March Newsletter
No, I Haven’t Queried Yet
Last month, I shared that I had left my agent in search of a more editorial one. I thought reentering the query trenches would be as easy as picking a manuscript (whichever my “best” manuscript was), and going for it.
I was wrong. It’s not easy, and I haven’t started querying yet.
The manuscript I thought I’d query is the one that landed my agent in 2019, but opening it back up, I immediately discovered how much work I needed to do on it. I could’ve sworn it was better than it is! (I laugh. I cry). About a week ago, I set to work revising abut got stuck after only about 60 pages.
So then I think, maybe I’ll query the softball book. The problem is that sports books aren’t an easy sell. No niche YA books are. I know that, and I knew it when I decided to write it. That one needs probably one more draft before beta readers, but instead of moving forward with that (despite the odds), I spent my time editing the other book. I’m just… overwhelmed. I don’t know what to do, so I’m doing nothing.
Well, I’m not doing nothing. I’ve been editing my BUTT off. Without a doubt, 2023 was an amazing year for me, but I’m on track to more than double my editing income in 2024. And how does one double one’s income? One doubles one’s work. I keep thinking I’ll find a window of time to work on my own writing, but I keep spending my professional time on all of you beloved writers. Don’t get me wrong, I have no ragrets (not even one letter), but it’s keeping me busy!
I’ll do it eventually. I’m not scared or anything, but I am trying to be patient so that I can put my best foot forward when I do finally send out some queries. I only get one chance at a first impression, and the reality is that there’s no hurry, no deadline. I’ll get there. I just ain’t there yet.
Tips for Titling Your Manuscript
Someone in the RevPit subreddit asked for tips on how to come up with a killer title for your manuscript, and I said I’d do a Twitter thread on it. But instead of doing that, I’m going to do it here for my newsletter subscribers because you are more precious to me than those who do not subscribe to this very helpful newsletter that costs zero dollars :)
Here are six tips for titling your manuscript:
Do it Last - I’m a huge fan of waiting until I’ve finished the book to title it. Often, our vision for our book will become something entirely different by the time we finish writing it. No need to shoehorn a book toward a working title. Just leave it untitled until the end.
Meet Genre Expectations - Your book needs to sound like it belongs on the bookshelf next to similar books. If you’re writing a thriller, for example, it should be suspenseful and/or mysterious. Romance titles should convey emotional depth or intimacy. Fantasy titles should sound grand and magical, Sci-Fi titles should sound futuristic or techy, and Historical titles should (subtly or overtly) reference the era in which they’re set. And so on…
Think Theme - What’s the message of your book? On a deeper level, what’s the book really about? Not only do themes often sound big and strong and interesting, but they also give readers a hint about what they should be looking for in the characters and plot.
Pull from Dialogue or Narration - You know darn well you’ve got some zingers in your book. If you’ve got something quotable, punchy, or memorable, use it!
Follow Tried-and-True Formulas - Certain types of titles have flat-out proven to work. In YA Fantasy, for example, the formula: “A __ of __ and __” is so common that it’s almost humorous. You also can try “The X of Y,” “X and Y,” or “The Adjective Noun.” I’ve also seen a lot of “Character Name and the __,” which also works well. Rom-coms right now are absolutely silly with love puns, and anything with a number in it tends to stand out. You also can’t go wrong with a little alliteration!
Does it Pass “The Google Test”? If you were to google your title, would it show up on the first page of search results? Think a little about branding and marketing down the road and make sure your title is unique enough to own its Google search.
Are there other ways to title a successful book? Of course. But if you’re stuck, one of these tips should help!
Learning Storytelling from Oscar Nominees
Every year, I watch all the Acamedy-nominated movies for Best Picture, Best Actress (lead and supporting), Best Actor (lead and supporting), and Best Director. This year, I’ve seen them all except Poor Things, which I’ll get to as soon as it hits streaming.
I thought it would be a fun exercise to look into what I learned about storytelling from a few of my favorites. Film and literature don’t always translate, but good stories are good stories. Here’s what I learned from this year’s Oscar nominees (SPOILER WARNING!):
Barbie - I know the Academy has gotten a lot of grief for nominating Ken but not Barbie or the film’s female director, but Ken is a great example of how a relatively straightforward antagonist can still be complicated. He goes from wanting only to please Barbie, to learning he’s capable of more, only to (eventually) find his real place in the world. He’s not a detestable villain in himself, but the system that he represents is pretty easy to dislike, so there’s depth on a symbolic level with him, too. Loved the social commentary in his heel turn. Layers, friends! Layers!
Oppenheimer - This is a great example of how good things happen when you tell a story from the right point of view. Instead of telling this story in 3rd-person, Christopher Nolan tells is it 1st-person so we not only get the story of how the atomic bomb came to be, but we get to experience the moral complexity of the person responsible for it. Cillian Murphy was awesome in this (he’s awesome in everything), but a bit part of the emotional punch comes from telling the story from the right perspective.
Anatomy of a Fall - What a testament to the power of ambiguity! You could never get away with a story like this in commercial fiction (spoiler alert—you never do find out how the guy really died). That said, this movie was tense, in large part because it keeps asking more and bigger questions about and from its characters as the story moves on. Keeping readers in the dark on big mysteries is a great way to keep them turning pages. In books, though, you’re probably going to need to find a way to explain whodunnit.
The Holdovers - Perfect case study for character arcs. Both of the main characters start in one place and then, through their relationship throughout the film, end up someplace completely different. Da’Vine Joy Randolph (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) is not a minor character and even she gets herself a satisfying arc. If you watch this, pay attention to where these characters are at the start of the story, then watch how masterfully they gradually tranform through their experiences.
Past Lives - I can’t stop thinking about this movie. It’s maybe the realest romance I’ve ever seen, even though it doesn’t end with Happily Ever After or even Happy For Now. This movie proves that there’s plenty of love to explore in a story where the couple doesn’t end up together. Someone could’ve ruined this, insisted they kiss romantically in the rain at the end, but instead this right-person/wrong-time serves as the groundwork for romance in lives to come.
Maestro - I didn’t care for the movie. It was lovely but vapid. Nothing to say other than, “Who abandoned Snoopy in the vestibule?” What a line!
Here Comes RevPit!
In case you missed it, RevPit editors were announced last month, and of course I am among those giving away a free developmental edit. If you haven’t checked out our subreddit yet, you should, especially because I’ll be doing a live Meet the Editor session the evening of Wednesday, March 6th.
Some other RevPit dates you can mark on your calendar:
March 14-17 - The submission window opens. You’ve got a little over two weeks to get your submission package together if you’d like to enter!
Tuesday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m. - I’ll be conducting an “Ask Editor” session on the subreddit, where I’ll be live answering everyone’s questions about book stuff!
April 15 - Winners are announced.
If you’d like to know more about this contest, check out the RevPit website, but we’re in the thick of it now. It’s happening!
What I’ve Been Reading
A Storm of Infinite Beauty, by Julianna MacLean
Whew. What a book! It hovers somewhere between book club fiction and commercial romance, but it’s a story within a story that kicks ass on both ends. Mysterious and engaging throughout, it’s everything I love in a good book. Gorgeous prose, top-notch interiority, and a plot that leaves just enough breadcrumbs and pays off in the end. Definitely recommend this one.
Coyote Lost and Found, by Dan Gemeinhart
Easily my favorite middle-grade book of all time, The Incredible Journey of Coyote Sunrise now has a sequel, and I’ve been dying to read it since picking up a galley last November at NCTE. Coyote and her father Rodeo (those names!) are two of the most interesting and likable characters I’ve ever encountered, and the voice in this one is just as great as the voice in the first one. This book makes me no less of a huge fan. Coyote Lost and Found has tons—metric, friggin’ tons—of heart.
West with Giraffes, by Lynda Rutledge
Well, I thought there would be more giraffes, for one, but despite starting a little slow, this one got better the longer I read it. It’s based on the true story of driving two giraffes from New York to the San Diego Zoo in the 1930s, before manufacture of highways or any guarantee of safe travel. End result: liked it a lot. More than I thought would after the first 20% of the book.
Thanks for reading! If you’re new here, don’t forget to subscribe, and please share with any other writer buddies you think may benefit.
Hugs and high fives,
-JB