Comments on: Ask Me Anything for August

By: Diane Garner

Diane Garner — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:19:02 +0000

Hi Megan,
I’ve been reading lately that the paranormal market is getting saturated with vampires and werewolves, and that authors need a new “creature.” Angels and demons seem to be on the rise. I’m writing a story where spirits, not visible ghosts, work with the H/H to find something. Would you consider that a paranormal?
Thanks.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:24:02 +0000

How important are things like time spent in each character’s POV and uniformity of chapter length? Do you like so see the hero and heroine’s POVs bout 50/50 or is 75/25 okay? Is it all right to have some chapters short and some long, or do you prefer them to be roughly the same length? Do you offer your writers any guidelines for how long chapters should be or how many chapters an 80,000 word novel should have?

Can you recommend any resources for this information? Or are these all thing that an editor addresses after they’ve accepted a manuscript?

Thank you very much for your time,

Jenny

By: Jenna F.

Jenna F. — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:52:33 +0000

Oh, wow. You were so fast in answering me! Thank you so much.

Jenna F.

By: Megan Records

Megan Records — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:50:24 +0000

Queries: 2-3 weeks. Subs: usually 3 months, but as you may have heard via my Twitter feed, I am about a month behind at the moment. Reading Brava contest entries got me off schedule.

By: Jenna F.

Jenna F. — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:48:18 +0000

If it’s not too late to ask another question, about how long does it take for you to respond to queries and submissions?

Thank you.

Jenna F.

By: Megan Records

Megan Records — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:33:58 +0000

I don’t rely on query letters to see the author’s voice. (I know many agents and editors who say otherwise.) What I look for is a good command of the English language (this is not a given), good flow to the writing, a premise that sounds workable but not overdone or too close to something else I have. I should be at least mildly interested after reading, because if I’m bored by the query, it’s almost a guarantee that I’m bored by the manuscript.

Turn ons: fresh premise, signs of research (e.g. they know K’s lines, they know some of my authors, etc)
Turn offs: any mention of Oprah, tv/film/screenplay/video game deals, comparisons to big name authors (this almost never works in your favor), generically addressed letters, saying you will accept no less than a certain $ advance

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:51:09 +0000

Query letters seem to be all about streamlining your manuscript into one or two paragraphs. With that kind of minimalism, how can an author demonstrate her voice and inspire you to request a full manuscript? What in a query letter makes you want more? What kinds of things turn you off a query?

Thank you so much for your time,

Jenny

By: Megan Records

Megan Records — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:29:39 +0000

I think you are asking about two different things. Promo materials are almost always made by the author, and at K, we only set up signings for our biggest authors. We do a few ads in RT, Realms of Fantasy, etc. The author has no input into those ads.

The cover and cover blurb are really not considered promo materials. I ask for very little author input, if any. Here’s the reason: you are really close to your book. And you may be a great writer, but that doesn’t mean you can write cover copy. We have a whole department for copy. That’s all they do. I find a lot of the best copy comes from people who aren’t as close to the book, because they can focus on the big parts without feeling like they are “leaving great stuff out.” (This is why I personally hate writing copy on my own books. I want to fit in everything and that’s just not possible). When it comes to the cover, it’s not just my decision. So I could ask for your input, and then get overruled in the art meeting, and then you’d be asking, “Well why doesn’t this look like we discussed?” And then I have to deal with author drama. Which takes up a lot of time and energy.

Bottom line, your publisher is in the business of selling books. What they have in mind might not be your vision, but they think it will sell the book best. I want my authors to be happy, but I want to sell the book more.

By: Ashlyn Chase

Ashlyn Chase — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:59:00 +0000

Hi Meghan,

How much input do you allow your authors re: marketing?

I’m asking because I just had my first mass market paperback come out and having come from the epublishing world where I did all my own promo, I had a bit of ‘culture shock’ when all those decisions were taken away from me.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s awesome that my publisher paid for bookmarks and set up my B&N signings. I wished I had been able to write my own blurb. Is that ever done.

By: Megan Records

Megan Records — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:00:27 +0000

I have no objection to them, if the story fits. When I start getting annoyed is when I feel like you’ve set it there in order to make it stand out, because the story and writing wouldn’t otherwise. Then it just feels like a gimmick.