GENREALITY

Sorry my post is late going up. I had internet troubles last night, but here it is.

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury

Agents are an important component to your career. Last summer I parted ways with my first agent. It was extremely hard to do because I truly liked and respected her. However, it had become obvious to us both that I needed something she wasn’t comfortable giving me. That meant she was no longer the right agent for me – and having the right agent is a key factor in building a lasting career.

Knowing this, I then proceeded to do a lot of thinking on what is right for me. Because I tend to do things in an all or nothing type of way, I took time off from most things writing to think. By most things I mean, I stopped writing, stopped trying to think of new story/project ideas, and didn’t bother to submit option materials to any of my publishers. I was still doing copy edits and galleys on my June 2009 release, but I wasn’t working on anything new. I deliberately let myself become ‘out of contract’ with my publishers so that I could think about what I really wanted for myself.

It might sound silly, but knowing what you want is important to getting it. So for any of you out there who are also going on an agent hunt, I thought I’d share MY thought process with you.

Here’s a list of things that are important to ME in an agent.
Respect, Good Communication, and similar Goals. These things may sound simple, but when you look closely, they’re not.

RESPECT: Of course you want an agent who is respected in the industry, but more importantly, I want one who respects me, and my opinions.

COMMUNICATION: I’m not the most patient person in the world, and I admit I’m not the most formal either, so I want an agent who I feel comfortable talking to. If most of our communication is going to be through an assistant, then I want to talk to the assistant before I agree to sign on with said agent.

GOALS: We both need to want to see me succeed.
Sounds simple, but it isn’t always. One common complaint I’ve heard among authors who have parted ways with their agent is that they felt their agent was more loyal to their publisher than to them.
This person is to be an advocate for me and my work, I want them to believe in that. Yes, I want them to think they can make money with me, I want that too – but above and beyond that I want them to believe that looking after my interests is more important than looking after the publishers.

I’ve done my thinking, and created a list of agents who I think have these qualities, and am now hunting for an agent. It’s been three months of solid searching, and I still don’t have an agent yet. I’ve spoken to a few, gotten offers from a couple, but I’m still searching for the right one. There’s promise, and then it feels like that promise disappears. It’s tough because I really want to be writing right now, and I feel unsure of what I should be writing. It’s a new feeling for me because everything went so fast the first time around. But I keep telling myself, everything went fast before, but if I want to get to the next level of my career, I need to take the right steps to make that happen.

I’m unsure of how much to push the agents I speak to – as in, how long do I give them to respond to a query or proposal before I figure, “Okay, No news is not Good news in this business.” My first agent always responded to me within 24 hours. Even when it came to reading a proposal. However, there are reasons I parted ways with that first agent, and maybe an agent who is slower and more methodical is what I need. So do I push? Or try to relax? Or assume that said agent has lost interest?

Normally I would assume that I just needed to be patient, but in the past months of searching I’ve learned that there are several agents out there who feel that no response is the same as a rejection. I’m not talking about ones who state in their submission guidelines that if you don’t hear from them in a month, then assume they’re not interested. I’m talking about agents who I’ve communicated with several times, and felt that things were moving in a positive direction, and that they might be the right one for me… only to suddenly never hear from them again. This has happened to me twice. I’m starting to wonder if it’s about to happen to me a third time. *sigh*

I’m not going to share my thoughts on that just yet because I don’t think I can be objective. Knowing yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses is also important when looking for an agent. With that in mind, I admit that I can be impatient and rash at times, so I need to calm down. Which means that right now I’m praying to God to give me patience…and to send it Fast!

No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.
- Aristotle

Here on GenReality we’ve talked about writers organizations, and had discussions about the pros and cons of conferences. For me personally, I’m not a big fan or organizations, or of the pressure to go to confrences as a career move. However, I am a big believer in going ot conferences to connect with others.

You see, I live in northern Alberta, Canada. There are no local writers groups in my city, and none of my friends have any interest in writing. My friends and family try to be supportive of my writing, they congratulate me on releases, and ooh and ahh over new covers if I flash them around enough. They occasionally ask how the writing is going, and they listen when I whine about something not working right for me. But they don’t really get it.

To me, this is why I go to conferences. So I can hang out with people who get it. Friends who get teary eyed when, without a word, I show them a copy of the May/June issue of Complete Woman magazine, and they see my book cover in the bottom corner. They get what a feature like that means to me. Friends who can talk about characters like their real people, and who understand when I have a panic attack at the thought of actually plotting out a story. Collegues who come up to me and congratulate me on getting an Honorable Mention by a National Leather Association.

Hanging out online is great, without the internet I’d have long ago driven myself insane trying to be a writer. But once a year I make sure to attend a big conference in the US so that I can remind myself that no matter how alone or disconnected I sometimes feel, there are others out there who are going through the same thing. Other writers who often feel that no one really understands what they’re going through. Other writers who need to get together with like minded adults, and let loose. And not just other writers , but readers too.

All writers, booksellers, editors, agents and reviewers are Readers as well. We all love stories and we all love books…it doesn’t matter if someone doesn’t like historicals, or erotics, or whatever. All that matters is that we all love books, and we’re together for that week to celebrate that. Many conferences I’ve attended have had drama of some sort or the other, but I have to say, this year RT rocked. And it was perfect timing for me, because the past year has been especially hard for me career wise. I’ve been waffling on a lot of decisions that I needed to make, and wondering if I was really meant to be a writer. Strangely enough, I didn’t talk alot of writing this past week at that conference, (I did talk some, just not a lot), yet I am now home, refreshed and renewed and ready to tackle several projects.

To me, that is the best reason to go to a conference. – to remind yourself that you’re not alone, and to get re-energized with your own personal goals. We let our creative sides come out on paper all the time, but every now and then we need to live it up, and remind ourselves that there is more to being a writer than just writing, and business. If you can’t enjoy life, how are you supposed to write about it?

With that in mind, I’d like to share with you the slideshow I made with my photos from this years Romantic Times conference. I think it sums up the vibe/energy of the event, and will hopefully show you that it’s not only okay to have fun with your career, but also necessary.

I’m out of town for the Romantic Times Conference this week, so I’m reposting an old one from my own blog. A version of a Workshop I did last summer.

WHAT IS VOICE?

Voice it what makes an author stand out. It’s what makes a reader go out and search for an author’s backlist after reading one book, and what makes them anticipate the next story. Yes, readers fall in love with characters, but what makes the character come alive is the author’s voice – the way in which they describe the characters, the setting, the happenings. It’s the way they tell the story.

Voice is the natural storyteller in you, and we all have it. Did you hear that? Your author voice is natural to you. The key to the magic of it is…finding it, trusting it, and using it to make your stories shine.

And it’s a lot harder than it sounds. Why? Because voice is the “it” factor. It’s invisible, and it’s instinctive. If you don’t find your own right away do NOT get discouraged! It is a process, and one that, at times, requires a lot of faith in yourself.

In order to find your voice, and build on it, you need to know yourself.
What do you read?
What do you want to write?
What do you write?
How do you feel when you write?
What are your strengths as a writer?
What are your weaknesses as a writer?
Are you a fan or workshops and craft books for writers?

Who is your favorite author? Why?

Personally, I love writing for Berkley and Aphrodisia because they allow me to write the way I want to write. To tell the story the way I want to, and I’m not trying to fit into a style or line that isn’t natural to me.

This is one of the huge points I try to emphasize, when I do workshops on writing Hot. You can heat things up if you want, but if it’s not a natural thing for you, if writing sex or pushing the envelope isn’t something that you want to do naturally, you won’t be truly successful. Everyone has strengths, and they need to find them, and capitalize on them. One of my strengths just happens to be I’m fascinated by human sexuality.

It seems that Fear is a weakness for many of us. And let me just say, those of you that realize that you have that fear, are already a step ahead. Now, let me tell you that Fear is the worst enemy of Voice. Why? Because it makes you doubt yourself, and your natural ability.

I admit that when I started writing, I knew nothing about the industry. I didn’t know anything about all these online author communities, and I never read any craft books. I just decided one day I wanted to be a writer for a career, and I started to write. To me, that is why I found success right away. I sold my very first story I wrote, and have sold every one since.

But, I was fearless. I wanted it, I went after it and I got it. But, I was fearless because I didn’t know any better.

I know this train of thought is a bit wonky, but stay with me.

Kids are fearless. They want to do something, anything from drawing a picture to attempting a somersault on the trampoline or a 360 on their bike. They are fearless, they try it. They fail; they get back up and do it again. Because they don’t know what fear is until society teaches them that failure is bad.

Have you ever seen a child fall down, and start to cry, then realize no one was rushing up and cooing and making sure he was okay, then stop crying? Society has taught us that we need to always show only the good, only the end result, and that the journey, the learning, the failures, are something to be hidden. And I disagree.

I look back on some of my earlier writing, and I see that it’s not my best, but you know what? It’s a learning process. When I finished WICKED, which was my fourth story for Berkley, in my mind, at that time, it was my best work ever.

When I’m done each story, I hope to feel that way, but it doesn’t always happen. That doesn’t mean I stop trying.

You need to realize that what you are writing now does not have to be perfect to be good, or engaging, or even great! It just has to be best you can do right now. That means you have to try, and that means ignoring any fears you have, and doing what you want …which is to write.

Make sense?

The good news is, you can turn it around by using your fear. Once you acknowledge it, it loses a lot of its power. As long as you don’t feed it. That means, stop giving in to it. It means focus on the goal, eyes on the prize. We all have fears, find what yours is, introduce yourself, acknowledge it, and then slam the door on it.

Denial has always worked well for me.

*****

And for fun…

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don’t just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

Today, I’m going to talk to you about fantasies.

My day job is writing, my part time job is waitressing/bartending. I don’t hide what I write, and I’m by no means embarassed by it. All of my co-workers, and most of my regular customers know what I write, and several have even read my books.

Yet, I still get those looks, and occasionally someone will ask me where I get my ideas with a gleam that is a bit too lascivious in their eye. They’re not asking about the character development. They’re asking about the sex.

My answer…everyone has fantasies, right?

I mean, to some people the fantasy is strangling their mother-in-law, maybe those people become mystery writers. (hee hee) Some people fantasize about falling in love, and raising 2 kids – one boy and one girl- in a painted house surrounded by a white picket fence. Some people fantasize about sex in public, or being tied up and giving someone else all the control. Fantasies vary for everyone, and in my opinion, this is what a lot of fiction is based on.

I’d have to say all of my stories are based on my biggest fantasy. To fall in love with someone who accepts me for who I am. But by no means do I limit my stories to just my fantasies, or to my experiences, but I like to think that none of that matters, because when someone is reading one of my stories, I hope it’s all very real to them.

Some people want to live out their fantasies, some people don’t. Some times reading about them, or writing them down, is enough. It doesn;t matter to me if people want to live them out, read about them, write about them. What matters to me is that people never stop having them.

Can you imagine how boring life, how boring the world would be, if we didn’t fantasize? Share one of your fantasies with us in the comments, and be entered to win a $15 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate. I’ll draw a winner and announce it here on Sunday!

I’ve been a member of a few writers organizations, and I DO think I think I am a joiner… but at the same time I admit I’m not a big fan of rules or cliques.

The first organization I became a member of was RWA, and my experience with it wasn’t so great. You see I joined in 2005, back before NY publishers developed their erotic lines. I was multi-published with over a dozen erotic short stories, several of them with the very reputable Virgin Books Black Lace, and I also had a 60k novel released with an ePublisher. Yet, to them I was considered unpublished. Yes, that grated a bit.

Then there was the fact that so many of the people that were vocal on all the loops looked down on erotic fiction and were not shy on judging it as nothing more than “emotionless sex scene after sex scene”. It started to feel like I spent all my time defending my writing instead of learning how to further my career.

I readily admit that I have writer friends who LOVE RWA, and swear by the organization, but it just wasn’t for me. And I’m sure a big part of that is because I live in a City with no local chapter. From what I’ve learned form others, many of them also dislike the politics of the organization, but love the interaction and support they gain from their local chapters. So it’s good to remember there are always 2 sides to every coin.

The other organization I paid to join is Novelist Inc. Like SFWA, you have to be a published author to join, and I’ve had a way better experience with them than I did with RWA. NINC is multi-genre, with a website full of information from legal advice to a NINC Members recommend page where members tell their favorite web designers, places to get promotional items printed, and tools and gadgets that work for writers. There is no local chapters, or obviously cliques, and you can lurk or take part as much as you like on loops that are for general discussion about business issues, critiquing each others work, and research on any and all subjects. With NINC I don’t feel that I’ve found a home, or a family, but I do feel like I’ve found a place where I can go to get good solid advice and input, as well as support and feedback as I need it in the next stages of my career development.

Now I want to talk about my favorite groups/organizations. Surprisingly, they are both FREE to join.

The Erotica Readers and Writers Association is something I’ve talked about briefly before. It’s full of insider tips, classes and articles, and Calls for Submissions – all geared to ward Erotic Fiction – and all for FREE. I know there are chat groups for it as well, but I’ve not joined them, so I can’t speak about them. (So maybe I’m not really a joiner?)

Now, my favorite organization for writers is Romance Divas. And yes, it’s free to join.

It’s not even an official organization, it’s more of a group. Started up by 4 (at the time) unpublished authors who just wanted to build a place to gather and learn, it completely rocks. They have a full website where they feature authors, review archives (they no longer do reviews) and links to tons of great articles.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking just because it’s called ROMANCE Divas, that it’s only good for romance authors. All genres have, but are not limited to, their own chat threads.(And yes, we have many Male Divas too). The best part of the Divas group is the Forum. Broken up into chat lounges, business sections, marketing sections, Genre sections, and even a special STEAMY section, they offer something for authors of almost every genre. And it’s all online, so again, I don’t feel that I’m missing out just because I can’t make a local meeting. I can make any meeting because it’s online, and there are Divas all over the world in various time zones.

Run by volunteers, this group organizes charity auctions, a mentorship program, and a new author of the month workshop every month. There are critique threads, as well as thread that are there just so you can go vent and get sympathies, or brag and get kudos. It’s all about supporting each other.

All in all, I’ve learned that there are organizations out there for whatever you need, you just have to find them. You might not find what you need/want on the first try, but that doesn’t mean that they’re all bad, or that, like with anything in life, you shouldn’t keep trying. I think we’re all joiners, when we find what we’re looking for.