Ice's writing tips

Query Letter (and more!)

Hahahaha, yes, i'm alive. I haven't updated this in a while so, yeah, sorry. Anyway, recently i've been trying to send in my novel to publishers and agents for the past couple of months and i think this is a very important chapter for those of you who are not publishing on wattpad but with a traditional publisher.

To begin, some ideas are too good to post on wattpad (sorry wattpad) and the fear someone else might use them stinks as well. Despite what genre you are in (Mystery, fantasy, Horror, romantic, etc.) we all love writing and our books are like our children.

So lets put it in perspective, you've been writings this novel for three years, pain, sweat and sleepless hours you have finally finished it. So what do you do? Go ahead and summit it! No, not yet. Even though you are super excited, i must welcome you to the wonderful world of editing, re-editing and so on before you even think about sending it to the professionals. I learned the hard way, trust me. You want to take your time carefully editing, re-wording things, making sure your idea doesn't stray off. Sometimes, i've had to take a couple of weeks for a break from it and then come back later and refresh my mind. Usually when i do this, i leave thinking its perfect, i come back and find a billion more mistakes. Check grammar and spelling, even after you have used spell check. Sometimes Spell check is an idiot and fixes things you didn't want fixed.

You must know that editing this novel or short story of yours that you want to send into publishers will take time. I hate to be a priss but, even if your idea is good and you think your a wonderful writer and can write your first draft and have no editing done to it whatsoever, it doesn't work like that. You MUST edit and edit and EDIT!!!! I've taken a whole year and a half editing my novel after i got my first few rejections and found so many mistakes i was really embarrassed of.

If you are having a hard time trying to find mistakes, have a family member or a close friend read it over. Sometimes though (like me) you don't have that and have to trust your instincts *Sighs*

Next, after you've edited as much as you can (remember, when submitting to publishers and agents, you never want to summit them your first draft. Feel confident that what your sending them you could see on a book store shelve and not find ANY mistakes or things you wished you had changed) you start doing research.
     I know, research, fun Right? (Not) But you must. Looking at the potential publishers is very important, you can't submit a horror adult themed book to a children's book publisher. You do your research and this is one thing i failed to do. Make sure they are interested or at least mention your Genre of your book in things they are interesting in publishing or specialize. Next, find any Editors names (this is for Publishers, not agents), when you write your Query or cover letter to them, this will be important. Next, see their guidelines, make sure to go by these guidelines. Some publishers want only the first 50 pages and others want the whole things. Either way, send them the first 50 pages and say 'full manuscript is available upon request' meaning that if they like it, they will request more of it.

Now on to Query letters. First of all, this is not a sally sob story  on your life and about your dead dog, this is about your book. Keep is interesting but yet not five pages long. If any Query goes over 1 page, you are in trouble. Keep them short and sweet, but not too short where its like: My name is bob, this is my book, call me if interested.

Read the guidelines for the query. Some publishers have a guideline of certain things they want you to say in your letter. You must be honest and real with them, if you kiss up to them, they will know that your book will be just like you and meaning more work for them to do. You don't want to be arrogant in your letter, arrogance leads to no published book.

In writing these letters, i know its over whelming. There are some things you don't want to say and here is this list:

1. Say how many books you have unpublished
     This is bad, one of the worst things to mention. It will raise alarm and question for the editor on why these other manuscripts have not been published

2. Say that your parents, family and friends believe you are a good writer
    Sadly, this is something left unsaid. This is a kiss up in my opinion and unless your parents and family members and friends were editors themselves, they know nothing (sorry, but they don't)

3. Guilt tripping.
     Don't EVER guilt trip a publisher EVER! I've seen people do this and this is just sad. It is even more sad that People think its okay! If you say in your letter that you have gotten seventy rejections and your going to end your life if they don't accept it is something you don't do. Come on people, really? Are we going to throw a fit like toddlers after a few rejections, J.K. Rowling didn't and neither did other famous authors. Don't guilt trip them, it'll make them feel that you are an attention hog and not worth their time.

4. Saying how many rejections you've gotten.
     Like the example above, why would you tell a potential publisher how many rejections, why WHY? i mean honestly, why? How would that help you? It doesn't work, they won't go 'oh, he got fifty rejections, we should accept his book so he's not sad any more'. They are more thinking about 'his book must be terrible if it's gotten that many rejections' or 'his book is probably a lot of work that others didn't want to deal with' etc. just don't, don't.

5. Say your write fan fictions
     Some (mostly all) publishers will ask you to put in your letter about writing experience. Here on Wattpad, we love writing, fan fictions is a huge growing community here but is something not said in one of these letters. Yes you can tell them about your wattpad account and talk about using it for marketing advantage to getting the word out but not saying all your experience is writing fan fictions. Fan fictions (no offense and i am slamming on myself when i say this) a bit....childish. I mean we are talking the ideas of some one else and adding our OC's. Not that its a bad thing but it shows potential publishers that all you've written is fan fictions and your book might be a fan fiction in another way and not to be mean but fan fictions can sometimes be somewhat badly written (i am not innocent of this, i have written horrible fan fictions) and it shows that you have no real experiences. My advise, go to writing clubs, do extra writing classes for school or English classes. Especially if you are in high school or middle school.

6. threaten them
     Again, WHY? I know people do this in letters. They will say "accept this or else i'll tell my daddy!" unless your daddy is a supreme leader that can fire nuclear weapons, they will just think of you as a brat. And why would you threaten a publisher? they know what the market is looking for today and know that you book might not be ready to see the light just yet. Maybe they are also very busy with other projects and don't have the time. Publishers can't accept every book out there just like we cant' save every tree out there or animal. Its a tough market and you have to keep your head on your shoulders and keep a smile on your face.

7. Don't say how good your book will be.
     One thing that will get on a publishers nerves is when you state in your letter that your book has the potential of being the next Harry Potter or Hunger Games. Let them be the judge and just...don't, it'll make you come across arrogant and snobby, you don't want that.

So, don't be a brat, don't be a snob, don't kiss up and act mature. Treat this very seriously and professionally, sure we may be young and reckless but we are smart and know how to act, unless you were raised by honey boo boo's parents that is. If you take your English class seriously and pay attention to essays, its like that tone, you want to keep a serious and mature tone, no little kid giggling saying 'your nose looks funny' sort of things. We are here to impress, because it is pretty much trying to get a job, this is our interview and we want to nail it, not blow it up and have the interviewer hope that we die in a hole.

Rejections

Sometimes when we have the perfect Query and edited story submitted, we still get rejections. That's okay, remember that. Even if you get a rejection, still believe you are a good writer because you are. Some publishers and agents aren't ready yet or they aren't ready for your story. Sometimes in their rejection letter they will give you tips to improve and other helpful points. Remember this, don't stop believing in yourself, even after a few rejections. Keep trying, every writer out there has gotten rejections, EVERY SINGLE ONE (unless you paid your way through). Don't give up and keep trying, some one out there will find and love your story and before you know it, it'll be published.

So let me know if i skipped anything or if you'd like to add anything. Please comment for idea's, vote and fan me :D Until next time, Ice out!

~Ice~