Last weekend at Norwescon 35 in Seattle, I had the chance to attend several workshops and panels on writing.

The first one I attended was a panel called Breaking In with panelists Jay Lake (author), Gordon Van Gelder (editor) and Tina Connolly (author).

Since I am currently shopping around my first novel, I was eager to hear what these three had to say and it didn’t disappoint.

Here’s a basic point by point run down of what the panelist suggested for success in Breaking In with that first book deal.

1. Write a really good book.

All panelists agreed that this has to come first before anything else. Both Jay and Tina talked about the importance of improving your craft, of working daily to become a better writer. They each talked about their Trunk Novels, a trunk novel being a novel you write that isn’t good enough to submit to agents and publishers and so it eventually gets stuck in a trunk somewhere. A trunk novel is practice, it is an apprenticeship for later novel writing. No one sits down to write a trunk novel. No one says, “Let me spend the next 6-24 months writing something that isn’t good enough.” It is only after the fact that an author realizes what they’ve written is a trunk novel, a practice novel that they wouldn’t necessarily want to be their debut in the publishing world. And most successful authors have more than one trunk novel. I think Tina said her new debut novel Ironskin was her sixth or seventh novel written. Jay also has a stack full of trunk novels. While some authors do debut with the first novel they’ve written, the point was driven home that good writing takes years of practice and perseverance.

2. Breaking In means different things to different people.

Breaking In is relative. To some Breaking In means getting that first novel published with one of the major publishing companies. To others it means making a certain amount in royalties. To others it means being able to quit their day job and write full time. To some it means making the New York Times Bestseller list. To still others it simply means seeing their work in print, however that is accomplished. As writers and individuals, we get to define our own goals for Breaking In.

Jay pointed out that in the field of writing Breaking In is an ever-receding horizon. He compared getting his first novel published to graduating from high school. While you are in high school, graduation is the end all and the be all of high school. After graduation, it isn’t that big of a deal because you have your whole adult life looming ahead of you. Before you have a novel published, getting that first novel out is the “biggest thing ever” but afterwards, it’s just something you did on the way to your writing career as a whole.

This led to the discussion that a writing career is a process, not a means to an end. After the first novel comes the second, and the third and so on. This can be a good thing if you love writing, but if you are a person who needs an end to your means, it can be exhausting and frustrating. You will never get done writing. You will never reach the pinnacle of your career. There is no top to this mountain. It just keeps going up and up. Or more likely, it goes up and down (think of a roller-coaster). The worst case scenario is that it never goes up, or it goes up and back down for good. The point is writing isn’t an event, it is a lifestyle.

3) There is no standard way to Break In.

Traditional publishing. Self-publishing. Indie publishing. Internet publishing. Getting a book deal from your blog writing. An agent seeks you out. You find an agent. You don’t use an agent and submit directly to publishers. You get your book noticed by way of a contest or an internet book vetting venue (like Webook), There are as many paths on the road to getting published as there are writers seeking publication. And in the end, no one really cares how you Broke In (except perhaps other writers wanting to emulate you), they just care about reading a good book.

4) How easy it is to Break In given the current financial and publishing climate?

I was expecting to hear bad news on this one, but this was the question where Gorden Van Gelder began to weigh in and what he said was actually quite encouraging for new authors. He said it is currently easier to Break In with a first novel than ever before, and here is why.

In the old days, when information about book sales was not released to the general public, publishing houses often signed a new author with the intent of building their career over a series of published books. In other words, if their first book didn’t do well, that was okay. Sales would likely build on the next book, and the next, until they had a profitable author on their lists. In this way the author’s profit margin was expressed in a slowly increasing upward arc over their career.

But this is the age of free information. Book sales and profits are plastered all over the internet the moment a book goes on sale. If an author shows a downward trend on sales, everyone knows it, including the publishing house investors. They are less likely to publish a second or third book if sales aren’t great. They are no longer as willing to support an author through a sales slump, or see them as a long term investment. And that sounds like bad news, I know.

But there is an upside. New authors are the unknown entity. We don’t have a sales slump. We don’t have sales period. For this reason, publishing houses are willing to take a greater risk with a brand new author because it can be argued that there is only potential for an upward arc in sales. You can only go up from zero. However, if that first book doesn’t do very well, or if sales plummet, publishing houses are much less likely to invest in future books or an authors career in hopes they can pull it out of a dive. It is much easier these days to publish a first book. It is, however, much harder to publish a second or third.

5) Breaking In with a series is a good idea.

Because of the issue mentioned in item 4–the need to show an upward trend in sales beyond the first book, all the panel members agreed that writing a first book as a potential series is a great idea. Publishers are looking for this. They want to sign multiple book series deals, because if the first book of a series snags an audience, that audience is likely to stick with the series, and that audience is likely to build over the life of the series. And that equals an upward arc in sales to show to investors.

However, it was suggested to write a first book that can stand alone, but has potential to be a series. This way you leave your options open if that first book doesn’t do well. If you are shopping a book that is a potential series, mention that in you query letter. Say it is a stand alone book with series potential, or something like that.

To sum up the panel, Jay said this (not a direct quote)

“The key to Breaking In it to be psychotically persistent. Write because you love to. Then write more. And some more. Keep writing and keep submitting and eventually you will Break In. The only thing between you and Breaking In is self-doubt and the urge to stop. Don’t ever stop and you’ll eventually make it.”

He also said, “The publishing world is open to new talent. But the key word there is TALENT. Work on your craft and you will become that talent.”

Thanks so much to the panelists for your sage wisdom.

Sold my mythpunk short story, Mary Had a Unicorn, to Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear, an anthology being put out by Simon Petrie and Edwina Harvey (oft-times editors of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine) this June.

I am very fond of this story, which features miniature government-gengineered drug-sniffing unicorns, a  drug-addicted teen protagonist and an alcoholic father.

It is dark. It has an anti-hero. It has kick-ass unicorns.

What more is there?

I’ll be sure to let you know how to order the antho when the time comes.

Well my dears, Ghosthand is finished. I’ve just completed the big edit after the beta reader round and I’m feeling good.

Thus, today begins a new era. The age of the agent. I have just sent off a nice query letter to my agency of first choice and we shall see what they think.

Here is the final synopsis/teaser blurb I settled on for the book.

I hope you likey.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Black was born with a ghosthand, and it just went rogue.
It wants to reach into people and pull things out.
Powerful things.
Dangerous things.
Things from the darkest depths of the human psyche never meant to exist in this world.

Olivia can’t control it, but Marcus can.
He’s the new guy at her small Midwestern high school: a handsome, cocky, stranger who has the ability to keep her hand in check with only his touch.

Marcus claims that Olivia is in grave danger—that her name is on a list of teenagers with ghostlimbs who have begun mysteriously disappearing one by one. Marcus says he can help her. All she has to do is leave everyone and everything she’s ever known and he promises to keep her safe.

Maybe that’s true.

Or maybe he’s just one more person desperate for the power of Olivia’s hand.

_______

Friendly. Useful. Current. And I’m in it with a long chapter on character development.

Put out by Dragon Moon Press in September 2011 and written by a collection of well-known authors for new authors, The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels: Volume 1 covers a wide range of topics necessary for building your first paranormal novel. Paranormal novels are found in all sections of the fiction bookstore. One of the most prevalent forms of fantasy masquerading as romances, mysteries, general fiction and urban fantasy, this guide has tips and topics specific to writing a variety of paranormal novels.

This guide will provide a solid path to completing that first novel by offering detailed help and reference material to get you writing.

Available now in paperback at AMAZON, GOODREADS, and IN KINDLE VERSION.

Many of you know I started this thing in New Zealand when I was there. I founded a national speculative fiction writing association, SpecFicNZ, because there wasn’t one. And every year we sponsor an event we call NZ SpecFic Blogging Week, a week when our members (and anyone else we can convince to come along for the ride) focus their blog posts on all things New Zealand and SpecFiccy.

To learn more about it, please head over to the SpecFicNZ website.

We welcome bloggers from all over the world to take a look at New Zealand speculative fiction and comment on what it has to offer. Don’t know who is writing Spec Fic in or from New Zealand? Do a google search and you mgiht be surprised.

New Zealand has become renownded as a location for shooting speculative fiction films. Don’t know which ones were filmed or digitally rendered in New Zealand? Take a look and you might  be surprised.

Ever wonder what it would be like to write from small island nation? What are the perks? What are the challenges? Follow our bloggin week and you just might find out.

We will be blogging September 19th through the 25th, and you can join us to link your blog posts or just follow and comment on the SpecFicNZ website.

I’ve recently had an interview published for the Partners on the Path blog series orchestrated by  Angelina C. Hansen.

Partners on the Path features the journeys and wisdom of YA authors who aren’t yet published but are seriously “on the path” to publication. In the interview I talk a little more about the process, challenges, and joys of writing my first YA novel, Ghosthand.

Ghosthand has been through the first reader phase, and is currently being edited for submission to agents and publishers.

I hope you will go read the interview and leave your comments there, and here.

As many of you know by now, the reason for my long silence here was the fact that I was moving. Due to spousal work changes and a few other minor issues, we found it suddenly and rather shockingly necessary to move back to the United States from our five year home in Christchurch, New Zealand.

So, after a grueling month of deconstructing our lives, our house, and our home, and an even more grueling 36- hour journey through air and across sea, we have landed in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon and are re-establishing a life in the Pacific Northwest area (Seattle, Porltand or Vancouver, BC).

Edits of the first draft of Ghosthand will resume soon, and I am looking forward to being in the US to snag an agent and publisher for it, rather than from overseas.

I will still be the President of SpecFicNZ- at least for this year- with the goal of turning it over to a Kiwi President at the next election.

It is amazingly good to be home.

If you are in the Portland or Pacific Northwest area, and you’d like to connect, let me know as I’d love to meet up with so many of you internet friends “for reals.”

It has come to my attention that I have not mentioned the results of this year’s Sir Julius Vogel Awards (held June 5th)

My apologies. With my parents visiting and various new earthquakes rumbling in the background, it slipped my mind. Granted, it wouldn’t have slipped my mind if I’d won an award this year. I’m sure I would have shouted that from the rooftops despite everything. But I didn’t (win, that is) so I didn’t (shout, that is).

However, I would still like to thank all of you who nominated my story, “The Future of the Sky.” and voted for it on the final ballot. It lost to Paul Haines “High Tide at Hot Water Beach” in the Best Short Story category. I was disappointed, of course, but not too disappointed. I do already have an SJV award, and perhaps one can’t be greedy. I had a wonderful evening at the banquet and a nice weekend at Context as a whole (though don’t ask me how many times my short story critique workshop was interrupted, or I shall go on a rather unpleasant rant).

I was thrilled to be able to congratulate my friend Helen Lowe for her win in the best novel category for Heir of Night. I was also happy to see my friend Anna Caro and Random Static take home an award for best publication, as well as Paul Mannering in the fan publication category, and Frank Victoria in the cover art category.

And while I would have loved to come home with another Weta designed short story trophy for my mantel, I feel content that I have moved on to novel writing, and it is going well, and the SJV’s certainly haven’t seen the last of me.

Tomorrow I’m off to Context in Auckland, New Zealand for the long Queen’s Birthday weekend.

This will be my third fan Con in New Zealand and, as always, I am eagerly looking forward to it.

And per usual, I’m not just attending. I’m also doing stuff.

Stuff being:

Friday at 8- an author’s panel on Writers’ Blogs with Helen Lowe.

Saturday from 9:30-11:00- Hand-On Critique Workshop: Whipping Your Short Story into Shape.

Saturday from 5-6:30pm – Running the SpecFicNZ Grand Meet-Up of which I am President and Founder.

Sunday evening – Attending the presentation of the Sir Julius Vogel Awards. I’m on the final ballot for Best Short Story for my work “The Future of the Sky”.

So, should be fun. And busy.

Then next Friday my parents come from the States for a 27 day visit with us, much of which I will spend touring the South Island with them in a camper van- just me and them. Hubby and kids will be staying home to attend work and school. I haven’t seen my parents in over three years, so I’m pretty excited about that too.

And no, I haven’t forgotten about Ghosthand. In the days between Con and Parents, I plan to finish a final edit and get it out to first readers.

The Ebook version of Tales for Canterbury is now available.

Tales for Canterbury is a short story anthology loosely themed around survival, hope and the future. All profits of this anthology will be donated to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal. The anthology contains 34 stories, including my new magical realism story, The Bus to Nostalgia, (and of course, one by Neil Gaiman) and is edited by Cassie Hart and Anna Caro.

Wondering about the paperback hardcopy version? It is at the printers now. You can order the ebook version or pre-order the paperback at Random Static publishers.

I hope you’ll support my broken city, Christchurch, in its earthquake recovery, and me personally, by purchasing this wonderful book and spreading the word on your blogs and website, and to friends and family.