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NEED AN AGENT? LOOKING FOR A PUBLISHER?

Maybe we can help.

Killer Nashville 2007 (http://www.KillerNashville.com) has made arrangements with New York’s Maria Carvainis Agency’s Donna Bagdasarian and Oceanview Publishing’s editor Maryglenn McCombs to accept pitches from registered authors during Killer Nashville 2007, August 17-19, 2007.

Both agent and editor are actively seeking new authors.

The pitch sessions are a free add-on to Killer Nashville 2007 attendees and are on a first-registered, first-served basis. Pitch times are limited. Signing up for Killer Nashville or the pitch sessions after all times have been taken does not guarantee any new pitch times will be added. Register early to ensure you get a spot

To sign up for a pitch time at no additional cost, or to read agent/editor bios see http://www.killernashville.com/Content2007/agentedsignup2007.htm.

To register for Killer Nashville 2007 visit http://www.killernashville.com/Content2007/registration2007.htm.

Note: Assignment times are given in the order Killer Nashville registration is received, not the time in which the agent/editor pitch request is received.

My first book was pubbed by a small press that had 13,500 initial orders, filled 9,000 of them, and canceled the rest. They pleaded insufficient funds to print enough. When they finally did reprint nearly a year later, the paperback came out from Ballantine the same week, and Ballantine forced the small pub to withdraw the printing.The same publisher did my next book, and went out of business the week after it was published.

The first of these books has stayed in print (paperback) for 34 years, and the second over 10 yrs — when pubbed by major houses.

Of my remaining twenty-four books, eleven have been pubbed by major houses, the others by small presses. Though the major houses sometimes haven’t been active enough, the advances have all been in five figures and the sales have provided me a living.

Of the small press books, three were pubbed nicely, sold well enough (even foreign and book club deals), and were solid. Of the others: One publisher very nicely told me she couldn’t pay $1500.00 in royalties until a year and a half later. Another didn’t pay over $20,000 for more than a year. Another has held the rights to two books for over twenty years on the bogus claim that I owe him money (I can’t afford to sue). Another explained that my book wasn’t available through Ingram because she couldn’t afford to deal with Ingram. Another accepted a book, never published it, and never told me why.

The generous side of me believes that small presses are simply so strapped for funds that they can’t operate effectively. Another side of me thinks they’re amateurs playing a game meant for professionals.

An eloquent example: Bantam pubbed four of my novels, paid no attention to me, averaged 100,000 in sales, and paid promptly. Small presses flattered me, promised special treatment, messed up in a hundred ways, and didn’t pay.

As an editor with a big house for thirteen years, I never saw an author have trouble over money.

This is my actual experience, told in literal truth. Leave your ego behind and take your choice.

Win Blevins
Author of GIVE YOUR HEART TO THE HAWKS, STONE SONG, etc.
Website

[This was previously posted to the Murder Must Advertise forum and is posted here with Mr. Blevins’s permission]

For those who’ve been waiting supportively with me for the reply from Tekno, I have news. My manuscript “does not quite suit their needs at this time.”

News from the Lobe Library in Springfield indicates that my book has been successfully converted from print to audio and will soon be ready for posting on my website. The details of who can access and how are still being worked out. (background)

As a newly published Five Star author, I’ll share my experience. My first mystery novel, Retirement Homes Are Murder, features octogenarian Paul Jacobson who suffers from short-term memory loss, finds a dead body in the trash chute of a retirement home, is accused of a crime, and everything goes down hill from there.

I pitched this novel to Deni Dietz (she works for John Helfers of Tekno Books) at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in September 2005. Deni liked the concept and told me to send the complete manuscript to John Helfers. John responded with an email offer letter and contract in November 2005 and the book was published in January 2007. TeknoBooks is a book packager and performs front end acquisition duties for Five Star. Retirement Homes Are Murder is now entering the fifth printing and also has a large print edition that came out in April.

In February 2007 a successful book signing at Tattered Covers in Denver led to my novel being #4 on the Rocky Mountain Post local best seller list in Denver and #3 on the Denver Post best seller list.

I’ve teamed with three other Colorado authors to do signing and panel events called “Mystery Through The Ages.” Two of the others, Beth Groundwater and Patricia Stoltey, are Five Star authors and Bob Spiller (The Witch of Agnesi) is with another publisher. We each have characters of different ages ranging from Bob’s high school students and teachers to my octogenarians.

I’ve just returned from Malice Domestic which was a fantastic opportunity to network with other mystery authors and fans. One of the events was called “Malice-go-round” during which new Malice authors gave 90 second pitches in turn to 20 tables of fans. There was also a “New Author’s Breakfast” where we were introduced and had another chance to pitch our books.

Cheryl: Mike, I have a few follow-up questions.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your pitch to Deni Dietz? (Geezer lit seems to be warm and getting hotter).<

Mike: I pitched the concept of a humorous mystery with a “challenged” protagonist who has to overcome the adversity of his short-term memory lost to solve the crime. Paul Jacobson keeps a journal as a memory aid. Themes in the novel in addition to the mystery include aging, short-term memory loss and relationships (Paul has a romance with a young chick in her seventies).

Cheryl: Did you negotiate over the contract at all? Did you talk about a paperback edition?

Mike: I didn’t have an agent, and the contract is very standard with little room to negotiate. I retain paperback rights as Five Star only publishes hardcovers now. At one time they were also doing trade paperback, but no longer.

Cheryl: How did you learn about the large print edition?

Mike: It was an option in my contract and I sent a note to my marketing person at Five Star early-on requesting the large print edition, given my audience of older readers. In follow-on discussions, Five Star informed me that a large print edition was planned for April and it did come out. Now I’m requesting a second print run as it has been well-accepted by libraries and I need copies for events I do in retirement homes.

Cheryl: What sort of marketing efforts have you put into this?

Mike: A lot of word of mouth campaigns, conferences, book signings at Colorado book stores, Mystery Through The Ages Panels, talks and signings at retirement homes, publicity through the corporate website of the company where I work (I still have a day job and I was interviewed and the interview and my picture appeared on our company website which generated a lot of sales to co-workers), email notification to bookstores and libraries, postcard mailings to bookstores and libraries, lots of bookmarks given away, article in Mystery Scene Magazine about my mom and stepfather who were part of the inspiration for the novel, a good review in Library Journal (Five Star is good at getting ARCs to the major reviewers), website.

Cheryl: Would you recommend Tekno to other first-time authors? What kind of advice would you give them?

Mike: Tekno Books/Five Star represent a very good way to jump start a writing career. The hardcover route is difficult because of pricing, but does lead to reviews that often wouldn’t happen with paperpacks. Five Star puts out a quality product, solicits input from the author on jacket design and I’ve been very pleased with the attractive and eye-catching result. I’d recommend going with a standalone to Five Star (to get known) followed by a series to a larger publisher.

Cheryl: How did you hook up with Beth Groundwater (A Real Basket Case) and Patricia Stoltey (The Prairie Grass Murders)?

Mike: I met Beth at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference several years ago. At the 2006 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference, John Helfers was in attendance, and all the Five Star authors and John got together one evening. I met Patricia then and Beth pulled us all together for the “Mystery Through The Ages” concept.

My thanks to Mike Befeler for sharing his experience. Mike’s book is available at:Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Five Star Publishing, Books a Million

Visit Mike’s website.

Our “daddy” guest today is author Adam Woodworth, whose first book The Rantings of a 33-Year-Old Father of Two was published in 2005. He followed this with More Rantings of a 33-Year-Old Father of Two.

Our “mommy” guest is author Bethany Hiitola. According to her website, “If she’s not mothering, scheduling, grumping, working, sleeping, or drinking coffee, she’s usually writing.”

Both authors are members of the Chicago Writers Association.

Cheryl: Adam, let’s start with you. I’d like to know a little about your family situation and how it led to a book of rants, then another book.

Adam: Adam: I am married, with 2 children ages 11 and 5. My 11-year-old has cerebral palsy and a form of epilepsy. The first book I wrote was a children’s book based on a real-life story about him that is yet to be published (but I am working on it).

The Rantings books came as a result of a stand-up comedy routine I was working on. I had wanted to try my hand at it. However, my work situation and having 2 kids at home really didn’t make me a candidate for a happily married comic so I never tried. Instead, I put it in a book. The Rantings books are really my rants on society and I discuss the need to protect my children from a variety of people.

Cheryl: Beth, tell us a little about your family situation and how it led to a mommy lit book.

Beth: I’ve always written fiction–though it has been in the darkest corner of my house. I had a problem with sharing my work with others. And with having the dream of publication. I knew it was a hard road to follow with a low probability of success in the traditional routes. So I let that deter my writing efforts for years (I have the hard gig [size] space of book starts to prove it).

However, once my son was born things changed a bit. I was working at home full time with an infant. And what was once long days (10 hours or so)–turned into long never-ending days (who can keep up with deadlines with an infant around?). And I started feeling a bit deflated and isolated. Not to mention I was juggling too much at the time.

Near the holidays my hours got cut back to about half time (this isn’t completely uncommon in consulting) and I took advantage of what felt like extra moments in my day. I started writing again. Though this time, instead of plain women’s contemporary fiction, I played with the idea of Mommy Lit. Focusing on real women (my case suburban women) with children and the madness called parenting. As luck would have it, I also found a bit of comedy and paranormal elements to throw into the equation as well! I mean, who can resist a genie in the dish soap helping distraught mothers?

Still new to motherhood the writing while mothering thing didn’t come easy (still). I wrote in 10 - 15 minute chunks for about 9 months (maybe a year) and finished a novel. Then I revised and started query agents immediately (I didn’t want to lose my confidence). To my amazement, I was getting requests for partials. And after a couple revisions more (based on feedback), I finally landed my current agent a year later. Now we are submitting.

But that trick of writing in 15 minute chunks? Well it was what Oprah calls a light bulb moment–and one that I still use today! It is the only way I could write novels, have a day job, be married, and have children. Basically it has saved my career and I still try to write that way!

Cheryl: Adam, who do you think buys your books? I’m guessing more women buy books about being a mommy than men buy books about being a dad. Did this slow you up or simply challenge you?

Adam: This is a good question and from book signings I’ve narrowed it down to two people: Women and teenagers. Not for themselves, but for their husbands/fathers. I have a blog that gets a lot of traffic. I don’t ask for demographic information but as people e-mail and I find out more about them, I’m seeing a real cross-section of men and women from high school age to their late 60’s.

I had initially thought that dads would buy the book but I didn’t specifically market to dads. Having a background in marketing, I knew that women are the ones making the majority of the purchasing decision in the home; therefore, I started fairly broad with my marketing to see if that held true for my book… and it has.

Cheryl: Who do you think will buy your books once your published, Beth?

Beth: I would like to think when I finally do publish a book that it would be women just like me. The ones who shop at Target, balance life with motherhood, and are looking to be entertained while reading a book. My books aren’t meant to be the finest literature of our time–they are purely for fun. That is why I write them. So I hope that is why they get read!

Honestly, I think the whole women versus men buying and reading books is a bigger thing. In general, women BUY more books than men as a whole anyway. So of course, they are going to read more books then men. It might not really be the genre issue. If you look at my bookshelves, I read everything for historical non-fiction, to chic lit, to the classics, to contemporary literature of all types. Any avid reader probably has a similar eclectic taste. Or I’d like to think so anyway!

Cheryl: Okay, let’s explore this issue of marketing. Adam, how hard was it/is it to sell the daddy books?

Adam: The month leading up to Father’s Day does okay for me as long as I do some things to promote the book. Unless you have a powerful marketing firm or publishing house behind you, I think it is hard to sell any book.

Cheryl: Have you done anything you think has been particularly effective? (t-shirt, blog, etc.)

Adam: My blog, http://murder.booklocker.com/www.therantings.com/blog does particularly well for me. I write as a hobby and have a column in a local newspaper and that exposure has helped. I’m also expanding my writing to focus on philanthropy, specifically in the area of how businesses can partner with charitable organizations to stretch their marketing dollars.

I do have an on-line store at CafePress.com. I can’t say that it’s done amazing things for me, but I’ve generated a few extra dollars and there a few cars in the country with a “Back Off Moron!” license plate frame that also carries my website address.

I thought anything I could do to promote the books would be beneficial and a friend had introduced me to CafePress. I did do bookmarks and distributed them to a variety of places. I can’t really say how effective that was as I have no way to track it. However, I don’t believe that there is one silver bullet for marketing a book and what works for one person may not work for another.

Cheryl: Beth, any thoughts on marketing?

Beth: Again, I haven’t published anything yet. But I will say that I wasn’t afraid to have a presence on the web or blog about my writing process, my life as a women, a mother, and offer up some free writing on the web.

I published a short story, “Postpartum Euphoria,” that I posted as a PDF on my web site, and I do know my agent took a gander at that book after I queried her about my novel. So, as a package, it all helped. So much so, I know editors have also stopped by the web site as well. At least to take a look at how I am presenting myself and my work now (presale). All of which I think will help me EVENTUALLY sell a book. But maybe I am still wishful thinking!

Cheryl: I’d like to thank both my guests for taking part.

In Dianne Anderson’s discussion of Murder in the Grove, she brought up the story of M.M. Palmer. I followed that lead to Jo Grossman, the literary agent who signed M.M. Palmer.

Cheryl: Tell me something about your agency. Then tell me something about the decision to focus of suspense and mystery. I love the idea that as an author I can count on competing for your attention with only others in my genre. I’m guessing it also makes marketing easier as the number of “specialty” publishers or imprints is narrowed for you as well.

Jo: Grossman & Holmes, a new literary agency specializing in mystery and suspense fiction, grew from my love of a good mystery and my experience as proprietor of The Mystery Café which featured crime and nourishment (and spawned A TASTE OF MURDER and A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER, cookbooks featuring recipes from mystery authors). Having also tried my hand at writing mysteries (nary a one completed) I realized my time and energy would be better utilized by focusing my attention on the undiscovered and underdiscovered talent already out there.

Cheryl: The M.M. Palmer success story is a big one around Murder in the Grove as you might expect.

Jo: M.M’s story is really quite simple … timing! As the winner of MITG’s contest, M.M was guaranteed a one-on-one with an agent and I happened to be the one chosen by the committee. Having read her partial submission I found it well written and entertaining. M.M turned out to be very personable and, in addition to having created a very marketable, fun character, she also had many good ideas for promoting the book. We immediately hit it off and I asked to read more of the manuscript which I did on the flight home. She then sent me the balance and after working out some minor editing, I signed her. However, until we get it sold, I don’t consider it “a success story” … just a good step in the right direction!

Cheryl: What are the odds of that happening to any other author?

Jo: To be honest, I don’t know. Timing and talent are of the utmost importance. Who knows what the next mystery writers conference could bring for someone!

Cheryl: Can you tell me how GROSSMAN & HOLMES came to be at that conference?

Jo: The organizers of Murder in the Grove were looking for some new talent themselves … in the form of a little-known agent … and generously invited me to participate! Think it helped that Joanne Pence who was on the committee knew me from my cookbook, A TASTE OF MURDER (she was a contributor)!

Cheryl: What exactly did you do there? I know that you took pitches but anything else?

Jo: Prior to taking pitches, agent Meredith Bernstein, editor/author Denny Dietz and I appeared on a panel where we spoke briefly of what we each were looking for and then answered a wide assortment of questions from both the panel moderator and those in the audience… . These conferences offer a wonderful opportunity for all participants, authors, agents and fans alike, to schmooze and network with one another and I take full advantage of this.

Cheryl: What are your expectations when you agree to take pitches?

Jo: I go in with a very open mind. Depending on the event, pitch time can be as little as 5 minutes or as much as 15 so it’s important for the author to be as relaxed as possible in order to get their story across. I’m just excited to meet new authors and hear what they have to say!

Cheryl: Do authors ever search out your room number in the hotel and accost you there? Or in the bar? At supper? How many pitches do you hear in the hallways?

Jo: Most of the conferences I’ve attended, including Murder in the Grove, have been very comfortable, casual affairs making it easy for all attendees to have opportunities to meet/chat/pitch to agents, editors and other authors. I’ve found everyone to be very respectful of my time - many have stopped me in hallways but not a one has dared to invade the private space of my room!

Cheryl: What’s the most amusing thing involving you that’s happened at a conference?

Jo: An experience that comes to mind, although not related to agenting yet certainly underscoring the importance of networking and timing occurred when Robert Weibezahl (co-author of the cookbooks) and I had completed a panel on food in crime at Malice Domestic. As we were leaving we were approached by a gentleman who introduced himself as Felix Francis and stated that he enjoyed the panel, and “oh by the way,” his father would like very much “… to contribute his sticky toffee pudding recipe” to our next cookbook. His father is Dick Francis!

Cheryl: Can you give my readers a rough guess of how many conferences you do a year?

Jo: I love participating in the conferences and if time permits I attend any I’m lucky enough to be invited to.

Cheryl: Where do most of your contacts with authors come from? How do they find you?

Jo: When I first announced the agency, many authors I knew through my two cookbooks were supportive and listed my data on their websites as well as the sites for MWA (Mystery Writers of America) and SinC (Sisters in Crime). Conferences such as Bouchercon, Murder in the Grove and New England CrimeBake along with word-of-mouth really seem to be the main source of the submissions I receive.

Cheryl: How much editing do you generally have an author do to make his/her book more marketable? What are the most common changes that you find yourself recommending that an author make?

Jo: There are too many variables involved to generalize about this. Each manuscript exhibits its own problems - some are easy fixes while others require major rewrites. In the past, on a few occasions, when a manuscript required extensive re-writing to truly make it work, before taking the author on as a client, I gave basic notes and asked the author to do the re-write and send it back for me to make my final decision. (In one such case I signed the author.)

Cheryl: Many of my friends in the Chicago Writers Association are self-published. If they approached you to represent them, how would you view this fact? Would it matter? Matter a lot? Not at all?

Jo: I have no problem with authors who have self-published; in fact, having a track record of book sale is useful.

Jeanette (CWA colleague): What are the top three things they look for when they’re making a decision to represent/not someone? Is it the quality of the work, marketability, series potential, etc.?

Jo: I represent authors who write stand-alones as well as those who write series. From a publisher’s standpoint, marketability is key. They all want something that will conjure up good cover art since that’s what readers see first when seeking out new authors. This is understandable, and of course I take it into consideration, yet I truly believe that if a story isn’t original and fresh with strong voice and characters marketability won’t sell it.

Cheryl: Which leads me to ask, PARK RIDGE (my book) was self-published but is the first in a series. Does self-publishing spell doom for the rest of the series?

Jo: I have found that, in general, it’s more difficult to sell series that have been previously published, regardless of whether it was self-published, as an e-book or by a smaller imprint. Then again, if a series is strong there’s still a good chance of selling it particulary if the rights to the backlist belong to the author.

Cheryl: One of the folks interviewed on this blog has high hopes of his book being picked up and made into a blockbuster movie. What could you folks do for him?

[Midwest Book Review said of MY book “PARK RIDGE is an entertaining whodunit that rates with Agatha Christie and could easily convert to an enticing television movie.”] I’m smiling.

Jo: The odds of a novel being made into a blockbuster film is probably greater than those for having your first mystery take over the coveted #1 slot on the New York Times bestseller list. Having worked in TV and film production for many years I would suggest aiming for the smaller screen: cable television. Although I still know people in “the biz” I’m more interested in getting writers published first. That isn’t to say I wouldn’t pass along something I felt would be right for television ~~ or film.

Cheryl: A fellow writer had a great deal of success with his books. However, he was with a small press that eventually went under. He then had to find another press which after one book decided not to do further business. He has an agent who hasn’t been successful in locating another publisher. Could you comment on the difficulties — just generally.

What could you do for him?

Jo: He’s ahead of the game having already been published…not once, but twice. As we all are aware, there is a very extensive group of mystery writers all competing for the same coveted deals and unfortunately there isn’t room for everyone! I suggest if he has an agent with whom he’s developed a relationship and who’s willing to continue sending out his property that he stick with that person. Perhaps the writer should start a new series or take a look at his work to see why publishers are rejecting it. Maybe it’s time to abandon the old and go for something new.

Cheryl: I saw this question at another site, asked of another agent:

If you were asked by a struggling writer to recommend five or more brilliant works of fiction as must-reads, i.e., novels they could really learn something from, which ones would you recommend?

Jo: I don’t think I’m well-read enough to recommend even one, much less five, “brilliant works”. However, when asked recently by a friend to name my five favorite books, after ruminating a bit, my response was: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Harper Lee), A PORTRAIT OF JENNY (Robert Nathan), THE WIZARD OF OZ (L. Frank Baum — yes the book, NOT the movie), anything by Edgar Allan Poe and, what kind of mystery fan would I be if I didn’t include Arthur Conan Doyle!

Cheryl: Thanks for stopping by, Jo!

Submission Guidelines for Grossman & Holmes

It’s all Randy Richardson’s fault — him and his giving his novel away as a free ebook! From Randy’s interview to Joe Konrath’s blog to an article in Writers Weekly it’s been quite a journey.

I’ve just finished reading Richard Hoy’s article, “Giving Ebooks Away For Free - A Good Idea?” [By the way, although I didn’t get a link for my trouble, I’m pretty sure that I’m the author Richard refers to!]

Here’s my summary:

• First, he infers the inaccuracy of Cory Doctorow’s numbers due to the number of potential downloads by robots and search-engine spiders. However, he admits that even making allowance for this that “a large number of real people” are downloading the files.
• Second, because Doctorow has no system in place to directly link a download with a sale, Hoy suggests that the popularity of Doctorow’s blog could be the deciding factor, not the give-aways.
• Third, Hoy makes the argument heard everywhere else: “How do you create value for a book in the eyes of potential buyers if the author places no value on it by giving it away for free?”

Two things which make this article worth reading in its entirety are 1) an anecdote about an author who re-organized his website and sales dropped; and 2) the story of Doug Clegg’s serialization strategy.
[Compare this to Lew Weinstein’s plan]

Intrigued by Dianne Anderson’s mention of M.M. Palmer’s success, I contacted Palmer and asked her to tell me her story in her own words. She replied that she wasn’t sure that there was much story to tell, but that she would be happy to answer my questions concerning Jo Grossman, Murder in the Grove, or whatever else interested me.

Cheryl: I’m hoping to give a newbie (who has a manuscript in hand) some guidance.

M.M.: Two pieces of advice I’d give any newbie trying to find an agent (I’m assuming it’s a mystery because of the Murder in the Grove connection) is to join the Sisters in Crime online chapter known as Guppies. It has a subgroup just for writers trying to find agents and great support.

And two—if you are going to pitch—read from cover to cover, “Making the Perfect Pitch” by Katharine Sands.
[NOTE 1: Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent’s Eye, Katharine Sands, Editor. “Learn the secrets of Pitchcraft®! With advice from 40 top agents and industry experts, this book is full of sample query letters, pitching techniques, tales of pitching woe and wonder, valuable lists of dos and don’ts, and revelations of the likes and dislikes of top agents in the field.” NOTE 2: Sands, of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, will be at the 2007 MITG conference.]

Cheryl: Had you been to Murder in the Grove before?

M.M.: No.

Cheryl: As I understand it, you must have signed up to pitch the agent prior to the conference. Had you done that sort of thing before? Was your manuscript finished at the time? Had it been critiqued before? (anything along those lines would be helpful).

M.M.: Many writers conferences offer attendees the opportunity to pitch their manuscript. I had previously pitched (2005) at the Pacific NW Writers Conference and the Seattle Writers Conference which is no longer happening. I was asked for fulls by two agents and one editor. Based on feedback from them and others I had reading it, I spent another nine months rewriting it (cutting out 10K words).

I then submitted it to PNWA’s contest, the Debut Dagger, as well as Murder in the Grove. I won the PNWA and MITG and finished in the top 20 in Debut Dagger. I did NOT sign up to pitch at MITG or to attend. When I was called and told that I had won, I felt it was only good manners to show up and accept my reward. (I flew out and back the same day.) Jo had been sent my submission by the conference committee a head of time and wanted to meet me -— we hit it right off and that was that. So by winning I sort of circumvented the normal sign up process, not to mention the query process.

But to get back to your original question, generally speaking at the time you register you sign up for the agent (or agents) you want to pitch to. Since attending a conference isn’t cheap, you have to weigh the cost with the benefit. If you are attending simply to pitch to one agent, then it probably isn’t worth it. HOWEVER, there are other benefits to attending, e.g., workshops, meeting other writers, panel discussions, etc. You also should carefully research the agents that will be attending —- if they rep only romances and you’ve written a hardboiled PI, you may want to rethink going.

Cheryl: Did you have a chance to chat with anyone else who had pitched? Did you compare notes?

M.M.: When I pitched in 2005, I practiced with my critique group but that was all.

Cheryl: Can you recount the conversation or give us some sense of how it went? (I’ve never pitched before so I’m really curious how you prepared and what it was like)

M.M.: I wrote out my pitch and practiced it until it literally rolled off the tongue. (Think elevator speech) I followed the advice given in the book I mentioned previously. After making the pitch the agent asked a few questions -— like if it was completed. You are assigned before the conference an appointment time with the agent of your choice and 10-20 minutes to pitch (varies between conferences), usually in a large room with the agents sitting behind tables—sort of like a job interview.

You have to remember they will be hearing pitches all day long so you want to say something that will stand out—stick in their mind. Usually they will ask you to send some sort of submission (the first 50 pages plus synopsis is typical) unless it is not a genre/subgenre they represent or your pitch really stinks. The advantage to this is that when you send it off to them you can print “Requested Material” on the envelope which helps move it to the top of the slush pile. Oh, and be sure and to have a business card with you.

I didn’t sign up to pitch at MITG—Jo and I just sat and talked for half an hour, because she’d already read my synopsis and the first few pages. I did take the first 50 pages with me which she took with her, but usually agents don’t ask for a submission during the conference. They don’t want to tote them back on the plane.

Cheryl: How was the actual experience different from what you had imagined?

M.M.: Not too different. I’d read a lot about it and talked to others. It goes fast and can be a little anti-climactic when its over (you’ve been preparing for weeks). But you do learn that agents are just people like you -— not gods. Most are really nice. I did a great deal of research on each agent I spoke with, trying to find some common ground to mention, e.g., a hobby, a favorite author they rep, whether they lived where I used to live, that sort of thing.

Cheryl: What happened next?

M.M.: I sent off the requested material to the agents and, as I said, I ended up doing yet another rewrite. Then a year later a met Jo.

Cheryl: Would you recommend the experience for a newbie?

M.M.: Yes —- but not just for the pitching, the whole conference experience can be quite enlightening and rewarding. A good place to network.

Cheryl: Is there anything you would have done differently?

M.M.: No.

Cheryl: Finally, how’s the second book coming?M.M.: Well . . . I’ve got it well mapped out and a couple of chapters written but family matters have really interfered with my writing this winter. I am just now getting back to it, having spent the last couple of months clearing the decks so to speak.

Tags: M.M. Palmer, Pitches, Interview, Murder in the Grove

I’ve been wanting to do a post on Submission Tracking for authors. I queried folks on the forum about their experiences because the Chicago Writers Association includes poets, freelancers, short story writers and academics who would be more familiar with the need to track submissions. I got the following from Paul Wolf:

“I have been submitting short stories, and occasionally a poem of two, to literary journals for over twenty-five years. My book, “Varied Images: The Short Stories of Paul F. Wolf,” is a compilation of the first 47 stories that I have published. I was in magazines like The Georgetown Review, Left Curve, Puerto del Sol, StoryQuarterly, Other Voices, Sou’Wester, Wisconsin Review, William and Mary Review, and such as that. Plus some very small ones, like zines, depending on the story. And some other very nice publications that just did not have huge circulations or well known names.

“I always submit a story to five publications at a time. I could tell you tale after tale of how badly the magazines treat writers, so I ignore the request for no multiple submissions. When they hold, and then reject, a story after five years, you learn fast you have to look out for yourself. They lose them, never return them, they get lost in the mail. So I feel it’s an ethical decision to do multiple submissions. That is to say, it’s ethically related to the work and effort you, yourself, put into those stories.

“I have not, except for about three occasions, had a story accepted by two journals at the same time. It rarely happens because it is quite difficult to get published in literary journals. If it does happen, you send the journal you decide to place the story in an acceptance letter, and the others you send a letter saying that you regretfully have to withdraw the story from consideration. With some words as to how much you respect their publication and hope to submit to them again in the future. Do not give a reason for the withdrawal.

“A story can receive as many as 40 to 50 rejections before it finds a home. (Or you may hit it on the first five mailings.) It is often published many years after it was first written, and has gone through many rewrites. So time is against you from the start. Tenacity and multiple submissions are your wedge agaist these odds that are stacked up against you.

“Anyhow, that is my take on multiple submissions.”

– P. Wolf     

I wrote back to Paul asking how he kept all that stuff straight. This is his reply:

“Just make 2 charting sheets.

Each story, or poem, has a chart sheet, like this:

Date Sent

Date Returned

Where Sent

“Then you have another set of sheets with the names of the journals on them:

Name	From	Sent
Mississippi Review	Writers Market, 2007	3-29-07
Missouri Review	Writer’s Market, 2006	2-12-05
Snake Nation Review	Poets Market, 2007	1-12-06

“When the story comes back, mark the individual story sheet with the return date. Then look at the journal sheet that you had sent the story to, and erase the date that you sent it to that journal. In this way, you have a record of where you sent the story, how long they held it, and whether or not you have a previous submission still out to that journal.

“The hard part of this is the initial making of the sheet that has all of the journals on it. But once made, you can just add or subtract journals to it. I’ve used the same one for 25 years. I prefer them on sheets of paper that I can thumb through, but I am sure you could set up a nice one on your computer.

“I hope that helps.”

– P. Wolf     

Jennifer Brown-Banks, another Chicago Writers Association member had this to say:

“Since I am under contract with several publications, I rarely have to do multiple submissions. I definitely don’t do them if an editor/publisher specifies that it is not something they accept.

“When I do, I simply create a chart that lists the name of the article, the date, and the publications to which I’ve sent. I also indicate the status, and the response time expected. I try to wait the full requested “waiting period” before sending work elsewhere, unless I consider it unreasonable.

“In more than 15 years, I’ve only had 1 unfortunate incident with 2 publications wanting to run the same thing simultaneously. But trust me, it’s not something you want to happen often.

– Jennifer Brown-Banks     

The idea for this post has been rolling around ever since I saw Science Fiction & Fantasy author Carol Hightshoe’s public record of her submissions from 1999-2005 on a webpage. It differs radically in its approach from Paul’s. When I emailed her and asked why she had posted rather personal information on the web, she replied,

“I guess the primary reasons why I started posting that information was to show that persistence can pay off and also as an example of one method of submissions tracking for anyone who might be interested.”I’ve received several emails in the past from people who have found the page that has my submissions record interesting and were also glad to find out they are not the only writer out there collecting numerous rejections.”

The categories from Ms. Hightshoe’s submission log are:

I did a little more searching on the web and found something that as a novel writer (PARK RIDGE — buy the book already! ) that I could really appreciate. It’s what seems to me to be a real break-through at Kunati (book publisher). I quote in part from a post on their blog:

What is KUNATI SUBMISSION TRACKING?

“We’re excited about this. As we became more and more popular, and because we remain true to our mandate to personally respond to all submissions, we have created the FIRST (we think!) online submission tracking.”

The categories from their program are:

• Query and synopsis received
• Query and synopsis responded with “not quite right for us” with reason
• Query and synopsis responded with “please send more”
• Chapter and synopsis received and in queue to be read
• Chapter received, synopsis MISSING, will not be read until synopsis sent
• Chapter/synopsis responded with “not quite right for us” with reason
• Chapter/synopsis responded with “please send manuscript”
• Manuscript requested
• Manuscript received
• Manuscript in the queue
• Manuscript read, response sent

There are several good articles available on submission tracking:

• Submission Tracking by Linda S. Dupie
  Shows you how to use a notebook, index cards, or computer for tracking.
• TRACKING MANUSCRIPTS Bud Sparhawk
  Strong argument for tracking if you’re serious about your work. Other really helpful hints.
• Keeping ‘em on the Street by Terry Hickman
  Includes info on how to decide where to send what and why. Charts.

I found one online database that you could use (this is not an endorsement): The Writer’s Database: Market & Submission Tracker (since 2002)

“The Writer’s Database will keep track of all the markets for your writing, and the status of all the submissions you’ve sent out to each market. With a click of the mouse, you can easilly check on a market’s:

Contact information

• Rate of pay
• Estimated response time
• Category of writing wanted
• Guidelines and other personalized notes

And you can keep track of:

• Titles you’ve written
• Date you sent out each submission
• Acceptance or rejection
• Amount of money earned for each sale
• Editor’s comments and other notes”

There’s also lots of software available for purchase. The Open Directory is listing the following (as of 15-Mar-07):

• Quick Query Tracker - Software application that enables tracking of manuscript submissions and queries, and producing reports on your writing business.
• SAMM - Free manuscript tracking software for Windows or DOS.
• Slushomatic - A free tool for writers to create and track submissions to magazines. Auto-generate printable submission documents.
• SwiftTrack - Submission tracking software for writers from SwiftTech Software.
• Ultima Thule: Writer’s Database - WriteDB is a database system that enables writers to keep track of the works they have created, the potential publishers they have identified and any submissions to those publishers.
• Write Again - Writing management tool. Helps writers, poets, freelancers and other literary artists manage their projects, markets/contacts, submissions, deadlines and finances.
• The Writer’s Database: Submission Tracker - A free web-based database for writers to keep track of markets and submissions sent out.