by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 12, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
I’ll never forget my first attempt at writing a query letter. I even showed it to a writer friend, who had just scored an agent, and I couldn’t wait to hear her opinion. Only it didn’t quite go as I’d hoped, the tale more or less like this.
“Joanne, what on earth are you thinking?” She waved the four crisp pages of my query letter in front of me.
“Um… That I’ve written a fabulous query letter. Why?”
“It’s too long. Way too long.”
Okay, I could deal with that. I could shorten it. “What length should it be?”
She leaned it. “I have a book on how to write query letters, and I’ll give it to you. Your query letter is your sales pitch to the screener of the slush pile. That means, it’s one page in length.”
“One page?” She had to be kidding, only I saw by the frankness of her expression she wasn’t. “But I’ll only get three paragraphs in.”
“Exactly. Imagine you’re in an elevator, and you hand your query letter to the editor who happens to be going up one floor. That’s about the length of time you have to engage their attention and tempt them into reading your synopsis next.”
“Seriously?” So unfair. “So they might not even read my synopsis if I can’t capture their interest with the query letter?”
“Yes, my friend.” She handed me back my wad of papers. “Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to find an agent or a publisher.”
So, I set to work and read the book she gave me from cover to cover. First, I was in shock that writers actually sell books on how to write query letters, but it’s totally true. And second, the next time I presented my friend with my new query letter, she sighed with delight. It was perfect, and her happiness had me delirious.
So, what makes a great query letter? Let me detail what I’ve learnt.
- Keep it to one page. 🙂 (Yep, that’s me being ever so helpful.)
- Ensure you address your query letter personally to the agent or editor listed on the submissions page. A must.
- Then your first paragraph goes something like this:
I am seeking representation for my “Genre_of_your_Novel and Book_Title,” complete at “Word_Count.” I am enclosing a synopsis and a sample chapter as per your submission guidelines. (In one or two brief sentences list your credentials, but make sure you touch only on the most impressive.) (In one or two brief sentences describe your desire to write so that the agent/editor understands this is your passion, and refer to any published works if you have them.)
NOTE: The line of what you’re enclosing needs to reflect what the agent’s or publisher’s submission guidelines request.
- Next, you detail your blurb or pitch of the book, so keep it short. For this, just imagine you’re standing in a book shop and you’re checking out the books on the shelves. You see one you might like, and you flip it over and read the back cover. As you read this, you’re going to either find it engaging, or not. It’s the back cover which will decide whether or not you buy the book. Now, this is your pitch for your query letter, and this blurb needs to entice the agent or editor into looking at your synopsis next.
- Lastly, thank them for their generous time in a nice single sentence.
- Also ensure you include your name, address, phone number, and email address on the letter.
That’s it. Nothing else, unless they specifically ask for it within their submission guidelines. The query letter is often referred to as the bait, and your synopsis the hook. Then the sample of your manuscript needs to reel them right in. I love that analogy, and it’s so very true. If you’re after some more tips on how to write a synopsis next, you’ll find that on a post I did right HERE.
Okay, it’s time to announce the winner of my blog hop’s draw. For those who left a comment WITH THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS, I used random.org to draw a name for a chance to win an ebook copy of PROTECTOR. That winner is:
** Meghan Stith **
Congratulations, Meghan. I have your email, so I’ll be making contact with you today to send you your prize. Of course the Grand Prize winners will be posted later today on Carrie Ann Ryan’s Blog Hop Page HERE, and they’ll be notified via email of their win.
Don’t forget, if you want to leave a comment, you know I love them. Perhaps you have another tip to add in writing a great query letter? Let me know, and thanks for dropping by to see me this week. If you want to pick up your copy of Protector, the links are just below. 🙂
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 8, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
HEARTBREAKERS. Yeah, we romance writers love these bad boys. There’s nothing quite like taming the wild one, and we grin just thinking about how we’re going to turn him into a heartthrob and the man our heroine needs him to be.
I’d love to hear if you have a heartthrob in your life? Or are you still looking for him? Perhaps you’re a romance writer and you dream of turning your heartbreaker into the best hero ever? Hey, and maybe you’re even one of these heartthrobs? because guys, I haven’t forgotten about you.
Flex those muscles, and if you leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS you can go into the draw for a chance to win an ebook copy of PROTECTOR. The winner will be announced on 12th February 2013, and I’ll contact you by email to organise your prize.
But that’s not all… Your comment also drops you into the grand prize draw of the hop (prizes are featured below–and they are amazzzing), so make sure you don’t miss out. It just takes one comment on this post WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS to get you into BOTH DRAWS. 🙂
PROTECTOR
To love and protect…across worlds.
Eighteen-year-old Faith Stryker is prepared to leap out into the unknown world beyond her home shores of New Zealand to experience life. Only she never expected to encounter Magio, a planet with two warring countries, where its people reach adulthood at eighteen by coming into their strength and prophetic abilities. Only after Faith discovers she’s a Halfling–thanks to her warrior father she’s never met–does her own skill of forethought develop.
Peacio’s Prince Davio Loveria is sent to the young Faith Stryker by his grandfather, but not all goes as planned. Davio discovers Faith isn’t just a Halfling, she’s also his soul-bound mate–an intense relationship he cannot, nor will not, give up.
With two wars now waging…one of land and the other of the heart…can the young lovers find their place in the world?
BUY THE BOOK: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Lyrical Press / iTunes / Kobo
NOW WHAT ARE THOSE PRIZES?
We have THREE grand prizes. Almost 300 authors are sharing Heartbreaker themed blogs, and you as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter almost 300 times!
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (International)
2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card (International)
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (US Only) And here’s the cool pic of the actual swag.
Keep hopping–You can find the complete list of participating authors right HERE.
Also, and only if you wish to, please consider “liking” my Facebook author page. For your convenience the link is just over on the right-hand sidebar. 🙂
If you’d like to add Protector to your TBR list, here’s the link for Goodreads. Or it’s on the sidebar as well.
And for those keen on checking out Protector’s trailer on YouTube, it’s–> here.
Thank you so much for dropping by, and I wish you and yours a wonderful week.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jan 16, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
DROOL ALERT — The follow pictures will make your mouth water. They may even make you want to hop on a plane to come and see the following location for yourself. You’ve been warned. 🙂
Mount Maunganui Beach, New Zealand
It was a stunner of a day at Mount Maunganui Beach today. I thought I’d share some pictures of my local hotspot, and with it being the kids’ summer holidays, this is where we were. We hiked up the pictured hill, of which we Kiwis simply call The Mount. It’s a glorious spot with heaps of things to do.
The Mount is an extinct volcano *phew*, and it sits on the edge of a peninsula. It has a fabulous beach on one side, and a harbour-port on the other. It’s 761 feet high and takes about 45 minutes to climb.
Here’s a picture from the top of the Mount.
Once you get to the top, you really don’t want to leave. Nope, not a chance. The best thing, is to make sure you’ve brought a picnic with you. Toss out a blanket and lie down. Then eat, relax, and take in the spectacular views.
After this, we hiked back to the main beach. The kids love swimming here, and there’re always treasure hunts or other sponsored events running at this time of the year. So much fun.
I hope you enjoyed seeing a little of my backyard.
Also, the chance for the four-page critique remains open until this Sunday, 20th January. I’ll draw a winner on Monday morning using random.org and post the name then.
PROTECTOR, by Joanne Wadsworth. Here’s a couple of snippets from some 4 and 5 star reviews which came in this week on my debut release on Amazon. I was so excited to read them, and you can catch the full reviews if you want right HERE.
“I’m eager for the next book!” Jenna Czaplewski | 1 reviewer made a similar statement
“I loved all the characters, especially Faith and davio.” Kamijo101 | 2 reviewers made a similar statement
“Joanne Wadsworth brings up a fast paced book full of likeable characters, action and romance!! Toni | 1 reviewer made a similar statement
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jan 14, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
Yay! This is ME. A very happy little kitten with her 3rd Contract. 🙂
Hey everyone. 2013 Rocks! I couldn’t wait to share this news.
My third baby book WITNESS PURSUIT, a mystery/suspense romance just got a contract. Woo-hoo. The release has been set for January 6th 2014. Huge thanks go to Renee Rocco and Penny Barber at Lyrical Press NY for saying “yes.” I’m beyond excited.
Wow. It’s a dream to have one book release, and two more contracted. My thanks go to all of you too, for joining me on this journey, and to continue the celebrations I have a wonderful offer for you. More than anything, I’ve learnt how important it is to have a second set of eyes go over those first few pages of one’s manuscript. It can make all the difference, because as writers we read our work a thousand times and we know our story inside-out. Which means we occasionally miss something which becomes glaringly obvious once pointed out by another. Hate that, but also love and appreciate it.
So, to my offer–everyone who leaves a comment asking FOR A CRITIQUE will have their name put into a draw. What do you win? Yours truly shall be your second set of eyes to go over the first four pages (or 1500 words thereabouts) of your novel. That’s the first four pages. Not four pages from the middle of the book, but the first four pages. Okay, so if you’ve been catching my blogs, you’ll know my skills are in the editing department, which means it will be a fabulous critique. You’ll love it.
I’ve brought this offer to the table twice lately, and Amy Kennedy and Kozo Hattori were the winners and redeemed their prize. I loved getting to know them and their wonderful work. So don’t be shy, if you want to enter, make sure you do.
I’ll pick a winner using random.org and post the name next week on my blog, so keep your eyes open for who that is. (Particularly the winner, because you’ll need to get in contact with me via email.)
In other news, PROTECTOR’s had a wonderful first week, and it’s been a whirlwind of excitement as I’ve visited others’ blogs and chatted or had a guest spot.
PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
Okay, I’m off to work on edits and my next manuscript. Yep, a writer’s work is never done. *smiling*
Take care and stay safe.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jan 7, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
Random Picture Alert — This was too cute not to share. And even the baby and cat have a voice. 🙂
Before I jump into covering the header’s topic, stay tuned, for at the end of this post, I’ll be announcing the winner of my draw in last week’s blog hop. Thank you so much if you commented, or took the time to “like” my facebook author page or sign up to receive my blog via email. I loved that. And lastly *jumping up and down with excitement* for those who bought PROTECTOR in its opening few days–Wow! I’m beyond thrilled you did. It’s the most amazing experience to have my debut novel release–it means the world to me that you’ve joined me for this ride.
And in case you missed PROTECTOR’s January 7th release date book links, here they are for your complete convenience. 🙂 Yeah, no problem. I don’t mind sharing them again.
BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
Okay, it’s time to get back to the serious business of this post. How do we find our writer’s voice?
Having entered a few writing competitions during 2010 and 2011, I heard the organizers of them say time and time again, “We want to see new talent. We want to hear your writer’s voice. We want you to be unique. We don’t want another … We have her/his books. If you’re entering our competition, we want your submission to offer us something we haven’t seen before.”
After entering and receiving the standard no letter, I began to wonder what is this uniqueness they want? I thought my submission was one-of-a-kind. My voice hasn’t been heard before. Yep, and at times I even questioned if they’d read my submission at all? (Yes, haven’t all writers done that? Nod if you agree.)
So how does one find their writer’s voice?
Ahh, let me share the secret. Here’s the answer–and it’s so simple. One’s writing voice is easiest found when it’s closest to how you would normally speak.
That’s right, your writing will be far more believable if you allow it to flow as if talking in your own voice. To expand on this, when speaking to your friends, do you occasionally interrupt each other? Do your sentences trail away at certain times? As I writer, I often find myself listening to others, hearing exactly how they speak and taking note of it. As writers, we never stop learning.
Here’s an example of what the wonderful author, Maeve Binchy, once said of her writing secret in finding her voice.
“I don’t say I was proceeding down a thoroughfare, I say I walked down the road. I don’t say I passed a hallowed institute of learning, I say I passed a school.”
What she’s saying is if we allow our writing to turn too fancy, it can become stilted. Her secret was to keep it simple and closest to how she would normally speak.
To give you a taste of my writer’s voice (because I find it’s important to add a showing to my posts), here are a few lines from my latest WIP titled “Witness Pursuit,” one which I sent away for submission two weeks ago. To set the scene, my heroine is in the Witness Protection Program and standing beside her bodyguard at a marina, readying to board a super-yacht. She doesn’t want to leave the country and the security of her safe-house.
“That is one massive super-yacht–and one I shouldn’t be on.”
Lydia crossed her arms, eyeing the four levels of darkened glass and sleek white panels, the luxury ship sitting proud in its private berth at Auckland marina’s gated wharf. The ship was close to 150 feet long, the area above the captain’s bridge at the top holding a communication platform with duel antennas spiking a further fifteen feet high. And was that a pool? Her eyes narrowed into slits. Yes, it was. All the comforts one could ever desire, except she shouldn’t be here.
“Ben.” She swung around, her sight targeted on her bodyguard, the one she’d lived with for the past year.
He scanned the marina. “Don’t say it. You’re getting on that ship and working as a caregiver. That’s your new cover.”
Digging her nails into her palms, she considered a tactical response. “Tyler Whitehall will throw me off his ship, or he would if he remembered me. What happens if he does?”
“He’ll have to dive in to rescue you.” The corners of his lips lifted, then straightened. “Tyler’s one of the best bodyguards in the business. He saved your life last year, and even though his memory loss is permanent from those few weeks, I still need to place you somewhere safe and away from home shores. Tyler’s ship is my choice.”
I hope you enjoyed that little snippet–and to this manuscript I’ve submitted, I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. It’s always a nerve-wracking time waiting to hear back.
Okay, it’s time to announce the winner of my blog hop’s draw. For those who left a comment WITH THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS, I used random.org to draw a name for a chance to win an ebook copy of PROTECTOR. That winner is:
*** Missie Jones ***
Hey, congratulations, Missie. I have your email, so I’ll be making contact with you today to send you your prize.
The Grand Prize winners will be posted later today on Carrie Ann Ryan’s Blog Hop Page HERE, and they’ll be notified via email of their win. Carrie Ann did a great job organizing for all of us. I hope everyone had fun. I certainly loved my first hop!
Thanks for dropping by to see me this week. Take care and remain safe. Catch ya all later.
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PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jan 1, 2013 | Author Blog, Protector
HAPPY NEW YEAR. I love the New Year, and in New Zealand Kiwi families traditionally spend New Year’s day at the beach. It’s the middle of summer, so we all slap on sunglasses and sunscreen, roll out our towels and watch the waves roll in. It’s all about kicking back, relaxing, and building sand castles with the kids. My goal this year is to figure out how to make the perfect moat for my sand castle–I figure there’s got to be a way to do it, that’s without the incoming waves caving the channel in and taking the sand castle down with it. I haven’t been successful yet, but I’m sure going to try this year.
I’d love to hear what you and your family or friends do once the New Year arrives. Do you have any traditions? Go somewhere special? Make a New Year’s wish? If you leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS you can go into the draw for a chance to win an ebook copy of PROTECTOR. The winner will be announced on 7th January 2013, so be sure to check back.
But that’s not all… Your comment also drops you into the grand prize draw of the hop (prizes are featured below–and they are amazzzing), so make sure you don’t miss out. It just takes one comment on this post WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS to get you into BOTH DRAWS. 🙂
PROTECTOR
To love and protect…across worlds.
Eighteen-year-old Faith Stryker is prepared to leap out into the unknown world beyond her home shores of New Zealand to experience life. Only she never expected to encounter Magio, a planet with two warring countries, where its people reach adulthood at eighteen by coming into their strength and prophetic abilities. Only after Faith discovers she’s a Halfling–thanks to her warrior father she’s never met–does her own skill of forethought develop.
Peacio’s Prince Davio Loveria is sent to the young Faith Stryker by his grandfather, but not all goes as planned. Davio discovers Faith isn’t just a Halfling, she’s also his soul-bound mate–an intense relationship he cannot, nor will not, give up.
With two wars now waging…one of land and the other of the heart…can the young lovers find their place in the world?
YAY!! PROTECTOR HAS JUST RELEASED TODAY!!
BUY THE BOOK: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Lyrical Press / iTunes / Kobo
NOW WHAT ARE THOSE PRIZES?
We have THREE grand prizes. Over 200 authors are sharing New Year themed blogs, and you as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (International)
2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card (International)
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (US Only)
Keep hopping–You can find the complete list of participating authors right HERE.
Also, and only if you wish to, please consider “liking” my Facebook author page. For your convenience the link is just over on the right-hand sidebar as well. 🙂
If you’d like to add Protector to your TBR list, here’s the link for Goodreads.
And for those keen on checking out Protector’s trailer on YouTube, it’s–> here.
Thank you so much for dropping by, and I wish you and yours a wonderful 2013.
