Working Titlez

“Oh, no!” You know that sick feeling you get in the pit of your gut when the realization hits. You’ve just clicked “send” and you notice a glaring error. There’s no “unsend” button. No do-over. Jiminy Cricket, what to do?

No, you're not seeing in quadruple! The publisher (me!) was so enamored with the four vibrant proposed colors for the cover, that the book was printed with all four. Cartons arrive at the bookstores with all four colors, which make an impressive display on the shelves.

Oft-published author Maralys Wills shares trials, tribulations, and plenty of tips in a far-ranging interview with Paula B. on The Writing Show. The hour-long audio interview can be downloaded from the site or via the podcast section on iTunes.

Wills is the author of some dozen books, the newest of which is DAMN THE REJECTIONS, FULL SPEED AHEAD: The Bumpy Road to Getting Published.

Says Ray Newton (former National Coordinator for Reader’s Digest Writing Workshops): “Wills takes readers of the fast-paced freeway into the colorful scenery of a bumpy, but genuinely educational secondary roads to show them the realities of the highly competitive writing and publishing industry. The book is possibly one of the best professional road maps on the market.”

Rejections are the predictable bane of the writer’s world. Maralys not only tells of her own sometimes unconventional approaches that have resulted in published books, she shares her wisdom of twenty-plus years teaching novel writing at the college level. Damn the Rejections is an adroit interweaving, chapter by chapter, between the BUSINESS of writing and the CRAFT of writing.

Q: My manuscript is now 150 pages. How long is the average book? Is it long enough?

A: That depends. Is your story done?

Short answers aside, there are some important issues an agent, editor or publisher will consider when evaluating your submission. First, most of us prefer to know the WORD count, not the page count. Author A’s page may be doubled spaced with wide margins and 12 point type while Author B is conserving paper, using single spaced 10 point type in a condensed font. A’s 300 pages may be 50,000 words while B’s 175 page manuscript may total 75,000 words. Most submission guidelines call for 12 point Times Roman with one inch margins all around, but as the recipient of thousands of manuscripts, I know that a good half don’t adhere to this “rule”.

Word count is a much more accurate guide. We have formulas using word counts, page trim size, ratio of images to text, and front/back matter estimates that enable a fairly accurate projection of the final page count. Word count will determine the ultimate print manufacturing costs and impact the editing and design expenses.

Fortunately, tracking your word count is easy. In Word, just go to Tools>Word Count. You can also turn on the Word Count toolbar so you can check continuously. Many authors check their word count at the end of each writing session, to keep track of their progress. Others establish goals such as 2,500 words a week. Regardless, PLEASE put the final word count on the front page of your manuscript.

Industry norms and buyer expectations will also be on the minds of agents and editors reviewing a manuscript. Publishers will need the book to retail for a specific amount in order to recover costs, pay the author’s royalties and make a reasonable profit. The reading public already has certain expectations about how long books should be and what they’re willing to pay. If the word count is too short, the lesser page count may not support the needed retail price. If the word count is too long, the increased production costs may require a retail price higher than the public will pay. Harry Potter being a phenomenal exception, here are some typical word counts:

Adult Fiction — 60,000 to 120,000 words
Novellas — 20,000 to 40,000 words
Young Adult Fiction — 30,000 to 50,000 words
Children’s Picture Books — 500 to 1,500 words

An intense conversation about a manuscript at the Society for Southwest Authors 2008 conference in Tucson, Arizona

One of the traditions at most writers conferences is a custom known variously as “author interviews”, “one-on-ones” or “pitch sessions”. I think of them as a form of “speed dating”. Authors make appointments with agents, publishers and editors and get 15 minutes to sit with them one-on-one and “pitch” their book projects to gain valuable feedback, advice on avenues to seek towards publication, and for a lucky few, an actual book contract. For authors, the opportunity to place their proposal directly in the hands of a prospective agent, editor or publisher — and to make an impression as a “real person”, not just another submission package, is priceless. So, too, is the chance to ask questions about the publishing process, assess the best options, and get advice about fine-tuning their proposal. More than one would-be author has told me I was a “practice” pitch, in anticipation of being ready for the “real thing” for the next year’s conference.

My regular readers and audiences at presentations know that I heartily endorse writers conferences as one the the very best ways to learn more about the industry, the craft of writing, and the business-side of being an author or professional writer. Besides the valuable information from presenters, the networking with industry professionals, and the tips and tricks to be learned, the camaraderie with fellow authors at various waypoints along the path to publication can be rewarding and encouraging.

This past weekend I did 22 one-on-ones, a panel about publishing trends and a workshop on editing at the Society for Southwest Author’s 36th annual writers conference. The hospitality of this stellar organization was warm, the caliber of the facility was top-notch and the partipants were receptive and enthusiastic. Plus, I came away with a great new line (with a nod to Star Wars):

Metaphors Be With You.