Guest Post: 5 Reasons You May Be Getting Rejections--Thoughts from the Editor's Side of the Desk

Getting rejected and don't know why? Today's post is for you, a guest post from longtime freelance writer, author, editor, and all-around publishing pro, Jennifer Lawler: 

In the course of my career, I’ve been a freelance writer and book author, a magazine editor, a book development editor for nonfiction, and, most recently, an acquisitions editor for fiction. Now that I’m a freelance writer again, I wanted to share some thoughts about why you may be getting rejections instead of the acceptances you’d much rather receive.

1. Quality of the submission. Since editors don’t want to get into a heated debate over your pitch or your manuscript, they’ll just reject a poorly written query with a “not right for us, thanks!”—that is, if they respond at all. The black hole of silence is often what greets submissions that just aren’t up to par. The problem is, perfectly good submissions can also get eaten by the black hole of nonresponse, so how can you tell which is which?

If you’re getting mostly rejections or radio silence, it’s time to ask someone in the business for their opinion. Do this at arm's length—someone who isn’t published in your field can’t really help, and friends and family have too much invest in their relationship with you to be able to give it to you straight. Writers’ groups and online communities can help you understand where you’re not hitting the target.

2. Not a fit. When I acquired for a romance imprint, we got submissions for nonfiction books, children’s books, and the like. It didn’t matter how good they were, I wasn’t going to publish them. What a waste of everyone’s time. This is easy to fix—spend a small amount of time researching the outlet before you pitch!

3. Too similar to something we already have in the lineup. This is especially difficult at magazines that run a lot of information on the same topic. Women’s magazines always want articles on losing weight and saving money. So how is your article going to be different from all the others?

Sometimes there just isn’t much you can do about this problem. I once acquired a novel about a woman who was turned into a black Lab by a witch and not a month later got a submission from another writer about a woman who ... you got it. Now, what are the odds? And even though the second book was different from the first, it was too similar for me to acquire.

There’s not much you can do about this problem except pitchanother outlet. Fortunately, if your work is otherwise solid, the editor will often explain this reason for a turn-down, and then you can know what to do.

4. Coming across as a prima donna or a pain to work with. If your pitch letter comes along with demands (“I expect an answer by Friday”) or you sound otherwise unprofessional (“I’ve never done this before so don’t really know what I’m doing ....”), that’s going to be a ticket to nowhere. Make sure your interactions with editors are friendly but professional.

5. Not being flexible. When I worked at a custom publication, I’d get queries from people who had good writing skills but didn’t quite understand that at a custom publication, the client calls the shots. So I would sometimes respond to a query with, “I like this idea, but we’d need to take this approach,” only to have the writer withdraw the pitch in a huff.

An editor who suggests a different approach is trying to help you succeed. Don’t respond with a knee-jerk reaction. Think about what is being said and recognize that such flexibility is crucial to a successful freelance career.

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Thanks, Jennifer, for this insightful post! Lawler runs www.BeYourOwnBookDoctor.com and offers classes for fiction and nonfiction writers, including two classes coming in June. If you have questions for her, comment here and I'll ask her to answer them. 
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Find this blog helpful? How about a whole book's worth of advice? Check out Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, second edition, and Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets. Use the discount code, IMPROVISEPRESS (all caps, no breaks) for 20 percent off of your order.   

For a Very Limited Time: Free "Chick Lit" Novel

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I made one of my ebooks, Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Truths Every Writer Who Wants to be Published Should Know, available free? (It's still free...for a few more days, anyway.) Well, if you enjoy contemporary women's fiction (or know someone who does), I've making another book free--for a limited time, of course. That's how these things work.

My first novel, Did you Get the Vibe?, has been called "a great read" and "A+++ blissful summertime reading." It was translated into four languages when it first was published, and continues to sell steadily in its second life as an ebook. It's been labeled "chick lit" but I promise my characters have more going on in their lives than worrying about shoes and shopping--they're real women you'll relate to, laugh with, and hopefully like as well.

Download Did you Get the Vibe? for free through Smashwords; Amazon should have it priced at $0.99 soon--and hopefully FREE once it catches up with Smashwords. (Amazon won't list an ebook for free UNLESS another ebook retailer is doing so--then it follows suit, at least in theory. So far the Kindle version of 10 Truths still is listed at $0.99.)

If you enjoy Did you Get the Vibe?, I hope you'll check out my other two novels, White Bikini Panties, and The Honesty Index. The Honesty Index is garnering good reviews on Amazon (from people who don't even know me!) and I'm excited about it. In a future post, I'll share the results on my ongoing ebook experiments.

***P.S. Have you entered my latest giveaway for Writer for Hire? 101 Secrets to Freelance Success? It's not too late! Post a comment about your favorite reason to freelance, and you'll have a chance to win a free, signed copy of the book!

Love versus Money: Can You Write for Both?

I've said before that I think there are two kinds of writers--writers who write because they love to, and writers who write for money. In my fifteen+ years of full-time freelancing, I've almost always fallen into the latter camp. 


Writing isn't a passion of mine. It's not a hobby. It's how I help pay our mortgage, save for college, and buy Honey Nut Cheerios and Diet Mountain Dew (two staples in our house). I talk about writing for money, and I write articles about writing for money, and I write books about writing for money, and I write a blog about writing for money...you get the idea. 


But. 


Here's the thing. I still write because I love to. No, I don't get to do as much of it as I used to, but I started out writing because I loved it. I started out writing because I wanted to. I wrote short stories and poems and had a few failed attempts at a novel before I finished and sold my first one (Did you Get the Vibe?) Then I wrote and sold another one, White Bikini Panties. I managed to keep one foot in the writing-for-love world and one in the writing-for-money. 


Then my son came along. And writing-for-love slipped pretty close to the bottom of my to-do list. I worked on my new novel here and there, but couldn't gain much traction on it. Then my daughter came along and my novel manuscript sat untouched for more than a year. 


But in the last few months, I had a series of epiphanies. First, I realized that I wanted to finish this book, and that I was willing to give something up (usually bad television shows or an extra hour of sleep) to make it happen. Second, this is the "Year of the Change-up" for me. I'll write more about it in a future post, but I'm approaching my career differently in 2012 than I have in past years. One of my priorities this year was to spend more time on what I call "projects of the heart," my phrase for the writing you really want to do. And when Kelly Stone announced her 90-day Writing Challenge, it was the push I needed to finish the book I spent, oh about six years working on. 


The short version is that a mere 8 years (!!!) after my second novel came out, I'm announcing my third, The Honesty Index. Here's a brief overview: When Renee and Colleen were in college, they made a pact. No matter what happened, they would always be honest with each other, even if the truth hurt. But it’s all but impossible to be honest with anyone all of the time—even, or especially, with yourself. In The Honesty Index, these two friends try to navigate the waters of their 30-something lives—and learn that regardless of what kind of life you have, it’s up to you to make yourself happy.
  
The Honesty Index is available through Kindle and Smashwords and for you Luddites like me who like to hold a physical book, I'll have a print version coming through CreateSpace soon. If you enjoy contemporary women's fiction (I think my 30-something characters are a little old to call this "chick lit"), or know someone who does, I hope you'll check it out! 


So what's my point? I still write for money, and I'm not ashamed to say so. But I've found that making time for the projects I care about...well, that's what truly makes me happiest, writing-wise. So yeah, I write for money. But I write for love, too. So why not do both?  


***To promote The Honesty Index and my new book on freelancing, Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success, I am planning lots of fun stuff on the blog including giveaways and query critiques. I'll also be posting soon on 18 months of POD sales (including how the print/ebook ratio is continuing to change), why ebooks are so hot (and what not to do when you write one), and how to turn a one-time client into a regular one. As always, if there's a burning question you want answered, let me know and I'll do my best to answer it here. :) 

Making Time for Fiction When You Already Write All Day Long

Like many freelancers, I write primarily nonfiction. My work is a mix of articles (mostly service and how-to pieces) and my own books along with different projects for ghostwriting clients as well. Yet I keep a hand in another world--that of writing fiction. I sold and published two "chick lit" books (although I prefer to call them contemporary women's fiction) in 2002 and 2003, and often have some kind of fiction project in the works. 

That's one reason I was so excited about author Kelly Stone's 90-day writing challenge, which started last month. It was the impetus I needed to get back into and finish my current novel, which is a "hen lit" (in other words, the "chicks" have aged a bit) story set in the Chicago suburbs. I'd be lying, though, if I said it was easy to balance all the work I have to do with the work I want to do. So I was happy to post on Kelly Stone's blog about this subject. Here's the post: 

I write for a living, and have for 15 years. So you might think that it’s easy for me to make time for writing fiction. Think again. Because I already spend my working hours writing (as opposed to, say, digging ditches, stocking groceries, or drawing blood), I find it hard to gear up to use my “spare time” to write. After all, I’ve been using the wordsmith part of brain much of the day. There’s often little mental energy or drive left over for my own work

Yet for me writing fiction provides a satisfaction that ghostwriting books, writing articles, and speaking do not. So I make time for it. Here are five ways strategies I use to stick with fiction:

1.                   Do it first thing. When I speak on time management, I suggest that people “eliminate the ugliest”—that is, do the thing that you most do not want to do. By tackling the dreaded task first, you get it out of the way and free up the rest of your day from worrying about it. You also have the satisfaction of checking it off your to-do list.

2.                   Write every day. When I’m working on the draft of a novel, I work on it every day—even if it’s just writing a scene or a few lines of dialogue. It keeps my hand in, so to speak, and keeps my characters and my storyline constantly swirling in my mind. I’ve had some great insights into my characters walking my son to school, lifting weights at the Y, or eavesdropping at my local Caribou Coffee—because I’m always thinking about them.

3.                   Keep a cheat sheet. I keep a running “cheat sheet” for every in-progress novel that includes my primary characters’ names, background information about them, and other characters’ names and identities as well. That way if I can’t remember, say, a character’s daughter’s best friend’s first name, I just check my cheat sheet and save time. (The cheat sheet also helps prevent me from reusing the same or similar names.)

4.                   Write about what you’re writing. This may sound confusing, but what I mean is that I take time to think about what I’m writing about before and while I’m working on a novel. So, for example, my first novel, Did you Get the Vibe?, explored the question of what would you do if you met someone you were overwhelmingly attracted to—but were in a happy, stable relationship? Would you act on it, or not, and why? Writing about the theme or issues you’re exploring can provide you with additional insights into your current project.

5.                   Wear a hat. Sometimes I need an external reminder that I’m in fiction-writing mode. I have several hats that do the trick. I plop one on my head, close my email program, and get to work, focusing on the task at hand—working on my novel. (I’ll admit with two little kids, this works better at night when they’re asleep.) You might burn a certain candle, sit in a certain chair, or wear a certain sweatshirt to signal your brain it’s fiction-writing time.

I’m fortunate to be able to write for a living, but that means I sometimes chafe at having to give up time to work on a novel. I’ll tell you, though, that I’m always glad when I have—such as with this 90-day Writing Challenge! Getting a novel published, and hearing from writers who love my work, only makes it even more rewarding.

Stay tuned for the announcement about new "hen lit" novel, to be released by end of March, 2012. And in the meantime, readers, what about you? Are you writing fiction and nonfiction as well? How do you balance both? 

Do You Write Fiction Too? Five Tips for Fitting it In

While the lion's share of my work is nonfiction (mostly ghostwriting these days), I'm a novelist as well. And I'm not alone--there are a lot of freelancers out there who have a novel or short stories in the works. That's why I was happy to write a guest post for author Kelly Stone on how to fit fiction into your writing life. I've been enjoying her 90-day writing challenge (well, not enjoying it all the time, but I'm glad I'm doing it) and plan to finish my new novel soon.

**Next up, the 2012 Income Survey results! Stay tuned! :)

**And finally, readers, I'm curious--do you write both fiction and nonfiction? Let me know!

Setting your Freelance Goals for 2012

          This is my favorite day of the year. To me, January 1 represents promise, potential, possibility. It's also when I set my goals for the year, and I suggest you do the same for your career. 

           Consider the Past           

           To look forward, however, you first must look back. At the end of each year, I review what types of writing work I performed, for whom, and how much money I made as a result. I also add up the amount I made from selling reprints and from speaking engagements so I know how much I’m making from both activities, and I look for trends, both good and bad.

Another issue to explore is how you spent your time last year. Look at when projects were assigned and when you turned them in. Are you turning around your profiles quickly but spending too much time on shorter, lower-paying pieces? Are those heavily-researched business articles really worth spending so much energy on? Remember that it’s not how much you make for a particular project—it’s what your hourly rate turns out to be.

            Finally, how diversified were you this year? Were you working for only a handful of clients or for dozens? (The former may be unavoidable if much of your work is writing books, which take much longer than articles.) Did you have lots of short, lower-paying assignments or did you focus more on bigger projects or feature stories? Does your income come from a variety of sources or only a few?

Consider the Future

So, now you know where your money came from. The next question is how much you want to make this year—and what kind of work you want to perform to make it. Should you focus your efforts in a particular area or would you rather try something new? Are you feeling burned out and want to switch gears—and try writing fiction, for example, instead of essays? Consider too how much time you can dedicate to “projects of the heart” compared to the work that pays your bills.

After you’ve set an annual income goal, determine how you’ll get there. How many hours must you write to earn that income? If you’re freelancing fulltime, the answer may be as many as necessary. Having a daily financial goal can help keep you on track. If your goal is to make $30,000 a year from freelancing, that averages to $2,500 a month or $125 a day (with four weeks off during the year.) In other words, if you can average that amount of income 240 days a year, you can make $30,000 this year. Make sense? 

Strive for a Balance  

By setting monthly, weekly or daily financial targets, you’ll be on your way to achieving your overall financial goal this year. But remember that your writing career isn’t only about the money. Your goals may also include non-financial ones like spending more time writing fiction or developing a stronger voice. (One of my goals this year is to finish my latest novel, which has been languishing for months.) 

That's why I suggest you build writing time into your schedule for projects that don’t produce income (at least not yet) but are important to you for other reasons. (Need a boost? Check out Kelly Stone's 90-day writing challenge that launches tomorrow.) Even though I write for a living, I give myself time to write for myself as well. After all, if you only focus on the bottom line and continually take work that bores or frustrates you, you’ll be likely to become bored and frustrated with your career as well. 

Instead, strive for a balance between the money you want to make and the work you want to do—and both you and your bank account will be better off in 2012. 

** Want to publish a book but aren't sure which route (i.e., traditional publishing, print-on-demand, e-publishing, or self-publishing) is right for you? Check out my Writer's Digest webinar on Thursday, January 5. You'll learn about your book publishing options today, and their pros and cons. 

A Month of Templates: The Novel Pitch

Last post, I shared a nonfiction book query to use for agents and editors. What about when you have a novel to pitch?

First, make sure you have your novel finished--not "close to finished," or "almost finished," but done. If an editor or agent expresses interest, you should be ready to send your manuscript ASAP. You may also want to have a synopsis prepared as well, which is a brief storyline of your book; many agents/editors will request a synopsis along with the first couple of chapters to get a feel for your writing.

Here's the query that sold my first novel, Did you get the Vibe?, to Kensington. My comments are in violet:

August 16, 2002

Dear Mr. Scognamiglio:

Have you ever gotten the Vibe? You know, that feeling when you meet a woman, and you know that you’re attracted to each other? [Attention-getting opener.]

Kate, 28, has based her dating life on the Vibe. If there’s a Vibe there, the guy is worth pursuing—it not, forget it. The trouble is that the too-beautiful-for-her Andrew just dumped her, and now she can hardly fit into her favorite jeans. And she hates her job, but everyone keeps telling her how great it is to be a lawyer. Yeah, right.

At least she has Tracy, her best friend from law school. Both live in Chicago’s up-and-coming Lakeview neighborhood. Tracy’s gorgeous, smart, and has a great job, a great apartment, and a great live-in boyfriend, Tom, to go along with it all. She also has an eating disorder she’s managed to keep secret from even her closest friend. Tracy doesn’t believe in the Vibe—until she experiences it for the first time, and it turns her life upside down. [The preceding two paragraphs introduce the two main characters and their "issues."]

Will Kate find lasting love, meaningful work, and be able to squeeze back into her clothes? Will Tracy give up the man who loves her to experience sexual fulfillment—and come to grips with what she’s doing to her body and her spirit? Did you Get the Vibe? explores the lives of these two best friends as they love, work, diet, laugh, and bond over their boyfriends, jobs, diets, and sex lives. Readers of women’s contemporary fiction will enjoy their stories, and relate to their experiences, struggles, and insights. [More on the characters' issues along with a preview of the storyline. note that I've also described what kind of book this is--commonly referred to as "chick lit."]

Did you Get the Vibe? is 78,855 words is my first novel. As a fulltime freelance journalist for the past five years, my work has appeared in more than 40 magazines including Marie Claire, Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Self, and Redbook; I’m also a contributing editor at Oxygen, The Writer, and For the Bride. My first nonfiction book, Ready, Aim, Specialize! How to Create your Writing Specialty and Make More Money will be published by The Writer Books in the winter of 2003. I’m also a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences, and not surprisingly, a big believer in the Vibe. [Here is my ISG, but I could have done much better here in terms of playing up my ability to promote and market the book. You want the editor/agent to know that you've already identified your audience--i.e. book buyers--and that you'll work your butt off to sell it when it comes out.]

Please let me know if you’re interested in seeing a synopsis and three chapters or the complete manuscript of Vibe. I’m contacting a handful of editors and agents who I think might be interested in this book, and hope to find a home for it soon. [Letting him know I'm simultaneously submitting, or pitching more than one agent/editor at a time. This is standard practice for novel submissions--otherwise, you'd spend years just waiting for responses!]

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
Kelly James-Enger

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Here's the best part about this query--it sold! I mailed it on Tuesday (this was back in 2002), and John requested the full manuscript that Saturday. He bought the book three weeks later, and it was published the next year--and translated into five languages as well! Not bad for my first novel, which is still FREE on Smashwords for a limited time. Or check out my two other books, White Bikini Panties, and The Honesty Index.