The Business Savvy Author

Stay tuned for the next edition of How I Got My Agent with debut author Lark Howard. Meanwhile, here's a post to tide you over. Let me know your thoughts!

After nine years working as a market research analyst for a F500 corporation, I've learned valuable lessons about professionally managing my day career. I apply those lessons to my writing career as well. Here are my tips to become a business savvy author.

You are your own public relations manager.
Every time you speak or post on the Internet, you are essentially putting out your own press release. What you say and how you say it affects your reputation as an author. Consider how you want agents, editors, booksellers, other authors, and readers to view you as an author. Act accordingly.

In marketing, perception is reality.
In focus groups, I've witnessed the shock of engineers and product managers when they hear respondents' erroneous perceptions of a product. I always tell them Perception is Reality. What that means is that it will take a great deal of work and positive messaging to reverse the incorrect or negative perceptions. As writers, this means avoiding shooting yourself in the foot. Recently, I've seen several authors publicize bad news such as poor reviews, low sales or rejections online. If you get a negative review, don't publicize it. Focus on the positive ones. If you are currently submitting manuscripts, don't post about recent rejections on your blog or website. Why? Because you may create a negative perception about your work to other agents or editors. Remember, perception is reality.

If you want to succeed, don't make enemies.
You may have had negative experiences with a former critique partner, agent or editor, but be wary of venting your frustrations to anyone except the most trusted friend. Be honest with yourself as well. There are always two sides to a disagreement. If a relationship goes sour, then have the strength to do what you can to either improve it or sever it if necessary. Don't burn bridges because you never know when you might have to work with that person again.

Propose solutions.
One of the most important lessons I've learned in my marketing career is to avoid complaining. My previous manager gave me some great advice. She worked hard to overcome emotional reactions because it wastes energy. Instead of complaining, focus on finding solutions to the problem. Others will view you as a team player and a positive influence.

Do network.
You don't have to be an extrovert to form relationships with other authors. Dare to reach out. In my opinion, the majority of RWA writers are friendly and helpful. If you're a newbie, volunteer for your local or online chapter. Take advantage of mentoring programs if they're available. Write favorable reviews for an author whose book you enjoyed. Give and you will receive.

Formulate a marketing plan.
Set an overall goal and then list realistic steps to achieve it. Periodically review your intermediate goals and be flexible about making necessary changes. Setting an overall goal to publish in five years is unrealistic; it may happen sooner or later. Instead, honestly evaluate your writing capabilities and let that guide you.

Kick the green-eyed monster to the curb.
At some point in your career, you'll likely feel a pang of envy over another writer's good news. It's especially difficult if you've gotten a rejection or a low contest score. But don't let that pang of envy turn into raging jealousy. We've all seen authors give back-handed compliments to a writer celebrating good news. These back-handers are the types who let jealousy fester and spend their time ripping others apart. But while they're wasting energy disparaging others, the successful author is working hard on her next project. Develop strategies to deal with the inevitable disappointments in this writing business and keep your focus on your own career.

Ask for what you want.
If you don't ask, you'll never get it. This particular subject highlights the importance of having a business savvy agent. Sometimes what you ask for is inadvisable. Other times, it doesn't hurt to try. In the latter case, the worst that can happen is the other party will say no.

Take control of your career.
Yes, there are aspects of the publication business that you have no control over. Lines fold, editors move to new houses, and trends change. You have two choices: whine about your misfortune or reinvent your career. Successful authors do the latter.

Dare to Submit.
Once you've polished your manuscript to the best of your ability, do your homework and then start submitting. Fear is your greatest enemy in this business.

Have the courage to say no, thank you.
There may be times in the course of your career when you will be offered an opportunity that does not align with your goals. The decision is often gut-wrenching. Take your time, ask questions, and do your research. You can only make the best decision you can with the information you have at the time. Remember, it's your career. Do what's best for you, even if it means turning down an opportunity. For the record, I've done it, and I have no regrets.

Finally, the best advice I ever got.
When I was a newbie, an editor told me something I've never forgotten. She put her fist to her heart and said, "Listen to your own inner voice."

May the Magic Romance Fairies be with You!

How I Got My Agent: Guest Blog with Sarah Andre

My West Houston RWA chapter mate and talented author Sarah Andre agreed to be my next guest blogger. If you're seeking an agent, be sure to read Sarah's journey to representation with the agent of her dreams!

Welcome, Sarah! Please tell us a bit about yourself, what you write, and about your agent.
I write Romantic Suspense. Although my first novel finaled in three contests, it has all the markings of a first novel and is now under my bed. The second novel: LOCKED, LOADED AND LYING finaled in the Lone Star, Finally A Bride, the Houston Writer's Guild and won the Linda Howard Award for Excellence in Writing. It's LOCKED, LOADED AND LYING (LLL for short) that captured my agent, the fabulous Maura Kye-Casella from the Don Congdon Agency in NY.

I majored in Creative Writing as an undergrad and won writing awards. But this is where I realized how difficult writing was and had my sites set on being a corporate big-shot, so fast forward many, many years and bottom line: life simply got in the way of writing.

In 2004, my husband took me to Italy for my 40th birthday and I swear to God, there is something in the air or water over there that inspires the artist in all of us! Even at the IAH airport on the trip out I spontaneously bought a notebook and began writing a story about an architect and an interior designer. While everyone slept through the flight I wrote and wrote and wrote, literally until my hand cramped up so badly I had to stop. No plot, scenes just flowed as I got to them...hence the discovery that I am a panster. In all 3 stories there is something of Italy or an Italian in the plot--it's my way of honoring a place that reminded me of the creative soul inside who'd waited so patiently all these years.

Along the way to representation, did you change subgenres?
When I first began writing I was an avid suspense reader- and I mean gritty, page-turning suspense, not RS. So when I opened the notebook that first day I automatically assumed that's what I'd write. Well! Out came the most cliche, over-dramatic soft contemporary romance with a misunderstanding for 400 pages instead of a conflict! A romance? No one was more shocked than me. But because it had flowed from me so naturally, I shrugged and looked up RWA and the local RWA chapters. And I picked romance books back up (I'd read romances as a teen) and read the modern evolved stories, went to workshops, writer's presentations and my second and third stories are solid, tense RS.

How many books did you write before signing with your agent?
I had two stories under my belt (the first under the bed, the second in a bunch of contests) and was a third of the way through my present WIP when Maura called.

What steps did you take to find your agent? How did you research agents?
I had decided the way to get an agent was through one-on-one personal interaction instead of cold E-queries. So I pitched 3-4 agents a year or got in front of professionals through contest finals. Then a friend of mine, Sarah Castleberry, finaled in 2008 GH and created a spreadsheet of all RWA approved agents and shared it with me. The list was extensive and my two critique partners, and I split it into thirds and each of us researched massive amounts of info for each name on our list. We used a variety of websites, PW, P&E, Googling their names, checking out the agency's website, chapter rumors, etc...

So, I had this gold-mine of info and still was reluctant to use it...I perseverated that meeting an agent face to face or through a contest was a more successful way to go. The down side was only reaching an average of 7 a year. So, I'd been shopping LLL since 2006 when I'd only had a few chapters written. I'd received 3 full requests and many partials this way.

In May at a West Houston RWA meeting, best-selling author Sharie Kohler/Sophie Jordan met up with me at break and said "I keep hearing your name mentioned in all these contest finals...why aren't you published?" And the frank answer..."Because I'm lazy." Well! No need to go into her blistering "pep-talk" (lecture) but she ended with "you HAVE to start e-querying...everybody! Start with my agent if you have to. Even if she rejects you, at least you queried and got your work out there!"

Thus, soundly spanked, I queried her agent that week (specifically so I could get rejected and prove my point to Sharie that my way was slow, but better.) Therefore, I knew very little about Maura Kye-Casella, other than how incredibly successful she is at managing Sharie's soaring career.

What were some of the most important characteristics you were seeking in an agent?
I'd heard over and over at the chapter meetings that you should not jump at the first agent offer, but to wait for someone who went absolutely gah-gah over your writing, voice, story, etc, because they'd believe in you and a long term relationship was the focus here. So I knew that was criteria #1. I'd also been in the contest/pitching circuit long enough to also know I wanted an agent who got back to writers in a (relatively) timely manner, and if they took 6-12 months to read something that they'd requested, they were not the agent for me.

Now tell us about the day you got the call saying I'd love to represent you!
Imagine my utter shock when, 3 weeks after sending the full to Maura, she called and spent 20 minutes gushing over LLL. It's innate in me to interrupt people who compliment me in any way with a modest "oh thanks, but really- let's drop the subject now" or to immediately volunteer "oh, but here's what's wrong with me" and I found myself opening my mouth to stop her after she'd say phrases like "hooked me," "tight storyline," "interaction between the brothers, wow!" And then I realized this is MY moment, I'd worked so hard all these years and received so many rejections or harsh feedback on this story that had reduced me to a fetal position and here was someone who GUSHED. This experience would never come again (getting your very first agent call) and I needed to just shut my mouth and absorb every second of it!

So I did, and the shock and sheer joy of a prestigious agent going on and on, and who GOT my characters and my plot, and who spoke to me as if she'd been a critique partner on it all these years was mind blowing. I wish this type of experience for every writer.

Who was the first person you called/emailed after getting the agent call? How did you celebrate?
Of course my first call was to my husband, then my best friend in DC (both went straight to voicemail, sadly) then I ate lunch with my writer-friend Sarah Castleberry, who was ecstatic and made the achievement that much more real and exciting for me. I couldn't have celebrated better than lunch with a writer-friend who GOT the significance of this moment.

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for writers seeking representation?
So I guess you could say my recommendation for writers is A) NEVER give up and B) don't get too caught up in one method or mindset. Pitch, enter contests, e-query and network, network, network. You never know when another writer's simple advice will change your life.

Sarah, thanks so much for sharing your exciting story. I can't wait to hear the news of your first sale!

Sarah Andre can be found on FaceBook and MySpace.

How I Got My Agent: New Guest Blog Post

Finding the right agent is critical to your writing career, but it can be a difficult journey. When my Twitter buddy Elyssa Papa recently announced she'd signed with an agent, I thought her journey to representation could help others. So I decided to start a series of guest posts, and Elyssa agreed to be my first interview.

Eventually, I'll confess my own wacky story of how I accidentally met my agent - twice! But first up, read about the steps Elyssa took to successfully sign with the agent of her dreams.

Welcome, Elyssa. Please tell us a bit about yourself, what you write, and your agent.
Thank you, Vicky! It’s a pleasure to be invited to be part of this interview series. I’m a former high school English teacher, a chocoholic, and live in upstate New York.

I write light, sexy contemporary romances that have deep emotion under the sparkling humor. The name of my book is AS YOU WISH. It’s about a jaded rock star determined to make amends with his estranged family during the Christmas season and falls for an optimistic florist; it’s set in Burlington, Vermont.

I’ve recently signed with Kimberly Witherspoon of Inkwell Management. I’ve been a finalist in three contests with my first book. My blog is: http://www.elyssapapa.blogspot.com/, or you can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElyssaPapa.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing all my life, but it wasn’t until three years ago that I became serious about pursuing publication. It’s thanks to the Eloisa James and Julia Quinn Bulletin Board and the Avon Fanlit competition in 2006 that I really started believing that my dream of being a published author was possible. I also met great friends in Fanlit and two of my critique partners---Tiffany Clare and Maggie Robinson (both of whom are debut historical romance authors in 2010)---on the EJ/JQ bulletin board. Tiffany Clare met our third CP, J.K. Coi, at a local RWA chapter meeting.

Along the way to representation, did you change subgenres?
Well, in the Fanlit competition, all the chapters were in the Regency era. The historical voice didn’t fit my voice. I started writing contemporary romances at this same time, and it all clicked. I knew Contemporary Romance was the subgenre I was meant to write in.

How many books did you write before signing with your agent?
I’ve written two books prior to AS YOU WISH.

What steps did you take to find your agent?
I owe it all to my frend, Sara Lindsey, who is a client of Kim Witherspoon's. Sara's debut historical romance, PROMISE ME TONIGHT, releases Feb 2010. Sara read the first chapter of AYW and emailed Kim to be on the lookout for my query. Long story short, Kim requested the full and is now my agent!

How did you go about researching agents?
I used Agent Query, Publisher’s Marketplace, and RWA.

What were some of the most important characteristics you were seeking in an agent?
The most important characteristics for me in an agent were: someone who “got” and loved my voice, would be an advocate for me and my work, and who would help me grow my career. I think it’s important to make sure you know as much as possible about that agent before signing.

Did you have more than one offer of representation?
Kimberly Witherspoon is my dream agent. Of course I was going to sign with her! Kimberly was also the first agent who called; even though AYW had eleven requests overall---there was no question in my mind whatsoever.

Now tell us about the day you got the call saying I'd love to represent you!
I got the call on August 12th. The previous day, I’d received an email from Kimberly’s assistant asking to schedule a call. I was nervous and excited.

Kimberly began talking about the book and how much she liked it. She started talking about one of the characters, and I remember thinking: Oh my god, she really read my book. At one point I asked, “So does this mean you’re offering representation?” That’s how much of an out-of-the-body moment I was having. She replied yes and that I was her client. I repeated, “OMG!” about three or four times and said how thrilled I was. It was the best conversation of my life!

Who was the first person you called/emailed after getting the agent call? How did you celebrate?
I called my parents, then I called my best friend/critique partner, Tiffany Clare. We started squeeing, and that type of excitement continued throughout the day as other friends and authors learned about the news. I celebrated by eating a few chocolate chip cookies and happy dancing.

Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for writers seeking representation?
Write the best book you can, and one that comes from your heart. Push yourself constantly and set writing deadlines for yourself. Know when to put a book away---and keep on writing. Surround yourself with a support system. And last importantly, believe in yourself!

Elyssa, thank you so much for sharing your great story! We're all anxiously waiting for your news of a first sale!