While in New York last week, I had an amazing, eye-opening opportunity: I got to be an editor for a day and read submissions sent to an editor at a major publisher.

She showed me to the spare office housing her submission pile, consisting of unsolicited query letters and manuscript requests she made at conferences (agented submissions were elsewhere). She told me sort them into 3 stacks: YES (she should read them), NO (IMO not ready or not something she’d acquire) and MAYBE (something there but not enough for a YES).

She’d told me she was way behind in responding (as many editors and agents are, because they have so many other things to do), so I’d expected a Rumplestiltskinian mountain of envelopes. I found a fairly large pile, but not overwhelming.

I made my way through nearly 50 submissions, running the gamut from historical to paranormal to YA to women’s fiction (almost all of her requests were partials-synopsis and first three chapters, not full manuscripts).

I’ll divide my gleanings into two posts: DOs and DON’Ts. While the DOs won’t guarantee a sale or even a request for the full, and the DON’Ts won’t guarantee a rejection, these are things authors can control or work on in order to present themselves in the best possible light. I hope these suggestions help aspiring authors hone their submission packages.

So here are the DOs:

1. Use the cover letter to your advantage:

• remind her how you met
• include a short blurb about your book
• single space

By the time she opens your submission (some I opened were from 2007), she probably won’t remember your conversation based on your name alone. I was surprised by how many letters just said something like, “Here is the submission you requested, thanks for your time.” These left me feeling unprepared to read the pages. I wanted to know the usual query letter stuff: genre, word count, a few sentences showing you know your hook and/or goal, motivation and conflict, and a bit about the author’s experience.

And don’t forget to date your letter!! Submissions may get separated from their envelopes or the postmark can be blurred, and if you don’t mention where you met or include the date, she has no way to place your submission. Queries are single spaced, not double.

2. Design some sort of basic, professional letterhead. In today’s market, author self-promotion plays a very important role. So show an editor on first contact that you know how to market yourself. Letters where the author’s name and address were left justified and in the same type face as the body lacked personality and told me nothing about the author or that she knew her brand. I’m not suggesting anything over the top or busy enough to be distracting…name and address centered with a different font (not a crazy one!!) in a tasteful color was enough to let me know this author could set herself apart in an interesting way. If you’re submitting, you should have a business card. So consider incorporating an element from that.

One letter was a photocopy of the author’s stationery…I didn’t like that.

3. Use the least amount of packaging possible. Those sealed with too much of that plastic-y packing tape were very frustrating to open. And took too much time. Also, I learned that envelopes are easier, even for fulls. Boxes are cumbersome.

In the pages themselves,

4. Make sure you reveal information in a way the reader can understand and that you tell the reader what she needs to know when she needs to know it. I got the sense that some authors were purposely holding back information I wanted to know, maybe thinking I’d be more curious and interested.
Nope. I was frustrated and annoyed.

5. Maintain the reader’s interest/excitement/stakes that you establish with your opening hook. I see this a lot in judging contests, too. The first few paragraphs are great and draw me right in. I can’t wait to see what happens or what is said next. Then it’s as if the rug is pulled out from under me. All the tension, the pace is lost because either the thing you thought was suspenseful really isn’t–like you think the hero is in the midst of a medieval battle or a contemporary crime or being chased by an unseen nemesis, but you find out he’s just training/on a simulation. Or you think the heroine has a huge decision to make–and it’s only what to wear on a date.

6. Make sure something happens in your opening scenes. I didn’t see a lot of backstory overload, which I expected, but I did see long scenes where nothing really happens. The characters just stand or sit around and chat. Yes, one use of dialogue is to reveal character, and no, not every book has the pace of a romantic suspense, but I found myself getting very impatient and wanted to skip ahead when nothing was happening at all to move the story forward.
There’s can also be too much play by play, which isn’t story action, but just your heroine going through her day step by step by step by step by step…you get the picture.

Next week—the DON’Ts.

My cell rings. Caller ID tells me it’s one of my talent agencies.

Yes. Always get a little zap of excitement when I see a talent agent on caller ID. So many possibilities. Could they be calling to say I booked the DVD job?

No. They’re calling about a TV commercial that will shoot out of town on dates I am available. Good. The audition is at one of Chicago’s big casting directors. Very nice, would be a coup to book something through her. Details to be emailed this afternoon. Ok.

At this point all is well. The day goes on with no info. Now it’s 5:15. I have to leave for chorus rehearsal that goes until 8:45. What if they sent info, but left me off the list? What if there’s a script to memorize, will I have time? Should I call and find out? No. Yes.

I call and learn they haven’t sent the info. It arrives minutes later, when I’m on the bus. I start to read and am caught up in roller coaster thoughts. Because the first thing I see is that the shoot date has changed…to the day I’m returning from my NY trip.

Hmm. Wouldn’t you know, I leave town and the chance of a good job pops up, just like when I went to Puerto Rico. Could I make it to the location AND see Billy Elliot? Unlikely. I really want to see that show. Would the friend I’m going with find someone to use my ticket? How much would it cost to change my flight?

I keep reading. The spot is MOS, which means without sound, so I won’t have to worry about sounding real/believable.

Nice. I’m working on sounding real and a VO friend thinks I’m doing much better–for VO at least–but this casting director has told me before to sound more believable.

I”m supposed to be a grandma in her 50s. Hmm. Do I look like a grandma, do I look like I’m in my 50s? Usually people think I’m in my late 30s. But I know agents/casting directors don’t have time to waste sending/seeing people they don’t want, so there’s a reason I’m on the list. Or DO I look like I’m a grandma in my 50s? Hmmm.

The pay is great, and there’s additional money for print. Yes. I would really like to book this. I wish I looked like I was in my 50s. No, I don’t.

Do I overthink, or is this the thought process other actors go through? I’ll find out. Stay tuned…

Don’t let what happened to me happen to you.

A week or so ago, the VO friend giving me private coaching wanted to listen to one of my demos again. He went to ruthtalks.com. But my demos wouldn’t play, though he could download them. I emailed my Web site designer. She had trouble accessing the files and couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She suggested I call GoDaddy, who hosts my site.

Lo and behold: my domain name had expired. My fault: GoDaddy didn’t have a current email address so I didn’t get expiration notices. It never occurred to me to check myself.

My site wasn’t working right because a guy named Andrey in St. Petersburg, Russia had snatched up ruthtalks.com for 3 years. Apparently bottom feeders like him lurk on the Internet, waiting for domain names to expire and then buying them…not to use themselves but hoping the original owners will buy them back. This is legal, though I and everyone I’ve told think there’s something slightly distasteful/unpleasant about it.

Ruthtalks.com remained semi-functional, I learned after a lot of time on the phone with customer service, because he somehow hijacked my content (no one I talked to knew how that could happen). Apparently this is illegal, a copyright law violation. And he inserted odd little tidbits like “Russian company Vodohod organizes russia cruises to see all the sights of Ribinsk,” “We better bus charters good for you ” and “Wedding dresses London look here” on some of the pages.

What to do? Change the domain I’d used for three years, to deprive Andrey of the satisfaction of me buying it back? Or purchase another domain name? Many voiceover talents use firstnamelastnamevo.com, or firstnamevoice.com. But Ruthsvoice.com isn’t available. And I like ruthtalks because it covers more than VO; I also do on camera work and give writing and voiceover business workshops.

I decided to use GoDaddy’s Domain Buy service ($59.99 + a 10% commission) instead of having to contact Andrey (who I’ve since learned doesn’t speak much English) directly. This is the process: GoDaddy appraises the value of the domain name. Then the buyer sets an opening bid and maximum bid. GoDaddy deals with the seller while the buyer waits. A very helpful customer service guy handled the transaction, using Google Translate to communicate with Andrey.

I hemmed and hawed over how much I was willing to pay and guessing how much Andrey would accept, assuming he was willing to sell. Fortunately I succeeded in buying my domain back, and for less then my maximum bid and far less than the GoDaddy appraised value of my site. Take that, Andrey.

But my simple oversight of not ensuring that GoDaddy had a current email address cost me hours on the phone with customer service; $215 dollars; and initial shock, frustration, and the uncomfortable sensation of somehow being violated, though I know this was just business.

If you have a domain name you want to keep, make sure you–not your designer or anyone else–owns your domain name. Make sure you know when it will expire, or set up auto renewal. Don’t let Andrey in Russia or anyone else snatch your domain.

When was the last time you considered moving to another city?

Faithful readers know I’m at a writing crossroads, wondering if I should continue to pursue publication. Wondering if it’s still a question of the right manuscript on the right desk at the right time, or if I should find another way to stay involved with writing. I’ve often thought about working as an editor at a publishing house or getting a job at a literary agency. I subscribe to the Publisher’s Lunch e-newlestter and have looked wistfully at some of the jobs posted. I’ve never applied for any…because almost all of these jobs are in New York.

Meanwhile, authors I critique for can’t say enough great things about how helpful my comments are…one multi-published, award-winning author recently told her editor that I make her books much better. Several authors suggest ad nauseum that I’d be a great literary agent because of my legal background, years of award-winning sales and negotiation experience and knowledge of writing and romance publishing. Could I be a better editor or agent than an author? Hmmm.

The Pros:
–I’ve lived in Chicago almost all of my life. Maybe it’s time for a change.
–I really enjoy editing/critiquing, finding problem areas and offering suggested fixes. The list of published authors I critique for has grown. Maybe it’s time to get paid (instead of getting return critiques) for what I do.
–I have friends in the NYC area, so I wouldn’t be completely alone.
–The life of a freelancer has upsides, but so does getting a regular paycheck and paid vacation days. I miss those.

The Cons:
–I’ve visited NYC many times and prefer Chicago, which is what has stopped me from moving ahead (pun intended) with this idea before. NYC is just that much more congested and expensive.
They have Broadway and the Met, but we have fabulous theatre and opera, and these days some musicals and plays headed for Broadway start here (including August: Osage County, and recently Brian Dennehey in Desire Under the Elms. Manhattan is great, but I love Lincoln Park. We don’t, however, have anything like The Cloisters!
–Starting over is scary, stressful and a lot of work. It gets harder the older you get because you’ve put down roots and have established yourself in various communities.
–Moving is a pain, with all the packing and unpacking, the decisions and arrangements to make…would I sell or rent my condo, furnished or unfurnished? What to do with my car and accumulated stuff?
–Here’s the biggie: I don’t know if I’d enjoy selling/promoting/working on others’ books full time instead of my own.

First step: I’m going to NYC for a few days with a friend and have set up informational interviews. I’ll get to spend most of a day working with an editor at a major publisher! And, of course, I’ll catch a couple of shows.

Passing fancy or probable plan? Stay tuned…

The Gainfully Unemployed need to take some time off from career pursuits every now and then. So I went to Three Oaks, Michigan, to hear friends who make up the three-part harmony group The Famous Brothers perform at the Acorn Theatre.

Darren 2B Famous, Willie B. Famous and Ricky Famous Famous hail from Monkey’s Crevice, West Virginia. They sing original and cover bluegrass songs in the vein of music from the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou and share brotherly banter. They’re known for their clever lyrics and harmonious blend, which thoroughly entertained the crowd at the Acorn.

Check out The Famous Brothers on Fox 28 in Elkhart performing one of my favorites, 20 Ways to Kill You with my Swiss Army Knife or watch an older performance on YouTube here.

You can order their songs and CD on Amazon.com. Listen to samples, including one from another favorite, “Yodel in the Valley,” here.

If you’re visiting the Harbor Country area, consider seeing a show at the Acorn Theatre. It’s a unique venue offering a wide variety of entertainment in an eclectic setting, which includes a full bar and one of the nicest women’s restrooms I’ve seen in a theatre. The quaint, quiet Three Oaks and surrounding towns are fun to explore, and offer many dining options, including Middle Eastern fare Cafe Gulistan and Swedish breakfast at Luisa’s Cafe.

Note: Blogger had marked my blog as Spam (I think because I tried to have more than 5 tags for one post.) Sorry for any inconvenience.

Making mistakes…if only we could avoid doing that. Have you ever took on an obligation, accepted or quit a job, decided to move, or, referring back to last week’s post trusted someone, and then regretted doing so? How many times have you thought “I wish I hadn’t (or had) done ___________?”

Recent example: the pain specialist recommended medication for my foot. One dose made me so nauseated I could barely get off the couch. Felt like a zombie and couldn’t focus. Perhaps I should have stopped taking it right then. But the doctor and an anesthesiologist friend agreed that the benefits would outweigh the side effects.

So I persisted for several more days…to no avail. Finally I stopped taking it and am waiting to hear from the doctor about next steps. Do I now regret wasting days feeling awful and so getting very little accomplished? Yes. But I did it…because I accepted the advice of professionals and want my foot to stop hurting. Did I have doubts because I know there are medicines I can’t tolerate? Yes. Did I think the drug was worth a try? Yes.

So how do you know when to trust your instincts and when to weigh and analyze pros and cons?

These articles recommend a mix of both approaches:

To Your Health
About.com: Mental Health
wikiHow

I think you also have to weigh your instincts. Even if you think you’re making a good decision, doubts may linger. If you ignore and push aside the doubts, they might come back to haunt you on Monday, after the game has been played. One idea consider is to discuss your plans with an adivisory board of friends, family and colleagues, and add their thoughts and opinions to the mix.

Sometimes it’s hard to be sure you’re doing the right thing. Only time will tell.

I relate the following tale to encourage you to think about your life and decisions you make. Those times when you aren’t sure who to trust, who to believe…whether dealing with medical professionals, your kids, your spouse/significant other, friends, co-workers. How many opinions do you seek, how much research do you do before believing, before making a decision? When do you simply trust your instincts?

And if after information gathering you’ve been caught between opposing options, made a choice that seemed right but didn’t turn out to be, or have been misled or even misinformed, how do you recoup?

Faithful readers may recall that back in September I had foot surgery (for hallux rigidus, arthritis in the big toe).

I chose the doctor, believed and trusted him because he’d been written up in the Chicago Tribune for just this procedure and he paraded several dancing patients in front of me as proof of his successes. He seemed confident that I was a great candidate, promised great results, and said that in a few weeks I’d be so happy I’d be kissing his feet.

Well, almost 7 months and thousands of dollars later (despite insurance), I am not happy. My “new” foot hurts more than the “old” one (which has the same condition). I can’t wear any of my cute shoes, only certain sneakers or orthopedic-looking old lady shoes.

I thought I’d done my due diligence, taken enough time and thought to come up with a good plan. Yet the results aren’t at all what I’d hoped and been told I’d receive. Which put me in the unenviable position of making reparations. So I followed up with Doctor #1 several times, receiving injections (in the toe), taking anti-inflammatories, etc. No change.

I just saw Doctor #2, an orthopedist who has worked with the Joffrey Ballet. He should know toes, right? He said he’s not a fan of the implant. I could do nothing, or remove the implant, take bone from my hip (!), and fuse the toe. Fusing—arthrodesis–is a common procedure for this condition and is supposed to eliminate pain, but the toe will never bend. I might be able to wear up to a 1″ heel. Despite research I’ve done about limitations after fusion, he said he’s had good results…people have run marathons.

Doctor #1 then said I could have a fusion with no bone needed from my hip. Or try a pain specialist. Or wait longer, because it can take a year to heal.

So who to believe? How many more doctors should I consult? What to do? For now, I’ve decided to see a pain specialist…stay tuned.