Author Heather McCorkle

With the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest fast approaching and submission season back in full swing, I felt compelled to give a writing tip about submitting and conferencing. First you must write an excellent book, of course, but the key after that is to be prepared. Tip: When attending conferences or submitting, come prepared. Bring a well polished query letter, synopsis, and up to the first fifty pages of your manuscript (though ten is usually enough). Bonus tip, when going to agent or editor meetings, bring a notepad and take notes based off what they say. Just be sure to stay engaged and make eye-contact periodically.  How about you, any writing tips to share that are related to submitting or conference going?

Last week was a good week to catch some excellent advice on Twitter. Never fear if you missed it, I caught it for you! Writer's Digest brings us this tweet from an author who sold to a publisher without an agent: @WritersDigest I Have a Publishing Deal But I Still Want an Agent. Here's Why... http://ow.ly/4xvks Looking for great agent blogs? Look no further... @WritersDigest Announcing the Best Agent Blogs of 2011... - Every year, Writer's Digest puts out its amazing brainbomb of informati... http://ow.ly/1c8YNx If you're querying you need this book! @ChuckSambuchino I am giving away a copy of the 2011 GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS (interview with Red Sofa Lit) http://wp.me/pyGAW-bZ Agent Weronika Janczuk give us the inside scoop: @ WeronikaJanczuk   New blog post! Manuscripts I Take On: 1. Is everyone following literary agent Jenny Bent's blog Bent on Books (a... http://bit.ly/gycJLm Jane of Writer's Digest brings us a great list of tweets for writer...

One of the best parts about being a writer is what inspired me last week; seeing a project come together beautifully. The notes from my Critique Sisters  arrived as well as the notes of my wonderfully supportive friend Carolina  and I spent the week entering them then doing a final read through out loud to my ever helpful other half. It feels good, solid, and compelling, it feels done. Well, not done in the sense that I won't have to edit again once I get an agent (because one almost always has to edit upon signing with an agent), but highly polished and ready to submit. Yep, To Ride A Puca is out on submission! Whoo hoo! Now that I've hit send on the very first submission I think I shall go throw up. Just kidding, the submission butterflies migrate after you've been doing this for a while. At least until the requests start coming in. Then it's nervousville all over again and the butterflies start hatching in my tummy. Speaking of querying, this Wednesday I'll be...

This year I am thankful for many things but since this is my blog about my writer's journey I thought I'd focus on that. Great links for writers will be involved so read on! #1) I am thankful for the use of my right hand. It seems like a simple thing until you lose it. Several years ago I broke it and my right wrist. The doctor said I would be lucky to get 60% use of it back. That was unacceptable to me. I finished six months of physical therapy in two and not only got full use of my hand back, but full strength as well. #2) I am thankful for my critique group the Scribe Sisters . A good critique group is like finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Such a thing is almost unobtainable it seems and yet is so worth the hunt when you do find it. If you're looking for your own you might try the wonderful writer's social network Scribblerati or Twitter . #3) I am thankful for each and every one of my followers here on Heather's Odyssey, Twitter, Scribbl...

When a writer is on submission, be it to agents or editors, each passing day can feel like a grain of sand that slips away. It is easy to get discouraged when days, weeks, and sometimes even months start ticking off. We understand that the grains~or moments~are precious but often we end up putting off any more writing and just waiting. All too often I hear writers say they are going to submit and see where that one goes before they move on and write anything else. If you want to make a career out of writing, that could quite possibly be the worst thing you could do. Make every grain count. Start researching, brainstorming, and outlining for your next novel or project. Don't have any ideas? Read everything in your genre that is hot. Read some of the novels that aren't. Read outside your genre! Allow yourself to be open to inspiration of any and all kind. Once you have your novel idea and are ready to start, set goals. Don't allow yourself to be aimless just because you...

Despite parting ways with my agent I am in my happy place this week; revising! Due to his changing business model my agent could no longer invest time in critiquing unpublished clients. While I was disappointed I understand. Things are tougher than they've ever been and not just for us writers. So what is a writer to do when their manuscript has been on submission for nearly a year and they suddenly find themselves agentless and not yet published? Have your moment of sadness. Go ahead, you have permission. Done now? Get back to work! There is still a chance for that novel, in some form or another. Sometimes you have to let your manuscript go. Knowing when to do that it isn't easy. Like I've said, you have to look deep into the heart of the novel and your characters. If you cannot change the muscles, sinew, and flesh of the novel and it won't sell, then you must let it go. However, if you can maintain the heart and the skeleton and transform everything around it, and...

Many writers sit on the fence and wonder if their work is polished enough while others toss it out there too soon. But how many really know if their book is actually ready to submit? I sure didn't my first time out. It took a lot of trial and error for me to figure it out. Its all about whether or not your work is polished enough and is right for a particular agent. First there is the work itself. Is it going to grab the readers and therefore, an agent? Is it edited to the point where it looks professional and clean? Is the story strong enough or original enough that the agent will be able to not only enjoy it, but foresee selling it? These are very important questions that you must ask yourself. Second is platform. Who is your audience and have you conveyed the book well enough that they will want to read it? Is it good enough that they'll recommend it to others? People buy and support books that grip them and make them feel something. Make sure you've tapped into tha...

                                 www.clash-of-the-titans.warnerbros.com/ Fear is the titan we all must slay to be able to take the steps down the road to publication. It's around every corner and bend from critique partners to querying. Putting ourselves out there isn't easy. Our writing digs deep into most of us and exposes things nothing else can. Allowing others to read that can be hard. Some people write a book but can never bring themselves to allow a critique group to read it, let alone send it out to agents. How do you slay the titan? There are two vital elements you must have. 1) Strap that armor on and arm yourself my friend. Your armor is those supportive people you choose to surround yourself with. My support comes from family but also from friends I've met at conferences, on Twitter, Facebook, and writer n...

 Knowing when to stop editing and start sending their work out isn't easy for a lot of writers. It wasn't always easy for me. Many writers second guess themselves at every bend in the road to publication and because of it they may linger at the crossroads. Not only have I seen friends of mine caught at this crossroads, I've been caught there myself before. The question is, how do you break the cycle and go down the right road? Or more importantly, how do you know when it's time to take that road to submission? Going it alone without help of any kind will almost always result in taking a left, right, or going back instead of forward. Or worse, it can result in going forward when your manuscript isn't ready. I've been guilty of both. What do you do if you're going it alone as so many writers do? You've heard me say this before, attend conferences, workshps, retreats, any place where you can improve your craft. This will help build your confidence and p...

Today is a link salad from agents about query letters, the cost of publishing, and what to ask an agent. Finishing your book and deciding you want to get it published is only the first hurdle in a long marathon. Unfortunately there isn't a nice track either. There are side roads, many that lead into nowhere. So what is an aspiring writer to do? Here is a great link from Writer's Digest on 10 things to do before you even send your query letter out to agents: http://writersdigest.com/article/Ten_Things_You_Should_Do_Before_Trying_to_Find_an_Agent With querying comes a lot of rejection so be prepared. Be sure to check out great agencies like the Waxman agency. I love what they say about rejection: http://waxmanagency.wordpress.com/ And read up on other great blogs like Chuck Sambuchino's editors blog. Here he gives advice on what to say and what not to say in a query letter: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/20+Tips+On+Query+Letters+As+Told+By+Agent+Janet+Rei...