We're going to be at it again! You asked for a longer period of time to get ready for our pitches and you got it. So, since baseball season is in full swing, you're on the bench and your coach is looking at you and hollering "Be thinking about it!"
So, how could you possibly sell before RWA Nationals in San Francisco?
- Have a completed manuscript targetted for Silhouette Desire by July 1st.
- Be a member of eHarlequin.com and be able to participate in a virtual online pitch.
- Stay tuned to this blog for more information to follow as to the pitch format, date and deadlines.
Rae, you SO rock!
That gives us just enough time to have a manuscript ready and polished!
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
woohoo Rae!!!
Now I know what I'm working on next.
You're awsome! (Did I just date myself? LOL!)
SueB
thirsty work
Gidday, Rae!
Do past online pitchees get free drinks????
Jan Colley
www.jancolley.com
www.diamonds-downunder.com
Rookies
For those of us rookies here, what are you talking about????? Is this a challenge? An online motivation to get a ms done?
Or just a friendly reminder to people going to RWA?
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
Rookie Question
You're all very welcome. Jan, sure, I'll buy you a drink if I ever get a chance to meet you face to face.
Cat, what this means, is that you will have a chance to possibly pitch your manuscript during a virtual chat. There are different formats to enter the challenge. Some editors will ask for a logline, a two paragraph blurb--like on the back covers or a one page synopsis. So, those are the things to keep in mind. But you have to have a completed manuscript. If you look over on The Write Stuff board, there is currently a thread called Nocturne Editor Pitch Challenge. There, you can read the rules for the current challenge. The only thing that changes are the line, the editor, dates, times and of course the format for the challenge.
The reason why the header or title of this one says sell before RWA is that Ms. Jeglinski would love to buy a manuscript from one of the members here before the conference.
Rae
Logline?
Rae......what on earth is a logline?
SueB....eek, I have a feeling we are in the same age group. Gag me with a spoon!
Seriously, completing a manuscript for the Nocturne pitch was so much fun -- I'll really look forward to stretching even further and working on a submittal for Desire as well.
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
Logline Definition
A logline is a 1 or 2 line description of your ENTIRE ms, primarily what marketing hooks each ms might have (ie: Beauty & The Boss, Cowboy Lover, Pregnant Bride) but it's more than that. You will need to lay out the hooks, the conflicts, the characters and the plot premise concisely.
In a query, it would go at the top of the letter, for a pitch, it might be all you use, and you have a better chance of getting editorial attention if you know this skill well because they now have a speedy way of discerning what you're trying to do in the story.
Also loglines help keep the query pages short and you can be more expanisive in the synop. (I've also found that if you put it all into those two lines, you now have a small thesis statement from which to build the synop itself.)
EX
When pregnant Lindsay Lawson is left at the altar, no one is more suprised than Hank Handler, the man she works for, that he steps in as the role of the groom. But is the handsome, quiet rancher there to help her save face...or does it have something to do with the long-standing rivalry between their families?
Swinging the bat...
Thanks! I'm going to warm up my arm and take a few practice swings....I'll be back in the saddle by the July date!
This is just what I need to get started!
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
Pitch
I'm thrilled about this opportunity and the extra time. I usually get stuck without a full manuscript so I have to bypass the pitch.This time, I'm already at pg 150 so plenty of time to complete it. And it's great incentive to keep at it and get it all polished and shiny for July.
Hmm, if I do nothing but write for the next three months I might even be able to get another one completed.
Anne MacFarlane
http://annemacfarlane.blogspot.com/
Ooh, thank you, thank you!
Ooh, thank you, thank you!
Rae,
Rae,
Thanks for the new word! I've been using loglines in my queries by nature without knowing there's a special name for them!
Trying to get a lot of work done on my Nocturne manuscript while it's still early and cool here. We're supposed to be getting a record Spring heat wave here in Northern California, so I'm afraid Spring Fever may pull me outside to work in my garden later on!
Regards, Barbara a.k.a. Celtic
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
Thanks Rae!
So glad you gave us the link at the Desirable thread Rae. I've got a story going that I hope will get a Desire ed's attention so I'm excited about another opp to pitch right here on eharl!
Bren
www.hunterpeggy.com
Yeah, it's like totally
Yeah, it's like totally spring this weekend here, y'know? For sure, for sure! I already started my Desire entry this morning.
I am totally doing this!
I am totally doing this! This really rocks! Thanks for the opportunity.
Marianne LaCroix
www.mariannelacroix.com
Dude!
I feel like I totally stepped back into the eighties. Fer sure.
You're all welcome and I'm stoked that you're all stoked. Fer sure! Like totally.
And my favorite? Gag a maggot on a goat wagon, duuude.
Rae
Oh man. LOL I know, I
Oh man. LOL
I know, I can't help letting my 80s influenced life slip out on occasion.
www.mariannelacroix.com
I didn't miss it
I am so glad I didin't miss this one. Usually when there is a pitch i either don't have anything ready or I'm too late. I have two stories that I'm revising that are Desire type stories. I've got to get my 30 second commerical ready.
Stephanie T.
What a wonderful opportunity!
Good luck everyone on getting those ms's polished.
Now that we know the pitch
Now that we know the pitch is coming, I went to the Q&A this week for Desire and became tongue tied. Can you believe I can not come up with a single question? What an opportunity to get a ms right for this pitch and my brain freezes. Anyone else having the same problem?
Betty~ Where did you find
Betty~
Where did you find the Q&A???? I am so ready to DO THIS THANG!
I'm still a little nervous about the intimacy thing, though! I'm going to try my hand in our challenge here this week. Get ready to see "religious" go "sexy"!!!
Cat
Let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us; looking only unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1a-2b
Cat and Betty,
Hi Cat,
I'm going to try to post the link to the Desire Editor Q&A here -- hope it works:
http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/write-stuff/were-not-presents-desire-editor-diana-ventimiglia
Hi Betty,
Please don't feel tongue-tied -- just jump right in with anything you can think of! I felt like my question over on that board was pretty basic (especially compared to some of the well-thought-out and very advanced questions), but hey, we all have something to contribute!! I had brain freeze as well, but am enjoying reading the posts from everyone on Desire.
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
Perfect Timing
I had no idea that Dee had set this up. Perfect timing, no? Glad this is giving you all incentive to jump in and do something about your writing career. I always feel like a mamma bird or something, watching you hatch and then spread your wings to fly. Sounds silly, but watching you all succeed gives me pleasure.
Rae
Hi Rae,
Thank you -- I for one appreciate the support!
I am so glad that I finally went online one day and found the E-Harlequin website (after a LOT of years of reading Harlequins and Silhouettes, and this past year working on my first manuscript).
I have really been grateful to meet the other readers and writers out there -- this site is terrific! It is exciting anytime I see someone from the boards write in that they've subbed or gotten feedback.
I had a blast working on my submission for the Nocturne contest, and am excited to stretch again and work on this one.
Okay, back to my writing cave, but I mean it -- thanks for the support!!
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
Cool!
Mind if I jump in too! Now that I have a line to shoot for I can get to writing! Good luck all~
Katie~
"Your Life is an occasion. Rise to it"
Mr. Magorium
Celtic Lass
Thank you for the huge compliment. You're one of the reasons why we love doing our job.
I may have to retrieve my old pink bullwhip the ladies gave me when I hosted the writing board and start cracking it around to make you guys work.
Write!
Rae
Rae,
Rae,
Eeek, I just saw this post now -- not sure how I missed it!
I'm writing, I'm writing! As fast as my little fingers will type!
Thanks again for your support and I'm glad you had a fabulous time at RT.
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
Lass,
I shoulda made this a regular post, so it's my fault you just saw it now.
Now, go write!
Rae
Hi Rae,
Consider whip cracked! I promise I'm heading back to my writer's cave after this post.
Any word for us on contest entry format or due dates yet?
Okay, slinking back to my cave....
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
celtic lass
you are too funny. I'm still polishing the noc ms from the noc pitch contest. Hope to have that out next week, then I am going to type as fast as I can for the desire pitch contest!
I'll race ya? lol!
SueB
Hi Sue,
You're on! LOL
Actually, I wish I COULD write that fast. I'm setting my full Noc manuscript aside for a week "to breathe" (sort of like bread rising), then I'm going to come back to it for a third revision before I sub it.
Working on my Desire outline and a Bite idea right now. Kind of fun, because they're so different -- it's keeping me on my toes!
How are you doing with your final polish on the Noc MS? I think the final "pre-submittal" part of the work is the hardest!
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
celtic lass
After the pitch contest I looked hard at my story and decided it needed a face lift. Changed a lot which left me with a lot of rewriting. I have about 8k left of the rewrite, which I hope to have done next week. Then I will spend 1 week polishing the first 3 chapters and syn, get it read, more adjustments and off it goes! I'm aiming to mail it out on the 12th.
As far as the desire pitch goes, I have an idea for a trilogy. Got some good conflict ideas. After the 12th I am going to lay it all out and see how it flows. When I get to writing the first draft, I push myself to go fast - otherwise I would never finish a book. I write 2500+ words a day. It's all crap, mind you, but at least it's on paper. Editing often involves a little rewriting. It will take me probably 25-30 days for a first draft. Then I will have 2-3 weeks to get the pitch together before the deadline. I figured I can take my time a little with the editing...
That is, unless, I get a full request for my noc. Then my desire dreams will be set aside for the time being. ;)
That's the plan as of today, anyways...
SueB
Hi Sue,
Yikes! How do you manage that fantastic output? Tell me your secrets, I want to know!!
I write for a couple of hours each evening (after everyone else in the house is asleep, LOL), and manage about 1000 words a day on weekdays, for a total of 5K per week. Slow-going, but I'm getting there.
Continuing to let my Noc manuscript rise this week (maybe like a vampire rather than like bread is a better analogy?). The Desire pitch that I'm developing is for a stand-alone.
The struggle I've been facing is that I've read across the various Harlequin and Silhouette lines for years, but most of the Desires that I have read were about 2 years ago (prior to having a baby in the house). So, I've appreciated the various discussion threads and have been catching up on my reading!
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
writing schedules
I tend to push myself. If I only wrote 500-1000 words a day, the crows of doubt would set in and I'd never finish anything. \
On weekdays I write more becase it is more structured. ~500 in the morning before anyone gets up, ~500 on my lunch break and then after the kiddos go to bed at 7:30 I'll write until 10:30pm - about another 1500 words. The weekends I write during nap time and in the evenings but a more relaxed pace. Sometimes I'll take a night off to watch a movie or something. Once an ms is done I will take a break to read novels and replenish. Then I begin editing.
Now I'm not sure if I'm going to enter the pitch contest for desire. I'm thinking about the noc bite pitch contest and I have also learned of another novella opportunity. Don't think I will have time to develop everything by July - even with my fast pace! HA! Something will have to be sacrificed. Not sure what yet...
SueB
EXCITING
WOW, This is exciting, and for a newbie I want to 'swing' at this project too! And you guys are just fun to read during the day for a 'mind break' at work. good luck all.
Nett and SueB,
Hi Nett,
Good luck with your ms -- this website is very encouraging, and it is a great opportunity to enter the contest!
Hi Sue B,
Thank you for sharing how you do it -- that is a fierce output schedule! As a newbie, I am always interested in understanding how people work "regular life, jobs, all that good stuff" in with their writing. I appreciate your sharing.
I finished my Noc ms (the first full-length that I've finished) just by plugging along for a few months. I am able to edit a bit during the day, but do my primary work at night as I need quiet.
LOL, I live in one of those loud, kid-filled suburbs.....so night is the best writing time for me! My toddler is still pretty much a handful, so I use nap-times for housework at present.....but am hoping to turn that into writing time eventually!
Hope you'll entire the Desire contest as well, but if not, the Bites contest is a brilliant opportunity!
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
No Dates Yet
Welcome Nett. Glad you peeked in and are ready to go to bat.
As far as a concrete date, nothing has been set in stone yet. So, let's just make ourselves or yourselves plan to have your manuscripts done by July 1st. That way, it still gives you a goal and plenty of time to write like mad over the next 2 months. Heck, there are books in a month, why not two? Plus, the word counts for both aren't stupendous. You can do this, I know you can!
As far as personal writing time, I'm learning to do it while I can, when I can. I drive down to the bus stop, turn up the radio, tune out the rest of the mom's and dad's and write in my car for the fifteen minutes or so before the bus comes. I've started a routine in which I come home from the bus stop in the morning, suck down my coffee, do rounds here on the boards and then force myself to dig in and write. And I try to write most of the day while the kids are in school. On the odd days they're home, I have notepads everywhere. Best place to write? In the bathroom with the door shut. They think you're doing something else.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is ask yourself how badly do you want this? Because when you're an author, the publisher expects you to produce more than one book. There are ways to get around kids and interuptions, you just have to rethink and retrain yourself. What's the saying, No pain, no gain? or how about... Git R Done!
Rae
Writing schedules
OMG Rae - you are too funny. I might have to instill the bathroom method. ;)
I work during the day and have stopped doing the social hour at lunchtime with friends. (I socialize during afternoon break, instead.) During lunch I write - although I have to be careful what scenes I'm working on.
I'm fortunate to have an understanding husband who knows after the kids go to bed - it's my writing time. I also work better under deadlines. It motivates me. Since I'm unpub'd, I self-impose them. Good practice for when I have real ones. ;)
I'm definately going to try to get the desire finished by July 1st... I'll have a better idea come June if I'm going to make it. If the due date is more like July 10th or 15th I will have a better shot.
I'll end up subbing something to desire regardless, it's just a question of whether I'll be able to enter the pitch contest.
I think Rae is absolutely right - you have to want it bad. There will always be excuses and distractions. I feel it's critical to surround yourself with people who face the same issues (eg other writers). You can help keep eachother on track.
SueB, who is TRYING to get 2 novellas and a partial out the door this month - What am I doing here? Ack!
Rae and Sue B,
Thank you both for the encouragement and for sharing thoughts on process.
Rae -- LOL I am shaking with laughter on the bathroom thing. I haven't tried writing in there yet, but that's definitely how I get my reading done!
Sue, you are right on about surrounding yourself with other writers (and I might add, readers). That's why I've been grateful for this website and chatting with wonderful people like you!!
You've both given me food for thought on ways to potentially increase my writing output over time. For right now, I'm comfortable with a baseline quota of 5000 words a week (1 k per night on weeknights), so I will stick with that for the next year. It's what I am able to fit into my day......but I will keep Rae's example of writing everywhere (even waiting for the bus) in mind as I build my process.
Remember, as a complete newbie who has only finished one MS -- I'm still getting process in place. 5k will give me one completed full-length and one novella per quarter + editting time.
As folks who are further along, thank you both for sharing on that point.
Rae, I will definitely enter this one -- will check back to this thread periodically for news!
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
desire pitch
I think its great we have this earlier open window of oportunity to get our act together even though it is too easy to make the excuses up to 'do it later'. This is all new to me (this site and chats) but I would really like to give it a go and see if this is meant to be or not. Even though it could be quite a few trials and failures to get it right.
Is the 'Bites' contest still available?
Do any of you lean on another person to read your ms for critique? Like from these chats? I am just thinking a friend reading it may not be 'harsh' enough to help a person do it right.
Hi Nett,
I joined a local writer's group in my area and go in once a month for a round-robin critique meeting.
However, this approach does not work for everyone. I find it useful to go in and present my work and get live feedback......other folks prefer to email back-and-forth with a trusted writer friend, etc.
I just finished reading Stephen King's "On Writing," and he has his wife (who is also a novelist) be the first reader. He then gives it to a few trusted friends to read.
I think my husband would probably faint if he read my work, so we've agreed that he'll read it if/when I get published.
You might also want to look up a group like RWA to see if they have a chapter in your area. I understand that many people form critique groups through their local chapters.
For the Noc Bites contest, I think Rae is posting that on a different thread over in the Nocturne area.
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
alrighty then, thanks I
alrighty then, thanks I will do that.
Critique partner
Nett, there is a thread somewhere on the forums for finding a critique partner, a buddy who will read and comment on your writing in exchange for the same from you.
I'm planning to head there once I have my current ms finished. Its probably best to have someone who is aiming for the same line as you are, or at least enjoys reading them- I have some writing friends who just do not "get" romance at all and I would never let them critique my stories!
My blog- http://waitingforthecall.wordpress.com/
Hi Mulberry,
Thank you for posting about this resource -- all us fledgling writers out here appreciate it!
Nett -- best wishes to you in your process. Are you focussing on the Desire line mostly (hence this thread), or one of the other lines?
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
I am encouraged
I am encouraged by this site everytime I visit. I have several stories roaming around in my head and can't seem to pick one and stick with it. When I read about writing 2500 words a day I thought I can try that. It hasn't been easy, but I'm trying. If for some reason I'm unable to make my goal, I add it to the next day and use the weekends as my catch up days.
Now if I can only get rid of the doubt that I'm writing garbage.
Keep writing we can do it!
Stephanie T
steph
Don't kick yourself if you don't make 2500 words a day - it's an ambitious goal. As long as you write something - even one sentence - then you'll be that much closer to your goal. GL!
SueB
CRITIQUE
Thanks Mulberry for that information, I am going to see if I can find that for future needs.
I think I want to try the Desire line with the new contest coming up, I have an idea lurking and some notes made, plus I have been printing off all the information I can about the criteria needed. So here goes right!
And I agree if you can get any writing done at all that is better than nothing and farther than people who only think on it and do nothing about it. Keep it up!
friends
OH, and I sooooooo agree on friends just dont get it about the lure we have for a good 'smut' book. :)~
Nett,
LOL! I agree wholeheartedly. I was recently in a bookshop with one of my friends, who eyed the Harlequin rack and made some derisive remarks that I will not repeat here.
Of course, it nearly knocked the wind out of me!
Here is another resource for you: Janet Evanovich wrote a terrific book called "How I Write." She offers a lot of very practical points on getting your book done. Before she wrote the Stephanie Plum series, she was a romance novelist and has a lot of very positive/useful stuff in the book
"It's perfectly normal to love both Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe..." -- (Me!)
Evanovich
Sweet, thanks, next free lunch hour I have -going to pick that up. Which for me is my 'writing time'. So last night I literally counted in my head how many lunch hours I might have before July 1st. Not enough.
thanks again
Desire and Bites
Are still open, more information to come very, very soon.
Rae