Why I Am Thankful For Jon Gibbs

I have a policy of not naming names here in the blog.  If you look back through the posts, you will see that I rarely, if ever, name people, blogs, or events.  I do this because for several reasons, mostly because I don’t have their permission to associate their name with mine.   However, there is the special case of Jon Gibbs, founder of the New Jersey Author Network.  I have seen him call attention to me several times when I attend his talks, so I will take a chance here.  Besides, if not for him, I would never be in the enviable position I am in.

It started when I met Jon Gibbs at a library presentation at the East Brunswick Public Library.  I don’t quite remember the topic, but I do remember he was gracious enough to allow me some time to talk about the National Novel Writing Month.  He recommended that I join the New Jersey Author’s Network, even though I have not published a book.  I did.  In retrospect, it was the smartest move I ever made.

Because I joined NJAN, I was on the mailing list when a New York Times Best Selling Author invited anyone in the group to his “we survived the Mayan Apocalypse” party.  While at that party, I spoke with several people, one of whom had just quit his job.  He had been able to make his living doing nothing but writing.  His advice?  Go to a writing convention.  Good to know.  Tucked it into the back of my head, continued schmoozing.  Then I found myself face-t0-face with the NYTBSA.  “What are you working on?”  My brain cells deserted me.  Go check out my Flexibility post for the whole story.  Upshot?  I have a major writer interested in my next novel.

A month or so later, Jon puts out an announcement about an upcoming writers convention.  I remembered that advice from the party, and crowbarred the $175 out of my wallet for the convention.  While at the convention, I had agent interviews, where I got the opportunity to personally pitch my work to two agents, one of whom was exceedingly interested in my work.  Even better, I had an editor walk up to me and ask me to pitch to her.  Amazing.  Also rather impossible if I had just been working on my own. 

And that’s really the point.  Without Jon Gibbs and his open invitation to join his network, I would still be one of those lonely, solitary writers, straining to get published.  Instead, I have found two agents and an editor that are at least interested in my work, as well as a NTYBSA who is looking for the Next Big Thing from me.  How does one thank someone like Jon for this?  Just one way….by paying it forward, by helping the next person in line, by working to help those further down the food chain. 

And by thanking him, profusely and publicly.  Thank you, Jon Gibbs.  I haven’t made it yet, but thanks to you, I am leaps and bounds down the road, far further than I would be without you.

Writing Conference Results

So…I went to a writing conference about 60 miles away.  Nice, little intimate affair–130 or so attendees.  Well run, too.  I was rather pleased with how organized things were.  There were sessions on the craft of writing, agent and editor interviews, a reception, and a book fair.  All in all, a great experience. 
 
Yes, I signed up for an agent interview.  Two days before the start, there was an email that said “there are more openings, if you want a second agent interview, email”, so, of course, I did.  So, how did I do?
 
1.   The second agent’s interview was completed in 90 seconds.  “I don’t have anything to say…you’ve answered all of my questions,” the agent said.  She wants the first fifty pages of DOV.  Then she wants my Sirens book [3DN 2011] when I finish it.  Then she wants The Honorable Thing if/when my mentor rejects it.  “I really like your approach to writing” was her comment.
 
2.    The original agent interview was actually the second one chronologically.  She wants the first three chapters of Demons, but was uninterested in the rest.  She was not nearly as enthusiastic as the other.  Am I glad I signed up for another agent interview!

3.    While waiting to pitch #2 above, an editor plucked my arm and asked me to tell her what I was working on.  I went over the pitches again.  She wants everything #1 wants, wants me to enter Sirens in an Epic Fantasy contest, and to write a second Sirens Novella.  Maybe the Sirens will ride again in 3DN2013….

4.    In the coffee line, I was discussing a website where people bid on voiceover work (continuation of a convo from te day before) when the woman behind her in the coffee line asked for my email address.  Seems a close friend of hers, a director, was firing the current VO guy on a completed animated film, and was looking around for some talent.  There’s more, but let’s see if I get the part first.

So, do you think it was worth the ~200 bux that the conference cost?  There were some pretty terrific sessions, too!

The Next Step–Attending a Con

Remember way back in December, when I was waxing rhapsodical about my new YA challenge?  Well, at that same party was one writer who had given up his day job and was writing full time.  Those are the kinds of people you listen to.  Well, one of the things he stressed more than anything else was to “Go to a convention.  Either a writing con, or a genre con.  You will meet so many people who will expand your writing career.”

That’s what’s happening this weekend!  Not only am I going to a writing-centric convention ($145), but I am taking one of the pre-con classes ($30 and one day off of work), and I will have a ten-minute meeting with an agent.  Yes, I am pitching DOV.  The class lineup is fantastic–I will be in class virtually the entire time.  I’ve been told that the price is very low, too, mostly because it’s being held out in the ‘burbs instead of the Big City.

But it gets better!  Last night at midnight, I got an email that they had a limited number of slots if you wanted a second interview with an agent.  I jumped on that–and I have landed a second interview.  So, wow–I get two sets of eyes on DOV!

Now, the best way to handle this is to

1. have the research done on these agents (AgentQuery, QueryTracker, Google)
2. get the query letters written,
3. get the synopses written
4. have a ‘package’ for each agent of a query letter and synopsis
5. have a ‘package’ of a generic query letter and synopsis, just in case an agent asks for it.

BEFORE I go to to the con.   I have learned NOT to shove anything written at the agent.  Have the package ready, two copies (one for me, one for the agent), just in case I am asked for a copy.  Professionalism is the key.

Here’s a prediction:  I will see a lot of people spending a hundred or so bucks to go to this conference, attend the sessions, and have no way to take notes.  That kind of unseriousness is always amazing to me.

 

Note in a [Virtual] Bottle

 As you know, I have been writing and submitting works to various unnamed markets for a couple of years now.  I always politely ask for feedback when I get rejected.  Asking for feedback is like taking a polite note, slipping it carefully in a bottle, and tossing it into the ocean.  Sometimes, the very next wave throws it back to you, other times, the bottle disappears, and you have no idea what happened to it.  Then, occasionally, a different bottle shows up on your desert island, with a reply.  This happened to me two days ago. 

 There’s one market I submit to rather often—it’s a pro mag, and I very eager to be published in its pages.  So far, I’ve submitted five stories, and have gotten to the final round at least twice.  But…well, here’s how I put it to the editor:

 I just keep missing.  […]  Do I show some consistent area where I fail?  […]  I remain stuck in the last couple of rounds of judging, and continue to come up short.  If you can recall why my stories fail, I will definitely fix it, for I want to submit quality work.  I know I am asking a lot here—if you are far short on time, I completely understand.  However, if you could show me where I come up short, I would really appreciate it.

Also, I am quite aware that I might just not have what it takes.  If so, please tell me.  I’m not one of those idiots that abuse the editor.  I value all of your feedback, even the harsh bits.  Again, thank you for all of your time with my submissions.

 I put that in the bottle, tossed it in the ocean.  And waited.  Four weeks.  I had figured it was long buried.  I wasn’t really worried.  I had a hunch I was OK in my craft—not great, but not ‘reject before reading’, either.  Then I got this from the Editorial Director—the toppest of top cheeses.

 How can I answer this? It’s not so easy to explain why a story is rejected; it’s much easier to explain why a story is accepted. 

She then went on to describe in great detail how she selects stories for the magazine.  Then came this gem:

 […] getting to the final round out of hundreds of submissions doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re doing something wrong.  What it means is that sometimes, your story just doesn’t work with the other stories I’ve already selected.  […]  So you see, there IS no quick or ready answer as to why your stories were rejected.  […] each issue is so different there’s not any sort of standard that you should be writing to.  If you’ve made it to multiple final rounds, then I’d expect your stories to continue to do so–and eventually, you’ll break through. 

 Just…wow.  I immediately send back an email of thanks, both for her time, and the 400 word answer to my original question.  I also asked if I could blog the email chain.  She agreed in a further email, and added this.

 To be honest, I really appreciated not only the question, but your reply tonight., having just had a personalized rejection thrown back in my face by an author who apparently feels an editor should overlook copious grammatical and spelling errors in a submission. 

 Say what???  Look, this editor gets ‘several hundred’ submissions per issue.  If she takes the time to send a personalized rejection, it’s the height of arrogance and stupidity to burn a market the way this author appeared to do.  Besides, these folks network.  Names almost certainly get around—do you really want to burn so many of your bridges?  The only proper response is a humble thanks for their time and guidance.  Where’s “Politeness Man” when you need him?

 She concluded with this:

And keep submitting. I went back and took a look at some of your stories.  When you and [the magazine] meet under the right theme, you’ll make it in. 

 Thus, I am looking at an unusual mythological construct (the currently open theme) to get inspired.

The Honorable Thing – Update

It’s Day 19, and I am within 4k of my stated goal (I should be at 38k, I’m at 34).  Yesterday, I took a trip to Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, PA, to do some research into how a private military academy works.  Here is my Trip Report. 

Yeah, I hate following links as much as you do, but the report is a decent size, and I’d rather keep the posts in the blogs where they are more germane.

Still cranking out the words for THT.  Back to work.

Nice to Get Noticed

RSS feeds are wonderful things.  They let you follow blogs without actually having to surf to them.  (Note: my RSS feed is off to the right)

So, I have a feed for Rocket Science News, a blog about Rocket Science an anthology by Ian Sales where my non-fiction piece “A Ray of Sunshine” appeared.  One of the five non-fiction pieces, Karen Burnham’s “The Complexity of the Humble Spacesuit”, was on the shortlist for the British Science Fiction Association’s annual awards.  Congratulations, Karen!

Then I wondered.  Who else was on the list?  So I looked.  And there it was: A Ray of Sunshine.  I was shocked clean through.  It was a thrill to be published, but to be nominated for a BFSA Award?  Stunning!

Whoever nominated my story, my everlasting thanks.  You made my day.

R Day for The Honorable Thing!

R Day is the name of the day that candidates Report to West Point to begin life as a New Cadets.

The Honorable Thing has reached it’s R Day, when the first words in the First Draft are written.  I will be updating the THT blog with word counts and significant lessons learned as I write, edit, and seek publication for this Young Adult work.