Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 1

Uncle Jim, once a newbie finishes his/her novel, has revised ad nauseum, has had the beta-philes add their comments and revised yet again, and is finally ready to submit to targeted literary agents, what does the submission "package" look like?

If you have to send in a one-page cover letter, a four- to five-page short synopsis, and the first three chap's, how are they bound and presented? This may sound foolish but I know protocal is strict for screenplays, so I'm assuming the same for novels. Are the pages of the synopsis stapled, paper-clipped, or loose? What about the pages for the chapters; are they stapled, paper-clipped, or loose? And are all three entities (the cover letter, the synopsis, the chap's) paper-clipped or loose? Excuse my ignorance and paranoia, but if protocal is strict for presentation, I don't want to screw it up.

Thanks.

Hi,

In a group conversation (three or more people conversing), how do you avoid giving the attribution tag after every dialogue. It gets tiring to keep saying:

"...," A said.
"...," B said.
"...," C said.
"...," B said and so on.

But then how do you make it clear who is speaking? One way I suppose is giving distinct characteristics to each person's speech. Any other known techniques apart from that (because I think it will look phony if I force some characterisitic down every character's throat)?

thanks,
Paritosh.

Variate your tags, add action/gestures, speech patterns, etc.

"..." A said.
"..." B said.
C looked at A. "..."
B laughed. "..."
"..." A snapped. "..."
C stepped forward and grabbed A. "..."
"..." B yelled.

Okay, first, take a deep breath. Relax. Formats are not anywhere as important as they are in the world of screenplays.

First question: What do the publishers (and/or agent's) guidelines say? They should mention whether they want three-and-an-outline, or a full manuscript, or a query, or what. Guidelines from a specific market always trump every other consideration for that market.

Next:

Formatting the manuscript:

Single side of the paper, double spaced, one-inch margins.

Courier ten or courier twelve, unjustified.

Running head with your name, the title, the page number, on each page.

Manuscripts are sent loose, no binding of any kind.
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Cover letters are no more than one page. The important parts are your name, address, and phone number. Genre and wordcount are next most important.

Spell the editor's name right.

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For an outline or summary, be sure you include the surprising twist climax.

For submissions I keep outlines to ten pages single-spaced, and summaries to three or less.

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If you do nothing else, always include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope).

gp, about formatting, check out this page

www.shunn.net/writing/coa...ction.html

You'll also find good information in the latest Writer's Market Companion.

Here's what I do, with pretty good results (meaning response):

- cover letter only, folded, mailed with SASE in a business envelope
- cover letter by itself, paper clip synopsis, mailed with SASE in a 10x13 envelope
- Use a document folder, cover letter followed by synopsis and SASE in the left pocket (loose), sample chapters (loose)in the right pocket. Send package in 10x13 envelope.
- Full manuscript: send in 8 3/4 x 11 1/4 document box, rubber-band, cover letter on top with SASE. Mark box with name and title.

If the material is requested, put "Requested Material" on the envelope/document box. Also enclose the original request letter from the agent/editor.

Maestro - on that document box, do you put the cover letter and SASE inside the box, on top of the ms?

Also, when you mark the box, do you write on the top side, on the end facing you, or both?

And finally, how do you mail it - do you wrap it up in paper?

Thanks.

I place the cover letter on top of the ms. However, I rubber-band the synopsis and SASE with the ms.

On the box, I put a label with my name and the title of the ms on the side as well as the lower left corner of the top of the box. I also clearly mark the box "Requested Material."

I either send the box by itself through priority mail (I'm lazy) or put it inside another box (purchased at the US Post Office).

I'm new here, but I've just read what Uncle Jim said about having the first chapter introduce a person, place, and problem.
My first scenes almost always intro the main person. Sometimes the main place is intro'd, but what about the problem? Does it have to be The Main Problem? Or can it be something that later leads up to TMP?

Does it have to be The Main Problem?

I'd say no. But a good problem/conflict would be good. The point is to interest your readers so they'd read on.

Thanks Pianoman5, thats kind of what I thought...or at least hoped.

Thanks, U.J. and Maestro. Your comments helped. However... Maestro, you mentioned a document folder. Is that common or just your own style? I've never heard of anyone using one for sending in material.

It's probably just my style, but it works nicely. Most corporate people use them for document presentation (brochures, marketing materials, etc.) and they're good for sample chapters up to 50 pages.

Cover letter, synopsis, SASE and any other sales pitch on the left pocket. The sample chapters on the right. Nice and clean presentation and keep everything together.

Put a label on the folder and you're set.

Me, I don't bother with presentation folders, but I suppose it's harmless.

Yet another article you ought to read: <a href="http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006006.html" target="_new">Displaced Advice</a>.

Thank you, maestrowork; that makes sense and it's what I hoped!

Does it have to be The Main Problem?

No -- just enough of a problem for the readers to want to turn the page to find out What Happens Next.

<HR>

(Commercial announcement -- our next booksigning will be at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge, MA, 3pm to 4pm Saturday, 29 January 05.)

Hey, JDM;

I'd just like to say that this is one of the most helpful sites/threads/forums on writing that I have ever encountered.

Being new in the writing business is tough; these postings are truly useful.

TNH's info dump on Neil Gaiman's blog sent me to this thread days ago. I've read every word of the 141 pages, some of them twice. If that doesn't tell you I'm dedicated, or at least that I have a lot of free time, I don't know what would.

Thank all of you for your incredibly generous discourse, with a special hats off, of course, to James D McDonald. This thread has been the greatest source of information on the craft of novel writing that I have yet seen in my life, and thus, a great insperation as well.

When I was a child, I remember waking up early every saturday morning to watch cartoons. This was time my mother spent reading novels in her bedroom. I'd get impatient waiting for her and run into her room to jump up and down on her head, if necessary, to get some attention. I was baffled by what draw some stupid paper with dull boring stupid words on them could possibly have.

I was always behind in reading. I actually got F's in gradeschool on the subject, and also handwriting. It wasn't until I was twelve that I understood what it was all about. I read my first novel, a Dragonlance book titled Dark Heart. I have no idea who wrote it, now. I should send them a thank-you note.

Anyway, it took me a month to get past the first thirty pages, but I didn't give up. When I finished the book I cried for hours, because I wanted all those wonderful people to come back. I didn't want any of it to ever end. That's when I decided that I wanted to be a writer. Not so I could hang out in coffee shops with a laptop to charm women into having wild monkey sex with me in the back room, but because I wanted to be able to write stories that didn't end.

I was never very good at sticking up to that though. I wrote only occasionally, though stories remained my passion, all the way until I was nineteen, when I stopped writing entirely. I had an unrelated psychological break down (caused by the onset of panic dissorder with agoraphobia) which made facing a blank page impossible.

It's been five years since then, and until a few days ago, I haven't written a word. I just started again when I read the first couple pages of this thread.

I am a novice even amongst novices, and there are some very wise people in this thread. But I have thirty eight new pages in a brand new writing folder. Thirty eight pages I didn't have a week ago. Thirty eight pages I might not have had for years to come if I hadn't found all of you.

Thank-you for giving me the insight, the companionship, and the interest to risk starting again what I'd never properly started in the first place. Thank-you for being my torch, to ward off my own grue.

Philip Fullington Ripper

Thanks for taking the time to post that Philip. I'm sure you've warmed the cockles of everybody's heart here (especially Jim's).

I expect that folder of yours will be bulging in no time. Best of luck to you.

Thanks, indeed. My heart's cockles (not to mention my heart's mussels) are definitely warmed.

For reasons that we need not go into here, I too stopped writing for a while when I was 19.

Write, finish what you start, send it out. Repeat. That's the whole of the Magic Secret to Getting Published.

Ripper - great to have you on board. You know more than most of those with master degrees in literature what writing is for and what it can mean.

And about the "wild monkey sex," hey, I didn't know that was even available! Cool!

But really, a great post, and that monkey sex line reminded me of this wise bit on the perils of success as given in an interview by mystery writer Van de Wetering.

"It’s not pleasant. Beautiful woman come up to you when you’re with your wife, your child, and your dog. Or lesbian women come up to you and say you write nasty about women. And you have to defend yourself. 'Me? Nasty about women? I’m not nasty about women.' 'Well, what do you mean by that?' And they’re these big butch ladies, and they’re going to kill you. Or you’re in a hurry to catch a train and someone stops you and tells you the story of your life. It never gets you when you want it, and it gets you when you don’t want it."

Jim, a while back you gave the range of percentages of the books' sales prices that are paid to the writer for paperbacks and hardbacks. Do the smaller publishing companies pay the same?

Do the smaller publishing companies pay the same?

Yes, they pay the same royalty rates. The difference is they have smaller press runs, and show up on fewer shelves. Expect smaller advances, since they'll most likely be selling fewer copies.

You should expect 10-15% from small publishers as well. But like UJ said, they sell fewer books than Random House, so your advance or actual royalty would be less.