had stayed in touch with Angela. We worked for the same organisation briefly. Then I got to an interesting stage. I had undertaken major revision to my manuscript and was suffering from query fatigue, but I had some agents offer to see a revised version of my manuscript and they each gave me some feedback to work on. This was exciting, but it also meant more revision. Then, when I was part way through the revision, I got an offer of representation. Now it is all over the internet how agents must love your manuscript and feel as though they are as match as author and agent. Well, I feel the same thing goes for the author. And in this instance, I didn't think I was compatible with the agent, something I didn't know when I queried the agent. I made a scary decision to pass on the offer.

This left me with a half-revised manuscript, some waiting agents and a whole lot of doubt. My main concern was I would second guess myself and make my manuscript worse. I had already done this once as the feedback from agents was to take out bits that weren't part of the original version of my manuscript.

I remembered the advice, get someone from the publishing industry to give you feedback. I saw that a former editor had gone freelance and contacted her, but she was focusing on working with publishers. But I was now set on this course of action.  I knew Angela was flat out busy, but I asked her if she could recommend someone who freelanced to me. I couldn't believe it when Angela came back and said she would take me on and be my mentor. Her belief in me and desire to help me move to the next stage with my writer's journey was just the boost I needed.

So what can aspiring writers learn from my experience? Networking is important in the Australian publishing industry. The publishing world in small, but for Australia it's even smaller. Meeting people already established in the industry will open opportunities. It doesn't mean everyone you meet will offer to mentor you, but you might be invited to be a part of a group blog, learn about submissions opening up or funding opportunities.

So where can you find networking opportunities? Writers' centres are a good start and you can attend conferences. I met some great people at the CYA Conference in Brisbane last year. You can even book in for one-on-one sessions with agents and publishers at these events (if you're quick enough and prepared to pay a bit more for the experience - I've done it and found it was worth the money). Writers' groups is another option, as is going to book launches, writing courses and connecting with people in the publishing industry through social media (but don't be a creepy stalker).
Whatever you do, DON'T rock up on agents' doorsteps.

To paraphrase Angela, the Australian publishing industry is so small that if a writer bad mouths someone, chances are it will get back to them. So don't do it!! Be polite and courteous. Remember that writing is about passion for the author, and while agents and publishers are passionate about books and their clients, for them writing is a business. So grab the opportunities when they present themselves, but be professional and polite.

You never know where you might meet someone that opens a new door for you in the publishing world, but if you don't open the first door yourself to get out there and meet these people then you'll just stay locked in your own writing world. So go forth, mingle, tweet, listen and engage with people in the trade.

One final note, you can get a mentor in a couple of ways. Look out for scholarships (where someone else is paying the person to mentor you) and the like, you take the leap and pay for someone else's time yourself. Remember that their time is precious, but if you find the right match, it's worth the investment - because it's really an investment in yourself.

Photo clitch

Ahhh crud! Blogger has had a glitch and wiped most of my pics...except for John Cusick's for some reason.

It'll take me a bit to load them all back up. So sorry for the awful exclamation marks in the interim.

Agent interview with John Cusick

In In-demand YA agent John Cusick from S©ott Treimel NY is visiting YAtopia next week for a MICRO SYNOPSIS contest (you heard it!). But to give you a bit of an idea of the man behind those hip glasses and classy lit tweets, here's 13 questions with John

1) How did you find yourself as both an author and an agent?

I started as an agent’s assistant in October 2007 at Scott Treimel NY, an all-juvenile literary agency. Scott knew I wanted to write, and asked if I’d like to write for young people. I proposed a story about a sixteen-year-old robot, which became GIRL PARTS. After copious edits, Scott represented and Candlewick published in August 2010. The two jobs— agenting and writing— balance me out. One is exothermic, intense, and critical, the other introspective and private. I like having this Jeckel and Hyde life, the introvert writer and the skull-busting agent ;)

2) Scott Treimel NY literary agency has a rather unique submissions process, would you tell us a bit about it and why the agency went that way instead of traditional email submissions?  

We decided to go electronic with the advent of the e-readers, and because we were sick of hauling printed manuscripts around. Scott and I designed our online submission form hoping to streamline the querying process for ourselves and prospective clients. We require a specific rubric when considering an author for representation, including their publishing history, background, where they’ve submitted before, etc. The form asks for this information specifically. So far we’ve had great feedback about our submission process. It’s simple, environmentally friendly, and removes much of the guess-work of query writing.

3) What is the lure of YA for you?
 

The codes of conduct, the struggles, the newness of everything: adolescence is so intense! Teenagers have a purity of focus. Whatever their struggle, whether finding a date to prom or defeating a dark wizard, they’re stepping into the world for the first time, discovering who they are in relationship to everything else. From the ages of 12 to 18 our brains draw and redraw a map of the universe with a big arrow labeled YOU ARE HERE. Teenagers become themselves. Combine all this with the very adult problems kids often face (drugs, abusive parents, dark wizards), and you have very rich ground for stories. And personally, I’m not sure if I ever really left high school. I still pass notes to girls I like.

4) So we know you specialize in YA, but tell us a bit about the genres that get you salivating and you don't represent?

I love sweeping, heart-breaking literary fiction. My favorites in this category are Vladimir Nabokov, Siri Hustvedt, Claire Messud, A.S. Byatt, and Jeffrey Eugenides. In y.a., I sometimes miss the lush description and interweaving motifs you find in adult literary fiction. In my own writing I have a hard time banishing my internal literature professor. He sneaks in every now and then, cleverly disguised in Converse All Stars. But when he starts to get too boisterous and pretentious, I reach for my red pen and strike him out.

5) It's always a good idea when querying for writers to know a bit about the agent's clients. Would you tell us a bit about some of your clients and what attracted you to their work?

There are too many and their merits too multifarious for me to list them exhaustively, and I hate to leave anyone out. I have an arbitrary stack of client books and manuscripts on my desk right now, so I suppose I’ll limit myself to these:

Michael Kinch, The Blending Time — Gritty realism combined with a vaulting imagination. Mike was my first-ever YA client, and I can’t put down his action-packed stuff.

Gail Giles, Dark Song— Laser focused psychological realism with page-turner tension.

Maribeth Boelts, The P.S. Brothers – Maribeth has such tenderness for her characters. I love them all instantly.

Art Slade, The Hunchback Assignments 3: Empire of Ruins— Art is a bottomless well of original ideas, worlds, and characters. He is also an absolute Gentleman.

Ryan Gebhart, Bear Swear—We just signed Ryan and are working with him on this manuscript. Ryan’s middle-grade narrator grabbed me immediately, a recognizable but fresh character with a true voice. I’m excited to be working with him.

I could go on for pages about these writers, let alone the amazing stable of talent over here.

6) Nailing a YA voice isn't as easy as people think. How did you make sure the voice was authentic in GIRL PARTS?

For Girl Parts I had three main characters: a popular jerk, an unpopular jerk, and a robot. David is modeled on my high school friends (and I): lots of profanity, defensive posturing, and delusions of grandeur. David watches a lot of t.v., and so talks the way t.v. has taught him cool, tough guys speak. His speech also changes depending on his audience. With Rose he’s tender, but a little superior. With his friends he’s more aggressive, funny, and uses more slang. Charlie is a taciturn guy. He adores plants, considers himself a botanist, and so speaks in precise, textbook language. He delivers his thoughts in formal, complete sentences. This is partly because Charlie doesn’t trust others and believes most won’t understand him. Rose was the trickiest. As a robot, she comes preprogrammed with basic language skills, and learns slang and more natural speech patterns over time. It was fun having her ape David, then Charlie, and slowly developing her own tender, curious, sing-song lilt. In each case the character’s voice emerged from his environment, what kinds of media he or she consumed, and how he or she wanted to be perceived.

7) How important is research when writing and what can it add to the process? 

I shy from stories requiring extensive research. I invent my small towns, evil companies, weird technology and celebrities because it’s fun, and also because I’d rather be writing than reading. At times I want to bury particular facts in the text for thematic reasons, and in those moments I use Wikipedia. Character names especially lead to this kind of research: Do roses have natural predators? (Coleo Foridae) How do you say cloud in Spanish? (Nuvola) Bird in German? (Vogel). Developing the mechanisms of Rose’s brain had me brushing up on my Freud, Pavlov and Jung. Really, every waking moment is research, absorbing the world, people, how it all fits together. Research is inspiration fodder.

Rapid Fire Questions
Shoot! 

Cats or dogs?

Raised with cats. I’d like a dog now.

Aliens or robots?

Guess. (hmmmm *looks at beautiful GIRL PARTS cover* I wonder)

Spring or Fall?

Fall. I have a weakness for scarves and corduroy blazers.

Halloween or Easter?

Halloween. No bad egg smell.

Plot driven or character driven?

Character. All good stories start with character. I think “plot driven” is slang for “character driven plus sex and guns.” Which, you know, I also like.

Hard copy or e-book?
Hard copy 4EVA!

So that's the buzz! Interested? Then check out YAtopia next Thursday for more details.

Agent Interview with Vickie Motter

Well known for her Navigating the Slush Pile blog, Vickie Motter is actively building her client list and you've got the opportunity next week (13th July) to pitch her on my group blog YAtopia. But before you do, find out a bit more about Vickie and what she's after so you get your pitch just right.

1) Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming an agent.

Out of college I interned with Andrea Hurst, and realized quickly that I wanted to be an agent. I went into training and soon after became an agent. Not a super glamorous tale, or one involving years of lucky breaks, but it's what I love doing and can't see myself doing anything else. I count myself lucky I was able to find such a great agency and mentor in my home state.

2) Who was the first client you signed and what drew you to their MS?

My first client, Julia Darcey, found me through my blog when I was still an agent in training. I don't want to give away what happens (one of the main draws for me) but let's just say it's the right combination of unique, morbid, and death to catch my interest.

3) You have a strong interest in YA, what do you find so attractive about the it?

YA has as many genres as the entire Adult genres put together but, unlike Adult in which people tend to gravitate towards certain genres over and over again, YA sort of combines it all. From SciFi to contemporary to fantasy to humor, the thing all YA has in common are the characters, unique as they all are, all YA readers can connect with them. It's so diverse that there is something there for everyone. And it's constantly changing so you'll never be bored.

4) You're still taking paranormal submissions when other agents are starting to shy away from it. Where do you see the genre heading?

That's the beauty of paranormal! I have no idea where it's heading. I label genres loosely though. While some people think of "paranormal" as vampires and werewolves, I think of it as a genre in which something extraordinary happens. You can combine paranormal with dystopian, steampunk, scifi, even use it in very contemporary settings. I am looking for something unique though, that's what sells time and time again.

5) What is the most common mistake you see in queries?

People try to put too much into queries. Keep it simple: main character (what makes him or her unique?--why should we care?), brief overview of the world if it's one different than ours, one or two other key players (love interest, bad guy), main conflict. 

6) You're hosting a three line pitch contest on YAtopia next week. What tips can you give people interested in entering?

Use quick descriptors for your characters to garner interest without taking up time away from the unique plot you're pitching. Don't use cliches. Don't overcomplicate your sentences. Don't be overly vague (with three sentences I need a sense of the main conflict--what the character is fighting for). But don't be overly detailed either.

Rapid Fire Questions:

Summer or Winter? Summer

Cinema or DVD? DVD
Beach or mountains? Beach
Mermaids or gargoyles? Mermaids. No! Gargoyles! Okay, mermaids but only if they're the evil kind.
Ice-cream or candy? Ice-cream.

Vickie is interested in any genre of YA, and Adult Paranormal and Urban Fantasy (not MG). If you've for a completed and polished MS that is ready for querying that fits Vickie's wish list then head on over to YAtopia next week and be one of the first 50 people to comment.

Wendy's Sweet publishing deal

Wendy Higgins is the latest inkpop sensation to land a coveted contract with HarperCollins through the writers community. She shares with us some insights into her publishing journey so far.

 

Would you give us an insight into SWEET EVIL and how you came up with the idea?

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in SWEET EVIL.

Anna, a tender-hearted Southern girl, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it’s time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace her halo or her horns?

This is the hardest question to answer [how she came up with the idea], because it was a ton of little things, and I don’t know where to begin. Basically, once I’d decided I wanted to write for teens I began brainstorming, just for fun. I’d never written fantasy, so I assumed I’d take the realistic route. But then angels and demons popped into my head because of an adult satire I’d read the week prior. I’m fascinated by angels, so it was fun to throw ideas around in my head. It came together very quickly. Within that same day I’d created the main characters, what their powers/specialties would be, and the fact that there’d be a road trip. It came together like a puzzle over time.

Tell us a bit about your experience writing and querying prior to inkpop?

I was impatient, like most writers, and I started querying after my first draft, long before the manuscript was ready. I’d only let my best friend read it at that point. I lost track of how many rejections I received. I deleted the emails and threw away the paper rejections because they were bad for morale, but they were also a reality check. I needed serious critique from fellow writers. I started searching online, and that’s how I came across inkpop.

What was your first impressions of inkpop when you joined up?

I joined during the days when MIC (Morgan Shamy) was the Top Trendsetter. She was the first to pick my book, and then it spent a few days on the top three picks. At the time I didn’t understand exactly what that meant, but I thought it was super cool to see my cover on the home page, haha. J A lot of people gave me free reads, all of which I returned right away. My first impression was that Inkpoppers were very giving and encouraging. It was an awesome experience to feel immediately welcomed into the fold. I’m friends with Morgan to this day.

Describe for us the feelings when you found out you were going to be published by HC?Shock, disbelief, then joy. When I wasn’t contacted by HarperCollins right after my review, I put the idea of it behind me and moved on. I was absolutely not expecting to ever hear from them, so when I did I was almost confused at first, like there’d been some sort of mistake!

Tell us a bit about the editing experience you've had for SWEET EVIL?

I had about six serious critique partners who read my whole manuscript when it was ANGEL PROPHECY, and again after major revisions. They sifted through a lot of crud and helped me whip it into shape before it got into the hands of my actual editor at HarperCollins, Alyson Day. Alyson’s notes to me mostly consisted of places where the content needed to be clarified, condensed, or expanded. I ended up cutting about 10k words, and adding back 8k in new scenes that she’d advised. Currently the story is with copy editors, so that will be the next and final step.

What's left to come for you in the publishing process and what are you looking forward to the most?

There is a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff, which I’m not always privy to. The folks at HC are putting together a marketing plan now. I’m excited to get the book on Goodreads. But what I’m most looking forward to is seeing what cover art they come up with! I can’t wait! [Neither can I!]

How important do you think social networking is for writers in today's market and what are you doing on that front?

I think it’s important, but I also think it can be a hindrance. There needs to be a good balance. Authors who are accessible online and personable will reap the benefits of building those relationships. But you also don’t want to flog yourself to death and make people sick of you. Right now I’m on twitter, I have my website, Facebook, and group blog, but I’m honestly not very good at social networking because of the time it requires. I hope to be better at it when my kids are in school.

How do you think writers' communities are going to affect the publishing industry?Trends definitely show their faces in writing communities, and publishers pay attention. Self-publishing and online manuscript sharing are becoming huge right now. Maybe it’ll be the next big thing; you never know.

Rapid fire questions:

Angels or Demons

Angels (What, no Nephilim? *winks*)
Paper or Computer

Computer (although my 1^st draft of SE was handwritten because I didn’t have my computer yet, ugh!)
Edward or Jacob

Edward in the books. Jacob in the movies.
Coffee or Hot Chocolate

Coffee!!!
Snow or Sand

Sand

A new type of slush pile

Watch out publishing world, there's a new slush pile in town. Okay, inkpop's not exactly new - it's about a year-and-a-half old. But it's coming of age this year.

The second writer off inkpop to be published by HC has just been announced - my wonderful friend, and fellow YAtopian, Wendy Higgins with her novel Sweet Evil. I've been fortunate enough to read an ARC of the first novel off Inkpop being published Carrier of the Mark by another fantastic writing pal and YAtopian, Leigh Fallon.

I'm hanging out like crazy to see these books hit the shelves as I think it will herald in a new age in publishing as it is putting the readers in the drivers seat.

For those of you who don't know how inkpop works it goes a bit like this:

1.  Post your YA work (yep it's a YA friendly site).
2. Members read your work and comment on it. If they really like it they'll "pick it".
3. The most popular pieces of work at the end of each month make the "top five".
4. "Top 5" projects are read by a HC editor and they give you feedback.
5. If the editor falls in love with your story, they'll publish it.

Now there's been more than 50 projects make "Top 5" status and only two projects have been announced so far as getting the publishing tick.

Even work that doesn't make "Top 5" status still benefit from the community. The site was abuzz when it came out that Jeyn Roberts. was being published with Dark Inside. Jeyn only had her project up briefly as it was so good she got snavelled up quickly be an agent and a publisher before it could make the "Top 5". But members know Jeyn from the site and are excited as to read her book. It provides an additional following for members who are getting published.

When my novel Mishca made the "Top 5", it did so out of more than 25,000 pieces of work on the site - a fact I'm pretty proud of. While Mishca wasn't ready for publication at the time, the HC editor review gave me a great start on revisions. It's also the most successful piece of work on the site by an Australian writer. Personally I see that as a great marketing pitch. I know not all agents feel that way, but I wonder if attitudes will start to change once Sweet Evil and Carrier of the Mark rock the YA lit world (and having read the latter, I am sure they will!)

Similar communities are springing up with Figment and Book Country (Penguin). Figment has a specific category for authors to allow them to connect with their fans on the site. It's also great for connecting with other writers and getting feedback. The community created at Book Country is just amazing. I've gotten some of my most constructive feedback from people there. Though it is aimed at genre writers and you must be 18+ to be on the site.

While agents won't necessarily have the time to dredge through these sites looking for a diamond in the rough, I wonder how long it will take before it's universally deemed a positive thing to put inkpop success in a query letter?

I've had a positive response in Australia to my inkpop success so far, and I really hope something more eventuates from it. I think it is a great thing that the readers get the opportunity to have a say on what gets published before it hits the bookshelves. Sites like inkpop are great market research, and when Carrier of the Mark hits the shelves, we'll be able to see just how successful sites like this can be.