What to do now that you have a Nano novel?

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

Are you aware that the month of March is the National Novel Editing Month?Oh yes, fellow Nano-er, now all we need is the National Novel Selling Month, right? Hehehe!

In all seriousness, there are several fine websites that support writers, among them, Stella Cameron's online workshops available as transcripts, Writing-World.com, Forward Motion Writing Community, and Writer's Digest Online. Don't forget to use a search engine like Google to look for similar sites using keywords like "authors, agents, support, critique," and so forth.

As a former acquisitions editor (among other hats I've worn in the publishing industry), may I recommend that you get your novel in the very best shape, then look for a literary agent who handles your genre (fantasy, romance, mainstream and so forth) and is willing to represent you. Very few publishing houses will look at an "over the transom" novel submitted by the author, preferring to filter manuscripts through the discerning eyes and judgement of literary agents. The easiest way to do this is to hit the library or bookstore and look for one of several handbooks which list currently active agents and their guidelines. Generally you send a query letter to a prospective agent telling them briefly what your novel is about, the length, and your goals as a novelist. Be sure to mention that the novel is completed, and that you would be willing to send the first three chapters and a synopsis or whatever the individual agent requires in their listed guidelines. A query letter is very important and be sure to sound completely professional, as it is truly a business letter in every sense of the word. Agents get letters from people every day describing how they are geniuses and that their novels are outstanding. Let the agent determine that. Simply state that you have a novel which you think might be successfully marketed, and that you are committed to a literary career and willing to work with the agent. Some agents will accept electronic (emailed) submissions, and some don't. If you don't know for sure, inquire in your query letter if they do.

Now as to length. No agent or publisher will touch a 50,000 word novel. It's really a novella length, and precious few of those get published outside anthologies, even by established authors. 70-150K words are pretty much the industry standard, with first novels somewhere on the lower end or near the middle. A first novel has to be "on fire" with potential before a publisher will commit to printing a huge 2" thick book of over 100K words. But if it's 50K or thereabouts then plump up your novel with added descriptive narrative, dialog, and/or scenes. The NaNoWriMo folks chose 50K as a target length simply to give people a better chance to complete a work easily in the thirty days.

Agents are looking for manuscripts that have a strong and compelling synopsis (brief two or three page outline of the entire plot of the novel), are not hampered with incorrect punctuation or grammar (in the narrative at least, it's okay for characters to have bad grammar), and with a story line which is engaging and highly readable with memorable characters. They prefer character-driven fiction over plot-driven stories where the characters are simply tossed around the book without actually achieving goals or overcoming challenges.

That's a start. My overall advice is to do your homework and research everything you can about the publishing process from author's work through the eventual publication. As publishing houses acquire each other and become mega-houses, the opportunities for first-time novelists shrink, making competition fierce. Having an understanding of how the publishing business works in terms of specific protocols and methods for submission will have you head and shoulders above those who simply send in an unsolicited manuscript and hope for the best. Good luck!

Comments

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

Good information, thanks!

I've done NaNoWriMo the past two years (2003 and 2004), and I signed up for National Novel Editing Month last March, but didn't really get anywhere with it.

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

I managed a decent rewrite of my 2003 NaNoWriMo novel during the NaNoEdMo. I'm definitely signing up for it this year.

[missoccurs.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, how did you get your start as an acquisitions editor? I'd love to work in the publishing industry, especially as an editor, and as a recent college graduate I'm hounding everyone I can think to talk to for information and advice.

My e-mail is missocurs at gmail dot com if you'd prefer not to answer on the boards. :)

[missoccurs.livejournal.com]

Er, that should be missoccurs at gmail dot com. Yes, see my mad editing skills as I lack the ability to correctly type my own e-mail...

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

After school I spent some time near my grandmother, aunt, and cousin and got my own apartment. I was hired as a typist by a weekly advertising paper called the Catskill Shopper. There I learned the basics of typesetting and advertising design, and I got to write the occasional column. When family matters had me move back home I got a job at a small publishing company in South Jersey as a phototypographer and layout artist, but eventually the powers that be realized I had a literary and journalistic background and asked me to work with some of their authors. I ended up doing acquisitions! It was a great job, but I left to move out to California where I took a job as production editor with a small daily newspaper. It was while I was there that I met and married my husband, and we left for his duty with the navy, and I worked here and there as the opportunity arose, including as a graphic artist and writer with Naval Morale and Welfare in Rota, Spain.

My health took a nosedive when we returned to the States and I haven't worked outside the house since 1989. I've sold freelance magazine articles, and been a columnist with a few magazines, and ran several forums on CompuServe, but haven't worked as an editor in some time.

Many editors in the publishing trade start out as readers, reading the "slush pile" of unsolicited manuscripts, or as an editorial assistant doing proof-reading, galley preparation and other tasks. Entry level positions open up all the time, so I recommend that you send resumes to a variety of publishers and make yourself available for interviews. Good luck!

[demarazare.livejournal.com]

I am in the same boat as you, since I graduated from college in May. I have a small story of encouragement, though, because I JUST got hired as an editorial assistant. (I start in January!)

The job I got is at a small independent press in my area. I saw the position "F/T editorial assisstant" listed in the newspaper, without mentioning where the job was or who I'd be working for. The publishers had contracted a hiring agency to screen applicants for them. (According to the HR person I talked to at my interview, "some people will apply for anything.") So I had an interview with the employment agency, an interview with the HR lady at the press, and a joint interview with the two ladies I would be working under. Then they gave me a proofreading and spelling test. I went back a second time two weeks later to talk to those two ladies again, and then the employment agency called me about an hour after I'd gotten home to tell me they wanted to hire me. (Note: since the publishers requested the job posting and filtering, they paid the finder's fee... If you wanted to get an employment agency to look for a job for you, I guess you'd have to pay the finder's fee.)

It's entry level work, so they'll be training me. My actual job will be proofreading final copies of manuscripts and comparing them to the previous version (before the typesetting). Someday I'd love to be an acquisitions editor, or the creative sort of editor who advises writers while they are restructuring their novels, but I think this is a good start!

Here is what I *think* helped me get this job:

I passed the proofreading and spelling test, and they said I had neat handwriting.

I could say I had a background in writing. I've been working part-time for a small newspaper since July (also posted in the newspaper). I only write 1-3 articles a week and the pay is small, but it looks really good on my resume and I had copies to bring in. (I've also been working retail, but in a book store.) In college I edited a literary magazine and I wrote a thesis. I even mentioned to them that I'd done NaNoWriMo when they asked me if I was still writing post-college, heh.

I am just unusual enough to be memorable, I guess. I am AED and CPR trained, which I randomly decided to put on my resume. By my freaky luck they'd just learned to use these devices this summer at a class during work, so all three ladies were tickled pink that I already knew how to use them. I swore, when I left, that if they remembered me at all, that would be why.

[tapestry01.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :-)

[mongrelheart.livejournal.com]

Thanks much for the very good advice!

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

You are quite welcome. :-)

[iamnight.livejournal.com]

I know I already said it, but I love you, and wish to make you oatmeal cookies - or any kind of cookies you prefer, really. :)

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

Oh dear! Cookies=Satan in the round. Actually, I'm on the diabetic side, and a bit too round myself, but thank you for the offer. A nice, warm cyber-hug will do the trick. Let's do be friends!!

[iamnight.livejournal.com]

I like this suggestion! I only have sporadic Internet access and couldn't write earlier, but not for lack of liking this idea. :)

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

My husband has been on a cookie baking binge, mostly to send out to our family members this coming week, but I've weakened and had a few "samples," and felt kinda yukky afterwards, so I guess I'll have to limit the goodies through the holidays. Then come January it's back on the South Beach diet!