Susanna Carr Blog » Business of Writing

Slush Pile Pet Peeves

Susanna — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:23:58 +0000

My sister has worked in a literary agency for years and I asked what irritated her when she read from the slush pile. Her top pet peeves are:

Referring to your work as “perfect for an Oprah pick”
Sending what you think would be the perfect cover art
Taking your favorite characters and writing a sequel when it wasn’t your book to start with. She blames Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for this. The difference is that unlike Jane Austen, Stephenie Meyers and JK Rowling are happy to send their lawyers after people.

Strategies to Sell Your Story Idea

Susanna — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 08:01:55 +0000

Question: What strategies do you use to determine what will sell? What kind of questions do you ask yourself? What tools of analysis or types of gut check do you use? – Beth

Here are a few of my strategies:

* I see what’s going on in all media. That includes books as well as television, movies, comic books/manga and video games. I don’t read, watch or play a lot of these, but I’m aware of what’s popular and I try to figure out why.

These days there is a darker tone in media, as well as a strong interest in paranormal stories. These elements are finding their way in erotic romance (my subgenre). Since my work is lighter with no paranormal elements, this might put me at a disadvantage. I could change my stories and my brand to readers, but what makes me different has always been an advantage.

*I know my core story. This is probably the most important strategy when I’m pitching story ideas. The theme that often pops up in my work is “dare to bare.” My characters learn that lesson whether it’s physical or emotional.

My story pitches have a clear message because they focus on my core story. I’ve learned that the stronger my theme was presented in my pitch, the more likely it was accepted. And faster, too!

* I also study the publishers I’m pitching to. While one erotic romance line market stories with a character hook (cowboy, demons, cowboy demons ), another focuses on the romantic fantasy, and another on the taboo. I’ll slant my pitch based on how the publisher markets to its readers.

You can tell what a publisher wants by studying their back cover copy and titles. Publishers have favorite buzzwords and word play. So if a publisher uses the word “hunk” a lot in back cover copy, guess how I’m going to describe the hero in my next story pitch?

*I look at the darker or paranormal stories that are popular in erotic romance and I try to see how I can spin it to work with my core story and brand.

This also works when I read the sweeter and sensual romance. Weddings are popular in sweet romance, so I wrote an erotic romance about bad girl bridesmaids. Royalty themed stories are going strong in sensual romance, so I amped up the erotic premise and wrote about women who are the antithesis of a Disney princess.

I hope this helps!

5 Tools for Writers

Susanna — Sat, 29 May 2010 08:01:52 +0000

After I posted about my obsolete fax machine, I received an e-mail asking what tools a writer should have. If you are pursuing a publishing career, I think you need to start with 5 tools. But don’t worry! If you’re reading this, you already have most of them.

5 tools every writer needs:

A computer: Right now I’m writing on a Dell laptop. Worst computer I’ve ever used. Terrible customer service, too, but I won’t get into it. I got the laptop last year and the battery keeps falling out so I have to keep it plugged in. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter if you have to share a computer with your family or you use a hand-me-down with the tab key missing. If you can write a manuscript with the computer, then it’s a keeper.
Internet access: This is the way to connect with the publishing world. Designate an e-mail account for your writing efforts. It can be a free account, but try to use your full name if possible, like susannacarr@hotmail.com. Worry about blogs, websites and social media later.
Word program: Most publishing houses use this word processing program. Try and get the most current version. I had to upgrade so my files were compatible with my publisher.
USB flash drive: Back up your work on a regular basis. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
A chair: You will spend a lot of time here, so claim the most comfortable chair in your home or invest in a good one!

A printer would be handy, but honestly, it’s not essential. More and more publishers are accepting e-mail submissions. And since last year, all of my revisions and copyedits are done through e-mail.

And that’s all you need!

Farewell to the Fax

Susanna — Fri, 28 May 2010 07:43:24 +0000

Today I got rid of my fax machine.

My first encounter with a fax machine was during my first secretarial job in the 1980s. The big machine made such a high-pitch screech that it was placed in the far, far corner of the copy room. I had to fax a lot of documents, and in those days you had to stand in front of the fax machine and a) slowly feed the paper, b) watch the screen to see if the phone line cut out during the transmission, and c) call the recipient to see if they got the fax. And then you had to do it all over again when you discover they didn’t get it. Faxing was one of my most dreaded duties.

After a while it seemed like the fax machines got a little fancier but they were still unreliable. In one office I worked at the fax machine had a bigger cubicle than I did. The machine didn’t need to be hand-fed and it would let you know if the transmission went through (which was a bonus), but they also had a tendency to skip pages. And don’t get me started on the thermal paper rolls!

At the last office I worked at, I was surprised at how small and sleek the fax machine was. It didn’t need a designated table or a cubicle of its own. I shove in the paper, punched in the number, watched the paper feed through and waited for the transmission receipt. I waited and waited until someone asked me why I was staring at the fax machine. I didn’t know that the fax was sent once the paper fed through!

As much as I hated the fax, I bought one early in my writing career. I was often asked if I had one and my little fax machine had quite a workout. But the day of the fax is over. It’s obsolete and taking up space. Everything is now through e-mail and I think I’ve only used my fax machine once last year.

So I decided it was time to get rid of my fax machine.

Now watch, today someone will try to fax me.

From the mailbag — getting an agent

Susanna — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:01:11 +0000

I get questions about writing and the publishing world. I’m sharing the most frequently asked questions on this blog in case you were wondering the same thing. Here are some questions I received about agents:

How do I go about getting an agent? Where do I look for one? I recommend researching as much as you can about agents. Visit their websites, read any interviews or articles they have online, and track their sales. If you write romantic suspense, you probably want to focus on the agents who have a lot of romantic suspense authors.

How do I know which agent is best for me? It depends on what you want from an agent. Do you want the agent to give editorial input in your work? Some agents do that. Do you want an agent who will go to bat for you when there’s a problem, like a bad book cover, or are you only interested in them getting you a book deal? Do you want an agent who will stick with you even if you haven’t sold the book? There are agents who will are very up-front about their policy to drop you after a year if you haven’t sold.

How much should I expect to pay an agent to represent my book? You never pay an agent. The agent gets a percentage of the money you receive from a publisher.

Will an agent expect me to sign a contract? Should I sign one? It depends on the agent. Some agents will want it in writing that they represent you and/or your book.

If you are interested in finding an agent, your next step should be visiting The Passionate Pen. Jenna Petersen has a list of agents that take on romance authors and she included some FAQs about getting an agent.

Celebrating Creativity

Susanna — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:09:28 +0000

Since I live in a community that has a lot of writers, I have attended many book signings and launch parties. Today I was invited to a different kind of book event. Jane Porter hosted a private screening of Grief Becomes Me. This short film was directed and produced by Christine Fugate who also inspired the film maker character in Jane’s lastest release.

Jane always knows how to throw a good party

We watched the movie in a luxurious screening room

After the film, Christine Fugate answered our questions about the subject of the movie and her creative process. The guests then had a chance to socialize, talk about the movie while nibbling on appetizers and drinking cocktails, and purchase Jane’s books and the DVD of Grief Becomes Me. Proceeds went to the Hope Link charity.

Jane loves to give out goody bags!

I didn’t get a picture of Jane or Christine, but it was a wonderful event celebrating muses and the arts!

Field Trip

Susanna — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:13:30 +0000

Every once in a while I need to set a Sunday afternoon aside and write as much as I can. That’s when I pack my tote bag and head for the public library.

Yesterday I spent a few hours at my local library and got a lot done. Here’s what my desk looked like:

creativity is never tidy

Going clockwise, I had

A map of the city my story is located (because I haven’t been there. Yet!) Travel guides are propping up the map.
Water and Orange Mango Cascade Ice. I normally drink tea, but when the writing streak is hot, the tea goes cold.
Notebooks. That’s right. I do it old school—pen and paper. Later I’ll type in what I’ve written and do the first sweep of rewriting. It’s an extra step, but I’ve learned not to fight my process.
My Zune with headphones. Not only does it muffle the noise around me, but I write to music to maintain the tone of the story.
My tote bag, which has a few writerly stuff like pens (mine have a tendency to dry out in the middle of writing sessions), synopsis and chapter outlines. I know a few writers who designate a tote bag for all their writing tools like an AlphaSmart, notecards, etc. They keep it by the door so they can grab and go.

As satisfying as a marathon writing session can be (even when the brain turns to mush, it’s a good hurt), it’s hard to carve out a Sunday afternoon to have a marathon writing session. I need to have the tote bag at the ready so I can have spontaneous writing sessions whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Skip, Skim or Savor

Susanna — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:01:56 +0000

When you took the latest romance novel off of your towering TBR pile, how did you read the love scenes? Did you skip, skim or savor them?

If you savored them, chances are the author used the following three elements:

She showed why it was important for the hero and heroine to get together.

Did you care if the hero and heroine made love? Why was it important for the hero to make love to the heroine? Why did the heroine need to make love to the hero? It had to be more than sexual attraction. The union was symbolic or cataclysmic. The main character had to face something about herself. Because of this physical relationship, both are changed and can never return to the people they once were. Why was it of the utmost important for them, and therefore, for you as the reader?

She showed why the hero and heroine can’t be together.

They had some major reasons why they should not get together. Why was the heroine the one person he could not be intimate with? Why was the hero the most powerful threat to her goals? The conflict was either external or internal. It was inherent to the story and it was important. The more important it was not for them to get together, the higher the emotions. The tension was already built in before the love scene started, making it irresistible to you the reader.

She increased the emotional risk in every encounter.

Each intimate situation or love scene was important. The first look, touch or kiss occurred when it was the ultimate risk in the relationship. Every encounter left the hero and heroine more vulnerable to each other. Each love scene built on the other, stretching the tension until it threatened to break. Each touch exploited the external and internal conflict until it reached to a fever pitch, forcing a change or decision from the characters.

So the next time you write a love scene, ask yourself why, why not and why now. If the importance, tension and risk are set up early in the story, then you will create a love scene a reader will savor.

Playlists

Susanna — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:07:17 +0000

I’m sharing some questions I receive in case you guys were wondering the same thing. This question is from Amy:

Question: Do you make a playlist for your books?

Answer: There are a lot of authors who create a playlist or soundtrack for each book, but I don’t go that far. However, I do write to music. In fact, I will only listen to one album when I’m writing the book. I listened to Mamma Mia every time I sat down to write The Year of Living Shamelessly. I also listened to it when I did the revisions and copyedits. I find that I get focused faster when I’m listening to the music. The downside is I get sick and tired of the music after listening to it every day for a couple of months!

Sometimes it takes a while to pick the right music for the book. It has to be something I can listen to over and over again, but it also has to be the right tone for the book. The other day I was revising “Hot for the Holidays”, my upcoming Christmas novella. I listened to big band Christmas music while I wrote it, and I realized the story matched the quick and lively tempo of the music.

The really weird thing is that I can write to music, but I can’t listen to music while I read a book!

From the mailbag: self-confidence

Susanna — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:09:24 +0000

Question: I’m pretty nervous about writing my book and getting it published. I guess I don’t have much confidence when it comes to this. Do you have any advice?

Answer: I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence when it came to writing, and my fears sabotaged my goals. My motto eventually became “big dreams, small steps”. Start with developing a writing schedule and then give yourself a pat on the back when it becomes habit. Write the book, but break down the goals. Focus on the first chapter, and think about how many pages you can write that week. Recognize each accomplishment and don’t dwell on the negative stuff, like missing your word count quota or thinking the story isn’t good enough. Don’t worry about that now. Each chapter is an achievement and it will help build up your self-confidence.