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| Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech. |
So your manuscript
is completed, critiqued, and polished. Now you want a venue to do the same with
your query, your introduction to the hazardous world of publishing.
With all the
resources in the blogosphere, the hardest part is choosing where to go and how
much to put out there.
Like-minded
writers populate forums looking for help. It's a ‘scratch my back and I’ll
scratch yours’ world that works for everyone involved. By posting your query,
you get feedback and your writing improves when you critique. It is
a win-win situation for everyone.
Consider
these sites. They are free to anyone willing to give of their time to
return the favor and crit:
· Orson Scott
Card. This fabulous author of Ender’s
Game holds forums for writers.
· Nathan Bransford. A former
literary agent and now author of Jacob
Wonderbar and Cosmic Space Kapow.
· Absolute Write. This
vast site has everything you need to put together a query.
· Query Tracker. An all-purpose
stopping place with forums to hone your query and research agents.
· Query Shark. Enter at your own risk!
Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary
runs a site chock-full of advice. But watch out for the chum.
· The
Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. Run by master blogger
Matthew MacNish, this site takes aim on submitted queries with a critical eye
that sees all. And I love his avatar.
· Miss Snark’s First Victim.
Authoress remains incognito, still won’t reveal her name or photo. Very
mysterious.
· YALITCHAT. Where
they live and breathe YA.
· Writers.net.
A site dedicated to writers.
· And of course, Unicorn Bell, the home
of writers.
These are
mostly free sites with some asking for donations or premium memberships. If you
are interested in paying for services by professionals, research the sites like
Writers
Digest.
In truth,
finding help is the easy part. It’s throwing that beloved query or
manuscript into the icy cold world of critique and wondering if it – or you –
will survive. Suck in a deep breath and take the plunge.
It can only get
better.
Have we missed your favorite writing forum? Please share it with us in the comments.
Additions from the comments section:
Adam Heine critiques queries, jacket copy, and first pages on Wednesdays.Evil Editor
The Public Query Slushpile
Ask Daphne! About My Query
8 comments:
I'm honored to be mentioned in a list with such great resources. Here are a couple other things to Google (I'm in a hurry, or I'd create hyperlinks for you guys):
Evil Editor
The Public Query Slushpile
Ask Daphne! About My Query
Oh, and my friend Adam Heine will critique queries, jacket copy or first pages on Wednesdays. He's brilliant. You can find out more here:
http://www.adamheine.com/p/first-impact-critiques.html
Thanks for the links and new sites to check out. I've added them to the post.
Yay for resources! I have to say, just thinking about all this makes me tired, but it's great to have lots of options and information to get the query the best it can be. Thanks for this week. I just wait for each new post!
Aw, sorry it makes you tired, but glad you are enjoying the week.
That's exactly how I feel! I can't wait to read each post, soak up the info and then try and apply what I learned. It's already been a great week for me. I can only imagine what next week and the week after will be like:)
Yay! I know all this information could be overwhelming, but next week we get practical. We'll be working on YOUR queries. I'm excited too. It feels good to be able to help others after so many people helped me. I know all of us here at UB feel the same about that.
So glad we've got multiple options to choose from. Because each resource has a different way doing things, it allows for people to find a place that is best suited for their needs. Thanks for the links!
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