Querying a Collaboration

I am getting ready to start the query process on my novel. The story has been written by me with collaboration and historical input by another.

On the book, I have put the title, then -- a novel by L H with EH

I have the query written as if it is seeking representation for both of us. Is this how it is done when there is collaboration on the story? We consider it a joint venture. Does this cause a problem for the agent?

I guess my real question is, should I be querying for just me, the prime writer of the story, mentioning the collaboration, or leave it as the two of us?

If the agent liked the manuscript, would he/she offer representation to the both of us or just the main writer of the story?

Should I query like this or just query for myself for now?

You should be doing exactly as you’re doing. With some collaborations authors choose to have separate agents (often they already have agents for other projects). Most of the time, however, one agent will represent the author team on the book. Since you see this as a collaborative effort it only makes sense that the agent would want to represent the author, which in this case happens to be two people.

Jessica

Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

I read this book on a dare. Not quite on the scale of the infamous Twilight Dare; more of a self-inflicted dare. Loni first alerted me to the offensive New York Times article implying that women wouldn't watch the new HBO series based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series of which this is the first book. The writer, Ginia Bellafante, states,

While I do not doubt that there are women in the world who read books like Mr. Martin’s, I can honestly say that I have never met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from Lorrie Moore unless everyone agreed to “The Hobbit” first. “Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half.

Now I have never heard of Lorrie Moore, but I found this to be extremely offensive. Not only have I read The Hobbit, but I also worked my way through the full Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time when I was 13 years old; Anne McCaffrey's Dragonrider books are among my favourite series; and I have read lots of fantasy books in my time (often recommended by my cousin - waving to Kim if you are reading this!). So based on this article, how could I not read Game of Thrones!

I don't know what I was expecting going into this book, other than "boy fiction" as Ms. Bellafante calls it. I guess I was expecting lots of sex and violence and hopefully a well-developed fantasy world.

Sex - yes it was there, but not as graphic as I had feared. Violence - yes, but again not too graphic or offensive; more as a plot device which was not lingered on for longer than necessary. And the fantasy world? Yes, it was there (with some striking similarities to the European Middle Ages), and while I was reading, it was real to me. And dragons even made an appearance at the end!

I really liked how the story was told, with chapters alternating between different points of view from different characters. It wasn't told in the first person - that would have been too disjointed - but the different points of view gave a very balanced view of different characters. I'm not quite sure who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, but that's real life I guess.

Now for what I didn't like...

The length. This book came in at 800 pages in paperback, and it is the shortest one in the series to date. The 5th book is scheduled to come out in July and there are 7 planned in the series. It is huge in scope with multiple inter-connected plot lines taking place simultaneously (hence the multiple points of view); however I can't help but wonder if it is so broad that it looses focus. I really found that it dragged on by the end, and I can't see myself plodding through further, longer volumes. Plus all of the plot lines ended without any resolution - almost like all 7 books are really one book in multiple volumes - one very long, 5600 page book.

The treatment of women. Maybe there is something to Ms. Bellafante's critique. There are a few stronger female characters, but for the most part, the women are either prostitutes or the property of their men-folk. The only truly strong female character (in my opinion) is Daenerys who takes the lousy hand she is dealt and manipulates the situation so that she thrives. (Another character, Arya, is strong, but gets there only by pretending to be a boy.) Plus there is a very blatant double standard - men are expected to have at least one or two bastards hanging around (or in some cases, many, many bastards); while if a wife gives birth to a child, no-one questions that it must be her husband's.

The despair. Every character seems to be longing for a time of peace, and "the way things used to be;" and yet there is no hint that anyone is going to get there. Plus the so-called good guys keep getting killed.

So am I glad that I took up the dare and read this book? Yes. There were some characters that I really liked (Daenerys, Tyrion, Bran). Will I read the rest of the series? Probably not, based on the length if nothing else; though I may watch the HBO series and from what I've heard, it is a fairly faithful adaptation of the book. Besides, I can always find out what happens in subsequent books on Wikipedia!

More on Thomas and Mercer and recent deals

As I've said many times before - there are many paths that lie before the author. Big-six is the dream of most, and with some valid reasons, but it has come with some pretty high price tags (52%/14.9% ebook royalty share, rights that are hard if not impossible to reclaim, and clauses that can limit future writing by the author). I mentioned in a post a few days ago that I suspected that the Thomas and Mercer contracts were "author friendly" based on the people who have placed pen to paper to them namely: Barry Eisler, Joe Konrath, and Blake Crouch.

Well it would appear that my suspicions are true. Here is a quote from Barry himself:

A last thought: while I certainly am guided by self-interest, I am also profoundly motivated by the desire to make publishing a better industry for readers and authors (again, see the Marketing page of the For Writers section of my website). During the course of our negotiations, I worked hard to persuade Amazon to jettison various legacy publishing provisions that gain publishers little and that authors loathe. It's a huge credit to Amazon that they listened to my arguments and changed their template accordingly, and it's satisfying for me to know that other authors will get the benefit of the more enlightened template I helped forge -- both from Amazon directly, as it expands its publishing wing, and from legacy publishers, who will be forced to compete with Amazon's more enlightened terms.

The main thing for me is that authors have more options now than we've ever had before. Self-publishing is one of those options, and it's a great one. But as new possibilities emerge, I'll consider them, try them, and perhaps integrate them into my overall strategy. Why would anyone do anything else?

I'm glad to see that my suspicions were indeed correct. As I said before the self-publishing revolution is benefiting all authors - those that continue to self-publish, those that go with small presses who are now making good livings doing so (Yeah Marshall Thomas, Nathan Lowell, and Michael Sullivan while still with Ridan), and those going to traditional as the contracts must and are changing.

My mantra remains the same...there's never been a better time to be an author!!

ebook vs print book sales

Some of the most depressing sessions I attended at BEA (Book Expo America) this week were the ones where people tried to convince each other that print is not dead. I don't think it is dead but the way, but there is no doubt it is in decline. The people on the panels however seemed to try to convince me of print's relevance in a way that just made the picture sound even more bleak. They touted "specialty books" like those contained in a potato chip bag, or a cookbook that is encased in Lucite and sells for $600+. Some tried to convince me that books were the "best" format of the printed word as they last for hundreds of years, need no power source, can be read during take off and landing, and can be read in direct sunlight.

I love printed books, but I also love having a hundred on my device at one time. The next time I move, I'll be grateful that I won't have several hundred more books to pack and unpack. But most importantly I love the fact that when I finish one great book and want another that I can just click a button and not have to rely on the UPS man or getting in my car to drive to the bookstore.

For those who have not kept up on "the facts" about the decline here is some recent data:

• July 2010 Amazon sold more kindle books than hardcovers
• January 2011 Amazon sold more kindle books than paperbacks
• May 2011 Amazon sold more kindle books than paperback and hardcover combined
• Year end 2010 AAP numbers had ebook sales at 8.3% of total trade sales
• February 2011 AAP numbers had ebook sales at 29.5% of total trade sale - higher than any other category (hardcover, mass market, trade paperback)
  

I was really looking forward to hard and fast numbers from BEA and the report I was looking most forward to was one done by BISG (Book Industry Study Group) and AAP (Association of American Publishers) that took data from 1,100 publishers over a two year period.

Alas, the report will not be published until JULY!! There was good news from the preliminary data however, it seems that publishing has found the bottom (2008) and is starting to climb up out of it (last 2 years have shown growth).

Michael's agent asked me at lunch how long before ebooks outsell all print. She was hoping for five years I said two -- though I think I'll be wrong and it could be as soon as 14 months. We'll see and keep you posted.

More Shake Ups from BEA

Thomas and Mercer is really shaking things up. Hot on the heels of their announcement of appointing Kirshbaum to run the new imprint, now we find they've signed New York Times Best Selling Author Barry Eisler.

I've seen some forums speculate that the deal was already in place when he turned down St. Martins and he had no intention to self publish - I don't subscribe to that interpretation. Here's my 2 cents for anyone who is interested....

Thomas and Mercer is moving fast...very fast. My take is they saw Barry's self-publishing announcement and saw an opportunity to pull in a NYT best selling author. They are not pussy-footing around - and are going at this full-throttle.

If I were to guess...they made the royalty share on ebooks better...and more importantly...the contract more author friendly: more input on creative control, no restrictions on future works, a good or non-existent non-compete. I say this because the people that T&M have signed to date: Eisler, Crouch, and Konrath know what to look for in a contract and no amount of money would make them sign one that restricted them from future income potential.

If any of this is true this is good for authors as other publishers will have to change their contracts in order to compete in such an environment. All it takes is one high profile publisher to change - and then dominoes will start to fall. I've been saying for sometime that self-publishing WILL be good for all authors as even those published will get better terms now that there is a viable alternative. This is just one indication that we might be moving in the right direction.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

BookEnds will be closed today through Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

Have a great and safe holiday and enjoy the unofficial start of summer, and we'll be back Tuesday with a new post.

Why I love what I do

So, this site is my way of giving back to the writing community and my intention is to provide publishing knowledge and insights on the business side of writing. So when I speak about Ridan's successes on this blog it is generally in the context of illustrative examples. But I'm so very excited that I just had to share.

Ridan's authors currently occupy 40% of the top 10 Science Fiction Kindle books:

• #3 Full Share by Nathan Lowell
• #4 Soldier of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas
• #6 March of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas
• #8 Slave of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas

They are being beat by two industry powerhouses: The latest Star Wars Novel, and 2030 by megastar Albert Brooks. Not too shabby!

I couldn't be happier for these fine authors that have worked so hard and produced such quality writing. I know the sales these two are experiencing are changing their lives. Most authors can't make a living wage from their writing, but these two can and do. I'm just so pleased to play a small part in their success. Thank you guys...it's because of success stories like yours that I just love doing what I do.

By the way...Full Share has been flirting with the Top 100 (last two hours it's been at 116 and 117) if it crosses the 100 mark it will be the FIRST Indie published book to make the top 100 at $4.95 that I've ever seen. (Vincent Zandri was in the top 100 but he started at $0.99 and rose the price once there). That would be amazing!!

EDIT 6/1/2011 As of now the books stand at:

• #1 Full Share by Nathan Lowell
• #3 Soldier of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas
• #10 Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
• #11 March of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas
• #17 Slave of the Legion by Marshall S. Thomas

Fell a few points on some but gained another to the list and picked up spot #1 so that's not all bad.

Agents Have Questions Too

If I respond to a query with a request for more material, how long should I wait before hearing back from the author? How long should I wait before following up?

If I respond to a proposal with a request to see the full manuscript, how long should I wait before hearing back from the author? How long should I wait before following up?

See, and you thought agents were always calm, cool, and collected.

Jessica

Workshop Wednesday

By repeated request we've started Workshop Wednesday. It will definitely play out through 2011, and beyond that we'll just have to see. We've received well over 200 queries at this point, but we are choosing at random, so don't be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post.

For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.

And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.

Per your guidelines, I am querying you about representation for Grand Theft Dog. It is the first story in a series featuring over-the-top dog lovers told from a cat person’s perspective. The manuscript is a completed 90,000 word cozy mystery set in Barrkview, CA where dogs are considered citizens and cats is a four letter word. That’s according to Catalina (Cat) Wright, the local TV reporter/producer at KDOG, who’s WDI Scale (Wright Dog Insanity Scale) must be revamped after she investigates why three champion Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s are doggnapped and the Mayor’s wife murdered.

This is lame (what I'm going to say), and I don't know why it bugs me, but I do not like indented paragraphs in queries, or letter correspondence for that matter. It seems to me that letters should be single-spaced, not indented, and double-spaced between paragraphs. I know, this really doesn't matter in the grand scheme, but if I'm critiquing I'm going to point out every little detail, details I might not even necessarily notice while simply reading queries.

Cute title. The title clearly says "cozy mystery" to me and that's what you want from a good title, a clear definition of the genre.

An interesting idea. I'm intrigued. My only thought is whether a book about dog lovers from a cat person's perspective is really enough of a hook. I like the KDOG and dognapping, but the fact that your heroine is named "Cat" starts to feel a little much to me.


Concerned that her Cavalier will be the next target, Cat’s eccentric Aunt Charlotte convinces her to dog sit. A prissy canine underfoot turns Cat’s life, not to mention her investigation, into a circus. Overwhelming evidence pointing to her aunt’s guilt can’t possibly be right, but who would frame her? Aunt Char doesn’t have enemies, but Cat does—dangerous men who swore vengeance a dog’s life ago.

This works. It's a well-written paragraph. From a content perspective, though, I don't think a dognapping is enough to sustain a mystery. Typically mystery readers, especially those of cozy mysteries, are looking for murder. Murder gives a book a different level of urgency. ***What's interesting is that I was rereading my comments and noticed in the first paragraph that there is a murder, it just isn't played up enough. I would think there would be more concern that someone was murdered and not as much about the dognapping. Maybe that's part of the satire, but it didn't work for me.

I also have a few concerns that this paragraph is disconnected. She's dog-sitting, her aunt might be framed, but it might be because of Cat? I would streamline this. What is the true motivation? If it's because Aunt Char is the chief suspect, that's enough to focus on.


Armed with the help of an in-your-face Cavalier, an allergy challenged FBI agent, and a town focused on protecting their internationally publicized dog show, Cat’s walk with the leash-lovers is a humorous look at the extent people will go to for their pets. Throw in a stick of romance and you have a light-hearted romp that forces a dogged woman to face her past, proving once and for all that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

The FBI agent really throws it for me. Why would an FBI agent investigate a dognapping? Most important, though, this is a stretch for cozy. It's taking the book out of a typical cozy realm. Typically FBI agents are not part of cozies. I do think you did a great job of not just telling me that this is humorous, but showing me. One concern I have is that it seems like you're writing a tongue-in-cheek look/satire of pet lovers, and I don't think that works for the cozy market. Pet lovers tend to buy cozies with a pet hook because they truly love their pets that much, and I'm not sure they think it's humorous.

While I am concerned that the puns get to be a little too much here, overall I think this is a great paragraph.


Grand Theft Dog was inspired by my father’s champion Cavalier, who ruled his household with a royal touch. I was a Romance Writer of America’s Golden Heart finalist. I won the Windy City’s Four Seasons Contest. In addition, I finished second in the Laurie, Beacon, and Stepping Stone contests. I also placed in the Gotcha, Marlene, Great Expectations, Golden Rose and Jasmine writing contests.

Very impressive credentials and writing credits. This is great. I also like how you made it just a tad personal with one line about your inspiration, but didn't take it over the top.


In a business where creativity must be tempered with the reality of consumer sales, finding the right agent and forging long-term partnerships is essential to an author. Your reputation in the field and recommendations from numerous authors has led me to you. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

This is good. Again, a personal touch, but not over the top.

This query is very strong for a query's sake and I think you'll notice that most of my feedback is about the story and not the query. In other words, for the most part I wouldn't reject this query because there's anything wrong with the query. If I did reject this it would be because I have concerns, based on the query, about whether the book is right for the market, and that makes this a fantastic query. The book is clearly described enough to allow the agent to get a real feel for it.


Sincerely,




Jessica

Big Buzz at BEA

Well it's early here in New York and Michael is still sleeping so I thought I would sneak in a blog post. I have A LOT to write about the BEA but I thought I would chime in on the thing no one here can stop talking about.

Amazon hired publishing veteran Larry Kirshbaum to run their new trade imprint. For those who are not "plugged in" Larry Kirshbaum is a huge name in publishing. He was the CEO of Time Warner Publishing (later bought by big-six giant Hachette Book Group). This shows just how serious Amazon is in becoming a major player in the publishing arena.

I know there are Amazon detractors out there (something btw I've never understood). But there are few companies I can think of who have so consistently performed well with the decisions they have made. Just a few examples:

• Kindle continues to dominate the device world
• Amazon continues to dominate the online book buying world
• AmazonEncore - more in a minute

When AmazonEncore started up I thought..."Wow, that's smart....really smart". For those that don't know AmazonEncore was doing EXACTLY what I was doing with little Ridan Publishing. Looking for authors who had already proven themselves through self-publishing sales and giving them a "leg up". Now of course Amazon has a lot more to offer than I do, in regards to a marketing engine and email list of readers that any publisher would kill for.

Still, even with that I didn't see anything mind blowing in the sales figures put out by people signed with them. Karen McQuestion and Joe Konrath have had some success but nowhere near where I think they should have been.

I attribute a lot of this to the fact that they weren't fully committed (i.e. taking publishing seriously) through Encore. In many ways I look at Encore as them testing the waters and dipping their toes. By hiring Kirshenbaum they are putting the publishing world on notice that they are coming, and their bringing some big guns.

Even more telling, is what they plan on publishing. So far Amazon has announced:

• Montlake (May 04) - for Romance Titles
• Thomas and Mercer (May 18) - for Mystery and Thriller
• Unamed - Scifi (and presumably Fantasy)

All genre fiction, which simplifies their marketing considerably. One of the problems I saw with their Encore line was the fact that the titles were "all over the map". They seemed to pick randomly and that made it difficult to really establish a brand.

For those who missed my other post on this it was actually Amazon who put out the winning bid on Hocking's series (reports say they bested the $2 million offer by at least 500,000 but Amanda and her agent didn't like the restrictive terms of the deal so they went with St. Martin's Press). But this shows their willingness to shell out some considerable bucks and with Kirsenbaum at the helm I expect to see them going after big fish authors.

Speaking of authors, one of the first in the new Amazon offerings will be Stirred a collaborative novel by Joe Konrath and Blake Crouch which will be the final installment to both of their long running series. Anyone who reads Joe's Newbies Guide to Publishing knows that he's smart when it comes to his career and he's critical about traditional publishing in general. The fact that these two have signed make me suspect that Thomas and Mercer have a more "author friendly" contract than most of the other ones floating around out there.

So let's see what we have....

• A publisher who has access to readers emails and buying habits (and knows how to leverage those assets)
• A publisher who is focusing on the most successful markets (romance, thrillers, sci-fi & fantasy)
• A publisher who can write a contract that publishing's biggest critic is willing to put pen to paper on

So once again I'm left with...."Smart...really smart". Yeah, I'd say there's reason for this to be big buzz. If Amazon can revolutionize traditional publishing like it revolutionized e-books and on-line buying...that's going to be some major boons for writers everywhere and just one more reason why there's never been a better time than now to be an author.

Handling Critiques

I submitted my story to a few online critique groups in hopes of getting it polished up for submission. I've been a bit paranoid about submitting since I found all these publishing and agent blogs online. But after getting my critiques back, no one could agree, on anything. And it was pretty split down the middle on who liked and didn't like it as a whole. I'm just curious, that if I'm getting such a wide range of comments, could it mean that this story is lost cause? Or do I need to seek out some other readers?

This might be a better question for my readers. Without reading your book I can’t tell you whether or not it’s a lost cause. That’s a tough one. What I can ask you is what do you think? Do you think every single critique you received was right on the mark or are there some that seemed off, like they are from readers who just might not have understood the story?

As for liking or not liking the story, that’s subjective, and very different from finding the story problematic or not problematic. That’s what you should be worried about from a critique, not so much people liking it.

All that being said, it seems like you’re looking for a magic answer, someone to come up with the magic words to “fix” your book. I’m not sure you need help from other readers at this point, I think instead you need to take a look at the book yourself and figure out what you think it needs.

Jessica

Sending Ideas to Clients

When you have seen what could be a good idea for one of your authors, have you ever sent that idea, at the same time, to more than one writer?

I have, but never without letting the authors know. Occasionally I will have a publisher approach me with an idea for a book they would like to publish. This could be a new fiction series or a nonfiction title. Typically they are looking for a certain type of author, either an author with a specific platform or specific writing style. In those instances I will often send out an email to multiple authors at once to see who might be interested. I always, always let them know I'm talking to multiple people and will send over all who are interested and leave the final decision to the publisher.

There are other times, however, when I know that one of my clients would be perfect for the project and will approach only her. If she turns it down I will then talk to others.

Jessica

Belle of the Ball

So, if you guys are wondering why I'm not posting much it's because this is a CRAZY period of time. Here is my schedule:

• Wed - Present to AWG (Arlington Writer's Group) about the changing face of publication - they kept me there for several hours with GREAT questions and then I went out for desert/beer with them after - great group. Lots of fun


• Thurs - Went to SWFA Nebula Weekend and brought books for Michael's book Signing


• Fri (AM) - Did a workshop on TV interviews (part of SWFA Nebula Weekend) met some GREAT folks that put on FastForward - a cable access station where they interview authors etc. I got some great material from them which I'll be doing posts of soon.


• Fri (PM) - Had a fabulous talk with Andrew Fox - author of "The Good Humor Man" - Might bring him on as a Ridan author. Started reading his book on trip to NY - very enjoyable so far.


• Sat (all day) -wen to DIY Conference - met some "out of this world" people including some I'm already working with (Dan Blank) and some that I would like to work with who seem excited to do some joint ventures with. Plus was mobbed at lunch and after sessions from some really great people who asked my advice. If any of you come to the blog - stop by and say hi so I know who you are.


• Sat Evening - caught a quick meal at a great diner (really great waitress - I LOVE great waitresses) then caught bus back to DC (which is where I am atm - with power and Internet.


• Sun - Both Michael and myself have presentations at SWFA Nebula Awards Weekend - looking forward to sharing some of my knowledge with them.


• Sun (evening) - Michael joins me for a trip back to Big Apple


• Mon (all day) - Going to every session I can on the changes in publishing - gonna be VERY interesting hearing "New York's" Perspective


• Mon (night) - having dinner with Michael's agent (nice to have face time with member of our team that is doing so much for Michael's career.


• Tues (day) - another full set of sessions - hopefully can get to the exhibit floor - but don't want to miss some of them.


• Tues (night) - Meeting with 2 authors that I have a great deal of respect for. Would love to bring them into the Ridan fold - but even if that doesn't come off I'm still going to enjoy a night of talking with people who "get" what is going on with publishing these days. I'm SO looking forward to this.


• Wed (day) more sessions and definitely exhibit time


• Wed (night) - RSVP only cocktail party with Orbit


• Thurs (morning) - Some sessions - but mostly exhibitor time


• Thurs (noon) - Michael will be signing Advanced Reading Copies of Theft of Swords in the Orbit booth - if you are in NYC and at BEA - stop by and say HI!


• Thurs (evening) - meeting with Orbit's marketing team.


• Thurs (night) - back down to DC


• Fri - (day) - drive to Hunt Valley MD - and deliver books for Nathan Lowell and Marshall Thomas - probably will have diner with them and thank them for being with Ridan.


• Fri -Mon - doing many many sessions for Balticon and meeting/hanging wth Ridan authors Nathan Lowell and Marshall Thomas - both of which are kicking butt in the sci-fi space. Last I looked between the two of them they had 9 of the top 100 titles. (Each fighting for #3/#4 and trading it between them. Marshall has already sold 10,000 books this month. And Nathan's new release was #1 Mover and Shaker on ALL of Amazon. His previous "best rank was in the low 300's (319) but this release (Full Share) has been pretty steadily below 200 in the 180'ish area.

So....as you can see - I'm a bit bus right now - but rest assured I'm getting a ton of new content to start posting here - so stay tuned. And for anyone who was at DIY - I really appreciated all the attention you gave me. Check out other posts already here- and keep tuned as I'm sure you'll find posts that will help you on your journey to publishing.

Port Mortuary - Patricia Cornwell

I have been reading Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta books for several years now, and can generally count on them for a good diversion - interesting enough to keep me occupied for a week or so, but not so great that I need to rush out and buy a copy as soon as they are released. This one was no different.

When it came out last November, I added my name to the (very) long hold list at the local library. Now when there is a waiting list for a book, you only get it for a week, no renewals allowed; and yet my turn didn't come up until the end of February. I had waited so long that I assumed my name had been taken off the list! And when the e-mail did arrive in my in-box, I was 4 provinces away, at the beginning of a week's holiday. So needless to say, I wasn't able to pick it up in the 3 days specified, and when I got home again, I put my name back at the bottom of the list. And finally this month, I got to read the book.

The story was what I've come to expect from the series - some gory murders, scientific analysis of the evidence, and lots of red herrings. This book focused a lot on the relationship between Sarpetta and her husband, Benton, and I missed the presence of Lucy through much of the story. The writing was so-so. There were several glaring grammatical errors that made me cringe; and yet there was another scene that was so brilliantly written that I was drawn right in to the situation.

Possible Spoiler below.

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(The book is written in the first person with Scarpetta as narrator. At one point, she is accidentally drugged, but didn't realize it at first. As I was reading, I was getting very frustrated with the dialogue and the characters, and I was getting ready to throw the book across the room because none of it was making sense. And then when Scarpetta realized that she had been drugged, it all made sense - we, the readers, were seeing the situation through her drugged view. I was drawn right in, and had no clue what was happening - I just knew that it wasn't making sense.)

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End Spoiler

So I probably will keep reading the books in this series as they are released, but they will remain as library books, rather than purchases.

Thought for the Day

Major tragic events have an impact on us for years to come. Events like the attacks of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, or the recent earthquake in Haiti will be things we never forget and that have changed many forever. However, that doesn't mean they work as a hook for your book. Because of the vast media attention these types of events receive it takes roughly two weeks before we all have fatigue surrounding these events, therefore buying a book in which the primary hook is something we're fatigued over is the last thing many will want to do.

When it comes to fiction, it's okay to make these events part of the story or the character's background, just make sure it isn't the only hook you have.

Jessica

Social Networking Tip

When it comes to Twitter, one of the most powerful tools is the hashtag, or number sign, for those not familiar with Twitter. In other words: #

If you really want to use Twitter to connect with others, don't be afraid of the hashtag. It's not something that's written down somewhere, it's something you create. For example, let's say you want to take a poll to see which title might be strongest for your next book. Instead of simply polling your followers, poll all of Twitter. By allowing others to retweet and adding a hashtag, like #Fausttitle, you'll be able to see the chain of anyone who has an opinion on the title, even if they don't use your name in the Tweet.


Jessica

Workshop Wednesday

By repeated request we've started Workshop Wednesday. It will definitely play out through 2011, and beyond that we'll just have to see. We've received well over 200 queries at this point, but we are choosing at random, so don't be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post.

For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.

And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.


Dear Bookends Blog,

Jason is dead. To Bri MacBride, nothing else matters.

It doesn’t matter that his death is just one in a string of murders. It doesn’t matter that Bri is Suspect Numero Uno. As long as the police are investigating her, they will never find the real killer, so Bri takes on that job herself. Finding answers is her only priority.

That is, until she starts finding answers.

When the people in your life are targeted by a serial killer, you’ve got the makings of some pretty hefty shrink bills. When that serial killer is also a powerful sorcerer, your problems are just a little more serious than that.

This is all a bit wordy. I like that the voice is coming through in the query, but it could have cut to the chase much sooner. The way this query is introduced, this book sounds like straight suspense. I think it's in the writer's best interest to make it clear that this book has paranormal elements much sooner.


Bri isn’t a total stranger to magic. She is one of the fae, belonging half to the faerie world, half to the human world, but not quite to either. She plays music as a day job, but when money gets low – or when life gets boring – she has a few extracurricular activities. Like scaling buildings, disabling alarm systems, and stealing valuable jewels, for instance. When your talents include the ability to manipulate energy, fry electronics, and make yourself unnoticeable, the real crime would be letting your skills go to waste.

Now here's the interesting stuff. This paragraph is what sets the book apart from a typical serial killer novel. This information should be introduced as close to the beginning of the query as possible. At the same time, though, it was a red flag for me. The tone has taken a turn. Those two introductory paragraphs sound very dark and serious. First we're talking about how "nothing else matters" to Bri other than finding Jason's killer. Now there's breezy talk of her "extracurricular activities." If it's a dark book, there's still a way of describing her abilities that isn't quite so casual. If not, then the writer might want to find a different way to open the query.


But all of Bri’s abilities won’t be enough to stop a sorcerer like this one – and if she is out of her depth, what chance do the cops have?

As Bri tries to put the pieces together, she discovers that she has more than one enemy to contend with. It’s hard enough just to evade the police, but she also has to escape goblin mercenaries, and survive attacks from mysterious faerie assassins. All this, while trying to hunt down a sorcerer who can kill her with a wave of a pinky finger. She must also bargain with her estranged mother, a faerie Queen who may not have Bri’s best interests at heart. Then she has to figure out what all the pieces add up to, and the answer to that may change her life forever.

I sort of feel like we've forgotten all about Jason. He seemed so important at the beginning, but as the description goes on, I'm starting to think that the heart of the book is really in this last paragraph. Jason was a launching point, but not really the book's focus.

This whole description could've been much shorter and more concise. If the writer had spent less time talking about Jason and setting it up like a suspense novel, we would've gotten to the meat of the book much sooner. I'd still like this last paragraph to be a bit more specific about the conflict. It raises some interesting elements, but they're all a bit vague. All in all, though, it's much more interesting to me than the beginning of the query.


OBSIDIAN BLADE is a completed urban fantasy novel of 100,000 words. This is the first novel I am submitting for publication, but I have been writing fantasy novels for fun ever since I was twelve years old. OBSIDIAN BLADE is stand-alone, but it has series potential, and I am already at work on a sequel.

Scrap the second sentence. Let the book speak for itself. Don't tell me that it's the first book you've submitted. That second sentence makes it sound as if writing is more of a hobby for you, not a serious career that you're pursuing.


I would be happy to send you an excerpt or the complete manuscript for your review. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
X



Kim

Someone Else's Idea

This question actually came in some time ago, but since I just did an interview with a student on business ethics, I thought it was an interesting time to answer.

Have you ever read a badly written query, plucked out the interesting idea or concept and given it to one of your clients for execution?

I have not. I do brainstorm ideas with my clients all the time. Sometimes they come to me with ideas and other times I bring ideas to them. That being said, I feel it would be unethical to send an idea to a client when it came from another writer, even though ideas can't be copyrighted. In other words, while it's not illegal, I don't think it's ethical.

Now, that being said, you might be surprised by how often the same idea shows up again and again. I think all authors think they have the most original idea and protect it carefully, but the truth is while the idea is very important, it's the execution that really matters. Frequently I will receive a query for an idea a client is already working on, we're in the process of selling, or we've just sold. I also receive queries with ideas for books that we've already published.

Jessica

Random Questions

I receive a lot of questions from readers. Thank you. By sending questions you definitely help keep the blog going. At times there are questions that aren’t big enough (for lack of a better term) to warrant an entire post, so I collect them and post them together under the heading “Random Questions.” Here are just a few of those.

I have a quick question regarding a story I wrote. I started a series and wrote the first book, but after it got rejected, I reworked it and realized that the plot would be better as one of the later books in the series, and not the first one. I've since written a new first book using a plotline I think will better introduce the characters and world (it's fantasy). The only things that are the same from the last time I queried are the characters and the world - nothing else, not how they meet or the plot or anything. When I query this book, can I think of it like a new novel, or should I consider it a second submission of the same book and therefore should avoid double-querying agents who rejected the first one?

It sounds like a new book, therefore I would query as if it’s a new book.


Do you think it's worthwhile to include a link to my blog in a query letter? Do agents look at blogs at all during the querying phase, or would that be something you would look at later on, like requested material? I have been including a link to my blog thinking that it can't hurt. But the blog isn't heavily followed at this point, could that count against me?

I think it can’t hurt. If you’re writing fiction the number of readers won’t really count against you. It can if you are writing self-help nonfiction and the publisher or agent is looking to your blog to get a feel for your platform.


As my book has been shopped to 7 editors by a previous agent, does that mean there is no chance of a new agent picking up the book and continuing to shop it? Is it best for me to approach agents with a different book?

“No chance” is extreme, but I would say you have very little chance. I think it’s time to move on to the next book.


I am currently doing my degree in Singapore and I was wondering what are my chances of finding a job in a Literary Agency or Publishing House in the USA? Given that I am not a United State citizen, am I still able to apply for jobs or internships with a company like yours? What are the chances of getting said job or internship?

You'll probably need to move to the U.S., and probably New York, first. Getting a job in the U.S. while still living in Singapore is going to be pretty difficult.


Jessica

Agent Speed Date

The idea of speed dating is that you get 10 minutes to sit down with a prospective date and get to know them. Since we're asking our clients to speed date with you, we thought it only fair that we participate too. In that spirit, we present Agent Speed Date. A quick 10 minutes for you to get to know us. Today we'd like you to meet Jessica Alvarez.

BookEnds Agent Speed Date

Name: Jessica Alvarez

Speed date Bio: A former Harlequin editor, Jessica joined BookEnds in April 2011. She’s actively looking for women’s fiction and romance submissions.

About Me

Real Name or Pseudonym: Jessica Alvarez

Currently Reading: Lots and lots of submissions

Next on Your Reading List: J. R. Ward’s Lover Unleashed

Facebook or Twitter: twitter.com/AgentJessicaA

Three authors living or dead you would want to have dinner with: Anthony Bourdain, preferably somewhere in southeast Asia. Edgar Allan Poe. Tina Fey.

Three characters you would want to have dinner with: Bridget Jones--as long as she’s not cooking. Stephanie Plum. Mrs. Dalloway

Jetsetter or armchair traveler: Armchair traveler, but only because flying with a four-year-old is no fun

Glass ½ full or ½ empty: ½ full

Tea or Coffee: Coffee

Ereader or Print book: Depends on the mood

Morning person or Evening person: Evening

Working soundtrack: Silence

How to use $0.99 & Amazon Top 100 effectively

I’m going to follow Colbert’s lead here and give a “Tip of the Hat” to StoneGate Ink for how they’ve handled Vincent Zandri’s books. As you know I’m always looking for those indie published people who can compete with the big-boys in the Amazon Top 100 at a price point other than $0.99 or $2.99. StoneGate is, as far as I know, the only indie that has done so at my favorite price point $4.99.

All too often, I see someone crack the Top 100 and fail to leverage this to produce some kick-butt revenue (Yes, I’m speaking to you John Locke). StoneGate took Vincent’s The Innocent to the Top 10 and once it was cemented and started a following – they raised the price. Has the ranking fallen, sure it has but even after quite a few days (I didn’t notice the EXACT day of the price shift – but I’ve been watching it for a while now) it’s still in the top 100 and earning $3.49 for every book sold. I’m not 100% sure what the daily sales are at current top 100 rankings but I would venture that it’s selling about 800 - 1,000 books a day so that $84,876 - $106,096 a month - For ONE BOOK! Here’s some ranking data since I started tracking “The Innocent”.

StoneGate still has Zandri’s God Child at $0.99 and it that’s a great strategy. Having one of his books low priced while the other is “right priced” looks good to me. They’re not making a killing on this but it is giving the bargain shoppers something to latch onto and if they like what they find they’ll shell out a few bucks more for The Innocent.

So the moral of this story…make hay while the sun shines. If you are fortunate enough to get your books into the Top 100 don’t squander this leverage. Use it as a spring board to reap some really good revenue. After all – making a living from writing is what it’s all about and I’m sure that Vincent Zandri is making more money published through StoneGate’s small press then he ever did with the larger press he was with previously. This piggy back’s nicely on my previous post about self-publishing helping everyone. I think StoneGate Ink used the techniques of the self-published and in so doing has made a nice bit of profit for themselves and their author – well done!

Workshop Wednesday

By repeated request we've started Workshop Wednesday. It will definitely play out through 2011, and beyond that we'll just have to see. We've received well over 200 queries at this point, but we are choosing at random, so don't be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post.

For anyone wanting to comment, we ask that you comment in a polite and respectful manner, and we ask that you be as constructive as possible. If you can be useful to the brave souls who submitted their query and comment on the query, that's great. Please keep any anonymous tirades on publishing or other snarky comments to yourself. This is and should remain an open and safe forum for people to put themselves and their queries out there so that everyone can learn. I'm leaving comments open and open to anonymous posters, as I always have; don't make me feel the need to change that policy.

And for those who have never "met" Query Shark, get over there and do that. She's the originator of the query critique, the queen, if you will.


Dear Query Shark,

Obviously this is addressed to the wrong agent. In the grand scheme of things I don't care about this and am sometimes amused and interested to see who else is receiving the query.


Sam Collins believed from an early age he was destined for something great -- to fulfill a mission in life bigger than himself.

Which is why he wants to die.

This is a very intriguing opening. These first two sentences grab my attention and make me want to read more.


Dear BookEnds,

Oops. Looks to me like maybe you were in the middle of a draft and hit send. Again. It happens. I will keep reading, but make sure you proofread before sending queries. In fact, write the query without a name in the "to" section, and then when it's sat for a bit, send after rereading a few times.


Up until now, Sam's life has been anything but great. His father abandoned him when he was 10, his wife was killed in a car accident, and now the only thing he has to show for his life is a lousy newspaper reporter job and an addiction to alcohol and painkillers.

Good. I get an idea of who Sam is. I like this so far.


But that all changes when Sam investigates a seemingly random murder just outside of Seattle. What he discovers begins to unravel a secret society dating back centuries and spanning the globe. What comes next will change Sam's life forever -- and perhaps help him fulfill his untold destiny.

I think this is very interesting. I think you've written a good query and I like your voice. One big tip, though: I don't think you brought it home. I think you'll get a few requests based on this, but they are going to be few and far between. To bring this home you need to first bring it back to the beginning. You've stressed earlier that Sam felt he was destined for greatness, but his life has not been great. Now Sam finally has that chance. Spell that out in the query.

Second, you hint at the secret society and how it will change Sam's life forever and that's your hook, and that's what this query is missing. One or two more sentences expanding on that will bring this home. I was thinking of it in terms of the Da Vinci Code, because your book made me think of the Da Vinci Code (Don't mention that in your query, though). It wouldn't bring you to the book to say that Robert Langdon got a call about a secret society that was going to change his life forever. That makes the book sound rather, eh. Instead you want to bring it home. Symbologist Robert Langdon discovers the murdered body of the curator of the Louvre and near him, a baffling cipher. While working to solve the riddle, Langdon discovers it leads to a trail of clues that could unveil the Holy Grail. In a race through Paris, London and Rome, Langdon matches wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate his every move. Unless he can solve the puzzle in time, the Holy Grail could be lost forever.

(FYI--I heavily stole from the cover flap for that, and not very well, but I'm hoping it gives you an idea of what I mean by bringing it home.)


THE GIFTER is a 70,000 word mystery/thriller novel.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best,

The last few sentences and sign-off are fine. Great job.


Jessica

Why the self-publishing revolution is good for all authors

Yes, I know I’m neglecting my blogging duties. But I’m VERY busy with some books I have to get out and I’m working around the clock to that end. But I wanted to address something I saw that got me a bit “hot under the collar”.

There are many authors that are dead set on traditional publishing. That is great. I embrace all three routes (self, small press, big-six) and if that is what you’ve decided is best for you then go for it full throttle. But what is upsetting me is those that are firmly entrenched in that model berating those that choose to self-publish. Do they not understand that their because of these self-published pioneers their lives have improved as well?

The answer is simple….options. In the not-too-distance-past getting a big-six traditional publishing deal was really the only viable way to have any chance at making a living wage. But each and every book had a high initial investment tied to it, and there was only so many slots available so the number of authors that could be published was by definition a small number.

Enter POD, e-books, and online retailers. This lowered the barrier to entry and small presses and self-publishers could now get their books created, and more importantly distributed with very little financial risks. A playing field of this nature opens the doors for many, many more books from tons of new authors to take their swing at the bat. But technology alone is not all that is required. What is needed is legitimacy.

The early self-publishers had to work harder to compete against the well-established behemoths. They were the small Davids who used every tactic at their disposal: social Networking, bargain basement pricing, working 18 hour days, and their efforts paid off. You’ve seen the names many times before: Amanda Hocking, John Locke, H.P. Mallory, D.B. Henson, David Dalglish, Nathan Lowell, Michael J. Sullivan, B.V. Larson, Victorine Lieske, Joe Konrath, Blake Crouch, and most recently Vincent Zandri. All of these people, and many more, are earning their living through writing whereas if the landscape was still dominated by the big-six they would not be. Some of the authors have had prior big-six publishing experience, some none. Some have their current success, and others are through small-presses. But if it not for the self-publishing revolution none of these people would be where they are today.

Here’s what I can say with 100% confidence because it comes from my own experience. Finding success in this environment is MUCH easier than it would be if the revolution never occurred. Some people find real hard numbers to be a good teller of the tale so here are some.

Michael has sold more than 60,000 books through self-publishing (they sell for $4.95 - $6.95), earned more than $160,000 in four months, has nearly $200,000 in foreign rights sales, and a six-figure big-six contract. NONE of that would have happened without self publishing.

Nathan Lowell has sold more than 15,000 books (at $4.95) through my small press. He’s topped many of the science fiction lists and with the release of his new book (in just a number of days I expect to see him jump right back up there).

Marshall Thomas has sold 4,000 books in 9-days (prices vary from $0.99 - $4.99) His spike is directly related to the $0.99 price point that was pioneered by self-published authors. If self-publishing never existed to the level it does now we wouldn't see the $0.99 market that exists today.

So all this is great for the small press published and the self-published, but why should I, since I’m only looking at the big-six, care? Because the changing landscape means better contracts for you as well. When the big-six was the only game in town they could offer contracts stilted in their favor that most logical people would never consider signing. They know they have to modify them, not only to keep their current talent, but to attract new talent (some of which are being plucked from the self-publishing world such as Hocking, Sullivan, Mallory, and Henson).

So my message to you today…is regardless with what path to publishing you plan for yourself, take a minute to thank those that have gone the self-publishing route. They have had a rough row to hoe and take it on the chin by many “in the industry”. It’s time that we give all a little loving for what they have done for the industry.

Word Count

My query was just recently rejected by Ms. Faust, and part of her rejection mentioned my word count being too high (230,000 words). I mentioned in the query that the work is divided into four parts, and I debated with myself to promote the first part (51,000 words, which is the shortest) or the whole work.

My question is, do agents prefer to see a small number of words over the larger picture of the entire set? I'm afraid to add more to the first part, since that may make it seem watered down or padded somehow, but I also don't want to lower my chances of getting a request for a partial or a synopsis.


This email is a little confusing, and I think what’s confusing is “parts.” Are you saying your book is divided into four parts like chapters? Or are you calling each book a part and this is really a four-book series?

In all honesty, some of this is going to depend on your genre, but typically 230,000 words is too high and 51,000 words is a little too low, for a novel. It’s the rare author who is allowed the opportunity to write and publish (traditionally, that is) a serial novel. Stephen King has done it, but not many others. What this means is that the novel was published in different parts, with readers required to buy each part as they were reading. A debut novelist, however, doesn’t have that kind of audience, so it’s better just to write a book.

Agents prefer to know the word count of the book you are pitching them. If this is planned as one published novel, then you would need to use the entire word count. Parts in a book are a great way to break up the book for readers, but they are unlikely to be published as individual books.

Jessica

Following Up on Submissions

At what point, and how many times, should I follow up on the agents who haven't responded to my full submission? One of the two requested the full four months ago, and I was thinking I should follow up with him soon. However, the real question mark is the agent who requested a full six months ago. Two months ago I sent her a follow-up email asking for a status update. In that follow-up email, I hit reply to her confirmation that she'd received the full and I included the title and elevator pitch in the email, so that she could easily see which project I was referring to. I still haven't heard anything back from her.

Is it ok to email her again for a status update? At what point do I simply shrug and move on?


The first thing you should do when making the decision to follow up is check the agent's website. Does the agent have a time frame for which they plan to get back to authors? If so, use that as your guideline when following up. If not, here's what I think:

Queries: If an agent, like BookEnds, guarantees response to all queries, don't send a follow-up to see if the query was received, but after about 10 weeks simply resend the query. Note that you are resending because you never received a reply, but simply resend. That way the agent can simply respond and you don't need to have a dialogue of wasted emails.

Requested Partials or Fulls: Keep in mind I'm basing this on my own response times, but if an agent has requested something I think it's fair to give them 8-12 weeks to read, but given how sometimes getting the response out can take longer or how often an author will follow up the day I'm writing my response, I would say check in after 13 weeks. If you hear nothing, not a peep, check again every 4 weeks or so. If you keep hearing nothing, I guess I would check about three times and then let it go and move on.

Keep in mind these timelines are approximate, but since this is a question that comes up a lot I think an approximate answer is a good start. In the end, though, do what you think works for you. Some people will check in earlier, some will give more time. Some will try three times, some will figure that if the agent can't bother to respond they'll write the agent off. Do what is best for you.

And keep in mind the agent's guidelines. For example, we ask that you put "query" or "submission" in the subject header. This is what (almost) guarantees you get through our spam filters. Without this I can't promise I'll even get your email.


Jessica

Pittsburg Twilight Criterium

Yesterday afternoon Matt and I headed out to Pittsburg to check out the pro races at the inaugural Pitt Crit. I'd heard about it through an Active Schwaggle for a discount on the related run, but I had never heard of a crit. Since my sister has become a big fan of cycling since living in Europe (or maybe before that; I can't recall), I asked her about them. I guess she'd never been to one, but she had heard they are fun because the racers go round and round the same course so you can see them frequently. Apparently they are also often staged.

Anyway, the event was free and offered a free shuttle from BART, so we figured we could check it out. We arrived at the Pittsburg BART station around 5:50pm and saw no sign of a shuttle or even a sign telling where the shuttle would be. Eventually a school bus pulled up, but it didn't pull into a loading slot until 6:15 or so. At that point we finally noticed two haphazardly taped Pitt Crit posters on the back of the bus. There had been no markings anywhere else - on the sides or front. We asked the driver if she was headed to the Pitt Crit and turns out she was. At 6:20 we took off, Matt and I being the only two passengers. We made a drive-by of the municipal parking lot and found no other passengers to pick up, so proceeded on to the event. We were dropped off at an unmarked, nondescript residential corner, although within hearing of the race; the pro women had just started at 6:35.

(The women in the daylight)

Well the number of passengers on the shuttle turned out to be indicative of the number of spectators at the event: not very many. The course was in no way lined with spectators - there were spectators in the tens around the start/finish line, so we popped right up to the fence and checked it out. I should mention that we had no idea how long these races lasted; I assumed that because some of the earlier races were only 30 minutes apart, they must not be that long. After standing at the fence watching for 20 minutes, we learned there were still 50 minutes left, so we decided to walk around the course and check out Old Town Pittsburg.

(Notice the utter lack of spectators)

I should also mention that these ladies were going fast! They appeared to be practically sprinting and would be doing so for 1:15 total. One racer had broken away from the pack and was leading by around 15 seconds for a long time, while the rest of the racers were in a pretty good pack. However, apparently the officials remove laggards at their discretion, so the main pack generally gets smaller but without leaving stragglers. We saw a lot of drop-outs in the women's race.

I am baffled by the sport in general. Apparently the race is totally based on time until the last 8 laps, so in theory it doesn't matter how fast the race is; the race is all based on strategy. The people at the front of the pack are always talking to each other about how or when they should go after anyone who has broken away from the pack. And of course it is polite to take turns leading and drafting.

At any rate, we started walking around Old Town Pittsburg, which was a sorry sight. We eventually found an over-price Italian restaurant with a patio overlooking the race course, so we stopped there for dinner. There were so few people around that when a crew member figured out that the speaker in front of us had not been plugged in, he turned around to ask us if we wanted it on or not. Yes - it was apparently our own private speaker.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the race. The break-away lady was eventually swallowed up by the pack, but at the very end of the last lap, she and her teammate busted toward the finish-line for a 1-2 finish (the break-away lady finishing 2nd to her favored teammate). Definitely could have been staged, but still fun.

Well the women's race was only a taste of what was to come. The men's race was crazy! There were so many more in the field, and it was going so fast that the pack was often strung out single-file, reaching at least 1/4 way around the 1k track. (Well maybe not, but pretty far.) Two of the favorites eventually pulled way out front. They were caught for awhile but eventually re-emerged, finishing about 1/2 a lap in front of everyone else. There was a pretty crazy race for 3rd-5th place though. The announcer (the new voice of the Amgen Tour of California) noted that they were probably averaging 30mph and at some points were doing 40 mph. Such a difference from the women's race. They were going so fast you could feel the wind run off of them, and when they came close to the fence, I became worried for my safety. Crazy athleticism.

(The men flying by)

At the end of one of the races, the announcer noted that you could not have scripted a better race. Well maybe that's because it was scripted so well to start with, but I definitely had fun.

I still can't get over the sheer sadness of the attendance though. It had been set up for "thousands" of spectators, and I think we may have been the only ones who did not know anyone in the race. After the men's race ended, we headed back to the nondescript corner and waited in the dark at 9:30 pm for the shuttle to show back up, hoping it would. Again, we were the only passengers on the trip back to the BART station. I'm not sure what happened in the marketing department, but I'm not sure there will be a 2nd Annual Pitt Crit.

Skim - Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

This is a book that has been on my "Want to Read" list for a while, and so last weekend, when I was putting in an online order, I decided to add it to the list. And when the order arrived this afternoon, I couldn't wait to pick it up, even though I have 2 library books that I should have read first.

It is a quick read, as I am discovering that graphic novels usually are. But for the hour or so I was reading, I was transported right back to high school, and all of the confusion and insecurity associated with that time. I could relate to Skim (officially Kimberly Keiko Cameron) and her experience of feeling isolated and not quite understanding what was going on. The issues that I remember from high school are not the same as what Skim is facing - I don't remember any suicides at my school, and I didn't have a lesbian crush on one of my teachers - but the issues that I do remember (depression, bullying, teen pregnancy...) resonated the same. I still remember the feeling of wanting to fit in, and yet seeing fitting in as being hypocritical. As an interesting side note, the book takes place in the fall of 1993 when Skim is 16 - I was also 16 in the fall of 1993.

I loved Skim's observations of the crazy world around her. "Truthfully I am always a little depressed but that is just because I am sixteen and everyone is stupid (ha-ha-ha). I doubt it has anything to do with being a goth." "Halloween is when a lot of non-witches dress up like witches. So it's hard to see people as they really are. Unless they are dressed up like Barbie or Nixon or Freddy, in which case you know they are lame-o freaks." "My school = goldfish tank of stupid." "P.S. Mom is NOT a light sleeper. Good thing I'm not a drug addict or anything or I could easily rob her blind."

So who should read this book? Anyone who remembers the real angst of being a misfit in high school. Or anyone who is currently experiencing the angst of being a misfit in high school. (Interestingly, this book is put out by a children's publisher.) Maybe not the "popular girls" from high school - though I'm not saying that they didn't have their problems, they just appeared as though they didn't.

And as an extra bonus, the day after I ordered this book, John over at The Book Mine Set announced a mini-challenge - if 10 Canadian books with a Japanese connection are reviewed in the month of April, he will donate $200 to the Red Cross. As Mariko and Jillian Tamaki are cousins of Japanese origin, this book definitely counts!