ShalladeGuzman.com

SHALLA Q&A with author of BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES, Lauren Baratz-Logsted

When? July 12 only at the ShalladeGuzman Writers Group.

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QUESTION: Literary Agents?

I just got a copy of your book, Thin Pink Line, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

I'm wondering if you can tell us about literary agents. For one, what should we be looking for? From your experience, do you think signing with a big agency is best ie. the bigger the better?

Or is targeting a new agent best, since he/she will probably be hungry for a new client?Is it better to get an agent in NY, since most publishers are also in NY? Or would you recommend getting a lit agent in the city closest to you? Thank you for your feedback. Hope to meet you at nationals.

Diana,

I'm afraid I won't be at Nationals - bummer! I hope this is OK with eveyone else but I'm going to link here to a guest essay I did on Book Angst 101 that should tell you nearly everything you need to know about me and agents. It's under June 29 and is called "Misadventures in (Mis)Representation)." Once you look at it, I'd be glad to answer any questions you still may have on the subject, but, in short, no, I don't think you need a NY agent nor one physically close to you, not in the age of the Internet.

http://bookangst.blogspot.com/

Oh, and thanks for buying The Thin Pink Line!

Lauren

Lauren Baratz-Logsted
http://www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com/

QUESTION: where do you think ChickLit is heading?

Congrats on your latest book! I just saw it reviewed by the AOL Book Maven. I also read your article on chick lit.

I'd like to know where do you think ChickLit is heading? Do you see it going back to the traditional Bridget Jones Diary? Or Sex and the City? When I pitch it at nationals, do you think it still sells if I say my manuscript is Sex and the City meets Threes Company? (or something like that)Do you know what editors are mostly looking for now?

Thank you for your smart questions and for spelling my name right. But now that someone here has done that, I think it's time you fine ladies dropped the Ms and just called me Lauren. :)

Regarding where ChickLit is heading, I think it is heading everywhere! I think we'll start seeing more of everything: political chicks, mystery chicks, alternative chicks, classic Bridget Jones chicks - you name it. Do I think it will always be called ChickLit? Hard to say. The conventional press ignores a lot of titles thus classified and a lot of ChickLit writers bristle under the heat of always being treated as "less than." It would be nice if, oneday, like the work of male authors Chris Moore, Christopher Buckley, Nick Hornby et al, our books were labeled comedic literature or satire.

I think your pitch sounds fine - very high concept!

Your last question is the hardest to answer. Ask an editor what they're looking for and they'll say, "Something different!" which gets frustrating because usually they balk at anything too different. Press them, and they might add, "Something great!" Sigh. I always like to say editors are looking for something the same that's different. My best advice: write what you feel passionate about writing, Cynthia.

Lauren

QUESTION: do/Don't do in my manuscript presentation?

I'd also like to ask you, from your experience, are there big tip-offs from amateur manuscripts? I just turned Pro (RWA) and I'm about to submit my manuscript. In your opinion, are there things I should make sure I do/Don't do in my manuscript presentation?For instance, can I use regular bond paper? Or do I have to use the brightest, most expensive, thicker kind?

Kylie,

I've never gone overboard with the formatting thing, figuring if a book is good enough, it's not going to stop someone from buying it if you don't have a perfect running header. That said, I use standard 8.5 x 11 in 20 lb bond paper. As far as things that scream "amateur!", copyrighting your ms is a biggie or overselling yourself in the query ("Sure to sell more copies than John Grisham AND J.K. Rowling!" If you are querying first, make sure to personalize the letters a bit so that, even if on the inside agents/editors know you must be approaching others, they'll feel you've targeted them for their specific skills and greatness.

Again, I hope this is at least a bit helpful!

Lauren

QUESTION: do you need to contact radio stations?

I'd like to ask you about your busy tour schedule. I read it on your calendar, http://www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com/Calendar/calendar.htm

I'm sorry if this sounds amateurish but I'm curious about your radio interview. As a writer, do you need to contact radio stations? Or do they contact you? I'd also like to know how you prepare for a radio interview. Do they give questions ahead of time, to make sure you have answers for them?I'm still learning and I think it's exciting that writers can be interviewed on radio and on TV.Thanks for your answer.

These are all great questions. I have contacted several radio stations on my own in the past - maybe I hear about a sister author or someone else being on etc and then I go online and look for the station/contact link, then I pitch myself: who I am, what I've written. Sometimes, the radio stations hear about me - that I give good interview :) - and they contact me. I've never been sent a list of questions in advance, but many producers have checked out my website as a reference first; I usually have at least one self-interview about the most recently published book, plus I have reading group questions for each book, plus my bio, so they have plenty to choose from. Some authors are lucky enough to have in-house publicists arrange this sort of thing; others pay money to independent publicists; I, for now, prefer to leg it alone. Hopefully, someday, TV will want me as well. :)
Lauren

QUESTION: Where did you get this specific story idea?

hi Miss Baratz-Logstead, thanks for sharing your writing experiences with us today. Your latest novel, 'A Little Change of Face' looks interesting. The idea that the protagonist's make-over going from being glamorous to dressing down sounds "fresh and new" to me. Where did you get this specific story idea? What inspires you when you write?

Nice to meet you! Btw, there's no 'a' in Logsted, but no worries: every time a friend of mine and my husband's critiques an ms for us, he inserts an 'a' and writes 'what idiot left this out'? :)

Regarding your first question: I felt that I'd read the story a million times about the woman who loses 15 or 50 pounds and life falls into place for her. I thought there must be an inversion of that story and set out to write it. I particularly like writing stories that take an old theme and then spin it to make something new.

Regarding your second question: I'm inspired by a nearly pathological desire to make other people laugh and think. That, and the voices in my head Just. Will. Not. Shut. Up.

Looking forward to spending more time with this great group!

Lauren

QUESTION: on editing manuscripts?

Good morning Ms. Baratz-Logstead, I'm glad you're anwering our questions. Thank you for that.

My question is, do you have any suggestions on editing manuscripts? I'm just finishing my manuscript now and I know I'll be polishing it. I've considered going to freelance editors but they do charge a lot, from $1 a page to about $10 a page. Do you have any suggestions? How do you edit? Do you have any book you would recommend for self-editing? Or to learn the art of editing?As for going to a critique partner, my past experience with that is, my manuscript got worse. There seems to be a great divide from being a good writer and being a good editor. From your experience, is there a way to know if your manuscript is on the right track during editing? (If editing is actually making it better or worse?)Thanks for your help.

I used to do a fair bit of freelance editing - I worked on nearly 100 books - and I agree that there's a wide variety of good and bad you get for your money.

First, I'd recommend investing in a copy of Chicago Manual of Style - it's pricey but it's perfect for answering nearly any niggling question you might have: "When do I use italics v. quotes for song titles, movie titles etc?"

As far as what I do to edit myself, I am fortunate in that spelling/grammar is second nature - but please don't hate me! I do have other shortcomings, like, well, I'm short.

I always do say to be a good writer, and ultimately this extends to editing too. Read a lot and read widely; if you aspire to writing chick-lit, say, read a lot of chick-lit but read a lot of stuff. It'll help you fine tune your own inner editor as to what works and what doesn't. What makes you crazy in other people's books: Do you hate it if a character gets too political? Do you hate long passages of description? Look for similar flaws in your own writing.

Regarding critique partners, I've never worked with just one person but I have hosted regular writing groups in my own. I listen closely to what people say: sometimes it's like a lightbulb going on - "yea! this person is so right!"; sometimes, the person is asking for a lateral move, meaning a move that doesn't really change the work in your own eyes, but that will please them, so why not; sometimes, the person wants you to do something that makes you think, "AARGH! But that would ruin my book!" - in those cases, thank the person politely and do nothing. If you work with others long enough and often enough you'll develop an ear not just for hearing what's good advice v. bad, but also for hearing who's advising you from a place of generosity and whose advice might stem from jealousy.

When do you know if you've edited it enough? Most books, particularly first efforts, need a lot of work, usually several passes: maybe you need one to tighten the boring bits, another to add a subplot that will add depth by either paralleling or inverting the main storyline. I borrow my own rule of thumb from the medical community: first, do no harm; meaning, if you get to the point where you don't know if you're helping or hurting...stop!

I hope this is at least minimally helpful to you.

Lauren

QUESTION: Finding the "right" agent

I'm currently conducting an agent search after terminating my agreement with my former agent last summer (for poor communication and flagging enthusiasm on the heels of three piddly rejections). I read on another list that you recently switched agents. How common is it for authors to go through 1 or 2 or even 3 author/agent rel'ships before finding the "right" agent? What are the warning signs to watch out for that an agent might not be right for you? Do we just have to do the best research we can, then jump in and if it's not right, not be afraid to leave? Do authors ever get reputations for perhaps being difficult from switching agents too often?I've known a couple of people to go through 3 or 4 agents and still not find the perfect match. Any advice greatly appreciated as I tread these waters again!

Cindy,

I posted this earlier today, but I'll gladly repost it:

http://bookangst.blogspot.com/

If you go to the entry for June 29, it's an essay by me on my bad experiences with five agents. I'm now on Agent 6 and so far I love her. It is not uncommon for authors to switch, but I'm sure authors who do switch a lot get a certain reputation. That said, my current agent, once she'd heard just a few tales of my experiences with others, recognized the problem was with them, not me. Each time, I did the best research I could; each time, until now, I was disappointed. The best thing to do is get recs from friends. When I was interviewing agents last month, I talked to several friends rec'd, but only one ultimately rang my bell and now I'm with her.

Warning signs? Hard to say, since we're all individuals and so are they. Warning signs for me are nonresponsiveness or not responding in a reasonable time; kingmakers - Svengalis who don't want to listen to the author even when, in my case, the author was a bookseller, reviewer, editor, and sold five books for herself.

I hope this helps a bit!

Lauren

QUESTION: Pitching to Editors?

I'm glad you're lending us your expertise. My question is if I have an agent already representing my manuscript, if given the chance/situation, can I still pitch it to an Editor? (like at the RWA nationals, in case I bump into one there) Or should I let my agent take care of all the selling?

Having an agent should be a plus, not a penalty. What I mean by that is that while it would be inappropriate for you to - except under very special circumstances - send written pitches to editors on your behalf, having an agent should not cause you to forfeit opportunities. And what I mean by that is that if you meet Editor X at RWA and Agent Y isn't around, feel free to say to Editor X, "I so admire your work with The Secret Life Of The Traveling Pants Sister Club. I've written a book [insert title and one-sentence pitch here] that I think you might enjoy and which is represented by Agent Y. Shall I have Agent Y send you a copy?" If she says yes, find out if she wants it by snail or email and then get that contact info. My last agent seemed to not appreciate editor suggestions from me; my current agent is totally open to them. Finally, let me know how it goes!

Lauren

Question: rejection letters?

Hi Ms. Baratz-Logsted (I hope I spelled that right) :) It's very nice to see you on this loop.I'd like to ask, and I hope it's not too personal, how long did it take you to get your first novel published? About how many novels have you written that will probably not see the light of day? (if any)I remember when anything chick lit was super easy to sell, did that help you?I'm just trying to figure out the best way to handle rejection letters. The first one's I got did hurt the ego, at least a little, although I'm getting better. I'm curious about another writer's process from the blank page to being pubbed. Looking back, do you have any words of wisdom you can share with us?

You did indeed spell my name right - yea, you! - but I'd much prefer you and everyone else here call me Lauren. I mean, we're all friends here now, right?

It took me nearly eight years to sell a book, that book being The Thin Pink Line, which was the sixth I'd written. I wrote one more after that before selling it. The Thin Pink LIne was sold, by me, to Red Dress Ink as part of a two-book deal; before it even came out, RDI offered me an additional three-book contract.

Back when I first started writing, selling chick-lit was not easy, nor was selling satire, which was what I considered my work at that time. I got letters from editors saying, "Well, I think it'sd funny...but I don't know if others will." One editor even told me, "Americans don't like to laugh." Huh? And then, when I was first shopping The Thin Pink Line, some said, "Well, but there's so much out there like that." Right. You know, all those other fake-pregnancy books. So you see how it was. It took a lot of hard work and determination to stay in the game and get where I am. I do hope that, eventually, all my orphans will get published.

Handling rejection? It's never easy, but here are a couple of things that help. 1) While shopping the first book, start writing the second so that if you get rejected, you can tell yourself, "But that's not going to be my only book," or, if your book does get picked up and they want to do a two-book deal, you've got something else to show; 2) recognize that the vast majority of writers do not sell the first thing they write - if you wanted to be a brain surgeon, would you exepect to just walk into the O.R. with no training and save the patient?; 3) read books like Rotten Rejections - once upon a time, an editor told Charlotte Bronte, in essence, "Hey, don't quit your day job"; 4) make sure you have a few good people in your life who want you to have the success you want for yourself; be proud of your accomplishments so far - Have you written a book? Yea, you! Look at how many people want to do what you've done and never get there. So, let's all say it again: Yea, you!!!

Words of wisdom: 1) write the stories you feel a passion to tell, regardless of what anyone else thinks; 2) stay alive and keep putting one foot in front of the other, because the only person who can ever take you out of the game is you.

Lauren

QUESTION: hiring a publicist?

hi Ms. Baratz-Logsted, thank you for your very helpful answers. I'm sure to check out your latest release next time I go to Borders. It looks like a fun read, even for a guy.What I'd like to ask about is publicists. Should we get one as soon as we sell our first manuscript? And what's the best way to find one? What criteria should we look at?

Andy (and everyone!),

Please call me Lauren.

For advice on publicists and other industry info, you and others here might want to check out http://www.readerville.com/ - it's a 14,000-member group of book lovers and writers; they do charge a monthly subscription of $8, but many find it well worth it for the advice, comaraderie and great conversations.

Regarding hiring a publicist, here's my experience: with my first book, since I'd heard that my publisher was going to do a lot to push it, I hired no outside help. For my second, I started to see things falling through the cracks, so right after my book came out, I hired an online publicist for $1500 who assured me he could get me buzz; as far as I could see, all he did was list/review my books on his website; any radio/interviews I got, I snagged for myself. With the recently released book, I had seriously considered hiring an independent publicist. On the rec of my in-house person, I went through a flurry of emails and several months talking to a publicist with a good reputation. I told her to draw me up two proposals: what I could get for 5K and 10K. After having told me it would take her two weeks turned into more like two months, I got a single proposal that only had dollar figures for a few items but had no bottom line. Now, I don't know about you, but I would never have someone come do major work on my home or car without a written estimate in hand and I just could not see signing with this woman, when I'd be all the time worrying if she'd hit me with a bill for 20K or whatever when we were through.

So, one of the reasins I recommend checking out http://www.readerville.com/ is that you might meet authors here who can tell you, "Oh, I hired someone really good; I'll email you off-list."

As far as timing for hiring one, I don't think you need to hire quite as early as you say, but a good publicist usually does need about 5-6 months lead time prior to pub date depending on what kind of markets you wish to pursue. Btw, Jacqueline Deval has a great book on publicity that, if memory serves correctly, is very helpful in stating what you can do for yourself and what you can expect from someone else.

Finally, I'm glad to hear you're going to buy my books, even though, as you say, you are a guy. :) If you look at all three of my books, you'll notice that each has a blurb from a prominent male author. One of my purposes in doing that is to widen my reader base. So, if anyone gives you flak about reading girlie books, you can tell them Nelson Demille, Peter Lefcourt and Christopher Moore loved them too. Oh, and you can also tell them my friend Tom, a cowboy in Montana, claims to read my pink books while ploughing his fields. :)

Best of luck with your book!

Lauren