Interview with a Publisher

We're taking a break from our NaNo posts to think about the future of those NaNo manuscripts. Have you ever wanted to get the inside scoop on how to get your manuscript noticed? Recently, we were privileged to interview author, editor, publishing veteran, and Disney enthusiast Lisa Mangum about her publishing insights. Read our interview with her below.

What do you look for in a cover letter that pushes you to read the manuscript attached?
I like a cover letter that is well-written and professional. The best cover letters have a solid hook for the manuscript that is specific and engaging and that touches on the four main elements of the story: the protagonist, the main goal, the main obstacle, and the consequence of failure. (For example: Frodo must journey to Mount Doom, battling an army of evil creatures, in order to destroy the Ring of Power, or else all of Middle Earth will fall into shadow.)

What kind of information do you like to see in the short author bio?
When it comes to author bios, tell me the important details about yourself that relate to writing. I’m interested in if you’ve been published before, if you belong to any writer’s groups or attend any writer’s conferences, or if you have won any awards or honors for your work. For first-time writers, that can be tricky since you may not have a long writing resume to share. In that case, less is more; use the space you would have used on your bio to tell me more about your book.

In the first page or so, what are the first clues or triggers in a manuscript that make you know you won’t read more? And which elements do you recognize that make you want to read more?

The first page is so important when it comes to reviewing a manuscript, and yet the main job of the first page is to make me want to read page two. I think it’s important to present a problem on that very first page—it doesn’t have to be a big problem, but if there is something amiss right out of the gate, I’m more likely to continue reading. It’s also great if you can show your hero doing something heroic in the first couple of pages. Again, it doesn’t have to be him saving the world, but a small act of kindness, or a clever quip to showcase his sense of humor, or a moment of bravery can go a long way in establishing a character and making me want to read more about him. I’ll often stop reading early in a manuscript if there are too many grammatical or spelling errors, if the writing voice is flat, if the characters are two-dimensional, if there is too much info-dumping or unnecessary description.

How can authors get their manuscript to the top of the slush pile? How can they set their book apart from other submissions?
Easy—write the best book ever written. :) Seriously, though, often I’ll pay special attention to manuscripts that come in from authors who are active in the writing community, who have attended writer’s conferences, or who have clearly paid attention to the submission guidelines and who have done their homework. Your submission is essentially your job application. You want a publisher to hire you to write stories, and your submission is proof that you would be a good investment. You wouldn’t apply for a job with a company that you didn’t know anything about, so don’t submit your manuscript without doing some homework about the company beforehand.

What are some vital things you feel a manuscript needs before you’ll consider publishing it?
I love to find a great story told with a fresh voice and built on a solid foundation of excellent writing.

What advice would you give NaNoWriMo writers who want to submit their work for publication?
Wait! NaNo is a wonderful way to get words down on paper, but any time you write that many words that quickly, you’ll want to make sure you go back through it and revise it and polish it before you submit it. So enjoy NaNo. Write all the words you have. And then wait a few months to let it settle, then spend a few more months editing and revising. Wait another month just to be sure. Then submit it. It’ll be a better book when you do.

What's the most important thing a writer can do with their manuscript before submitting it?
I don’t know if this is the most important thing, but one thing I like to do is read the manuscript out loud. That will help slow you down and see what is actually on the page and not what you think is on the page. It will help you catch typos, missing words, and spots where the writing is awkward or uneven. And if you are brave enough to read it out loud to someone else, you’ll be able to gauge if you’ve hit the emotional notes you were aiming for. Did they laugh in the right places? Cry? Beg you to read just one more chapter? If not, then you know where to go back for another look at revisions.

Do you like it when authors attach photos of themselves?
Author photos are unnecessary at the submission stage. I’m sure you look very nice, but I’m way more interested in what you’ve written and the kind of story you can tell than in how you look.

Can you tell us a bit about the manuscript acceptance and rejection processes and about how long it usually takes to hear back?
At Deseret Book/Shadow Mountain, the process is essentially the same. An author may submit his or her work online at submissions.deseretbook.com or submissions.shadowmountain.com. Then it undergoes our review process, in which we look at every single submission that comes in and evaluate the overall idea and the strength of the writing. We look at our current publishing plans and see what kinds of manuscripts we need (or which genres are oversaturated). Manuscripts that show promise are passed around the review committee for additional feedback. When we find one we would like to publish, we contact the author and begin the next phase of the process: contracts and scheduling. If, unfortunately, we decide to pass on a manuscript, we email the author with that decision as well. Our review process takes anywhere between eight to twelve weeks.

What steps should authors take upon receiving a rejection, if any?
Rejection hurts, no doubt about it, so I think it’s okay to feel sad when you receive a rejection letter from a publisher—but only for a short time. After that, you need to move forward and submit your work elsewhere. There are a lot of publishers out there, and a lot of options for authors, and the best way to turn a rejection letter into an acceptance letter is to continue to practice your craft, improve your skills, submit your work, and never let a rejection be the end of your career.

~

The editors at Castle Editorial know how much you want your manuscript to shine before you submit it to publishers. We want to help you get your submission noticed by any acquisitions editor as well as help free your manuscript from those tangles that prevent a publisher from picking your book. Those subtle issues, as Lisa mentioned, include "too many grammatical or spelling errors, if the writing voice is flat, if the characters are two-dimensional, if there is too much info-dumping or unnecessary description." When we get a chance to point those elements out to you with our guaranteed two sets of experienced eyes, we help your polished manuscript rise to the top! If you have any questions, leave a comment below. We can't wait to read your work!

Many thanks to Lisa for all of her great tips and information! Her wisdom and experience never cease to amaze.

Lisa Mangum has worked in the publishing department of Deseret Book since 1997 and is currently the Acquisitions Editor and Product Development Assistant. She specializes in editing fiction for the Shadow Mountain imprint and has worked with several New York Times best-selling authors, including Ally Condie, James Dashner, and Jason F. Wright. While fiction is her first love, she also has experience working with nonfiction projects (memoir, educational, cookbooks, etc.) and some children’s picture books.

She loves finding that “diamond in the rough” in the slush pile, and she is particularly skilled in the developmental editing part of the process. Lisa is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels (The Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello). She graduated with honors from the University of Utah and currently lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy.

How to Work with an Editor

Editors can be scary, we know. We know how attached you are to your work and how intimidating it is to let anybody read it, let alone someone who is paid to criticize it. Today's blog is all about how to help you navigate your relationship with this scary person so that your work comes out the other end nice and polished and ready to publish.

Know What to Ask For

When you first submit your manuscript, make sure you know exactly how much editing you want your editor to do. Didn't know there were different levels of editing? Here's a quick rundown:

• Substantive editing (sometimes called structural or content editing) is the heaviest level of editing. This involves potential rewriting or restructuring on the editor's side, which is done to ensure the highest level of comprehension and consistency. Expect to see significant changes to your work.
• Copyediting aims to achieve accuracy, clarity, and consistency in a document. This may involve reworking sentences to make them more effective.
• Proofreading includes checking for grammar and missing punctuation, ensuring that elements are in the proper order, etc. You will likely not see content changes.

Editors will also frequently include "queries," which are pretty much exactly what they sound like. Any questions the editor has regarding your work will be presented as a query. Sometimes they will ask your preference on certain changes or ask you to verify an aspect of your project.

Hopefully your MS doesn't look like this when you get it back.
But it might! Credit: http://nebuly.blogspot.com/

 
(Normally, editors at publishing houses will do a comprehensive or substantive edit of your work, so just expect that level of edit. But if you hire a freelancer, you will be able to specify what type you'd like. When you've gone through your freelancer and submit to a publishing house, expect it to go through another round of more intense edits.)

When you are ready to have your project edited, make sure you have these facts in mind and know what you want, otherwise what you expected to be a light proofread could come back with stricken paragraphs. Editors don't want to overstep their bounds, so make sure you tell them exactly what those bounds are.

Challenge Queries and Changes

Now, odds are you're going to disagree with some of the changes your editor is making. That's okay! It's your work, and we recognize that. If you think a change is not appropriate, let your editor know. He or she can explain their reasoning, and you can explain yours. This opens up a dialog that allows you to get what you  need while still improving your MS. Win-win!

Credit: Forbes

That said, of course, be polite when you dispute a change. Starting your objections with "I think..." or "I feel like..." is always a good way to go. Don't accuse your editor of shredding your manuscript or ruining your work. That's a good way to get your MS back without any improvements and without a refund. Realize that your editor is trying to help you get your manuscript in the best possible position before you publish, not trying to impose their own perspective.

Be Objective

On that note, sometimes it's best to trust your editor. After all, they're looking out for you and the success of your project. They also have a lot of experience working on different types of projects, and they know what needs to be done to a manuscript to really make it shine. Even though it's hard, try to let go of your feelings toward your work and see it from an outsider's perspective. You might realize that some changes you thought were too much are truly for the better.

Many authors make the mistake of allowing their egos to get in the way of editing, and this is almost always a guarantee for a shoddy product. Be humble and allow your editor to do what they do best. Working together will turn out the best version of your work you could have hoped for!

See, now, that wasn't so scary, was it?

5 Tips to Score an Agent

Many publishers these days (especially all your favorites out in New York) will only consider your manuscript if it comes through an agent. Why? Well, they trust that the agent has already spent time rejecting those manuscripts that are written poorly, are unlikely to sell, or just aren't in the genre that the publisher works with.

It's a good idea to get an agent because he or she will champion your book. Agents want the publishers to fight over your manuscript. They want movie makers to bid on it. They want you to make as much money as possible. Because the more money you make, the more money they make. Agents are your best friend. You can turn to them and vent when your editor makes you crazy. You can go to them and ask questions about contracts. You can send them your manuscript and ask for critiques. They have your best interest at heart.

How do you get an agent? Most agents have submission guidelines on their websites, and most submissions are done digitally through email. You email the agent a query letter and wait for a response. Once an agent accepts your manuscript and wants to work with you, you will sign a contract with him or her. The contract basically says that the agent will try to sell your book to publishers (while you work on another book) for, say, a year. At the end of the year, if the book hasn't been picked up, your contract terminates.

But, before you sign a contract, you have to get the agent to want you. Here are 5 quick tips to help you get noticed by an agent.

1. Send out a dozen agent queries every week. Yes. A dozen. Just keep sending them. If you don't hear back from any, it's okay. The next week, send a dozen more. Now, don't send a dozen queries to one agent. Send one query to a dozen different agents. By the end of a month, you'll have sent out queries to nearly fifty different agents. The big question: But what if more than one agent wants my book? Then you get to pick your agent! Not very many authors get that opportunity, so be excited!

2. Do your research. Make sure to read the submission guidelines on the website. This is where you will find out how to submit your query letter. You will also find out what kind of books the agent represents. Not every agent represents the genre that you're writing in. And some submission guidelines will explicitly state, "NO vampires. NO dystopian. NO erotica." If your manuscript falls under any of these categories, the agent won't even read your entire query letter. He or she will just click "Reject" and be on to the next author. Also, there may be a certain format that you need to submit in. Perhaps there is a keyword you need to put in the subject line of your email. Remember, you want the agent to like you. If you annoy him or her by not paying attention to the guidelines, they may just reject you on the spot. After all, there are plenty of authors sending in submissions every single day.

3. Include a sample of the manuscript. The first chapter or two of your manuscript should be copied and pasted at the bottom of the email. DO NOT ATTACH A FILE. Just copy and paste. If you include an attachment, some agents will just delete the email for fear of viruses. Pasting a little chunk of your manuscript is an excellent idea because the agent gets a better idea of your writing style and quality before he or she even contacts you. When an agent emails you and asks for more of your manuscript, you know that he or she already likes your style.

4. Make sure someone edits your query letter. Typos in a query letter are a huge red flag to an agent. It's important to them that you know your grammatical rules. You don't have to be perfect, but you do need to look professional. Castle Editorial is happy to edit query letters for budding authors. We know just what agents and publishers are looking for in these queries, and we can help you polish the letter so that you put your best foot forward.

5. Don't stop writing. This is important. While your query letters are sailing through cyberspace, sitting in inboxes, and waiting to be read, do not sit around and twiddle your thumbs. Keep working! Even more importantly, work on something new. So you're trying to get an agent for the first book in your trilogy. Great! Don't spend time on book 2. Move on to another project. Sound crazy? It's not. Even if an agent loves your book, contacts you, and you sign a contract, work on a different project. Consider this: The agent loves your book. He wants everyone else to love it too. But for some reason, the publishers aren't getting excited about it. After a few months, he's going to turn to you and ask for something else. What do you have? Half of book 2 isn't going to sell before book 1. But maybe a different idea will get off the ground first. Make sure that you always have something else, something different, something fresh that you can hand to your agent. Perhaps he doesn't sign a contract with you yet, but he likes your writing style. He may ask to read something else of yours. Always be working on that something so that you can hand it over.

Hopefully these tips will help you score the agent of your dreams, but remember: a poorly edited book, even if it's a great story, will have a tough time getting an agent or a publisher to notice it. So make sure to give Castle Editorial a chance. Together, we can polish your manuscript and make it shine brighter than any competition in that agent's inbox.

Four Questions for Pitches and Blurbs

Some of us really struggle with summary. We're writers; there's always a lot to say.

As beautiful as your story sounds in 50,000 charming words, what happens when you only get 50 words to pitch it to the miracle agent sitting across from you on the subway who's getting off at the next stop which is arriving in twenty seconds? Or 200 words for the blurb on the back cover of your book?

How can you do your story justice without giving up the surprises but still sending out the best hooks? This post discusses four questions to ask that apply to both blurbs and pitches. The more you practice, the better you'll get. You'll also find yourself coming up with variations each time to make it better.

Think of big-name movie trailers. These days there are always a few different trailers to view to get us excited about upcoming movies. Now they even make video trailers for books! Here's one for a Brandon Mull book we helped proofread last summer.



Visual material certainly helps our audience get excited about entertainment, but few if any of us have the resources to make quality videos that would actually serve to excite people about our stories. So we stick to what we wield best: words.

Four Questions

1. Who is the hero?
2. What is his or her goal?
3. What stands in his or her way?
4. What are the consequences if he or she fails?

These questions work for practically any story in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, even poems sometimes. This is also an effective practice for works in progress. How would you summarize what you've written so far? What else does it need? Write it!

Think about your own story now, and form one or two short-sentence responses for each question above. If you get stuck, here are some extra tips:

• Which response do you think would grab a reader's attention best? Make that the first sentence of your pitch. (No requirement to build your blurb in the precise order you answer the questions.)
• Can you flip that response into a question to make it an even better hook? Questions—good questions—can be golden hooks for readers, agents, and publishers.
• You can give big stuff away in your pitch. For example, let's say your story revolves around the death of an important person and we find that out in your story within the first few chapters anyway. You won't be spoiling anything for your readers by including this in your blurb (and it's effective so long as your characters face greater obstacles and consequences to surmount beyond that main element of the plot.)
• Practice pitching and blurbing out loud. Have people tell you if they think it's interesting, if it makes them want to know more, or just makes them confused about what your story might even be about. Listen to their comments. Your readers will likely have the same responses, and the problem may not be in your blurb—your actual story may need further attention. (And send it to us; that's where we can help!)
• Often enough, blurbs for fiction are written in present tense; historical event fiction or non-fiction tend toward use of past tense for plot description. For mentioning the strategy of the author, tense reverts back to the present for descriptions of his or her writing style.
• For non-fiction stories, it is often effective to pull quotes from the actual text, especially when readers already know the "ending" of historical events (think Titanic, or Lincoln's assassination) but don't necessarily know specific facts and quotes from the event.

Work with different elements of your story and see how many different blurbs you can come up with and try a couple out on people. Now for a couple examples on some well-known stories.

Frodo Baggins lived a life of ease in the Shire, where such horrible things as adventures were rare. Then, one fateful day, his uncle mysteriously disappears, leaving behind a ring with untold powers. Frodo soon discovers that this ring belongs to the dark lord Sauron, who will stop at nothing to regain it and spread evil and darkness over Middle Earth. Frodo sets out with a band of guardians intent on getting him to Mordor and Mount Doom, the only place the ring can be destroyed—and the place where Sauron camps his growing army. How long can he survive with dark creatures, and his own fear, haunting his every step? (111 words)

Summer rain on a Saturday? Oh no. What will entertain Sally and her brother trapped indoors all day while Mother is out running errands? Why, the Cat in the Hat of course! Between balancing books and fishbowls on his hat while standing on a ball, and the twin creatures Thing 1 and Thing 2 flying kites inside, making a right colossal mess, it's all the siblings can do to try cleaning up before Mom gets home! (76)

"THE MURDERER IS STILL AT LARGE" read the newspaper headline six days after President Lincoln passed away. His assassin, John Wilkes Booth, hoped to live in fame and glory to see the resurgence of war and civil unrest, but much greater forces had been set in motion, forces with the interminable life of freedom instilled by the nation's beloved leader.
 

In American Brutus (2004), Kauffman spells out Booth’s conspiracy plot in great detail. With dates of meetings and performances, Booths’ travel schedule, money transfers, and conversations with people, Kauffman succeeds in outlining the conspiracy with great suspense. (111 words)

Now that you've seen a couple examples, we know you're just itching to give it some practice! Do it. Share your examples with us in the comments below so we can become excited about your upcoming bestseller!

The Editorial Process

Let's say you've finally beaten that writer's block we talked about last week and you pushed through until the very end. You now have a completed manuscript. What will happen once it has been accepted? Let's take a walk through the editorial process.

1. First you'll submit your manuscript to your publisher. Don't forget any additional items like artwork, appendixes, permissions, and sources. That last item is especially important; have mercy on any poor editors who have to do your source-checking!

2. After he or she receives your manuscript, the editor will read your submission and make any changes necessary. This edit is the most comprehensive; the editor will point out problems with plot, character development, research, structure, and style. He or she will also query you with any issues that might come up and will make sure all your manuscript elements are in order (such as illustrations, headings, etc.).

3. The editor will then send the manuscript back to you for your approval. This might be the most difficult part for you; it’s hard to see other people’s thoughts and criticisms about your work, but try to remain open-minded and realize that the editor is doing his or her best to help. That said, fight for the elements of your manuscript you really care about! Don’t let them change the entire story. This stage is also your last chance to make any changes or adjustments.

4. You’ll then send the MS back to your editor, who will incorporate your changes and double-check to make sure any problems have been resolved and that the manuscript is in good shape.

5. Once the manuscript has been typeset, paginated, and approved by the manuscript editor, the proofreader takes over. The proofreader will check to make sure pages are in order, headings are the same font, running headers are consistent, and that there are no orphans or widows. This is also the stage where the index is added, if there is one.

6. Then the manuscript goes through final revisions. This stage can happen multiple times, depending on what kinds of errors are found. Don’t worry, these errors are often small and not the fault of the author. It can be things like a chapter title not matching with the table of contents.

7. Finally, the typesetter’s final files are gone over once more, and they are then sent to the printer. The printer will then send back a final proof (often called a blueline) for one last look-over. Once that’s complete, the publisher gives the OK to the printer for publication.

Woohoo! You just published a book. Sit back, relax, and wait for the royalties to come rolling in.

Break through Writer's Block

There you are, sitting at your desk. Everyone is sleeping, but you aren't. No, you're slumped over a laptop, rubbing your forehead. There's one lamp on in the corner of the room. It casts a faint rust-colored light that reminds you of candles. It usually inspires you.

But not tonight.

Tonight, there is no muse whispering in your ear. Tonight, there is no inspiration. Tonight, your only companion is the block.

Many writers have endured the wretched experience of battling writer's block. And sadly, it often leads to hours and hours of Solitaire or Facebook. Neither of which solve the problem. There are a lot of books out there that tell you how to blast through writer's block, but perhaps the most helpful solution is also the most difficult: write through it. Even if everything that comes out is just plain garbage, keep writing.

So, instead of giving you a whole bunch of tips about how to woo your muse back into your life, we're going to give you something else. Something that will keep you writing. And something that will probably seduce the muse anyway.

Here are eight writing prompts that will help you write through the block. But these aren't just eight random prompts to get your pen moving. These creativity boosters were written with the intention of getting you writing the actual manuscript at hand. The prompts don't offer random exercises like, "Create a character who reminds you of your childhood best friend." Instead, each prompt leads you back to the important thing: your current manuscript. So let's not just get that pen moving, let's make that pen productive.

1. Character Correspondence

Write yourself a letter from your character. You can be his best friend or her biographer, it doesn't really matter. If you write yourself a letter from your character, you have the opportunity to get to know him even better. Your character's voice will come through and you will feel more confident writing dialog. Is your character willing to confide in you? What secrets do you learn? Is this the first letter she's sent you? Is she impatient for you reply? Perhaps you could even write a reply. How would you answer your character's questions? How would your character answer yours?

2. Hungry for Description?

Write a scene where your characters are sitting down to eat. Is it a fancy banquet? Is it a prisoner's ration? Whatever it is, describe everything. Can you see the steam rising from that pumpernickel bread? Can you smell that cherry pie baking in the back room? Use all five senses to describe the meal. And don't forget the other details like the quality of the silverware or the stony chairs the characters are sitting on.

3. Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch . . .

Go to a pivotal scene in your manuscript. What was going on elsewhere while this was happening? Write the scene that was happening miles away (maybe even with the villain as the main character) while this pivotal scene was unfolding.

4. It's a Baby Bad Guy

Every villain had his own beginning. Write about your bad guy's past. Did he go to private school? Did she have a whole clan of older sisters? What made him take the path to villainy? The more you know about your villain, the more believable her evil ways will be. You could even write about the villain's birth. What were his parents like? Who does she resemble?

5. Man's Best Friend

Describe your main character through the eyes of her pet. Dogs, cats, horses, they all stick around because they happen to love their master. Why do they love your main character? You can do this about any character in your manuscript. Even villains have pet crows or snakes. Why do these pets stick around (especially if their owner is a vicious bad guy)? Maybe your main character doesn't have a pet. Just pretend that he does for the sake of the exercise. Remember, you can learn a lot about a person by the way they treat their furry friend.

6. Set the Scene

 
Go back through the chapters you've already set down on paper. Where can you describe the scene with more clarity? You can also describe places you haven't yet written about. Describe your character's bedroom or the inside of her crush's car. If you've created a brand new world, draw a map of it. Where do the ogres live? Figure out how close your characters live to one another. What's the time period? How many bicycles are in front of Old Man Jenkin's house?

7. Turn the Tides

What happens if your main character fails in his quest? What are the consequences? Write the scene where your character is supposed to become the hero, but then let her fail. What happens? If the main character has to die in order to fail, hop to the perspective of someone else. What horrors are going to befall everyone now? Can someone else rise up as the hero? Go back to your main character later and help him realize the consequences if he fails. How does this change his determination to succeed?

8. Write a Picture Book

If you just can't bring yourself to write the descriptive paragraphs that a novel requires, then simplify the task. Turn your novel into a picture book. How would you tell the story to a little kid right before bedtime? What details are unimportant? What characters have no real purpose? Simplifying the story can help show you where the holes in the plot are. You can also find out where you're investing unnecessary time and energy. Also, drawing pictures of your characters can help you visualize them better (even if you're not an A+ illustrator).



There you are, sitting at your desk. Everyone is sleeping, but you aren't. No, this time, you're armed with writing prompts that are useful and relevant to your manuscript. This time, you have what you need to blast the block. This time, you can write through it.

Salutations!

Welcome to the Castle Editorial blog!

Here at Castle Editorial we like to think of ourselves as a "polishing house." Before you send your manuscripts off to the big publishing house (or your design/package label/article, etc. off to the presses), we give your project a close eye and a little elbow grease to make it shine.

The editors in the Castle have all worked behind the scenes in a publishing house. Trust us when we say you need someone other than your adoring mother to care for your baby before you send it out into the real world! We know you've worked hard. We also know rejections are hard. Give us a chance to give you a better idea how ready your project is for the presses and watch your confidence skyrocket.

Don't believe we can help? Give us a chapter, we'll give you a "revision test drive." Before you pay anything for editorial services, we'll give you a taste of our editing styles and see if we can't prove our editorial quality.

Castle Editorial promises:

• Two sets of eyes on every project.
• One editorial test-drive before purchase.
• Prompt return service.
• Promotion of your project if we think we kinda like it!

Look at our Rates page for more pricing information.

Check out our Projects page to review some of the many titles and projects we've worked on together and individually.

Keep writing and remember, dreams often come true in Castles!