carina: Give us a sample of a typical (writing) day in your live, how many hours do you spend writing, do you do public appearances, do you still submit to non-paying markets? How many hours do you spend on work for the ICL? And those days that you have nothing to write or can't write? (like when you don't feel like going to the office, but you have to?) What advice do you have for writers that want to go from freelance to full- time? Would you recommend it, and would you do it all over again?

Jan Fields: I try to get on my computer by 8:30 on weekdays. I run through certain "every morning" things -- check email, check out a couple discussion boards, check a couple blogs, check facebook, check twitter...I don't spend long on those things and try to do as much as I can in 30 minutes. Sometimes if I find something interesting like a new market mentioned on a discussion board or an editor/agent interview mentioned...I'll spend longer.

Jan Fields: Then if I have student files that came in the day before, I do those first. Once they're done, I start on whatever my present deadline is. Now, if I happen not to have REAL deadlines, then I make some because I'm very deadline driven. So I'll work on something for a contest or work on something for a magazine I like. If I'm NOT under deadline and I'm not really feeling inspired to write fiction, I'll look at my list of things my students have struggled with lately and write an "article/essay" on it and drop it in my "enews articles" file. That way, when I'm putting the enews together, I have a file of possible article/essays to put in it for the weekly essay thingie.

Jan Fields: When I'm under a deadline...like right now I have to finish some proposals for three adult mysteries for an on-going series and I have five books to write on my sci-fi series under contract ... then I work on one of those.

Jan Fields: BUT...when I'm writing a book, I tend to start slow, slow, slow for me. I'm lucky to do 1,000 words in a day (which for me is dragging). I'm feeling my way around the book, getting into the flow. Then it'll "click" and I might write 4000 words in a day or more when I'm really into the book and feeling it. So if I struggle through 500 words in one day and I feel worn out...I quit And I don't worry about all the words waiting to be written because I'm aware that eventually I'll click and then it'll fly.

Jan Fields: If you're seriously thinking of making writing a full-time job, certain things need to be true:
* You MUST have the support of the people in your household. Without that, forget it. They have to be willing to let you work.
* You MUST be driven. If you're a person frequently plagued by REAL writer's block, you may get a wonderful body of work published in your lifetime but you're *probably* not going to make enough to do this as your only job. I know a lot of writers with a lot of books already in print who cannot quit their day jobs.
* You MUST write fast. If you're a person who regularly considers 500 words to be a good day's work, you may get a wonderful body of work published and win awards and have kids love your books, but you also easily may not make enough money to write full time (though if you do win awards and kids love your books...you may make enough from books AND school visits to quit your day job. Though right now, school visits are shakey because schools are having some serious financial problems).
* You MUST be able to write something that isn't your favorite. Writing is a feast or famine business and when work is before you, you need to work. If you only want to write what you want to write -- you may get some wonderful books written and win awards and be loved by kids...(you know the drill) but you easily may not make enough to make a living.

Jan Fields: If you try to force writing to be your full time job when you're not suited to that kind of writing that requires, you may find yourself feeling defeated and having to go back out to look for a job. Some people even give up writing then...which is way too bad. Some writers actually find they wrote more when they were squeezing their writing into little pockets of time than when they had 6-hours of uninterrupted time a day because they're not really driven without that pressure. So it depends seriously on the kind of writer you are and want to be. But even if you're not a driven writer, if you keep writing and if you're work becomes popular...you get to quit your day job anyway. It won't be for a long time though.

sarakay: Whenever you're giving an example for a story situation, you seem to toss off these great ideas that would take me a month to come up with! How does one get better at devising interesting conflicts for their characters?

Jan Fields: Well, being an institute instructor helps. I spend a lot of time either (1) coming up with examples on the fly or (2) showing ways to take the premise the student has an building a strong plot with it. But for me, I tend to come at plot one of two ways...

Jan Fields: 1. A character I really like. This is sooooooooo important. Please, don't try to create short stories with kids you don't like as main characters. I see so many short story manuscripts with bratty, smart-mouthed, unpleasant, selfish, nasty kids. Readers do like to see a character who is a little more spirited than the reader himself...but nobody likes a brat and that included readers. If you don't like your character and your reader doesn't like your character, you're doomed. Plus, if you create a character you don't like, it's going to be almost impossible to create any kind of lively, bright, fun, positive plot with that character so you're sort of doomed to create preachy pedantic plots.

Jan Fields: So I create a character I really like and I think about his/her personality -- I list traits. Then I look at the traits that would be likely to result in that kid tumbling into trouble. For instance, a cheery, active, brave boy also might be impulsive and quick to rush in to fix a problem. And that can result in making things worse initially until the child slows down, thinks the problem through, and gets creative. So when I start with the character...I look at his personality traits and come up with the kind of problem THAT kid would logically find himself in.

Jan Fields: The other way I come up with plot is (2) the "what if." For instance, what if kids at your school just started disappearing? What if they not only disappeared but no one remembered they'd ever existed? What if you didn't either, but then your best friend is upset because the best friend of BOTH of you has disappeared and you don't even remember the guy. What if your best friend is desperate for you to believe in this guy...because you'll only remember HER after SHE disappears if you believe people are disappearing. It's a kind of convoluted speculative fiction premise I used for the middle grade novel manuscript I'm presenting working on.

Jan Fields: The "what if" can be smaller too, more in line with a short story. What if you discovered your parents were aliens? Or you thought they were...how would you go about proving it. Now you could use that premise to make a very funny short story with two brothers who are sure their parents are aliens because of a misunderstanding and the ridiculous journey to "prove" their parents come from outer space.

Jan Fields: So once I have the core premise...which comes from either the character I like or the what if I find interesting. Then I need to think of how to build a plot. I start the story as close as possible to the time everything changes. So my alien story would start with the boys accidentally discovering their parents had alien space suits in the attic. Then the boys would search for more "proof" of their parents "alienness." And the story would end with the boy presenting their iron-clad case, only to discover their parents aren't aliens and everyone has a big laugh. Now even though the boys don't ultimately "win" (they don't really prove their parents are aliens) they do end up with a happy ending due to their brave efforts (they discover their parents are not aliens.)

Jan Fields: When writing the plot plan I keep in mind that I can't have too many elements if I want it to stay magazine length. If it refuses to fit. I have to consider the possibility that it might work better as a chapter book or even a novel.

claudette: How does does become a book reviewer? Is it something they do "on their own time" and for their own benefit for use on the blogs, etc., or is it something that they contract for with a publication? I've seen both done but know nothing about the activity other than that.

Jan Fields: Well, some bloggers do review books...so that's one way. With publishers making cut backs, it's a little harder to get ARCs unless you show a strong tendency to be visited by their target audience. Second, you can look for places that do reviews by lots of different reviewers School Library Journal, Midwest Book Review, MyShelf.com and check their site to see their guidelines or how to join as a reviewer. Third, you can pitch a "review column" for your local paper. Often that works in the summer when papers are open to reviewing kids books to keep kids reading in the summer. You could also offer to do a "review newsletter" for your local public library where you review the books in the stacks (this can be a way to begin building your experience as a book reviewer) for teachers, parents, and kids looking for a good read or a read that could tie into curriculum. Finally, sometimes you just happen to luck into reviewing if you know an editor and she's looking for a reviewer. That's how I got to be reviewer for DISCOVERY GIRLS.

carina: So, if you do a review on a recently published book, do you have to buy the book with your own money, or does the publisher requesting the review buys the book? It is great to buy new books, but it can be costly. Is it also worth your while buying books for reviews? Children books are cheaper, but what if it comes to adult literature?

Jan Fields: I've reviewed for myshelf.com and for DISCOVERY GIRLS. In both cases, the publishers send books. In the case of DISCOVERY GIRLS, they send lots and lots of books. Mostly I get ARCs (advanced readers copies) that are the book before it's been fully edited.

carina: ARC's ? New term for me. What if you mention some thing in your review that they might edit out of the book? Or is that unlikely to happen? Do you get to keep those ARC?

Jan Fields: If you're working from an ARC, you're asked not to quote directly from it as the wording can change. And we just know not to mention typos because ARCs are full of them. They haven't been copyedited. But there are rarely major changes. If the publisher plans a major change, the ARC will include a note when they send it outlining what the planned changes will be. Some publishers (Scholastic particularly, but also Candlewick) send the final copy of the book as soon as the publicist has it and I can look at that to see if they changed anything I might need to know about. Usually though, the only really big change I ever see is the look of the cover.

Jan Fields: As for keeping them. Yes, generally you do keep them. Though you have to have a lot more house than I do in order to REALLY keep them. So usually after I've read the books and done the reviews I'm going to do, I look for a place that will give them to children. Publishers ask that you not sell them, and to give them to children.

shauna: Speaking strictly for novels, would you use the same technique you already spoke of (crossing out publishing houses you won’t ever write for, visiting/studying websites, setting up your notebook) as a basis for making your list of possible houses to query? There are so many houses that will accept, say, fantasy, that I don’t know who to put at the top of the list. My thoughts are, use your approach you spoke of, combined with one of the following: 1. Start with the names I’m familiar with, then just randomly add to the list. 2. Look at their book catalog and pick houses that have books that are similar to mine. 3. Go to the many books that adorn my bookshelf at home and start with those publishers. Or is it a combination of them all. Yikes!

Jan Fields: Well, I have the benefit of being a reviewer...so I always supplement my choices with the fact that I have the catalogs of all the major houses. I know what is coming out right now and is detined to come out in the next season. But AMAZON serves a huge "catalogue" roll. They list books before they come out too. So you can look up fantasy novels for the age group you're writing for and see what's out and what's soon forthcoming. You can see the cover and read a blurb. And you can supplement your understanding of a publisher that way. I also track down interviews with the editors of the publishers (googling the editor's name...sometimes by googling the publisher's name...you always need to be willing to read the first ten pages of google listing. The good info on an editor or publisher may not be on the first page of links). But yeah, I'll mark out publishers who don't interest me...some nonfiction only publishers, some publishers who don't have print runs (I don't want to turn into a bookseller who handsells my books so I'm not going with a publisher who doesn't have a SOLID system in place for getting the books into the hands of buyers) -- and publishers who won't work with me because I'm not a person of color or because I'm in the US...stuff like that. Or publishers whose line is outside my interest area or capacity.

okami: What if the pubishers you know without question publish books that yours would fit in either aren't open to unsolicited submissions or only want to deal with agents? How do you find publishers still small enough to be new writers but who are big enough so you don't have the "Selling out of your garage/car" issue?

Jan Fields: If your heart is set on a publisher who only deals with agents (for whatever reason) then you simply have to find an agent first. On the up side, this is a boom time for agents. We have more agents repping works for young people (other than picture books) than we've ever had before. And so you would just refocus away from publishers and toward agents. The process is much the same with agents as with publishers. A good place to learn more about the newer agents (the ones with more room in their lists) I would recommend reading the "agents" section of Verla Kay's discussion board http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php

Jan Fields: And the agent interviews here -- http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/

Jan Fields: And as much as the idea hurts like crazy...if you shop and shop and cannot find an agent or a publisher, it's time to go back to the drawing board and write your next book. For many writers, their first book published is FAR from their first book written. But sometimes, you manage to create the magical really good book on your first shot. But if you don't...then you have to just accept that you're probably going to have to do what other writers do. Keep writing books until your craft gets good enough to create the book your ideas dream of. For most, if you don't give up...it will happen.

keggy: But if a publishing house states that it won't accept unsolicited manuscripts, won't it still accept queries from authors without agents?

Jan Fields: There are a couple houses that are truly CLOSED unless you meet the editors at conferences or have an agent. Not many...but a couple.

virtuella: Do you have any advice for those of us who are totally new to writing but would like to pitch a series of fiction books to publishers. My series is meant to accompany an educational book called the Virtue's Project. I'd like to market it as a teaching series for children in school...mostly for teachers but also for parents. I read that you started in magazines but is it possible to debut in non-fiction picture books as well? Is that likely or should I try magazines first to get known and my name out there? Don't most magazines require an agent?

Jan Fields: That doesn't sound like anything a trade publisher would be into, but that's okay because they don't want you to pitch a series anyway. I would recommend really looking into the educational publishers. Many of them do picture books and most do series books. Find a publisher who seems like a good match for what you're doing. I would go straight to publishers since you have the series you want to sell.

Jan Fields: Oh, and magazines don't require agents. There just isn't enough money per sale in magazine work for agents to want to be involved most of the time.

keggy: So, how do series of books come about? Suppose an author writes an astoundingly brilliant MG novel. Is it possible that the publisher will ask for a sequel or series, or are series of books supposed to be planned as series right from the start?

Jan Fields: There are two kinds of multi-book things that we might think of as "series."

Jan Fields: One happens when an author pitches a book and it sells so well that publisher is open to additional books with the same character. MOST series books done by the publisher whose name on the spine are done this way. Usually you pitch one book, it sells and more books happen because of reader demand.

Jan Fields: A very few books are so high concept and so much connected with what the publisher believes is "hot" or in which the author has "platform" (meaning some kind of celebrity) will result in the publisher signing the author for a 3 or 4 book series. This is rare and it really has to be high concept...the kinds of books the publisher can imagine becoming movies.

Jan Fields: Many long-run series books like Goosebumps or such only LOOK like they came from a publisher you recognize. They were really made by a packager. So the books were not pitched to the publisher in the first place (or if they were, the publisher shunted it off to be packaged). These books tend to have a LOW payout per book to the author and they come out bang,bang,bang in rapid succession. Some packagers allow you to pitch a series, though many do not.

Jan Fields: And finally, educational publishers are now really getting into series fiction. They accept pitches for series books but tend to have stiff requirements you have to meet in the writing in order for the books to sell well to libraries/schools. My science fiction was sold to an educational publisher.

beth: Other than "this is what I do, I enjoy it, so I do it", what motivates you? Since I am still taking a course, there are times that I look at what I am attempting to do, and I wonder why. What is my motivation? What motivates you to keep writing, especially when things get tough?

Jan Fields: Mostly my total lack of marketable skills in anything else. Really, writing is about it. It's the only thing I'm good enough at to make a living. So when things are really going crappy and I think I'd like to walk away (and that has happened more times than I care to mention) I tend to hit the wall with...walk where? This is what I do. But also, I'm always telling stories in my head. ALways. I would do it even if I didn't write them down. So I might as well make a living at being a little bit...odd.

ColoradoKate: Jan, you've already posted a couple of great "resource" links, like the work-for-hire list. Do you know of a similar on-line list for anthologies seeking subs? Thanks.

Jan Fields: I haven't written for anthologies but how about these:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/anthologies.htm -- the anthologies there are all the heart warming ones.
http://www.pw.org/classifieds#CALL%20FOR%20MANUSCRIPTS:%20ANTHOLOGIES -- This one is through a magazine so might not be vetted as well...by that I mean, make sure they don't expect you to pay them for the "honor" of running your story.
Also Duotrope has some anthologies in their list...it's one of the search options http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx

Mikki: However, none of these are specifically for children or teens. Can't seem to find any for anyone but adults.

Jan Fields: Right. Mostly publishers do anthologies for YA only with "recognized" authors who are invited to join. And for kids still younger, sales of anthologies aren't so good. So you just don't see them very often.

ColoradoKate: Jan, you obviously have a workable, adult attitude about deadlines. Did you always, or is that something you had to work on? Do you have any advice for those of us who put things off to the last minute or get anxious or have a hard time getting started?

Jan Fields: Ha, I probably started taking deadlines seriously in college Journalism school where they mock you publically if you miss a deadline. Honestly, my college instructors made deadlines sound like the most rigid things in the universe. And newspaper deadlines really are so I became very rigid about no missing deadlines.

Jan Fields: But the problem with magazine work and anything you're doing "on your own" is that it doesn't tend to come with an actual deadline. Sure, you can miss a chance to enter the HIGHLIGHTS contest or to get your query in for a COBBLESTONE theme but no one mocks you publically and editors don't put your name in their "evil doers" rolladex. So I discovered that without actual deadlines...I tended to drift a bit.

Jan Fields: I'm very prone to "get started" panic. For me, writing isn't hard -- starting is hard. So that is something I have to make my own deadline for and just bully myself. Plus, I enlist other people to bully me too. That helps me during those tough "get started" times. That's why I think Nanowrimo is a nice thing...you get encouragement from others to keep at the work and not walk away. And that's a lot like a daily deadline.

sarakay: I'm not talking about books where nothing is happening, but more about books (specifically, MG) where ordinary people face and overcome ordinary problems, changing during the process. Maybe something along the lines of a Highlights magazine story, only a lot longer. These are the types of books I'm drawn to, and would write well (because that's what I write best in short stories), but I worry that this type of novel wouldn't sell. Yet I can't seem to come up with the big, crazy, adventurous, fantastical plots that it seems like publishers want. What's your take on "quieter" books? Can they sell? And what do they need to look like to sell?

Jan Fields: Well, the Ramona books were very much those kinds of stories and they're eternal. You don't necessarily have to have "adventures." If you want to be read by BOYS, adventures help, but they aren't required for a book to sell. What does tend to be required these days is a certain sense of whimsy...something to make a reader smile or laugh in spots. But there are a lot of contemporary books that are pretty "normal" -- the Penderwicks did great and the quieter contemporary book I read most recently was TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord. It was very good.

ArborVitae: In your opinion, how important is "online presence" to a publisher? Do blogs and websites attract publishers, or do they not care either way?

Jan Fields: My opinion? Not particularly important. It's kind of like having one of those "bonus products" taped to the side of your laundry detergent. It's nice to have but you really went shopping for detergent and you're going to get the one you like best even if it doesn't have the "bonus product." Which doesn't mean the "bonus product" isn't nice.

Jan Fields: Now if you had a blog read extensively by your target audience (say, you write kid crafts so you have a blog of kid crafts and you have a lot of comments from kids and parents and educators, showing you're reaching your book audience with your blog) then an editor is going to sit up and take notice. But blogs are slippery things and few of them actually reach the same audience as the books you're writing. So in terms of "platform" blogs aren't worth much.

Jan Fields: They CAN be a spot where an editor might see if you seem like a pleasant person who's going to be easy to get along with or whether you seem like someone who complains about everything or throws a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat. In other words, a blog can HURT you if it's the place where you "let it all hang out."

Jan Fields: Now on the up side, the one positive thing blogs do is show you're already dabbling in Internet networking. Ultimately, when you have a book, it does help to have someplace for readers to find you. A blog. A website. Facebook. Whereever. Kids do write to writers and ask questions and such. I get emails and letters from kids and they're finding me online. But again...for an unpublished writer, it's not a big deal. It's a small "value added" product.

okami: Is it possible to get an agent without feeling like you need to have the business skills of a multibillion dollar company excec? But is still more than happy to be their book's best advocate, and can still writer the next book?

Jan Fields: In fiction, most agents still don't care much about what you're going to do after the sale. Sure, they'll push for you to do stuff to help sell books...a little...but mostly they want you to write more books because the primary payout to the agent is still at the advance. After the advance, you're just pulling in nickels and dimes. What an agent looks for is a book he can sell, sell quickly, and sell to the contacts he presently has. If he thinks your book is going to sell in the present marketplace and believe he can convince a publisher of that, he signs you. If he doesn't, he doesn't.

Jan Fields: Of course, you have to add in a lot of little things like...
...does the agent think you'll be easy to work with?
...does the agent already rep someone who writes like you...in which case he won't sign in someone to compete with a present client?
...does the agent believe your book still needs a lot of work...that used to be kind of okay...agents would ask for revisions and revisions. Not so much now. Now they increasingly want books they think they can sell NOW.

Jan Fields: Agents are feeling the financial pinch of lots of agents in the field, and publishers producing fewer books because of the economy. SO it all comes down to how quickly marketable your book is...that's the bottom line.

Jan Fields: It's never, ever (by the way) because a writer is new. It's actually 100% easier to sell a book by a brand new author than one by a steady mid-list author, because the brand new author with a book that looks truly marketable looks like they might take off and sell a bunch...while a steady mid-list author tends to look like someone who is not going to make a publisher a lot of money fast. And bookstores can be cranky about stocking midlist books and midlist authors which further reduce the "appeal" of a midlist author over a brand new author. So with two good books...agents know the publisher will take the brand new author every time. Though, of course, they'll take the book by the latest big name celebrity over everyone...and it doesn't even have to be good.

okami: still don't quite believe I have the advantage as debut writer when I can't even get past the query stage more than once, but I'll take your word for it.

Jan Fields: Queries are tricky little rascals. A lot of folks assume that if their book is good, they'll get a bite. But NOT ONLY does the book have to be good, the query has to be good. Now there are a lot of places where you can work on your query in a moderately viciously helpful atmosphere. There's Query Shark (I think) and some discussion boards have query workshop sections (writers.net does their query workshopping in the agent section of the board and absolutewrite does query workshopping too.). We could set up one here is folks wanted. Queries MUST MUST MUST focus on WHAT HAPPENS in the story. They must be clear and direct. They must sound casual (though not overly familiar) and light. They must show the major outer conflict (the big thing the main character has to DO) and the major inner conflict (the big thing the main character has to become). And ideally, they reflect an understanding of the market...what books are out there and how they're blurbed on the books. A query is little like a blub but more informational and clear.

Jan Fields: They also must not include your person opinion about your book (this is a funny book about...this is a great book about...this is an exciting book about....) Instead, they share the story plot in a way that makes it sound funny, exciting, great. They must not include the slightest hint of how many folks have seen the book or anything like that.

Jan Fields: They must lead with the BOOK, not any kind of information about the author. Never let "I" appear in any of the first few paragraphs.

Jan Fields: So, they're tricky but there are tons of successful query letters online (I think I googled "successful query letters" once so I could find a few examples to inspire me while I wrote a query really fast for a kind of "contest" online.) If you get a lot of rejections at the query stage, it's always possible the book is fine and the query isn't. Queries are tough and require a totally different skill set from books.

arborvitae: I believe you have mentioned elsewhere on the boards that you write books under contract. Can you explain that whole process to me please?

Jan Fields: Although contract work (or work for hire, which is generally what you're dealing with if you get a contract for fiction before you write it) DOES usually mean you're writing to someone else's specifications, the work for hire, I've done has been unusual. With one series, all they said was that it had to involve six girls and they had to go into a different "world" somehow where they were princesses. And I had to have crafts and creativity in there somewhere. So that was pretty loose guidelines and so created characters, a situation to put them in, and the whole nature of the magical world. I had to come up with a plot to link the elements they wanted.

Jan Fields: In the mystery novel, I had to write one that "fit" the rest of the series but I came up with entirely my own plot which is VERY strange when stepping into an existing series. Normally you're working from an outline that someone else wrote.

Jan Fields: And the science fiction series I'm doing for ABDO was totally mine. I studied the series they had for older boys and thought of my own. I knew it was going to have to have a lot of action and a male main character, but the premise was mine and I had to write plot synopses for six books so I could sell a six book series.

Jan Fields: How contract work comes about is normally that you send either a proposal to an educational publisher/book packager for an idea you have OR you send a packet that includes your resume and a writing sample and if they like your style, they'll offer you a book opportunity. In the second situation, normally you're working to their specifications. In the first, the project will be more "yours" in execution.

Jan Fields: Now with nonfiction, even work done with commercial publishers is usually "sold" based on detailed proposals so you have a contract before you write much of it. In the situation with working directly with commercial publishers, you usually get royalties instead of a flat fee for payment.

Jan Fields: I learn about work for hire opportunities from a lot of places. Sometimes folks contact me directly. Sometimes I see opportunities in newsletters like the Children's Writer. Sometimes I see mentions of opportunities on discussion boards. Sometimes I see them on blogs by publishers. So, you can get "news" of who is looking from a lot of places. I wish there was one central spot for info about work for hire for kids...but right now, there isn't.

Jan Fields: One difference between contract writing and other writing (for me) is that contract writing must be totally mapped out, extensively planned, before I begin the actual writing. This is because you have to have the "plan" approved, where for regular writing, no one sees it until it's done. So you don't normally have to show anyone your prewriting (and NORMALLY all my prewriting is done in my head). So you have to become good at action plans...synopses that hit all the main action while making clear the character's motivation for each action...plans that show how the book is divided into scenes and how the scenes drive the action forward. That kind of micro-planning is very different from how I normally write. I normally start "telling myself a story" in my head and I have a strong idea of where I'm going...but I don't map out every step.

Jan Fields: Strengths -- you have to be able to write to structure. Many writers just cannot. They're so strongly organic (having a story just grow as they write) that work for hire where you're creating a fairly rigid structure is just not possible for them. You also have to be able to be really inspired by someone else's idea. You can just pound it out without your heart into it. You need to be able to take their idea and get so fired up that it feels like yours. Otherwise, it's going to show in the writing -- which might not kill the project you're on, but will lessen the chance of your being called on again.

carina: Do you currently or have you ever used a pen name for any of your work? And why?

Jan Fields: The little books I did for the toy company used a different name. They paid well but what they wanted in a story made it look like I had no idea how to write for children, so if the toys had become popular, I wouldn't have wanted my name linked to that quality of writing. And I did one project that used the name of the person who had done the rest of the books (shhh...can't say more. Nondisclosure agreement). But that's all. The rest all have my name...either my maiden name or my married name.

carina: What about the sci-fi series you are writing for boys? Would you consider using a male pen name? Do you think boy rather picked up a book written by a male and vice versa? Or is this just were you use your initials and last name?

Jan Fields: As far as I know, my sci-fi series will be by Jan Fields. Sometimes publishers make a choice to use initials (or nudge you to be okay with that idea) because they think boys won't read a "girl writer." Maybe if my name was Fluffy MacFearson I would consider initials but I doubt it. Unless the publisher asked me to, I'd go with my real name. I did do my newspaper work with a byline of my initials + maiden name (as I was single then) because I wanted to be a little harder to track down when folks were mad at me...which was often, actually.

cat: I understand everything about conflict, plot, character development, theme, settings, and the importance of the climax. But sometimes I feel like the whole focus of stories are on some earth-shaking POINT, and not so much on just the mere pleasure of reading a book. I know that if you have a weak plot, a boring MC, and little or no action, you have a lousy book. But what makes a book saleable? If you have a driving plot, a spunky MC, and chapters of tension-building, is there always a MESSAGE that needs to be told to the reader? Can the reader just enjoy the romping nonsense of a good, pointless book?

Jan Fields: Some humor doesn't have a huge "point" and sometimes exactly even have a plot. Wimpy Kid is a fairly different "kind" of book. It's more of an extended series of visual and spoken jokes than any kind of "story." Boys love them because you really can pick them up and open about anywhere in the book and read for a while. You don't have the weight of an extended narrative. They're light, they're easy, and they're "boy" humor. Plus, they're heavily illustrated with that "doodle" style. You can see the same visual style in books for "girls" but they virtually always also have a sustained narrative like Ellie McDoodle.

Jan Fields: Now, does a story need a point? No, actually I see a lot of high concept novels (especially humor) that don't have a point. It'll have a plot (or something plot-ish) and a premise (usually something big that you could imagine being a kid movie) and quirky characters who ARE in a situation where they NEED to act because of the plot pressure. But there isn't any kind of underlying message or "big picture" point. They're just a big fun romp.

Jan Fields: Adventure books nearly always have some kind of concept they're exploring. Artemis Fowl does a lot of exploring of themes about loyalty, good/evil, friend/family. Artemis (on the surface) has all the makings of an evil villian...but he's not. And so the book is exploring that who question. How come Artemis isn't a villian? How does he differ from a "true" villian. So the good/bad thing is very explored in those novels. It may not be a big flag-waving "point" but they're very "pointy."

Jan Fields: Many times the point is kind of subtle. Adventure novels, for instance, are often showing characters who are more resouceful than they thought they were. Horror novels often explore the nature of courage (Chris Graberstein's Haunted Places series does a lot of that.) But the "point" is not in your face...the story is really all you see when you're reading. But later...ideas are planted that might come back and make you think.

beth: In her book Writer's First Aid Kristie Holl talks about not needing an agent to sell your book to a publisher. She offers suggestion for how to handle that end of things yourself. So I need to ask:
1) What are the advantages and disadvantages of having an agent?
2) If an agent isn't necessary, is it possible to get in with a big publishing house (since many won't even look at a manuscript without an agent)
3) If a writer wants to begin looking for an agent, where in the world do you start?

Jan Fields: 1. Okay, I had an agent for a while. FOR ME, the advantage of having an agent is that I no longer had to come up with market lists and really peg away at sending the book out. I lose focus and so a lot of time could gather between my sending the book to different markets. I liked not having to handle that.

Jan Fields: PLUS, having an agent will get you TOTALLY DIFFERENT rejection letters. They'll be detailed and often not overly kind. But they'll be informative. You'll learn so much about the editor from his/her rejection letter to your agent. You have to be made of pretty stern stuff, but I did find that one aspect to be so informative.

Jan Fields: Agents will also often get you more money. Now, for a first book, there are limits to what an agent can do, but an agent has the same "big hit' instincts that a publisher does. If an agent knows he's holding a high concept property that could blast off, he's going to get quite a bit more money than you would selling it yourself. And if it's more of a "normal" book, he'll still be likely to get a bit more money and better terms overall.

Jan Fields: For disadvantages, it's a bit dependent on your agent. Some folks get frustrated at lack of communication once you're a client, while other people feel their agents are great communicators. Some agents won't rep your LATER books if the agents doesn't like the book -- which can then leave you with an agentless book. Some agents don't like you subbing books on your own...so if you have an agent like that and the person doesn't like your book, it can basically "kill" a book you actually like.

Jan Fields: 2. If you're working without an agent, the key really is to become a query letter writing expert. The query is your place to get into publishing houses that are reluctant to open to unagented writers. If a really exciting query cannot be created for your book, then your book MIGHT not be ready to sell. But query letters are a different kind of critter. They're like a combination book blurb and action synopsis. They tell character motivation, main external action, main internal action -- and they do it in a tight, clear exciting package.

Jan Fields: But there are very few publishers who don't look at queries. And for the ones that don't, my suggestion would be (if you're totally sure that's where you want to be published) that you either get an agent or track downthe next conference where an editor from that house will be (since you can usually attend that editor's workshop and thus get a short-term free pass to submit to her.)

Jan Fields: 3. If I were trying to score an agent right now, I would do a three point search...go to your public library and photo copy the agent pages from the most recent Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market (or buy one...it's a pretty good book). Then google every one of the agents listed. And don't stop at the first page of links...often the good stuff comes on something OTHER THAN the first page. Read the interviews with the agents that you find online. Read discussion board posts about them where you find them. Often you'll get the very freshest info about the agents AND you'll find places that have information about even more agents.

Jan Fields: And don't worry about an agent until your book is absolutely polished and you have a killer query letter.

cat: What do you use to research publishers, Jan? That is the hardest part for me. I can look publishers up online and read their guidelines and review which books they've published and which books are forthcoming for publication, and even read summaries on the books, but how do I know if they are the right target for my stories? Most book publishers do not accept submission without agents; frustrating, but there 'tis. However, some do. How do I KNOW how to target the perfect publishing house?

Jan Fields: You know, when I look through market guides, I am always surprised to see that MOST publishers DO accept some kind of submission from unagented writers. They may not allow submissions but it's pretty rare when they don't accept queries. And some of the "absolutely closed, I mean you" publishers have bought books based on queries sent EVEN THOUGH the publisher was 'closed." See queries are sooooo short...so easy...so painless. And especially in a closed house where there's no slush pile. One little query...sure, we can read it. But (of course) it would have to be an exceptional query.

Jan Fields: More and more, writers really need to learn to write query letters. Often we just blow past those letters. I have students who just ignore me when I ask them to write queries as practice. And then they're out of the course and they missed the chance to practice one of THE most important skills they'll need when they're ready to sell a book.

Jan Fields: So, how do I research publishers. Being a reviewer does help because I get to read books from a lot of publishers as they are released. And I can see a pattern of books and see what kinds they like. But you can actually use AMAZON for much of that kind of research. Now, I haven't done this in a while but you can used AMAZON's advanced search options to search for books by publisher. Then you can look through the books you see from the search and take notes on things like -- how many have male main characters? How many sound like high action? How many clearly have humor as a big selling point? How many are fantasy?

Jan Fields: And once you've begun really methodically going publisher by publisher that way, you begin to see how say...one publisher who does fantasy buys much more literary while another buys high concept fantasy while another has been doing a lot of fantasy/romance. All three might do "fantasy" but you can get a clearer picture of what kind.

Jan Fields: Also, google the publisher name and go beyond the publishers website. You can come up with blog references...editor interviews...all kinds of things. It's time consuming through which is why I so recommend market study be slotted into every week. If you only START research when your book is done, the pressure to get the thing in the mail is going to probably get you more rejections overall. But, hey, even so...you only need one acceptance. It's just a matter of how many rejections you can handle before you lose heart.

Jojo: My question is about textbook companies...do they accept submissions or do they just use known authors who have written short stories?

Jan Fields: That's WAY outside my field. I know textbook publishers tend to like to hire PhDs to do their writing because it looks so impressive on the book. Now things like workbooks and supplemental material is often done just by educational publishers and they do hire writers for that. If you check out the educational publishers at this link http://www.mollyblaisdell.com/wfh -- you'll see some that are doing supplemental material and links to their guidelines. But for full textbooks...mostly that's outside most of our options.

mikki: Not only all of the above, but it is a much more arduous kind of writing. As a Statistics Lab Assistant in my senior year in college, on of my jobs was to do some of the statistical analysis for the book my professor was writing. I was paid, but it was a very hard and time-consuming job. It took me the entire year to do the statistics for 3 chapters in his 10 chapter book, and this was writing every night, as well as taking my own classes etc. Also, this was just the statistics, none of the text. When I became a PH.D. he asked me to co-author another book on statistics with him, and I declined.

cat: So Jan, I'm sure you, of all people, know how to compose a Killer Query. What are the elements that you would recommend that would get that query through a publishing house's door, onto the editor's desk, and be so amazin' that it would steal his heart?

Jan Fields: A query that will grab an agent is a combination of voice, clarity, and focus.

Jan Fields: Voice means YOUR query needs to not sound like everyone else's query. It might reflect the voice of your main characrer (which doesn't mean it's written in first person because it's not...it just means it hints at your story writing style). I might just be a solid match to the age group and not really be the voice of the main character (for example, in a period story, you main character may speak in a slightly antiquated way and your query won't do that...it'll be more YOUR voice...the clear smooth voice you'd use to describe your story to a friend. A non panicky voice)/

Jan Fields: Clarity means that the query makes it very clear that your story have a plot and that you're going to move through the plot in an active interesting way. It shows that your character is strongly motivated to get through the plot. It probably shows the inner struggle of the main character.

Jan Fields: Here's a query I threw together for Nathan Bransford's Agent for a Day exercise...from among the queries, it won. Though the plot here is scant. In YOUR query you'd have to show the plot much more clearly. Mine is scant because the book it connected to was never actually finished...so I had trouble describing a book that didn't exactly exist:

Dear [Agent's name],

When faced with the grim prospect of another year of being the nicest, quietest girl in high school, Rebecca Rogers decides it's time to get wild. Sure, she's afraid of the dark, heights, big bugs, and cute guys, but she decides the key to coolness lies in overcoming her fears one at a time. She starts with heights. Unfortunately, the tree she chooses to climb turns out to be the tallest object on the highest hill in an unexpected thunder storm. Rebecca jumps to escape a lightning strike and falls into a fantastic new world.

Though she's pretty sure she must be lying in a hospital somewhere and experiencing the world's wildest coma-induced nightmare, she's soon facing monsters, handsome princes, and evil villains with diabolical plans to take over this very scary world. Coma or not, the dangers are too real to ignore. Can she save the hottie, defeat the baddie, and run like hell from everything else? Some people are born with courage - Rebecca is having it thrust upon her.

"Unreality Chick" is a fast and funny 65,000 word young adult fantasy novel. I am the author of [a variety of work-for-hire things that I would actually list in a real query] and this is my first original novel.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Warmly,
Me

Jan Fields: Do you see how "voice" works in this query? This is actually reflecting the voice of the main character and the novel, in general. The book turns mostly on action and smart-aleck humor. I would give more of a sense of the actual action of the plot...maybe one or two more sentences if I actually KNEW the action of this plot. I knew what I had in mind for it but this is a little vague. But the approach -- show character's inner struggle (courage), outer struggle (dealing with deadly things in a world that may or may not be real) and motivation (it's deal or die, basically...courage is being "thrust upon her.") Now I took a risk calling it "fast and funny" -- some agents don't like to see that kind of subjective remark. But I wrote this in about five minutes and I liked the alliteration of "fast and funny." In a query, sound matters.

Jan Fields: So you have to accomplish everything in the fewest words possible. And keep in mind that sound does matter. Read it out loud. Have someone else read it outloud. Have someone read it and then tell you what they think the book will be like...do that a bunch of times. Find a kid, have them read it and then ask if that sounds like a book they want to read and why (or why not).

Jan Fields: Note: Nathan Bransford has examples of what he considers good queries on his blog: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/search/label/Anatomy%20of%20a%20Good%20Query%20Letter -- Just so you can look at others. As you read them...think about how they're handling voice and inner/outer plot action.

yaya: Too bad the query letter was for something that you had not actually written because you make a person want to read what you have described.

Jan Fields: I had written about 50 manuscript pages of the book before it was clear that it wasn't going to work. The problem is that the girl can't possibly stay in that world -- she has a life somewhere else. And the boy cannot possibly leave that world -- he has responsibilities and his life lies there. So the romance couldn't ultimately work and there were other issues. But there were some things in the first 30 pages that I liked...some moments I thought were funny. Some things that made "me" laugh so I wanted to put it into Nathan's contest even though ...um...technically he didn't want books entered that didn't exactly exist. But always hundreds of folks send stuff for those contests. I didn't figure I had much chance of being picked. So...I was naughty. But people did like the query. Though lots of folks noticed the plot was scant. It actually was even scant-er than it is here. I would have needed to beef up showing what actually happens if I was going to get an actual agent to request the manuscript. motivation.

mariah: I have two different WIP right now...one is MG and the other is YA. I want to find an agent when I'm finished. So, should I try to find an agent that fits both? Or should I worry about the one that's done at the time and go from there?

Jan Fields: Since you enjoy writing both MG and YA, I'd look for an agent who does both. Most agents who do MG will also do YA. But some agents who primarily handle adult books will also do Young Adult and that's NOT the agent you want because she/he probably won't know how to market the middle grade.

mariah: Do you ever come to a point in a project you're working on that you feel it's just not working? Or that you can't do it? If so, what do you do about it to keep moving forward with it?

Jan Fields: I do abandon projects sometimes when they're just not working. The book mentioned in the query on one of these threads was an abandoned project. I didn't know where I wanted to go with the book and ultimately when I realized it wasn't going to work, I would have had to lose the parts I liked best to make the overall plot work. I didn't want to do that.

Jan Fields: Not every story ultimately works. BUT nearly every story that does work had a low point, a point where I thought I was doomed and the piece was going to crash and burn. That kind of panic, I really force myself to work through because often I'm wrong. I don't give up until I've gotten PAST that point and realize where I'm going won't work. I usually go back to where the piece WAS still working, where I still liked it and write forward from there several times before I give up.

Jan Fields: And even the stories I give up on live on my hard drive just in case the perfect solution ever pops back up for me. Sometimes it does.

Jan Fields: But my sense that "this stinks" can really be faulty. In both the first book in the science fiction series and now in the second one, I hit a point where I thought...this isn't working, it's just episodic and getting ridiculous or dull or whatever. And I lose forward momentum. I stopped...went and worked on something else a bit. Came back a day or two later and read the whole thing and found out...hey, it's not bad. And then I tweaked it and moved on. And the publisher LOVED the first book (I'm still not done with the second) so don't trust your panic too quickly.

Jan Fields: Now with nonfiction, the thing that stalls a project will usually be (1) insufficient focus or (2) insufficient research. If your topic is too broad, you'll often hit a laggy...gosh, this is dull...section. Usually that's because you're skimming and skimming *is* dull. On the other hand, if you know you have a good focus -- the story of the dash to the North Pole by the Peary expedition, for instance -- but the piece is feeling wrong, not exciting, icky...then the problem might be not enough research to make the topic really grab YOU. If you're not 100% on board with real excitement about the topic, you won't be able to write it well.

Jan Fields: That was my problem with the book I tried on the Cold War. I found the research painful and dull and politically sloggy and ick. I read it, but I hated every moment. Then, even though I found the "IDEA" of the Cold War book interesting, my lack of enthusiasm about what I had read translated into sloggy, ick writing. And the publisher rightfully decided I wasn't the correct writer for the book. Which was an excellent call.

Mikki: It blows my mind that there are some instructors who encourage almost to the point of forcing a student to do NF when they so plainly don't want to. Non-fiction is definitely a genre that excites only a few people... to be made to do it is clearly nothing more than an exercize in futility for the student.

Jan Fields: I think that we have to keep in mind that nonfiction is a wide scope of stuff. In fact, informational nonfiction (the stuff you have to research) is probably not even the easiest to sell. Profiles (where your research is actually just interviewing the young people you're featuring) are easier to sell because so few folks are doing them. How-tos (which generally are based on you teaching something you know) are probably the very very easiest to sell. I don't push hard for informational nonfiction because sources really play such a huge part in selling. But if a student has even a tiny interest in writing how-to nonfiction of any sort, I try to encourage that. I made my first publication in a lot of magazines that way.

ColoradoKate: when I taught, I did all sorts of activities with my students: things I found on the internet, often, but that I modified either a little or a lot. I could write up lots of those activities as "how-tos," but at what point does it start being plagiarism? Obviously I wouldn't use the same words; I'd start from scratch; but I would have, say, a very similar sequence of steps. Are "how-tos" like recipes, in terms of plagiarism? Meaning, do you just have to write the directions in your own words? Or what?

Jan Fields: Well, many crafts and activities are basically just the same thing over and over. Copyright law says that things like that are a kind of "forumula" or "list" and they aren't protected by copyright. But, the end result (the design itself) is...so you don't want to look just like someone else's THING. Also magazines don't want to run something just like someone else's "thing." Nor do they want to pay ME for a craft or activity that basically reproduces something they ran last year. So the more you can make it new and unusual and weird...the better. So you don't necessarily have to remake the wheel...you just have to do something different with it. Innovate instead of invent.

Yaya: Also, I read once that jokes and riddles cannot be copyrighted. Do you know anything about that? Since I can't recall where I read that, I don't know how reliable the sourse was. Thanks.

Jan Fields: Correct...they really can't. Though the more you can make your riddle/joke unique, the better it will sell.

Jojo: My question for today is...how do you know if your writing is good enough to send in? Or if it is what they are looking for? I have magazines to look at as guides, but how do I get feedback on what I am doing? I have my instructor for my ICL class, but that's only for the assignments for the class...

Jan Fields: When I began writing for children, the only way of knowing if something was "ready" was to send it off and see if it was accepted or rejected. That's a rather slow method and hard on everyone. When I do when writing something I really really want to see published, I go through a couple different "tests" for readiness...

Jan Fields: 1. I set it aside for a day and then read over it for typos and such small errors as changing the characters names or switching verb tenses ...things like that. If you don't give it at least a day first though you're really wasting your time. Most writers can't see the errors immediately.

Jan Fields: 2. I plug the text into a text-to-speech program. There are applications online and free downloadable programs. Just google "text to speech" and you can find some. Don't pay money for it. The program will read my stuff without inflection but it will catch more typos. Plus, it will show me sentences that don't make sense without special inflection. If a sentence doesn't make sense when read flatly in a monotone, then it won't make sense to some young people sight reading it. In those situations, I change it to something more direct and more fluid.

Jan Fields: 3. I then set it aside for at least a week if possible and revise again...this should catch a lot more awkward phrasing and errors.

Jan Fields: 4. Then I send it to my critique partner. I wait until step four because she doesn't need to spend her valuable time correcting for stuff I really should be able to do on my own. She can help me spot places where I missed a chance at a good joke or where my sense of humor falls flat...or where I'm repeating pet sentence structures. Or where something just isn't clear. I used to have a critique group and that was good too...but now it's easier to just have a critique partner. She calls on me when she needs me and I call on her when I need her. By making friends with writers online, you can see who you "connect" with an suggest a trial critique partnership...see if you work well together.

Jan Fields: 5. Then I usually go through it one more time and send it out. Will it be "ready?" It'll be as ready as I'm likely to be able to make it. Ultimately though...I guess I won't truly know unless someone buys it.

JoJo: First, how do you find a critique partner? and, I'm not sure if I have enough experience to critique someone else...then what?

Jan Fields: You have enough experience to know what you like. And to note when you don't understand. Actually the greatest help my critique partner offers is just to say, "I don't understand this" or "I don't know why he would do that" -- because if SHE can't see it, then the editor might not see it and a lot of the kids won't see it. So I need to fix it. Thus, what a critique partner needs isn't experience so much as courage...you need the courage to say, "I don't get this."

Jan Fields: As for where to find a critique partner, I find it works best if you find one where you hang out. So if you're comfortable hanging out on this board, see if anyone here wants to try out a critique partnership. Understand though that it's NOT a poor reflection on either of you if it doesn't "click." I went through a lot of critique groups before I found one that worked for me because I prefer strong and clear...I don't actually need a lot of encouragement. I'm strictly interested in where something doesn't work. Though if someone sees something they like especially, I do like to hear that because I'll do more of it...but I don't need cheer for cheer's sake.

Jan Fields: But some folks do. They need a lot of encouragement and then they need to ease into revision...in a situation like that, the revision process takes longer but you end up good at the end as long as you stick with it.

JoJo: I am definitely going to look into a critique group!

Jan Fields: If you do join a "group" -- keep the following in mind...

Jan Fields: ... you need to respond to what is said politely but you do NOT need to make all the changes. Don't write by committee. Write what you write, but listen to what they say. Often crit groups sense legitimate problems, but many many many times they're either not grasping quite what the problem is or they're offering questionable solutions. So if they are sensing a problem, then it's time to put on your own deductive reasoning and be sure you feel you see the "real" problem (whether it's what they pointed at or something different) and make the fix that feels right to you.

Jan Fields: ... don't be afraid to ask for more clarification but don't argue with your group. You don't have to convince them you're right. You just need to look at the spots they pointed out and decide what (if anything) to do about them. And you need to say, "thank you" even if you ultimately feel the suggestion was wrong.

Jan Fields: ... be open to trying things. If someone says, "That character is awfully unlikable" then see if you can imagine a way to make them more likable without making them not feel "right" for the story. Try revising a scene or two and see if you like the end result. Don't shy away from more work...but ultimately keep only what feels "true" to you.

Jan Fields: Also, know that critique groups don't work for everyone. Some people just don't take criticism well and the group can end up with piles of hurt feelings. And some people prefer trial and error and slamming into walls until the wall topples over. So if someone says, "You MUST have a crit group" but you know it's not going to work for you...don't feel like you're doomed. Maybe try one, but know that folks do get published (and published regularly) who totally can't abide crit groups. There's no one size fits all.

Morag: Do you feel that a writer needs any specific type of credential to be taken more seriously by publishers, editors and agents or does the work stand alone?

Jan Fields: In my writing career, exactly NO ONE has been impressed with my college credentials. Really, no one. Now I have heard editors with a STRONG literary passion who do say they take note of folks with an MA in children's writing. But even then, the book has to back up the degree. Basically I NEVER mention my college degree when I submit...those few folks who ask for resumes know about it but regular editors never know unless they go read my resume on my website. There are small things that make a difference IF they are backed up by the product (good story, good book). Editors are slightly in favor of...
Masters Degrees in creative writing or children's writing
Masters Degrees in library science
Teachers
Writers under 19 years old
Writers with "platform" -- folks some readers would recognize the name of

Jan Fields: But those things still can't override product. Ultimately, the thing that makes a book take off and sell zillions lies in the book.

ColoradoKate: Hey, Jan! Please tell us how people become ICL instructors. What are the qualifications? Are people asked or do they apply? What kind of training do they give you? How many hours a week do instructors work, or does it vary?

Jan Fields: Keeping in mind that it's been a few years since I became an instructor, the things they looked for were
...a fairly strong body of work. They want to be both books and magazines work if possible (my only books were for a toy company but they were books. My magazine experience was a bit more extensive).

...experience teaching...preferably teaching about writing. I had taught a continuing education program on writing for publication and one on writing short nonfiction.

Jan Fields: And I had heard that they wanted all the instructors to be in US now to reduce postage costs. So, I don't know if that's still the case. I'm not on the hiring side of things.

Jan Fields: They do train instructors. You go through a bunch of "pretend" student files and respond to lessons to see how you do at addressing a variety of common writing problems and whether you can give a balance of support and corrections. Then your student load builds really slowly so there's actually plenty of time to get used to teaching. I didn't have any problem.

cat: Jan, wonderful overflowing font of wisdom, do you think you could list for me here the five steps, or pointers, that a query should follow, a format it should cleave to, and the necessary ifs, ands, and buts that it should contain. My goal is to craft the Killer Query, see.

Jan Fields: Well, keep in mind that it's ALWAYS good to check out any input your target might have on how they like queries. For instance, Nathan Bransford likes queries that roughly look like this:
This is how I know you...
This is how cool my book is...
These are the stats on the book...
This is about me...

Jan Fields: OTHER agents have said they want their queries to look like this:
These are the stats on the book...
This is how cool my book is...
This is how I know you...
This is about me...

Jan Fields: Virtually everyone wants the "this is about me" part last.

Jan Fields: The "stats on the book" part looks like this if it LEADS the letter: I'm seeking representation for my 65,000 word young adult fantasy novel. The "stats" are length, genre, vague reading age (middle grade, young adult), and book type -- novel, memoir, whatever.

Jan Fields: The "this is how cool my book is" would be the synopsis that I talked about more extensively in another post. It gives the main character (preferably by name) and her inner and outer conflict (which she has to overcome about herself and what she's dealing with in the plot action). It gives an idea of the action -- agents want to know WHAT HAPPENS. They don't like vague. For instance, they don't like lines like this:
When Kate's world fell apart, she had to cope with losing what was important to her while stuggling with the aftermath of that loss.
Now, do you have ANY idea what that book is about? You might guess...it could be about a whole bunch of things...
Her folks could have just died in the bombing of the World Trade Center.
Her boyfriend could have left her for some skanky girl
Her town could have been taken over by zombies and now the rest of her family wants to eat her.
Really it could be about just about anything. Don't write lines like that. If your line could fit a book that is NOTHING like yours, then the line is too vague. Make sure it actually lets the agent know what's happening with YOUR book.

Jan Fields: Now, in the "how I know you" part, agents/editors are looking for things like this:
"I loved [book the editor edited or the agent sold] and [other book the editor edited or the agent sold]. Since I admired your taste in books and work on those projects, I knew I wanted to query you when I finished my manuscript."

"I enjoyed hearing you speak at the "Agent Love" workshop at the Spring 2009 NESCBWI conference. I found your honesty and diplomacy a rare mix and immediately put you at the top of my dream agent/editor list as soon as my book was finished and polished."

"I am an avid reader of your blog and have learned so much from you. I especially found your views on [something specific] helpful as I worked through revisions and more revisions of this book."

Jan Fields: Agents/editors know tons of writers just query everyone. But they all hope in their heart of hearts that you actually took the time to query them because you learned something about them that made you sure they were the right match. If you can add a line to your query showing that you did ...they'll like you all the better.

Yaya: What I'd like to know is how you found out about writing for ABDO and markets of that type?

Jan Fields: Someone I know sold a series to ABDO and she was telling me about her good news. So I looked up the company and thought, "I could maybe do a series for them." But then I didn't do anything because I think a lot of things that I don't always do.

Jan Fields: Sooooooo...then an editor at ABDO asked my friend if she'd abridge some classics for them. And she agreed to that. And the editor said to her...do you know anyone who might be able to do the rest of the list...someone who can write fast. She recommended me. And I took on four of the five and recommended ANOTHER friend for the fifth. So now all three of us do their abridgements. And since I'd been planning to pitch a series...I finally went through with it. And now I have the abridgements and the series.

Jan Fields: Now, I happened to know this writer but see..I fumbled the ball way back when I thought about it but didn't do anything. If she hadn't practically HANDED me a job, I would probably have motored on and never thought about it again. So it was a case of getting the idea from someone else's good news. Then not doing anything (shame shame on me). Then having someone shove me into the connection.

Jan Fields: Thus, I heartily recommend two things: 1. If you have an idea, act on it -- don't be a slug like me. 2. Be friendly with other writers. Be interested in them. Make friends widely. Help anyone you can. You never know when it can turn around and result in very nice things for you.

LindaK: When writing a fictional magazine story verses picture book what are the important differences? For example the use of 'senses' and 'showing, not telling' are important to a piece for a magazine but picture books have illo's and this changes things. I just never know how much 'sense' and 'show' to add or delete. I'm asking this because some time back I read an article by an editor who stated that novice writers use far too much 'show' when writing picture books.

Jan Fields: Writers use too much visual sensory impressions. The visuals are all handled by the illustrator. But you can still show....just think about what you can bring that isn't visual. Sound, smell, texture, movement...those are things the illustrator cannot do. So focus on action and on those sensory details your illustrator won't bring to the writing.

Jan Fields: One excellent way to see how this works is to check out a pile of RECENT picture books. Type the text into your word processor like a manuscript. Then highlight places where the writer did the "showing." What kind of showing did he/she do?

Jan Fields: For example, CLICK CLACK MOO is filled with sound showing. And OWL MOON has this lovely bit of showing: "Somewhere behind us a train whistle blew, long and low, like a sad, sad song."

Jan Fields: So, don't hesitate to SHOW, just don't use your EYES...showing doesn't just mean what you see. It's what you experience with all your senses. Showing is smelling, feeling, hearing. And in a picture book it's also DOING. If your character stuffs his little brother in a cardboard box for shipping to Singapore, that's showing that would work in a picture book. If your character stuffs his little brother in a big cardboard box with one loose flap and a squashed down side -- that's showing that is too visual.

Jan Fields: If the box wiggled and woggled and rustled around. <-- That's showing that would work for a picture book.
If the box sat on the soft blue carpet in the family room. <-- That's showing that is too visual.
See the difference?

Jan Fields: For more on picture books vs. magazine stories...I've pontificated here: http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws06/whatisit.shtml

Chorus: Thanks for all these answers.

Jan Fields: Thanks for all these questions.