Twenty questions time
Aug. 7th, 2005 09:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pbrayFor those who sent in their suggestions earlier, here's the draft of the FAQ's I'm working on for the website.
How long did it take you to write that first book and what was its genre? Did it get rejected?
I took me a little over a year to finish my first novel. It was a Regency romance and was rejected by every publisher and agent that I sent it to. My second novel took another year to write, but I'd learned something in the meantime since this book was purchased by Kensington Zebra who published it in 1997 under the title A LONDON SEASON.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It now takes me between six and nine months to write a book. THE FIRST BETRAYAL took about nine months of actual writing time, but there were significant gaps when I wasn’t working on the book, as I was doing research or waiting for feedback on the proposal from my agent and editor.
How many books have you written?
Twelve so far. One unsold novel, six Regencies, one Regency novella, the three volumes of THE SWORD OF CHANGE series, and I’ve just finished THE FIRST BETRAYAL.
You have a day job, do you work full time? Do you keep your day job because the writing career is a bit of feast or famine?
Yes, I work full-time. I keep the full-time job because the predictable income pays the mortgage, health insurance and all those other necessities of life. At times it is difficult to balance a day job and writing, but so far it's worked out. If I had to exist solely on my writing income I think the pressure would interfere with my ability to be creative.
Is it very difficult to get a fantasy manuscript published as a novice novelist?
Difficult, yes. Impossible, no. As just one example, earlier this year my friend Joshua Palmatier (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jpsorrow) sold his first novel to DAW, and they liked it so much they offered him a three book contract.
If you’re looking for encouragement, check the SF&F titles at your bookstore and in any given month you can see titles from first time authors. If you subscribe to Locus Magazine then be sure to take note of how often first time authors are listed in the "Books Sold" column.
Do you know the current going rate for a first novel contract?
Your mileage may vary, but for a fantasy or science fiction novel from a major NY publisher, an advance of $5,000 would be considered a good deal. This number hasn't changed much in the past years-- while the price of paperbacks has steadily increased, the advances paid to authors have not. To give you an idea of the range of what's being paid, Tobias Bucknell did a survey on advances. Keep in mind that this data is self-selecting, in that it's only as good as the pool of authors who chose to respond.
Do I need an agent to sell my book?
It is possible to sell your novel without having an agent, by submitting your work to publishers that accept unagented material or by making personal contacts with editors and receiving their permission to submit. But it’s generally easier if you have an agent. A good agent knows the markets, knows which editors are buying, and editors give priority to reading manuscripts from agents they trust over unsolicited submissions.
The catch is that it is nearly as difficult to get a good agent as it is to sell your book to a publisher. A bad agent is worse than no agent at all, so you need to do your homework before you start approaching agents. A good place to start is by looking for an agent who is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives at www.aar-online.org.
How many folks do you run your rough drafts by? Before your editor, I mean. Do they help with idea clarification?
These days there are one or two people who see the manuscript before it goes to my agent who gives her feedback, and then it goes to my editor. When I first started writing I was part of a critique circle where a number of people critiqued the chapters as I brought them in to read. Gradually I learned which input was helpful, and which input was not. By now I no longer need someone to point out beginner errors such as muddled POV or passive voice, and instead I’m more likely to gather with a couple of friends and bounce story ideas off the walls.
How do you write? Do you write it all out first then go back and edit? or edit the days work as you go?
When I finish writing for the day, the last thing that I do is print out the pages I’ve just written. I save them to critique later, usually right before bed or sometimes with my morning coffee. Then the next time I sit down at the computer I begin by inputting the changes to the previous scenes before I start writing new material. I find this helps me get back into the writing headspace, particularly if a few days have elapsed since I last wrote. Once the manuscript is finished I then do one or more revision passes on the entire book to ensure that it hangs together as a whole.
Describe the environment in which you write. Post photos.
I have a room in my house set aside for writing. It's extremely cluttered, as is my computer workspace which generally is overflowing with stacks of printouts and research notes. The top shelf over my computer desk contains a dictionary, atlas, thesaurus, and five books on names. Taped up there are pictures of my main characters so I remember what they look like. There are also toys scattered around--my 3-D sea monster puzzle, Darth Tater, Lex Luthor action figure, an axe, a crab mallet from Balticon, and of course the four foot replica broadsword is propped in a corner of the room.
Besides the writing desk and printer desk next to it, I have four bookcases, a rolling file unit, cases of paper and boxes of post cards and other promo materials.
No photos—they’d be too scary.
Do you play music or work in silence? What music if any?
I like to listen to music while I write. Much of DEVLIN'S LUCK was written to the accompaniment of Steve McDonald (“Sons of Somerled” etc). Other artists that I keep in the writing room include Steeleye Span, Enya, Capercaillie and the Lord of the Rings soundtracks. For THE FIRST BETRAYAL I picked up a couple CD's of Italian Renaissance songs & dances to add in to the mix.
What books do you like to read yourself?
I'm omnivorous, and have been known to read a little bit of everything, from literary fiction to westerns and everything in between. These days when I have time to read it's generally fantasy, SF (particularly space opera), or mystery. I don't read in genre while writing, so when I'm deep in the throes of writing a fantasy I won't be reading anyone else's epic fantasy.
How long did it take you to write that first book and what was its genre? Did it get rejected?
I took me a little over a year to finish my first novel. It was a Regency romance and was rejected by every publisher and agent that I sent it to. My second novel took another year to write, but I'd learned something in the meantime since this book was purchased by Kensington Zebra who published it in 1997 under the title A LONDON SEASON.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It now takes me between six and nine months to write a book. THE FIRST BETRAYAL took about nine months of actual writing time, but there were significant gaps when I wasn’t working on the book, as I was doing research or waiting for feedback on the proposal from my agent and editor.
How many books have you written?
Twelve so far. One unsold novel, six Regencies, one Regency novella, the three volumes of THE SWORD OF CHANGE series, and I’ve just finished THE FIRST BETRAYAL.
You have a day job, do you work full time? Do you keep your day job because the writing career is a bit of feast or famine?
Yes, I work full-time. I keep the full-time job because the predictable income pays the mortgage, health insurance and all those other necessities of life. At times it is difficult to balance a day job and writing, but so far it's worked out. If I had to exist solely on my writing income I think the pressure would interfere with my ability to be creative.
Is it very difficult to get a fantasy manuscript published as a novice novelist?
Difficult, yes. Impossible, no. As just one example, earlier this year my friend Joshua Palmatier (
jpsorrow) sold his first novel to DAW, and they liked it so much they offered him a three book contract.If you’re looking for encouragement, check the SF&F titles at your bookstore and in any given month you can see titles from first time authors. If you subscribe to Locus Magazine then be sure to take note of how often first time authors are listed in the "Books Sold" column.
Do you know the current going rate for a first novel contract?
Your mileage may vary, but for a fantasy or science fiction novel from a major NY publisher, an advance of $5,000 would be considered a good deal. This number hasn't changed much in the past years-- while the price of paperbacks has steadily increased, the advances paid to authors have not. To give you an idea of the range of what's being paid, Tobias Bucknell did a survey on advances. Keep in mind that this data is self-selecting, in that it's only as good as the pool of authors who chose to respond.
Do I need an agent to sell my book?
It is possible to sell your novel without having an agent, by submitting your work to publishers that accept unagented material or by making personal contacts with editors and receiving their permission to submit. But it’s generally easier if you have an agent. A good agent knows the markets, knows which editors are buying, and editors give priority to reading manuscripts from agents they trust over unsolicited submissions.
The catch is that it is nearly as difficult to get a good agent as it is to sell your book to a publisher. A bad agent is worse than no agent at all, so you need to do your homework before you start approaching agents. A good place to start is by looking for an agent who is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives at www.aar-online.org.
How many folks do you run your rough drafts by? Before your editor, I mean. Do they help with idea clarification?
These days there are one or two people who see the manuscript before it goes to my agent who gives her feedback, and then it goes to my editor. When I first started writing I was part of a critique circle where a number of people critiqued the chapters as I brought them in to read. Gradually I learned which input was helpful, and which input was not. By now I no longer need someone to point out beginner errors such as muddled POV or passive voice, and instead I’m more likely to gather with a couple of friends and bounce story ideas off the walls.
How do you write? Do you write it all out first then go back and edit? or edit the days work as you go?
When I finish writing for the day, the last thing that I do is print out the pages I’ve just written. I save them to critique later, usually right before bed or sometimes with my morning coffee. Then the next time I sit down at the computer I begin by inputting the changes to the previous scenes before I start writing new material. I find this helps me get back into the writing headspace, particularly if a few days have elapsed since I last wrote. Once the manuscript is finished I then do one or more revision passes on the entire book to ensure that it hangs together as a whole.
Describe the environment in which you write. Post photos.
I have a room in my house set aside for writing. It's extremely cluttered, as is my computer workspace which generally is overflowing with stacks of printouts and research notes. The top shelf over my computer desk contains a dictionary, atlas, thesaurus, and five books on names. Taped up there are pictures of my main characters so I remember what they look like. There are also toys scattered around--my 3-D sea monster puzzle, Darth Tater, Lex Luthor action figure, an axe, a crab mallet from Balticon, and of course the four foot replica broadsword is propped in a corner of the room.
Besides the writing desk and printer desk next to it, I have four bookcases, a rolling file unit, cases of paper and boxes of post cards and other promo materials.
No photos—they’d be too scary.
Do you play music or work in silence? What music if any?
I like to listen to music while I write. Much of DEVLIN'S LUCK was written to the accompaniment of Steve McDonald (“Sons of Somerled” etc). Other artists that I keep in the writing room include Steeleye Span, Enya, Capercaillie and the Lord of the Rings soundtracks. For THE FIRST BETRAYAL I picked up a couple CD's of Italian Renaissance songs & dances to add in to the mix.
What books do you like to read yourself?
I'm omnivorous, and have been known to read a little bit of everything, from literary fiction to westerns and everything in between. These days when I have time to read it's generally fantasy, SF (particularly space opera), or mystery. I don't read in genre while writing, so when I'm deep in the throes of writing a fantasy I won't be reading anyone else's epic fantasy.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-07 02:18 pm (UTC)But wait! You don't have twenty questions yet. Let me help. grin:
13. When you sit down to write, how long do you write in one sitting on average?
14. Do you have a word count goal per sitting?
15. When is your favorite time of day/night to write?
16. Do you experience/suffer episodes of writing avoidance? Like you would rather go and do dishes, clean the cat box, pick up Scooby's doo or rearrange your pen holder, instead? Is this normal?
17. Does it get any better as you go along? Or is it part of the gig?
18. Do you get writer's block? How do you deal with it?
19. What makes a manuscript good/What makes a manuscript sell?
20. What suggestions could you give the novice novelist about improving her/his writing skills? For example: To get rid of that nasty passive voice thing or on good plotting etc. Any suggestions for reference books, web sites or anything?
Cheers,
JD
P.S. The link for http://www.aar-online.org is not working properly. The address just needs to be tidied up a bit.
P.P.S. May I copy and paste this into my own personal journal to "keep"? (oops, that question 21)
Re: Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-07 11:47 pm (UTC)Re: Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-08 02:24 pm (UTC)I fixed the link to the AAR website, so that should now be working.
Re: Question 21- You're welcome to post a link to this entry in your journal, or to print a copy for your own reference. As far as posting it elsewhere on the web where it would be accessible to others, I'd prefer not to have copies of it floating in cyberspace where I wouldn't have the option to update or edit as needed.
Re: Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-08 02:49 pm (UTC)Thank you. It was for my personal journal only. I would NEVER splash this all over the internet.
Re: Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-08 06:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-08 03:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-08 02:24 pm (UTC)Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-08 05:21 am (UTC)Write Angles, Write Wing (no, no, that would open a can of worms), Write Answers, Write Answers to the Write Questions, Write of Passage (naw, that would be a biography or an awards page)...
Tired brain babble. : )
Re: Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-08 02:25 pm (UTC)Re: Twenty Questions
Date: 2005-08-08 02:51 pm (UTC)