Would You Read On? hosted by Diana Flegal

A brave and courageous writer has stepped up for your critique. The following is his first page. Do not forget to Scroll all the way down to see which author offered herself up for your comments last week.

First Page:

“You can’t run that story.”

Katrina Shaw heard more threat than plea in the woman’s voice. It wasn’t the first time her reporting had riled someone, but she wasn’t about to back down now. Besides, it was too late. The story was tomorrow’s lead with her photo of the fatal crash on page one above the fold.

“It’s already on the page,” Katrina said, sensing more than seeing the woman’s slight forward movement on the other side of the waist-high counter.

“That’s my mother, you heartless—“

“I’m truly sorry about your mother.” Katrina’s fingers brushed the underside of the lobby countertop and hovered at the silent alarm button. “I understand your loss, but your mother is not in the picture, just her car.” She softened her voice. “We don’t run photos of victims in a situation like this. I’m sorry, but this is a major story because of that dangerous intersection.”

The woman curled her fingers into fists and her knuckles whitened. Her eyes hardened. “I want to talk to the editor.”

“Just one moment and I’ll see if he’s available.”

Katrina turned her back and then wondered if that was a good idea. On her way out she shot a warning look at the receptionist, and then forced her feet into a reasonable walk through advertising. But she didn’t exhale until she made it to Bob’s corner desk in the newsroom.

“The daughter of the victim in that T-bone on Highway 33 wants to talk to you. She doesn’t want us running the story.”

Bob Henley’s fingers drilled into his keyboard and he spoke without looking up. “Tell her I’ll meet her in the conference room.”

Katrina sat down at her desk and pressed the receptionist’s extension. No need to step directly into the line of fire more than once in a five minute period unless absolutely necessary.

*******************

We look forward to your comments on this First Page.

The BIG Reveal: Last weeks First Page was submitted by author Marlene Banks. Marlene's first published title, Ruth's Redemption will be released Feb 2012 by Moody Publishing's Lift Every Voice imprint.
The last time Marlene shared her first page- she and her editor took your comments into consideration and made some changes. Marlene appreciates your comments on this title and sends her thanks.


Have a Great Fall day ya all,
Diana

Not Another Margaret Mitchell by Andy Scheer

Compared to my Hartline colleagues, the number of fiction proposals I've evaluated is relatively small. But the percentage of proposals that leaves me asking this question is fairly high.

Is this writer another Margaret Mitchell? Or maybe the next Harper Lee?

Yes, Margaret Mitchell enjoyed fairly brisk sales with Gone With the Wind. And Harper Lee did all right with To Kill a Mockingbird. But those were their only novels. (Lee worked on another novel, but never completed it. And after GWTW, Mitchell never wrote another.)

These days, publishers seem to want writers with more than one good book in them.

I can't blame them. As a reader, I own the full set of Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin novels (20 books) Tony Hillerman's Navajo police series (18 books), John D. MacDonald's colorful Travis McGee series (21 books), and many more by authors who produced multiple novels.

When you read a story by an author with skill, it's only natural to look for more of the same. Imagine if your favorite restaurant had a no-repeat-customers policy.

Maybe because most of the proposals I review come from first-time novelists (and therefore first-time proposal writers) they're exhausted by the process. Or perhaps they're plagued by doubt, not daring to hope someone would want to see more.

For whatever reason, when I get a proposal for a good one, I usually have to check back and ask the writer if she has anything else in mind. A sequel or two to this story? Or perhaps something else in the same genre.

Publishers will want to know. And so will readers.

Who wants another Margaret Mitchell?

Wonderful Conference! by Linda Glaz

What a fabulous conference this year!
An opportunity to meet terrific people writing all types of fiction.
Some amazing.
Some not so amazing.
But all with heart.
Even works that were close but not quite showed so much spirit.
Loved every minute of it and can't wait for the next one.
Did you go? Did you have fun?

To Write for the Market or Write from the Heart

In these difficult economic times, writers are struggling with whether to write the stories on their hearts or write what the market will buy and sell. If you are depending on your writing income for a living, the pressure to write for a market may be even stronger. So what should a writer do?

I think it depends on where you are in your career and what doors are open to you. It's hard for a new, unpublished writer to break into publishing during great economic times, but even harder during a recession. But as Christians, we have to remember that God is still on the throne and He's the same God in the best of times, as well as the worst of times. Several authors and I are a testament, that new, unpublished authors can receive their first contract during a recession. In fact, it seems like more of a miracle.

Pre-published Authors
If you are still unpublished, take advantage of the fact that you can write whatever is on your heart and on a schedule that is convenient for you and your family. One positive aspect about a recession is that it's temporary. The market will change again, and if you are willing to be patient, it will swing back in favor of what you're writing. With God, everything is about timing and occurs in its proper season.

Don't try to write to a market. By the time you finish your book and begin shopping it around to editors, the market will have changed again. This is a time to sharpen your skills and have other books available. If you have plenty of finished manuscripts to sell, a publisher will be more confident in your ability to finish a novel, to write a series, and meet deadlines so you won't be a "one-book wonder". You will have more to offer readers after your first book is contracted.

New Contracted Authors
These authors have a foot in the door, but they don't have a sales history and may not be able to get anything published that would be considered "risky". Writers with new contracts are getting feedback directly from their agent and publishers. They know more about the direction of the market because of this feedback. These authors can talk to their contacts and receive professional input to which most unpublished authors don't have access.

For instance, a publisher gave me a revision letter that would require me to rewrite a significant amount of the manuscript. A month later, the recession hit hard and they stopped buying fiction. My agent, Terry Burns, pulled me off that story and had me lengthening another manuscript for a different editor that showed some interest. This publisher was still buying books in spite of the recession. This wasn't something I would have known without my agent's guidance.

In this case, I'm not exactly writing to a market, but I'm reworking what I've already written to make it more marketable for what is in demand now. However, the reworks aren't a complete rewrite and it isn't changing the heart of my story.

Multi-Published Authors
These authors have a proven sales history, a foot in the door with several publishers, and an agent helping them to manage their career. They can sell books on proposal and may even be asked to write a book for a "risky" sub-genre that a publisher might want to test in the market. Multi-published authors are in a better position to determine if they want to write for the market, write books from their hearts, or a combination of both.

I say this, because their manuscripts are rarely thrown in the slush pile. They are read faster than an unknown author and their stories will be contracted faster as a result. They can catch a trend much quicker than a new author. Many depend on their writing income for a living and write full-time. This means they can finish books faster than an author who is trying to write between a day job, family and church activities.

I believe an author can write both to the market and the books of their heart, especially when they stay true to what God has called them to write. This doesn't mean there won't be down times, but it does mean that you might grow from one season to another. In other words, what you start out writing during the first ten years may evolve into something different through the next ten years.

Meeting at the Arch by Terry Burns

American Christian Fiction Writers is the premier organization for Christian Fiction Writers with over 3000 members, nearly 700 of which gathered under the Arch in St Louis for their annual meeting. It was an amazing event.

I was very proud that my good friend and client Bonnie Calhoun won the prestigous Mentor of the Year Award. It was so well deserved as Bonnie is the computer guru not only for me (invaluable on both my personal site and the Hartline site) but answers computer and blogger questions for countless members in the organization. Her Christian Fiction Online Magazine is an irreplaceable resource for Christian Writers. Well done, Bonnie.

We were also very proud that Hartline Founder Joyce Hart was one of three finalists for the Agent of the Year Award. Joyce has been a leading agent in the Christian writing community for longer than the ten years ACFW has been in existence and had a lot of people pulling for her.

I was proud to have nine of my clients there in addition to the clients that were there represented by the other Hartline agents. They spread out working the conference like pros, attending classes, gathering publishing information that they will all feed back to be used by all of us, and networking like crazy. They are from left to right, Emily Hendrickson (my editorial asst who writes as Emily Reynolds), Linda Glaz (Hartline agent as well as a client), Teresa Hooley Slack, Cheryl Linn Martin (who had not one but two 3 book offers to choose from while at the conference), me looking like a thorn in a rose garden, Linda Schab peeking over Pam's shoulder, Pam Meyers, and Bonnie Calhoun holding her Mentor of the Year award. Not pictured but with us at the conference was Kevin Parsons, Suzanne Hartmann and Regina Smeltzer.

It was a fast paced conference with great faculty and content. Each day featured uplifting worship opportunities and a constant stream of opportunities to pitch projects. Now I have to turn my attention to making all of the submissions my clients were able to get requested in these sessions.

See you next year in Dallas

First Pages Would You Read On?

Dear Reader;

Many of you are enjoying this column on our blog each Weds. If you are the bold and courageous type- submit your first page for posting consideration to Diana@hartlineliterary.com. Place First Pages in the subject line please. Once again we look forward to your comments on this First Page.

ONE

August 1920

Greenwood District

Tulsa, Oklahoma

It was always present, lurking in the shadows, taunting her mind and choking off the simplest of pleasures. The relentless oppression had not stopped stealing her joy, killing her spirit or progressively dismantling her life. It was hard to be happy about sunshine and clear skies in her state of mind. Three weeks had passed since the twister hit throwing dry dust everywhere. Another summer was almost over with its drought and hot winds killing the crops along with the dreams of many farmers. Prairie farmers constantly struggled against nature to yield adequate crops for the season.

Benjamina Freeman struggled against herself to quell the gnawing doubts and crippling depression. While in the city people forgot the parched earth and shriveled vegetation. Things were always lively in Tulsa. The atmosphere was different with its imposing brick buildings and booming commerce regardless of climatic conditions. No matter what people outside the municipality had to endure, merchants, customers and laborers in Tulsa never stopped hustling to take care of business. The energy was not inspiring to Benny, however. She stood inside the open door of the Ladies Fine Apparel Shop staring at nothing in particular as school children playfully made their way down the street. It was too much to try to work feeling the way she did. She would never stand up to the strain of greeting customers, pleasantly chatting with them when she knew what they were thinking. After all this time she was as shamefully mortified as ever. Her heart still broken as the day it happened. Injury and humiliation were her closest companions even if she’d learned to push them back a bit. The feelings chipped away at her every effort to operate free of the misery. She was contemplating her escape from the commitment she was pressured into when loud throat clearing interrupted her thoughts of closing and going home. She looked into the man’s crafty widespread eyes when he got her attention. “Morning, Benny, surprised to see you here. Where’s Ella?” He spoke with a disingenuous affability that annoyed her.

Conference Follow-up by Andy Scheer

Before I could write this, I had several post-conference tasks to accomplish.

Yes, I unpacked my carry-on and my briefcase, sorted my laundry into darks and lights, reorganized my workshop notes, and placed into one folder all the documents related to the conference.

But most important, I sent a couple of follow-up emails.

During the half-hour trip to the San Diego airport, I shared a shuttle with an acquisitions editor. We'd talked about her upcoming plans to visit the slickrock country of eastern Utah, and I promised I'd email her information about a spectacular but little-known state park and some hiking opportunities in nearby slot canyons. (She also said she'd update me on who is handling what acquisitions in another division of that publishing house.)

So before I sat down to write this, I sent my follow-up email to that editor--and another to one of the conference organizers.

I also responded to an email from one of the sixteen people with whom I had a Saturday appointment. He'd written for me years ago when I was an editor at Moody magazine. So when we met to talk about his novel in progress, the name rang a bell. I liked what he said about his project, and his brief follow-up email reinforced that he's someone who takes his writing, his professionalism, seriously.

But I also wonder how many of those other fifteen people I'll hear from. The conferees were surprisingly well prepared. I really clicked with several of the writers, and I told an exceptionally high number of them that yes, I'd like them to email me their polished proposal.

Still, my years of acquiring articles and writers for the magazine showed me that many writers take as a rejection anything short of an enthusiastic Yes! And in most cases, I asked for further details in those proposals that looked promising.

I hope they'll follow up. But if they don't, I'll take that as evidence that they're not yet ready for the Big Leagues. Time will tell.