What I Learned from Literary Agent Paige Wheeler

Literary agent, Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency, spoke to my Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia chapter recently about mysteries. Here’s what I learned from her presentation:

• Publishing is a business

• Publishing is all about the sales numbers

• Print is still alive and well

• Write your passion

• Know your readers

• Your book needs to be excellent

• Your writing needs to be fresh and unique

• Your work needs to stand out

• You need a unique marketing hook for your book

• Discoverability is important

• Authors need to be nimble and adjust to the tastes of the time

• Your query letter needs to spark interest

• Don’t be too wordy in your query letter

• Your sample pages are important

• Show how your character is transformed

• Focus on the whole story in your query

• Your query letter content is not back cover text

Why Can't I Finish My Book?

It took me about five years to write, edit, revise, query, and get my first novel published. I thought I was a slow writer, and there was too much going on in my life at the time to focus. I work full-time in IT, and everyone has commitments and responsibilities. Two years ago, I tried an experiment. I wanted to see how productive I could be if I put some focus on my writing time. (That year, I finished two 73,000 word novels, one 15,000 word novella, two 4,000 word short stories, and one 3,000 nonfiction article.) Here’s what I learned…

1. I always put important things on my calendar, but my writing time wasn’t there. I would always tell myself that I’d fit it in. I scheduled some “office” time for writing. And I stuck to my schedule.

2. I realized I was watching too much (bad) TV and movies. We still watch our favorite shows, but we DVR most everything now. I watch it when I have time (and I don’t have to sit through the commercials).

3. Look at where you spend your time for a week. Are there things that are big time wasters that you really don’t need to do?

4. I can’t sit at my desk for hours. I get restless, and it’s not good for you to sit so long. Schedule little breaks, and do other tasks (e.g. load/empty the dishwasher, put laundry in the washer or dryer, fold laundry, sort the mail). After a little break, I’m recharged and ready to get back to work.

5. Determine when you are most productive and schedule your writing time then. I’m a (very) early morning person. I’ve never been productive in the late evening hours. Learn what works for you.

6. Figure out tasks you can do at other times. I use my lunch time at work to write, proofread, or revise. That gave me 5 hours additional writing hours a week.

7. I also print copies of work that needs to be revised. I take these with me when I’m waiting at the dentist, hair dresser’s, doctor’s , or DMV.

8. If you find yourself spending too much time on your social media sites, find ways to schedule your posts. It’s a more efficient use of your time.

9. When we do sit down to watch TV (We are football and college basketball fans), I use my tablet to scan through my social media feeds. I get to do two things I like, and I’m not spending hours on each.

10. I try to write something every day. It does make a difference. When I’m working on a novel or novella, I keep a PostIt note on my desk. At the end of each session, I write down the date and the word count, so I can see my progress. Some people are very formal, and set up spreadsheets with daily word counts. Do what works for you. If you miss days, it will take you time to catch up, and that time could be better spent on other tasks.

11. With my first couple of books, I got stuck in revision paralysis. I would revise and revise, and then I’d put it down for a while. Then I’d pick it back up and start over. I would also start revising before I finished the manuscript. Now, I write the first, sloppy draft. I don’t do major rereads or revisions until the first draft done.

12. Find a good critique group, beta readers, and writing partners. These people will help keep you on track. If you have a monthly commitment to provide pages for the group to read, you’ll do better at staying on task.

13. Learn how to say “no” nicely. You are constantly bombarded with requests for your time. Figure out what’s important, and say “no” or “not now” to some that you really can’t commit to.

Writing - Individual or Team Sport?

I never played team sports as a kid. I wished that I had. There are some life lessons that are gained from working (winning and losing) as a group. Writing is mostly a solitary endeavor. I research, write, and revise by myself. But I believe that authors need others, and here’s why…

• Relationships are key in life. You need those special people who will share your celebrations and help build you up after a bad day.

• You need a sounding board to ask questions or bounce ideas off.

• Others are in different stages of their writing careers. They can give advice or ideas.

• They can help motivate you and keep you on track.

• Authors who help promote you are invaluable. Treasure these people.

• You need some trusted early readers to give you honest feedback about your work.

• Find a writing group. The relationships you build are important. You will have access to information, people, and opportunities. The contacts are invaluable. I got my first mystery writing credit from my group’s anthology. And I can’t tell you how many contacts have led to book signings or special projects.

• It reminds you that you are not alone.

The best decision I made in my writing journey was to join a writing group.

Detours and Roadblocks in Your Writing Life

I drive the back roads through southside Richmond to my day gig in the mornings instead of taking the toll roads. This week, unexpectedly, I hit a roadblock when a downed light pole blocked the main road. I’m familiar with the way that I always get to work, but I was on my own in the dark yesterday in a neighborhood that I wasn’t familiar with (at 6:30 AM). (And if you’ve ever been to RVA, you’ll know that the streets often do not run parallel. They tend to meander.) With the help of GPS, I was able to navigate neighborhood streets and get back on my path.

Our writing life is often like that. We hit roadblocks and detours. It’s inevitable, but I believe you will be more successful along your journey if you can react and navigate around them.

A lot of it is attitude. If you hit a disappointment or a pitfall, allow yourself some time to react. Scream, cry, mope, or eat chocolate for a little while. But then figure out how you are going to get around the obstacle. Sulking doesn’t fix the problem. Bad reviews, cancelled contracts, and rejection letters hurt. You can give up, or you can make a new plan.

Always have a plan B. It’s helpful to have a strategy for what you’re going to do if you hit an obstacle. It’s often easier to deal with if you know you have a backup plan.

Get organized. Keep your files straight (and backed up). Know where you put things. If you cut down on the clutter and the junk, and you can work efficiently, you’ll minimize  some of your self-made roadblocks.

If you mess up, own it, apologize, and do your best to fix it.

Other people are going to disappoint you. They’re going to back out of commitments, forget to do things they promised, or say mean things. You need to decide what and who you’re going to spend your time on or with. Figure out what is important to you, and let go of what brings you down.

Make sure you take care of you. Eat right and exercise. You need to have a balanced life. Make sure you have some fun. And hang around people who make you laugh. My day gig is in IT, and it’s often serious. I love that the new PMO manager moved in the office next to me. She is fun, and she laughs a lot. (The crew nicknamed her Giggles.) I love that I can hear the laughter through the walls. It always makes me smile.

It’s almost a new year. And that’s always a great time to make resolutions or plans. I challenge you to make a plan for your writing life in 2020. It’s a new year and a new decade.

Me and My Post-it Notes

I love office supplies. I get excited every summer when the school supplies come out. And besides gel pens, sticky notes are probably my favorite. I use Post-it notes for everything. I’m an 80s girl, and that’s when my addiction to these sticky notes started. I love the neon-colored ones. The ones with little sayings are fun, too.

The adhesive was invented by Spencer Silver in 1968 at 3M, and the actual notes were invented by Arthur Fry in 1974 because he needed bookmarks for his hymnal at choir practice. When he used scraps of paper, they would fall out of the book. He needed something to stick to the page, but not damage the paper. He knew of Silver’s invention and tried it on some of the scrap paper in the lab. (Legend has it that the original Post-its were yellow because that was the color of the lab’s scrap paper.)

Here are my favorite uses. What would you add to my list?

• A handy bookmark

• Sticky tabs for reports and documents that need review/signature

• For plotting mysteries - You can move them around on a wall or white board

• For jotting notes (duh!) - I have them stuck to my monitor, laptop, desk, and refrigerator - I even stick them to the dashboard of my car when I really need to remember something. (My purse is always full of balled up notes/lists.)

• Keeping character traits organized when I’m writing

• I like the Post-it flipcharts when I’m brainstorming or facilitating meetings

• Lists (usually for shopping, but they could be honey-do lists)

• I daisy chain them together when stuff is related and I need more space to write

• Tally sheets to keep a running total of my WIP’s word count

• I mark issues or plot holes in my writing with them. It reminds me to tie up loose ends.

• Marking stopping points in editing/writing projects - It helps me pick up where I left off

Always Be Professional: Tips for Writers

In my day gig, I work in the IT world in Richmond, VA. Even though it’s the state capital, it’s still a small community, and it’s not a good idea to burn bridges. It’s the same in the writing world. Here are a few ideas that will help along the writing journey.

1. If you commit to a deadline, ensure that you meet it. Someone is counting on you. (Now, if you’re sick or it’s an emergency, that’s another story, but give the person plenty of time to reschedule or come up with a plan B.)

2. If you’re asked to do something and you can’t, be up front and say no. You can say “I can’t do that right now” in a professional way.

3. Strive to be on time. Again, someone is counting on you.

4. If you can’t make an appointment or commitment, get in touch with the person as soon as you can. (When I book something, it’s usually by email. I always make sure I have a contact number for emergencies.)

5. Be prepared. Do your homework and be ready.

6. Be present. when you’re at a meeting or event, participate, listen, and be part of the conversation. Don’t be that person who can’t put his/her phone down.

7. Treat your writing as a business. If you go into partnership with someone or hire someone for a task, make sure you have a contract or formal agreement.

8. Pick your battles. We’ve had new writers on anthology projects who refused to be edited. If you choose not to follow the rules/guidelines, you’ll need to be prepared not to participate. And think twice before you fire off that email or text in anger. It could come back to haunt you.

9. Avoid social media battles. It’s okay to have a good conversation, but trolling and attacks will earn you a reputation. And even if you delete posts, there still out there somewhere. You are your brand, and you need to think of that as you build your social media platform.

Writing is a solo activity, but you do need to interact with others. It’s always best to be the professional who is easy to work with. Your reputation (good or bad) will always precede you.

Lois Winston's Holiday Cozies for #WriterWednesday

I’d like to welcome Lois Winston to the blog for #WriterWednesday. She has a guest post on her holiday cozies. Perfect timing for this season. Check these out and add them to your collection.

Christmas with Anastasia

By Lois Winston

My amateur sleuth, Anastasia Pollack, makes no bones about her feelings toward me. I suppose her animosity is justified. After all, I write cozy murder mysteries, which means I’m constantly placing her in life-and-death situations.

Most cozy mysteries feature busybody amateur sleuths who make a habit of sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Anastasia is more a reluctant amateur sleuth, forced to investigate because I’m always writing her into situations where I don’t give her any choice.

And much to her dismay, I don’t even let up at Christmas. I tried explaining my reasoning for this to her, that readers love holiday books. Her answer? I should go back to writing romances and leave the solving of murders to the professionals. What fun would that be, though?

And speaking of fun, I had so much fun setting Drop Dead Ornaments, the seventh book in the series, days before Christmas, that I decided the eighth book in the series, Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, should pick up where Drop Dead Ornaments left off. That means I have two holiday mysteries available this year. And better yet, the ebook version of Drop Dead Ornaments is currently on sale for only .99 cents through Christmas Eve.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

Anastasia Pollack’s son Alex is dating Sophie Lambert, the new kid in town. For their community service project, the high school seniors have chosen to raise money for the county food bank. Anastasia taps her craft industry contacts to donate materials for the students to make Christmas ornaments they’ll sell at the town’s annual Holiday Crafts Fair.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links
Paperback https://amzn.to/2s1VYii

Kindle https://amzn.to/350ueJq

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drop-dead-ornaments

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/drop-dead-ornaments/id1431548050

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drop-dead-ornaments-lois-winston/1129345148?ean=2940161937181

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

Two and a half weeks ago magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack arrived home to find Ira Pollack, her half-brother-in-law, had blinged out her home with enough Christmas lights to rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend and possible spy Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

Buy Links

Paperback https://amzn.to/2OXfaqu

Kindle https://amzn.to/3594OJC

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/handmade-ho-ho-homicide

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handmade-ho-ho-homicide-lois-winston/1132607263?ean=2940163093748

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/handmade-ho-ho-homicide/id1473711082

About Lois:

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.loiswinston.com

Newsletter sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5

Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anasleuth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston

The Animals of Writing

Animals have a variety of qualities, and many apply to the writing life. Here’s my list of some characteristics that writers can borrow from their animal friends.

Bull Dogs - Bull dogs and other dog breeds are known for their tenacity. If you want to be published, don’t give up. Hang on, keep going, and work until you get what you want.

Jack Russell Terriers - Harness your energy and focus it on your writing and revising. Put your backside in a chair and get writing.

Turtle - Turtle have a hard outer shell, and writers need to develop a thick skin if they want to survive. You’re going to get feedback, criticism, and reviews. Learn what you can from them, but don’t take it personally.

Squirrels, Magpies, and Racoons - You need to be able to gather ideas and store them away for a future story. Keep a notebook or file. You never know when a character, description, or bit of dialogue will be useful.

Pigs or Hippos - Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Sometimes, you have to roll up your sleeves and dive in.

Elephants - Be steady, strong, and methodical in your work. Learn and improve your craft. And again, the thick skin doesn’t hurt either.

Lions or Crocodiles - Be fierce when you’re editing and revising. If something doesn’t move your story along, it has to go.

Cats - Find a sunspot or a nice cozy corner and curl up with a book once in a while. Reading is research.

Otters - Enjoy your writing journey. Be playful and creative. Have fun.