The Real Problem with Being Behind

The other day I went to a salon looking for some new beauty-consultant-type people. When you’re new in town, and really don’t have any recommendations, there’s no way to really know where to start when you need to get your hair cut, or your nails done or whatever whatever. So basically, I went in blind.

No big deal. What I was having done wasn’t life altering in any way. Superficial beauty treatments usually aren’t. Especially the ones that take an hour or less. (Unless it’s a bikini wax, but we won’t go there!)

As we got started, I asked the sweet lady about a part of the service which I mistakenly assumed she would either include, or at least be able to offer. It wasn’t any different from what I was having done, except for the type of product she was using. (No, it wasn’t purple hair color, though we all know that could come up again at some point.) To my great surprise, and extreme disappointment, she’d never seen, nor heard of this product (as well as a few others), even though it is something I’ve been using for at least a decade.

I asked how long she’d been in her current profession, to which she replied more than twenty years.  

In my head: “What? How can you possibly have been doing this for so long and NOT know about this?”  (I would like to point out that this was in my head, because I was so stunned, I didn’t really know how to respond politely, so I just smiled.)

She followed up with: “No one’s ever asked for anything new before.”

And there, my friends, is the REAL problem. Not because no one has asked for anything new, but because she is sitting around WAITING for someone to ask before she bothers to:

A.      Train in new techniques

B.      Try new things

C.      Experiment with new ideas

D.      Attempt to better her own skills

E.       Keep up with current market trends

As a writer, it is my JOB to keep up with all of those things I just listed. Not because someone asks, or because someone else thinks I should, but because progress = each individual person taking the initiative to move forward of his or her own accord. That’s how we succeed, no matter our chosen profession.

The cute lady in question didn’t do a bad job. In fact, except for her inability to offer that one thing, I found her rather skilled. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I won’t be returning to her for the service, because she simply cannot offer what I need. I’m a regular customer who will, sadly, have to keep searching for my beauty people.  

Don’t be the person who loses a job, or a publisher or agent or client or whatever, just because you don’t keep up.

*climbs off soapbox*

What are you doing to better yourself or your skills this week?

Something about Appearances

Not long ago, a friend and I were discussing what it takes to “make it” in the publishing industry. This friend argued that getting accepted isn’t always just about the quality of writing, but sometimes about “a pretty face.”

I responded by asking him why, if that were the case, do I know so many beautiful people who are seriously good writers without agents or publishers?

And we went back and forth a bit over that. Him insisting that appearances can make a difference, and me insisting that it’s all about the writing. The conversation stayed with me for several days, as I contemplated his words, until I found the middle ground that my friend and I had somehow missed.

I still don’t think authors are accepted because of how they look. But I do think that those who take care to look professional, and for that matter, act professionally, probably have a better shot at landing that agent or publisher (or both). It’s kind of like when you interview for a job. If two people who are equally qualified show up, the guy wearing jeans and a T-shirt will find himself at a disadvantage to the one wearing a suit and tie. The same kind of thinking goes for social networking and blog posts. And especially for jacket cover photos.

So maybe my friend and I were both a little right. It is about the writing. It’s absolutely crucial to have good writing with all the necessary story elements. But being an author is also about appearances. Especially when it comes to self promotional efforts. (And just to clarify, by appearances I mean showing up clean, groomed, with combed hair and well-fitting appropriate attire.)

What have you done to make yourself appear more professional?

The Professional Face

(Here I go again, blogging about writing. I realize that I blog about this more than anything else. It’s what I do. Even if you’re not a writer, I hope you realize there is wisdom for all professions within the writing industry, and keep reading anyway.)

You know that whole first impression cliché? I’ve been thinking about that, and I kinda want to talk about an important part of our image as professionals.

When first we encounter someone in our industry, chances are it will be online, rather than in person. Not that the in-person part isn’t important—because I cannot stress enough HOW big it is to have that personal contact—but realistically, when we submit work to agents or publishers it’s generally cold. That means first impressions are formed solely on the quality of our query and sample pages.

If you’ve ever read an article on submitting, you should already know how important it is to send only your very, very best work. So I’m going to skip that lecture. Also the query lesson. (But if you need help in those areas, you can look here or here.)

So we work and work and work on our sample pages, and then we work and work and work on our query, and then we think…ahhhh. Now we can submit, right?

Actually, you’re just getting started. I mean, yeah, you can submit, but if you want to make a good impression, it’s also important to do some research first. I know, I know, we write fiction to AVOID research.

So what do we have to research and why?

1. First, research any potential agents/publishing houses to find out if they represent or publish the type of work you have.

2. While you’re there, look to see if they have something on their list similar to yours so you can mention that in your query. Trust me, it looks good for you.

3. Finally, (and people, this is the BIG one, I think) check their submission guidelines. Every company and every agent is a little different. Some want just a query, some want five pages, some ten, some three chapters, etc. Some have questionnaires, some want just a twitter pitch.

There are a bazillion different quirky things these professionals might expect. If you do it right, you have a chance. But if you don’t, it’s possible your submission will be deleted unread.

The good news: the majority of publishers and agents have websites where you can go to find the pertinent information. Really, truly, there is no need to email them individually to ask (although, in extreme circumstances, that might be okay, depending on who it is—most agents prefer not) because the frequently asked questions are generally covered in one section or another.

Your query package is the first part of you these people will get to meet. So IMO, it’s uber important to put on your proverbial conservative makeup, spray down your “stray hairs”, and wear something nice to the party. Make a good impression, and you will NOT be sorry.

Have a great time at the query party. And hey, while you’re there, find me and say hi.

Happy Friday!