Blog – Page 66 – Lyndsey Hall

In the query trenches

Hello lovely folks! As you’ve probably come to expect, I’m going to focus my post today on the stage of the writing/publishing process that I am currently at, which this time around is querying.

My querying journey began back in October, after a little over a year of plotting, drafting, editing and polishing (read: procrastinating) my first novel. After entering Pitch Wars and not getting chosen, I didn’t have any more excuses to put off querying, so I decided to bite the bullet and jump into the trenches.

Crafting your query

As part of the Pitch Wars submission requirements, I had to have a query letter prepared, so I already had mine ready to go. If you’re just starting to think about writing your query letter, one of the best explanations I found for how to write a killer query came from bestselling author of Truthwitch, Susan Dennard’s blog:

Fortunately, as part of the PW community, I had the opportunity to share my query with hundreds of fellow writers and get a few opinions and suggestions (also known as critiques). It’s just as crucial to have a polished query as it is to have your manuscript at its absolute best, so once you’ve drafted your letter ask a few writer friends to give it a once over, or post in one of the many amazing Facebook groups for writers and see if anyone would be willing to take a look. A few of the writing groups I’m in that have been invaluable for support and advice are:

Your Write Dream (Kristen Kieffer)
Edit & Repeat (Zoe Ashwood)
#PITCHWARRIORS (Morgan Hazelwood)
PW Query Team! (Morgan Hazelwood)

Writing a synopsis

Most agents request a synopsis along with your query letter and sample chapters, and the usual format is one page, single spaced. The key difference between a synopsis and a query letter is whilst the query doesn’t give away the ending of your story, the synopsis does. Again, the best explanation for how to write an amazing synopsis that I found was from Susan Dennard, this time on the Publishing Crawl website:

How to write a one page synopsis

Researching agents

Now your submission materials are ready to go, the next step is to make a list of the agents you want to query, their submission guidelines and contact information. As I’m in the UK, I use Lit Rejections list of UK literary agents to find out who accepts my genre (Young Adult), and where I can find them online. Websites and Twitter accounts are really handy resources for learning more about an agent, their tastes and what they’re looking for. Don’t just rely on the list sites as you never know how up to date a particular site may be, always check the agency website in case an agent has moved, or their preferences or submission guidelines aren’t correct.

Other places you can research agents include the #MSWL hashtag on Twitter or the Manuscript Wishlist website, Query Tracker and Publisher’s Marketplace.

I keep a spreadsheet of all the agents I want to query, with columns for the agency name, the agent’s name, email address or submission website, submission guidelines, when I sent the query and whether/when they responded. I highlight the agents green when I send a query, and red when I receive a rejection, as well as putting the dates in, so I can see at a glance how many queries are still out.

Sending your query

A few tips to make sure you’re not rejected immediately, before the agent even reads your sample chapters:

Don’t paste the email address into the recipient box until you’re ready to send, that way you can never accidentally send a half-typed email.
Use the agent’s name and make sure you spell it correctly! (Simple, but effective.)
Triple check you’ve met the submission guidelines before clicking send – you can’t take it back once it’s winging its way through cyberspace.
Make sure you’ve formatted your pages and synopsis correctly – single-spaced, one-page synopsis, double spaced pages with indentations at every new paragraph, except the first of a chapter/scene.
Give everything one last read through before sending, I’ve seen agents say a misspelling or two in a query won’t put them off but it’s better to not give them any excuse, especially when the slush pile is huge. You want them to want to keep reading!

Expect rejection

We’ve all read stories of authors who bagged an agent within a week of starting to send queries, but the truth is that most agented authors sent over a hundred queries before they finally found their match. Rejection is a necessary part of the publishing journey, unfortunately, so get comfortable with the word no and don’t take it personally when your carefully crafted query receives a less than enthusiastic response.

One of my very first queries received an almost immediate rejection at 11pm because the agent didn’t accept YA. I’d been reading the bios of a couple of agents from the same agency and gotten muddled – well it was late and I’d probably been researching for hours. So that was a pretty embarrassing faux pas, but we all make mistakes and you’re unlikely to come out of this query trench without a few teensy snaffoos of your own!

This week, I received my first real rejections (I don’t count my little error as a real query) after starting to send queries back in October, and I couldn’t be happier! As my Dad said when I told him, despite some mild confusion as to why I was so excited to receive a rejection email, “You’ve got to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince”. The first was a form rejection, but the second was personal and stated that my submission had stood out amongst the many they received. Unfortunately, they just weren’t enthusiastic enough to represent my novel, but they wished me luck with it. It doesn’t get much more positive than that as a rejection!

And that’s where I am on my query journey, one step closer to finding the right agent who will fall in love with my book and want to represent me and it on the long road towards getting published. Fingers crossed 2018 is my year!

Where are you on the query journey, just starting out or deep in the trenches like me? Let me know how it’s going and what your most positive rejection email has been so far. Here’s hoping we all find our agents this year – next step, publishing deals!

Lyndsey

Reading and writing goals for 2018

Hi friends, happy New Year! I hope you had a nice break over the holiday season and are looking forward to a great year ahead. At this time of year it’s customary to make some resolutions for the coming twelve months, but as most resolutions are abandoned by mid-January, I tend not to make any as it’s just setting yourself up for failure (unless you’re super dedicated and determined, which, alas, I am not). I do, however, have a few goals I’m working on and plan to continue for the rest of the year, and onwards.

Rather than the usual weight loss or new job type goals (neither of which are even thinkable right now as I’m currently 6 months pregnant – yay!), I’ve decided to make 2018 the year of self-care and mindfulness.

2017 was a challenging year for many of us, for lots of different reasons. It was definitely one of the most difficult years of my life so far, and part of that was how I dealt with things and the coping mechanisms I had in place, or rather didn’t. I struggled with bouts of depression and anxiety due to various things in my personal life, but in the last few weeks I’ve been really focusing on self-care and trying to find ways and means to improve my own well being and mental health. I want to be as strong and healthy as possible for when this little one decides to make an appearance and turn our world upside down!

Journaling

For Christmas, my beautiful soul of a sister-in-law bought me a gorgeous leather journal and a Harry Potter quill pen, which I obviously fell instantly in love with. I decided to start journaling as a way to get my thoughts and feelings out, to empty my busy mind after a long day and allow me to wind down.

As well as working through issues and negative thoughts and feelings, journaling allows you to remind yourself about all the wonderful things that have happened to you, your best memories, your favourite things and what you really like about yourself. I try to write at least two positive entries for every negative one. When I read back through my journal at the end of the year, or each month, or whenever I need a boost, I want to have more happy, uplifting entries than negative ones.

One of the key things I’m going to do this year is cut myself some slack when I don’t manage to keep to my goals, so if I don’t get around to journaling one day, or week, I’ll just start from wherever I am without beating myself up about it. I think one of the main reasons most resolutions are abandoned is because we tend to consider a slip-up as a complete failure, and we give up rather than try to persevere imperfectly. With self-care my main goal for 2018, I’m going to try and be kind to myself when I make mistakes or have minor slip-ups, in the grand scheme of things it won’t matter if I miss a day or two of journaling, it will matter if I manage to continue over the course of the year or even longer. It’s a new habit I’m trying to form, not a short-term fad, and I’m already feeling the benefits of getting my thoughts down on paper regularly.

Reading

I fell a little behind on my Goodreads reading challenge in 2017, I had set my goal at 36 books and I think I managed 30, which is still several more than I managed the previous year so I’m proud of what I achieved, but I decided to readjust my goal for 2018. What with Baby Hall arriving sometime in early April, I doubt I’ll be able to improve on 30 so I’ve set myself a goal of 24 books. With my Audible membership I’m sure I can manage that, 12 audio books and 12 paperbacks sounds reasonable, right? New mums let me know, does reading a book a month seem doable? I might have to up my membership to two audio books a month….

In the August 2017 Illumicrate subscription box I got a Book Jar, which is a glass jar with a slit in the lid like a money jar, and I’ve filled it with slips of paper with the titles of books on my TBR to help me decide which book to read next. I’ve got at least ten unread books sitting on my shelf, and three audio books waiting in my Audible library, so that’s plenty to go on for now. Some of the books I own and haven’t gotten round to yet are:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Rebel of the Sands by Alywn Hamilton
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Truth or Dare by Non Pratt
The Waking Land by Callie Bates
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Which should I read first?

Writing

I attempted NaNoWriMo in November, but only managed around 10k, so I’ve got another 60k at least before my new WIP (Cockle Shells & Silver Bells) is even a completed first draft. Not only that, but I’ve been besieged by a new plot bunny for a YA historical fantasy inspired by Burke and Hare (tentatively titled The Resurrectionist) and it’s taking everything I’ve got to not abandon my current WIP and just write the new story.

My main writing goal for 2018 is to end up with a finished first draft of CS&SB, and if I manage that I’ll be absolutely chuffed. I don’t expect to get even a first round of edits done, let alone have something ready to send to my beta readers, but if I do that would be amazing. I’m pretty sure I’ll be far too busy and preoccupied to do any more than a few thousand words of writing, but I’m going to give it a try, and not give myself a hard time if I get to the end of 2018 without adding a single word to my WIP.

So those are my goals for 2018: journal every day, read 24 books and finish the first draft of my WIP. What are your goals for the new year ahead? I’d love to hear what you’re working towards and how you’re planning to make 2018 a fantastic year for you, let me know in the comments.

Lyndsey

My top five books of 2017

Hello! Well, November wasn’t the best month for writing, I didn’t win NaNoWriMo, in fact I only managed to crack 10k (which is an achievement in itself and I’m still pretty pleased with my progress). I’m attempting my first contemporary YA novel so it’s not flowing as easily as a fantasy maybe would, I’ve thrown in a few fantastical elements (because, why not) but I’m really trying to get the vibe right and it’s just a bit slower going than I’m used to.

But enough about my Nano fail, you’re here for my top five books of 2017! I’m cheating a little bit here, these aren’t all 2017 new releases, but books I’ve personally read this year and loved. So, if you’re looking for the perfect gift for a book lover check out these fabulous reads, and you might even get them a little cheaper because they’re not brand new! (You’re welcome.)

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (2017)

Let’s start with my Book of the Year 2017, the dreamy, magical and brutal Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. If you’re a Laini fan already and loved the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, you’ll adore this new novel in her signature style of YA fantasy (and the sequel is coming in 2018!).

Lazlo Strange is a librarian who, after years of reading about incredible adventures in far off lands, finally gets to go on one (every book lover’s dream). A war between gods and men years ago left an entire generation of orphans, all given the surname Strange as a permanent reminder of their status, and resulted in an entire city disappearing into legend, known only as Weep, as the memory if its true name is erased from history.

Lazlo dreams of a blue-skinned goddess, but he doesn’t discover his true destiny until a mythical hero named Godslayer arrives and Lazlo is whisked away on the journey of a lifetime.

It’s beautiful, captivating and utterly, utterly heartbreaking. You’re going to love it! (Don’t @ me when you’re a broken heap of feels.)

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (2017)

Looking for a hilarious historical romp across Europe? You’ve come to the right place. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is the funniest book I’ve read all year, but it’s also touching and heartwarming with a diverse cast of awesome characters.

Monty (a.k.a. Henry Montague) is the son of an English aristocrat, a loveable rogue, and completely in love with his best friend, Percy. After getting kicked out of boarding school for one transgression too many, Monty’s father sends him on a tour of Europe as a last ditch attempt to “straighten” him out before grooming him to take over the family business. Percy and Monty’s sister, Felicity tag along for what turns into a thrilling race against time across the continent.

The characters in this novel are some of the most inclusive and diverse I’ve ever come across in one single story. Percy is an epileptic, which was very misunderstood during this time period, and not only that but he’s dark-skinned and constantly assumed to be a servant despite his noble status. Felicity falls somewhere on the asexual/aromantic spectrum, and Monty is gay, which was illegal and considered a sin at the time (not least by Monty’s father).

If you’re looking for a funny and gripping historical read, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Nevernight (2016) & Godsgrave (2017) by Jay Kristoff

Can’t get enough of bloody, brutal fantasy? Pick up the Nevernight series by Jay Kristoff! It doesn’t get darker or more satisfyingly murderous than this.

Read my spoiler free review for Nevernight.

Mia Corvere is out for revenge, the kind that’s best served cold. After watching her father hanged for treason after a failed rebellion against the corrupt government, her mother and baby brother were thrown into the Philosopher’s Stone – a terrifying prison built into a mountainside. Mia is taken in and trained up by a cranky old antiques dealer with a secret life as a hired killer. Years later she’s finally ready to be inducted into the most brutal school for assassins in the Republic – the Red Church.

Like Hogwarts, but for murderers, the Red Church is a hidden sect that trains young assassins in the many skills necessary to be an elite killer. With only two Blade positions available, every student is out to win and every day could be Mia’s last. Can she achieve her lifelong goal of becoming a Blade of the Red Church and avenging her father’s death by killing the two officials who ordered it?

This is a super dark, sexy and graphic series, jam-packed with jaw-dropping fantasy elements and shocking twists and turns. Don’t expect a YA friendly experience, despite the protagonist’s young age, but if you’re OK with steamy sex scenes and visceral torture and murder then you’ve found your perfect series.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (2011)

Fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle or The Wolves of Mercy Falls, if you haven’t read The Scorpio Races you are missing out. This is my official favourite Stiefvater book, it’s a standalone fantasy about flesh-eating water horses and the jockeys who race them every November.

Read my spoiler free review of The Scorpio Races.

Puck is an orphan with two brothers and a family home she won’t let them lose just because the island of Thisby is tiny and there are no jobs to be had. Sean is a talented horse racer with a winning capaill uisce (water horse) and a famous father whose name weighs heavy on his shoulders. When November rolls around again, both enter the Scorpio Races in the hopes of winning the prize money. But catching, training and riding a water horse isn’t easy, in fact every year in November someone dies. But who will survive, and who will win the coveted prize money and escape their personal prison?

The magical elements in this book are so well crafted and blended into the plot that you could almost believe them to be real. The capaill uisce don’t seem so incredible, the strange belief system held by the residents of the island isn’t as unusual as it might be in the hands of another author. Stiefvater’s skills at blending reality and fantasy come into the fore in this novel, forming a background to the most important part of any of her stories – the characters and their relationships with one another. The Scorpio Races combines the believable fantasy elements of Shiver with the essence of friendship and individuality from The Raven Boys. Read it and fall in love with Thisby and her complicated inhabitants.

And I Darken by Kiersten White (2016)

Alternate history? Check. Gender bent? Check. Diverse? Check. And I Darken is a twisted retelling of the Vlad the Impaler legend with Ladislav (Lada, for short) in the lead role as the Daughter of the Dragon.

Read my spoiler free review of And I Darken.

Lada and her brother Radu are dragged from their home in Wallachia and abandoned in the Ottoman court by their father. A born fighter, Lada takes to training like a fish to water and soon makes a name for herself amongst the soldiers. Radu, on the other hand, is softer and gentler, with a natural charm that Lada envies. The Dragwyla children are schooled alongside the sultan’s son, Mehmed, forming bonds that are tested and broken and mended over the years in dozens of ways. Because Mehmed and his father are the enemy, and both Lada and Radu must fight their feelings if they are ever to return to Wallachia and their father’s kingdom.

We’ve all heard the Dracula legend several times, and this is yet another version, but with such an exciting new take on the original as to feel like a completely new story. A female Vlad the Impaler is a fascinating concept, especially as women were considered more like property than people in this historical setting. White’s Lada is a feisty, independent and complicated character, and she isn’t always likeable, which only makes me love her more. I cannot wait to read the sequel, Now I Rise, which came out this summer, and find out how Lada becomes the legendary leader and brutal killer we all recognise from the history books.

And those are my five favourite books of 2017! Have you read any of these? Let me know which was your favourite book of the year in the comments.

There’s still a couple of weeks left of 2017, and I’m currently reading Leigh Bardugo’s The Language of Thorns, which is a collection of fairy tales and fables from her Grishaverse, and a very festive read for this time of year! I haven’t quite managed to read my yearly target of 36 books, I’ll be at 30 once I finish my current read, but that’s still a massive improvement on last year’s 22 books, so I’m counting it as a win.

Have an absolutely fantastic holiday season, however you choose to celebrate, and I’ll see you in 2018!

Lyndsey