Free Unbound Book Festival Features Author Events, Panels, Signings and More

If you're looking for an educational and inspirational writing event this month, the Unbound Book Festival should be on your list. Festival founder and director, author Alex George, has done a brilliant job planning and organizing this literary event, which celebrates literature of all kinds.

Note: While all events are free, festival organizers have requested that attendees bring gently used books to deposit in bins that will be placed outside the doors of the meeting rooms. These donated books will be distributed throughout the community after the event.

Friday evening, April 22, the Missouri Theater in Columbia will be the site for a conversation with internationally renowned bestselling author of The English Patient and many other exceptional novels, memoirs, and books of poetry -- Michael Ondaatje.

The main event will be Saturday April 23 on the campus of Stephens College in Columbia, MO. The schedule includes programs for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Children's Events. Senator Claire McCaskill is among the score of top-notch speakers who will be featured during the day. You can find a complete list of speakers here.

A variety of panels will also be held during the day, including the First Page Rodeo, where an expert panel (New York literary agent Margaret Sutherland Brown, Unbridled Books senior editor Greg Michalson, and New York Times bestselling authors Eleanor Brown and George Hodgman) will share their thoughts on a selection of first pages of novels submitted in advance of the festival by the general public.

Five first pages have been selected, from authors as far away as Texas to Massachusetts. The panelists will discuss what works and what does not, as well as what will grab the attention of industry professionals.

Note: At least one of the first-page selectees is from Missouri, and she will be in the audience hoping the panel isn't too harsh on her one-page submission.

You can find a complete schedule, list of authors, and more details on the Unbound Book Festival site. Hope to see you there! And don't forget to bring your gently used books to donate.

The Editing Process - Kate Angelella at MWG Conference

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Partly cloudy, high 71 degrees, chance of thunderstorms. Some wicked storms blew through this area last night, mostly to the north and east.

While I have my notebook handy from last month's MWG conference, I thought it would be a good time to share some notes I took during a presentation on "The Process" by Kate Angelella. Kate is an acquiring editor at Alladin, a division of Simon and Schuster. Kate's area of expertise is the 'tween market, ages 9-13, which she calls "an untapped market . . . for readers who have graduated from Nancy Drew but not ready for Gossip Girl."


Here are some of her answers to frequently asked questions:

What should I write?
Don't write into a trend because they change
Write what you want--because when you do, it shows

How do I submit?
Find an agent
S&S does not accept unsolicited manuscripts--must be through an agent or invited by an editor
Know whom you are submitting to--make sure that's what they represent
Know their tastes and what they're looking for (hint--look at acknowledgements in books)

What does she want to see?
Voice must be authentic
The "hook" is critical
The first page is the most important
Complete manuscript (through an agent or by editor's request only)

Other words of advice:
It's all about the author's drive
Have an on-line presence
Be passionate about what you write

Editors’ Panel at MWG Conference with Lee Goldberg and Kate Angelella

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Chance of showers, high 49 degrees. It's foggy and misty outside this morning.

On April 3, opening night at the MWG conference in Cape Girardeau, MO, Lee Goldberg (screenwriter for Monk, Diagnosis Murder, etc.) and Kate Angelella (an editor at Simon and Schuster), graciously participated in an on-the-spot critique session. After a facilitator read the first two pages of works-in-progress from conference attendees, Lee and Kate then gave their impressions and suggestions.

Giving immediate feedback without the benefit of having a print copy isn’t the easiest thing to do, but Kate and Lee did an excellent job, and they were very good sports about it all. Seven works were read the first night, and I jotted down some comments and suggestions from Kate and Lee, which I’ve summarized below:

Kate Angelella:
Watch point of view
Avoid telling rather than showing
Dialogue should be distinct and real
Watch exposition
Parse exposition out slowly
An object can convey the mood of a piece
Put yourself in the reader’s position and ask: Why should I care?
Watch clichés
Root your stories in something reader can relate to
Don’t overwhelm with information all at once
Sprinkle information throughout novel
Include action
Reader should connect with main character
Character should be authentic
Dialogue shouldn’t sound embellished or affected
Prefers writing with a distinct cadence, lyrical, literary
“Voice is the key!”

Lee Goldberg:
Stories need a sense of urgency
Get at a dramatic point
It’s okay to have a little bit of mystery at first
Give a sense of place
Don’t be an “Irwin the explainer” with overdone exposition
Stories need conflict, drama
What is your story about?
Why is it compelling?
Why is it entertaining?
Don’t need sex scenes or car crashes (to be compelling)
Do need emotional truth, conflict, drama
Opening page is your “query letter”
Don’t have the main character thinking too much out loud in the opening
“Story is conflict.”
Give a sense of choreography of scene, especially in fantasies
Don’t overwhelm reader with details at the beginning
Ground your reader
Focus more on character and emotion and less on phrases
Don’t be too in love with your writing
Hook! Tease!
Stay with what’s true
“Exposition is the death of good writing.”

There you have it, advice from two experts who know what it takes to get published. Over the next week or so I will post more of what I learned at the MWG conference, so stay tuned!

Editor-Agent Submissions

Yesterday I promised to follow-up with specific submission requests from Rebecca French Smith, Susan Swartwout, and Anna Genoese, who were panelists at the October 25 Saturday Writers' Workshop. Here goes:

* When reading a query for Missouri Life, among the elements Rebecca is looking for are:
- How does it pertain to Missouri?
- How does it connect with readers?
- Have you writtten for Missouri Life before?
- If you are not a former contributor, send writing clips.
- A clear understanding of what you are pitching.
- A unique slant on a familiar topic.

* For the "Big Muddy" Susan wants stories, poetry, or personal essays rich in place and historical context. For Southwest Missouri State University Press, she also wants:
- Finished projects rich in place and historical context to the Mississippi River Valley.
- Books (fiction or non-fiction) with a Midwestern interest. Her best sellers have been works of historical fiction.
- Query first (everything goes to three readers who decide on acceptances)

* As a consultant for TOR/Forge and a genre editor for Paranormal Romances, Anna Genoese looks for submissions that:
- Are sent by an agent (only)
- Show conflict
- Have a strong narrator's voice
- Don't have anything too "precious" or cutesy
- Pass the reality test
- Are exciting
- Stick with POV
She also noted that "Gossip sells."

But wait, there's more . . . I'm also including some advice from Krista Goering, the agent who gave the morning presentation.

* Krista Goering is a lawyer and an agent, located in Kansas. Krista was the keynote speaker for the morning session. During her presentation, she:
- Discussed how distribution and marketing are key components to maximize book sales.
- Recommended query letters be limited to one page.
- Explained the difference between middle-grade and YA readerships.
- Talked how she works with writers to develop readership with their first book
- Sends manuscripts to six editors; if a ms doesn't sell after six editors have seen it, it probably isn't going to work. (Note: My understanding of what she said is that while she doesn't give up on her writers at this point, the six-rejection rule is usually a signal the ms needs to be revisited and either revised or reworked.)
Okay, that's about all I was able to scribble down in between my pitch sessions. Hope it is helpful. I'll be back on Monday.

Happy Halloween!

Do's and Don'ts from Editors' Panel

On Saturday, October 25, I attended the Saturday Writers' "Turn the Page" Workshop. One of the highlights was the Editors' Panel, where three panelists (ala American Idol) critiqued 100-word anonymously-submitted excerpts of short stories, articles, memoirs, or non-fiction features from workshop attendees.

Panelists included: Rebecca French Smith, Managing Editor from "Missouri Life Magazine"; Dr. Susan Swartwout, Director/Publisher of Southeast Missouri State University Press which produces books and "Big Muddy: Journal of the Mississippi River Valley"; and Anna Genoese, freelance editor and consultant for Tor/Forge Books (who announced she would play the role of Simon).

Here are a few of the panelists' Do's and Don'ts on how to grab an editor's attention:

Do:
Start fast
Put the reader in place
Show the narrator's voice
Put the speaker up front in an article
Give a clear picture
Be straightforward
Use dialogue, but not dialectics
Use strong, descriptive language
Show conflict early

Don't:
Start with a question
Start with a dream
Start with “imagine”
Start with waking up to an alarm clock
Show narrator looking into a mirror
Use repeated remembering
Use too much description
Summarize
Start with "it" or "to be" - they are killers for starters

Tomorrow I will share their market-specific suggestions.