Mistakes In Submissions Continued -- Research

This week should wrap up my Mistakes in Submissions topic.  Other than one or two posts that were inspired by the posts of other moderators, all of my posts were written out as a single post.  Due to the length, Carol suggested I break it up.  I've enjoyed covering this topic, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it!

At the very least, please do basic research on the elements of your story.  It will save both you and your editor time and possible migraines.  For example, one author I worked with had a scene pertaining to a heart transplant.  A doctor intended to pretend he was going to perform the transplant until the patient was unconscious, and then not do it.  (Don’t ask, it would take a long explanation, and I’m trying to stay away from as many specifics as I can for the sake of anonymity.)  Now, I’m not a transplant surgeon, nor do I play one on TV, but I knew this scene was not right at all.  What the doctor was doing to convince the patient a transplant was about to occur brought me to a halt.  I felt there was a major misconception in the scene, as well as elements that could have proven fatal for a real transplant patient.

 I stopped edits and spent quite some time doing online research, and I called an area hospital with a CCU (Cardiac Care Unit).  If someone there couldn’t help me, my next call was going to a hospital in Atlanta.  Thankfully, I happened to get someone who had assisted in many transplants.  I explained why I was calling and asked if he had a few minutes to spare for a couple of questions, or if there was a better time for me to call.  I’m certain he was a little bemused, but he was kind enough to answer my questions and I thanked him for his time.  Let me go ahead and say this.  When conducting research, it’s always better to try to be as unobtrusive as possible, so if you don’t know someone in the field you need to research, and if you can’t make an appointment for a phone interview, sending an email or letter would probably be best.  I don’t recommend cold-calling like I did, but I was working against a deadline.  Cold-calling could bring you together with someone who’s having a really bad day, or who’s extremely busy when you call.  Neither bodes well for your research.

After the combination of online research and my phone call for verification, I had some very definitive answers for my concerns and I was able to help the author correct the scene.  And yes, I was correct about the things that troubled me the most.

“But wait!” you say.  “If the readers knew the doctor wasn’t going to perform the transplant, why would you even bother with the research?”

That’s a good question with a simple answer.  Remember the patient thought the doctor was going to perform the operation?  Well, the patient was also smart enough that the same things I was concerned about would have alerted them to the fact the doctor didn’t intend to do it at all.  The scene had to look good and be realistic for the patient.  Since the readers would know that this had to look real for the patient, they would be looking at how well the doctor was covering his behind.  You don’t want a reader who just happens to be a member of a transplant team to send you a letter saying, “The doctor would have never done that.  You need to do your research next time!”

Research glitches can happen in many areas, but I often see it in medical, law enforcement, military, forensics, and legal aspects of a manuscript.  I've seen:

Medals pinned on the wrong side of a uniform.

Period pieces where words that didn't exist for a hundred years or more after the story's time period were used.

Legal jargon used improperly.

Wines served in ways they would never be served in a fine restaurant.

Complications from medical procedures and injuries that made no sense whatsoever, or that were completely impossible.

Characters accessing files they shouldn't be able to access, from places they logically shouldn't be able to access them, and which would have gotten an innocent family member fired from their job, given them a hefty fine, and possibly put them in jail.

Do your research.  Don’t give your reader the details unless you absolutely have to because it’s integral to the story.  While it’s possible as much as ninety-nine percent of what you learn will never crawl out of your head or your notes, your scene must still be written with that research in mind.  It helps lend your scene the credibility and accuracy it needs to breathe for the readers.  I'm a stickler for research.  I could go on with other examples where it made the scene, and instances where scenes had to be rewritten because not enough preliminary research was done, but this post is probably too long already.  Just remember, research is important, whether it’s a minor aspect or a major one.

The End of the World

It's all in the details.

If you understand anything about world building, try to maintain that.

But it's a balance as well. Like anything with writing. A balance between what the reader Needs to Know and what is going to bore them to tears. Or at least make them Skim...which is worse.

You have to distill down to the essence, and build from there, fill in the extra bits as you go.

I find the whole process fascinating and frustrating. I get overwhelmed with the amount of research that a alternative history story takes. I mean really, I want to Make Up my world! But if I get any of the real history wrong it's going to be Bad. Badbadbad. BAD! I love learning about the history once I get into it... and really enjoy writing the little details that no one notices but me.

Ultimately how deep you go into the culture, how full you build your world is up to you. I truly believe that if you get lost in your world, your reader will as well.

Lost in a good way.

Not lost in a padded room and throw the key away, way. That's not so good...though it probably would make for some good writing.

Researching Small Presses

It's a brave new world in publishing. Traditional wisdom used to be that you must get an agent in order to land a publishing contract, but the e-book revolution has opened the door for independent authors and publishers to compete with the Big Six Publishers. Although there is nothing wrong with getting an agent and going the traditional route, that's no longer the only option for serious authors.

Who should submit directly to publishers?

Submitting directly to publishers may be a good choice for you if you have a quality product that beats to it's own drum. Smaller publishers are often more likely to take a risk on something new or different. Direct to publisher submissions are great for:

• Emerging genres like New Adult
• Genre blends or anything that is "hard to shelve"
• All things quirky, offbeat, and innovative
• Novels that appeal to niche markets
• LGBT & Multicultural
• Romance & erotica
• Anything of quality that never found a good agent match
• Anyone who has self-published or is considering self-publishing

Where to submit?

In my experience, the search for a publisher was more complicated than the search for an agent. The available databases are not as reliable or complete. Not all publishers accept unagented submissions. And not all publishers may be right for your work. This may change as direct to publisher submissions become more common. Here are some places to find publishers:

www.writersmarket.com

Sapphire Star Publishing

www.querytracker.net

Also, don't forget to try a good old-fashioned Google search. This is how I found my publisher, Curiosity Quills Press. I Googled "New Adult Publisher" and guess who I found? You may also try "publishers accepting unagented submissions" or a similar search to find lists created by other bloggers. Here are two such lists right here:

http://naalley.blogspot.com/p/publishing.html

http://sharonbayliss.blogspot.com/2012/04/list-of-publishers-seeking-submissions.html

How do I know if they are good?

Before you query and certainly before you sign, you should research potential publishers. 

First, make sure they're not scammers. You can make sure they're not rotten by looking for them on websites like this:

Crescent Moon Press

Better Business Bureau
Writer Beware Blog
Absolute Write Water Cooler
Publishers Marketplace
Predators and Editors

If they are a traditional royalty paying publisher (meaning they pay you and never the other way around) and they don't have bad press all over the web, then they're probably at least not a scam. But of course, this is your baby we're talking about. You need to make sure they're right for you. Here are more steps you can take:

• Google search. Simple but effective.
• Talk to one of their authors. Authors are just like you and me (in fact they are exactly like you and me) and most will be happy to answer your questions. If you don't feel comfortable approaching one, stalk their authors' blogs and Facebook pages to make sure they are happy campers.
• Use advanced search on Amazon to search by publisher. It's a simple way to see their whole catalog. Make sure you like their covers and that your book would fit in their catalog.

If you're offered a contract and don't have an agent, you'll probably be really happy but also completely freaking out. Here are more steps to handle your inevitable freak out:

• Repeat the steps above. :)
• Talk to your friends who have publishing contracts and compare terms (if they're comfortable with this)
• Have a lawyer review the contract.
• Read How To Be Your Own Literary Agent: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published  
• Take your time. A good publisher won't rush or pressure you.
• Ask questions. A good publisher will be happy to answer any questions you have. It also gives you a preview of how easy it is to work with them and get your questions answered.
• Follow your gut and do what feels right.

I've been through the process of signing with a publisher without an agent, so feel free to ask any questions in comments!

How to Research Agents to Query

Picking which agents to query when you are all finished polishing that shiny new novel is A LOT more work than you might think. It's best to start now, so when the time comes you'll be ready.
The main idea here is to learn as much as you can about an agent before you query them. Make sure they are looking for your style of writing. Check out their blogs, their facebook page, their twitter feed to get a feel if you would like working with them. Channel the stalker. Become the stalker.

*cough* *throat clearing* What was I saying? Anyway...

Step One: Find some names. I like QueryTracker, but there are other places you can look for agents. Query Tracker has several ways to search: genre, specific agent or agency, and how they receive submissions and such. Below I typed in my genre. Since I write a science fantasy mix, I added both genres to make sure I've covered my bases.

Hit search and this is what comes up.

I now have a list of names, their agency, and I can see if they accept regular mail (envelope) or email (lightning bolt) queries. (This is page 2 of my search. The check means I've already added them to my personal list, and the frowning face means I've queried and received a pass.)

Step 2: Research one of those names. I clicked on Sara LaPolla because she has a lot of searchable material. When you click on a name you are taken to this screen where you get more information.

Now I have her email, a link to her agency web page, her blog and I can follow her on twitter. I check out all of these links, and I follow blog and twitter. This helps me get a feel for her personality.

You also see the tabs across the top. Clicking on these will give you information that Query Tracker has collected based on information submitted by users of the site. For example, reports will show you how many people on Query Tracker sent in a query, how long it took for them to get a response and what that response was.

Check out the other tabs. For now, let's go to her agency page.

Yay, more official information. While I am at an agency's page, I often browse other agents to see if there are other names that might fit with my style. If I find some, I type in their name on the query tracker search and add them to my list.

I also click on the submissions link. This tells me what they expect to see with my query and any formatting specifics if there are any.

Alright, I also check out her blog and follow on twitter.  Now, if you find a blog, search through it and find all the goodies the agent may have hidden in his/her posts. In other words, READ THE BLOG, as much of it as you can.

NOTE: Krista V over at Mother. Write. (Repeat). has interviewed several agents. Scroll down on the right hand sidebar to see who and read what they are looking for.

Another great place to browse agents is Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents Blog. He has tons of great info here, but I'll start you on the Agent Interview page. Often the agent will tell you exactly what they hope to see in your query letter and how to set it up. Some want you to jump right in with the query, others want the personal info first, most don't have a preference. Read these to find out if they do have a preference!

Step 3: Keep track of what you find.
Twitter--I have a list for agents. This way I can have a column for agent tweets on my tweet deck (I'll save that for another post). HOVER. READ. REPLY. LEARN. STALK. Wait, don't stalk, at least not the creepy kind. Although if you think about it...

Excel--I created an excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the information I gather online about prospective agents. When I query an agent, I add the day I queried and then the dates I get replies. I also color code them by date so I can visually see who I have queried and who is still fair game.

Step 4: Write and send the Query. Don't worry, we have a post for that too.

Other helpful links on How to Find a Literary Agent:
From Nathan Bransford
Advice from Writers.net
More from About.com-- we will cover the topics mentioned here in the next few weeks.
University of Pheonix makes these suggestions.
There is also Agent Query but for some reason this one is harder for me than Query Tracker. My mind doesn't fit well here.
Casey McCormick does a lot of Agent research and posts the info on her blog, too! She always gets some good info.
Another resource to dig through is Publisher's Marketplace. You can search pages for a particular genre.

All About My WIP

I grabbed this meme from Chantele Sedgwick a few weeks ago (I took out a few questions) and thought it would be great to get to know our readers styles better. Answer the questions in the comments to help us plan posts that are relevant to YOU. 

1. What is the name of your book?

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?

3. In what genre would you classify your book?

4. Give us a one-sentence synopsis of your book.

5. How long did it take you to write your book?

6. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?

7. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.

Dialogue R&D

Research
There are genres that absolutely require research into speech patterns and vocabulary: alternate history, Westerns, period war epics. Regency romances, infamously. In other genres, it's useful, it's good to encourage, but honestly it's icing on the cake. You don't have to be a master linguist like Tolkein to write a good fantasy. (Thank goodness.)

I find it useful to be aware of the evolution of the English language in general. There are plenty of good books out there on the topic. Learning another language can teach you a lot about different ways to arrange information.  I've heard over and over that learning Latin will blow your brain wide open, but I wasn't brave enough for that.

For the language of specific time periods, watching movies is an easy place to start. Movies are also the least reliable, of course. Thanks to the internet, you should be able to get some idea of a given movie's level of accuracy, though. Reading books written in your time period will teach you more. Even if there isn't much dialogue, the narrative voice can show you something about the voice of the times.

How much work you put into accuracy is entirely up to you, of course. Hampering your readers, or detracting from their enjoyment of the story, is always risky. Though on the other hand, there will also be readers who value accuracy. It's all about balance.

Development
Things tend to shift in the writing. Plots, characters, dialogue too. As you get comfortable with the story, hopefully you'll get comfortable with the dialogue style too. It's one of the things I always go back and revise before calling a first draft finished.

If the dialogue is giving you trouble, though, one thing I've found helpful is writing throwaway scenes. Usually, it's a couple characters sitting around with minimal context telling each other stories -- something that's often not useful in the story itself. But it gives you a chance to work on their conversational style, both in the words and the give and take between them. Plus, you'll probably get some back story and character development out of it. All those "character interviews" I've done over at my blog? They're as much about the dialogue voice as the content, and looking at them I can see evolution.

Listen to your characters. You should always do this, and you should argue with them too. Dialogue is no different in this regard. Let them try on different styles, even ones that clash with their genre. Some things will stick, and some won't. They'll probably surprise you, and that's one of the things I love about writing.

The End!
Drop by tomorrow to see a chunk of my dialogue in the hot seat! :)