How To Meet Awesome Critique Partners (And Keep Them)

I've talked quite a bit on the blog about my journey to publication, but I'll do a quick summation. I had been writing - and failing - for about a decade before landing Adriann Ranta as my literary agent. After that, I was on submission with NOT A DROP TO DRINK for a solid six months before getting picked up after a whirlwind auction. I was still rather stunned about my change of fortune - and honestly, still am.

Quite a few people have asked me why it took so long for me to get published. Even in this self-confidence-slaying business, ten years is a pretty long haul to seeing my name in print. And honestly, I don't mind it when people ask why my journey was such a long one because it gives me a chance to lay it all out for anybody else who might be making the same mistakes I did.

And my biggest one was that I didn't want to listen to anybody.

Obviously, I was a genius. Obviously, I deserved to be published. Obviously, my book was the best thing that ever happened. Obviously, anyone who didn't realize that was an idiot. Obviously, I had never had anyone else read my stuff because it needed to go straight to the biggest editor at the biggest publishing house, and then straight to press.

And obviously... I was an idiot.

I truly did write a book and not even edit it, or show it to anyone else for their advice. I just wrote an incredibly bad query and started sending it out. I was rejected - with good reason - left and right, and I bemoaned the state of the publishing industry and their inability to recognize my talent.

All of that could've been avoided if I'd found a good crit partner, listened to their advice, and begun to grow exponentially as a writer as a direct result. But because I was convinced I was a genius and terrified someone would steal my incredibly original idea (it wasn't), I never took that step. And that's the reason why I failed (miserably) for a good long while.

So the first piece of advice I give anyone who asks me for it, is to find a good crit partner, which is immediately followed up by, "How?"

I found both of my CP's (RC Lewis and MarcyKate Connolly) by using a writing community called AgentQuery Connect. I am very attached to AQC, as it is a positive and helpful (not to mention free) environment. But there are plenty of other great writing sites to meet CP's at, and I encourage everyone who has met their significant writing others online to share where in the comments.

Granted, it wasn't love at first sight. I met RC and MK fairly early on in the forums, but we didn't actually start exchanging manuscripts with each other regularly until we'd been on the boards with each other for a year or so, if I remember correctly. I have had other CP's that had come and gone - some more or less helpful than others - before I met these two and we became the wood glue in each other's fiber board.

I want to hit on the fact that it wasn't easy, and that I didn't find true love right off the bat. I know a lot of people get discouraged after a few bad (or just less than helpful) experiences, but you can't give up on finding a CP because of a few bad apples. Finding a great CP is just like dating - there are going to be some clunkers before you're all, "Marry me!"

And once you've found someone that is a good fit for you? Again, it's not that different from dating.

• Support your CP. They're entering a pitch contest and need you to look over something in the next few hours in order for them to hit the deadline? Do it. You'll be in the same situation one day.

• Reciprocate for your CP. They leave detailed comments in your ms, along with their reactions as a reader and thoughts as a writer. Don't reward their hard work on your behalf by responding to their ms with, "Speed up the middle, Make the mom more likable, and shave off half your dialogue tags."

• Listen to your CP. So they aren't relating to your MC? Well, damn them! Wait a second... you trust this person's judgement. And maybe one of the reasons you have an insta-flare of protective writer ego is because deep down, you know they're right.

• Realize your CP is human. Which means they're not always right. In the end it is your ms, and if they think something should be phrased differently or they don't like a particular piece of dialogue, definitely consider their opinion. But that doesn't mean you have to always agree. Trust me, my CP's and I read draft after draft of each other's work, and we do see when one hasn't taken the other's advice on the little stuff -- and it doesn't matter. 

• Respect your CP. Don't send them your 120k first draft and ask them to find all the problems for you. Always edit before you hand anything off to your CP. It's not their job to catch your mistakes - it's their job to catch the ones you missed in edits.

• Value your CP's time. Likewise, if you shaved a few dialogue tags and sliced an unnecessary word here or there, don't send your CP your entire ms and ask them to re-read and give you their thoughts. Only ask for an entire draft overview if you are re-shaping plot, changing character motivations, or making other big changes. Later on in the relationship you may make smaller changes and ask for an overall read - at their discretion - but don't throw this at their heads right away. It'd be like being married for two days and suddenly demanding five children, right now.

There are other Do's and Don'ts in the CP relationship world, but these are the biggest ones I can think of off the top of my head. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments!

Interview with Stephanie Kuehn

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Today's guest for the SAT is fellow Class of 2k13 member Stephanie Kuehn. I had the pleasure of rooming with Stephanie (and Debra Driza and Kate Karyus Quinn - it was a blast!) at ALA 2013, but more importantly, I've also had the pleasure of reading her book. CHARM & STRANGE is what Steph calls her "dark little book." It's a mind-bender.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

I think I am a bit of both. I’m not someone who sits and outlines every detail before I get started. If I have an idea and I have an itch to write it, I’ll start writing. But at some point, I’ll pull back and try and summarize where I’m going with it and what the major themes and arcs are. 

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

It has varied greatly for me. But I usually anticipate it will take a few months to write a solid first draft. 

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi tasker?

I used to only work on one project at a time, but I’ve learned how to multi task. Learning how to set something aside and come back to it, is definitely an acquired skill for me, but I am working on it!

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

Yes. I am very self-conscious person, and even though when I first began writing I wasn’t thinking about publication or ever showing anybody what I was doing, I still felt uncomfortable and exposed.

How many trunked books did you have before you were agented?

CHARM & STRANGE was my fifth full novel.

Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?

Yes, I have quit and moved on to other projects. I think I have to love something to keep working on it. I don’t have to love it in its current form, but I have to love what I’m saying or how I’m saying it, and if that passion isn’t there, I will put it aside.

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them?  

My agent is Michael Bourret of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management. I am so very fortunate to be working with him. I connected with him by sending a query to someone else at his agency, who passed it on to him—something I am so very grateful for! As to how I got a yes out of him, I have no idea. I suppose I had a polished novel, and one that was unique. I also think my novel fit his particular taste, which was probably the more important factor.

How long did you query before landing your agent?  

It took about two months and a half months of querying.

Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?

Be patient and be willing to wait for the right agent. It is worth it.

How did that feel, the first time you saw your book for sale?

Very surreal! It’s still surreal. In some ways I feel disconnected from the actual product…the story is something from inside my mind, an abstraction, but all the rest of the work that went into making it an actual physical book, well, I had nothing to do with that. The book is beautiful to see and hold and read, but my sense of ownership really only extends to the characters and the story.

How much input do you have on cover art?

I was able to give a little bit of input on the design, but it’s the designer, Kerri Resnick, who came up with the amazing cover. 

What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?

I learned how far I could push myself with revisions.

How much of your own marketing do you?

I have a social media presence, but I don’t do very much direct marketing. I’m involved in YA Highway, which is a group blog that has allowed me to connect with other authors and people in publishing. I’m obviously a part of the Class of 2k13, which is a small group of debut authors who work together on marketing. I’m most often on Twitter, but I don’t think of it as a marketing tool as much as I do a social networking one. 

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

I am not very marketing minded. I do think authors should have some social media presence, if only to connect with other authors and publishing folks, so that they have a handle on what the industry climate is, and to not feel alone in the whole process. But I have very limited time and my efforts are usually best spent writing.

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

I’m not sure. I think a good book and marketing on the level that a publisher can do, is what matters most. I also think social media in the form of word-of-mouth from readers to other readers can build interest, but that doesn’t involve the author. 

Are Contests Worth It?

We all know there's more than one way to put yourself in front of an agent. Queries, conferences, and referrals are all possible doors to representation. And then there's the c-word.

Contests.

Contests with agent participants vying for queries, partials and fulls from the entrants are sexier than the tried and true methods. I think it's our form of reality television, with high stakes and even higher refresh rates. Bloggers that host contests featuring high quality agents can expect a traffic boost, and a bevy of writers grateful to them for the chance to put themselves in front of an agent... but the rest of the world is watching too.

So is it worth it?

Personally, I think you have to have even thicker skin than the average querier to throw yourself into this particular ring. Some contests have anonymous entries, but if you've been around publishing long enough you know exactly how insular this community is. Writing communities are vital to most writer's success, but that also means that your anonymous entry in Contest #342 isn't so anonymous. After all, you've been flogging that book around for the last six months.

I think that's the kicker for a lot of people - public humiliation. A few years ago I had an "I Will If You Will" agreement with a CP and we both tossed our hats into the ring of a highly trafficked, much-anticipated annual contest. I walked away with eight total requests, two of them being fulls. My CP... had zero. The experience not only soured her on contests, but was a pretty rough kick in the self-confidence for her as well.

Now, I want to follow this up by saying that my apparent victories amounted to nothing. My partial requests fizzled into passes, and my fulls fell into a hole. All the requesting agents were very nice, professional people, but I ended up having to nudge them when I received an offer of representation... on a different project six months later. I don't want this to be perceived as a criticism of agents, because it's not. I have one, and I love her. However, I think we're all human, and sometimes we get caught up in a moment where excitement gets the better of us. Ask anyone who ever overpaid for something on eBay as the auction closed.

And my CP?

I gave her a bit of a prod and a pep-talk and would have resorted to flat goading and bullying if she hadn't pulled herself up off the ground and entered a contest yet again. Which she did. With a bright new ms to bolster her confidence, she threw herself headlong into the melee of the very same contest that had punched her in the brain the year before and... zero requests.

She wasn't anxious to enter another contest anytime soon, but a year after that she had a new ms with an amazing hook. Another big contest was on the horizon and she knew her concept was strong, her writing solid, and her hook... well her hook was contest fodder like manure is a fertilizer. She somewhat reluctantly entered and was accepted. Her entry was posted and shortly thereafter she received a request for a full from an agent not even participating in the contest who had been cruising the entries. She received seven full requests from participating agents, which turned into five offers of representation. Ahem. Yes, you read that right.

She's represented by Jennifer Laughran now.

My other CP is one that needs no prodding to enter a contest. She's a veritable encyclopedia of contest names, hosts, and timeframes. She's the first to tell anyone that contests are definitely worth it, and that putting yourself out there can turn into a fantastic experience. She's played the contest game to the max, receiving fourteen requests for one manuscript over the course of a few different contests, three of whom were cruising agents who contacted her through her website after seeing her entry.

Those numbers definitely sound good, but that particular ms wasn't the one that landed her in the sweet spot. She ended up shelving it and entering something new and fresh in a highly-trafficked contest from which she garnered eight full requests, two from agents who were cruising the entries and not officially involved in the contest. She was offered representation by three of these agents.

She's represented by Suzie Townsend now.

And me? I landed Adriann Ranta through the good old-fashioned query path, but I admit that contests do make my tin-can heart rattle a little faster. So I decided to host one. The PAPfest (yes, it says that) had its first run this past February, and there may be another PAP in your future (they are annual, you know). Two of our participants secured representation, one from a participating agent and one through a cruiser.

In the end, I think the question isn't "Are Contests Worth It?" but, "Are Contests Right For Me?" Contests can be nerve-wracking and downright embarrassing, but they can also bring elation, and a boost of self-confidence, even if you don't secure representation at the end of the day.