II. SUBMISSIONS, continued

b) Craft and Critiques

Our workshop enrollees critique peers’ full novels. However, many writers are experienced only in critiquing partials. What helps you keep track of everything in a novel; what tips can you offer writers for doing whole-novel critiques?  

I take notes as I read! Whether you use the ‘Review’ tab of word to comment directly, or keep a list in an email or separate document (I tend to the latter), it makes it so much easier to take your stream of conscious thoughts and categorize/synthesize them when you are putting together an editorial letter or having a conversation about a whole book.

I find it helpful, too, to organize your comments from broad to general. Big picture items—what’s working and what isn’t, all the way down to line notes or detail questions. Starting things off with what you DO like/is working is so helpful in lending trust and credibility before you make more incisive comments about what needs work. If the author can tell you see the strengths/get what they are trying to do, they are more inclined to subscribe to your prescriptive feedback, and everyone gets the most out of the review.

Voice is often touted as a desirable element in fiction, yet it’s difficult to pinpoint (“I know it when I see it”). What does voice mean to you? How can it help create and define a character?  

I think a big component of voice is honesty/authenticity. You must know/love/be your characters in order to portray them as fully-realized individuals. We really want to care about and relate to a character. So they should have flaws and quirks in addition to strengths. It’s so important to convey what they care about, and to make that object of care worthy/believable from their viewpoint.

Cheryl Klein’s Second Sight references arcs within each scene. What tip or exercise do you suggest for making scenes emotionally satisfying? Conversely, what makes a scene fall flat?

Make readers care! What function is the scene serving? What does each line add to the texture of the story, our understanding of a character, or the element of suspense?

Please define “own voices” for us. Why are these stories are important; why is the focus shifting in this direction? What factors do editors and agents consider when deciding if such a work is authentic, representative, and worthy/ready to publish?

 To me, #ownvoices refers to authors writing about their own experiences/from their own perspective, rather than someone from an outside perspective writing as a character from within that perspective. I think everyone has a unique perspective and it’s a question of an entry point to the unique story you can tell. You don’t need to tell someone else’s story… draw from your own experience.

Do you read the synopsis before or after reading a manuscript—or do you bypass the synopsis? (Why?) How and when might a synopsis prove useful to you?

I don’t usually read the synopsis, as I have to read a whole book to know if I love/understand it well enough to represent it. A synopsis comes in handy later down the line when summarizing in a pitch, or coming up with catalog copy once the book is sold!

What kinds of craft flaws do you commonly see in otherwise well-written novel manuscripts? In general, what self-editing tips do you suggest?

I guess the most common are (MG) whimsy voice speaking louder than the story itself in middle grade, and (YA) angsty voice weighing down the read or likability of the narrator—do not characterize your MC by way of pity… give them agency and determination… even if it’s determination to do something seemingly small or silly!

You’re satisfied with a client's revisions, then pitch the manuscript to editors who request a submission. How soon do you respond? How many editors might you pitch or submit to—and over what time frame?

Once a project is ready for submission, I most typically come up with a very targeted group of editors who I think a given project could appeal to—the number depends on the nature of the project.

How would you describe your working relationship with your authors? How often; how hands-on are you? Other aspects?

I’m quite editorial and like to give my authors a lot of personal focus prior to and during submission. Once a publisher has acquired their project, I stay in the communication loop on that project, but don’t intervene frequently unless feedback is needed or there is a conflict. I tailor communication style/frequency to clients’ preferences and working style. Everyone’s different!

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