Showing posts sorted by relevance for query rejection. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query rejection. Sort by date Show all posts

August 12, 2013

Conflict

KIT receives more fiction than nonfiction.  I guessing authors believe it’s easier to write and to get published.  But that’s not necessarily true.  If authors fail to incorporate believable conflict in their fiction, they will probably have a harder time finding a market for their work.  

In a recent fiction submission, conflict was present, but misplaced.  The main character, a young boy, didn’t face a problem.  Instead, he learns of a tragedy through his parents.  After listening to his folk’s plan to help the victims, he too, decides to assist.  The young boy acts nobly, which sends a terrific message to readers.  But since true conflict is missing, the ending becomes predictable.

For fiction, conflict must touch the main character in a meaningful way.  Consequently, the stakes are raised and we care about the main character.  In this story, the author could have placed the child closer to the tragedy and had him personally affected.  This would have helped readers become more emotionally connected to the young boy as he learns to tackle the problem.  

Whether the story is for children or adults, all fiction must contain conflict.  Below is a conflict check list when writing for kids:

Present the conflict early in the story to hook your readers.
Create a meaningful conflict which directly affects the main character. 
Choose a conflict that kids can relate to.  
Build on conflict to create tension and suspense.
Have main characters solve the conflict themselves without any help from adults.

When you have provided a deeply personal conflict for the main character, then you have hit on advancing the plot and creating an emotional connection to your story.  Editors are keenly aware of the necessity and the prospects of good conflict.  When it is properly crafted, they won’t reach for a rejection slip.  They’ll be eager to keep on reading.  







November 25, 2013

Attention Span and Word Count

You probably know that most children have short attention spans.  When I volunteer to read in the Children's Garden at The University of Kentucky Arboretum, this becomes amazingly apparent.  Kids fidget. They wiggle. They wander.  Though they usually stay tuned in to the first book, they start to lose interest by the second.  I try to engage them in the story by bringing the book physically closer to their faces and by becoming more animated in reading.  Regardless, some still become distracted.

We should think about attention span when we write for children.  That's why Kid's Imagination Train magazine has set a limit to 500 words for fiction and nonfiction. We want kids to stay interested.  We know that while young children love to hear stories, they must not be too long. 

But...some writers like to push the limit.  They submit pieces that go well beyond the word count.  Maybe they think an editor would not notice or would not mind a piece that runs a couple of hundred words longer. However, magazine editors do notice.  They care about the length of submissions.  Some editors can't publish longer pieces—they simply do not have the space.  While KIT has the room for longer stories or articles, a piece that goes over word count has to be exceptional.  Specifically, a longer piece has to be totally engaging and fast paced.

Most publications request that word count be listed on the first page of your manuscript. So why take the chance of submitting a piece that exceeds word count?  All an editor has to do is merely glance at the length of your story before reading it and cringe or worse, send a rejection. When she sees that you've stretched the word count, she may be thinking:  what other guidelines has this author failed to observe? 

In most cases, it is in your best interest to follow the suggested word count as specified in the guidelines. Since older children are capable of longer periods of attention, word count is usually longer.  But when you write for young children, stories and articles must be short.  And this can be challenging, but not impossible. You've got to be frugal with the words you use. You must treat them as a precious component. You must make each and every word count.  When you keep your word count to a minimum, the benefit is worth it. You will succeed in keeping a young audience engrossed and actively engaged.  

July 1, 2012

Welcome



As stated in my blog earlier this year, the Maggie Project has been completed.  I submitted my picture book Maggie and the First Grade Blues to 30 publishers and 15 agents.  I also entered the story in 5 contests.

Though it had received three awards, had been favorably critiqued, and had piqued the interest of a publisher, I’ve decided to put the story on the back burner for the time being.  I will be working on other stories that will be submitted to literary agents and editors.

The blog that will replace the Maggie Project Blog is: 
Children's Writer's World (www.childrenswritersworld.blogspot.com)
I will blog about writing projects and writer's news, offer writing advice and insights from the viewpoint of an editor and as a writer, review books, and host guest blogs—all devoted to writing for children.  Please leave a comment if you're interested in writing a guest blog or if you have suggestions for future blog posts.

Writing for children is a journey of twists and turns.  It's a path of challenges (editing, rejection, writer's block) and surprises (acceptances, publication, awards).  It's a journey that writers lovingly embrace in order to give children good stories to read and to enjoy.  I invite you to tag along.

October 22, 2012

Another Look


You submitted your picture book manuscript to an agent.  But in only a few weeks she sent a rejection.  On the bright side, she offered some useful suggestions.  So you tweaked your manuscript based on her advice.  Now you’d like to send your revision back to her for another look.  How should you approach this agent?  

Begin your email by reminding her that she has already read the manuscript.  Ask her if she’d be interested in taking another look.  Give the title.  Tell her that she had provided helpful feedback and that your work has been revised. 

In the next paragraph include the word count, the age group, if the story is a simultaneous submission, and any other distinguishing features that make the story marketable.  Then describe the story to refresh the agent’s memory.  Be sure to answer these questions:

Who is the main character?
What does the main character want and what gets in his way?
What launches the story?
What is at stake?

In the last paragraph give your bio. Close by thanking her for her time.  Remember to include your email address or contact information.

There’s no guarantee that a second look will garner a nod from an agent.  But when you approach an agent using my suggestions, you will come across more professionally.  Your letter will make an agent take notice.  And chances are she will send you a thoughtful reply.  

November 18, 2013

The Three Steps of Editing


I’ve touched on this subject before, but it bears repeating.  Before you submit work to an editor, it should be reviewed and then edited.  When I get fiction submissions for Kid's Imagination Train that lack conflict or have so much dialogue that the plot fails to move forward, I can guarantee that the writer did not edit her work. The same goes for poetry.  If a poem lacks perfect rhyme or the meter is off, I willing to bet the piece wasn't edited. 

There are three easy steps to editing:
The first step is to read your work aloud.  Come on.  No one is looking or listening.  Read what you’ve written.  How is the pace?  Does it drag in parts or does it move along like a flowing stream?  Have you chosen the perfect words or do you stumble on a few?  Is the rhythm of a poem consistent or is it choppy?   

The second step is to find someone you trust—a good friend, a spouse, an office mate, anyone who you feel would give you an honest opinion.  Listen to what they suggest.  You don’t have to follow all of their suggestions, but at least consider them.  Try them out in a revision to see if your story or article reads better. 

The third step is making the necessary changes to improve your work.  Getting an article, story, or poem right the first time is nearly impossible.  So consider putting the manuscript aside for a few days and reading it again with fresh eyes.  Then when you return to it, tweak it.  It may take multiple drafts to come up with a piece that is ready for submission.

Reading your work aloud, having someone else proof your work, and editing your work pays off.  You’ll end up with a better story or a fabulous poem.  Failure to do so will more than likely win you a rejection.  Editors have an uncanny sense of knowing if your work has been reviewed and revised.  Don’t even think you can submit without editing.  You can't fool them.  

So why take the chance of having an editor reject your work?  If you put the time to create and write for children, then take a little more time to make it the best it can be. 




July 23, 2012

Letting Work Die, All Yellow


As nonfiction editor for Stories for Children Magazine, I keep a log of all submissions.  The log is divided into months and each submission is color-coded.  Green is for a Phase I acceptance, blue is for a Phase II acceptance, and magenta is for the most-sought after Phase III acceptance.

More colors describe various points in the submission process.  Orange means the submission is still being considered.  Red is for rejection (there aren’t too many of these!) and yellow means that a Phase I or II acceptance is likely if some edits are made. 

As I glance at my log, I have many green, blue, and magenta submissions.  But I have way too many yellow submissions, the ones that need just a little editing.  And yet, most of these submissions have remained yellow for months.  Many writers don't revise and re-submit.

The yellow-highlighted submissions have promise, and I’d like to see them published. But if a writer refuses to edit, then it's a waste of time for the both of us—the author has spent time researching and writing the piece and I have spent time reading the submission and making thoughtful suggestions.

Editing is an important part of writing for children.  Most of the suggestions I make are easy to implement.  I might ask to correct grammar.  Or, I might like to see another source.  So it's hard to conceive why anyone would walk away from work that was once deemed worthy of submission.  It's a shame letting a submission "die" all yellow on my log.

June 1, 2021

friendship, friends
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Photo: Katie Treadway 
FRIENDSHIP: REAL OR FAKE  

It's hard to admit, but twenty years ago one of my friends broke my heart.  

Ellie used to invite my family to her home to celebrate Passover.  She and her husband were fun to be around and they were generous, gracious hosts.  Besides celebrating the Jewish holiday, we'd go out to dinner, to the theatre and to art shows.  At the time, I thought Ellie was my friend.  It didn't turn out that way.  

The first sign that something was not quite right cropped up when we invited Ellie and her family over for dinner.  They arrived over an hour late.  Though they apologized, my carefully planned meal turned out dry and disappointing.  Shortly after that, she called to say, "I'm a bad friend, aren't I?"

As I look back, it was her way of telling me our friendship had ended and I didn't pick up on the clue.  From then on, Ellie stopped inviting us over for Passover and out for social events.  She never returned my calls, even at a time when I had a health scare.  What made it hard was, she never felt inclined to give me an explanation.

I was crushed.  The situation weighed on me heavily.  I couldn't shake the rejection. I adored Ellie and missed her.  Then as the years flew by, it finally dawned on me that this relationship was meant to be short-lived.  It had never been destined to become what I had hoped it would be—a lasting friendship.  So, it was time to let it go of the negative feelings that were weighing me down.  But how does one let go of someone?

I suppose we all have ways of freeing pain.  For me, it happened unexpectedly on a beautiful sunny spring day.  I stepped outside and for whatever reason, I thought about Ellie.  Even though we hadn't seen each other in years, I was still troubled and hurt.  But that day, I was inspired to change the way I felt about her.  The first thing I did was to forgive her.  Then, I imagined carrying our sad little relationship in the palms of my hands.  I raised my arms to the sky and let the wind carry the pain away.  Suddenly, I felt lighter.  At peace.

Of course, I'd like to understand why Ellie cut me out of her life, but that will never happen.  We are part of the past, and not to be part of the present or future.  

It's sad to conclude that Ellie and I never shared a true friendship.  For her, it was more of a convenient connection.  Be it as it may, the situation brought into focus the true relationships that I have with other friends.  

I have friends who would never break my heart.  We care about one another and share life's joys and troubles.  We speak honestly to each other.  We can rant and rave.  We are thoughtful...and just listen.  We are patient with each other.  Most importantly, we can count on each other.  These relationships are true and have lasted and will last for many years. 

And isn't that what real friendships are all about?  

À la prochaine! 


August 23, 2018



Surprisingly audacious reflections of a humble writer


MENTORING 

I didn't plan on being a mentor.

My intention was to write nonfiction articles for children with the objective of getting them published and developing a bio.  After several years of writing and publishing for kids, I had the good fortune of landing a job as an editor.  But during this time, I noticed the children's magazine market was changing.  Magazines were closing and writers had fewer opportunities to publish.  My fellow writers and I had this sinking feeling about the publishing world. 

So, instead of complaining about the situation, I tried to change it.  I created Kid's Imagination Train ezine (KIT) an online magazine that inspires children to read and learn and gives writers a way to reach an audience.  Being the editor of KIT required deciding if submissions could be accepted for publication.  As I read manuscripts, I noticed many had the potential to be published, but the stories or articles needed revision.  Since I understood how writers longed for publication, I decided to become a mentor and show them how to improve their manuscripts. 

In the years that followed I helped a lot of writers get published; however, my very first mentee was the most memorable.  G. Smith, a wannabe published writer, needed a lot of guidance.

Whether he was writing a story or an article, he had to be taught the importance of following the writer's guidelines (the standards writers are expected to observe).  He had to learn how to use active verbs, create conflict, and perfect grammar.  In addition, he needed to understand how to format bibliographies and compose query letters.  Sometimes he got it and other times he struggled.  At times, I wondered if I was getting through to him.  Would he ever catch on?

Though he tried my patience, I applauded his persistence and pluck.  He was earnest and sincere.  There was something likeable about this writer.  Eventually, through diligence and practice he got published.  In fact, he got published in the prestigious children's magazine Highlights, which is not an easy thing to do because the editors only accept outstanding writing.

How did I learn of this achievement?

It's been close to ten years since our initial contact, and we still stay in touch.  Every so often, he drops me a line just to say hello.  He writes to ask me questions.  He tells me about his writing accomplishments and his goals.

Not long ago, he mentioned that he showed my Facebook picture to his mom.  Wow, I guess I really do rate with some people.  I wonder what he told her?

"Hey Mom, here's the lady who marks up all of my manuscripts."

But maybe it's "This is the lady who never gave up on me."

Occasionally, G. Smith shares his rejection letters with me, which is pretty brave.  I know of no one who shares their rejections.  It's so personal.  And yet when he sends one to me, I try to encourage him to persevere because if you want to call yourself a writer, that's what you have to do.

Though I've been mentoring writers for a long time, I never tire of giving writers a helping hand.  Most of them genuinely want to invest the time to learn the craft.  However, there are others who get offended if they are asked to revise.  They have an attitude.  They believe their work is perfect as is.  They have yet to learn that editing + editing + editing = publication.

After all this time, G. Smith is remarkably disciplined.

He edits his work.

He continues to develop skills to reach a wider audience.

Most of all, he never gives up.

G. Smith understands what it means to be a writer.

And I couldn't be more proud.


CWW is published twice a month.

À la prochaine! 










July 12, 2018



 Surprisingly audacious reflections of a humble writer 



THE DEADLIEST CRAB 


"Want to go crab fishing?" asks my husband.

That's my cue to join him to watch an episode of the Deadliest Catch.  Or as I like to call it, the Deadliest Crab.

Deadliest Catch follows six sea captains and their crew as they hunt for elusive Alaskan crab.  Viewers can always count on drama.  Sea captains battle:
  • arctic storms with hurricane-force winds and 40 foot waves
  • ice floes
  • snow blindness
  • crew management 
  • accidents that cause serious injury or death 
  • fatigue
  • health issues (back issues and conditions brought on by stress)
  • equipment failure which may lead to fires, oil leaks, power outage, or loss of steering 

Deadliest Crab
On top of all that, the captain must find crab. That's tricky because radar doesn't detect crabs resting upon the bottom of the sea. 

Many captains must rely on intuition to locate the crab.  Others refer to logs which indicate the location and numbers of crabs caught in years gone by.  And captains will use  devices that mimic the sound of a crab-feeding frenzy or rely on smelly crab farts to lead them to rich crab grounds.



Crab fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.  It seems like once a season, Deadliest Catch airs footage of the United States Coast Guard searching for crewmen of capsized vessels or retrieving injured fishermen from a deck—a feat in itself as swimmers lower a rescue basket from a helicopter through rough wind onto a rocking ship.

Sea captain Josh Harris says, "It's not a sport for the weak or the weak-minded."

From time to time, a little levity peppers the show with the crew pulling silly pranks like filling a fisherman's boots with water and then freezing them or moving a captain's boat (unbeknownst to him) to another dock.

When an episode gets bloody
however, (say like when a steel crane smashes a forehead) or gross (or when a wound is lanced or part of a finger is lost), I'll look away while my husband replays the scene to be sure he hadn't missed any gore.

I may have writely challenges (marketing Maggie, submitting to agents, producing Kid's Imagination Train, writing two blogs) but these are nothing compared to fishing the Bering Sea.

Writing for children is demanding (ask any children's author) but it's not usually deadly.  With writing, you may face rejection, but you don't run the risk of getting bloody and gory...

and you never have to be on the lookout for crab farts.  

CWW is published twice a month.

À la prochaine! 



December 19, 2012

Guidelines/Requirements

In a recent post, I blogged about three of my pet peeves:  improperly formatted bibliographies, submissions that fail to follow the guidelines, and rushed revisions. Let’s focus on pet peeve number two:  submissions that ignore the guidelines.  

Not that long ago, I received a fiction submission for my new blog the Kid’s Imagination Train  http://kidsimaginationtrain.blogspot.com/.  When I glanced at the word count, I cringed.  It was not just a little over the word limit, it was grossly over the word count. The submission was 2800 words.  KIT requires a 500-word count for stories and articles.  Now, I don’t get me wrong.  I don't get bent out of shape if a story or article exceeds word count and runs to about 600 words or so, but anything longer will probably earn a rejection. This author either failed to read the guidelines or chose to ignore them.  

Kid's Imagination Train guidelines are in place for a reason:  we respect our young audience.  Since the age group for KIT is for children ages 5 -12, this article would be too long to hold their attention.  

Writer's guidelines are not a set of rules open to interpretation.  They are policies a publication expects you to follow. So, my husband and trusted adviser offered me a suggestion—change the "writers and illustrators guidelines" to "writers and illustrators requirements."  Perfect!  I made the necessary change to KIT's home page.  This should clear up any ambiguities concerning word count and other submission rules.  But only time will tell.  Hopefully, writers will submit as required. And if they do, I will most likely strike pet peeve number 2 off the pet peeve list. 

August 1, 2017

Invaluable Advice

Children's Writer's World warmly welcomes a guest post by writer and blogger Jennifer Prevost.


I love it when my friends politely ask, “so how’s that whole writing thing going?” It means a lot that they check, even though I know they don’t ‘get it.’  They wouldn’t understand, but I think you will, even though I don’t have a whole lot to show for it... it’s going great! 

Let me start from the beginning.  One hot summer afternoon a story was born about a little boy named Nathan.  It was one of those moments of pure, energizing inspiration, and the official start to my kid lit journey.  

          For the first eight months, his story was written in rhyme.  In fact, all my early stories were.  Rhyme was the only option I gave myself.  My mantra was “I love rhyme; I can rhyme; I will rhyme,” despite all the signs pointing to the contrary and by signs, I mean, everything I read and two freelance editors advising against it. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a better than average rhymer, but I was in over my head and I didn’t even know it.  Those months are by no means a waste, because I learned a tremendous amount, but I was stubborn. Finally, on April 20, sometime after I was lucky enough to cross paths with Randi, I found the courage to ask for her input.  Guess what she said? Drop the rhyme.  The difference was, I heard it.  I consider that day to be a game changer for me.  I did it, I dropped the rhyme, and forced myself headfirst into my scariest writing adventure to date... writing in prose. 

Since then, my writing has improved dramatically and I’ll be forever grateful for the nudge in the right direction.  Here’s the kicker, the real lesson in it wasn’t that I needed to write in prose.  The real lesson was that I needed to get away from what felt safe and familiar.  I needed the leap of faith that came with making that decision.  I hadn’t ever written in prose, and I didn’t even know if I could.  It was uncomfortable, awkward and difficult. 

Between the versions in rhyme, and my many drafts in prose, I’ve made every text book mistake that novice writers make.  I’ve earned myself rejection letters and a fair amount of creative conflict.  The good news? I can speak the language now.  I have a critique group and critique partners who are quickly becoming dear friends.  I have a few manuscripts that are (nearly) submission-ready.  When I started out, I didn’t have any experience or knowledge on writing picture books.  I do now.  One of the favorite parts of my writing adventure: being a member of the book launch team for Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show-and-Tell.  It’s a wonderful thing, getting to return the favor and celebrate Randi’s success. 

The moral of my story: If you feel yourself stuck in a writing rut, or find yourself hearing advice that feels repetitive, do yourself a favor and try something different.  Take a written leap of faith! There’s a good chance that a different path will hold opportunities you couldn’t have imagined for yourself.  You deserve that chance, and your story does, too. 

Jennifer Prevost is a wife, mom and picture book author of the pre-published variety.  For her entire life, she dreamed of seeing her words in print.  Like so many others, picture books are where she first fell in love with the reading. These days she dreams of creating stories that will help children discover the magic that exists within the pages of a book. Her blog, Magnolias & Manuscripts https://magnoliasandmanuscripts.wordpress.com/  provides an outlet for the energy and anticipation that come with chasing a dream and chronicles her journey (hopefully) all the way to published. 






October 28, 2013

Tenacity

How much perseverance do you have?  Do you throw in the towel after receiving a rejection? Do you easily give up when the writing muse fails to show up?  Do you quit because you don’t have the time to write?  Being a writer is not for the faint-hearted.  But with anything we desire to succeed at, whether it’s writing or tackling something new or difficult, we must keep on trying. For example... 

 

With a little more time on my hands since my daughter started her freshman year at college, I looked into taking a French class.  I had enjoyed the subject in high school and had always wanted to learn more.  This summer after corresponding with the teacher at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington Kentucky, I learned that she wanted me to take a beginning level class.  She expected students to buy the workbook and read through it before class started in the fall.  But when I opened the pages and began to do some of the exercises, it was way over my head.  So many rules and exceptions.  How would I ever be able to learn French?  I seriously thought about not taking the class.

 

But curiosity won me over and I decided to give it a try.  To my delight, the teacher was fun and the lesson was easy and enjoyable; however, since class size was too small, the teacher moved our session to a different day (and a more advanced class).  This class was taught almost entirely in French, so I got about 50% out of what was taught.  It was intimidating and challenging.  Luckily the following week, the teacher announced that a beginner’s class would re-open now that she had more participants.  Thank goodness, hallelujah!  Here, the pace would be slower and the information easier to grasp. 


But...what if I had given up?  What if I had not tried the upper level class?  Would I have even heard of the new beginner’s class?  My dream of learning more French might have been squashed.  So, I’m glad I stuck with it.  I guess you could call it tenacity.     


And that is what writers need when facing hardships or a challenge.  We get rejections; we stare at a blank page waiting for inspiration; we face critique partners who tell us that our manuscript needs more work.  Yet through it all, we must be tenacious. We must find the courage to continue writing despite the roadblock that stands in our way.  We know that sometimes this very roadblock will steer us to another path that will lead to success. To writers, giving up is not an option.  The only option for success is to persevere.