Writing General Discussion & Critique

AstronautMikeDexter

AstronautMikeDexter

That's really helpful information. There's probably a list of pros and cons for each but I do think self-publishing might be the best route for me, especially since I write urban fantasy. My biggest concern is the marketing aspect. I imagine myself only selling, like, 20 books total and then feeling discouraged and not wanting to try anymore, so I've got to push through that. I'm trying to research marketing plans now and coming up with my own plan for when I release my book.

It'll be a lot of work but I'm looking forward to the adventure.
 
Hudvar

Hudvar

The book I had 'properly' published did ultimately sell more off the back of that springboard, but the differences weren't huge and of course various parties take their cut.

The problem with going the selfie route is paying for designs etc. out of your own pocket. Sometimes you get something great out of it, sometimes ...not so much, and that stuff can affect what people think. I used an edited photo on the cover of my last book to mimic a movie poster and several people thought I'd directed a film instead, then stated they "don't read books".
 
Gemini

Gemini

Oo I didn't know we had a writing thread.
I have been a poet for 15 years. My goal at the moment is to combine my love for poetry with my love for drag. Doing poetry at a drag show though is... a choice. So once the pandemic stops putting a wrench in my plans, I really want to do some open mic nights in Chicago if I can find any that are queer accepting and show up and read my writing in drag.

Here's one of my favorites I've written:

I could piece together all the times I've had my eyes closed. Every sleep, every sneeze. I could erase all the darkness in those split-second blinks, or hiding my eyes from horror movies. If I could string out all that time, I wonder what I could remember. If my eyelids hadn't stopped me, maybe I'd see that shooting star. Maybe our photograph would've turned out right. Maybe if I slept with my eyes open, my dreams would spill out from the iris in a flood of colors and drown my real life in its purples and blues. There'd be so much in my vision, but most importantly, there'd be more of you.
 
burzacott

burzacott

Didn't know this thread existed either. I've been writing stories and sharing stories online for years and I'm confident my writing's improved (and continues to do so). My ultimate goal is to write a novel that someone wants to publish, most likely in the YA fiction genre. When I'm finished with my current story my aim is to focus on that.

I'm really impressed that some of you guys here have been published through the traditional route. It's also quite an eye-opener to read the comments regarding traditional V self-publishing, although I know self-publishing is really lucrative for certain genres, like romance and fantasy. It's definitely not something I would rule out but I don't know how children's and YA fiction fare in that department.
 
GodsAndMonsters

GodsAndMonsters

Hi everyone. I have a question in regards to sending off manuscripts to agents. I know that I need to send some sample chapters, and some kind of cover letter, but what exactly needs to be in it?

I’ve seen some places say that there should be a synopsis of the book and then, separately, some kind of biography. I just want to check what is the usual done thing before I bombard agents with more stuff than they need.
 
AstronautMikeDexter

AstronautMikeDexter

I'm really only familiar with how agents in the US work, so I'm not sure if this is helpful. For one, each agency has different requirements. Some require only a query letter, some require a query letter plus sample pages, some require all that plus a synopsis. So, it's important to read what each agent wants exactly and only submit what is requested. This should be listed under submissions on the agency website.

As for the query letter itself, there are some samples online that may be helpful. I am terrible at writing query letters but I know you should generally include a hook and stakes for the character, genre/wordcount/title, and some agents like a little bio.

I looked at this site when I started writing mine.

It's definitely a different kind of writing than novel writing and I still haven't really gotten it right (possibly one reason why I can't get an agent!).
 
Hudvar

Hudvar

Also, if there's a particular agent at the place who looks like they're best suited to what you're sending, address it personally to them and state that you read that it might be down their street, it shows you didn't just Xerox the same letter for 150 agencies.
 
GodsAndMonsters

GodsAndMonsters

AstronautMikeDexter said:
I'm really only familiar with how agents in the US work, so I'm not sure if this is helpful. For one, each agency has different requirements. Some require only a query letter, some require a query letter plus sample pages, some require all that plus a synopsis. So, it's important to read what each agent wants exactly and only submit what is requested. This should be listed under submissions on the agency website.

As for the query letter itself, there are some samples online that may be helpful. I am terrible at writing query letters but I know you should generally include a hook and stakes for the character, genre/wordcount/title, and some agents like a little bio.

I looked at this site when I started writing mine.

It's definitely a different kind of writing than novel writing and I still haven't really gotten it right (possibly one reason why I can't get an agent!).
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This is an amazing response, and just the kind of thing I was hoping for. Thank you so much. Currently shortlisting the agents who I feel are most suited to what I've written and yeah, they all have different requirements for what they want.

I know what you mean, I always feel like I'm terrible at writing cover letters and things like that. I don't know why I find it so difficult. But thank you so much again for all the advice.

Hudweiser said:
Also, if there's a particular agent at the place who looks like they're best suited to what you're sending, address it personally to them and state that you read that it might be down their street, it shows you didn't just Xerox the same letter for 150 agencies.
Click to expand...
Ah yes, that's a good idea. Have been looking through and writing down who I think would most like to read/represent what I've written. Thank you for the advice. Also, I love your blog and Twitter!
 
Gemini

Gemini

Ummm so like. How many pages do we think is good for a poetry book? I started working on mine, i've been writing for 15 years - I have over 100 poems. Obviously the years old ones are not good so I don't want to include too many of them. But if i'm doing front and back pages, 50 poems would be 25 pages and that seems like so short but 50 is SO many poems. Like. What... is... good?
 
Hudvar

Hudvar

GodsAndMonsters said:
This is an amazing response, and just the kind of thing I was hoping for. Thank you so much. Currently shortlisting the agents who I feel are most suited to what I've written and yeah, they all have different requirements for what they want.

I know what you mean, I always feel like I'm terrible at writing cover letters and things like that. I don't know why I find it so difficult. But thank you so much again for all the advice.


Ah yes, that's a good idea. Have been looking through and writing down who I think would most like to read/represent what I've written. Thank you for the advice. Also, I love your blog and Twitter!
Click to expand...

Too kind!

I hate query letters too, I think everyone does. It takes me back to school lessons writing job applications and stuff - it just feels like you're begging, but the more you do, you kinda get a confidence about it. I only had a non-fiction agent who had zero interest in passing me over to their fiction department, which is annoying, but they're always talking about how busy there are. It's such a lottery.
 
Runawaywithme

Runawaywithme

Hi there!

I've recently started a YouTube channel where I've been uploading some of the poetry and performance scripts I've been working on. I write a lot of my Autism and ADHD and how it perceive the world. Writing is my favourite thing in the world and I'd like to think I'm rather good at it. Here is a link to some of my stuff, I'd really appreciate any and all feedback!


 
Heretic

Heretic

Hello! Bumping this for advice.

I wrote a book of short stories and I’m thinking of tossing it on Amazon and as I was setting it all up it asked if I had “publishing rights” and now I’m like, if I don’t will people steal my stories? The other option is “public domain”.

Maybe I’m freaking out over nothing?
 
Heretic

Heretic

I started looking further (freaking out more) and I did find that as the original writer, I own the copywrite. Though I also saw that I can just send it to copyright.gov and really get it protected.

Thank you @AstronautMikeDexter for the prompt response!
 
Runawaywithme

Runawaywithme

I forgot about this thread! I've just finished writing three different plays for my spring term at uni. One was an audio piece about a record shop in Glasgow, One was a gritty drama about drug addiction and reclaiming your narrative from an abuser by just going off the fucking rails, one was this "fringe style" piece we had too write on our hometowns, and it's about a dystopian future where the government start nuking "underperforming" towns and then building whole new cities on top of them (all very jolly stuff).

I've mostly enjoyed writing all of them, I'm feeling a weird tug of war with what my Uni want from me, and I what I want for my life/career. I never technically wanted to be exclusively a playwright but it was something that always interested me and tbh I thought why not since I had the money to do it but I had to use it something educational (I'm not like a nepotism baby I'm just the only grandchild of a guy who had a lot money in a bunch of accounts no one really knew about that was uncovered when he died ddd. Make of that what you will. - Also ddd at him doing this and then making it a condition I had to spend it on school.) I figured I might as well give it a shot. Overall it's been a really good experience, but it's definitely inspired me to try and make as much noise as I can in "the industry", but I feel like the way I write is just like so neurodivergant coded that I can't change it and it just doesn't do well when held against marking schemes and stuff, but also it really is all so subjective so I don't really base my worth on grades and stuff, I just worry they think I'm not putting in any effort when I literally worked myself to the point of a nervous breakdown I've still not fully recovered from. It's like I think my work is growing and improving but I don't think they are, but then again they never really saw us so I don't know why I want thier approval so much, to be honest from the work of theirs I've read hasn't exactly blown my mind but again, it's all subjective. I don't know, I kinda reached a point where I was like "fuck it" and just did what I wanted.

I've been getting into live poetry stuff too, I really like performing and I love the buzz I get from it. I'd love to do it a bigger scale and make wacky artsy poetry gigs/raves in warehouses but I feel that's probably just a pipe dream.

I haven't really posted any of work anywhere for a while. But I wanna get some of out there a little bit more it's working out how and trying to deal with being a human being in the United Kingdom at the moment. Though if anyone's interested in the idea of any of them I'd be more than happy to send them to you
 
Runawaywithme

Runawaywithme

I'm writing my final play for uni and I'm really excited about it. For this project I got to work with an outside Playwright and he's super chill and nice and encourages me too find ways to be as experimental as I can be while still sticking to the rules of drama, and seeing them as a challenges and not restraints. It's really nice just having someone who "gets it" and I wish he'd actually taught me tbh. He seems super into my idea. And he laughed at my weed joke and appreciated me referencing Ace Reject in our first meeting so like he's basically my best friend.

The play is kinda an extension of something I've been working on for a long time and it's going in a direction that I didn't expect but that I'm really excited about. I find I often don't quite know where things are going but when I write something takes over me and if I just keep going I usually find it. It's strange. The high I get from writing is better than any other.
 
Raichu

Raichu

As I've said in other threads, I'm working on a YA fantasy novel featuring an autistic girl as the protagonist. And as I've asked in other threads, what's some good YA fantasy that I can add to my reading diet?

I might try to get it published, but right now I'm just enjoying the process of crafting a story and finding evocative language to create atmosphere and emotion.
 
Raichu

Raichu

In the last couple days, I've written so much of my novel by hand and I'm kind of dreading typing it all up because of all the crossings out, arrows that indicate me moving sentences, add ins, etc. It looks so messy, which is satisfying, but not when you have to decipher it to put it into a word document.

I was working on a novel about a female popstar who dies and is replaced by a body double, but it was more of a psychology study on the body double's fragmented identity than a thriller. And I got so overwhelmed by the industry research I had to do to make it believable and started disliking the pop sphere so much that I pivoted to fantasy, which is easier in terms of research (re lore: just make that shit up). I will finish the pop novel someday, but it ballooned to over 120,000 words with only 50%ish of the story in (this half of the novel was my MFA thesis). It's intimidating.

I'm not sure if I even want to bother trying to get the fantasy novel published through regular means because I have no energy for that shit. Might save up money and self-publish. I'd rather do what's better for my sanity. I'm really writing this book for myself after all. If others read it, that would be great, but I'm no longer really thinking about traditional publication. i just want to do justice to my ideas. My protagonist, an autistic teenager named Elizabeth, is a bad ass.
 
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