Writing Resources

Before You Query ​- Tips

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 5 Comments

Be Calm and Query On

I’ll admit when I started the process, I thought the most difficult part would be finding the right agent to query. Just goes to show you how much I know – zilch, zip, zero. Querying is NOT for the faint of heart. But, be encouraged––I’m going to give you my tips and what I’ve learned, so far in the process.

TIPS:

1. Get organized – to help you streamline the query process. 

  • Make sure all your materials are completed, edited, & ready to use. DO NOT query until they are. (Completed Manuscript; Synopsis, Pitch, Author Bio, and a frame-work query letter you can personalize to each agent.
  • Make sure you have some method for keeping up with your queries. You need to be aware of the agent and agencies they represent – you can only query one agent in the same agency at a time. I use Query Tracker to keep up with mine (more on that later).
  • Before you get query – research about agents, your genre, and familiarize yourself with the different types of submissions (snail mail, email, form) More on those later.

2. Find your agency/agent/publisher resources––some great places to start:

 3.  Select a number of agents/publishers you want to query.

  1. Familiarize yourself with the agent: read her profile, Twitter account, Website and get a good understanding of what type of queries she or he is seeking. Knowing your agent before you write that query letter makes all the difference.
  2. Know how to format your materials for submission via email, mail, and online.
  3. Make sure you read and follow the agents specific guidelines for submissions, including what must be in the query, email, and formatting. It is different for each agent.

 4. Be realistic and patient.

Do NOT expect a fast turnaround. Average time vary from agent to agents but don’t be dismayed to know that it can take 4-8 weeks for any response.

Stayed tuned, I’ll cover how to format your materials for each method of submission in the next post.

What has been your querying experience?

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook Page at SheilaMcIntyreGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

 

Feeling Overwhelmed

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 6 Comments

And, I thought writing the novel was a daunting task. It is more fun, for sure, but editing is tedious mind-numbing work. It can become overwhelming especially to those of us new to the craft of writing novels.

Thank God we have experts to help us along the way. Janice Hardy from Fiction University is one such expert. She is my number one go-to resource.

Janice understands the complexities of self-editing and offers some great advice in her article, How to Edit a Novel Without Feeling Overwhelmed.

The six main points:

  1. Decide whether you want to edit or revise. The processes are not the same.
  2. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, so to speak. Set a word count, a number of scenes to work on and stick to it – a must when you’re working with 70,000 words plus.
  3. Don’t try to cover all the bases, focus on one thing at a time – setting, character, dialogue, and so on.
  4. Set a time limit – Time management is a biggy for me. It’s easy to get lost in the process, or become impatient.
  5. Leave the advice books on the shelf while you’re editing – love this one! It’s so easy to get caught up in the ‘how-tos’ or the ‘should’s,’ and not get a thing accomplished.
  6. Make a plan and let it be your guide – Use a calendar, spreadsheet, or whatever planning tool helps you accomplish your goal.

For more information, check out, How to Edit a Novel Without Feeling Overwhelmed.

I’d love to hear your tips. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

New Places to Submit Your Writing

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 16 Comments

It’s the beginning of summer. Most of us are busy getting ready for that much-anticipated vacation, or holiday barbecue.  But, if you’re like me you have a stack of file of short stories or even essays that have been sitting there gathering dust. Well, here’s your chance to shake the clean it up and send it out into the world for others to read.

Here are a few new places you might want to consider:

From the Author Publish, 16 Literary Journals which accept ‘blind’ submissions.

  1. Ars Medica – an online  journal of arts, medicine, and the humanities; prose and poems that related to medical issues.
  2. Spry – an online literary journal; poetry and prose.
  3. Perch – a non-academic literary journal; poetry, prose, visual art, and music related to mental health.
  4. Jaggery – focus on connecting South Asian diasporic writers, homeland writers, non-South Asians  with a South Asia connection.
  5. Burningword Literary Journal – poetry, flash fiction, and flash nonfiction; double-blind reading process.
  6. POUi – new and exciting writing; particularly international.
  7. The Matador Review –  an online  journal; looking for ‘alternative work; fiction, non fiction, flash fiction, visual art, and poetry.
  8. Chantwood Magazine-  Online journal; sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, romance, literary fiction, historical fiction, and poetry.
  9. Into The Void –  a UK based literary journal; experimental literary work of poetry and prose.
  10. Toyon- a multilingual journal of literature; publish work in English and Spanish; accepts reprints.
  11. Radar – an online poetry journal.
  12. Sweet Tree Review – poetry and prose.
  13. The Fieldstone Review – poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and reviews.
  14. Border Crossing – writing that crosses boundaries in genre or geography.
  15. Stonecoast Review – poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, dramatic works, and visual arts.
  16. tssf Journal – poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction related to issues of Africa.

For more imformation, click on the links of each journal and good luck!

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

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Another Look at Commas

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 6 Comments

Commas are the bane of my writing existence. It’s amazing how one tiny, squiggly, thingamajig (okay, punctuation mark) can create such havoc. If you don’t believe me consider the following:

Comma Post Comma Post 5 comma Post-2 comma Post-4 Comma Post -6 images

See what I mean? Been there, done that; fortunately, for those of us who struggle with the almighty comma, we have the  Grammar Revolution. This week, Elizabeth O’Brien offers us a refresher and One Easy Comma Rule.

If you want additional help with grammar and punctuation, check out Elizabeth and all her helpful lessons at Grammar Revolution.

What about you? What is your most frequent punctuation sin? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.