Jenny Bent in TWL Author Talks Today & Tomorrow!

What a fun day it's been so far with literary agent Jenny Bent of Creative Media Group as she fielded questions from TWL Author Talks today. She'll be back tomorrow so if you haven't signed up for the group, now's the time! The link is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TWLAuthorTalks/.

Here's a recap of today's talk and my thoughts........

Jocelyn asked:

"Is the chick lit genre fading? If so, what are the "hot" new genres that you
are actively acquiring?"

Jenny replied:

"The chick lit genre is DEFINITELY fading, if not faded. I hear middle
grade is very hot right now, however, I haven't really sold or acquired much of
that. Historical fiction is still hot, and nonfiction by anyone with a
really big platform and a good idea is a perennial. In terms of fiction,
everyone, agents and editors, are kind of casting around to see what's
working. I think people want to move away from chick lit and move back
towards literary/commercial fiction, like GOOD GRIEF or THE TIME TRAVELLERS
WIFE."

Well, I heard this about chick lit and it's a shame. I really liked the tone and the cute covers. Sigh. I'm thinking, though, that it's going to eventually come back, but what to do about unpublished manuscripts that these authors have in files? Are they not going to see the light of day? Terrible.

Lisa asked:

"I've seen that some authors do very well right out of the gate in
NYC and others get stuck low or midlist. The bookseller mailings and
attention to the booksellers from the author seems to be a big impact on
this. Is there anything else you can suggest that seems to really help? Is
there some distinct something you see that shows in the ones that hit
bigger than those who don't?

Number two: Also, I've noticed that some authors rush to sign another deal
before the first release with a publisher hits to get security. Others
gamble on waiting and showing great numbers to try to push their earning
potential by way of showing they are bankable. What is your take on the
smartest way to approach this within the same publishing house. Obviously,
if you are prolific and salable in other genres to other publishers that
gets you more exposure but just wondering on a same publisher basis. Slam
dunk another deal for security or wait for those pre-orders to hit hoping
for a bigger pay out but risking sales being bad and getting no
deal."

Jenny replied:

"Regarding your first question, it has a great deal to do with publisher
support. Sometimes a book just generates a lot of heat and excitement in house
(and this can be triggered by great quotes, or great reviews, or foreign sales,
or just general enthusiasm on the part of the various departments) and this
translates to a bigger push for the book. Also, if a publisher pays a lot
of money for the book, you can get the same result. Sometimes you just get
lucky, too--a publisher can be surprised by how well a book does just based on
word of mouth and support from booksellers.

Regarding your second question, this is always a dilemma, and there's no
easy answer. Some publishers refuse to offer for a second book before they
see how the first is doing, and that makes the decision for you.
Otherwise, it's up to a decision made by the agent and author working together
to see what the best strategy would be. And it also depends, again, on the
amount of in-house enthusiasm that first book is getting. In one situation
I was in recently, the publisher offered a low amount of money for a third book,
and we decided to pass and see what happened with the second one. In the
meantime, we made a better deal for a different book with another house.
So it's always a judgement call...."

Haven't had no experience with this, I really can't comment. The whole business just kafoozles me anyway.

I asked:

"Can you tell us about the last submission you just accepted as far as what it
was that hooked you? Was it the actual hook, the writer's credentials, the
genre being as one of your favorites, or what?"

Jenny replied:

"I actually just loved the writing and the story-line so much. It was
a YA novel, and I was concerned that there wasn't enough of a hook and that it
wasn't edgy enough (people seem to want YA to be edgy these days and that the
author didn't have strong enough credentials, but I just kept coming back to how
much I loved it, so I took it on. And I sold it in a week, so it had a
happy ending!"

Ah....I love a fairytale ending.

Shon asked:

"Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. I have one for
you. I know there are several reasons why an agent will take on a client,
great writing being at the top of that list. However, as an agent,
what do you see are three key ingredients a writer must possess in order to
stand a chance getting represented?"

Jenny replied:

"1. A strong, unique plot 2. A distinctive voice 3. and yes, great
writing!"

Interesting being as I just did a survey that said that readers were looking more for characterization as opposed to plot, but who knows. But, you see where she adds "unique" there? I can understand that. I think that's a real biggie.

As I am working on a paranormal comedy, I thought I'd throw her a question about that. I asked:

"How is paranormal comedy doing these days? Are the editors looking for
something like this?"

Jenny replied:

"I think it's doing okay, but people would rather see dark, sexy paranormal."

Well, rats. Mine isn't dark, nor sexy unless you consider a ghost being sexy, which she isn't really, although she is beautiful so I guess she could be sexy, too. But, what I think she really means is flirtatious, which mine isn't really. Should I make her that way? I don't know. Like I said, it all confuzzles the hell out of me.

Which leads me to the next question. Cathryn asked:

"How do you feel about the erotic romance market. Do you see the rush
dying down anytime soon? Are you acquiring erotic romance?"

Jenny replied:

"Not actively. I have some authors that are writing it, but I think the
market is going to get flooded very soon since so many publishers are doing
it. I’m just not a huge fan of the genre; which isn’t to say I wouldn’t
take someone on, just that I’m not out there trolling the waters."

Well, probably the same as chick lit. Hell, the whole market whatever way you look at it is flooded.

And, finally, I asked the million dollar question I had been wanting to ask since she came in:

"You mentioned that you are acquiring non-fiction, but those with a strong
platform. I did notice that some of the books you have acquired in the
genre are from experts in the field such as doctors. What are the chances
someone who is not a doctor, but who has just entered the field of expertise as
far as books already published on the subject and perhaps a semi-strong media
presence such as radio spots and a strong Internet presence might have a shot at
being represented by you for subsequent books on the same subject?"

Jenny replied:

"The chances are not all that good, unless the book was a bestseller, or the
internet presence is immense. Publishers want strong medicial credentials
and a very strong media platform.There's no general rule about how long it
takes. Could be a week; could be several months."

Well, I haven't been the same since. I just wanted to throw everything in the wastebasket and become a tomato picker.

So, okay, let's look at the big picture. I have a relationship book finished. I spent months working on it. I have obtained interviews with people who have given me precious words about their own experiences for it. I have queried celebrities for endorsements. I have...I have...NO MEDICINAL CREDENTIALS.

Well, pffft.

Guess I didn't think of that when I was about to graduate high school. All I could think about was getting the heck out of there. Now I see where education is very important. Now I can see what algebra and Latin had to do with everyday life. Who knew I wanted to become an expert in the field of relationships? It was the laaaaast thing on my mind at that time.

Well, pfffffft.

But, I'm not giving up. I can say one thing. I get an A+ in perseverance.

Tomorrow, Jenny finishes up her talk, so if anyone wants to get in on the conversation, the link is in the top paragraph.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Boomer Chick's Blog of the Week Award

This week, the proud winner of the Boomer Chick's Blog of the Week Award goes to Vixen's View at http://vixen.wordpress.com/. I just love Vixen's blog. I love her attitude and I can't think of anyone who could deserve the award better! Congratulations, Vixen!

NEW!!! Boomer Chick's Blog of the Week Award!!!

Okay, I'm psyched. I am happy to announce a new award that I will be handing out to those blogs that really do it for me. Are we having fun yet?

Here's the deal. If you have a blog that takes me away from my writing and has that OMG...THIS IS THE COOLEST THING...factor or, oh well, just because I like you...you are eligible!

Every Sunday, I'll post a new winner. If I choose your blog, I'll post your link so that everyone can run over and say howdy. Now, you never know who I'm going to choose, so dust out those cobwebs, put away the dishes and for god's sake, do something with that bed hair because you never know who might be dropping in.

Of course there's a catch. What do I look like...oh, never mind...the catch is you have to link the award back to this site. Oh, come on, you know you want to.

So, watch out this Sunday....the Boomer Chick's Blog of the Week Award could go to...

YOU!

A Book Experiment - The Results

Well, well, well, wasn't that interesting. In just about every single response (see comments in the last post), it was the characterization that held the reader's interest rather than the plot itself.

This little experiment was conducted because I wanted to see from a reader's standpoint what kind of book stood out as being memorable. Even if the plot literally sucks, if the characters can pull it off, you've still got a winner on your hands. Interesting.

So, when writing your books, concentrate more on developing your characters. While I feel that plot is important, of course, it's those characters that are the main deal.

I've started on a new book and I'm going to take this information to heart and concentrate more on making my characters carry the story. I'm going to breath life into them to the point where the reader doesn't even care about the plot, they just want to read about what's going on with the characters. If I can pull this off, then maybe I'll have a winner on my hands.

Oh, I believe in this story already. I think this makes my third completed manuscript. Wait, no, my fourth. While writing my other books, I concentrated too much on the plots, and didn't realize that it's the characters I should have concentrated more on. But, I know now. And, you know, it takes a lot of heat off the writing process. I love to delve into the characters, but I always have this plot thing going on in my mind, trying to figure out what I want my characters to do that correlates with where the plot was going. Now I know it's the other way around. Revolve the plot around the characters instead and watch the story unfold. I have a funny feeling that the plot will somehow write itself.

Take this story I'm writing right now. It revolves around two main characters who go back to earth as angels. They both have conflicts they need to resolve and while there is a plot of course, it's all about them and the characters that pop up while they're there. You almost don't even realize there's a plot because you are concentrating on these characters and where their adventures go. They could go to Timbuctoo for all you care, because it's not where they go or what they do while they're there, it's about their inner and outer conflicts and how they accomplish what they were sent out to do. It's all about THEM. I'm only at 100 pages, almost half way there, but so far, this book is about characterization, so maybe, just maybe, I'm on track. This experiment was mainly to help me see where I should devote my time, but hopefully, it'll help you, too. So, characterization wins!

A Book Experiment - Please Vote!

I am doing a little experiment. I got this idea over on my dear friend Kathy Holmes' blog where she was discussing characterization vs. plot in what makes a book good.

Okay, what I'd like you to do is this. Tell me about the last book you read that really held her interest and whether it was the characterization or the plot that made that book one you just couldn't put down and one that you would always remember. It could be a book you've just read or a book you read a long time ago that just stuck with you and you couldn't forget.

Do this in the comment section. When I get enough votes, I'm going to post the results and what they mean from a promoting perspective. I know, I know, just humor me. I've got a point and I believe it's a point that will help you when writing your own book.

The only rule is that you can't say both. It has to be one or the other.

Okay? So, ready, set, go!

TWL Author Talks - Jessica Faust - Day 2

As soon as Jessica Faust leaves the TWL Author Talks group, I'll get back to my utterly mundane life experiences, but there are a few points she made today that I really want to keep track of and for those who read this blog, they might help you, too, if ever you decide to write a book and decide you'd like a literary agent to represent you. Which I do and which I'd give up my 2.5 children for. PSYCHE! Now, don't get your danders up. I seriously love my 2.5 children, and this is simply how determined I am to get one. Let's see...book deal...children...book deal...children...hard toss-up.

As you know, Jessica Faust of Bookends Literary Agency has graced my group, TWL Author Talks, with her presence and incredible wisdom on the world of being a literary agent.

I know her work is hard. I can't imagine the power of sitting behind a desk and giving the nod or the Miss Snark curse on every single manuscript that comes into her office. Can you imagine the power? I experienced this power when I was compiling my anthology, Romancing the Soul, and I have to tell you, it was very very very hard to email some of the writers and tell them it didn't fit. I'm not a Miss Snark at all. But, in some cases, you have to be and that makes the job of a literary agent even harder.

So, having Jessica come into my group despite all the manuscripts she has to read, and give her incredible wisdom on different aspects of the literary agent submission process, I feel I owe her my utmost respects.

With that said, let's get into a question I asked in the group.

It's a really interesting question and is concerning how important it is for an author, when submitting to an agent or publisher, to prove they have the right stuff in the promotion department. I mean, what about those writers who don't have any experience in that area? Is it the kiss of death?

Well, here's my question:

"Jessica, honestly, how important is it to you, as the agent, to find
someone who is great at promoting? Say for example, there are thousands of
manuscripts coming to your desk every day...all of them equal as far as being
the next best thing...would you tend to go with those who have a track record
for promoting? I mean, do you actually go, "Wow...this author has done a
tremendous job at promoting his or her articles/other books/etc., I'm going to
give him/her a chance" as opposed to someone else who had a manuscript that was
just as good but didn't have a track record in promoting?"

Her answer reaffirmed my suspicions...

"When it comes to fiction the promotion helps, but it really is about the
work--the writing, characters, plot, etc. With non-narrative nonfiction however
the promotion is at least 60% of what sells the book and is very, very
important. "

So, if you are a fiction author, then it helps, but is not as important as it would be with the non-fiction non-narrative author. In my case, I'm both, but the one book I am seriously seeking representation is a non-narrative non-fiction about relationships, the soul mate relationship in particular. If you will remember, yesterday she said that they were still hot as long as they were fun, had a good hook and was something very different.

Now, I've learned that with this particular book, promotion is over half of what sells the book. I'm figuring that in my query if I include the fact that I have been featured on certain radio programs and I do write a relationship column focusing on soul mates, plus I have an e-class where I teach people about the soul mate relationship, and the fact that I offer a free advice service for anyone who wish to ask me a question about the soul mate relationship, then this will help?

Who knows, but it's really a viable option when I revamp my query. Actually, I do mention the radio gigs and that I use this to promote my books, but maybe I should also include the e-class (which is rather new) and the advice columns/service. Hadn't thought of that.

Oh, another interesting thing she said was that in your query, make it sound like the back cover of the book instead of a formal letter.

This is interesting because I tried something different when querying my hen lit. I honestly did write the query just like I imagined the back cover to be. With the exception of one agent, all the rest of the agents requested a partial. I knew I was on to something when this happened.

However, after I sent the partials, and they turned me down, I tried to rethink the whole process and started rewriting the book, not once, not twice, but five separate versions until I got to the point where I didn't know which one I liked better, so I set it aside and started on another book. However, the mistake I made was revamping my query letter to make it sound more formal and guess what. The agents I queried with this query letter turned me down flat.

Is there a lesson to be learned here?

Sure, there is. And I'm learning every day. As I'm thoroughly enjoying this new book I'm in the middle of writing - a paranormal comedy - it's hard to stop, but I'm going to find the time to turn the query back into the original query and start anew.

Writing is tough. Submitting to agents and publishers is even tougher, but when we finally find out what it is we're supposed to do, maybe then we can achieve success. Thanks to Jessica, and the other agents who are going to grace us with their presence, too, in the upcoming months, writers can now learn what is expected of them, do it and find out getting that contract really isn't as hard as they think if they use a little common sense, stick to their guns, persevere, and not give up on the dream.

Jessica Faust at TWL Author Talks This Week!

Sorry I haven't blogged for days, but between trying to get some more writing done on my paranormal comedy (yes, a new book!), I'm moderating TWL Author Talks which is hosting the wonderful Jessica Faust of Bookends Literary Agency. If you would like to join (she's going to be here all week to field questions), go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TWLAuthorTalks/ and I'll let you in.

It's been an amazing talk so far. I asked her about the future of chick/hen lit, paranormal comedy and non-fiction relationship books as that's what I've been writing, and this is what she said:

"Houses are cutting back on chick lit. Ultimately when it first became
popular everyone--authors and publishers--jumped on the bandwagon and flooded
the market. Now it's only natural that the "strong will survive" and houses need
to cut back and move on to the next thing.

A lot of publishers are buying light paranormal, there are a lot out there
now. So yes, they are buying.

Relationship books--a platform is key and it sounds like there's one there,
but it's also important that the book itself have a fun and interesting hook,
something very different."

Ahh...so what they say about chick lit is true. Doesn't matter. I still love'em.

As for the paranormal comedy, I was delighted to hear they are buying. However, did you see what else she said? "There are a lot out there now." And she also said "light paranormal." Well, I consider mine light, not dark at all, quite the opposite, so that's good. BTW, I'm a third into it and it's a lot of fun to write...I don't think I've ever had so much fun putting a story together even though I suck majorly at fiction.

Nonfiction seems to be my niche, now let's just see if the agents/publishers think I have a fun and interesting hook. I don't really think it's a "fun" hook, maybe interesting, but not quirky, more down to earth. Wonder if down to earth is good enough?

Ah, only time will tell.

It's been interesting having Jessica explain what's going on--sort of like an insider's view of the whole scheme of things. She'll be here all week so if you would like to join the group, the link's above and I look forward to seeing you there!

Is He My Soul Mate...Or Not?

I finally just put up an article on my website that I wrote for last month's column called "Is He My Soul Mate...Or Not?" if you'd like to take a peek. It's just so purty!

Click here!

News from Buena Vista Library & LA Times!

I am just jumping up and down for joy….if you’ve been following…I will be returning to my old homeplace, Burbank, California, the end of September to find out just why I have this spiritual need to return and guess what I got in my email box yesterday.

A letter from the librarian at Buena Vista Branch Library in Burbank, California, telling me that she will gladly accept my book as a donation. Oh man, it was wonderful hearing from her. This is what she wrote:

Dear Ms. Thompson,

I was forwarded your email about donating a copy of
your book, “Romancing the Soul” to the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank
library. We would love to have a copy of it.

I am sure that you will be
pleased when you visit as to what’s become of the Lincoln School site. The Buena
Vista Library is a very beautiful and popular branch library that gets close to
50,000 visitors every month. I would be happy to give you a tour of the
facility. A special part of our library is that we have obtained copies of
pictures of “old Burbank” from the Burbank Historical Society and reproduced
them in sepia tones and have them on display. Across from my office is a picture
of your Lincoln School.

Please send a copy of the book to the address
below, and please contact me when you are in town on your visit.

Sincerely,

Christine Rodriguez
Supervising Librarian, Buena
Vista Library

Now, is that cool or what? Not only are they placing my book within their library system, but I will be leaving behind a piece of myself when I have to leave and go back to Virginia. This is just so unfreakingbelievable.

But, wait, it gets better….

Someone from the LA Times has agreed to an interview! Can we say oh my god I’m going to faint? Freaking LA Times! Do you realize how huge that is?

You gotta admit, though, it makes for one fantastic human interest story. Author Travels 3,000 Miles to Hand-Deliver Book to Hometown Library. Hey, I might set a new world’s record on that one. Anyone have the number of Guiness Book of World Records? Talk about walking a mile for a Camel, how about traveling 3,000 miles for a chance to leave your legacy at your own stomping grounds you thought you’d never ever see the rest of your life? Unfreakingbelievable.

The Soul Mate Queen's Magical World of Soul Mates

Ahhh...yes, I have another blog. That title up there is the name and the address is www.soulmatequeen.blogspot.com where I will be hosting interviews from relationship experts all over the country. Cool, huh? Not only that, I was frustrated with my other relationship advice blog at www.soulmateadvice.blogspot.com when the right sidebar wouldn't come back up no matter what I did, but this new blog is going to be waaaay better! So, hop on over and say howdie and tell'em the soul mate queen sentcha. ;o)