Top 5 Reasons You Should Attend a Writers Conference

As if you need a reason!

Here are my top 5 anyway...

5. Free books for door prizes.

4. The classes WILL make you a better writer.

3. You can find critique partners easily in a large group of writers.

2. Agent pitch sessions could catapult you into your writing dreams.

1. You get to talk to other people about your imaginary friends without being judged. In fact, you might even gain admirers. My daughter worded it this way, "You get to be with all the other weirdos."

Have you been to a conference? What was your favorite part? What would you add to the list?

Marketing 101: Finding Reviewers

Before my first novel was released, I spent hours upon hours of web searches for book reviewers. I found a great site that listed hundreds of them along with a note detailing what kind of books that particular reviewer liked. As I worked through the list, I'd find old blogs that hadn't been updated in months or even years. Others were current, but so overloaded with requests that they had stopped accepting requests. Every once in a while I'd find a reviewer, send an email and get a positive reply.

Why do we go through so much trouble?

Because review numbers count. People are comforted to see that lots of other people have read a book. It makes them feel like they have a better chance of enjoying a story if hundreds of other people already enjoyed it. In a way this is silly. Reading is so subjective that I could try a book a million people loved and still not be able to get past the second chapter. (Slight exaggeration, but it has happened.) However, as authors we have to accept this truth and put in those grueling hours.

I only knew one way to approach that task before the conference--combing through long lists hoping to find a few honest reviewers interested and with time to review my book. However, I've got another way to find them now, and a new perspective.

First, the perspective.

I book review bloggers were the only people I could approach to review my book. However, it was pointed out that approaching focus groups outside reading groups can open up an whole new world of reviewers.

For instance, let's say you wrote a suspense novel where the MC runs a bakery. You can contact bakers to read your book and give a review. Maybe your MC loves horses. You can search for online groups who love horses and see if they'd be interested in reading your book. And so on.

Now, a new way to find readers who review.

1. Pick/search for a book on Amazon comparable to your book
2. Click on the link for their reviews
3. Browse the reviews for ones that you like how they were written and click on the reviewers name
4. Look for the email link (Note: not all reviewers have an email link, but don't give up, keep looking) and send them a query just like you would any reviewer

Good luck and happy hunting!

Indie 411: Finding Ways to Make More

This class was pretty amazing. It flew by though as I tried to scribble notes on what I needed to do in order to become a successful Indie author. The problem now is finding the time to actually do these things.

The main take-away for the class was to get my name and books out there anywhere and everywhere I could. There are many ways to do this ranging from free to however much you care to pay. Since my hubby isn't too keen on me spending family money on my marketing, I'm going to focus on the cheaper range of things today.

Post your books on more than just Amazon.

Yeah, I know this should be a no brainer, but let's face it, Amazon is so easy. A couple months ago I tried to put FADE INTO ME on Smashwords. After several frustrating tries I called it quits. Nothing should be that difficult! And don't get me started about trying to be listed on Barnes & Noble's online store. Their paperwork didn't make any sense to me and it sounded like I needed to create my own imprint to do it. (I could totally be wrong, but who has the time to figure this out? I need to be writing!) One place I never considered listing my books was iTunes.

The instructor suggested we check out Jutoh.com for quick and easy ebook formats. This is a one time purchase that promises to never be out of date as it evolves along with devices and formats.

Have your book translated into other languages.

Check out Babble Cube for this. The great thing about this site is there is no out of pocket expense for the author. Sign up, get a translator, sell your book and share royalties. Babble Cube keeps 15% and the author translator royalties change over the life of the sales. Royalties favor the translator up to $2000 and then they start moving toward the author. You can see the break down on this page.

Put your book out there for audio listeners.

I always wondered how you made this happen. It's way easier than I imagined. I went to ACX.com (which is part of Amazon) and used my existing author account to claim my self-published book. 30 minutes later I had submitted my book for auditions. None of this cost me anything since I chose to share royalties. ACX keeps 60% (no surprise) and then I'll split the last 40% with whoever records my book for me. The best part is I will get to listen to the auditions and choose my narrator.

There are options here as well. If I had a good microphone, and could guarantee my dogs wouldn't bark while recording, I could record my own book. Then I'd keep the entire 40% of royalties. Here's the thing, recording a 60K book will take forever with all the editing and splicing together to make it an enjoyable read. I'd rather share royalties!

Here's why you should give audio books a try.

• Extend your brand 
• Give extra life to the story you’ve written 
• Provide more good stuff for your fans 
• Add new fans who might never read a book

What things are you doing to spread your reach?

What Can We Learn From Romance Writers?

No one would argue that the romance genre is hugely successful as a market. I don't consider myself a romance writer, however all of my books have a thread of romance in them. Maybe you are a romance writer, but even if you're not, there's much to learn from the genre that will improve our own stories. Whether it be science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, horror, contemporary, or any other genre out there.

What Romance Writers Understand

Emotion

People read romance to feel the emotion of first love all over again. They love the anticipation, the disappointment and subsequent journey to repair and reunite the lovers, and finally the pay off at the end.

The emotions in our novels might be slightly different, but we all need to ensure our stories are cram-packed with them. If someone picks up a horror tale, they expect to be scared so bad they can't sleep that night without the bathroom light on. Those reading suspense in any form want to be kept guessing while sitting on the edge of their seat in concern for the characters.

Getting the picture?

So how do we ramp up the emotion?

Conflict

We talk about this one all the time on UB, but has it sunk in? Conflict doesn't have to be high speed chases, kidnappers, and explosions in order to keep readers interested. Here's a quick refresher course on the two types of conflict.

External--

Something outside of the character (another person, the environment, etc) that forces them to take action or change. This conflict MUST MATTER, not be something stupid (like Sharknado, just saying) that is simply a tool to push your characters somewhere. Make it realistic.

The external conflict should make the character face what they fear the most. 

The introduction of the external conflict often brings the internal conflict out into the open. This conflict is solved by external means--they cut the right wire to shut off the bomb, the cops/FBI/CIA/detective catches the bad guy, and so on.

Internal--

In many genres, including romance, this is the most important type of conflict. Internal conflict is all about what your character brings to the story intellectually and/or emotionally. It comes from their experiences, beliefs, personalities, and prejudices.

This type of conflict is solved by character growth. 

Identity vs. Essence

This is perhaps the most important concept of them all. It follows perfectly that last statement referring to character growth. Here's the best way to start talking about identity vs essence.
 

Just like ogres, all of our characters need to have layers. We start with Identity, or how the character sees themselves or how they think the world sees them. As the story progresses, conflict peels away the layers of identity until we are left with Essence--the character's true self. Reaching essence is reaching their potential.

I don't know why, but I'd never considered character arcs quite in that way before. The presenter didn't talk about Shrek, but when she mentioned peeling away the layers to get to the essence that's exactly what I thought of.

QUESTION For You:
Share one of your favorite character with us and tell briefly how their identity from chapter one changed to essence by the end of the book or series.

Your Very Own Writer's Conference

Two weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of attending one of my favorite writer's conferences. This was my third year in a row attending the LDStorymakers Conference in Kansas City. It's always a bit like coming home, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I'd love to share what I learned with you. This year I attended more Indie Author classes than craft, but there were a few craft insights that finally took root in my head. Here's what this week will look like:

Class on craft--Elements of Swoon-worthy Romance. I learned several things about characterization from this class that don't have anything to do with romance. That's right! There is something we can all use to help us create believable character arcs.

Indie 411: A hodge podge of helpful sites and cool information about audio books.

Marketing 101: Finding Reviewers. I've done okay with this in the past, and I'll be honest, I thought I knew what I was doing. However, I was only scratching the surface of possibilities. There are a few simple tricks to finding reviewers that I had no clue about.

And finally, I'll share my Top 5 Reasons You Should Attend a Writer's Conference.

Long Distance Travel

Most speculative fiction begins with a question. What if? This week I've been posing a couple for you.

What if the only way we humans can travel to distant stars/planets is to lose our physical forms?

After What?

This week I've been posing what if questions. Just random thoughts that may take your story someplace. Or not.

What if this is the "afterlife"?

Lack of Imagination

(c) Scott McLeod

So, um, yeah. It's been that kind of week. A week to contemplate the what ifs of it all...

What if imagination was something that people feared? What if stories were forbidden? What sort of a people would we be?

Vengeance is Mine

What if? It's a question that can take your novel in a whole different direction. It's a question that can begin a whole new story...

What if you* were wronged so badly that you contemplated revenge on the one who wronged you*? How far would you* be willing to go?

*You'd never really resort to revenge, would you? So, by "you" I mean any character in your current WIP.

The Beginning of the End, the Twilight Adaptation

This is the saddest, most heart-wrenching opinion/review I have ever given.

Part I –

Seven years ago, I saw a movie trailer that enticed me to buy the book. The name was Twilight and my life changed dramatically.

If Twilight isn’t your cup of tea, if you scratch your head and wonder WTH anybody sees in it, I have one thing to say:

Pray God that you find something in your life that has as big an impact.

Twilight made me want to be a better person. But it also opened a door and exposed the realm of Writer, a place that I’d never dreamed of going.

Having set the stage...

Part II –

Stephen Meyer, author of The Twilight Saga, celebrated the tenth anniversary of the series by releasing an adaptation of Twilight called Life and Death.

I have no words to express my disappointment in this—her evident response to critics of Twilight. I never saw Bella as anything but a strong female figure. Edward was a seventeen-year-old boy not a creepy old man of ninety as some would say. I could go on and counter every criticism with my opinions. Especially regarding the strange vitriol people are comfortable throwing at the series. But I’ll stop there because evidently Ms Meyer let the naysayers into her head. 

She responded by re-writing Twilight and gender swapping the lead characters. As in, female vampire named Edythe and male human, Beau.

Not a bad idea...IF she’d created a completely new storyline with different character traits and idiosyncrasies. But she didn’t. She simply exchanged pronouns and names and left the meat of the conversations and scenes the same. I mean word for word.

Gaahhh.

What a treat it would have been if she’d created a new story. Or finished Midnight Sun, Edward’s POV. How magnificent that would have been. But she didn’t. 

I compare it to discovering the previous owners of our house painted over the nests of mud daubers ( a kind of wasp that make their nest from mud) rather than taking the time to start out with a fresh, clean surface.

To be fair, not every scene is the same and some folks might enjoy it. Maybe someday I will try it again. But not now.

Twilight made me want to be a better person. Being a writer was a bonus. But for me, Life and Death has warped my view of Twilight like no critic could do. 
And the loss I feel is profound.

Born all Foggy

This week it’s about the popular book, movie, or TV show that fell flat like a bad cake.

Please. No hating on me for my likes and dislikes. As the last literary agent said in her rejection letter, personal preference is subjective.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

I worship at the altar of fantasy. I love all kinds, high, S & S, dark, urban. 

So an epic fantasy by an acclaimed author should fulfill all my expectations. Right?

Wrong.

The series of Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson is only one of many. I had trouble connecting with the characters and the storyline. Lots of dialogue that seemed to go nowhere. 

I bought the book several months ago and I'm only about halfway through. Sometimes I go back and read a bit more.

Unlike the books by Patricia Briggs or Robin Hobbs that I devour in a day.

Pity me. Please.

Tomorrow I'll hit on a book that made me sick with disappointment. 

Potato Farmer in the Sky

This week it’s about the popular book, movie, or TV show that fell flat like a bad cake.

Please. No hating on me for my likes and dislikes. As the last literary agent said in her rejection letter, personal preference is subjective.

Ho boy. No doubt this will irritate someone.

The Martian by Andy Weir. Mark Watney is one of the crewmembers of the Ares 3 mission on Mars. He’s a botanist slash mechanical engineer, the Mr. Fix-It for the crew, a valued talent. None more so than when he is left behind on Mars. Left for dead by the rest of the crew.

Alone.

His McGyver-esque decisions involve how to survive until the next mission can pick him up. But first, he needs to let them know he is still alive.

The current box-office phenom is the adaptation of The Martian starring Matt Damon. I haven't seen it but I assure you I am most interested. Mainly because *sigh* I didn't care for the book and I want to experience what others felt.

So why didn’t I love it? I liked Robert Heinlein’s Farmer in the Sky, a similar book about the colonization of Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede. The intense play-by-play of how to cope in a hostile environment should have been very interesting. But it didn’t click with me.

I think it was the potatoes. Just too much micro-informative. I got tired of all the minutiae and began skipping...sentences, paragraphs, pages. And then to the end.

So many enthusiastic fans. But I didn’t discover what they found. 

My loss. And believe me, I grieve for that loss.

Doctor...Who?

This week it’s about the popular book, movie, or TV show that fell flat like a bad cake.

Please. No hating on me for my likes and dislikes. As the last literary agent said in her rejection letter, personal preference is subjective.

Doctor Who. The Doctor, the last of a race called the Timelords, travels through time and space in his TARDIS with numerous companions. Whenever he is killed, he can regenerate into a new person and continue living, which is how the show has been around over 50 years.

Why can’t I like this show? *pounding head on wall*
It has a cool sci-fi premise. The What If premise is wall-to-wall. The characters are cool.

*low grumbling*

Maybe it’s because I got in on the series late. I liked the former Who-man, David Tennant. 

Kinda cute, yanno. 

But the current Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, just doesn’t do it for me.


I simply can’t get into it.

Okay I know for a fact that Charity is gasping in horror at my opinion. Can I horrify someone else? Give me twenty-four hours and I bet I can.

Popular Books, Personal Epic Fail

The book is on every Best Seller list. Tons of highly recommend reviews. Raving fans. But the storyline didn't trip your trigger and you wonder what is wrong with you. 

This week, it's about the book that stumbled down the stairs, that whiffed. Sadly, it happens way too often in my case, especially in my beloved realm of Fantasy. Same with TV shows and movies. I wish I knew why. 

But as Lone Watie said to Josey Wales, I must “...endeavor to persevere...” Or, as the Man in Black said to Inigo Montoya, “...get used to disappointment.”

Please. No hating on me for my likes and dislikes. As the last literary agent said in her rejection letter, personal preference is subjective.

The Black Dagger series by J.R. Ward. The only purebred vampire left on the planet and the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who killed his parents centuries ago. But when his most trusted fighter is killed—orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate—Wrath must put down his dagger and usher the beautiful female into another world.

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of the Brotherhood and blood frighten her. Yet his touch ignites a dawning new hunger—one that threatens to consume them both.

I bought the first book, Dark Lover, and never went back for a second helping. With a protag named Wrath it should have been immensely loved. But, for me, it fell into the Meh file. I suppose the sex scenes had something to do with it. Too much graphic stuff does turn me off. I skip. Turn pages. Until I get back to the story. With this book, I kinda skipped to the end.

So if you think I'm wrong on Black Dagger (go ahead, tell me why), wait until tomorrow when I dis another book, movie, or TV show.

Dear Goal Writer

Dear Goal Writer,

Many writers I know set goals for themselves and are constantly disappointed when they don’t meet those goals. They even beat themselves down for not coming near their goals.

It’s true that we are our own worst critics, and that we push ourselves more than anyone else. Sometimes this can be good as it’s a form of determination. Other times it’s not. When you’re knocking yourself down for not coming close to a goal, instead of seeing the things you did accomplish and congratulating yourself for them, then it’s a form of self-deprecation.

If you set goals for yourself but struggle to meet them, try this:

1. Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

Setting monthly goals can help us reach our yearly goal.

Setting weekly goals can help us get to that monthly goal.

And setting daily goals can help us complete our weekly goal.

Example: Say you want to finish the first draft of a book in a year. A monthly goal could be to write two chapters in your WIP (24 chapters is pretty good for a novel). The weekly goal could be to write ten pages. And a daily goal could be 1,000 words.

Image from Flickr

2. Set smaller goals.

I tell writers all the time to set goals that are more attainable. Big goals can be overwhelming. Smaller goals are easily achieved and are stepping stones to those bigger goals. Just look at the examples above on how to break down a bigger goal.

If you notice you can easily complete a small goal (such us tweeting a poem a day) then make only small goals.

Example: If you want to get an agent. Set a goal of sending out 2-3 queries a week. That’s a small goal and a step to getting an agent.

3. Don’t set ANY goals.

Some people do far better, and can accomplish a lot more, without any goals. A goal can paralyze some people and force them into procrastination. If you have a dream in mind, you’ll automatically have goals and can work toward them without setting them in stone. Sometimes setting them in stone, having them weigh on you, seeing them on a post-it next to your computer every day, can have the opposite intended result. So why not see how you do without any goals dragging you down?

QUESTIONS: Do you struggle to meet goals? If you don't, do you have tips that help you for those who do struggle?

BONUS: I have a Halloween giveaway going on now! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a writing-related question? Leave a comment and I may turn it into a post right here!

See Also:

Dear Withdrawn Writer

Dear Time-Strapped Writer

Dear Un-inspired Writer

Dear Blocked Writer

Dear Degree-less Writer

Dear Young Writer

Dear Aspiring Author

Dear Confused Facebook Author

Dear Scrambling Writer
Dear Writer Not Writing

Dear Distracted Writer
Dear PMSing Writer

Author of Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.

Find Me:

Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Website / Amazon / Goodreads

Sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter!

Dear PMSing Writer

Dear PMSing Writer,

Sorry guys but this one is for the ladies.

PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. Symptoms are mood swings, food cravings, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, muscle pains, irritability and depression. The list could go on. Occasionally these symptoms are disabling in which case it's called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

I’ve noticed that I tend to become extremely tired for about a week before my menstrual period starts. During this time it is almost impossible for me to write because I can barely drag myself out of bed or wake myself up long enough to think clearly. My motivation is low. 

Actually, I do have big motivation…to sleep! And that’s about it.

Not being able to write sucks! I feel horrible not getting only work done in my WIP during this time, but it’s not something I can help. I could force out words and maybe crank out a pathetic paragraph or two but that’s about it.

Image from Wikipedia

If you go through this same problem, my only tip is to REST!

This exhaustion is your body telling you to take a break and a nap. In a few days, we’ll soon be feeling better (less tired but maybe cramping) and able to get some real work done. Until then, don’t overdo anything. Relax!

1. Stretch out on the couch with a book.

2. Eat some chocolate.

3. Drink hot tea.

4. Go to bed early.

Once you’re feeling better, and more awake, strive for a writing goal and applaud yourself on your final word/page count even if you don't reach your goal.

QUESTIONS: Do you suffer from PMS or PMDD? How do you handle your symptoms? Do they get in the way of your everyday life (your writing)?

BONUS: I have a Halloween giveaway going on now! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a writing-related question? Leave a comment and I may turn it into a post right here!

See Also:

Dear Withdrawn Writer

Dear Time-Strapped Writer

Dear Un-inspired Writer

Dear Blocked Writer

Dear Degree-less Writer

Dear Young Writer

Dear Aspiring Author

Dear Confused Facebook Author

Dear Scrambling Writer
Dear Writer Not Writing

Dear Distracted Writer

Author of Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.

Find Me:

Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Website / Amazon / Goodreads

Sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter!

Dear Distracted Writer + Giveaway

Dear Distracted Writer,

There are distractions everywhere from our day jobs to our children, but the biggest distractions nowadays are our cell phones and social media.

Every day, every hour, and most likely multiple times an hour, we are checking our emails, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. Not only does maintaining these things take a lot of time, but they suck away time like black holes. We can get pulled into scrolling mindlessly through our feeds, retweeting, commenting, and sharing everything we see. And when we are doing this, we aren’t being productive. We aren’t writing, editing/revising, or whatever else we need to do as writers.

Being on social media is part of that but there’s a point where it goes from being work-related to a big fat distraction that aids procrastination.

So what can you do to end distractions?

Unplug! This is the most obvious solution.

1. Turn off your cell phone.

2. Disconnect your landline.

3. Temporarily delete your Internet icon (on your computer) so you won’t be tempted to click on it. Just make sure to un-delete it before you clean out the waste bin.

Image from Flickr

Once you unplug, try one or all of these following techniques to get some real work done:

1. Every day designate a period of time to writing and only writing. Example: 3pm – 6pm. And during that time unplug using the 3 steps above.

2. Choose a time every evening to shut yourself off from social media until bedtime. Every day about 6pm, I turn off my computer to give myself a break from checking emails, my blog, etc. I unwind when I do this and feel less stressed. And not once do I sign into social media. I guess you could say 6pm is my social media quitting time.

3. Pick one day a week to unplug for a full 24 hours and designate that day as the day to get sh*t done. I pick Sunday for this because there’s less traffic on my blog and fewer people engaging on social media. Not having to worry about social media for a whole day feels great. It allows me to recuperate and gives me energy for the upcoming week.

QUESTIONS: Do you practice of those techniques? Do you have a problem with social media distractions?


BONUS: I have a Halloween giveaway going on now! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a writing-related question? Leave a comment and I may turn it into a post right here!

See Also:

Dear Withdrawn Writer

Dear Time-Strapped Writer

Dear Un-inspired Writer

Dear Blocked Writer

Dear Degree-less Writer

Dear Young Writer

Dear Aspiring Author

Dear Confused Facebook Author

Dear Scrambling Writer

Dear Writer Not Writing

Author of Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Blogger. Reader. Auntie. Vegetarian. Cat Lover.

Find Me:

Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Website / Amazon / Goodreads

Sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter!

How I Got My Agent: Brianna Shrum

To finish off our week of "How I Got My Agent" stories, I'm thrilled to have the very cool Brianna Shrum here to tell us her story of how she snagged her amazing agent. But first, I have to say Happy Book Release to Brianna whose novel NEVER NEVER released this week. I simply love the cover, don't you?

Take it away, Brianna!!

****

Hey all!! So, my agent story!

I’ve been writing for several years, and after having sold two books, found myself in the querying trenches again. Being there once is tough and nerve-wracking. Being there *again* is BLERGH. SO VERY BLERGH.

But that’s where I was at the beginning of the year. I tossed my hat in the ring, because I believed in my book, and that was worth diving in again.


                      


It was an edgy book—super dark and intense and pushing the line on everything, and so wildly different from anything else I’d ever written, such that I was pretty terrified to query it, honestly. But I *believed* in it. My CPs believed in it. So I queried.

I got several rejections right away, which WOMP womppppp. And those first rejections are so disheartening. Like, “CRAP. WHAT IF EVERY SINGLE AGENT FEELS THIS WAY?” But then a few requests started to trickle in. From agents I LOVED.

One night, after a couple rejections, I was perusing around and came across this absolute dream agent’s website. Their guideline had you fill out a form and attach the full right off the bat. So I just kind of went, “LOL ok, I’ll do this. Then I can be like, ‘Well I *do* have a full out with Dream Agent.’” I was this close to writing myself off with them before I sent it. But I didn’t, because what if?

                                 


Fast forward a couple weeks later. I had a phone call. With an agent I would’ve been thrilled to be repped by. AAAH. But it was an R and R. It was a very small R and R, one I was able to do over the weekend. So I turned it in, and a week later, I got another phone call from him. IT WAS AN OFFER THIS TIME. This agent was incredible and savvy and SO personable. So I told him I wanted to give the other agents a week, sent out my, “Yo peeps, I have an offer!” e-mail, contacted clients, and all that jazz.

WELL, two days before my deadline, I got an e-mail from the agent I’d sent the form and automatic full to. The one I almost wrote myself off with and didn’t query? Yeah, him. He was asking me questions, and had me send a previous manuscript to him as well. Then the day of my deadline, we scheduled a call. I knew immediately that I wanted to sign with him. He got my career vision, and believed in my book and in me, and I felt 100% secure tossing my whole career into his hands.

                     

SO, before he actually offered, he had to get off the phone and then call me back.

I spent the thirty minutes between call #1 and callback pacing and nervous-crying and “BAHHHH WHAT IS HAPPENING.” Then he called me back and I actually thought at first that he was telling me he’d changed his mind and didn’t want to offer.

                    


But clearly I suck at interpreting tone of voice, because he offered rep on the phone. I adored and greatly respected both agents, but I knew I had to go with him. I accepted. I’m now represented by Josh Adams at Adams Literary ^_^

                     

So you know, sometimes there are big bumps in the road and things don’t go the way you expect, but if you have something you believe in, it’d be a crime not to push forward. And please, WHATEVER you do, never ever write yourself off. Never assume it won’t go well for you, because what if it would have? Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, take a risk, and believe in yourself, peeps.

---Bri out.


Links:

http://briannashrum.com

http://www.amazon.com/Never-Brianna-Shrum/dp/1633920399/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443737957&sr=8-3&keywords=never+never