Birthing A Book: Raising Your Book Right

We're taking a break to recharge! Fairday's Riddles and Lizzy's Book Review will be back next week. Here's advice for writers interested in publishing a book...

Seeking A Story Home

By Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

— You’ve cultivated your story seed and delivered a book. The next phase in a writer's journey is the metamorphosis from manuscript to published work, and there are many paths to take as you step further into the literary forest.

If your decision is to turn toward traditional publishing, be sure you understand which side of the mushroom you’re eating.

Will you shrink or grow?

 Brick & Mortar Binding 
(PATH TO PUBLICATION: PART 1)

Tips to help find the right publisher for your work:

1. To really understand the publishing world, it’s essential to attend writers’ conferences, book fairs, and events. By networking with professionals in the industry, you’ll learn about the book buisiness and be inspired by people who have the same goals. The hardest part is going, but once you’re there, the scene is motivating. You’ll connect with agents and editors who will give you key tips on how to have your manuscript received and read by publishers.

Book events we found beneficial:

Unicorn Writers’Conference

CAPA Conference (CT Authors & Publishers Association) 
Connecticut Children’s Book Fair
BEA (Book Expo America)

2. Your words are going to be sliced and diced by editors once a publisher acquires your manuscript, BUT that does not mean you should wait to edit and revise. When you’re ready to seek a home for your book, your manuscript should be clean and concise. Hiring an editor to review your work or joining a critique group prior to submission is recommended. Once you’re satisfied with your words, it’s time to develop an AMAZING query letter and find a literary agent. In traditional publishing, this step can’t be missed. It’s rare a publisher will pick up an author who isn’t represented by a reputable literary agency. Developing a good query letter is not an easy task, but it's a challenge that will help you grow as a writer. The most important thing to remember about writing a query letter is this—  you’re trying to peak someone’s interest enough so that they want to read more of your words. 👀

Now, pretend you’re an agent receiving thousands of letters from writers who'd like you to represent their work. 😧

Exactly. Whew! Just thinking about all those inquiries is dizzying. You’d learn to skim the pile until one sparked your interest. The query letter is a great tool for both writer and agent because it precedes the relationship, establishing a level of professionalism. An agent will be able to tell right away if they’re a good fit to sell your book. If you didn’t follow the agency’s submission guidelines (typically listed on their websites) or you’ve reached out to an agent that doesn’t represent your genre, it will be obvious and your letter will be tossed aside, unread.

Resources we found useful:

Publisher's Marketplace

Talcott Notch Literary

Freelance Editor Referrals: Betsy Thorpe, Nicole Ayers

Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson with their agent Gina Panettieri from Talcott Notch Literary at B&N in Milford

3. Once you’ve found an agent who LOVES your book, (and this is the highest priority- they must be over the top, thrilled, excited, can’t wait to dive in and sell your words, in love), they will take on the next step of querying editors at publishing houses. This is a good time to develop your reader platform and keep up with your writing craft. No matter what anyone tells you, growing an online presence takes time and diligence. It does not happen overnight, and there’s a lot to learn. If you taylor your platform to inspire your writing, it's good practice and the work will be fulfilling. 

*For example, on this book blog, we write as our main characters, Fairday and Lizzy. Fairday writes riddles on Monday to clue readers in on the theme for the week, which is decided by Lizzy's book review on Friday. Jess loves writing rhyming poems, Stephanie is a media specialist, and has read pretty much every book out there, so the overall flow of the blog helps keep our writing skills sharp. We also interview authors, which is a great way to network, plus it's cool to find out the story behind the books we love to share with our readers. 

Traditional publishers may help sell your book, but don’t count on it. Be prepared to generate your own marketing strategies, schedule book events, and spread the book buzz with friends, family, and authors you network with. Set up a budget. Marketing materials, like bookmarks, posters, mailings, and fliers, are expensive.


If you've signed on with a good agent, they will walk you through the details and negotiate with the publisher. We would advise having your own attorney look over the information before you proceed with the deal. It seems glamourous to be listed with a notable publisher, but it's not all roses in that book garden. Publishing contract terms and conditions vary, so it's important to understand what's involved. 

Things to consider if this is the route you want take:

PROS:
1) No worries about cost or production of book
2) Book distribution is handled
3) Your book will receive trade reviews 

CONS:
1) You lose creative control of your project
2) Waiting to hear from agents, editors
3) Managing deadlines set by the publisher

*You'll receive a monetary advance, which is paid back by a percentage of your book sales. If your title doesn't satisfy the advance, you don't have to pay off the remaining balance, but you won't receive any payments for your book. If your book does pay out the advance, you keep a small percentage of the sales, called royalties- this can be a PRO, but it's also a CON. Our advice is to carefully consider the deal. Make sure you're committed to your characters and be prepared to carry on if this relationship doesn't work out for the long run.

TIP: It’s best to keep hold on the reins of your story, even when someone else sits in the saddle. They can jump off any time. If you let go, it’s going to be much harder to hop back on that pony and get it under control. 

If you’d rather stay in the saddle and gallop off on your own, then the Indie path is for you. Print on demand has created a changing wave in the publishing industry, and the floodgates are open. If you can ride like the elves in Rivendell, the river poses no threat. This part of the literary forest is untamed, and anything’s possible! 

Stay tuned for PART 2 of Raising A Book Right: Indie Writers on the Storm

DMS CASE FILE #1: The Begonia House

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
Publish date: 12/1/15
Publisher: Delacorte/ Random House
Illustrator: Roman Muradov
Ages: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3-6
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book, Library Bound

Read the reviews
Preview a chapter

FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED.

The Begonia House keeps its secrets. Everyone knows that. Everyone, that is, except for clever eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow, whose family has just moved in. Being the Senior Investigator in the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS, she’s ready to uncover the mysteries hidden within the strange manor. As the investigation gears up and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the DMS enters into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Can they piece together the puzzle before it's too late? Or will whatever's causing trouble find Fairday and her friends first?

Catch our feature articles on...

BIRTHING A BOOK

Story Seeds: Origins of a Book

Cultivating story ideas

A Writer Delivers: Growing A Book Garden

Plotting the scenes of your story

&

WRITING MYSTERIES

I See Dead Quotes

Critique, Editing your MS

Weaving in the Backstory

Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs

BOO-k Bones

Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book

VIDEO SERIES

Episode 1:  MAKING A MYSTERY

Stephanie & Jess sit down at the Plumb Memorial Library and discuss tools they use to craft stories. 

"There's no better place to get a clue than the library!"

FAIRDAYSFILES.COM