A Letter to Myself About Writer's Block

I’ve been having an issue with writer’s block lately. Don’t get me wrong—I’m still writing every day for my blog and podcast as I have deadlines to meet! But I also have a new novel that I’ve taken the time to fully outline, however, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to even begin to write the opening pages. I would like to begin this project while I await hearing back from a few agents on my current manuscript, but I’m letting responses I've already received from some agents hold me back. I’ve begun to doubt that my writing will ever be "literary or good enough" to be published traditionally.

WOW! Executive Editor Angela Mackintosh mentioned she had been taking a writing class, and the instructor discussed this very topic because it’s so prevalent among writers. The instructor asked the writers to write her a letter explaining why they were “blocked.” I decided to give that a try, and here are a few excerpts from this “letter to myself.” 

I’ve been writing fiction for many years now and thoroughly enjoy it. I got my first taste of success when WOW! Women on Writing published my flash fiction story, “In the Depths,” inspired by the real-life disappearance of Kyle Fleischmann from Charlotte, N.C. Somehow, I picked up a few more awards from Writer’s Digest, a publication I’ve always greatly admired. 

My most recent novel, “It’s a Miracle I’m Alive,” has me inching closer to the goal of being a published novelist. It’s nothing I’ve ever written or read before, almost a blend of genres if you will. I’ve described it as women’s fiction, new adult, mystery, suspense/thriller, and book club fiction. It’s inspired by my podcasting journey, and the protagonist is a podcaster. I’ve had three manuscript requests since last summer and one partial. This has never happened before with any other novels I've written! 

But hearing back from some of the early requests made me feel like my work simply isn’t “literary” enough. I’ve spent most of my career writing non-fiction, so I guess this makes sense to me. I feel like I’ve gotten a good grasp on plotting, outlining, and creating an “intriguing premise,” but now I worry that my writing is lacking. I did, after all, get rejected from the only two MFA programs I ever applied to, and I feel like it’s because I didn’t have enough fiction published at the time. 

For now, I’m going to print out the entire outline and get to work. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I can trade chapters with some of my writer friends and I know they will show me where the work needs improvement along the way. This is a story that needs to be told for women my age, and I can’t continue to be afraid of doing that. 

It seems fitting that today I completed this month’s novel for my neighborhood book club, “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting.” The protagonist of the novel, Iona, is an unforgettable 57-year-old British woman who eventually changes the lives of a small group of commuters in her orbit. The author, Clare Pooley, discussed the inspiration for her novel in a section at the back of the book. 

Her words struck me to the core: “It makes me furious that as men age, they gain gravitas. They become “silver foxes.” Women, however, become invisible. We cannot allow this to happen, my friends. We must all be more Iona. We all deserve, like Iona, to have a Triumphant Second Act. Writing is mine. I had my first novel published at the age of fifty, and I am grateful every day to all the readers all over the world who’ve bought and recommended my books.” 

As a writer who just turned 48 this past fall, Pooley gave me the pep talk I needed to continue pursuing my second act, my dream of becoming a published novelist. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve earned it. 

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer who produces the true crime podcast, Missing in the Carolinas, which has received more than 500,000 downloads from all over the world. Learn more at www.missinginthecarolinas.com and www.FinishedPages.com.

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1 comment Clare Pooley, querying agents, Renee Roberson, writer's block, writing advice

Ask the Book Doctor: About Agents and Publishers

By Bobbie Christmas

 

Q: I just received an encouraging response from an agent I queried regarding my fiction manuscript. The agent requested a description (approximately one-page summary) and a synopsis (approximately two- to five-page-summary).

 

What do you think the agent is looking for in the description? Do you think it’s supposed to be just a more condensed version of the synopsis?

 

A: Congratulations on getting an encouraging response from an agent—a rarity!

 

As I understand the difference, a description describes the book and can include teasers. It talks about the book, rather than just the story in the book. It might start this way:

 

“What happens when a forty-seven-year-old woman finds herself divorced and destitute in Chicago? In 1962 Mary Devine, rather than become homeless, turns her abode into a house of ill repute. In 80,000 words The Escapades of Madam Devine, a quirky contemporary novel, covers Devine’s adventures, challenges, setbacks, and triumphs with a few hilarious twists.”

 

The description might go on to compare the book to one by John Irving or some other humorous writer.

 

A synopsis, on the other hand, has no teasers. It covers the entire plot from beginning to end. The synopsis never talks about the book, only about the story. It never asks questions, compares the book to other books, or teases the reader the way a description can.

 

Q: I’ve been submitting my manuscript to several publishers and agents. One publisher gave lots of praise for the submission but said it didn’t accept unagented manuscripts. One agent said he “saw the talent,” but said he’d had problems placing similar proposals recently. Do these niceties mean anything, or are they just letting me down gently?

 

A: Most agents and publishers have little time to let people down gently. While rejections used to be sent by preprinted letters, boilerplate emails, or rubber-stamped rejection notices, today most agents and publishers simply don’t respond at all if they aren’t interested. Agents and publishers have nothing to gain by taking extra time to write a nice note. A personal comment of any kind is rare, and when a comment is complimentary, frame it! You have the rarest form of rejection, and it means you are getting close.

 

Keep revising and submitting your work. Keep creating more. Ponder the point that similar proposals have been difficult to place. Think how you might revise your proposal or book to make it more marketable. Look at bestseller lists to see what’s selling. Keep going, and take pride in any “good” rejection.

 

Q: Do you have a suggestion for a book I have produced in Canada? I have sold 4,000 copies in Canada and am considering submitting it to a US publisher, but I haven’t a clue as to who publishes history books in America.

 

A: It’s the author’s job to perform the research. Go to bookstores or check online for books in your category and see who published it. Buy Writer’s Market (about $21 for the Kindle version) and make a list of publishers that publish history and don’t require an agent. Also use the book to look for agents who handle books on history.

 

Some publishers won’t take pre-published work, but because yours has a strong sales record and great reviews, if you’re willing to speak and promote it, you may be able find a publisher in America.

 

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Send your questions to Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style: Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or BZebra@aol.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/.

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Leave a Comment agent responses to query letters, Ask the book doctor, Bobbie Christmas, publisher responses to manuscript submissions, querying agents

4 Tips from the Query Trenches

Image by 巻（Maki） from Pixabay

In December, I started querying my nonfiction proposal “Wild Cities.” This third grade series is about wildlife in our urban and suburban areas. It leans heavily into the Anthropocene which is a reference to the changes human beings are making on the world. 

Last night after dinner I received my first email response. It only took me a moment to realize that it was a fairly long form rejection. I say, “fairly long.” It was 9 or 10 lines of text. 

Maybe it’s just me, but if there’s no feedback specific to my manuscript, you don’t have to tell me how much you anticipated reading it or how you hate sending rejections. You can say it all with “thank you, but no.” Or even “no, thank you.” 

Yes, I frequently come in under word count. Why do you ask? 

I’m still hoping to hear something positive from another agent, but I’m not waiting before I send it back out. And that’s my first tip. . . 

Query in Batches 

You can do this by sending out five queries at once. Or you can query one or two agents a day for a week. Basically, don’t send out just one. You don’t know how many queries it will take before you contact just the right agent on just the right day and get a “yes.” Some writers send queries out in large batches. One writer I know queried 75 agents at once. I prefer smaller batches because you may hear something back that will enable you to improve your manuscript. That said. . . 

Don’t Expect a Response 

I tried to Google how many queries agents receive. The numbers I found ranged from several dozen a day to several hundred a week. Specific numbers aside, not every agent will respond. They simply get too many queries, and don’t have the time. Yes, it would be nice if they did, but even those who respond to everyone will most likely send a form rejection. The crème de la crème of form rejections will include your name and manuscript title, but they are still form rejections. Instead of sending out form rejections, many agents will tell you up front that “no response means no.” 

Be Prepared to Pivot 

When you’ve sent out a number of queries and heard nothing, be prepared to pivot. How many queries do I mean by “a number?” It depends on the size of your market. I tend to reevaluate things after 10 to 20 queries. This doesn’t mean that I revise my manuscript although I may. What it means is that I take a hard look at who I am querying. I write primarily nonfiction. Many agents, and we’re talking children and young adult agents, say they want nonfiction, but they mean something more specific. Maybe they only get excited about picture book biographies. Or they may want middle grade nonfiction. If I hear nothing, I likely need to look harder at who I’m querying. 

Work on Something Else 

Finally, once you start sending out queries, get to work on something else. I am currently working on the draft of my cozy (half way!), several contracted jobs, and some drawings. When I get a bit more done on these, I’m doing one more draft of a picture book manuscript. Our own Angela Mackintosh teases me about the variety of things I work on at any given time. It is both a blessing and curse. The curse is that I sometimes struggle to get one thing done. The blessing is that when I get a rejection, I can pick up my pens and sketch something out. 

One rejection isn’t nearly enough to know how I’m doing on this round of queries. Although we hear stories about people finding representation with their first query, those are Cinderella tales. Although I wouldn’t have said no if it had worked, the reality is that querying takes time and numerous attempts. Fortunately WOW! is a great place to find the support that you need as you work your way through the process.

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of 40 books for young readers.  

• To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.  
• Click here to find her newsletter.

She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin again on February 5, 2024. 
She teaches:

• Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work 
• Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 
• Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults 

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5 comments querying, querying agents, Sue Bradford Edwards, while you query

4 Things to Remember Before You Query an Agent

 

By Linnea Gradin

 

In today’s publishing landscape, opportunities to get traditionally published without an agent are far and few between. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but in order to be taken seriously—or to even be considered at all—most publishers require manuscripts to pass through an agent before landing on an editor’s desk. And the competition is fierce.

 

So if you’re looking to increase your chances of landing an agent, here are 4 things to remember before you start querying.

 

1. Give agents something they can sell

 

This might be a slightly demoralizing note to start on, but the publishing industry is a business just like any other. Profit margins and sale predictions are central to decision making, so if you can help agents easily imagine your book’s target audience, and where it might fit into the market, you significantly increase your odds of being noticed.

 

To do so, you’ll need a roughly completed (well-edited) manuscript, with a clear mark potential. Simply saying “I put a lot of effort into this, so please publish it” is unlikely to get you very far. Take a step back and consider your book as a reader or bookseller would: what unique selling points does it have compared to other titles on the market?

 

If you’re unsure of whether you’re getting it right, it can be helpful to get some external feedback from friends, beta readers, or even a professional editorial assessment.

 

2. Focus on finding a good fit

 

To further increase your chances, research what agents might be the best fit for you. Knowing your book well is a precondition for this, as it will help you narrow down your alternatives. If you’re writing literary fiction, for instance, Stephen King’s agent is probably not right for you, even if it sounds impressive.

 

Rather, take a look at other books in the same genre and category as you, and look into what agents represent the authors you admire. If you reach out to this type of agent, you show that you’ve done your due diligence and know your audience well. If an agent is more niched, they are also more likely to understand your vision and know what editors to reach out to.

 

Also, bigger agents may already have a full client list and might not be able to spend as much time on your manuscript as a smaller agent would, while a junior agent may not hold as much sway in the industry. Consider this tradeoff and what matters most to you when it comes to getting representation.

 

3. Personalize and perfect your query letter

 

To convince your dream agent that you have a book worth signing, you’ll need to craft a perfect query letter.

 

Nothing in your creative writing classes probably prepared you for query letter writing, but the good news is that it’s a skill you can perfect. A query letter should contain a strong hook, an intriguing synopsis, and perhaps some notes on your credentials as an author, but besides that, it should also be personalized and specific to the agent/agency you’re submitting to. This personalization shows that you’ve done your research. It has to be sincere or an agent will immediately write your letter off as a copy-paste job.

 

You can also hire an editor to help you: they will have a strong sense of market trends and what agents are looking for when they assess manuscripts.

 

4. Stay persistent and organized when querying

 

Querying is a numbers game, and can be mentally and emotionally draining. After receiving inevitable rejections and intangible feedback—or, worse, no replies at all—it’s easy to give up. But by going into the querying process with a clear idea of what it entails as well as a solid structure with small, achievable goals to work towards, you’re giving yourself a good chance to beat the odds of publishing. 

 

Consider tracking how many query letters you’ve written, how many you’ve submitted, and who you’ve followed up with in a simple spreadsheet. With luck, hard work, and persistence you’ll hopefully end up with a couple of yeses and can start listing the pros and cons of working with each agent before you sign with one.

 

 

Querying is a daunting process, but also an exciting chapter to enter as an author, bringing you one step closer to your dream. Rather than sitting back and thinking that the hard work is over, this is the time to buckle down. By keeping these tips in mind and remembering to ask for help when you need it, representation is within your reach.

 

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Linnea Gradin writes about writing and publishing over at Reedsy: a website with resources on everything from NaNoWriMo to writing templates that connects authors with the industry’s top professionals—from editors to ghostwriters to book cover designers.

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Leave a Comment finding an agent, Linnea Gradin, Query Letter, querying agents

The Upside of Resistance

I’ve been thinking about resistance a lot lately. (And not just because Chris Hemsworth used those resistance bands to get ripped for Thor: Love and Thunder.)

I’m like that petulant kindergartener, fighting the first day back to school after a delightful summer vacation. I’m digging in my heels, whining to…well, in my case, Libs the poor dog. “I don’t want to,” I moan as I tackle the latest obstacle. 

Not that Libs cares. She doesn’t understand that I resist because things change, and my lazier self gets tired of learning the new way, even though while I’m in the midst of learning, I’m also often thinking, “Oh! This is much better!” 

Take a query, for example. It wasn’t that long ago when there were general query guidelines that one could reasonably follow and send in a simple email to an agent. But then every writer began throwing queries out there and inboxes overflowed like quarters spilling out of a winning slot machine. 

So agents realized that they needed a new and better way to deal with queries. Many agents went with a managing platform like Submittable, which required a writer to get an account. Now, an agency may have their own query manager set-up or a client portal or I don't know...a digital mind-meld? 

The point is, it’s that technology bugaboo rearing its scary head. Technology, that’s the crux of much of the change that writers face. We live in a digital age so new and better tech comes along every day and what was cutting-edge just a few years ago is now passé, right? It’s a fulltime job keeping on top of it all! 

But you just want to write, you say. And writing hasn’t changed—it’s still thinking up stuff and putting words on the page. 

It is, dear writer. And if you’re only concerned about the words in your journal, then you’re sitting pretty (maybe in front of your typewriter). But if you want to get your words out in the world, your poetry, your articles, your books, your podcasts, then you’re likely going to have to learn something new. 

But here’s the good news: learning new things keeps your brain fit and you healthy. So even while I’m resisting—and perhaps I mentioned that’s practically a daily occurrence over here in the Hall house—I feel pretty darn good when I conquer the new thing. And the older I get, the more important it is to me to fight the good fight, to stretch beyond the “I don’t want to!” to “Okay, I got it now!”

It’s survival of the fittest in this industry, y’all. So embrace the changes that will keep you in the writing game and I promise you, it won’t be just your brain that stays sharp. Your emotional well-being will thrive as well. Yay for resistance bands!

~Cathy C. Hall (who conquered book cover design like a Thor! So what have you conquered lately?)

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4 comments Cathy C. Hall, Chris Hemsworth, querying agents, Submittable, technology in writing, Thor: Love and Thunder