The greatest challenge to having a blog is remembering to post on it every day. Oh well. If you have questions or comments you'd like to share, please, have at it. At some point I may create a routine that allows for more frequent postings of questions or challenges (and possible solutions) all of you face on your way toward becoming public.

Thanks to all of you who have bravely entered your manuscript first pages into the January contest. Really interesting stories and strong first paragraphs. Most will motivate the reader (agent) to turn the page and keep reading to find out "what happens next?" Please drop into the tele-chat (or listen to the recording) on January 27th when we'll be discussing the winning first paragraphs and why they worked. Might even have a chance for some folks to read their first paragraphs and receive on-the-spot evaluation from me.  For more information go to the Tele-chat classroom listed on the main directory. 

Whew! Despite hitches and glitches and thumps along the way, the Online Academy, helping writers become authors, is well underway. Unfinished classrooms will stay that way, for the time being. Had no idea it would take six weeks of non-stop effort to combine websites and set up something new, different and useful. I do love the technology that enables me to teach in this new venue, even though the differences in language, English vs CyberSpeak, create challenges of understanding. My mantra continues to be, technology is my friend, technology is my friend, etc. etc. (And, as one friend pointed out, a slight typo changes friend into "fiend." HAHAHA!
Lots of fun stuff coming up in January, including a new contest on the manuscript first paragraph, followed up by a Wizard chat with any and all of you readers. Hope you can drop by. I'm constantly amazed at how bright all of you are, and what varied stories (topics) you have created. Here's to an exciting and fruitful 2010. May all your publishing dreams begin, or come true.

Last November I offered free query letter evaluations to members of the (former) Query Club in return for using their queries as teaching tools. Having never made this type of offer to a large group of writers, I was totally unprepared for the responses. Dozens and dozens of query letters flew into my email, reminding me of the pressure agents face every day.

It's daunting to discover an incredibly long list of queries, waiting to be read. Although the stories and projects described were diverse and fascinating, reading them required hours of time.

Welcome to AgentWorld. Every week agents read dozens, or hundreds of queries, hoping to find the next best-selling author. Small wonder they read just the first few lines, and not every line of every query. They don’t have time. (It’s rumored that some agents have lives outside of the business. They actually spend time with their kids, significant others, bowling buddies, etc.)

So, keep in mind the pressure to read to queries that agents live with every day. Do yourself (and them) a favor and write a query that helps them make a quick decision based on your fabulous writing skills and saleable manuscript.

NO, NO, AND NO! Focus on the manuscript you're introducing. Once you and your agent establish a working relationship, you can discuss your previously written manuscripts. Sometimes they can be resurrected, revised and published.

The format for a query letter is not "Emily Post Perfect." This is a business letter. Jump right into what you have to offer: story or non-fiction manuscript. No agent will care about you until they care about your manuscript. You could be an ax murderer, and if you've written a compelling manuscript, they'll be interested in representing you.

Amazingly interesting and well-written manuscript first pages are flowing into the contest. There's still time to enter if you'd like to compete to win a one-hour consultation (first prize) with me. The wining first paragraph will be discussed, along with other entries that are top notch. I'm constantly amazed at how varied and rich your stories are, and how well you (meaning contest entrants) have written first paragraphs to capture the interest of the reader (the agent), and motivate them to turn the page and keep reading to find out more about your story and what happens next.