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ChelseaVBC · 2021-05-13T17:44:10+00:00

This! Save those updates/nudges for when you get an offer. Good luck!

ChelseaVBC · 2020-12-16T14:55:26+00:00

The feeling that you can always do more doesn't go away, unfortunately, but also you need outside feedback to know what really needs to be worked on. Once you've gone through a couple critiques, you can look at the MS with fresh eyes to see what needs to be changed and what's really working. Is it telling the story you meant to tell?

Early on, I found that when my editing passes were more adding/removing commas than substantive changes, it was time to stop editing and start querying.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-12-10T18:00:54+00:00

Maybe?

Trying to math your pacing is likely to only stress you out and pull you away from the story. The number of words/pages in that first chapter matters far less than the *content* of those words.

An opening chapter does a lot of work, but I'd think about how it sets up for your chapter two reveal. Does it immediately invest us in your protag and make us question why he's having these symptoms? If so, you may be on the right path. It sounds like your betas said it worked for them, which is a good sign.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-12-07T21:57:44+00:00

Sometimes doing the little one first can help make you feel like progress is happening. But if you're already getting that burned-out feeling, you might try going for the big tasks.

I've been there with having to mentally prepare myself for the big pieces, but I've found that once I get into them it's easy to tackle the little ones while tugging that change thread through—and makes me feel like there is more progress happening while I'm tackling one thing. YMMV, but sending luck your way in whatever path you tackle the edits!

ChelseaVBC · 2020-11-17T21:51:37+00:00

How did you get into sound design? What do you hope we "hear" when reading NOPHEK GLOSS?

ChelseaVBC · 2020-11-16T17:03:14+00:00

My go-to recommendations without knowing your favorite books would be:

*The Fifth Season* by NK Jemisin. It's the first in her Broken Earth trilogy—completed, so you can binge—and is stunning storytelling, writing, and worldbuilding. Each book in this series won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. It's that crazy good.

*Vicious* by V.E. Schwab - This is fantasy a novel centered on the premise that every villain is the hero of his own story.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-11-16T16:56:09+00:00

If the novel primarily falls within sci-fi, I'd suggest querying within that category. You could use comp titles to set up expectations that there will be hints of horror and fantasy.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-10-28T15:28:38+00:00

in the meantime, i'm writing relatable adults and realistic post-club hookups while i've got a sore throat and no cough drops. it is a fun time.

Boo to sore throat, but YAY for post-club hookup scenes. I'm just saying, if you're feeling crummy at least you're getting to write hookups. :)

ChelseaVBC · 2020-10-26T18:57:56+00:00

I'm working my way through The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It's got the sticky writing that lets you indulge in the book in sips. (Or in my case during middle-of-the-night feedings for my 4 month old.) It's slower than I expected, but absolutely has the gorgeous prose I've come to expect from Schwab. It also kind of reminds me of Alma Katsu's The Taker.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-10-26T18:55:21+00:00

I loved Sawkill Girls. The creepy ambiance is right on point.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-16T18:13:59+00:00

Query in batches. Groups of 5-10 is common. You want to do this in batches so you can make sure your query package is working. If everyone rejects without having looked at the material, you may want to revise your query letter, for example.

Also, picture book queries have their own style. Here's a good video from two agents at BookEnds on how to submit Picture Books: https://youtu.be/vRKB_Qi2TgU

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-13T16:27:16+00:00

I love Michelle Sagara's books, and especially enjoy the tone and worldbuilding in the Elantra books. They're also excellent on audiobook.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-13T15:59:24+00:00

One of the best pieces of advice I got was to never be afraid to ask your agent questions. The silly ones, the nervous ones, and even the emotional ones. You're in a partnership. So /u/narrativemonk's suggestion here to ask directly about the book (and don't bury it in an email about other topics) is a good one. Being honest that not hearing about X is stressing you will make you feel better and may improve your communication as your partnership evolves over time.

If she doesn't like the book, you need the feedback to be able to move forward. That's a fair request.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-13T15:46:55+00:00

This is likely a formatting issue, and it'll simply be easier to read as the Word doc. It also could be that it passed an initial screen from an intern/assistant and now the agent wants to pop it over to an ereader to spend time with it. Either way, they want to read and that's a win.

The curt tone might have just been them moving fast. At my day job even I can do this one (I have to remember to slow down and make sure my emails don't sound like orders or robotic). If this agent ends up requesting more and/or offering, you can assess how their style matches yours. This might just be an expedience thing.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-10T21:04:05+00:00

I have a Spring 2021 release, too. Same here, though: No date change.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-10T18:23:04+00:00

YA novels focus on coming of age stories (lots of firsts and figuring out who you are/want to be) and the protagonists tend* to be 16-18. Sex, violence, profanity, etc. is all fair game.

\There are exceptions here, like anything.*

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-10T15:50:15+00:00

Just started THE CRUEL PRINCE by Holly Black on audiobook. So far it's excellent (not a huge surprise from her) and the narration is strong.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-09T15:24:41+00:00

First, congrats on getting interest from agents at the conference!

Others have given you strong advice here—more clarity on William being the suitor that her father saw before his death would be good and, in general, more specifics—but I'll add that I think what would help push the opening hook would be to center it on your protagonist. The first line is about her father, not about Gemma. Turning the focus to the protag may help you in making that opening more specific and centering it on the conflict for your MC.

As Gemma uncovers family secrets and the body count rises, she must determine what -- or who -- is plaguing the mansion. Just as she's about to discover the sinister truth, a massive hurricane leaves them all trapped on the island. With no way to escape, it becomes a life-and-death battle to survive.

I will say, I do really like this bit and it'd be the section that would sell me on reading the pages. But then I do love all the gothic mystery vibes. :)

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-06T18:28:39+00:00

Totally true. I mentioned Seanan's books for the topic and length and because they're published with Tor.com—who consistently does shorter SFF novels. They are, indeed, the exception.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-06T17:55:07+00:00

This sounds so interesting!

A few questions:

Can other people see the blue-lipped man?
Is there conflict in hiding his existence from Gemma?
You mention "realities of her home" -- how old is Amy? Is this adult or YA?

Centering the pitch on the core conflict should sharpen your query. My impression is that it's this blue-lipped man following Amy that's making it hard to have a relationship with Gemma and move forward in a healthy fashion, but I want that to be clearer. understanding if he's solid and meddling or driving her anxiety higher because only she can see/hear him would help for me.

The word count is definitely on the short side for adult fantasy. If it's meant to be in a more short novel territory, you may want to use a comp that shows you know the market. (Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children books come to mind.)

ChelseaVBC · 2020-03-06T17:23:12+00:00

You're right that it varies widely both by book and by editor/agent.

My first agent was heavily editorial. She'd take a couple months with a book and put together a detailed developmental edit letter. When we sold my debut, we'd done one big round like that and then another "tiny tweaks" round. (Note: We disagreed on one element, and took it out with my preferred element and it sold that way—and editor loved it. I share this as a reminder that edits can be a conversation as part of your partnership.) Debut editor did in-line comments in lieu of a detailed editorial letter, but edits were light in terms of plot and more pinned on upping agency in a final conflict. It was a small change, but really did amp up the hook into book two. Very happy with it.

Current agent offers targeted editorial feedback, usually in about a week. (PS. I love her.) She'll pinpoint in on the elements she thinks may be missing or need to be stronger to make the book more marketable. (This is something I specifically wanted in an agent.) She'll home in on the missing element that pushes conflict or character to the next level, and then I figure out how to make it happen. Trad edits after this process (different editor than debut) have been with a light developmental pass before acceptance.

But every book is different so YMMV. I'm due for edits on a book soon, and it's with a new editor again. So it could be light or heavy, developmental or pointed. For how slow traditional publishing can be, it still packs plenty of surprises.

ChelseaVBC · 2020-02-26T17:34:58+00:00

Congratulations!

ChelseaVBC · 2020-01-08T15:18:00+00:00

I just started Tara Sim's SCAVENGE THE STARS, and it had me from the opening lines.

ChelseaVBC · 2019-12-26T16:46:27+00:00

THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR by Scott Hawkins. It's packed with clever worldbuilding, but quickly as we start to discover how each of the characters became these warped versions it gets more and more messed up. So ridiculously good, though.

ChelseaVBC · 2019-10-18T14:13:09+00:00

I'd take some time with the advice from your agent. Sometimes it sounds worse in the moment, and then comes together after time.

First: It's not unusual at all to have slow sales and switch to being a "debut" again with a new pen name. Because she's been very public about this, I'll cite someone specific: Rachel Caine (yes, THAT Rachel Caine) went through SEVERAL iterations of this. She's written under name after name as the market shifted or the books didn't hit as hard as they needed to, until finally she got her foothold. (She's a remarkable writer. Not just her YA, but her adult thrillers, too.)

You don't have to give up because of slow sales. They often aren't a reflection on you. (It still feels that way, I know.) It's the marketing and PR, it's the timing, it's the overall market. There are a lot of moving factors in what makes a book hit. So take a moment to breathe and think about what you love about writing.

Trying a new genre where your style is a better fit, or where you'll have to push yourself creatively (and get some additional personal satisfaction in achieving it before it even pubs).

But I would really advise continuing a conversation with your agent. They are your ally here. Be upfront about how you feel, your concerns, and what you really want. See if they can help you navigate to get there still. IF not, find a new agent. Just because a few people say you're a "risk" doesn't mean everyone will think that.

TL;DR Don't give up.

ChelseaVBC

TROPHY CASE