Title: The Overstory Author: Richard Powers Genre: Literary, Magical Realism, Trees, Ecology My Rating: 4/5
Broken down into four parts (Roots, Trunk, Crown, Seeds), this is a difficult book to describe. Roots is basically a collection of short stories about people whose lives have been impacted by trees. In the rest of the book, which has elements of magical realism, the characters are drawn together by trees, which are semi-sentient beings and a silent character in their own right. The bulk of the story follows a group that gets involved in environmental activism and, depending on how you look at it, eco-terrorism.
This book dragged at times and gripped me at others. Every paragraph was so full of meaning and information, that it took me longer to read than usual. I wouldn’t call this a bedtime read; I definitely needed to focus to get the most out of this book. The story was hopeful and heartbreaking and it brought me to tears multiple times. The genius of The Overstory is that it holds a mirror up to humanity and it’s both a beautiful and horrifying picture. Powers captures the capacity of humans for great altruism and love–and terrible violence and destruction. The ending was bittersweet. If Powers is right, the outlook for us humans doesn’t look great. But the trees will still be there, long, long after we’re gone.
You and the tree in your backyard come from a common ancestor. A billion and a half years ago, the two of you parted ways. But even now, after an immense journey in separate directions, that tree and you still share a quarter of your genes. . . .
I turned 31 last weekend. Society tells me I’m supposed to feel something about that. Panic, maybe, that the good years are behind me. Forty is fast approaching and after forty is basically death.
The thing is, we die a little every day.
Am I preoccupied with death? I… don’t think so, although perhaps the books on my nightstand recently would say something different (The Denial of Death, Civilized to Death, How Not to Die). If I am, it’s certainly not a new preoccupation–ten years ago, my final paper for a college English course was about fear of mortality in eighteenth through twentieth century American literature. At the time, I was also taking psychology courses on Terror Management Theory, which posits that most human action is done to mitigate the ever-present fear of death.
In my day job, I work for a medical malpractice attorney and I see how quickly things can go from normal life to nightmare.
Okay, so maybe I think about death a little more than the average person.
My partner and I were joking about my birthday and how I’m “old” now (his favorite joke, as he is nearly four months younger than me). He might have said something about how it was the beginning of the end. But I seem to be living life in reverse–the end has already passed.
My naughts, I said, were all about control–my lack thereof.
I had a little more agency in my teens, but my life was ruled by school and homework.
In my twenties, I found myself and learned what I don’t want out of life.
My thirties, I told him, are the beginning of the beginning.
The thing about death is that it could happen any time. I asked myself if I died today, would I be happy with the life I’ve lived? The frank answer is no. That’s a hard thing to admit because it implies wasted time.
I am taking control of my life this year. I’m making big changes in the way I live, work, and relax. A few weeks ago, I thought about my goals for one year, and five years, and ten years from now, and wrote them down.
This year I am going to spend more time writing, reading, and creating art. I am going to submit my novel Fog and Glass to literary agents and rewrite Secret Project #1. I am going to spend more time with my family, my partner’s family, and friends I haven’t seen in far too long.
I am going to be patient. I am going to be present. I am going to be compassionate. I am going to be honest.
Title: The Night Circus Author: Erin Morgenstern Genre: Fantasy My Rating: 5/5
Erin Morgenstern weaves a captivating story in The Night Circus, in which two magicians engage in a lifelong duel. Trained from youth by their masters, they must continue the game even as they fall in love. Eventually, however, one of them must lose. But losing means dying and, even worse, destroying the entire structure of the game–The Night Circus–and the lives of their found family.
If I had stopped reading this book around page 100, I might have given it three stars. It had gorgeous imagery by an obviously talented writer, but I felt like nothing much had really happened. By the end, I was enthralled. The Night Circus isn’t a book so much as a beautiful, bittersweet dream. An enormous cast of characters enriched the story and raised the stakes. Most people think death is the worst thing that could happen, but Morgenstern convinces the reader that it’s the least of worries. To lose the game is to die, but it also means losing the love of your life and destroying the lives of hundreds of people that have become family. I started The Night Circus at the suggestion of a friend and emerged a different person.
Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There’s magic in that. It’s in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift. Your sister may be able to see the future, but you yourself can shape it, boy. Do not forget that… there are many kinds of magic, after all.
Years ago, when I first thought I might become a published author someday, I started researching how to achieve my goals. What I found was completely overwhelming. I needed an agent, but there were thousands of them. Each of them wanted different documents I had never heard of. Query? Synopsis? What?
In this series, I’m going to share what I found and break down how to publish your novel. I’ll cover a the difference between the types of publishing currently available, writing a query letter, writing a synopsis, and finding the ideal agent to query. The process can seem overwhelming, but I hope to offer some clarity and simplicity so you can approach publishing with confidence.
If you read last week’s post, you’ve now poked around the internet and found lists of literary agents. Many, many agents. But you do you find THE agent for you?
This is the research method that works best for me. There is no “right” way, so take what you like and develop your own system. My system has evolved over the years and I currently use both QueryTracker and a spreadsheet to organize things in the way that makes the most sense to me.
Start a Preliminary List
Let’s get a rough list of potential agents together. Open a new document in Excel, Google Sheets, whatever spreadsheet program that works for you.
Ready?
I label the columns as such: Fit, Agency, Agent, Website, Notes, Query Method, Synopsis, Pages, and Response Time. That seems like a lot, but I want to save myself from having to look up information later–a lesson learned the hard way.
In the last post, I covered finding potential agents online. I start with QueryTracker, choosing my genre from the sidebar to find which agents represent the kind of story I’m writing. Don’t pay too much attention to who is open or closed to submissions at this stage. It changes so often, it’s not worth focusing on right now. (QueryTracker has simple videos about how to get started if you need help).
QueryTracker currently lists 355 agents who represent fantasy. Some of these are out of my country, so I’m going to ignore those, because I want a US agent. That brings the number down a little, but there are still too many to look at. You can research every single one, if you like, but I prefer to start with the more well-known agencies, or agencies that have a lot of agents representing my genre. I know that will save me a step later, because I can go to one website to get information for multiple agents.
Start filling in your table. Write the agency name under “Agency” and the specific agent under “Agent.” If more than one agent is listed for each agency, feel free to write them on a new line or just leave that cell open. If there’s a website, copy that down as well.
You now have a chart that looks something like this:
When you have a decent number of agents/agencies to look at, say 20 or 30, it’s time to dig in.
Fill in the Blanks
Starting at the top, visit the first agency website. What you’re looking for is a list of agents and what types of manuscripts they want. Some websites have this information in a section called “agents,” some have it in “submissions,” or “about.” Some have it in multiple places! Scour the website. The whole thing. In your spreadsheet, start filling in some of the other columns–but only for agents who seem like a good fit.
Under “Notes,” jot some things the agent likes. Sweeping, epic fantasies. Mystery with a bit of romance. Stories about families. Corgis. Whatever seems relevant to your manuscript.
They will also have a preferred query method, typically email or Query Manager, which I note under “Query Method.” Note whether they like to receive a synopsis (Y/N). If they want the first several pages of your novel, how many? If there’s information on response time, put that in, too. It will save you from wondering later.
Getting Organized
While you’re reading up on each agent, you’ll get a sense of their personality and preferences. You’ll also get a sense of whether this person may be right for you and your manuscript. Here’s where the “Fit” column of our spreadsheet comes in. Rank each agent from 1 (terrible fit) to 5 (absolutely amazing). I do keep a list of the ones who aren’t a good fit to avoid forgetting and trying to re-research them later.
Now your spreadsheet might look something like this:
By the end, you may have a list of 50 or more agents with varying ranks. It’s time to pare down the list.
But How Do I Find the Perfect Agent?
Start with agents ranked 4 or 5. Revisit their website.
We’re going to give each agent a secondary fit ranking. For example, if you noted someone was a 5, a perfect fit for your manuscript, and you find they’re still a perfect fit, mark them 5-5. Someone who’s “merely” an excellent fit might get a 5-4. This will help you organize batches of submissions.
If you have multiple agents from the same agency listed, you’re going to have to pick just one. You can save their information for later, but most agencies frown on duplicative submissions unless explicitly stated.
You now have a list of the 15-20 agents you think are the best possible fit for your manuscript.
Who Do I Submit to First?
Submissions should be done in rounds. Do a little rearranging of your list to create bundles of 5-10 agents each. Your first round of submissions might go to two agents with a 5 ranking and three with a 4 ranking. For example:
This is fairly arbitrary, but I would advise against putting all your top choices in the first round. That way, if you don’t get the responses you want initially, you can revise your submission documents and still have good-fit agents on the list.
What Happened to Using QueryTracker?
I thought that was a submission tracker, so why am I using an old-school spreadsheet?
It is. And it’s a great one. But the spreadsheet gives me a lot more space to write down individual preferences, including themes, story types, etc. I can search this later, if I want, or see at a glance what should be included in my submission package. I can also see who uses QueryManager and prioritize those, since they are more likely to respond to queries. Most importantly, I can separate my queries into batches to keep myself organized and on task.
At this point, I do go back into QueryTracker and select agents for my “To Query” list. I also mark “Do Not Query” for those I’ve researched who are a poor fit.
The Submission Package
Great. I’ve set up my list and separated the agents into a few rounds. But everyone seems to want different things!
They do…and they don’t. There are a few basic documents that most agents will want: a Query Letter, a Synopsis, and the first few pages of your book.
In the next post, “Query Letters,” I’ll go over what this is and how to write one that will catch an agent’s eye.
Title: The Wild Trees Author: Richard Preston Genre: Nonfiction: Redwood Trees, Forest Canopies, Ecology, Explorers My Rating: 5/5
Imagine you’re crazy enough to climb a redwood tree. That’s more than 300 feet. More than 30 stories. (No thank you–I’ll stay here on the ground with my crippling fear of heights.) Now imagine sitting in the branches at the top of that tree, plucking fresh berries off the huckleberry bush that lives in the canopy. In “The Wild Trees,” Richard Preston beautifully describes the unseen world in the tops of the earth’s tallest trees. The canopies of the redwoods were once thought to be a desert, but they teem with life. Entire gardens grow in the treetops. Climbers can get lost in the branches, some of which are riddled with fire caves. Preston conveys the wonder of the canopies through the eyes of the pioneers who were some of the first explorers. I devoured this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in trees, explorers, or ecology in general. Someday, when I am able to see a redwood forest with my own eyes, I hope I feel like one of the explorers as he sits in the top of one of the trees:
The spiritual weight of the place seemed immense. It was as if he were waking up from a sleep, as if his life up to then had been a dream, and this was real. He felt as if he had left time behind.
Years ago, when I first thought I might become a published author someday, I started researching how to achieve my goals. What I found was completely overwhelming. I needed an agent, but there were thousands of them. Each of them wanted different documents I had never heard of. Query? Synopsis? What?
In this series, I’m going to share what I found and break down how to publish your novel. I’ll cover a the difference between the types of publishing currently available, writing a query letter, writing a synopsis, and finding the ideal agent to query. The process can seem overwhelming, but I hope to offer some clarity and simplicity so you can approach publishing with confidence.
So you’ve decided to publish your novel and have settled on the traditional publishing method as the best option.
Step One is to find a literary agent to represent you.
What is a literary agent anyway?
The shortest answer is that literary agents sell manuscripts to publishing houses. Most publishers don’t accept manuscripts from authors directly; they need to come through a middle man (middle person?)–the literary agent in this case. When you find an agent who likes your work, they will submit to publishers on your behalf, negotiate contracts, and will be your advocate in the publishing world. They love your book and want others to read it.
Literary Agents: Where Do I Find One?!
I get what an agent is–now how on earth do I find one?!
Gone are the days of purchasing enormous, phonebook-like tomes listing every literary agent’s contact information. Thank goodness we have the internet.
The best resource, in my opinion, is QueryTracker. QueryTracker is an online database of agents that also has searching and tracking functions. I signed up for a free account, which allows me to add agents to my “To Query” list, see their response times, see submitter comments, and more. I can select a genre, e.g. “fantasy,” from the sidebar and see all the agents who represent fantasy (355 as of today’s writing).
Other resources include Poets and Writers, Writer’s Digest, or genre-specific websites that may list agents seeking manuscripts.
Organization Amid Chaos
So, you’ve done some research and found several lists of agents who likely represent your genre. But there are dozens and dozens of them! What are you supposed to do with all this information?
Don’t get overwhelmed. (Okay, allow yourself a moment to get overwhelmed, then pull yourself together!) Writing is hard work, and so is getting your manuscript published.
Compiling an ideal list of agents is going to take some time and focus. In next week’s post, “Organizing Submissions to Literary Agents” I’ll go over my method for sorting through all the information to find the best literary agent for your work. Done this way, it doesn’t seem so daunting after all.
One of my latest reads is Sally Thorne’s “99 Percent Mine,” a delightful friends to lovers romance. I feel like giving this book only four stars is a little unfair of me. I couldn’t help comparing it to Sally’s first book, “The Hating Game,” which I loved so much that I read it twice in a row. Despite my bias, “99 Percent Mine” is worth a read. The main character is both flawed and loveable and the love interest, thankfully, is a well-rounded character in his own right. Though the book oozes with sexual tension, both characters have their own growth arcs that don’t revolve around each other. Sally Thorne has a strong voice and a fresh take on romance tropes. I will read anything she writes in the future.
Years ago, when I first thought I might become a published author someday, I started researching how to achieve my goals. What I found was completely overwhelming. I needed an agent, but there were thousands of them. Each of them wanted different documents I had never heard of. Query? Synopsis? What?
In this series, I’m going to share what I found and break down how to publish your novel. I’ll cover a the difference between the types of publishing currently available, writing a query letter, writing a synopsis, and finding the ideal agent to query. The process can seem overwhelming, but I hope to offer some clarity and simplicity so you can approach publishing with confidence.
Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
There are currently two publishing methods:
Self-publishing (a/k/a digital publishing / indie publishing / vanity publishing)
Traditional publishing
What’s the difference?
Anyone can self-publish a novel. All you need is a completed manuscript (like it’s that easy!) and a modest amount of money to get started. Self publishing involves formatting your manuscript, designing a cover, and using a service (like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing) to produce your book in electronic format, paper format, or both. That’s the easy part. Next, you have to market your book to convince prospective buyers it’s worth a read.
If you want your book to appear in major bookstores, like Barnes and Noble, traditional publishing is the route for you. This method requires you to have a literary agent. Agents are not publishers, and most publishers won’t accept novels from authors without agents. (This rule of thumb may not apply to non-fiction books, but we’re only going to focus on fiction in this series.) Therefore, you’ll need to find an agent by sending a “query.” The best agent is one who loves your book as much as you do. They will be your champion and will do their best to sell your book to a publishing house. Agents do not get paid until you do; they typically charge a commission of 15% for domestic sales.
Let’s look at some pros and cons for the self-publishing and traditional publishing methods.
Self-Publishing (Digital)
Pros
Anyone can do it
Less hassle of finding an agent
More control
Cons
Costs time and money
No advance from publisher
You pay all expenses (copyediting, design of cover, marketing, etc.)
You do your own marketing
No paper copies of your book are produced (unless you pay for this option)
Traditional Publishing
Pros
Costs nothing but time
Advance paid by publisher
Publisher pays expenses (editing, design, marketing, printing, etc.)
National distribution
Publisher markets your book (with your help)
Cons
It can be difficult to get an agent
No guarantee of publication
Slow process (18 months or more)
Less control over process
Agent takes a cut
With both of these routes, there are pitfalls. Beware agents charging a “reading fee” or having you pay for editorial services. No agent will ask for any money from you up front. If they do, run! The same goes for self publishing services. You may need/want to pay up front for certain services (book cover design, for one), but do your research on individual companies. There are predatory services out there that take advantage of unwary authors. Reedsy has a great post about how to spot scams. Always do your due diligence.
Personally, I prefer the traditional publishing route. I would rather have someone more knowledgeable do the design, editing, publishing, and (some) marketing of my book so I can focus on writing the next one.
Let’s say you’ve decided the traditional publishing route is right for you. What’s next?
Finding an agent is first on the list and we’ll cover that in next week’s post, “Finding a Literary Agent.”
Critique partners and beta readers are not the same thing. When writing a novel, you will need both.
Critique partners are writers. Often, two writers will share manuscripts for constructive criticism. Your critique partner(s) will tell you your story’s strengths and weaknesses and help you work through fixing plot holes, flat/shallow characters, and other structural issues.
Beta readers are, you guessed it, readers. They will give you an idea of how real readers will react to your story and may give general feedback of what they liked and didn’t like. Beta readers should be familiar with your genre and be willing to be honest (which is why family isn’t always the best choice).
Finding critique partners and beta readers can be daunting. If you’re not part of a local writing community already, try to find one. Coming up empty? Start your own group! There are also numerous resources online for pairing critique partners and beta readers. Allow yourself a little time to research and choose one that works for you.
With a reliable, supportive group of critique partners and beta readers and a willingness to take criticism, your story will become the best version of itself. As you share your work, remember that not everyone will love your story. That’s okay. Accept some comments and dismiss others. Allow your work to grow while staying true to your vision.
