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Top Five Ways to Impress a Publisher

April 1, 2021 by Karin Beery 1 Comment

Too many well-written manuscripts disappear in the slush pile every year. Make sure that doesn’t happen to your manuscript by implementing these top five ways to impress a publisher.*

CC: Your Submission to Multiple People. Nothing proves how serious you are about publishing your manuscript quite like copying all your favorite publishers on the same email. Once they see how many people you’re contacting at the same time, they’ll want to contact you right away to make sure they get to you first.
Use a Form Letter. Busy writers don’t have time to research publishers or editors. Instead, create a universal query letter you can submit to anyone you think might be interested in your story.
Embellish. If you’ve been published before, make sure to mention that you’re a best-selling and/or award-winning author. Publishers are too busy to look you up online to make sure it’s true. They don’t know you. They’ll trust you.
Follow your personal preferences. Industry standards stifle the creative process. If you prefer typing in 14-point Comic Sans script on a single-spaced document with half-inch margins, go for it. Publishers will recognize your creativity.
Contact them frequently. Publishers are busy. Smaller house might only publish 4-10 books per year, but larger houses publish hundreds. It’s easy to understand how your manuscript might accidentally disappear beneath another email, so you’ll want to email them again. You might even need to call them to make sure they’ve received and are reading your masterpiece.

These five tricks will help you stand out among the other manuscript submissions and make a name for yourself in the publishing world.

Good luck!

*If these tips made you cringe, congratulations! You couldn’t be fooled. For the REAL top five ways to impress a publisher, sign up for my newsletter today, and you’ll have the list delivered to your inbox this weekend (April 3, 2021—if you discovered this post too late to get that newsletter, contact me and I’ll make sure you get a copy).

Top Six Overdone Male Tropes by Gregg Bridgeman

March 30, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

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Romance tropes aren’t the only overdone storylines in novels these days. Some character types are so overused that they’ve become cliche. Today, Gregg Bridgeman — Editor-in-Chief of Olivia Kimbrell Press — shares his thoughts on the overdone heroes of contemporary Christian fiction.

In Christian books, what are, in your opinion, the MOST overused male tropes? Examples:

#1 The “Crazy Vet” trope. Despite the fact that millions of American men have served in the military honorably and courageously, and go home to lead productive lives as husbands, fathers, and godly men — it seems that any time a veteran is written about in the last 30 years he is somehow mentally disabled or suffers from crippling post traumatic stress disorder. (As a combat vet myself, this trope is deeply offensive and dishonors not just me but every man I ever served alongside as well as those who didn’t make it home.)

#2 The “chosen one” trope. The chosen one is a common fantasy trope. His identity typically revolves around a task that’s been set aside for him, which he typically pursues without much hesitation or complication. Like Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, and Harry Potter, the “chosen one” is often, conveniently, an orphan.

#3 The “mad scientist” slash “absent-minded professor” trope. Going back to Dr. Frankenstein (or any number of sorcerer antecedents), the mad scientist is usually a villain, driven by an eccentric, antisocial personality and unrestrained hubris or a desire to play God. The mad scientist’s benign counterpart is the nerdy “absent-minded professor” who’s so engrossed by his work that he struggles to relate to “normal people.”

#4 The “antihero” trope. Antiheroes are typically cynical loners with major personality flaws, often darkly appealing “bad boys.” Like normal heroes, the antihero still drives the story, but often to a more dangerous place. Tony Soprano, Walter White, and the grittier versions of Batman or other vigilantes are all prime examples of modern antiheroes. These days, antiheroes are almost as common as idealized heroes.

#5 The “small town hero comes home” trope. This man is from a small town but moves to the city. Once he has achieved success, he returns to his small home town for some reason. Usually, this is becuse one or more of his parents fall ill or have died. Then (dramatic pause) eye contact with the old high school sweetheart results in magic and they live happily ever after.

#6 The “Male Girlfriend” trope. This is hypothetically a male character, except that every action and every word of dialogue is distinctly NOT male. He could just as easily be replaced with a female “girlfriend” character and the reader wouldn’t notice. None of his motivations or internal thoughts/feelings are identifiable as “male” character traits.

What would you say are THE MOST overused MALE tropes in books you have read in the last few years?

It’s Karin again. The guy I’m most tired of is Casual Man. He never takes anything seriously. He never worries about anything. Still, everything works out for him and his lifestyle proves to everyone that being on time and setting boundaries are overrated. I don’t mind Casual Man, but only if his laid-back attitude sometimes bites him in the bum. My hubby is Casual Man. He’s helped me relax a LOT, but he’s also become a more dependable, reliable person since we’ve gotten married. I’d like to see THAT in a book!

Gregg began operating Olivia Kimbrell Press in 2011 acting as Editor-in-Chief. Then as now, he operates the press as a ministry. The primary objective remains that of lifting up and helping ministry-minded Biblical authors fulfill the Great Commission — to bring the Gospel message to the entire world — for every tribe and every nation. Gregg currently serves in the National Guard, is a decorated combat veteran, and is best known for his technical savvy and attention to the smallest detail. Website: www.oliviakimbrellpress.com .

How I Write: Jo Ann Brown

March 22, 2021 by Karin Beery 1 Comment

Publishing has changed a lot in the past twenty years, and those who are willing to adapt are continuing to succeed and thrive in the new market. Jo Ann Brown has made some changes over the years, so she’s enjoyed a long, successful publishing career. Here’s how she does it:

Thank you for being here! Let’s start with what you write and how you picked your genre.

I write Amish inspirational romances. I’d been writing other types of inspirational fiction for several years, including cozy mysteries, when an editor asked me to do a story with Amish characters. Because I have lived (and now again live) near the Amish, I was excited to try. That was several years ago, and now I write exclusively Amish books for Harlequin Love Inspired and Annie’s. My next book will be the launch book for the new Love Inspired Trade line, and it will be an Amish inspirational romance.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

The first book was the easiest to write and the toughest to sell. I came into the project with unbridled enthusiasm and incredible naivety. I didn’t know the “rules” so I could break them. POV, what was that? Or maybe it’s because I typed it on a standard typewriter (all 500 +pages). Seriously, when I move from one genre to another, I find it so much easier to write the first book in the new genre because all my ideas are new and there wouldn’t be any chance I’ve used them before. I’ve been known to spend hours looking through past files to see if I’ve used a phrase or a plot twist before. I didn’t have to do that with the first book. Also I’m not much more conscious of how story structure and other writing skills work, and I use them to enhance my book.

What conference do you most want to attend? Why?

Any in-person conference at this point! I love the energy that comes from being in close proximity with other writers. The shutdown hasn’t been that bad for me because I’m accustomed to working by myself. Yet, I need those times when I can be with other authors to talk business, to talk ideas, to talk life. Zoom just isn’t the same!

I hear you! I can’t wait to meet in person again.

What’s your writing day like?

I’m a night owl. I start my day (around 10 am) with writing that doesn’t have anything to do with the work-in-progress. I answer emails, check Facebook and do any other tasks. After lunch, I go to work on my current manuscript. I work for about four hours, then take a break for supper and spending the evening with my husband. I go back to work after the late news, which is my best writing time because nobody interrupts.

How do you combat writer’s block?

When I get blocked on what comes next (usually a comeback to a comment the hero or heroine have made), I just move on to another part of the book. I’ve got a structure for the book in mind, so I go to the next spot where I know what’s going to happen. I’ll always jump ahead or back when inspiration hits and I see a better way to do a scene. This way, I’m always writing a scene that I want to work on instead of slogging through one that I’m not interested in at the moment.

If you have an agent, how did you find/pick your agent? What tips do you have for others looking for an agent?

I’m currently working with my fourth agent. I’ve been with her for almost twenty years. For my first agent, in 1985, I selected six agents from a list in a guide by Writer’s Digest, three from the beginning of the list, three from the end. Fortunately one was interested in my work, and he did go on to sell my first six books. But that’s not the right way to find an agent. With my current agent, I got to know her through workshops and through conversations at writers’ conferences before I thought about changing agents. I like her market savvy and her sense of humor that fit with mine. I also liked her no-nonsense point of view on what makes a manuscript marketable. When the time came to change agents, I contacted her. We had a long conversation about what I wanted to do and what she could do for me before I hired her.

The most important tip I can give to anyone looking for an agent is to make sure the agent has read your material before offering representation. This has happened to me and other writers. I insisted the agent read my published work and the proposals I had to market before I’d talk with him. He did, and I hired him. On the other hand, I know authors who’ve signed the agency contract without pushing for that, especially when they have an offer on the table. When things hit a bump (as they inevitably do in this business), the agent stopped returning the author’s calls. The agent had gotten the 15% commission from a quick sale, which was all the agent was interested in. You want an agent as invested in your career, both short-term and long-term, as you are. Don’t settle. A bad agent is worse than no agent.

If you’re self-published, why did you decide to go that route? If you’re traditionally published, why did you decide to go that route?

Deciding to become traditionally published wasn’t a real choice. I sold my first book in 1987 when that was the only route (other than vanity presses) to publication. As I’ve gotten the rights back on my earlier books, I’ve placed them with other publishers rather than publishing them myself. There is a whole, huge learning curve to self-publishing, and it involves a lot of self-marketing. I learned a long time ago that my talents were writing books, not promoting them, so staying with traditional publication has been the best choice for me.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

The most vital aspect of self-editing is being able to see it in a different way, a true “re-vision.” I don’t begin editing until I’ve finished a first draft. I print out a copy of the ms, so I can see it differently than I do on the screen, and get out my red pen. As I overwrite, it’s cut and burn time. Every book, I have a word that I use over and over, so I’ve got to look out for that. Fortunately, it becomes quickly obvious. Less obvious things like pacing and POV need to be checked as well. If I start getting bored with a scene, I know readers will, too. Then I look to punch up the emotion wherever I can.

Publishers Weekly best-selling author Jo Ann Brown has created characters and stories for as long as she can remember. After college, serving as an US Army quartermaster officer, getting married, and increasing her blessings with three children, she sold her first book in 1987. Since then, she has sold over 100 titles. Romantic Times called her “a truly talented author.” She loves teaching and established the romance writing course at Brown University. She lives in Pennsylvania Dutch country with her husband of over forty years. Find out more about Jo Ann and her books at:

www.joannbrownbooks.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100023928423266

How I Write: Susan Ouelette

March 8, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

I don’t write or edit suspense/thrillers because I could never make it authentic. Today, however, former CIA analyst-turned-author Susan Ouelette tells us how her experiences gave authenticity to her debut novel.

Thank you for being here! What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I write spy thrillers. Specializing in this genre was a natural choice for me because of my background in intelligence. Early in my career, I worked as a CIA intelligence analyst and then for the Intelligence Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both jobs provided excellent material and inspiration for The Wayward Spy.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

I have written two novels in this spy thriller series (and I’m working on the third). As my first novel, The Wayward Spy was the more difficult of the two stories to write. All of those blank pages that I had to fill with non-stop tension and intrigue! Before I began writing, I read multiple books on writing and tried to incorporate advice from ALL of them. The result? An overly complicated plot. Once I realized that I couldn’t explain the story succinctly, I knew it needed a major rewrite. Writing the second novel was easier. My experience with the first book taught me a lot about what NOT to do the second time around.

What conference do you most want to attend? Why?

I most want to attend ThrillerFest, the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers (ITW), so that I can connect with other thriller authors. Unfortunately, the 2021 conference will be virtual, but I will still “attend.” On the bright side, ITW already has set the date for an in-person (!) ThrillerFest in 2022.

What’s your writing day like?

I wrote the first draft of The Wayward Spy at night, when my young children were in bed, because I needed silence and solitude to get into my characters’ heads. As my kids got older, I began to write on weekends at a local coffee shop. As a full-time working mother, it hasn’t always been easy to find large blocks of uninterrupted time. When I find them, I try to put them to good use.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

I am a pantser. For both The Wayward Spy and its sequel, the easy part was coming up with the inciting incident – the event that sets the story in motion. And before I sat down at the keyboard, I already knew how the stories would end. The challenge was how to get Maggie and her supporting cast from page 1 to “The End.”The thought of outlining the plot paralyzes my imagination. I prefer to dive in and write. Necessary characters and plot twists somehow materialize as I need them, and it all comes together at the end … well, after a few rewrites!

What advice do you have for new authors?

At the risk of sounding trite, my advice for new authors is “don’t give up.” Here’s the caveat—giving up is not the same thing as quitting. I “quit” writing multiple times. Because of rejection. Because of “I’ll never be good enough” thinking. Because of work and family commitments. That said, even though I “quit,” I never really gave up. I’d rewrite here and there. I’d send out a new batch of queries. I’d attend a writing conference. And eventually, the writing and the opportunities aligned, and here I am – a published author. So, go ahead and quit if you need a break. But don’t ever give up.

If you’ve ever worked with a freelance editor, how did you find that editor? How would you describe the experience?

Working with a freelance editor is what got me from frustrated aspiring author to published author. In 2015, I attended a writers conference where I met Elaine Ash, an author and freelance editor (www.bestsellermetrics.com). It took her two years to convince me to send her my manuscript (I was in one of my quitting phases—see above). Finally, in 2017, I sent her The Wayward Spy. She saw great promise in the story and for the next year-and-a-half, we worked to fix the overcomplicated plot. Elaine has an uncanny ability to see the anatomy of a story. She can spot and fix the broken bones, the atrophied muscles, the excess fat. Simply put, without her editing skills, friendship, and persuasive personality, I wouldn’t be a published author today.

What does your revision process look like?

The revision process includes deleting unnecessary scenes, removing or combining secondary characters, and making sure the story’s timeline makes sense. I always vow to read the entire story once through before I begin revising, but inevitably, I find myself tweaking scenes and streamlining the prose as I go. For both novels, I placed major plot points on a calendar to ensure that events are happening sequentially and logically. At the end of the revision process, I like to read the story aloud to catch clunky dialog and repetitive prose. It’s a bit time-consuming, but well worth the effort.

Susan Ouellette is a former intelligence analyst for the CIA. Her debut novel, The Wayward Spy (CamCat Books, March 2nd, 2021), heavily draws on her experience at the CIA and as a professional staff member for the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). It was there, during quiet moments in the attic of the of the U.S. Capitol Building, that Ouellette conceived of Maggie Jenkins in The Wayward Spy, an intrepid young woman thrust into a life-threatening situation borne of tragedy.

Publishers Weekly calls The Wayward Spy a “gripping debut and series launch . . . Ouellette, a former CIA analyst, brings plenty of authenticity to this fast-paced spy thriller.”

www.susanouellette.com
fb.me/SusanOuelletteAuthor
https://twitter.com/smobooks
https://www.instagram.com/susanobooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomsusan_ouellette

How I Write: Shannon Vannatter

February 22, 2021 by Karin Beery 2 Comments

What do agents do, and how do you find a good one?

Which is harder to write–your first or seventh book?

How do you combat writer’s block?

Shannan Vannatter is here to help!

Thanks for being here today! Let’s start with what you write — how did you pick your genre?

Contemporary Romance. I started out trying to write Romantic Suspense because I’ve always watched detective shows on TV. But my books were always heavy on the romance, light on the suspense. Finally, at a writer’s conference, I had an epiphany when the speaker said you should probably write what you read most. I read Contemporary Romance. After that epiphany, everything fell into place.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

In romance, the reader knows how it will end. It’s about how they’ll get to their happily ever after. Keeping readers interested and creating believable conflict to keep the characters apart until the end is hard. You can easily write yourself into a corner if you throw so much conflict at them that they can’t possibly overcome it. It’s a delicate balance.

I make sure their GMCs are rock solid before I ever start writing the book. Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goals, Motivation, & Conflict has saved most of my books from the cutting room floor.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

In some ways the first book was easier because I had years to perfect it. But it was also harder since I’d never worked with an editor. The following books were easier because I’d worked with an editor and knew more about what needed to go in a book and what didn’t. But they were harder because I had deadlines of three to five months. My 2^nd contracted book was the hardest. It was the first time I’d ever had a deadline. I learned writer’s block was a real thing.

What’s your writing day like?

I’m an acquisitions/content editor for Scrivenings Press now too. I work from about 11 am to 5 pm and then from 11pm to 2 am on weekdays. I juggle. Most days, I work on editing and do my writing at night. The hours in between, I spend time with my husband and son and do church-oriented things since my husband is a pastor. Weekends are for family and church.

How do you combat writer’s block?

The one time I had it, with my second contracted book, I’d had to turn in a synopsis for the book to my editor. I’m a pantser, meaning when I start a book, I know the characters and the basic plot twists and the end. Having to write the synopsis before I write the book is like pulling teeth for me. Having to write that book according to the synopsis by a certain date gave me writer’s block. I had to put the synopsis away and work on something else until it was out of my head. Then I wrote the book. A few times I got stuck and had to look at the synopsis to get going again. That’s how I still do it. But writing the synopsis is still the hardest thing I do. And often when I write the book, it doesn’t exactly follow the map I laid out of it. I warn my editors that I’m a pantser and things change as I write the book.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

I come up with my heroine and hero first and give them baggage and careers or living situations that instantly force them to be together, but they mix like oil and water. I work their GMC out according to Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goals, Motivation, & Conflict. Once I have that formula, I work on plot. I use Randy Ingermanson’s snowflake method to write the synopsis. Once I get the proposal done, I submit it. If it gets contracted, I forget everything I knew about the synopsis and write the book. If I get stuck, I go back to the synopsis. But if my characters take me in a new direction, I let them.

Since I’m a pantser, in a perfect world, I’d sit down with the characters, a few twists, and the ending in my head and just write.

If you have an agent, how did you find/pick your agent? What tips do you have for others looking for an agent?

I’m actually between agents at the moment. My most recent agent’s contract was all inclusive. Meaning if I want to write something for my own company, I’d still have to pay her. I don’t need an agent to write for Scrivenings, so I basically would have paid her for nothing. I’m currently talking to an agent I’m excited about and going over my manuscript one more time before I send her the full.

I’ve had a bad agent and I’ve had good agents. My first one realized I wasn’t ready, so she cut me from her list. My second one lost a contract for me and is no longer in the business. My third one was great—it was just a contract issue.

I’ve found a few things that might be a red flag in finding an agent:

If they’ve only sold to one publishing company, they might have a friend there and that’s the only reason they’re selling.

If they own the agency and don’t have any other agents, they may not play well with others which is a bad thing in the publishing industry.

If an agency has only been around a few years, they may not be proven yet.

Trust me, a bad agent is worse than no agent at all.

To find a good agent:

Find an agency that’s been around for at least five years with lots of sales to multiple houses and employs multiple agents.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

Even though I’m an editor, it’s hard to self-edit. I love my characters and my story, so it’s hard to see any flaws. I have a foolproof technique that makes sure I have the right mix of emotion, conflict, dialogue, setting, movement, and internal thoughts on each page, without too much of anything. I teach a class on it. On top of that, I eat sunflower seeds still in the hull while I edit. Someway, it keeps me focused, cracking those shells and digging out the seed with my tongue. My ankles are swollen the next day, but it works.

Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.

She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.

Connect with her: Shannon’s Website, Shannon’s Blog, Shannon’s Facebook, Shannon’s Goodreads, Shannon’s Pinterest, Shannon’s Twitter, Newsletter Archives, Shannon’s Amazon Author Page and Shannon’s Bookbub. Sign up for her Newsletter to get a free e-book, recipes, behind the scenes info, & enter exclusive giveaways: Shannon’s Newsletter

Recently, Shannon joined Scrivenings Press as co-owner/acquisitions/content editor.

He came to find the children…will he stay to win her heart?

Learning he’s an uncle shocks Ross Lyles—but after years of handling his brother’s bombshells, at least this surprise is a blessing. A pair of five-year-old blessings Ross is determined to meet, if he can convince their aunt to give him a chance. Fiercely protective, Stacia Keyes is worried he’ll try to take the children…and lassoing her trust is harder than he ever imagined.

Available at Walmart from mid-Feb to mid-March. Or online:

A Texas Bond – ChristianBook
A Texas Bond – Amazon
A Texas Bond – BarnesandNoble

Top Five Ways to Impress a Publisher

Top Six Overdone Male Tropes by Gregg Bridgeman

How I Write: Jo Ann Brown

How I Write: Susan Ouelette

How I Write: Shannon Vannatter

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