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The
Serious Writer's Toolbox, Part Two: Documents
By Shon
Bacon
For
the serious writer who wants to write and to be published, there are
some important documents he or she should keep on hand at a moment’s
notice. Some of these documents will eventually go to editors and
agents, and some of them are for the writer to better organize his or
her writing.
List
of Writing Projects
It is important for writers to know what works they have completed and
what works are in stages of completion. For this list, writers
should have two sections: completed works and works-in-progress.
In the Completed Works section, writers will list every work
that is completely done, meaning the manuscript has been edited and
revised and a submission package (query letter, synopsis, and three
sample chapters) has been created. Another great thing to do for
each completed work is to write a pitch. A pitch is a hook for a
story in 50 words or less. If someone were to ask what a piece is
about, the writer should be able to immediately tell a story’s plot in
a sentence or two. In the Works-in-Progress section,
writers will keep a running list of all works that are in stages of
completion. For each work, writers should state what stage it’s
in (idea-generating stage, outlining stage, finished three chapters,
etc.) In this section, it is suggested that writers keep the works
in order, with the current project being first.
Submission
Package
As stated above, each completed work should eventually have a submission
package. The package will consist of a query letter, a synopsis,
and sample chapters of the work. There are a myriad of websites
and books that discuss query and synopsis writing. For sample
chapters, writers would send either the first three chapters of a work
or the three chapters that best represent the strong writing of the
work. It is important to check out guidelines to see what editors
and agents would like sent to them.
Marketing
Plan
These days, writers must be marketers and publicists for their works.
Gone are the days where a writer could sell a lot of books solely based
on the strength of the writing within the book. Because of this,
it is a good idea to create a marketing plan. A marketing plan
shows an agent or editor that the writer is serious about his or her
work and that not only has the author seriously thought about his or her
work, but he or she has also shown their vested interest and ultimate
participation in the implementation of the marketing and publicity for
his or her work. Again, there are a plethora of books and sites
that show how to do this; however, some of the main components of a
marketing plan include: product, customers, sales forecast,
threats, and marketing strategy. Product refers to a
description of the writer’s work. Under Customers, the
writer would write a paragraph or so describing his or her target
audience/market. Sales Forecast is a discussion on how
well similar books have faired in the market. Threats
refer to competition. Who is out there with similar books?
Here, the writer will have to show the competitors and show how his or
her book stands out without blowing up his or her own ego. Under Marketing
Strategy, the writer will have to list all the various ways he or
she could help market the work. Research is definitely needed in
creating the marketing plan, but the more a writer knows about the
market, about his or her work within the market, and how to promote his
or her work for better sales, the better off he or she will be in the
end.
Submission
Chart
For every work that is ready to go out into the real world, writers
should have a submission chart. This chart will allow writers to
keep track of who has received submissions, who has received follow-up
calls or e-mails or letter, and who has responded and how. Typical
columns in a submission chart include: Name/Address/E-mail of
Editor or Agent, Date Submission Sent, Follow-up Date, Response, Full
Manuscript Sent, Follow-up Date, and Response. Hopefully,
writers will get all the way to the end of a row with a positive
response from an agent or an editor.
Lists
of Agents and Editors
At some point, writers will have to find agents and editors to approach.
Writer’s Market is a great resource to have for this; however,
one can do a little sleuthing on his or her own. One wonderful
technique is for writers to hit the bookstore and find books that are
similar to theirs works, whether in genre or subject matter within the
works. Writers can take a pile of books to a table and first look
at the spine of the book and the title page. Writers can take note
of the publishing house that releases the book. From there,
writers can flip to the Acknowledgment sections of books. Here,
authors often thank their editors and agents. Writers can keep a
running list of editors and agents from these books. For agents,
writers can take the names found from these books and either search
online or search Writer’s Market to find addresses and
submission guidelines for the agents. For editors, writers can
take the names found and the book and the publishing house found on the
spine or title page and also search online or search Writer’s
Market to find contact information and submission guidelines.
It is always a good idea to update your editor list every few months
because editors are famous for leaving a house and moving on. By
doing this homework during the writing process, writers will be ready to
do a quick update of editors’ credentials and then ship out their
works for possible publication.
If you have questions about writing or an idea for an article
you'd like me to write for THE WRITE LIFE, please e-mail me at chickoflit@hotmail.com
and let me know. I'm always here to help the fellow writer.
Keep Writing.
TTFN: Shon Bacon
Next:
Article
#7: The
Trouble of Being Nice in Book Reviews: A Defense for True
Community in the Writing 'Hood
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