Published articles written by Molli
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Molli Nickell, former publisher, Time-Life editor and published author, helps writers learn how to shift from "telling" to "selling" so they can shift from writer to published author. She teaches writers how to craft sales-oriented queries that generate the coveted response of, "Yes, please submit your manuscript." Her web site, www.getpublishednow.biz, offers insider information about what agents/editors/publishers want, and critiqued query letters to study.
ARTICLES
ONE: The #1 Secret of Writing a Successful Query Letter
TWO: How to Get Published 101: the three-step query letter
THREE: Boost Creativity by Befriending Your Muse
ONE
The #1 Secret of Writing a Successful Query Letter
(first published in writersinthesky)
Without a doubt, the two most feared words in any writer’s vocabulary are "query letter." That’s understandable. Writing a query letter falls into the realm of the unknown—scary territory. Yet, every writer who wants to sell their work to an agent, editor, or publisher must venture into this fearful place and write a query letter. Because they aren’t clear about the purpose of the query letter and don’t know exactly how to craft it, writers inevitably set themselves up to receive the standard rejection letter. Nobody likes rejection, particularly writers, who tend to take it personally (even though it’s not!).
In order to conquer query letter writing fear, I suggest you learn to apply the #1 Secret of writing a successful query letter. This will improve your odds of receiving the coveted response of "yes, send your manuscript," instead of the dreaded, "no thanks, not right for us."
However, there is one necessary and simple step required before you learn the #1 Secret. Give yourself a round of applause for having completed a manuscript (for a book or magazine article) that’s worthy of being published. You’ve written, re-written and polished your work until it glows in the dark. Acknowledge this huge accomplishment! Yea for you!
In order to sell your glowing manuscript to an agent, editor or publisher, you’ll need to shift gears and focus on "selling" instead of "telling." This is key to becoming a published author. If you don’t know how to sell, no problem—you can learn. You can acquire the selling skills you need. Look at what you’ve already learned to do: write words, string them together into sentences, group sentences into paragraphs, build bridges between the paragraphs and continue with this sequence until you have completed a manuscript. Pretty amazing!
Now, the #1 secret. Ask any salesperson to describe the most important aspect of approaching a prospect to sell them anything from umbrellas to diamonds to surf boards. Their response will be: speak in the terms of the prospect’s interests. In other words, tell or show them the benefits they’ll derive when they buy the product being offered. For example, the umbrella salesperson opens and closes the umbrella effortlessly while describing its strength, coverage and speedy drying time. These benefits (demonstrated and spoken) address the prospect’s bottom-line question of, "What’s in it for me?"
All agents, editors, and publisher have the same bottom line. Sales. They’re interested in manuscripts they can sell to generate profits. So, just like the umbrella salesperson, demonstrate your writing skills (in 20 seconds or less) and begin your query by leaping right into your story. In two brilliantly written paragraphs, introduce the protagonist, the challenge, the emotions of dealing with the challenge and the actions that follow. At the end of your second paragraph, leave the agent, editor, or publisher wanting to know, "what happens next?"
Every carefully chosen word in your third paragraph (about your background) further convinces the reader you’re a skillful and passionate writer with a manuscript that will generate sales. When they finish jumping up and down with excitement over having discovered a potential new talent, they’ll request to read your manuscript. Congratulations! Your query letter has fulfilled its purpose: moving your glow-in-the-dark manuscript from your desk into the hands of an interested agent, editor or publisher.
Once you’ve mastered query letter composition, you’ll enjoy the process of writing it. You’ll write queries that generate positive responses. This will propel you along a path which eventually will require the purchase of "Published Author" business cards and new luggage for your book promo tour.
TWO
How to Get Published 101: the three-step query letter
(first published as a Quamut wiki)
You’ve written, edited, and proofed your manuscript until it glows in the dark. Now what? You may be unsure about the process of marketing to an agent, editor or publisher. Although you can approach any one of these, the option with the greatest potential success is contacting an agent who handles manuscripts in your genre. You communicate with this person via a query letter, the writing of which falls into the realm of the unknown. Most writers don’t fully understand the purpose of the query and aren’t clear about how to craft an effective one. Unfortunately, if writers don’t take the time, or make the effort, to figure it out, they set themselves up to receive the most dreaded document in the writing world—the rejection letter.
Writing a query letter is not rocket science. It can be accomplished in three steps.
But first, you need to make a mind shift from "telling" to "selling." If you don’t know how to sell, no problem—you can learn. Look at what you’ve already learned to do: write words, string them together into sentences, group sentences into paragraphs, build bridges between the paragraphs and continue with this sequence until you’ve completed a manuscript. Amazing!
There’s one aspect in selling that makes the difference between failing and succeeding. Ask any salesperson to describe what helps them close the sale—doesn’t matter if they’re selling umbrellas, diamonds or surfboards. They’ll tell you, "speak in terms of the other person’s interests." In other words, define the benefits the prospective customer will derive by purchasing the product. For example, the umbrella salesperson will show how the umbrella works by effortlessly opening and closing it while telling about its strength, coverage and speedy drying time. If done properly, these demonstrated and spoken benefits address the prospective buyer’s bottom-line question of, "what’s in it for me?"
As a writer, your "show and tell" is the query letter. Written on white paper, Times-Roman type face with one-inch margins and one space between paragraphs, this letter shows you understand the basics of writing a business letter. The content of the letter tells the reader about your manuscript so clearly, if it falls within their area of interest, they will be compelled to ask you to submit it.
Keep in mind that in all agents, editors, and publishers have the same bottom line. Sales. They need to find manuscripts that will become books that sell well and generate profits. They’re constantly looking for manuscripts that fill that need. Keep this in mind as you convey the message that you have something of value for them.
Demonstrate your writing skills by leaping right into your story using the following three steps.
This might have been how Robert Southey wrote his query letter about his re-telling of the folk tale GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS.
ONE: The First Paragraph
Tell the plot of the story in three sentences or less.
Some children need to be taught to be courteous instead of headstrong. This lesson may come too late for one little girl as she not only becomes the unexpected guest at lunch, but also becomes the main course.
TWO: The Second Paragraph
Expand the plot, in three to six sentences, including characteristics and attitudes of the protagonist (main character).
Six-year old Goldilocks disobeys her parents and sneaks off to play in the woods. An hour later, hungry and lost, she stumbles onto a cottage in the middle of nowhere. Hoping for a snack and some directions, she enters without invitation and sits on a small chair that seems to be just her size. She breaks it. Next she samples porridge from a big bowl. It's too hot. Porridge from a middle-sized bowl is too cold. Finally, she tastes porridge from the smallest bowl. It's just right. She slurps it down. Suddenly sleepy from an overload of carbohydrates, she flops onto a little bed for a nap. When the Bear family returns from their walk, they’re delighted to discover this little intruder, just in time for lunch.
THREE: The Third Paragraph
Describe your background and writing experience.
I’m a published poet with great interest in folk tales, particularly those in which there is interaction between talking animals and humans. The story of GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS cannot be traced to a particular writer, so I decided to write a 2,500 word version of this story.
If you haven’t been published, that’s okay. Your skill in writing the first two paragraphs will speak for itself. Don’t forget to mention any writers’ courses, conferences, residency programs or writing groups you’ve worked with to expand your skills. It’s a good idea, as in the example, to tell of your interest or passion in the topic. When you give the TITLE OF YOUR STORY, use caps. Include the word count.
Close with a simple, "Thank you for your time and consideration."
Obviously, these three steps are only the bare bones of what you need to understand in order to write a slam-dunk query. To further expand your knowledge about other aspects of the query letter, study the multiple examples of critiqued query letters at www.getpublishednow.biz.
Properly written, your query will motivate the agent, editor, or publisher reading it to jump up and down with the excitement over having discovered a potential new talent. When you receive the call, email or letter requesting submission of your manuscript, jump up and down yourself. Congratulate yourself for having crafted a professional, query letter that has fulfilled its purpose. It has moved the manuscript off your desk and into the hands of an interested agent, editor or publisher. You’re now one step closer to your goal of becoming published and have increased your need to purchase "Published Author" business cards and new luggage for your book promo tour.
THREE
Boost Creativity by Befriending Your Muse
(first published in SCBWI "Sand Castles")
The harsh reality about making the transition from wanabee to published author is that you actually have to complete your manuscript. No agent or editor is going to perform a lobotomy to extract your words as they slumber, unwritten, between your ears. To assist you in transforming what you want to write into a book or magazine manuscript, consider enlisting the aid of your muse.
According to the Greeks (the culture which gave the world the Olympics, Zorba the Greek, and toga parties), everyone has a "muse" available to assist in any creative endeavor, be it writing, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, dancing, etc. You already may be familiar with your muse, but recognize it as your inner self, creative self, higher self, subconscious, or inner child. Regardless of how you label it, incorporating this powerful and inspirational force will enhance your creativity and keep you moving forward on the path to becoming a published author. Follow these four, simple steps.
First, trust that you really truly have a muse.
Second, be willing to ask your muse for help. How? Just ask. (Duh!) You might say something like, "Thank you muse, for helping me complete my manuscript. Your presence and assistance are appreciated."
Third, make a BIC commitment, meaning, putting your butt in the chair to write—same time, same place—on a schedule that works for you. This proves to you and your muse that you’re serious about writing. You’re not just flapping your gums (and boring people) when you talk about this wonderful book or article or whatever you’re going to write someday when you have time. Despite job, car pool, kids, soccer practice, home care, shopping, working out, yoga, etc., you can make the time to bring your words to life.
How does this commitment business work? For starters, set your alarm 15 or 30 or 45 minutes ahead of your usual crawling-out-of-bed time. Be comfy in bathrobe or sweats and head for your writing place, plunk yourself down, and write. No distractions. Bathroom breaks are OK, but do not pass GO, prepare coffee, tidy up the kitchen, or run around the block first. The point is to remain, as much as possible, in the alpha state (dreamy and not fully awake) to open your receptive pathway so ideas can zip into your mind, travel through your fingers and emerge on the screen (or paper).
Maybe morning isn’t your best time. Fine. Pick another. Instead of watching mindlessly violent TV programs (like the evening news), use that time to commune with your muse and write. It’s not important whether your "same time" is AM or PM. What matters is that you consistently sit down at your chosen time, invite your muse to be with you, and write.
Start out easy. You’re acquiring a new skill. How about giving yourself thirty minutes a day? That’s doable. Thirty minutes a day, six days a week, add up to twelve hours a month—a healthy chunk of writing time.
Fourth, read what you wrote during your last writing session before you go to bed. Be thinking about that as you drift off into dreamland. This way, you and your muse (also "on call" when you’re sleeping) will be up to snuff and champing at the bit to continue writing the next day.
It’s simple. Invite your muse to become part of your writing life, put your butt in the chair, same time/same place, and enjoy the resulting creative boost. Keep in mind that any culture brilliant enough to have given the world big fat weddings and big fat buildings (the Pantheon) obviously knows the big fat secret to boosting creativity.
From Nike, the Greek goddess of victory . . . GO FOR IT!
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