Dear Mr. Taylor,
After a grueling year at her pressure-cooker middle school, surely Tiffany has earned a summer off to reconnect with her best friend. So she’s furious when her parents pack her off to spend the summer with her aunt, who directs a Shakespeare festival in a sleepy Connecticut town. Tiffany’s certain she hates Shakespeare--until she discovers a magical jester’s staff with the power to whisk her into the worlds of Shakespeare’s plays.
Pretty soon, Tiffany--along with her younger brother and two new friends--finds herself stealing Romeo’s heart, falling into Macbeth’s clutches, and playing Scrabble with the Princes in the Tower.
At first, these adventures seem to Tiffany to be a pure romp, without any connection to the real world. But the real and magical worlds collide when the children accidentally break the jester’s staff. It’s the festival’s mascot, and now the festival seems to be under a curse: rehearsals fall into chaos and the festival’s irascible, conflicted donor, Mr. Cargon, walks out.
As the children--and Mr. Cargon--unexpectedly find themselves in one final adventure, Tiffany realizes that her own life circumstances give her a unique insight into Mr. Cargon’s inner conflict. This new understanding allows her to heal both him and the magic, and in the process, she finds the courage to start building a more meaningful life for herself than the narrow one her success-driven parents envision.
MUCH ADO ABOUT MAGIC is a complete, 82,000-word middle grade novel. In terms of length and sophistication, it is aimed at the kind of confident reader who would happily dive into a book like The Mysterious Benedict Society. We saw that you like humorous, intelligent fantasy, so we hope you might enjoy our book.
This is our first children’s book, but we both have careers in the publishing world. E K is a widely published science journalist whose work has appeared in Nature, Science News, and other magazines, and R K is a freelance editor with more than ten years of experience, who was also a dramaturgy intern at the California Shakespeare Theater.
Our first 250 words are below. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
E.K. and R.K.
MUCH ADO ABOUT MAGIC
A Ruined Summer
Some are born to adventure, some achieve adventure, and some have adventure thrust upon them. Tiffany belonged to the last category.
The day it all began, there was little to suggest that any kind of adventure was brewing, let alone a magical one. And even if there had been more clues, Tiffany still might not have noticed. Her mind was fully occupied by exciting but decidedly unmagical thoughts about the new rollerblades she had bought the day before. So when the first unusual thing did happen--when her mother popped so unexpectedly out of the subway--all Tiffany could think was, Great. I had to get caught the one time I ducked out of homework to go rollerblading.
She hadn’t intended to blow off her homework. It was all the rollerblades’ fault, really, for being so distracting. Today at school, images of rollerblades had danced across the pages of her social studies textbook, and floated in front of her eyes as her English teacher, Mr. Sanger, read aloud from Romeo and Juliet. (“Most miserable hour that e’er time saw in lasting labor of his pilgrimage!” he bleated in a fake English accent, waving his arms melodramatically.)
And when she’d gotten home after debate team, the rollerblades had gleamed enticingly at her as she tackled her mound of homework. In typical fashion, her teachers at Marchmont Academy--“New York City’s premier middle school”--were completely ignoring the approach of summer vacation.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
An Agent's Inbox #2
Dear Mr. Taylor:
The Last Dreamer is a 52,000 word upper middle grade fantasy. Similar to Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander, The Last Dreamer is a fantasy novel that shows the war between good and evil as it truly is, not some glorious experience, but something destructive and full of loss.
Fourteen-year-old Ivy Wilson feels more connected to the stories she writes than to the people around her so when she’s asked to travel to Yazmine, another world, she leaps at the chance. When Ivy arrives, she is taken in by one of Yazmine’s clans who care for and protect her. Ivy is in awe of this new world and her naivety keeps her ignorant of a terrible war going on around her.
All that changes when she is captured and psychologically tortured by Malum, a sorcerer fueled by revenge for one of his clan’s past wrongdoings. Malum plans to use his powers of fire to raze Yazmine to the ground. Ivy is rescued by the clan that took her in, but she is traumatized from her experience and can’t stand to stay in this strange land any longer.
However, her love for her new home and its inhabitants and the effects of the war on them convince her to change her mind. Ivy decides to do whatever she can to bring about an end to the war that’s threatening Yazmine. She eventually enlists in the battle to protect her newfound home, friends, and her own future. But the price of war is heavy and, if any are going to survive, it must be paid.
The Last Dreamer is my second novel. For my poetry, I won a silver key in the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and an honorable mention in the 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
J.S.
THE LAST DREAMER
I had always believed in unicorns, even when the rest of the world no longer did.
“What you writing there, Ivy?” I jumped and spun around to see Blair looking over my shoulder. I slammed my notebook closed. I wouldn’t even show my friends what I wrote, why would I show her? The fact that she had teased me last time I tried didn’t help her case either.
“Nothing,” I said in a shrill voice. At least half the class turned around and looked at me. My cheeks burned. I ducked my head and looked at the carpet. Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?
The bell rang and I jumped again. Perfect timing. I slung it over my shoulder and raced out of the classroom. At long last, it was time for lunch.
I hurried into the cafeteria and over to my table of friends, bumping into a few chairs in the process. I sat down and tried to pay attention and contribute to what they were gossiping about. Nothing important, just complaining about different teachers and classmates.
I started to zone out and ignore the conversation going on around me. I looked around the school cafeteria. Four grades full of students eating their food in unison. Just like every day. We were like a cow herd. The bell rang, we came to school. The bell rang, we went home. We slept, ate, and followed the same pattern we had our entire lives. It was all one boring routine.
The Last Dreamer is a 52,000 word upper middle grade fantasy. Similar to Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander, The Last Dreamer is a fantasy novel that shows the war between good and evil as it truly is, not some glorious experience, but something destructive and full of loss.
Fourteen-year-old Ivy Wilson feels more connected to the stories she writes than to the people around her so when she’s asked to travel to Yazmine, another world, she leaps at the chance. When Ivy arrives, she is taken in by one of Yazmine’s clans who care for and protect her. Ivy is in awe of this new world and her naivety keeps her ignorant of a terrible war going on around her.
All that changes when she is captured and psychologically tortured by Malum, a sorcerer fueled by revenge for one of his clan’s past wrongdoings. Malum plans to use his powers of fire to raze Yazmine to the ground. Ivy is rescued by the clan that took her in, but she is traumatized from her experience and can’t stand to stay in this strange land any longer.
However, her love for her new home and its inhabitants and the effects of the war on them convince her to change her mind. Ivy decides to do whatever she can to bring about an end to the war that’s threatening Yazmine. She eventually enlists in the battle to protect her newfound home, friends, and her own future. But the price of war is heavy and, if any are going to survive, it must be paid.
The Last Dreamer is my second novel. For my poetry, I won a silver key in the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and an honorable mention in the 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
J.S.
THE LAST DREAMER
I had always believed in unicorns, even when the rest of the world no longer did.
“What you writing there, Ivy?” I jumped and spun around to see Blair looking over my shoulder. I slammed my notebook closed. I wouldn’t even show my friends what I wrote, why would I show her? The fact that she had teased me last time I tried didn’t help her case either.
“Nothing,” I said in a shrill voice. At least half the class turned around and looked at me. My cheeks burned. I ducked my head and looked at the carpet. Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?
The bell rang and I jumped again. Perfect timing. I slung it over my shoulder and raced out of the classroom. At long last, it was time for lunch.
I hurried into the cafeteria and over to my table of friends, bumping into a few chairs in the process. I sat down and tried to pay attention and contribute to what they were gossiping about. Nothing important, just complaining about different teachers and classmates.
I started to zone out and ignore the conversation going on around me. I looked around the school cafeteria. Four grades full of students eating their food in unison. Just like every day. We were like a cow herd. The bell rang, we came to school. The bell rang, we went home. We slept, ate, and followed the same pattern we had our entire lives. It was all one boring routine.
An Agent's Inbox #1
Dear Mr. Taylor,
I think you will find my novel HUNTER exciting and fresh. It’s a YA contemporary fantasy complete at 56,000 words, and a stand alone novel with series potential. It will appeal to fans of Patricia Briggs’ MOON CALLED series and Lori Brighton’s THE MIND READERS.
When sixteen year old Hunter’s growing telepathic ability lands her on the FBI’s radar, her colleague puts a gun to her head. He wants to silence the secrets of their bounty hunter agency locked in her mind. Fortunately for her, it’s not her time to die.
Surviving means making an unlikely friend with an FBI agent named Seeker. He’s the same agent that caused her partner to turn on her in the first place, and he has a mission of his own. Bring Hunter back alive to face judgment for her role in a multitude of murders she’s being accused of.
After nearly escaping the FBI’s grasp with a rogue telepath named Duke and having her thoughts pilfered for information against her will, Hunter learns that she must put her life on the line to clear her name and bring down Talon, her former agency.
With each passing hour throwing her deeper into the game of life and death, Hunter must decide who to trust before this mission becomes her last.
I’ve been a member of the Long Ridge Writers Group since 2005 and have written biographies for several web pages. I have been published in the New Authors Journal and twice in the Voice of Fellowship. I have also self published on Amazon.com a healthy living book called “An easy diet for a crazy life.”
Thank you for your consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
S.H.
HUNTER
As a type one telepath, you would think I had the skills not to end up freezing to death in the middle of Seattle, Washington. It was a dreary place where the sun didn’t shine and the rain came and went like waves on the shore. It wasn’t an ideal place but it was where the bounty had brought me. I was searching for a mark that was proving to be a pain in my a**. It had been three weeks since we had taken the job and today was the closest we had been to finding Dawn Miles.
My heart skipped a beat when the com in my ear buzzed. “Hunter, we’re running out of time. You know what happens if someone else gets to Miles before we do. All this work would be for nothing.”
In the bounty hunter line of work, you never knew who else was out there searching for the same prize, especially when one paid as well as this did. I exhaled and tried to calm my nerves. This one wasn’t going to get away.
“I’m trying. There are a lot of minds to sift through.” I spoke quietly to my partner Bear, trying not to look like a crazy person. My mind was lost in the sea of people, drifting through their inner monologues, almost losing myself in their stories. Sweat dripped from my temples as I pulled myself from almost passing out.
I think you will find my novel HUNTER exciting and fresh. It’s a YA contemporary fantasy complete at 56,000 words, and a stand alone novel with series potential. It will appeal to fans of Patricia Briggs’ MOON CALLED series and Lori Brighton’s THE MIND READERS.
When sixteen year old Hunter’s growing telepathic ability lands her on the FBI’s radar, her colleague puts a gun to her head. He wants to silence the secrets of their bounty hunter agency locked in her mind. Fortunately for her, it’s not her time to die.
Surviving means making an unlikely friend with an FBI agent named Seeker. He’s the same agent that caused her partner to turn on her in the first place, and he has a mission of his own. Bring Hunter back alive to face judgment for her role in a multitude of murders she’s being accused of.
After nearly escaping the FBI’s grasp with a rogue telepath named Duke and having her thoughts pilfered for information against her will, Hunter learns that she must put her life on the line to clear her name and bring down Talon, her former agency.
With each passing hour throwing her deeper into the game of life and death, Hunter must decide who to trust before this mission becomes her last.
I’ve been a member of the Long Ridge Writers Group since 2005 and have written biographies for several web pages. I have been published in the New Authors Journal and twice in the Voice of Fellowship. I have also self published on Amazon.com a healthy living book called “An easy diet for a crazy life.”
Thank you for your consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
S.H.
HUNTER
As a type one telepath, you would think I had the skills not to end up freezing to death in the middle of Seattle, Washington. It was a dreary place where the sun didn’t shine and the rain came and went like waves on the shore. It wasn’t an ideal place but it was where the bounty had brought me. I was searching for a mark that was proving to be a pain in my a**. It had been three weeks since we had taken the job and today was the closest we had been to finding Dawn Miles.
My heart skipped a beat when the com in my ear buzzed. “Hunter, we’re running out of time. You know what happens if someone else gets to Miles before we do. All this work would be for nothing.”
In the bounty hunter line of work, you never knew who else was out there searching for the same prize, especially when one paid as well as this did. I exhaled and tried to calm my nerves. This one wasn’t going to get away.
“I’m trying. There are a lot of minds to sift through.” I spoke quietly to my partner Bear, trying not to look like a crazy person. My mind was lost in the sea of people, drifting through their inner monologues, almost losing myself in their stories. Sweat dripped from my temples as I pulled myself from almost passing out.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Now Accepting Entries
UPDATE: And that's a wrap! The entries will go up on Wednesday morning.
I'm now accepting entries for this week's round of "An Agent's Inbox." Here's a quick refresher:
*I know this probably goes without saying, but if you’re thinking about entering, you should probably treat this round a little differently than you would if you didn’t already know The Agent’s identity. Feel free to do a little research and include personalization in your queries. Also, if you've already queried Mr. Taylor, PLEASE DON'T ENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE A NEW MANUSCRIPT THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA LISTED ABOVE. Since I don't have access to Mr. Taylor's inbox, I can't really police this, but you--and he--are going to get a lot more out of this contest if you enter something The Agent hasn’t seen before.
I'm now accepting entries for this week's round of "An Agent's Inbox." Here's a quick refresher:
The Rules
1. To enter, your manuscript must meet two conditions: First, it must be COMPLETE, POLISHED, AND READY TO QUERY, and second, it must be in one of the genres The Agent represents (which are listed at the bottom of this post).
2. All entries must include A QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. You must paste these items IN THE BODY OF YOUR E-MAIL; otherwise, I'll disqualify it.
3. THE ENTRY WINDOW OPENS AT 1:00 P.M. EDT (OR 10:00 A.M. PDT). Once the entry window opens, I'll accept the first 25 entries. I won't accept any entries sent before the entry window opens or after the first 25 slots fill up.
4. If your entry makes it in, I'll send you a confirmation e-mail with a post number. If your entry doesn't make it in, I'll still send you an e-mail, but it won't have a post number.
5. If your entry makes it in, YOU MUST COMMENT ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER ENTRIES.
The Prizes The Agent, Brent Taylor* of Triada US Literary Agency, will select both the winners and the prizes. The Agent might pick 25 winners, or he might only pick one. The Agent might offer full requests, or he might only ask to see another page. It all depends on how good the entries are.
Please keep in mind that THIS CONTEST ISN'T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. I've encouraged The Agent to treat the entries exactly as he would a normal batch of queries. Essentially, The Agent will be answering the question, "How much of the entry did you read, and if you didn't read it all, why did you stop?" I think this process will be instructive for all of us, but if you enter, you need to be prepared to hear exactly what The Agent thinks of your query and first page.
The Genres
3. THE ENTRY WINDOW OPENS AT 1:00 P.M. EDT (OR 10:00 A.M. PDT). Once the entry window opens, I'll accept the first 25 entries. I won't accept any entries sent before the entry window opens or after the first 25 slots fill up.
4. If your entry makes it in, I'll send you a confirmation e-mail with a post number. If your entry doesn't make it in, I'll still send you an e-mail, but it won't have a post number.
5. If your entry makes it in, YOU MUST COMMENT ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER ENTRIES.
The Prizes The Agent, Brent Taylor* of Triada US Literary Agency, will select both the winners and the prizes. The Agent might pick 25 winners, or he might only pick one. The Agent might offer full requests, or he might only ask to see another page. It all depends on how good the entries are.
Please keep in mind that THIS CONTEST ISN'T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. I've encouraged The Agent to treat the entries exactly as he would a normal batch of queries. Essentially, The Agent will be answering the question, "How much of the entry did you read, and if you didn't read it all, why did you stop?" I think this process will be instructive for all of us, but if you enter, you need to be prepared to hear exactly what The Agent thinks of your query and first page.
The Genres
MG fiction and nonfiction (all genres)
YA fiction and nonfiction (all genres)
To enter, please send an e-mail with YOUR QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com. And please, please, please remember to PASTE THESE ITEMS IN THE BODY OF THE E-MAIL.
YA fiction and nonfiction (all genres)
To enter, please send an e-mail with YOUR QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com. And please, please, please remember to PASTE THESE ITEMS IN THE BODY OF THE E-MAIL.
*I know this probably goes without saying, but if you’re thinking about entering, you should probably treat this round a little differently than you would if you didn’t already know The Agent’s identity. Feel free to do a little research and include personalization in your queries. Also, if you've already queried Mr. Taylor, PLEASE DON'T ENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE A NEW MANUSCRIPT THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA LISTED ABOVE. Since I don't have access to Mr. Taylor's inbox, I can't really police this, but you--and he--are going to get a lot more out of this contest if you enter something The Agent hasn’t seen before.
Friday, March 11, 2016
"An Agent's Inbox" Contest Alert
THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR ENTRIES! I'M JUST GIVING YOU A HEADS-UP. THE CONTEST OPENS NEXT MONDAY, MARCH 14.
“An Agent's Inbox” is exactly what it sounds like--next week, I'm turning the blog into an agent's inbox, a public one. We'll get to see 25 queries along with their first pages, and we'll get to hear what a bona fide agent thinks of each one.
The queries and first pages will be yours, of course. I'll accept your entries this Monday, March 14, and then I'll post them next Wednesday, March 16. The entrants and anyone else who wishes to review them may comment until the following Monday or Tuesday, March 21 or 22, when I'll announce the winners.
Those winners will be chosen by The Agent, and this month, The Agent is Brent Taylor* of Triada US Literary Agency!
The Rules
“An Agent's Inbox” is exactly what it sounds like--next week, I'm turning the blog into an agent's inbox, a public one. We'll get to see 25 queries along with their first pages, and we'll get to hear what a bona fide agent thinks of each one.
The queries and first pages will be yours, of course. I'll accept your entries this Monday, March 14, and then I'll post them next Wednesday, March 16. The entrants and anyone else who wishes to review them may comment until the following Monday or Tuesday, March 21 or 22, when I'll announce the winners.
Those winners will be chosen by The Agent, and this month, The Agent is Brent Taylor* of Triada US Literary Agency!
The Rules
1. To enter, your manuscript must meet two conditions: First, it must be COMPLETE, POLISHED, AND READY TO QUERY, and second, it must be in one of the genres The Agent represents (which are listed at the bottom of this post).
2. All entries must include A QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. You must paste these items IN THE BODY OF YOUR E-MAIL; otherwise, I'll disqualify it.
3. THE ENTRY WINDOW OPENS AT 1:00 P.M. EDT (OR 10:00 A.M. PDT). Once the entry window opens, I'll accept the first 25 entries. I won't accept any entries sent before the entry window opens or after the first 25 slots fill up.
4. If your entry makes it in, I'll send you a confirmation e-mail with a post number. If your entry doesn't make it in, I'll still send you an e-mail, but it won't have a post number.
5. If your entry makes it in, YOU MUST COMMENT ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER ENTRIES.
The Prizes The Agent will select both the winners and the prizes. The Agent might pick 25 winners, or he might only pick one. The Agent might offer full requests, or he might only ask to see another page. It all depends on how good the entries are.
Please keep in mind that THIS CONTEST ISN'T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. I've encouraged The Agent to treat the entries exactly as he would a normal batch of queries. Essentially, The Agent will be answering the question, "How much of the entry did you read, and if you didn't read it all, why did you stop?" I think this process will be instructive for all of us, but if you enter, you need to be prepared to hear exactly what The Agent thinks of your query and first page.
So get those queries and first pages polished up, then meet us back here on Monday, March 14, at 1:00 p.m. EDT! At that time, you may send your entries to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com. Looking forward to it!
The Genres
2. All entries must include A QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. You must paste these items IN THE BODY OF YOUR E-MAIL; otherwise, I'll disqualify it.
3. THE ENTRY WINDOW OPENS AT 1:00 P.M. EDT (OR 10:00 A.M. PDT). Once the entry window opens, I'll accept the first 25 entries. I won't accept any entries sent before the entry window opens or after the first 25 slots fill up.
4. If your entry makes it in, I'll send you a confirmation e-mail with a post number. If your entry doesn't make it in, I'll still send you an e-mail, but it won't have a post number.
5. If your entry makes it in, YOU MUST COMMENT ON AT LEAST 3 OTHER ENTRIES.
The Prizes The Agent will select both the winners and the prizes. The Agent might pick 25 winners, or he might only pick one. The Agent might offer full requests, or he might only ask to see another page. It all depends on how good the entries are.
Please keep in mind that THIS CONTEST ISN'T FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. I've encouraged The Agent to treat the entries exactly as he would a normal batch of queries. Essentially, The Agent will be answering the question, "How much of the entry did you read, and if you didn't read it all, why did you stop?" I think this process will be instructive for all of us, but if you enter, you need to be prepared to hear exactly what The Agent thinks of your query and first page.
So get those queries and first pages polished up, then meet us back here on Monday, March 14, at 1:00 p.m. EDT! At that time, you may send your entries to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com. Looking forward to it!
The Genres
MG fiction and nonfiction (all genres)
YA fiction and nonfiction (all genres)
YA fiction and nonfiction (all genres)
And of course, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
*I know this probably goes without saying, but if you’re thinking about entering, you should probably treat this round a little differently than you would if you didn’t already know The Agent’s identity. Feel free to do a little research and include personalization in your queries. Also, if you've already queried Mr. Taylor, PLEASE DON'T ENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE A NEW MANUSCRIPT THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA LISTED ABOVE. Since I don't have access to Mr. Taylor's inbox, I can't really police this, but you--and he--are going to get a lot more out of this contest if you enter something The Agent hasn’t seen before.
*I know this probably goes without saying, but if you’re thinking about entering, you should probably treat this round a little differently than you would if you didn’t already know The Agent’s identity. Feel free to do a little research and include personalization in your queries. Also, if you've already queried Mr. Taylor, PLEASE DON'T ENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE A NEW MANUSCRIPT THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA LISTED ABOVE. Since I don't have access to Mr. Taylor's inbox, I can't really police this, but you--and he--are going to get a lot more out of this contest if you enter something The Agent hasn’t seen before.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
What If Selling a House Were Like Selling a Manuscript?
I've been elbow-deep in house listings for the last couple of weeks, and it's gotten me thinking: what if selling a house were like selling a manuscript?
"Please describe your home in two hundred and fifty words or less. No pictures or attachments, please."
"I'm afraid I'm just not connecting with this house as strongly as I would have liked."
"I liked the exterior, but the kitchen was outdated, the second bathroom was unsightly, and the basement felt too big."
"That said, if you address those issues, I'd love to take another look!"
"I actually walked through this whole house, and though I liked the first floor, the second floor ran out of steam."
"If you decide to sell another house, I'd love to take a look at that one!"
"I love this house. I'm going to run it past my spouse, my kids, my mom, my lawyer, and my accountant. More soon!"
"Unfortunately, my lawyer thinks the market for Dutch colonials is saturated at the moment, so we're going to have to pass."
"We think this home is fantastic and would love to make an offer of seventy-five hundred dollars."
Sold!
Friday, March 4, 2016
The Writer's Voice: Where Is Sarah F. Henson Now?
Thanks for joining me for this second installment of "Where Are They Now?" Sarah F. Henson also participated in TWV 2012--I remember loving the voice in her awesome entry, PLAYING WITH FIRE--and though she signed with an agent not long after, she only just announced her first book deal last month. I wanted to ask her about that process and what she learned along the way, and she graciously agreed.
KV: Congratulations on the sale of DEVILS WITHIN! What is it about, and what inspired you to write it?
SH: Thanks, Krista!! And thanks for having me on the blog! I still can't believe this is all really happening! My book, DEVILS WITHIN, is about a teenage boy named Nate who was raised in a white supremacist compound, and flees after killing their leader--his father--in self-defense. Now living with his estranged uncle, he struggles to overcome the racist beliefs he was taught since birth, while hiding from the violent men who want him dead.
The idea came from a news article I read, so this story is basically inspired by real events. In real life, the boy was ten and the shooting wasn't in self-defense, but point blank while his father slept. I remember reading the headline and wondering what had to happen in a kid's life for him to reach that point at such a young age. That led to a lot of unsettling research on modern white supremacists, where the hate groups are located (every state except Alaska and Hawaii), how they recruit, and the methods they use to terrorize people--all topics I explore in the novel. So while my book is a complete work of fiction, everything is rooted in fact. (If you want more information, I have some resources on my website, sfhenson.com.)
KV: Tell us about the submission process. Did it move fairly quickly, or did it take some time? And if it took some time, what did you do to stay sane? :)
SH: Whooo boy, the submission process! It took some time. Right around seven months. Staying sane is a lot easier said than done! I did different things to try to keep my mind off of it--started writing new stories, and spent a lot of time working on projects around the house. My husband and I are about to start the adoption process, so we spent a chunk of those months painting and installing new hardwood floors ourselves (never again!). But nothing completely distracted me.
What helped most is the agented author group that I'm a part of. It's a collection of wonderful authors (put together by the awesome Natalie Parker) all of whom, at the time, also hadn't sold yet. Finding other writers in the same stage of the process as you is incredibly comforting. You have to keep so much of the submission process quiet; I would've gone crazy without a place to open up and vent and commiserate!
KV: A quick note to my readers: I loved the idea of Natalie Parker's agented author group, so I asked Sarah for more information. She sent me a link to Agented Author Hook-up, so if you're at that stage of the process, definitely check it out!
Now tell us about getting the good news, Sarah. Were you aware of Sky Pony's interest, or did the offer come out of the blue? And how did you find out?
SH: Let me just say that getting the news was probably the single most exciting day of my life. Seriously. My husband looked at me and said, "You weren't this excited when I proposed." Which is true, but in my defense I knew he was going to propose at some point--I never knew I'd ever actually get published. This has been my dream since I was four. Not exaggerating. So yeah, big deal!
I'd known the editor (the amazing Alison Weiss!) was interested since way back at the beginning of November, but I didn't let myself get too excited. I've come close before. Then in mid-January I received THE email. When I saw the word "offer" I literally screamed, almost dropped my phone, then cried. Then we went out for celebratory chocolate, haha.
KV: Once you officially accepted the offer, what were the next steps? And are you working on edits now?
SH: The weeks after accepting the offer were a whirlwind! A week later, my announcement hit Publishers Weekly, which was really cool, but also a little overwhelming. After months of silence, I couldn't suddenly shout it to the world. It's still a little surreal. I joined a debut group, the Swanky 17s, took author photos (no one warns you for how weird it is to have someone come in your house and take pictures of you. I'm lucky that a friend is a fantastic photographer, but it's still strange!), and set up my author website. Now, as with everything in publishing, I wait. My editor (still can't believe I can say that!) is a freaking boss and has several books slated for my release season, so no edit letter yet. I'm good with that, though. It gives me time to absorb everything and work on my next book.
KV: This isn't your first rodeo, so what did you learn from all those other times around that helped you survive this one?
SH: Definitely not my first go at it! This was my fifth manuscript, and the third to go out on submission, so I was prepared for the process, but also more nervous than I had been with the others. I poured so much into this story. It's the first time I've ever felt empty after finishing a manuscript and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever written. Which means I was sooooo nervous to go on sub--more so than before. With each previous rejection I've known I could do better. With this one, I felt tapped, and overcome with this fear that my best wouldn't be good enough.
Those previous rejections helped prepare me, though. I was more ready this time around, so the close calls and flat out nos weren't as crushing as I thought they would be. Through everything, what I've learned is that you can't control the process, or how editors will react, or how long everything will take. All you can control is you, how much you push yourself, and how well you write.
KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you'd like to share with us?
SH: Look, this business is tough. You have to have thick skin to survive. So my advice is to learn how to take criticism and rejection and use it to make you better. It took seven years of writing and rejection before I finally obtained my dream of a book deal. I tallied it up right after I announced my deal and I've received over 120 rejections over five manuscripts (counting both querying agents and subbing to editors). I can't tell you the number of times I thought about giving up, but I couldn't let myself. If you really want to obtain your dreams--whatever they are--you can't give up.
Well said, Sarah. Thanks again for coming back and sharing these insights!
The idea came from a news article I read, so this story is basically inspired by real events. In real life, the boy was ten and the shooting wasn't in self-defense, but point blank while his father slept. I remember reading the headline and wondering what had to happen in a kid's life for him to reach that point at such a young age. That led to a lot of unsettling research on modern white supremacists, where the hate groups are located (every state except Alaska and Hawaii), how they recruit, and the methods they use to terrorize people--all topics I explore in the novel. So while my book is a complete work of fiction, everything is rooted in fact. (If you want more information, I have some resources on my website, sfhenson.com.)
KV: Tell us about the submission process. Did it move fairly quickly, or did it take some time? And if it took some time, what did you do to stay sane? :)
SH: Whooo boy, the submission process! It took some time. Right around seven months. Staying sane is a lot easier said than done! I did different things to try to keep my mind off of it--started writing new stories, and spent a lot of time working on projects around the house. My husband and I are about to start the adoption process, so we spent a chunk of those months painting and installing new hardwood floors ourselves (never again!). But nothing completely distracted me.
What helped most is the agented author group that I'm a part of. It's a collection of wonderful authors (put together by the awesome Natalie Parker) all of whom, at the time, also hadn't sold yet. Finding other writers in the same stage of the process as you is incredibly comforting. You have to keep so much of the submission process quiet; I would've gone crazy without a place to open up and vent and commiserate!
KV: A quick note to my readers: I loved the idea of Natalie Parker's agented author group, so I asked Sarah for more information. She sent me a link to Agented Author Hook-up, so if you're at that stage of the process, definitely check it out!
Now tell us about getting the good news, Sarah. Were you aware of Sky Pony's interest, or did the offer come out of the blue? And how did you find out?
SH: Let me just say that getting the news was probably the single most exciting day of my life. Seriously. My husband looked at me and said, "You weren't this excited when I proposed." Which is true, but in my defense I knew he was going to propose at some point--I never knew I'd ever actually get published. This has been my dream since I was four. Not exaggerating. So yeah, big deal!
I'd known the editor (the amazing Alison Weiss!) was interested since way back at the beginning of November, but I didn't let myself get too excited. I've come close before. Then in mid-January I received THE email. When I saw the word "offer" I literally screamed, almost dropped my phone, then cried. Then we went out for celebratory chocolate, haha.
KV: Once you officially accepted the offer, what were the next steps? And are you working on edits now?
SH: The weeks after accepting the offer were a whirlwind! A week later, my announcement hit Publishers Weekly, which was really cool, but also a little overwhelming. After months of silence, I couldn't suddenly shout it to the world. It's still a little surreal. I joined a debut group, the Swanky 17s, took author photos (no one warns you for how weird it is to have someone come in your house and take pictures of you. I'm lucky that a friend is a fantastic photographer, but it's still strange!), and set up my author website. Now, as with everything in publishing, I wait. My editor (still can't believe I can say that!) is a freaking boss and has several books slated for my release season, so no edit letter yet. I'm good with that, though. It gives me time to absorb everything and work on my next book.
KV: This isn't your first rodeo, so what did you learn from all those other times around that helped you survive this one?
SH: Definitely not my first go at it! This was my fifth manuscript, and the third to go out on submission, so I was prepared for the process, but also more nervous than I had been with the others. I poured so much into this story. It's the first time I've ever felt empty after finishing a manuscript and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever written. Which means I was sooooo nervous to go on sub--more so than before. With each previous rejection I've known I could do better. With this one, I felt tapped, and overcome with this fear that my best wouldn't be good enough.
Those previous rejections helped prepare me, though. I was more ready this time around, so the close calls and flat out nos weren't as crushing as I thought they would be. Through everything, what I've learned is that you can't control the process, or how editors will react, or how long everything will take. All you can control is you, how much you push yourself, and how well you write.
KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you'd like to share with us?
SH: Look, this business is tough. You have to have thick skin to survive. So my advice is to learn how to take criticism and rejection and use it to make you better. It took seven years of writing and rejection before I finally obtained my dream of a book deal. I tallied it up right after I announced my deal and I've received over 120 rejections over five manuscripts (counting both querying agents and subbing to editors). I can't tell you the number of times I thought about giving up, but I couldn't let myself. If you really want to obtain your dreams--whatever they are--you can't give up.
Well said, Sarah. Thanks again for coming back and sharing these insights!
Thursday, March 3, 2016
You Can Now Pre-order the Paperback Edition of DON'T VOTE FOR ME
Actually, you've been able to pre-order the paperback edition of DON'T VOTE FOR ME for a while now, but I haven't remembered to let everyone know. Links below!
(Of course, if you've already read the book and would like to review it on any or all of these sites, I'd be forever in your debt!)
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