Eye Witness

I wrote about the Writing for the Soul in my last post. While attending that conference, I met "Escritora." Here are some tips she gives from attending. You can see her blog here.

If you are interested in the conference click here.

So I realize a lot of you reading this are authors. And you want to break into the Christian publishing market, right? The Writing for the Soul Conference is possibly the best place to do it. On opening night, you get the opportunity to sign up for three 15-minute slots with editors. Your notebook even provides the details of each publisher - what genres they publish and what they're interested in at the moment.

Get this - these are face-to-face appointments with the movers and shakers of the Christian publishing world. We're talking Tyndale House. Bethany House. Zondervan. (Just to name the big three). These publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. Gone are the days when you wrapped your three-hundred page baby in brown paper and shipped it to New York. Now, unless your favorite uncle has a name like Jerry Jenkins, you have to go through an agent.

Not so at the conference. You get a chance to skip the agent. (Although there are agents attending, and it might not be a bad idea to chat with one of them). So, here are six recommendations on talking to an editor:


1. If you're writing fiction, 95% of the time, editors want you to have a complete manuscript - especially if you're a first-time author.

2. If you're a talker, form an elevator pitch - a soundbyte of thirty seconds describing your book. Practice saying it so it comes naturally.

3. If you'd rather communicate with the entire world via text - there are beautiful things called a query letters and synopses. The query letter is one page long. At the end of this post is a great example (yes, it's from the general market, but it's great writing, along with comments from an agent. Sorry, guys, it's chick lit. I would have preferred something more action/adventure too.) I'll deal with the synopsis next.

4. The materials you want to have with you:

The synopsis: A Tyndale House editor suggested having two - a short synopsis, about a page long (similar to the query letter), and a three-to-five page synopsis. The short synopsis is great to hand off to an editor/agent. If they're interested, move on to the long synopsis, or if they ask for a sample of writing, give them...

Sample chapter: If you go, bring four or five copies of your synopses and of your first chapter. Don't bother with the whole manuscript - if someone's interested, they'll ask you to send or email it. Polish this chapter. Kill excess adjectives, tighten text. In other words, go over it so many times your parents tell you you're mumbling about dragons, swords, and deadly wizards in your sleep.

5. Do your research. Is this publisher interested in YA? In fantasy? Make sure you're presenting your work to the right market. I almost made the mistake of talking to a rep from Waterbrook. An hour before the appointment, I was flipping through the ever-helpful notebook, only to read "Waterbrook is not currently interested in young adult fiction". I all but ran to the appointment sheet and scratched my name out.

6. Don't try to sell your book. I know, that sounds contradictory. Agents/editors would rather you say something like "I saw that _____ Publishing is interested in youth fiction. I"ve finished a novel and was wondering if it would fit your company." At that point, present either your elevator pitch, synopsis/query, or both. If the editor asks, give the first chapter. Believe me, if an editor is interested, he or she will continue correspondence.