query

What’s At Stake?

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It’s been a while since I posted a blog! I’m back and ready to give some more writing advice. This topic came up with one of my editing clients (click here to see more about my editorial services!) and I thought it would make for a fun blog.

As a writer, you’ve probably heard that you need to up the stakes in your project. It’s a pretty common critique, because stakes are what make a reader want to read your book, and if a reader doesn’t want to read, why would anyone want to publish it?

So, what exactly are stakes? In your book, the stakes are literally what is at stake for the characters. (Okay, ‘stake’ doesn’t even feel like a word anymore, but I’m going to keep going.) If the main character succeeds, what will they gain? More importantly, what will happen if they fail? How would it hurt them? How would it hurt (or help!) the people around them?

A common misconception is that stakes always have to be Big. They don’t!

Of course, if you’re writing a high fantasy, then yeah, you should have really big world-ending stakes (as well as really small, world-ending stakes).

But, what about your YA romance? The two main characters getting together probably won’t save the world. But, it could save their world. If they don’t get together, they’ll miss out on a great relationship, lose a great friend, or it’ll save them from heartbreak later on. These are small things, aren’t they? Even so, they’re still stakes. It still matters.

Of course, there are going to be a ton of stakes throughout your book. There’s the main plot, which should have the highest stakes, and then a bunch of sub plots, which each have stakes of their own. Every character, even the minor ones, should have something they’re working towards, some end goal, and some reason they need to reach that goal (and consequences if they don’t!).

The stakes also have to matter, just like everything in the story. I’m a big fan of chopping as an editor, and it’s incredibly hard, but it makes for a clean, tight, and strong story. If you have something that can be easily cut without changing the story, that’s not good in terms of stakes. Stakes have to be something the reader believes in, and something important enough to hold on to. If you can cut it, it’s not important enough!

Unfortunately, this isn’t easy. If it was, you wouldn’t have to worry about it!

When I’m editing, one of my favorite things to do is ask questions, because I think it helps shape the story. I do it when I’m writing too! Even when I’m writing a blog post, I’ll ask myself, what do I want to say? What do I want readers to get from this? Why do I use so many exclamation points?

So, while you’re writing, or editing, ask yourself some of these questions:

Why is the character doing this? Why does it matter?

Where will the character be if they succeed? If they fail?

How does it impact those around the character? Who else will suffer, or gain, from the outcome?

If I remove this, how will it impact the character? Do they need to be doing this? Is it vital to the story?

Where does the character start, and where do they end? How did every choice they made up until now lead them from A to B?

If you want a really fun exercise (one I highly recommend!) try doing this from the character’s POV. Answer the questions based on what your MC would say. This can help you with your voice, and it also helps with stakes. The character has to know what they’re up against, and what will happen if they win or lose!

I hope this helps you to dive into your stakes!

xoxo Tia

If you like what you’ve read, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele

When Should Authors Start Submitting Their Manuscripts?

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This isn’t an answer anyone is going to like, but it’s the truth: only the author knows when the book is ready to submit.

I will say this, don’t ever send a query on a first draft. You should revise at least once (ideally a couple times) before you start submitting. Remember, this is likely your only chance with that agent for this project, and you want to make sure you’re achieving the best first impression you can. If your book is full of grammar and spelling errors, disorganized, has extensive plot holes, and generally reads like a first draft, you’re going to ruin your chance with an agent.

My recommendation is always to set your book aside for a couple of months after you finish it. Start working on something else, give yourself a break, start creating your submission list, do anything else you want in that time, but do not touch that manuscript. Then, come back to it with fresh eyes and start revising. That distance will help immensely, I promise.

You can also have others take a look at the manuscript. Writing groups and critique partners are great for getting an extra set of eyes on your work. Of course, take their feedback with a grain of salt. Make sure you’re staying true to your vision for the story. You want to take the feedback that will enhance your book, but remember it is your book.

Basically, you should go as far with the manuscript as you can go before you have submitted it. Once you reach the point where you feel like you have done what you can and it’s ready, then you can start submitting your work. Like I said, only the author knows when that point is reached. 

This post was recommended by @alexandrazlazar. Thanks for the recommendation, and please continue to send blog suggestions on Twitter!

xoxo Tia

If you like what I talk about on my blog, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele

Is A Non-Form Rejection Better Than a Form Rejection?

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I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, but I think one can be more helpful. A rejection that is personalized with feedback will give you something to consider as you continue to revise and tune your project. Of course, take that feedback with a grain of salt, because it might be personal to the agent. This means that what the agent said might not be an inherent flaw in the manuscript, but just something they personally didn’t like. Agenting is extremely subjective, so that is something to always consider when looking at feedback in a rejection.

That being said, a form rejection isn’t a knock on your writing. Remember that agents are (in general) not paid for reading and responding to queries. We’re doing this on our own time in hopes that we find projects we can sell and earn money in the future. Some of us can’t spend the time to give personal feedback on every single query we receive. It would take up hours of our time that we can’t afford to give up without pay. I know form rejections can be discouraging, but sometimes they are necessary from our side. We don’t like using form rejections, but we have to in order to keep focus on our clients and working to build ourselves as agents.

This post was recommended by @chaddurling. Thank you for the recommendation and keep suggesting blog ideas on Twitter!

xoxo Tia

If you like what I talk about on my blog, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele

Query Resubmissions

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After submitting your query and getting a few rounds of rejections, you may revise your work. It’s probably tempting to resubmit that query to agents who saw it and passed on it.

My immediate recommendation: don’t.

Some agents are fine with resubmissions. I’ll take a second look at a query and sample I have already passed on. A few times, I have read full manuscripts after I have rejected a query/manuscript in the past. I have never signed a resubmission. 

The thing is, if I pass, it’s because I don’t think it’s something I can work with. I often pass because I’m not interested in the subject or because the voice isn’t working for me. The first issue is impossible to fix – if I’m not interested in the plot/subject/etc., a revision isn’t going to change that. The second isn’t impossible, but it’s difficult. An author’s voice is their voice, and sometimes I just don’t connect with it. That doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with the writing. The project just isn’t right for me.

There are many instances where I think a project is interesting and I like the voice, but there are fixable issues that mean I’m not ready to sign but am willing to see the project again. In these cases, I specify in my rejection that I’m happy to take another look upon extensive revisions.

My reason for saying not to resubmit (unless an agent asked to see it again!) is because there are tons more agents you can query who haven’t already passed. These agents don’t have the initial wariness while reading, because they’ve never seen the project before.

If you do resubmit, you have to tell an agent that it’s a resubmission. This is going to make me immediately hesitant, because I know I’ve already passed on the project. Again, you don’t get this hesitation with agents who have never rejected the project.

Also keep in mind that, if you are resubmitting, the revisions have to be beyond extensive. The project has to be vastly improved. I recommend taking at least a full year before you consider resubmitting. You should set the manuscript aside for a few months and then look at it with fresh eyes. I also recommend writing groups and critique partners to help with revisions. 

You should definitely check and see if an agent even accepts resubmissions. Many do not. I do, and I always consider the projects that are resent, but I go into them thinking that there was a reason I passed in the first place, and it is unlikely that reason has changed. 

I’m not saying you absolutely can’t resubmit. Err on the side of caution. Keep in mind you might be starting from a hard place because the agent has already passed before, and you might have a better chance with an agent who has never seen the project before. 

I realize this sounds very negative, but I promise I’m not meaning it to be! For every agent who passed, there are plenty more who haven’t. Your post-revision list should include these agents. It may make a huge difference!

Xoxo Tia

This blog post was requested by @SincerelySincl1! Thanks for the recommendation. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter with blog recommendations!

If you like what I talk about on my blog, consider buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tiarosemele