Mike Sirota Writing Services

Mike’s Newsletter

Summer 2010

 

Fighting for Dignity

A human travesty came to light in the early 2000s with the release of a series of videos called Bumfights. In these videos a group of young filmmakers paid Rufus Hannah, Donnie Brennan, and other homeless people small sums of money—and copious amounts of booze—to perform ludicrous and oftentimes dangerous stunts, which included beating the tar out of one another. Rufus’s snarling visage made him the poster child for Bumfights and earned him the nickname of “Rufus the Stunt Bum” from radio personality Howard Stern.

Rufus the Stunt Bum   Rufus today
"Rufus the Stunt Bum"   Rufus Hannah today

 

A new book titled, A Bum Deal: An Unlikely Journey from Hopeless to Humanitarian, by Barry Soper and Rufus Hannah (Sourcebooks, September 2010) chronicles Rufus’s life from humble roots in a small southern town to the mean streets of a large city in southern California. Without any sugar coating it details Rufus’s lifelong battle with alcoholism, his decade-and-a-half of homelessness and, of course, the years encompassing the nightmare that was Bumfights. His courageous recovery from his disease while under the stress of the subsequent criminal and civil trials involving the filmmakers is truly inspirational. Rufus became, among other things, a strong advocate for the homeless, which included his talking to groups across the country under the auspices of the National Coalition for the Homeless and its “Faces of Homelessness” speaker’s bureau. In 2008 his self-proclaimed “Return from the Dead” culminated in his being honored with the California Association of Human Relations Organization’s (CAHRO) Civil Rights award.

San Diego businessman Barry Soper had previously employed Rufus and his friend Donnie and had offered to help them out if they ever decided to break free of the Bumfights filmmakers. In 2002 this self-described “nerd” and an equally nerdy cousin turned into “Jewish James Bonds” as they rescued Rufus and Donnie from virtual imprisonment in Las Vegas (you will love this chapter in the book) and saw them returned to San Diego. A few years later über-mensch Soper—a man I am now proud to call a good friend—accompanied Rufus and Donnie to their interview with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes (shortly before Bradley’s untimely death). Bradley told Soper that he needed to chronicle Rufus’s experiences in a book, and—to use the cliché—the rest is history.

Barry and Ed
Barry Soper (1) and Ed Bradley

 

Check out A Bum Deal…it is a great read. In addition, a portion of the royalties will be donated to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Talk about a win-win.

Conference Time

From September 10-12 I will facilitate workshops and do advance reads for the Alaska Writers Guild Conference in Anchorage. Wow, Alaska! How cool is that? Also, from September 24-26 I will do the same for the Southern California Writers’ Conference in Newport Beach, CA. Visit their websites for full details.

 

Spring 2010

 

Working With A Freelance Editor/Writing Coach

Before we get into that, some kudos for a few of my writers. H. Byron Earhart just signed a contract for his non-fiction book, Mount Fuji: Icon of Japan, with the University of South Carolina Press. And three of my writers—Dobie Houson, Valerie Riggs, and Michele Scott—have stories included in literary agent Verna Dreisbach’s anthology, Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in Their Lives, which will be published in April by Seal Press.

If you want to learn more about this wild and crazy publishing business, you’ve got to read Lynn Price’s new book, The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box: Getting a Hook on the Publishing Industry. I had the distinct honor of being interviewed by Lynn for the chapter on Independent Editing. Here is a portion of our Q&A session.

What is an independent editor, and why do writers need one?

Literary agents—the current accepted conduit between writers and publishing houses—state that they return (read: reject) 99 percent of all manuscripts that are submitted to them. A writer, especially an unpublished one, needs every conceivable edge to become part of the one percent that will find representation. It is not enough that a writer’s spouse, her sister-in-law, or her nephew loved her manuscript. (It’s true. I hear this from many writers: “My family and friends thought it was a great story.”) This initial “fan base” only serves to stroke egos while offering little in the way of constructive critiquing—unless, of course, they are professionals in the field, which is seldom the case.

An experienced independent editor/writing coach can prove invaluable to a writer. For starters, he is not part of your “fan club” and will look at your project in an objective manner. Let’s say, for example, that you want to have a fiction manuscript evaluated. A skilled editor will look for the following: Does the story immediately grab a reader's attention (the "hook")? Are the characters believable? Is the dialogue powerful, and have you balanced it well enough with your narrative? Have you chosen effective point-of-view characters to tell your story? Is your setting realistic? Have you framed your plot well? Is your pacing consistent?

But beyond all of the details involved in helping a writer develop a submission-ready manuscript, perhaps the single most important service that an independent editor can offer is to see that the new writer handles every aspect of this venture in a professional manner. The word “professional” cannot be emphasized enough. I have heard more than my share of literary agents complain about the lack of professionalism from so many of the writers that contact them. A professional approach to marketing your manuscript is often the edge you need for your manuscript to become part of the aforementioned one percent.

This true story illustrates the point about professionalism, or lack thereof. At a writers’ conference, a significant literary agent who had been networked from the moment she set foot in the building needed a break. She went to the ladies’ room, entered a stall and sat down to take care of business. Suddenly, a manuscript came sliding under the stall door. There followed the patter of little feet as the perpetrator hastily exited the ladies’ room. (Had I been in the stall, my response would have likely been, “Thank you, I just ran out of paper in here.”)

How did the idea of independent editors come about? Is this something publishing houses wanted to take the load off of them?

This might be a “chicken or egg” question. For starters, let’s go back in time to when there were few literary agents and fewer, if any, independent editors. Writers mostly submitted their manuscripts right to publishing houses, and the editors there would review a considerable portion of the submission—unless it proved totally unreadable—before either rejecting the project or taking it on. The editor would then work closely with the writer through all of the stages of the revision process to elevate the manuscript to “publishing-ready” status.

For the most part, those days are long gone.

As publishing became more of a “bottom-line” business, smaller publishing houses began to merge under large corporate umbrellas. Harried editors found themselves reading submissions for two, three, or even more imprints. Attention spans grew shorter, tolerance levels lower. If every aspect of a submission was not top notch (read: professional), the manuscript went back in the SASE posthaste.

Enter, the literary agent. While they had been around for a while, their roles grew in importance as more and more people dreamt of becoming published authors (this is the entertainment business, after all) and editors at publishing houses became overwhelmed with submissions. Before long, literary agents evolved into the “screeners” for the publishers. With their reputations on the line, agents made sure they were submitting only the best of the best. Nowadays, the majority of the larger houses, and some smaller ones, state in their submission guidelines wording such as: “Agented submissions only,” or “Does not accept unagented submissions.”

So now, the literary agents were (and are) receiving hundreds of submissions a month. If anything, the independent editor evolved from literary agencies, not publishing houses, needing to take the load off of them. Agents will reject submissions for many different reasons, some of which are not even about the book itself. (Remember: professional.) Nor will they wait too long. We independent editors and writing coaches identified this need to impress an agent in every aspect of a submission, having experienced it ourselves as published authors, former literary agents or one-time publishing house editors. From this, I suppose, a new industry was born.

Publishers look for the story and don’t pay that much attention to spelling and grammar, right?

I would hate to answer a blanket, “wrong,” on this question. In all my years of experience, I have learned that nothing about the publishing business is carved in stone. One successful writer I know placed a manuscript full of typos and grammar problems with a literary agent, who then placed it with a major publisher. How? Because she was (and is) an exceptional storyteller. In this (rare) instance, the technical problems were overlooked.
That said, a significant literary agent speaking at a recent writers’ conference told attendees, “If I find one typo in the first five pages of your manuscript, I stop reading and send it back.” True, this may be the other extreme—but is it worth taking the chance? I would opt for the “Mary Poppins” manuscript: practically perfect. This, again, is about being professional.

At what point should I hire the services of an independent editor?

I prefer to work with writers who have completed a manuscript and have gone through at least one round of revisions. This is the point where many writers lose objectivity about their own work and need a good second eye. Having an overview of an entire project enables me to offer the most effective suggestions for improving it. Upon occasion I will look at the first fifty to one hundred pages of a work in progress, and if it shows considerable promise I may assist the writer throughout the process. The more a writer has completed, the more “bang for the buck” he/she will receive when working with an editor or coach.

How can a writer know they’re getting what they paid for?

A writer once came to me with a 90,000-word manuscript, which I first evaluated, and then helped her with chapter-by-chapter revisions. Toward the end of the process she told me, “I had a large manuscript when I first came to you, but it was not the story I had envisioned. Now, it is.” If your editor has done his/her job, you will see the difference in your work, and I think there is no better measure for getting your money’s worth.

 

Winter 2010

Not Really a Bum Deal

In my last newsletter I reported that Barry Soper and Rufus Hannah’s non-fiction book, A Bum Deal: From Homeless to Humanitarian, had found representation with Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Since then, Jill has landed the guys a deal with Sourcebooks. The Chicago area publisher plans to make the book their lead title this fall, so we are all excited about that.

A Bum Deal tells the story of Rufus Hannah, labeled “Rufus the Stunt Bum” by shock jock Howard Stern for his unfortunate role in the infamous Bumfights videos of the early 2000s. This is a truly inspiring story of a man who overcame alcohol addiction, homelessness, and pain—both emotional and physical—from his participation in the Bumfights videos to become the person that he is today.

With the start of the new year comes the 799th Annual Southern California Writers’ Conference. OK, I’m exaggerating. It’s the 24th installment of this venerable and venerated (is that a redundancy?) happening for writers. As usual, it will be held on Presidents’ Day weekend, February 12-15, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza San Diego, in Mission Valley. I will be on hand to lead workshops and read advance submissions. As always, Michael Steven Gregory and Wes Albers have assembled a talented and accessible staff of writing professionals. We hope to see you there.

Have a happy, prosperous, and HEALTHY New Year.

Fall 2009

So Many Writers ...

But, that’s a good thing, especially when they showed up in substantial numbers at the latest installment of the Southern California Writers’ Conference in Irvine. Another great event staged by Michael Steven Gregory and Wes Albers, both of whom were pleasantly surprised by the turnout. I suppose that, in this crummy economy, people who could not afford to lay out $5,000 this year for the family vacation to the Greek isles decided that now was a good time to dust off the old work in progress and—for the nominal cost of a conference—pursue the dream of trying to find an agent and get it published. Lots of new faces there, but somehow we long-time staffers managed not to scare ’em off. I loved the energy and look forward to Michael and Wes’s next event, the SCWC San Diego, in February 2010.

Next up for me—and Southern California—the La Jolla Writers Conference, scheduled for November 6-8 at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego. This is a great learning and networking conference—highly recommended.

Kudos to my Writers

Berkley Prime Crime will publish Michele Scott’s latest novel in her Wine Lover’s Mystery series, A Toast to Murder, next spring. This is Michele’s tenth novel to hit the shelves. Some other projects may be forthcoming for this prolific writer. Stay tuned…

Former student Diane Lee Wilson’s new YA novel, Raven Speak, will also be published next spring by Margaret K. McElderry. Raven Speak is the story of a girl living in Viking times. Asa's determination and sacrifice are all that stand between her clan and death.

Barry Soper’s non-fiction book, A Bum Deal: From Homeless to Humanitarian, has found representation with Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Soper tells the story of Rufus Hannah, labeled “Rufus the Stunt Bum” by shock jock Howard Stern for his unfortunate role in the infamous Bumfights videos of the early 2000s. This is a truly inspiring story of a man who overcame alcohol addiction, homelessness, and pain—both emotional and physical—from his participation in the Bumfights videos to become the person that he is today.

An Invaluable Tool for Writers

Good friend and colleague Lynn Price (aka Eddie Haskell), editorial director of Behler Publications in Orange County, CA has written The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box: Getting a Hook on the Publishing Industry. This book is a unique parting of the clouds for the confusing and often contradictory information currently circulating in writers' boards, conferences, blogs, and how-to books. Lynn’s distinctive point of view from behind the publisher's desk helps authors better understand their frustrations and their Halleluiah, I think we've got us a winner! moments, as well as educating writers as to what publishers are looking for in a query, why they reject manuscripts, and the pitfalls to avoid. The book includes comprehensive interviews from many industry professionals, including one with Yours Truly. Check it out.

Writing Tip

Here is a writing tip for you! It’s important now, so pay attention! Maybe you’ll figure it out on your own!! If not, I’ll tell you!!! Ah, okay, you got it!!!! You’re right: stop using so many of those blasted exclamation marks. Writers tend to use them to the point of ineffectiveness. One school of thought says not to use any at all. I don’t buy that one, because I believe they have their place…in limited doses. The exclamation mark denotes excitement, fear, strong feelings and emotions, so their usage, you’d think, should be a no-brainer. I thought so too till the day, some years ago, that I evaluated a manuscript in which every other sentence ended in an exclamation mark. I kid you not! (Yes, I just got emotional.) Wrong: “I wonder where we should have dinner tonight!” Wrong: “Watch out. You’re about to get hit by that truck.” Right: “Curse you, Lobthar, and the thousand centipedes you rode in on!” Right: “I don’t think I know who Lobthar is.”

Summer 2009

Do-It-Yourself Editing

Say what? Excuse me? A guy who makes his living as an editor and writing coach is going to teach people how to edit themselves? Isn’t that…uh, cutting my own throat?

That’s kind of what first went through my mind when UCSD Extension asked me to facilitate a workshop called, “Self-Editing for Creative Writers” this summer. Then, I thought about another newsletter that I’d written somewhere around the dawn of time (actually, spring of 2007) and I realized…well, here, read a bit of it for yourself, and I think you’ll understand:

“Give a Writer a Fish…”

Actually, the quote goes something like this: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Why is this quote important to me? Of late I have come to realize that my Prime Directive as a writing coach and editor is to provide my writers with the tools that enable them to make their own writing better, to show them what I’m doing, and why, rather than to simply do the work for them. “Hey Mike, doesn’t that mean less billable hours for you, if your writers do it themselves?” Yep, more than likely. But then, I have never been all about billable hours. I want you to learn; I want you to understand this process; and, I want your writing to improve with every project.

With this in mind, I had no problem saying “yes” to UCSD Extension. I’ll be facilitating “Self-Editing for Creative Writers” at the Extension Complex in La Jolla on three Thursday evenings, beginning July 16th, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. In the first session (and part of the second) I’ll discuss how a writer can objectively assess his/her own work, with an emphasis on key elements such as narrative hook, dialogue, POV, characters, plot, recognizing when you’re doing too much telling and not enough showing, and much more. Part of the workshop will address some of the “small stuff” (is there any “small stuff” in writing?), common mistakes that I see writers make over and over. For example, the use of farther/further”; “loose/lose”; colons, semi-colons, and commas; hyphens instead of em dashes—the list goes on. Finally, we’ll do some “hands-on” work. Between weeks two and three I will read and mark up the first few pages of each participant’s project. We will then read and discuss as many of them as possible during the final meeting to see where the writer did well, or where he/she needs some work.

Those of you in the greater San Diego area (even south Orange County?) who are serious about your writing should find value in this workshop. If you have any questions about it, please e-mail me at mike.sirota1@cox.net or info@mikesirota.com. Looking forward to seeing you at UCSD Extension!

Spring 2009

Manifesting a Miracle

OK, before I tell you what that title is all about, a word about my upcoming workshop at UCSD Extension. “Risk Points” will take place on May 2nd and May 9th, 2009 at the La Jolla campus. Learn how to ensure that your manuscript receives the consideration it deserves by an agent or editor. Beginning with your first paragraph, the hook, there are a number of key points where you run the risk of losing your reader. This workshop offers tips on strengthening these areas in order to minimize that risk. In addition, risk points that precede the manuscript itself (the cover letter, synopsis, and more) but are critical to interesting agents will be addressed.

One of the perks that makes my job so enjoyable is that it gives me a chance to meet many interesting, creative, and fun people. And so it was with Dr. John L. “Jack” Turner, who just happens to be…a brain surgeon. In Hawaii. The Big Island. Yeah, the one with the hyperactive volcano. Jack’s book (take a deep breath for this title), Medicine, Miracles, and Manifestations: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Worlds of Divine Intervention, Near-Death Experiences, and Universal Energy (Career Press/New Page Books), was published in March. It received some great acclaim, and it quickly climbed high up Amazon’s list of trade paperbacks. Great! But publication was the destination; let’s talk about the journey.

Dr. John L. “Jack” Turner

According to Jack: “The book describes my spiritual journey and the discovery that life evolves according to a plan constructed before birth, in the spiritual world. The book was indeed an example of manifestation that was brought into reality by a series of key events.”

As the first neurological surgeon on the Big Island of Hawaii, a place steeped in spirituality, Jack became privy to many extraordinary and mystical patient encounters. In 1995 the idea of putting his experiences down in writing sounded like a great idea. “However, as a doctor, my writing skills were average at best,” Jack recalled. “For over two decades, I depended upon the skills of the transcriptionist to make my reports acceptable. In fact, being overloaded with work did not allow me to carefully review the reports. I tended to quickly sign them and move on to the next task.”

Jack spent years crafting the manuscript. “It required long hours of proofreading, correcting glaring errors, and putting what I thought was a polish to my writing,” he said. “The work was submitted to many publishing houses and received handfuls of polite rejections. It seemed to be a lost cause.”

Two more pieces of the puzzle then appeared. “I met literary agent Claire Gerus and author/publisher Lynn Price,” Jack stated. “They strongly suggested that I remove portions of the manuscript that Hemingway called, ‘Little Darlings,’ sections that although of great interest to me, would be of little or no interest to the average reader. Then, as if part of the plan to see my book published, they strongly recommend that I work with a writing coach. I was referred to Mike. During a memorable visit to his house to discuss the project, I found out why, after his preliminary review of my manuscript, he agreed to accept me as a client: he felt that it had potential.”

Indeed, that I did. We worked hard over the next couple of months. Jack recalls: “I followed Mike’s lead. Together, we put the spit shine to my manuscript. Of the many things I learned from Mike about writing, one was how to correct my tendency to be overly verbose. I had to pare the writing down to the essential elements. He asked me to think of it this way: ‘You and I are going to take an express elevator ride from the ground floor to the top of a building. The number of floors is not critical, only the fact that we will be traveling at a rapid pace. You have something to tell me. See if you can get your point across succinctly, and with interest, before the car reaches our destination.’”

That did the trick for Jack. A great pupil, he learned how to chop the unnecessary descriptive fat and get directly to the meat. “I learned how to carefully proof chapter by chapter,” he said, “page by page, sentence by sentence and finally word by word, to produce a manuscript that shone brightly! The next publisher to receive the proposal and sample chapters responded with a lovely thank you letter—and a contract.”

OK, I helped a neurosurgeon get his story published. So I guess I’ve been fomenting an untruth for lo! these many years: writing a book IS brain surgery!

Best of luck, Jack Turner.

Winter 2009

OK, So I’m Not A Prophet

Exactly one year ago I wrote the following: “Happy New Year. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm relieved to see 2007 in the rearview mirror. I have it on good authority that 2008 is going to be a fantastic year, so enjoy!"

So who knew? What a difficult year it has been for our country in general, and for so many individuals who have lost jobs, investments, and hope. Therefore, I offer no predictions this go-around for 2009. We’ll see how things look a year from now. As I’ve said to so many of you in the past, stay tuned…

My horror/suspense novel, The Well, originally published by Bantam Books, is available again via e-Reads. Click here to find it on Amazon. Ditto my novel, Snow Shadows, originally published as Demon Shadows by Bantam, now available at Fictionwise.

Conference Update

The Eighth Annual La Jolla Writers’ Conference, staged by the indomitable mother-and-son team of Antoinette Kuritz and Jared Kuritz in November, was another unqualified success. Super workshop leaders and guest speakers, lots of great writerly energy in an inspiring location, San Diego’s beautiful Mission Bay. Great work, Annie and Jake!

Next up, the 23rd Annual Southern California Writers’ Conference in San Diego Michael Steven Gregory and Wes Albers are planning yet another exciting and informative event for Those Who Would Be Writers. It will take place on Presidents’ Day weekend, February 13-16, and I’ll be on hand, as usual. Wouldn’t miss it.

UCSD Extension has asked me to do an extended six-hour version of my “Risk Points” seminar. This will take place over the course of two Saturdays, May 2nd and 9th. I’ll give you more details about this in the near future.

Kudos To My Writers!

I’m proud to announce that a number of my writers took a huge step along the road to publication in the past quarter by finding top-notch literary agents to represent their work. Among them:

Congratulations are also in order for some of my writers who will see their books published early in 2009. They include:

One final thought about hope as we begin 2009: “We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.” – Barack Obama

Happy New Year, everyone.

Fall 2008

Conference Season

First of all, we’re talking about writers’ conferences. I mean, what else? Second, I guess this is more like “my” conference season as opposed to “the” conference season, since you can now find a writers’ conference just about any time of the year in many parts of the country, including Hawaii and Alaska. Check out the ShawGuides website for an extensive list.

I just got back from the Southern California Writers’ Conference up in Irvine. That’s the Sixth Annual SCWC/Los Angeles, if you want to get formal about it. Once again Mssrs. Michael Steven Gregory and Wes Albers put together an exciting and informative weekend for Those Who Would Be Writers. Great energy at this event, as usual. On Presidents’ Day weekend in February, the Dynamic Duo will be at it again with the 23rd Annual SCWC/San Diego. Hard to believe it's only been twenty-three years. Seems to me that we once had Dante Alighieri as our guest speaker. But then, I could be hallucinating ... again.

Of more immediate note is the Eighth Annual La Jolla Writers Conference, scheduled for the weekend of November 7-9 at the Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego. Led by another Dynamic Duo—Antoinette Kuritz and her son, Jared Kuritz—this conference has been recognized by Writer’s Digest magazine as “one of the 84 conferences in the country worth your money.” Year after year, the LJWC offers a Who’s Who of New York Times bestselling authors as keynote speakers. This year’s lineup includes James Rollins, Margaret Weis, and Christopher Reich.

But first and foremost, the Prime Directive of this conference for Those Who Would Be Writers at all levels is to learn more about the art, craft, and business of writing. Others on the faculty include literary agents, editors, publishers, and book publicists. All of them are dedicated to helping every writer maximize his or her potential. Whether you are a casual writer looking to improve your craft, a practiced author looking for an agent, or a businessperson seeking writing and publishing knowledge, the LJWC can provide the guidance and support you need. As always, I will be leading classes and workshops—and engaging in all manner of mayhem—at this year’s conference.

Kudos to my Writers!

Dr. John L. Turner's Medicine, Miracles, and Manifestations (Career Press/New Page Books) will be published next spring. (Look for a more detailed story about the fascinating “Dr. Jack”, a Hilo, Hawaii brain surgeon, next year.) Michele Scott's eighth mystery novel, Corked by Cabernet (Berkley Prime Crime), will be published next February. Jeff Sherratt’s second mystery novel, Guilty or Else (Echelon Press) will be published in 2009.

Quote of Note: “Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else.” – Ivern Ball

Summer 2008

Going For The Gold: An Interview With Richard J. Foster

I have to admit, Rich Foster threw me for a loop.

Rich attended an experiential workshop on the “narrative hook” that I facilitated at last November’s La Jolla Writer’s Conference. At the time he had already sold his biography, Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion, to Santa Monica Press. Therefore I had to wonder why, shortly after the conference ended, Rich sought out my help with the book.

Say what?

Okay, the answer is forthcoming. But first, some background.

MS: So tell me about Richard J. Foster, Esq.
RF: I am an attorney, practicing in Long Beach, California. One of my specialties is Sports Law. I have been fortunate to represent numerous professional and Olympic athletes. I have been heavily involved in the aquatic sports my entire adult life. I was President of USA Water Polo for twelve years. At present I am president of United States Aquatic Sports (the umbrella organization for swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo in the U.S.). I was a high school swimmer and water polo player and earned a scholarship to play water polo at Long Beach State University. That was thirty pounds ago.

Richard J. Foster

MS: When and where did you first meet Mark Spitz?
RF: I was the chair of the 2004 Olympic Swim Trials in Long Beach and a client called to ask if I could get tickets for a friend of his. The friend was Mark Spitz. Up to that time I didn’t know Mark, but he was one of my heroes. He and I are about the same age and I can still recall watching his seven gold medal races in 1972. I must admit that I was a little nervous making the initial phone call. I invited him to sit with me at the Swim Trials. We became good friends and I soon began to handle some legal matters for him.

MS: Why did you decide to write the book?
RF: Mark and I were on a business trip in Italy and we had a three-hour layover in the Milan airport. Mark was telling me some anecdotes about his career and I said that I would like to read his biography. I was surprised to learn that there wasn’t one. I am a bit of a risk taker, so a couple weeks later I asked Mark if I could take a crack at it. He told me to go for it.

MS: What happened after that?
RF: Be careful what you ask for. I had no idea what writing the book would entail. There are a lot of “how to” books, and my wife, being a former librarian, seemed to dump a new one on me every day. Well, I got incredibly lucky. I sent out proposals to about twenty publishers and in August of 2007, Santa Monica Press offered me a contract. However, I had to have the manuscript completed by January of 2008. Yikes! I had been working on the book at a leisurely pace; I only had four chapters completed. From August to January, I worked on the book every weekday at least four hours (I had to take care of my clients) and every weekend day for four to eight hours a day. I didn’t have a day off except for Christmas day and New Years Eve. I made the deadline, but not by much.

MS: Okay, the burning question: why come to me when you already had a book contract and a nearly completed manuscript?
RF: My wife and I attended your workshop at the conference. I found you to be interesting and upbeat. Still, I labored over whether it made sense to retain you. I wondered whether you would just be duplicating the efforts of my publisher’s editor. I decided to go for it. This was my first book and I wanted to do it right. Also, Mark is an Olympic icon and I thought that he deserved the best.

It was a good decision. You have two traits that are valuable to writers. First, you’re an editor (some might call you an intense editor). Even though you weren’t hired to edit the manuscript, you couldn’t help yourself. Second, you are very creative and had dozens of great suggestions to make the book better. You weren’t afraid to tell me what was good and what was bad. On the way home from our meeting with you, my wife stated, “This guy is good.” I knew my decision to retain you was a good one. When I gave my publisher the final manuscript, I felt very confident; your suggestions had helped me make a good book better.

Well, what can I say to that other than, “Thanks, Rich, it was a pleasure working with you too.” With the 2008 Summer Olympics coming up, what better time to read about one of the legends in Olympic history? Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion has just been published and is available just about everywhere you usually buy books. Check it out!

Spring 2008

Oh No, Another Rejection!

So, what does a rejection letter have in common with a paper shredder? An article in our local paper told about a recent seminar offered at Judy Reeves’ wonderful San Diego Writers, Ink loft downtown. (Local writers take note: http://www.sandiegowriters.org/) The speaker addressed a topic near and not so dear to all writers’ hearts: rejection. In a creative stroke she placed a paper shredder before the attendees and invited anyone who so desired to shred one or more of their own rejection letters. From what I understand, there were plenty of takers.

Reading this article made me think back to when I led workshops and seminars at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Extension and other educational venues. I always spent one-two hours talking about rejection, and while I did not use a paper shredder for “show and tell,” my own “gimmick” usually got the point across. I had published many books by the time I started teaching, but along the way I’d collected hundreds (thousands?) of rejection letters, all of which I brought to the classroom in a large box. A multi-published author with countless rejections? Naah, my students refused to believe it…until I poured each and every one out on the floor. To this day, former students that I run into tell me that they never forgot the image of my rejection slips flying all around the room.

I always began that class with a mantra, which I repeated many times. Let me do the same here: Rejection is a professional opinion, not a personal statement. The literary agent is not saying to you—as my good friends at the SCWC so succinctly put it—that you’re a sucky person, or yo’ momma’s so stupid that she studied for a drug test, or that your four-month-old kid smells bad. They are only offering their own estimation of your writing.

Let me say it again: Rejection is a professional opinion, not a personal statement. And further, you know what they say about opinions. They’re much like a certain posterior orifice on a person’s anatomy: everybody has one, and they all stink.

Don’t let rejection letters deter you. They are an unavoidable part of this profession. The most successful authors have endured the “Dear Writer” notes. You’ve probably heard some of the stories. J.K. Rowling—Harry Potter’s mom—received numerous rejections. So did Tom Clancy, and Stephen King. Someone told Pearl Buck, author of the classic, The Good Earth, that “We regret the American public is not interested in anything on China.” Tony Hillerman’s rejection letter said in part, “Get rid of all that Indian stuff.” In her early days, Mary Higgins Clark was told, “We found the heroine as boring as her husband had.”

Rejection is a professional opinion, not a personal statement. And folks, they ain’t always right. If you want to get published, remember Commander Taggart’s words in Galaxy Quest: “Never give up, never surrender!”

Writing tip: since I’ve seen so much misuse of these two words lately, I could not resist inserting this explanation. I’m talking about the use of “farther” and “further”. The latter means “in addition to” or “additional”, while the former has to do with distance. To wit: “It will require further effort if you plan on throwing the discus farther than the other guys.”

Winter 2008

Fire & Brimstone

Happy New Year. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm relieved to see 2007 in the rearview mirror. I have it on good authority that 2008 is going to be a fantastic year, so enjoy!

Kudos to two of my writers for recently landing great agents: Joanne Brouk, for her children's book, The Legend of Pancho Villa (Frank Weimann, The Literary Group, New York City), and Anna Von Reitz--Big Lake, Alaska, hello!--for her literary women's novel, Torches at Night (Felicia Eth Literary Representation, Palo Alto, CA). And, congratulations to Michele Scott, whose third "Wine Lover's Mystery Series" novel, Silenced by Syrah, was nominated as "Best Amateur Sleuth Mystery" by Romantic Times magazine.

FIRE: one of the more forgettable occurrences of the past year here in southern California was our October firestorm, the second such disaster in four years. Jacqueline and I packed up the car and got ready to evacuate our home, as we had done in 2003. We were lucky this time, but our hearts go out to those who were not as fortunate. According to a recent report on 60 Minutes about "Megafires," the frequency and magnitude of these firestorms will only grow in years to come. Here's hoping that we are better prepared to deal with them.

BRIMSTONE: on a more pleasant note, one of my writers, Jeff Sherratt, will have his first novel, The Brimstone Murders, published in February by Echelon Press. This "vintage" mystery--the action takes place in and around Los Angeles during the early 1970s--features Jimmy O'Brien, a wisecracking amateur sleuth whose main gig is that of a criminal defense attorney. The well-paced story is populated by a host of eccentric characters that literally jump off the page. You'll have as much fun reading it as Jeff had putting it down on paper--and I had editing it.

Jeff Sherratt, despite one significant character flaw--he's an L.A. Dodgers fan--has become a good friend. He lives in Newport Beach, CA, and he's been married to his high school sweetheart, Judy, for over forty years. A lifelong entrepreneur, he once became a partner in a political public relations firm.

Jeff Sherratt

"Some of the characters in my stories are based on the candidates we've handled," Jeff said, recalling his experience as a political spinmeister. "I guess that's why we folded the tent and snuck off. Our guys were losers and we weren't good enough to make them look like winners."

After selling his most successful business, Jeff devoted his time to writing mysteries, and this has now become a full-time career. He is currently working on the next Jimmy O'Brien epic, Detour to Murder, and I am pleased to be assisting him. Jeff is a member of both Sisters in Crime and the Mystery Writers of America. Visit his website at www.jeffsherratt.com.

Jeff will be a featured speaker at the Southern California Writers' Conference which will be held in San Diego on Presidents' Day weekend, February 15-18, 2008. Another presenter will be his publisher, Karen Syed, of Echelon Press. This publishing house welcomes new writers, so if you have a project that is ready to "take to market," come to the conference and do some serious networking. (San Diego in February is not tough duty, folks.)

Fall 2007

Always “Acknowledge” Your Writing Coach

OK, before I pay off on that catchy title (and trust me, you will love this story), here are some reflections on writers' conferences. I recently got back from the "Los Angeles" version of the Southern California Writers' Conference, which was held in…Irvine. Not exactly LA, but a great location nonetheless, right next door to John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Lots of attendees, lots of writerly energy. Great job once again by Michael, Wes, and the gang. I was fortunate to meet—and am already working with—a number of dedicated and passionate writers.

That same energy will prevail at the upcoming La Jolla Writers Conference, which will be held in San Diego on the weekend of November 2-4, 2007. Antoinette Kuritz, Jared Kuritz and their staff always put on a great event. I will be presenting some workshops and doing advance reads. Don't miss it.

So, why should you "acknowledge" your writing coach? (And why the heck is the word in quotes?) This is a story in two parts. The first is about Dr. Paul Bernstein, a passionate writer, long-time student, client, and good friend. Over the years, Paul—a head and neck surgeon with Kaiser Permanente—has written some solid medical thrillers, stories good enough to land top representation. But, as it goes in this business, no book deals were forthcoming. Still, he persevered, and a couple years ago he switched gears to write a novel, Courage to Heal. The story, heavily steeped in fact, is about Dr. Sidney Garfield, the industrialist Henry Kaiser, and the birth of not only Kaiser Permanente but also of the HMO system as we know it. This strong effort (in my humble opinion) met with considerable resistance from literary agents, prompting Paul to go the POD route. With the support of Kaiser Permanente, sales for Courage to Heal were actually quite impressive.

Dr. Paul Bernstein

Part two: enter Jennifer Redmond, editor-in-chief at Sunbelt Publications, and one of the nicest people that I know in this business. Jennifer and I had crossed paths at a number of writers' conferences during the past year, including the SCWC in February. A month after that conference, out of the blue, I received a note from Jennifer. She had picked up a book called Courage to Heal, had read it, and had thoroughly enjoyed it. In the "Acknowledgements" she noticed that Paul had given me "…credit for its creation" and asked if she could put me in touch with him. Hey, no problem!

The rest is history. Courage to Heal (Sunbelt Publications, $14.95, paperback) is scheduled for release later this month. Dr. Paul Bernstein has his first "legitimate" publisher. It won't be his last. Congratulations, Paul and Jennifer. As for the rest of you: always remember to "acknowledge" your writing coach.

Summer 2007

Your Worst Nightmare

As many of you know, I'm not easy on my writers. I've often said that when you cast your lot with me, I become your best friend and your worst nightmare. So imagine how it must've felt to learn that I literally turned into the latter for one of my people!

Here's the deal: I've spent the past six months working with an east coast writer—-let's call him Randolph—-on a promising science fiction novel, the first of a proposed series. As of this writing the project should be submission-ready in a month or so. Imagine my surprise at receiving the following note, which Randolph was kind enough to let me share with all of you:

"What is my subconscious doing cooking up the dream I had last night? I kid you not. I awoke at 3 a.m. for a few moments and went back to sleep. Next thing I know I turn in bed and there YOU are, in nice long pajamas lying comfortably on the other side of my wife (who sleeps in the middle). I ask: Mike, how did you get here unannounced? Well, you say in the dark, you were coming to the east coast anyway for a visit and thought you'd drop in on an important student. I close my eyes and tell myself this is either a dream or I'll deal with you in the morning, but moments later I get a tap on my shoulder.

"Now you're standing at attention next to my side of the bed with a big dopey smile on your face. 'No more sleeping, Randolph. Time to get up and have a working session.' Oh shit, I mutter. But I don't want my wife disturbed so I lead us into the next room. There you have an easel set up and a marker. A few of your other students (faceless) are in the room ready for your lecture, the subject of which is my book.

"I ask you again what you mean by dropping in on me like this. You hang your head and give some heartfelt story about following your visions, which led you to my bedroom, and won't I please take advantage of your presence and learn from you in person. Fine, I say, let's get on with it. Then you launch into some wacky lecture about what [my character] really needs to fill it out are a few catchy songs. You suggest two ditties from the Elizabethan period and even perform one for us. Thank heaven I can't recall the words, but you held a tune pretty well. At that point I woke up. It was 3:48 a.m.

"I did get back to sleep without further dreams that I recalled."

Randolph wrote me a day or so later with the following addendum:

"As for my personal experience with you, maybe having an editor has brought some pressure but working with you personally has been mostly a pleasure, even when we disagree. In the dream I think you represented this overall pressure in human form, and even in my dreamworld, you were still upbeat and encouraging, if that's possible at 3 a.m. Oh yeah, and I forgot to relate that while singing the Elizabethan ditty, you had put on a Groucho Marx style night cap in bright blue, one of those two-foot-long saggy affairs with the tassel on the end."

The oddest thing about all of this? I couldn't carry a tune if you put one in a shopping bag! Thanks, Randolph. You made my month!

Spring 2007

“ Give a Writer a Fish…”

Actually, the quote goes something like this: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Depending on where you look, it is either an old Chinese proverb or it comes from the Talmud. (I always thought that the first person to utter those words was my fourth-grade teacher in The Bronx, Mrs. Zelda Finkelstein. But, my research did not turn up that attribution.)

Why is that quote important to me? Of late I have come to realize that my Prime Directive as a writing coach and editor (not “book doctor”, folks, pull-eeeze!) is to provide my writers with the tools that enable them to make their own writing better, to show them what I’m doing, and why, rather than to simply do the work for them. “Hey Mike, doesn’t that mean less billable hours for you, if your writers do it themselves?” Yep, more than likely. But then, I have never been all about billable hours. I want you to learn; I want you to understand this process; and, I want your writing to improve with every project.

Recently, a writer called me, said that he had a 90,000-word manuscript and asked if I would work with him. I told him about my comprehensive evaluation, about how I point out what worked and what did not work, how I would provide him with many pages of suggestions for making his writing stronger—

And he interrupted me, just like that. Uh-uh, he didn’t want to know what worked and what didn’t work. He had spent a long time toiling on this manuscript and now he wanted me to fix whatever was wrong with it and get it ready for submission. He didn’t even care if he saw it again or not, he told me. Oh yeah, and it better sell afterward. That expectation became the kicker.

So, being the polite charmer that many of you know I am, I graciously refused the project. Lots of billable hours there, no? But this was not going to happen. How could I justify working with a writer who felt that the first draft of his book was as far as he was willing to go? This is a long process, folks. Lots of grunt work beyond that initial draft.

OK, so this was an extreme situation, granted. I suppose he even found a “book doctor” willing to do extensive rewrites for all of those billable hours. Does this mean I won’t do any grunt work for my writers? Not at all. Those of you who have worked with me from beginning to end know that I’ve cleaned up your next-to-final drafts before the submission process began, but only after you’ve done the lion’s share of the rewriting and, yes, the editing. People absorb learning at different speeds, and I not only understand this, I am also fine with it. As long as you are trying, I have no complaints.

For example, a writer came to me over a year ago with an early 100,000-word draft of a novel. While the presentation was sorely lacking, the storyline was one of the best I’d read in the past year or two. Based on the comprehensive evaluation he rewrote his first two chapters and sent them back to me. Oh boy, I knew we were in trouble. A second round turned out little better. After an exchange of e-mails and a couple more face-to-face meetings, I agreed to perform substantive editing on the chapters to show him what he needed to do. Lots of time? Yep. Billable hours? Indeed! His learning curve was slower than some, but he was trying hard, and I appreciated that. My workload decreased with each chapter, and by the end he was doing so much better. He finished the project a few weeks ago, and we began the submission process. Our fingers are crossed.

Mission accomplished: I taught another writer how to fish!

Winter 2007

Managing Expectations

Happy New Year. Wasn’t 2007 one of those years that only sounded realistic when you heard it referred to in a science fiction novel? Sort of like Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001, now history at six years past, or the Orwellian nightmare 1984, even more ancient history. Uh-oh, I must be playing the “getting older” card. We Baby Boomers do that. Still, 2007…

A person of some fame and accomplishment (in endeavors other than writing) contacted me a while back to see if I could assist her in writing a book about her life. At first thrilled and honored, I quickly re-evaluated the possibility of this happening when she informed me of her expectations for getting this project done—not only her expectations for me, and for my role, but for herself. Totally unrealistic, something that I reluctantly told her, at the same time dismissing any thought of a working relationship. Too bad, because—fame aside—she was a delightful individual, and I would have enjoyed the experience.

Surprise, she thanked me for filling her in on the process of writing a book, from conception to publication, and all that it entailed. She had no idea, she said, but now that she knew, she was not discouraged. She appreciated the fact that I could help her manage her expectations. (We came up with a new title: EM, or Expectations Manager. I like that.) Since then we have done some work on the project, but it’s been slowed by her busy schedule of personal appearances, the birth of a baby, and life in general, which always manages to get in the way of the most well-intentioned projects.

If you’ve worked with me, you know that I’m always trying to help you manage your expectations in this endeavor of writing/publishing, at all stages of the process. If your 100,000-word labor of blood, sweat, and tears needs a ton of work, the expectations are that it will take a considerable amount of time to make it submission-ready. If it’s a solid piece of work, and you take guidance well, the expectations are that it will be submission-ready much sooner. If your manuscript is ready to go out to literary agents, the expectations are that finding an agent who will “love” your work can be a long and often frustrating experience. And so on. Only by managing your expectations will you be able to navigate this course and preserve your sanity.

I went back and forth with a potential new client recently, until I finally decided to pass on the project. Her premise was not the strongest, and the writing sample that I saw did not impress, though these were not the primary reasons for my reluctance, for I’ve seen many a sow’s ear turn into a silk purse with hard work and dedication. No, this was about expectations…that I would help the writer get this book published, and that anything less would be a “disappointment” to her. Sorry, but expectations such as this are unrealistic, both for yourself and for any writing coach or editor from whom you seek help.

So, heed the words of your friendly neighborhood EM: learn how to manage your expectations as you write, market, and (hopefully) publish your book. You will be well served.

Fall 2006

Better Late Than Never

This newsletter is a bit late. I just got back from an energetic and enthusiastic Southern California Writers’ Conference in Palm Springs, otherwise known as PS3. Yes, it’s already been three years since Michael Steven Gregory, Wes Albers and Cricket Abbott took their highly successful San Diego conference (twenty-one years this coming February!) on the road to the desert. Thought I’d wait and see if there was anything interesting to relate. More on that shortly.

But the “late” in the headline has nothing to do with my returning from the conference. It has to do with a totally unexpected phone call that I received this past summer. The caller identified himself as Vincent Barrington (sounds like a great name for a character in a novel, no?), a past client of mine. It took me a moment to recall the name. After all, as Vince informed me, it had been three years since I’d evaluated his manuscript, a suspense thriller.

“I wrote what I thought was a fairly good book,” Vince told me. “Three hundred-fifty pages. I’d written it three times and of course it was perfect! Then I sent it to you. Oooh boy, was I wrong. You tore me apart.”

Vince told me just how much I’d burst his bubble. He put the manuscript in a drawer and did not even look at it until three years later; until now.

“To be honest, it took me this long to understand why,” he said. “I re-read the manuscript, then re-read your notes, and I realized that all you’d said about it was true. A note to any wanna-be writer who submits work to you: you do tell it like it really is. I think that is so important; there is absolutely no rip-off. Just honesty, for which I thank you.”

Vince said that he was even going to start working on it again, and when he felt that it was a lot better, he’d be back in touch with me. How cool is that! So, it took three years to get through. Better late than never.

As for PS3, I can’t say that I came away with any startling revelations from this large gathering of writers, agents, editors, publishers and the like. Most interesting, I was asked to sit on a panel (with another wonderful freelance editor/writing coach, San Diego-based Jean Jenkins) comprised mostly of literary agents and publishing house editors (well, one anyway). At first reluctant, I was convinced by Michael and Wes that the role of an editor/writing coach is becoming even more important along the oftentimes difficult path to representation and publication, and he wanted the attendees to be aware of that role. During Q & A, the agents confirmed the fact that writers who work with a professional to polish not only their manuscripts but their overall book proposals have that much more of a chance to be noticed. Seems to me that the message was well received.

Summer 2006

You Can’t Judge A Book…

Whitney Lyles

I nearly tossed one of my most successful writers out of a UCSD novel-writing workshop back in 2001.

Whitney Lyles, now thirty and a recent first-time mom to a beautiful baby daughter, walked into an already overbooked class as I frantically tried to figure out how I was going to squeeze everyone into the undersized room. Seeing her I thought, All right, who brought their kid to class? You’re not supposed to bring kids here! True; I figured she was about fifteen, due (mostly) to her eternally youthful appearance and (partly) to my aging eyesight. But, I let her stay, and over five years later—with four novels and an anthology either in print or on the way—we’re both glad that I did.

Shy by nature, Whitney did not approach me in the classroom, but a day or so after our second session I received an e-mail from her with the subject head, “coach needed.” Sure, why not? I asked her what kind of novel she was working on. “It’s chick-lit,” she told me. Huh? This fifteen-year-old girl wants a middle-aged male to help her with a chick-lit story? But the genre was (still is) going strong, and once I read the opening of her manuscript, Searching for Glass Slippers, I became a Whitney Lyles fan.

Whitney recalls: “When I started writing I knew I had some good stuff. I would share it with family members and wait for feedback, only to be disappointed when they said, ‘Keep up the good work,’ or ‘I really liked it.’ I felt like what I really needed was someone to give me the hard honest truth – the constructive criticism that would separate my novel from one of the good ones that agents would consider, but ultimately reject, to a great one that agents and publishers wouldn’t be able to resist. I realized I had gotten way too close to my book, as writers often do. I couldn’t tell which scenes flopped and which were priceless. I needed a fresh, honest set of eyes to take a look at my manuscript.”

Whitney took the critiquing well, and before the end of the year Glass Slippers resonated (a favorite agents’ word) with Sangeeta Mehta, a young agent at the Margret McBride agency. Sangeeta took it “to market,” where it garnered a few rejections before Sangeeta took off for Publishers’ Row in New York. (Four years at Little, Brown, and now on her way to Simon & Schuster.) When no one else at the agency showed the kind of enthusiasm necessary to place a book, I suggested that Whitney pull it back. I then introduced her to Julie Burton, another young agent, at the renowned Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Julie loved the project but felt that, since it had already been shopped, she would prefer to wait for Whitney’s next project.

It just so happened that Whitney was finishing up another novel, Always the Bridesmaid, and not only Julie, but Sandy Dijkstra herself, fell in love with it. (Julie has since left the agency, but Sandy continues to enthusiastically represent Whitney.) They secured a two-book deal at auction with Berkley Trade, followed by a second two-book deal, plus a separate contract for a novella to be part of a chick-lit wedding anthology.

Bridesmaid debuted to critical and commercial success in 2004. Roommates followed in 2005, while a sequel to Bridesmaid, titled Here Comes the Bride, has just been published, as has the wedding anthology, Catch of the Day.

Whitney’s reply to others who would like to follow in her glass slippers? “I have received a ton of e-mails from hopeful writers seeking advice on getting published. My response could be endless. There is a lot to consider when trying to get published, but I always offer two key points that contributed to my success. The first is to read everything you possibly can. Study what other successful authors do. The second is to seek the guidance of a professional editor, or as I like to say, a writing coach.”

Who brought their kid to class? Hey, thanks, Whit. Glad I didn’t judge this book by its cover.

Spring 2006

The First Sentence

I had the pleasure of leading a couple of workshops, sitting on a panel of freelance editors, and doing one-on-one evaluations with a number of writers at the Southern California Writers’ Conference, held earlier this year here in San Diego. This was the twentieth annual conference, which surprised me, because it seems like I’ve been doing it a whole lot longer than two decades. I swear that Charles Dickens was one of our guest speakers there…but I could be wrong. (More likely it was Hemingway.)

What made this particular conference so much more special for me was the fact that two of my writing students, both of whom had attended the SCWC or similar conferences in the past as unpublished, aspiring writers, were now guest speakers as published authors. How cool is that! This “proud poppa” sat in as mystery writer Michele Scott addressed a large gathering and explained how it only took her a dozen or so years to become an “overnight success.” Narrative non-fiction writer Neva Sullaway led a workshop, alongside her literary agent and her New York publisher, describing her long journey from personal experience to publication.

In one of my workshops I talked about how literary agents weed out the numerous submissions that cross their desks every day, every week, every month. Whenever I talk to an agent—usually to pitch one of my writers—I often ask the same question. In recent years the answer, with slight variations, goes something like this: “I read the first sentence. If I like it, I read the first paragraph. If I like that, I read the first page. If that works for me, I turn the page.”

Huh? Excuse me? Are you saying, the workshop attendees ask, that I have this narrow a margin to grab an agent’s attention? Unfortunately, yes. I guess it would make more sense if you were the one who received a hundred or so manuscripts a week.

Still, I’ve had students scoff at the notion of an agent not reading past the first sentence. Case in point: last summer’s Palm Spring edition of the SCWC, where a few scoffers shook their heads in disbelief. A few hours later, at the requisite agents’ panel, one scoffer posed the same question to a New York agent. Her reply (verbatim): “I read the first sentence. If I like it, I read the first paragraph. If I like that, I read the first page. If that works for me, I turn the page.”

Yes, the scoffers turned to me and made one of those hands/face “You were right” gestures. And to further amaze them, the next agent said, “If I see one, one single typo anywhere in the first five pages, the manuscript goes back in the SASE.” That topped off everyone’s day. Nor was it any different at the recent San Diego conference.

Bottom line, folks: you need some of your strongest, most engaging, most professionally presented work right out of the chute, or the next place it will be appearing is in your mailbox. Those of you who have worked with me know how much emphasis I put on the opening, the narrative “hook.” There were those among you (yeah, you know who you are) who told me, going into our work together, “The first three-four pages kind of suck, but the next 288 pages are dynamite!” So if you have 288 awesome pages, why isn’t one of them opening the book? Why would you even think of opening your story with anything but your best shot?

So, if you’re serious about your craft, and about breaking into the world of publishing—as so many others want to—keep in mind that one of your greatest challenges, after writing an awesome book, is impressing the literary agent enough to be among the one percent of writers that they choose to represent. Never forget (yes, one more time): “I read the first sentence. If I like it, I read the first paragraph. If I like that, I read the first page. If that works for me, I turn the page.”

For those of you in the San Diego area, my half-day “Risk Points” seminar, scheduled for UCSD Extension on Saturday, May 20th, covers the narrative hook, and a whole lot more. Check it out.

Winter 2006

Wow, a new year already! How did that happen? I hope it was a good one for you. Looking back, I was pleased to note the successes of many writers with whom I have worked through the years. Let’s hope that your name gets added to the list a year from now. Have a great 2006!

What A Year!

Neva Sullaway began the year with the publication of her acclaimed narrative non-fiction saga, Chasing Dreamtime (Brookview Press), “a seagoing hitchhiker’s journey through memory and myth.” I had worked on the project with Neva on and off (more off than on?) for the better part of a decade. Frustrated, she’d put it “in the drawer” many times. But I believed in her, and in the story, and I urged her to continue. I guess it worked. In her acknowledgements she wrote: “To Mike Sirota, writing consultant and editor, whose knowledge of words, understanding of the process and ultimate belief, kept me writing.”

Former students of mine either began or continued their run of successes in 2005. Henry Garfield’s My Father, The Werewolf (Atheneum/Richard Jackson) was the fifth published novel from a talented writer and good friend. Diane Lee Wilson’s young adult novel, Black Storm Comin' (Margaret K. McElderry), was her third acclaimed book. And Judy Bernstein’s non-fiction work, They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan (Public Affairs Books), spent some time on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list.

Mystery writer Michele Scott’s story was documented in my Fall 2005 Newsletter under the heading of Perseverance. Subsequent to my writing that, her first novel, Murder Uncorked (Berkley Prime Crime), became a Barnes & Noble lead title for October, which boosted her sales and led to a quick second printing. The second novel in the Wine Lovers Mystery Series, Murder by the Glass, and the first in her Quarter Horse Mystery series, will be published in 2006.

A few years back I had the honor of working with Laura Hillman on her young adult non-fiction memoir, I Will Plan You a Lilac Tree: A Memoir of Schindler's List Survivor (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster). The book debuted this past summer to critical acclaim.

An aging male Baby Boomer who likes chick-lit? I have Whitney Lyles to thank for that. Her second novel, Roommates (Berkley Trade), debuted this past fall, not long after Whitney’s agent, Sandra Dijkstra, landed her another two-book deal with Berkley. She has quite a career ahead of her.

Finally, my favorite “rocket scientist,” UCSD Professor Marc Meyers, realized his dream with the publication of Mayan Mars (Green Grass/Sunbelt Publications), a cautionary novel.

Writing Tip

Which, or that? This one stumps many writers. First, let’s look at the boring explanation in the grammar books: In a dependent clause, use which if it is a nonrestrictive clause, and that if it is a restrictive one.

Now, let’s try to make it easier. Look at these two sentences:

The dishes, which are on the kitchen counter, need to be washed.
The dishes that are on the kitchen counter need to be washed.

These sentences are only different in that one has commas and uses which, while the other has no commas and uses that. Still, the meanings differ. In the first, nonrestrictive sentence, the indication is that all the dishes need to be washed. All of them just happen to be on the kitchen counter. In the second, restrictive sentence, it is implied that only the dishes on the kitchen counter need to be washed. Other dishes on the table, floor, ceiling, wherever, do not need to be washed.

Fall 2005

Many of you e-mailed me about my “remodeled” website in general, and the inaugural newsletter in particular. For all of your kind words and comments, I thank you.

Sometimes I lose touch with writers after working with them to help make their stories shine. The subsequent submission process, as I’m sure you all know, can be long and arduous. Such was the case with Laura Hillman, a wonderful woman who came to me a few years back with a YA memoir titled, I Will Plan You a Lilac Tree: A Memoir of Schindler's List Survivor. That’s right, Laura—a young teen at the time—was one of the Jews rescued from certain death at the hands of the Nazis by German industrialist Oskar Schindler. I was thrilled to discover a glowing review of the book (published by S&S/Atheneum) in the August 15, 2005 issue of Publishers Weekly. (It also received a starred review in Booklist.) Mazel tov, Laura!

Perseverance

In the previous newsletter I mentioned that I would be profiling one of my most successful writers, Michele Scott. At this writing I’ve known Michele less than a year and a half, and in this relatively short period of time (barely an eye blink in “Publishing Time”) she has sold SIX theme mysteries to Berkley Prime Crime. Wow, just like that, she’s an overnight success? Uh-uh, that is so not true! The key word that got Michele to this point in her writing career: perseverance.

I began working with Michele in the spring of 2004 when she joined a read/critique workshop that I facilitated. Soon after, I became her editor, writing coach, shoulder-to-cry-on, general all-purpose maven, and—most important—her friend. At the time, Michele had already accomplished that big step, finding a literary agent (Jessica Faust at Bookends) for her novel, Murder Uncorked, and it was being shopped.

“Though Murder Uncorked would ultimately become the first book to be picked up by a publisher,” Michele said, “it was in truth the seventh that I’d written. I started my first novel fifteen years ago, when I was a senior in college. From then until Murder Uncorked I collected hundreds of rejection slips from literary agents and publishers alike.”

But Michele kept at it: writing correspondence courses, writers’ conferences, workshops, anything that would help her improve her craft—and allow her to network writers that had already made it.

Michele recalls: “I attended the Southern California Writers Conference in San Diego one year. It was a particularly low point for me with regard to my writing. But I was inspired by (legal thriller writer) Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, who talked about all the time and effort she’d put into her writing. And, on top of that what she put into getting the work out there, and I realized that only perseverance would get me anywhere in this business.”

So much for an “overnight sensation!” But now, after all those years, Michele’s dream of being published has been realized. Murder Uncorked, the first in the Wine Lover’s Mystery Series, will be published in October 2005. Two sequels are already finished, with the second, Murder by the Glass, scheduled for fall 2006. But in the midst of all the initial excitement, Michele—who grew up in the horse country of eastern San Diego County—proposed yet another book, Saddled With Trouble, the first in the Equine Mystery Series. Yep, another three-book deal. Is this young woman on a roll, or what!

“Perseverance is key,” Michele said. “I’ve written through a baby who was sick for the first three years of his life, through single parenting two toddlers, through tons of rejections, another baby—all of it. That’s not to say, ‘oh look at me, aren’t I amazing.’ Not at all. The point is, it can be done if you want it bad enough and you work for it and stay in your purpose. My house may pretty much always be a disaster, but my kids know they are loved, and I am honoring my passion as a writer.

“This path is not about the outcome but the purpose, because there are no guarantees, but if you love writing with every fiber within you and you stick with it through everything, I truly believe you can and will succeed. One other thing is get a good coach, which is what Mike really is in essence—far more than a freelance editor. I have begged and borrowed to get to this place. I have always believed in the end it would come back to me, and since I’ve found Mike I believe that even more so. I’m not talking monetarily; I’m speaking of the growth I get as a writer every time I work with him. And, believe me, my editor at Berkley doesn’t see anything without Mike seeing it first. That’s how strongly I feel about his abilities to help me continue growing as a writer.

“So, keep on writing and submitting and learning. That’s the best part about writing: we’re always growing.”

A “Launch Party” for Murder Uncorked is planned for Mysterious Galaxy Books on Saturday, October 22, 2005, at 2 p.m. Come and meet Michele Scott—a woman who knows the meaning of perseverance. The store is located in San Diego at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., just off I-805.

Writing Tip

Actually, let’s call this a submission tip. In discussing with writing hopefuls what comprises a professional manuscript presentation to a literary agent, I often ask, “What is the first thing of yours that the agent sees?” The answer is nearly always, “The cover letter.” No, that’s not it. Your cover letter, synopsis, title page, manuscript, and everything else must arrive at the agent’s office in…something. That something, of course, is the mailer, either a padded envelope, box, or reasonable facsimile.

So why is this important? Because everything that the agent sees on her desk represents YOU. Here’s a scenario I’ve seen or heard about all too often: you’ve just spent six months, eight months, twelve or more writing and polishing your book. You paid for writing classes, an editor/book doctor, and probably a lot more. But on the day you choose to take that big step and submit the manuscript to an agent that you met at a recent conference, you don’t have any padded envelopes or manuscript mailers handy. However, your new Faux-Shearling vest from L.L. Bean just arrived in a padded envelope, and hey, the mailer doesn’t look to be in too bad a shape; just riii-iiip off the label here, then riiii-iiip off the postage there, and it’s usable. What the heck, no one will notice. TRUST ME, FOLKS, THEY WILL. Don’t be branded as unprofessional. Your project deserves better.

Summer 2005

There's always a first time for everything. So, welcome to my inaugural newsletter. I plan on updating it every quarter with information and factoids about the craft and business of writing. If you have thoughts, ideas, or suggestions about what you would like to see included in the newsletter, by all means let me know.

Why I Do What I Do

It's no secret that breaking into book publishing is a difficult endeavor. Hey folks, this is the entertainment business, you know? Even if you're lucky enough to find an agent and get a book deal, you're probably not going to become an independently wealthy, bestselling author anytime soon. By the mid-nineties I had published nineteen novels (yes, that's nineteen, diecinueve, neunzehn), and was still looking for the "big break." When the only break I seemed to be getting was the long one that occurred between checking account deposits, I switched gears and turned-reluctantly, at first-to teaching university and community college writing classes, private read & critique workshops, and evaluating/editing manuscripts. In other words, exactly what I do now.

But why reluctantly? Because I wasn't in the game anymore, and I wondered: if I'm good enough at this to help someone take their writing to the next level, how would I react when that person called me with the news that his/her book had been accepted by a publisher? I mean, that was my favorite part of this, and now I had given it up.

That "test" came rather quickly. One of my talented students, Diane Lee Wilson, had written a wonderful YA novel, I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade. I had connected Diane with her agent, and in short order the agent placed the novel with Orchard Books. Diane was practically screaming when she called me with the news, and you know what? I joined her in a "group scream," because I was so thrilled for her. Test passed; I'd lost the ego.

There have been quite a few "group screams" since then, and never once had I thought, Dang, I wish it were me. I love seeing my writers succeed, and playing some role in that success. Sure, I make a living by doing this work. But when I get to take part in a "group scream" over one of my people landing a top agent or getting a new book deal…hey, file that under why I do what I do. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Writing Tip

Those of you who have worked with me know that I always tell you to use "each other" when referring to two people ("The two award winners congratulated each other.") and "one another" when referring to three or more. ("The boys in the scout troop looked out for one another in the woods.") Well, guess what: many style guides and references say that these reciprocal pronouns are synonymous, that the old rule is out of date. But then they go on to say that it is "more common" to use "each other" for two and "one another" for three or more.

So, what to do! Doesn't sound like there's any right or wrong here. Am I out of date on it also? My own personal experience had to do with an agent who, years ago, rejected a submission of mine but for some reason took the time to mark up the first chapter. The majority of his redlining had to do with switching "each other" and "one another." He even wrote an emphatic note about my "misuse" of the two, and reading between the lines I came up with, "What kind of an idiot doesn't know that?" Now, I'll probably never know if he rejected the book because it was crummy (probably), or because I misused "each other" and "one another" (probably not). But is it worth the risk? Go with the old rule.

In the Next Newsletter

In the Fall 2005 newsletter I plan on addressing perseverance by profiling Michele Scott, one of my most successful writers. Since I began working with Michele a year ago she has sold six novels to Berkley Prime Crime. An overnight sensation? Wait till you hear what came before that.

© 2010 Mike Sirota