I was visiting the blog of my good friend Naomi yesterday who had a great post about books she owns but has not yet read. And it started to make me think not only about the books I own (or have downloaded onto my iPad) that I have not yet read, but the books that are not even on my TBR list, but totally should be. There are a lot of books out there that for whatever reason, do/did not get the hype they so deserve. One book I read recently that is a great example of this is a wonderful YA contemporary written Bethany Griffin called Handcuffs. Most unfortunately, her book came out smack in the midst of the economic crisis and so for various economic reasons, Handcuffs did not get the recognition or publicity that it duly should have. The book is wonderfully written and has an MC with a wonderful and strong voice and the romantic tension is KILLER.
I'm very much aware that she is not the only author with the only book that has somehow managed to get lost under the radar. So my question to you is,
What book would you recommend in the YA category (any genre) that you feel everyone SHOULD read and add to their TBR list, but may not really know about for whatever unfortunate reasons? What is it about that book that makes you say to someone, you MUST read this book?
Thanks!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Contest has been extended for one more week!
I've decided to run the contest for another week. Hope others will join in on the fun!!!
Friday, June 10, 2011
So...what are YOU up to?
I'm currently working on a YA Dystopian/Sci-Fi AND a YA Contemporary Thriller. I'm just over half-way through with the Dystop and about 8k in to the Thriller.
Was just wondering what all of you, my blogger buddies, are currently working on. What genre are you writing? How far in are you into your project? What stage are you in? Any new and exciting SNIs you are toying with? Revising? Editing? On a writer's hiatus? What are you up to?
Was just wondering what all of you, my blogger buddies, are currently working on. What genre are you writing? How far in are you into your project? What stage are you in? Any new and exciting SNIs you are toying with? Revising? Editing? On a writer's hiatus? What are you up to?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Rejection is not personal? I beg to differ.
Today I want to talk about where I am in my journey to publication. Yes, ladies and gents, I am going to go on a long rant talk about that dreaded capital letter, R. Anyone who is in this biz and has gotten to the querying stage knows what that letter stands for: R is for Rejection (they don't teach you that one on Sesame Street ;-)) I have gone from riding the Query Highway to riding the Rejection Highway and let me tell you, it has got to be one of the bumpiest most depressing roads I've ever traveled thus far in my writing journey. And to think I'm just in the beginning stages! Manhattan potholes? Psssht...They aint nothin'.
After reading a couple of posts on a couple of different agent's blogs talking about rejection and how it's not personal, I started to think long and hard about it and what I've come to realize is that rejection on an agent's end is NOT personal. As Nathan Bransford said in his recent post, how can it be personal when the people rejecting you don't even know you? And he's absolutely right. And I think it is absolutely insane when people get angry at an agent because they decided, for whatever their reason, to pass on your work. However, being the rejected and being the rejectee are two different things. Just as being the dumped, and being the dumpee in a relationship are two very different things. It may not be personal on the agents end, but it is most definitely personal on the receiving end. My work is a direct reflection of ME. It is my heart and soul and inspiration and ideas poured onto pages that have been revised, revised, revised and then edited, edited, edited, and then BETA read by a good number of people in the biz and then revised and edited again and again and again. And then I spend countless hours, days, or weeks on developing the perfect query letter and I go through Query Letter Hell where my peers tear the shit out of my query letter and break it down and around and smack it and flip it upside down until I am utterly confused and left in tears cause I don't even know where to begin or who to listen to because EVERYONE has an opinion and they are often quite contradictory. But eventually I plow through the query letter writing process and finally...FINALLY write a version that has a few people saying, "If I were an agent I'd request to see more." And then...AND THEN...I spend the next couple of days, weeks or months perfecting my synopsis. THE DREADED SYNOPSIS. And not just one synopsis. No, I have to cover all my bases cause some agents request a 3-5 page synop, some want a 2 pager, and others want a 1 page synopsis. Not wanting to limit my options of whom I can query, I prepare all three!
Then there's another good month of researching the agents I want to query for this particular novel, which is a whole other topic in itself, but it's a very important part of the process. To not do the necessary research on the agents I plan on querying is to waste all the time I've spent on everything prior to this point. It's a waste of my time and of the agent's.
So, (a year to two years later) I have a rock solid query letter, my 1, 2, and 3-5 page synopsis, a novel that has been BETA read to death and that I have been told is a very well written story with a unique concept/plot, my list of agents that I believe are a good match for my work, and then I get a glass of wine and start hitting the send button.
At this point, I've done EVERYTHING right. I've done everything I was told I'm supposed to do if I'm serious about being a published writer and so I wait. And I check my inbox 4,738 times a day. And then one day I see that number 1 in my inbox and my heart jumps into my throat and I feel like I might hurl all over my keyboard, And there's this tiny little bit of hope that when I open the email, it's going to be an agent requesting a partial, or a full, but in reality, I've mentally convinced myself that it will be an R because I think it will make the blow softer. I finally muster up the courage to open it and...and...AND...I receive my first R. It stings pretty bad that first R, but I tell myself, that's okay, I have more agents out there who have received my letter. It's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of finding that perfect agent. It's just a matter of...Hmm...another R. And another. And another.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Friggin' ouch.
Rejection is absolutely personal. Maybe not 1 rejection letter, and maybe not even 2 or 3 or 10, but when the numbers keep climbing up and up and all that is coming in are R's, I MUST take it personally. If rejection wasn't personal, I wouldn't change a thing. I wouldn't believe there is room for improvement. I wouldn't stop and think, hey, maybe I need to re-think my query letter. Or, consider the idea that maybe I need to re-think my my first chapter, or if there was a request for a partial and it was rejected, maybe I need to re-think the beginning of my story. Or maybe this story is just NOT THE ONE. Something is not working. I didn't do SOMETHING right. That is personal. It doesn't get much more personal than that. Individual agents sending a (form) rejection might not being personal, but when you are receiving multiple rejection letters, it is one huge conglomeration of personal. My work is a reflection of me and so to reject my work is to reject me and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. I mean, if an agent LOVES your novel and requests a partial and then a full and then calls you to offer representation, you take that personal, don't you? So why can't it be so for the opposite? Rejection is not personal? I beg to differ. I think it is and I think it can be important to take it as so.
What are your thoughts?
After reading a couple of posts on a couple of different agent's blogs talking about rejection and how it's not personal, I started to think long and hard about it and what I've come to realize is that rejection on an agent's end is NOT personal. As Nathan Bransford said in his recent post, how can it be personal when the people rejecting you don't even know you? And he's absolutely right. And I think it is absolutely insane when people get angry at an agent because they decided, for whatever their reason, to pass on your work. However, being the rejected and being the rejectee are two different things. Just as being the dumped, and being the dumpee in a relationship are two very different things. It may not be personal on the agents end, but it is most definitely personal on the receiving end. My work is a direct reflection of ME. It is my heart and soul and inspiration and ideas poured onto pages that have been revised, revised, revised and then edited, edited, edited, and then BETA read by a good number of people in the biz and then revised and edited again and again and again. And then I spend countless hours, days, or weeks on developing the perfect query letter and I go through Query Letter Hell where my peers tear the shit out of my query letter and break it down and around and smack it and flip it upside down until I am utterly confused and left in tears cause I don't even know where to begin or who to listen to because EVERYONE has an opinion and they are often quite contradictory. But eventually I plow through the query letter writing process and finally...FINALLY write a version that has a few people saying, "If I were an agent I'd request to see more." And then...AND THEN...I spend the next couple of days, weeks or months perfecting my synopsis. THE DREADED SYNOPSIS. And not just one synopsis. No, I have to cover all my bases cause some agents request a 3-5 page synop, some want a 2 pager, and others want a 1 page synopsis. Not wanting to limit my options of whom I can query, I prepare all three!
Then there's another good month of researching the agents I want to query for this particular novel, which is a whole other topic in itself, but it's a very important part of the process. To not do the necessary research on the agents I plan on querying is to waste all the time I've spent on everything prior to this point. It's a waste of my time and of the agent's.
So, (a year to two years later) I have a rock solid query letter, my 1, 2, and 3-5 page synopsis, a novel that has been BETA read to death and that I have been told is a very well written story with a unique concept/plot, my list of agents that I believe are a good match for my work, and then I get a glass of wine and start hitting the send button.
At this point, I've done EVERYTHING right. I've done everything I was told I'm supposed to do if I'm serious about being a published writer and so I wait. And I check my inbox 4,738 times a day. And then one day I see that number 1 in my inbox and my heart jumps into my throat and I feel like I might hurl all over my keyboard, And there's this tiny little bit of hope that when I open the email, it's going to be an agent requesting a partial, or a full, but in reality, I've mentally convinced myself that it will be an R because I think it will make the blow softer. I finally muster up the courage to open it and...and...AND...I receive my first R. It stings pretty bad that first R, but I tell myself, that's okay, I have more agents out there who have received my letter. It's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of finding that perfect agent. It's just a matter of...Hmm...another R. And another. And another.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Friggin' ouch.
Rejection is absolutely personal. Maybe not 1 rejection letter, and maybe not even 2 or 3 or 10, but when the numbers keep climbing up and up and all that is coming in are R's, I MUST take it personally. If rejection wasn't personal, I wouldn't change a thing. I wouldn't believe there is room for improvement. I wouldn't stop and think, hey, maybe I need to re-think my query letter. Or, consider the idea that maybe I need to re-think my my first chapter, or if there was a request for a partial and it was rejected, maybe I need to re-think the beginning of my story. Or maybe this story is just NOT THE ONE. Something is not working. I didn't do SOMETHING right. That is personal. It doesn't get much more personal than that. Individual agents sending a (form) rejection might not being personal, but when you are receiving multiple rejection letters, it is one huge conglomeration of personal. My work is a reflection of me and so to reject my work is to reject me and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that. I mean, if an agent LOVES your novel and requests a partial and then a full and then calls you to offer representation, you take that personal, don't you? So why can't it be so for the opposite? Rejection is not personal? I beg to differ. I think it is and I think it can be important to take it as so.
What are your thoughts?
Sunday, June 5, 2011
My New Blog Look and...A CONTEST!!!
So, here it is folks. My new blog look! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Lori (the designer) is a genius! She completely captured the feel of what I wanted and was so amazingly patient with my meticulous requests and wants. I love the idea that I have a blog that feels so ME. Take a look at her site and check out some of the other AMAZING designs she's created!
Now for the...CONTEST! This is my first!!! So, in lieu of what's been going on re: The Wall Street Journal article, which you can read here, I've decided it's the perfect topic for the contest. As someone who writes "edgy" and "gritty" YA, this article was particularly...frustrating to me. Don't get me wrong, I also love to read some of the fluffier YA stuff, but edgy and dark is more in my comfort zone. To enter the contest, all you have to do is be a follower or become a new follower and leave a brief comment telling me how YA literature has impacted your life. Why do you read it and/or why do you write it? If you don't read or write YA (*spank, spank*, you should, give it a try!) then perhaps you can tell me about someone you know who has been impacted in someway. That's it. Easy, no?
Oh, there has to be a prize, right? Ha. Okay. So this is where the contest might seem a little...different. I know this is a blog dedicated to YA, but the prizes I'm giving away are not YA related. You see, I have this little connection to this guy named Kramer. I'm thinking that for some of you, that name automatically conjures some images and for others, a big question mark has popped up over your head. For those of you who DON'T know, once upon a time there was this insanely famous show called Seinfeld about 4 quirky neighbors living in New York City. And one of the most loved characters on the show was a guy named Kramer. But what some of you may or may not know is that the character Kramer is actually based on a REAL guy named Kenny Kramer. Well, I kind of know him and since I'm kinda broke at the moment, he has awesomely donated some prizes for me to give away! (*waves ferociously* thanks, dad!)
For those of you who are not fans of the show Seinfeld (yes, I do know there are some of you out there :D) and therefore say to yourselves that this is not a prize for you, I say enter anyway cause EVERYONE knows SOMEONE who is a fan of the show and/or of Kramer. If anything, this is a great prize to give as a gift for Christmas or Hanukah, Mother's Day or Father's Day, Three Kings Day, Chinese New Year, Congratulations on your Engagement/Marriage/Divorce, a birthday, or just to say thank you to someone for whatever. :-)
First prize:
*A choice of a gift certificate for four to Kramer's Reality Tour in NYC plus four admission tickets to the Stand Up NY comedy club OR the Kramer's Reality Tour on DVD, signed
*A Real Kramer T-shirt (XL), signed
*The Seinfeld Universe book, signed
Second prize:
*Kramer's Reality Tour DVD, signed
*The Seinfeld Universe book, signed
*Yada, Yada, Yada bumper sticker
Third prize:
*ASSMAN license plate, signed
*3 bumper stickers: Kramer for Mayor (signed), Yada, Yada, Yada, Vandelay Industries
Since the prizes didn't cost me anything (thanks again, daddy-O ;-)), I can afford to front the costs for shipping and have decided to open this contest to both U.S. and non-U.S. residents!
Contest ends Sunday, June, 12 at midnight. I will use random.org for the drawing and announce the winner on Tuesday. By leaving your comment about what I discussed above you are automatically entered. You can get extra entries by doing the following:
+2 if you're already a follower
+1 if you tweet about the contest
+1 if you blog about it
+1 if you add it as a sidebar on your blog
Please be sure to leave either your email, and/or a link to your blog so I can contact you in the event you are a winner and forget to check back (I know I enter contests and then totally forget about them. Who knows if I've ever won any of them and never got to claim my prize?)
Good luck and thanks for stopping by! Hope you come to visit again :-)
Now for the...CONTEST! This is my first!!! So, in lieu of what's been going on re: The Wall Street Journal article, which you can read here, I've decided it's the perfect topic for the contest. As someone who writes "edgy" and "gritty" YA, this article was particularly...frustrating to me. Don't get me wrong, I also love to read some of the fluffier YA stuff, but edgy and dark is more in my comfort zone. To enter the contest, all you have to do is be a follower or become a new follower and leave a brief comment telling me how YA literature has impacted your life. Why do you read it and/or why do you write it? If you don't read or write YA (*spank, spank*, you should, give it a try!) then perhaps you can tell me about someone you know who has been impacted in someway. That's it. Easy, no?
Oh, there has to be a prize, right? Ha. Okay. So this is where the contest might seem a little...different. I know this is a blog dedicated to YA, but the prizes I'm giving away are not YA related. You see, I have this little connection to this guy named Kramer. I'm thinking that for some of you, that name automatically conjures some images and for others, a big question mark has popped up over your head. For those of you who DON'T know, once upon a time there was this insanely famous show called Seinfeld about 4 quirky neighbors living in New York City. And one of the most loved characters on the show was a guy named Kramer. But what some of you may or may not know is that the character Kramer is actually based on a REAL guy named Kenny Kramer. Well, I kind of know him and since I'm kinda broke at the moment, he has awesomely donated some prizes for me to give away! (*waves ferociously* thanks, dad!)
For those of you who are not fans of the show Seinfeld (yes, I do know there are some of you out there :D) and therefore say to yourselves that this is not a prize for you, I say enter anyway cause EVERYONE knows SOMEONE who is a fan of the show and/or of Kramer. If anything, this is a great prize to give as a gift for Christmas or Hanukah, Mother's Day or Father's Day, Three Kings Day, Chinese New Year, Congratulations on your Engagement/Marriage/Divorce, a birthday, or just to say thank you to someone for whatever. :-)
First prize:
*A choice of a gift certificate for four to Kramer's Reality Tour in NYC plus four admission tickets to the Stand Up NY comedy club OR the Kramer's Reality Tour on DVD, signed
*A Real Kramer T-shirt (XL), signed
*The Seinfeld Universe book, signed
Second prize:
*Kramer's Reality Tour DVD, signed
*The Seinfeld Universe book, signed
*Yada, Yada, Yada bumper sticker
Third prize:
*ASSMAN license plate, signed
*3 bumper stickers: Kramer for Mayor (signed), Yada, Yada, Yada, Vandelay Industries
Since the prizes didn't cost me anything (thanks again, daddy-O ;-)), I can afford to front the costs for shipping and have decided to open this contest to both U.S. and non-U.S. residents!
Contest ends Sunday, June, 12 at midnight. I will use random.org for the drawing and announce the winner on Tuesday. By leaving your comment about what I discussed above you are automatically entered. You can get extra entries by doing the following:
+2 if you're already a follower
+1 if you tweet about the contest
+1 if you blog about it
+1 if you add it as a sidebar on your blog
Please be sure to leave either your email, and/or a link to your blog so I can contact you in the event you are a winner and forget to check back (I know I enter contests and then totally forget about them. Who knows if I've ever won any of them and never got to claim my prize?)
Good luck and thanks for stopping by! Hope you come to visit again :-)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Hey Blogger Buddies!
My blog is in the midst of getting a makeover. I'm very excited. Once the new blog look is complete, I'll be back to posting regularly and I'm even going to host my very first CONTEST in celebration of my blog's makeover. Woot! Hope to see you then.
Peace, love and positivity!
Peace, love and positivity!
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