Plot Monkeys

The Plotmonkeys series on writing continues …
(mostly because we’re all busy writing!)
*****
CHAT with Carly Phillips
Presented at the 2006 RWA National Conference in Atlanta, GA

There is an expression—the devil is in the details—and this more than anything applies to my writing career. If anyone asked me what was the one secret to my success, I’d have to say the ability to micromanage everything around me while writing at the same time.

For me, writing started as an idea, evolved into a passion, turned into a career, and is now a living, breathing part of my life. I value the moments when the passion of writing—getting lost in the writing—or knowing I just discovered something about my characters I didn’t know going in—reasserts itself. I love that rush of adrenaline I still get for the writing. Because the daily details can kill you.

But it’s the daily details that make a career. Here are a few tips for writers at every level of their writing career. Some are duplicated. That’s okay and it’s intentional. After all, there are lessons an author should never forget.

FOR AUTHORS BREAKING INTO PUBLISHING

1. You’ve written your first book and sent it into an editor—what do you do while you’re waiting to hear? WRITE THE NEXT BOOK—so you have something to mail in next.

2. Don’t assume anything—assume the negative and hope for the positive is how I’ve always operated. I believe in Karma and fate—but I believe (like Earl in the TV show, My Name is Earl) that you make your own good Karma and fate—so if you’ve submitted the best book you’ve ever written, assume you’ll need a second one anyway—you will, whether you get rejected and want to have one ready to go in next—or whether you make your first sale and want your second one set to go after.

3. BE EASY TO WORK WITH because there are many other writers who an editor can buy instead of you if they’re easier to work with, revise without complaint, and aren’t a pest.

4. Know the market, which publishers are buying what and don’t send inappropriate material that shows your ignorance. Publishers remember.

5. Don’t just write, READ—know what others in your intended line of work are writing; see the trends and go with them. Write from the heart but don’t hold onto something that will never sell because you’re stubborn. Good authors evolve, they never stay the same.

6. Get your name out there—submit, submit, submit—editors remember your name and eventually it can and will make a difference.

7. Develop a thick skin—you’re going to need it for the long haul. I wrote ten completed manuscripts for seven years before selling. I still do massive revisions on every book I write courtesy of my editor and I do them without complaint.

8. Listen to everyone’s advice then make your own decisions—I didn’t know any more the day after I made my first sale than I knew before, but I learned more every single day.

9. Know there are ups and downs and learn to ride them out. Nobody’s career is nirvana, no matter how much you think otherwise.

10. Go Forward—take risks and chances in your writing and within yourself. For me, joining RWA was a risk. Talking at my first workshop was a risk. Speaking to you today is a scary thing for me. Challenge yourself. The rewards are great.

FOR AUTHORS HITTING THE BIG TIME—be it multiple books or hitting bestseller lists:

1. Write and get better each time. Nothing is more important than writing a good book. Nothing replaces this, not PR and not cute promo.

2. The bigger you are the more drain on your time and on you. Carve out your time to write and devote time to PR. For me the two are not mutually exclusive. I micromanage and do everything at the same time. Not the most efficient way to work, but I can’t turn off email or my mind, not even while I’m writing.

3. Understand you have many audiences—you have your readers, your fellow authors, your professional associates—editors, publishers, etc., and your agent who handles your career but who also works for you and needs input or direction from you, yourself. Give each audience what they need from you and remember it isn’t the same for each.

4. BE READY—for when opportunity knocks—how? Eyes and ears. Be aware of opportunity because you don’t know how or where it will come from—my Kelly Ripa story is the ultimate example of this.

5. Ways to grow an audience: a) the grass roots way (Suzanne Brockmann and Lori Foster); b) work the pavement way—goodies, SASE’s, contact every romance online site out there and make sure your name is listed on their site, ask to be reviewed, send out your own ARC’s, ask to do an interview, etc.

6. Be professional—no more homemade bookmarks, get a professional website. There are places you can do inexpensive but professional ones. Every time people pick up something with your name on it, it’s a reflection of you and what you want them to think of you—you know how you don’t want to run into an ex boyfriend when you have sweats and no makeup and bad hair? Same concept. Put your best face forward at all times.

7. Don’t expect your publisher to promote you—if they do, that’s great. THANK THEM. If they don’t, it’s your job. If they do, it’s still your job to supplement and let them know. Be an equal partner. You can do this without tons of money.

8. Network—get to know editors and agents, and other published authors.

9. Establish a brand by which people recognize you—Carly Phillips writes sexy fun; Carly loves pink; Carly’s products all have a heart on them. That said …

10. Write with one eye on the future—Evolve your writing and evolve your brand or you’ll never move beyond where you are now.

FOR AUTHORS WHO WANT TO BE IN THIS CRAZY BUSINESS FOR THE LONG HAUL—STAYING THE COURSE

1. Write and get better each time. Nothing is more important than writing a good book. Nothing replaces this, not PR and not cute promo..

2. BE READY—for when opportunity knocks—how? Eyes and ears. Be aware of opportunity because you don’t know how or where it will come from—my Kelly Ripa story is the ultimate example of this.

3. Don’t expect your publisher to promote you—if they do, that’s great. THANK THEM. If they don’t, it’s your job. If they do, it’s still your job to supplement and let them know. Be an equal partner. You can do this without tons of money.

4. Establish a brand by which people recognize you—Carly Phillips writes sexy fun; Carly loves pink; Carly’s products all have a heart on them.

5. BE READY—for when opportunity knocks—how? Eyes and ears. Be aware of opportunity because you don’t know how or where it will come from—my Kelly Ripa story is the ultimate example of this.

6. Know the market—know what is selling—understand trends and how you fit into them—or how you don’t.

7. Don’t let jealousy consume you, let envy motivate you instead.

8. If you hit a list, don’t expect to hit again. Work to make it happen. Work harder to make the next hit even better.

9. By the time your current book hits shelves, already be mentally planning next year’s PR and plan. Agent, editor, publicist plan.

10. Write with one eye on the future—Evolve your writing and evolve your brand or you’ll never move beyond where you are now.

It’s the fifth Friday of the month, so that means our contest comes from all four of the Plotmonkeys! This week, we chose this:

This refreshing collection includes everything needed to make a deluxe ice cream sundae; simply add your favorite ice cream. Chocolate and caramel ice cream sauces, maraschino cherries, chopped peanuts, rainbow sprinkles, famous Guittard smooth and melty mints, light and crisp lady fingers and Bridget’s butter waffle cookies are accompanied by two nostalgic ice cream bowls and an ice cream scooper. It’s easy to create classic soda fountain ice cream sundaes when you have all the right tools and ingredients.

Doesn’t it look YUMM-O? (Borrowing a phrase from my favorite Food Network personality!) The perfect summer treat! Since no ice cream is involved, you can always use dairy-free icecream or frozen yogurt or whatever fits on your diet. Or have a party! What’s better than a sundae party for two?

We’re also including a $25 gift certificate to Amazon!

Just put in a comment…US winners only because of shipping.

OH–AND REMEMBER…only one entry per IP address. And yes, we’re watching. We need to be fair to all our loyal Plotmonkey readers.

Oh…and just in case you haven’t noticed…there are TWO, count them, TWO Plotmonkey books out this week. Keep those bookstore reports coming!

No, this blog isn’t about my obsession with chocolate or Starbucks , but it does have to do with food . . . and cooking. Let me start off by saying that I HATE to cook. I’ve never enjoyed cooking - - it’s just not my thing. And my husband married me knowing that he wasn’t going to be getting a gourmet meal every day. Or any day, for that matter! That’s what restaurants are for, as far as I’m concerned. I cook because I have to eat and feed my family, but what they get are the very basics – meat, potatoes, vegetables, etc. And I don’t have any problems using boxed or “pre-fabbed” meals. Sure, I try and spruce things up, but for the most part things are simple because I’m just not one to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen. Luckily, my husband is an excellent cook (which he gets from his mother, who is a phenomenal cook, too!), so we balance each other pretty well when it comes to kitchen duty.

So, what is this new obsession all about? The Food Network channel. It started a few months ago when there was nothing else on TV and I happened upon this guy who makes these amazing cakes (Ace of Cakes). From there, I started watching the Food Network channel more and more, and found that I really enjoyed WATCHING all these chefs cooking up some great meals. Now, the channel seems to be on all the time, and I think it’s one of the coolest networks on TV. I’ve come to know Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, Emeril, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Sandra Lee, and many other chefs who amaze me with their talent. And there are other fun shows on the food channel, too - - like The Next Food Network Star (Remember, I’m the reality TV junkie!), Dinner: Impossible, Rachel Ray’s $40.00 a day show, Iron Chef America, and candy and baking competitions (my favorites!).

But for as much as I love watching the Food Network Channel, I still don’t like to cook. But I sure am entertained by watching others create fabulous, gourmet meals!

So, how about you? Do you like to cook – or hate it like me? And how many of you are hooked on the Food Network Channel, too? And if so, what’s your favorite shows? Mine is Ace of Cakes - - I’m amazed at how Duff shapes his cakes with drills, saws, and blow torches!

Oftentimes, when doing interviews, people ask me “who would I most like to meet” or “if you could meet anyone dead or alive” or “if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?” This question always stumps me. I feel like I should answer with someone like Eleanor Roosevelt or Mahatma Gahndi or Jesus or something, but honestly, those answers sound a little pretentious. What would I say to Eleanor? Or Gahndi? Or Jesus, for Heaven’s sake . Um, thanks?

I’m more in the moment. Not too many historical figures interest me–not because they don’t interest me, but because I wouldn’t know what to say to them and the conversation would be, in my opinion, very one-sided. I prefer conversations. I do think I might have liked to meet Princess Diana. I always thought she was way more than her image and would have made a good friend. At the very least, I think she’d actually be interested in talking to me, and not just me talking to her. Know what I mean?

When I look at celebrities, I’m not all that interested in most of them, either. I mean, there are many actresses, actors, directors, singers, producers, writers, etc, that I admire, but I admire their work above all else and it seems to me that since reporters ask them about their work all the time, I’d imagine the last thing they’d want to talk about over drinks and appetizers is their work. So then what?

So here’s my question…with what celebrity would you most want to have a normal conversation? Just a chit-chat. Not an interview. Just a talk between friends.

I thought hard about this and I think you’ll be surprised by my answer. I have a few choices. One, of course, is JK Rowling, but honestly, I wouldn’t want to discuss Harry Potter. I’d just like to know more about her, about her life, both growing up and now and raising babies and such. In every interview I’ve seen with her, I thought she had a very wicked sense of humor that she has to keep at bay because she writes for kids. So I’d like to hang out with Jo by the pool, fix her up a mojito and talk about living in England versus in the States and if she hates shopping for a bathing suit as much as I do.

My next choice would be Rachel Ray. At first glance, I don’t have a lot in common with her except for our mutual love of all things culinary. But then I think about her relationship with her family. The influence of her grandparents on her life. Her close relationship with her parents and siblings. She loves dogs, too, another thing we have in common. And frankly, I’d like to hear her take on just about any topic. She seems like such a hard-working, down to earth, common sense kind of gal. And I think I could make her blush, which would be fun. I watch her show and I think she has a very low threshold for anything really, really sexy.

My final choice would be Ellen Degeneres. I just think she’s hilarious and unpretentious and would generally be fun to hang with. Hmm…I don’t know if we have anything in common except that she’s from New Orleans, one of my favorite cities, and I’d love to hear about the places she goes when she goes home to visit. And imagine the tangents those conversations could go on? Clearly, she’s a fun person, but also very smart and very ambitious…in a laid back sort of way.

Hmmm…no guys on my list. Huh. Okay, I’ll add one more–Stephen King. I know it will be impossible not to talk writing with him, but man, I’d take his drink order. You know the guy has to be utterly fascinating. And he happens to have a summer home in my general neck of the woods.

So here’s my question to you…if you had a chance to have a casual conversation with someone well known, who would it be and why? And if you couldn’t talk about the thing that makes that person famous, what would you talk about?

Oh…and have you gone to the bookstore yet to buy a copy of CROSS MY HEART and SHE’S NO ANGEL? What ARE you waiting for???

I have a lot to tell you today …

1. It’s June 26th so PLEASE rush to your local bookstore and pick up CROSS MY HEART along with SHE’S NO ANGEL by Leslie Kelly today!

2. Don’t throw away your CROSS MY HEART receipts!
Why not?
Free Gift For YOU, my Readers!
Recommend CROSS MY HEART to a friend. Show them the video. Get them excited to read Ty and Lacey’s story. Buy CROSS MY HEART between JUNE 26 and JULY 7 (my birthday, LOL!) and MAIL me validly dated receipts which can be a copy of the receipt “proof of purchase” showing these dates, and I will send a THANK YOU in return. Be sure to mark the receipts as yours and your friends. You will get a first edition, signed collectible card, along with a signed collectible card for your friend who purchased too. I will also randomly choose 35 people to receive a Digger the dog. Remember, I need BOTH RECEIPTS with yours marked with your name and address so I know where to send the gifts.*

Mail to:
Carly Phillips
CMH Digger Campaign
P.O. Box 483
Purchase, NY 10577

Aren’t these Diggers adorable? I hope you will support me in my effort to hit the bestseller lists with this book by buying that first week!

3. AN EXCLUSIVE PLOTMONKEYS EXCERPT of CROSS MY HEART:
*****

Lacey had been looking forward to some down time all day. Time that didn’t include worrying about her business or dissecting her feelings for Alex, the man currently in her life.

What exactly did fate, and the even more sexy Ty, have in store?
*****
4. MY ROMANCE NOVEL TV INTERVIEW Part 2
(Click or visit http://romancenovel.tv/) This is the more personal part of the interview with myself and Eloisa James interviewing me. FUN!
Be sure to let me know what you think!

5. BAILEY
On a more personal note, I’ve gotten some emails asking for more puppy pictures. Bailey had a visit from her brother, Oscar, on Friday. Shockingly they didn’t seem to recognize each other at first and it took a long time for them to warm up to one another. Once they did, they had a great time playing with each other and with Buddy, but whether it was because they were siblings or because they were just two dogs, I don’t know. I’d like to believe they knew one another though! Here’s a photo:

So that’s it for today … Thanks for listening to all the promo stuff. We Plotmonkeys are so grateful you visit us here. Remember to pick up CROSS MY HEART by Carly Phillips and SHE’S NO ANGEL by Leslie Kelly, in stores today!

I am typing this carefully & slowly as I hurt myself pretty badly while moving this weekend–two reasons I’ve been so quiet! (Tore a tendon in one hand, screwed up my wrist in the other. I’m basically a handless mess.)

Fortunately I don’t have to type a lot tonight as I’ve been planning to post a super exclusive excerpt of my new book, SHE’S NO ANGEL, which is showing up in stores NOW!!!

Carly and I both have books coming out this week and we are both really hoping all of you will help us out with those incredibly critical 1st weeks of sales. So watch for my book, SHE’S NO ANGEL, and Carly’s CROSS MY HEART.

A couple of things about SHE’S NO ANGEL. First, do you know about Romance Designs “A Week Of Romance”? Another exclusive excerpt will be starting there tomorrow–so be sure to sign up!

And second, I am hosting a special contest for anyone who buys & reads the book in the next two weeks. Details are on the “Contest” page of my website.

Now, below is the trailer for SHE’S NO ANGEL which I did myself. I like it…hope you do too. And once you finish it, hope you enjoy reading the exclusive, nowhere-else on the web excerpt!!

Finally, once you’re finished that please feel free to make this pathetically injured author’s day and order a copy of the book from www.amazon.com and of course, order Carly’s book at the same time!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The story:

Cold Case cop Mike Taylor has recently met super-sexy writer Jen Feeney. She’s just arrived at his grandfather’s house for a dinner party, accompanied by her maniacal elderly aunts.

“Hello,” she murmured as he slowly descended, left with no alternative now that he’d been spotted.

“Hi.” Staring toward the living room where the giddy voices of the ladies could be heard above Mortimer’s low chuckles, he shook his head. “Those are your aunts, huh?”

She nodded. “In all their glory. Ida Mae’s crocodile smiles yesterday? All about tonight’s invitation.”

She seemed to be trying to make sure he hadn’t bought the old woman’s act. She needn’t have bothered. Once he’d discovered who her aunts really were, he’d remembered every wicked thing his brother and grandfather had said about them.

He wondered if she knew what had happened between them and Mortimer last year. Probably not. She wouldn’t have come here tonight if she knew they were being entertained by her aunts’ former kidnapping victim. “How’d they get you to agree to come?”

“Quid pro quo, Clarice,” she said in a throaty imitation of Hannibal Lechter.

Damn, she’d already started tugging that smile out of him and she’d only been here five minutes.

“Just, you know, reminding you that I’m certifiable.”

“Sorry about that,” he mumbled, meaning it.

She acknowledged his apology with a slight nod. “They wanted to come so badly they were willing to agree to at least look over the brochures I brought.”

He raised a skeptical brow. “You do know they’ll be in the incinerator thirty seconds after they get home tonight.”

With a confident grin, she said, “Yep. Which is why I made them do it before we came. We actually had a fairly civil conversation about it and I convinced them I’m not going to lock them in a prison or sell them to a brothel.”

Mumbling, “They’d probably like the brothel,” under his breath, he cast a slow, leisurely look over Jen. She had her shiny brown hair up in a twist that looked complicated as hell. But he knew it would be down around her face within two seconds if he slipped his hands into it.

The halter dress that had merely been sexy from above was downright wicked close up. Tight enough to stop his breath. Low enough to stop his heart. Short enough to start everything else. Especially the uniquely male everythings.

“You look beautiful,” he muttered, unable to help it.

Her eyes widened in surprise. He understood the reaction…Mike wasn’t the type to throw compliments at women. Since he suspected Jen already knew him as well as he knew her, she had to have realized that.

“You look good, too,” she admitted, staring at the open neck of his dress shirt, then dropping her gaze down his body. She didn’t try to disguise her interest. Just as she hadn’t tried to disguise it yesterday at the lake. “Very good. I like you in jeans, but you do some fine things for a pair of pricy trousers.”

She was forthright and honest. Tough and funny. And so far out of his league they weren’t even playing the same sport.
His grandfather and brothers were right. He liked his women easy…not easy in terms of how fast they’d spread their legs, but easy in personality. Someone who would de-stress him at the end of a tough day. Not challenging. Not threatening. And yeah, okay, maybe a little bit in need.

Jen was so obviously the opposite of those things, he had no idea why she’d gotten so far under his skin. He only knew he needed to pluck her out and forget about her.

But she’s in danger.

Right. She might be. After reading some of her book, he understood why some low confidence guys who had no sense of humor and even less intelligence wouldn’t get the joke. So despite knowing he should get away from her, he needed to stay close. To make sure she let him stay close.

That, he was certain was the only reason he reached to cup her beautiful face in his hand brushed a soft kiss on her lips.

It was just his bad luck that she didn’t want soft, she wanted hard and deep.

She immediately collapsed into him, her arms twining around his neck and one slim thigh sliding between his. Unable to resist, Mike parted his lips, taking the deeper kiss she was offering, giving it back to her ten times over. Her mouth was sweet and hot and she met every thrust of his tongue, tilting her head to mate their lips together more perfectly.

He should stop. He was going to stop. Soon. Any second now.

But instead, he blazed forward, forgetting every reason she was all wrong for him. At this moment, she was completely right.
Dropping his hands to her waist, he tugged her even tighter against him. The hard tips of her breasts scraped his chest, the fabric of their clothes only heightening the intensity of it.

Mike brushed his fingers over the base of her spine, revealed by the low cut dress. Her satiny skin immediately cooled his hot hands, and he had to touch her even more, flattening a palm over the small of her back. As they continued making love with their mouths, thought disappeared, the old folks in the next room disappeared, the house disappeared. There was only heat and softness, exchanged breaths and tiny gasps.

The initial frenzy slowly gave way to a more sensual, sultry pace. Still licking into her mouth, tasting the edges of her teeth, feeling the softness of her tongue, he lowered his hand. Letting his fingers dip below the hem of the dress, he toyed with the lacy edge of her panties, almost groaning when he realized a lacy edge was all there was to them. She was wearing a thong and he’d lay big money that it was a red one.

God, how he wanted to find out. He was dying to push her back, through the half-open door into Mortimer’s shadowy office. With its big leather couch. Or the matching wingback chair. His cock was ready to rupture his zipper as he pictured her on that chair, her legs draped over each side, her dress hiked up to her waist. And him using his teeth to remove that tight, damp thong from the curly slit between her thighs.

“I hope this isn’t how he says hello to all his female guests,” said an unfamiliar–but amused–male voice, immediately banishing the sinful images from his mind.

He immediately yanked his hands off Jen’s gorgeous backside, but as he did so, he got one finger tangled in the elastic of her thong, accidentally yanking it.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered as they pulled their mouths apart to see a trio of people standing in the open doorway.

One of them–a young woman holding a baby–he recognized as Sabrina’s sister, Allie. On one side of her stood a pretty gray-haired lady, and on the other side a tall, lean, dark-haired guy. All four of them–including the kid–were watching the spectacle he and Jen were making. And all were grinning.

“I’m stuck,” he whispered as Jen tried to wriggle away from him, her face now turning as red as her dress.

“Yeah, I figured that out since I’m the one getting my ass flossed,” she hissed back. Her eyes wide, she began sucking big gulps of air in through her swollen, luscious lips.

Finally, with a toss of her curly hair, Allie broke the silence. “So, Mike, do you need some help getting your hand out of your friend’s underwear?”

In honor of Julie’s birthday being on Friday, June 22nd (when I posted my contest!) I picked #22 as the winner for this week’s prize. How funny is it that #22 is also a “Julie”!

A big congratulations goes to . . .

Julie T. (Comment #22)

Julie, you can contact me at janelledenison@sbcglobal.net with your mailing address. Also, if you already have my book HEAT WAVES, you can go ahead and pick another book from my backlist (depending on availabillity!).

And now, for a Sunday funny:

THE CARDIOLOGIST’S FUNERAL

A cardiologist died and was given an elaborate funeral.

A huge heart covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service, and following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.

At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter.

When all eyes stared at him, he said, “I’m sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral…I’m a gynecologist.”

That’s when the proctologist fainted.

Okay, so I’ve covered WHO, WHEN and WHY. That leaves HOW and WHAT, right? Well, HOW has been covered on countless blogs and sites devoted to helping people find an agent. I don’t think I can add much, except to reiterate that unless you’ve been in the business–connected, as we Italians like to say–for one year, you shouldn’t be looking for an agent. Oh, and of course, you need a completed manuscript ready to sell.

Which leaves WHAT. I’m not exactly sure how I can cover that one in relation to finding an agent. Except…you need to know WHAT you need in an agent before you go looking.

The disadvantage of only having one completed book to sell, and an unpublished one at that, is that you aren’t very much of a valuable commodity unless that book is hot stuff. And I hope it is. Because if it is, you’ll have more of a pick of your top agents. If you’re already published with good sales figures behind you, then you’ll have it the easiest of all. If you’re already published, but perhaps your sales weren’t as hot as you’d like to have seen them (and this is hardly ever entirely the author’s fault–poor distribution, bad covers, low print run, lack of publisher enthusiasm can all effect an author’s track record) then you’re going to have a tougher time. But no matter what your situation, it would behoove you to take a long, hard look at the kind of agent you need.

Do you want an agent who makes you revise? Perhaps, a former editor?

I personally know a very talented author who specifically wanted an agent who edited her work before she sent it to the publisher. She didn’t have a critique partner and her editor at her publishing house really didn’t do much by way of editing. It happens. She felt she needed some editorial guidance and purposefully chose an agent who would provide this. She is very happy. I know another published author who has an agent who takes her projects on a book-by-book basis, meaning the agent has to love the book before she’ll represent it. Unfortunately, this agent also requires a lot of revisions. Since this author also works with several critique partners, she sort of feels like she has too many fingers in the pot, so to speak. She is not so happy.

My agent and I work differently on different projects. If the project is something under contract, she won’t make suggestions/revisions unless I specifically ask her. New projects, she’s more hands-on. But her suggestions are always dead-on. I listen to her. I’m happy.

You need to decide what kind of agent you want and then ask up front how the potential agent works. I, for one, would hate a former editor agent because both of my editors DO edit. I don’t need another chef in the kitchen. My agent is more like a food stylist.

Do you want an agent who is with a big agency or a small boutique agency? (Or anything in between).

There are pros and cons to both types of agencies. At the big agencies, you’ll automatically have clout because of the agency’s reputation and track record. On the other hand, if you are a first-timer or a midlister, you might get lost in pond as the little fish. For the boutiques, there are different kinds. If the agent established themselves at a big agency before starting their own business, they have the best of both words. They have the clout of their own reputation, but the personalized service of a small agency. However, you won’t have a legal department, a foreign rights department, maybe not even an assistant. I’m with a smaller agency and I’m very happy. But I know other authors who need a big agency because of the nature of their careers.

The biggest question I get is from authors who ask me about small, new agencies that don’t have much by way of sales or big authors on the client list. It’s hard for me to advise people in this case because maybe this very new, hungry agent will carry them on their way up, you know? I usually base my evaluation on what the agent did BEFORE they started their own agency. If they worked at another agency and have some decent sales to report from there, that’s good. If they used to sell real estate or Amway, that’s not so good. Let them prove themselves. Give them a year. If they still don’t have decent sales with big publishers (if that’s what you’re looking for) then I’d think twice.

The point is this–a bad agent is worse than no agent at all.

I didn’t make that up. Writers for YEARS have given this advice as the one universal truth of working with an agent. This sort of thing doesn’t become a universal truth for no reason.

I’m not saying that all bad agents stick out like a sore thumb. An agent who is good for one writer may totally suck for another. That’s why you need to evaluate what kind of agent you need before you hire anyone. If you do some research and follow some of the advice that I’ve blogged, you might just avoid a few potholes.

Might.

But of course, I hope you do avoid the potholes…or else, I wouldn’t be writing this, would I?

And if anyone wants me to address a specific agent question (or writing question) just ask. I’m not an expert, but I usually have an opinion. I’m not going to talk one way or another about specific agents, though…I’ll bet you can guess why.

Anyway, that’s my take on the whole agent thing. Hopefully, I’ve covered enough to put you on the right path. Best of luck in hunting! Or not, as the case may be.

Other than it being “Jungle Madness Friday”, today is a VERY special day! It’s Julie birthday!!! Whoo-hoo!!! Happy Birthday, Julie - - from the Plotmonkeys! Of course, no birthday would be complete without your own personal cabana boy, so here he is.

He’s happy to fulfill your every request – whether it’s a nice, long massage, or painting your toenails, or feeding you chocolate, or anything else you wish. He’s at your beck and call, so kick back, relax, and enjoy your day!!! You deserve it. :present:

And now, for today’s contest. Before I announce what will be given away, all of us Plotmonkeys wanted to make a quick announcement. We truly love all our readers and friends who visit us, but we’ve noticed on Fridays that there are some entrants who are entering more than once, using a different name each time – and we know this because we can see every ISP address that comes through when a comment is posted. So, we’d like to kindly request that each person enter the contest only once. If we see someone entering multiple times under different names, then your entries will be disqualified – it just isn’t fair to those who enter our contest honestly.

However, we do understand that there are going to be Fridays when discussions get started during the course of the day, and we don’t want to hinder that at all. We love our busy conversations! So, when that happens, we will enter only the first post that the person makes, and not count the other “discussion” posts. Fair enough? We hope so!

Now, on to the good stuff! This week I was going to give away a box of chocolate truffles, but considering the heat wave we’ve been having here in California (like temperatures reaching the 100’s!), I decided that mailing chocolates was just too risky! So, I’m offering up something equally tempting, but no calories or fat involved! This week’s winner will receive a Jaqua gift pack that includes four delicious body washes: Buttercream Frosting (My personal favorite!), Maple Syrup, Tuscan Orange, and Caramel Cappuccino. I’m also including a YUMMY Strawberry Shortcake candle and my very first Blaze book, HEAT WAVES. I thought that book was appropriate considering the weather here, LOL! But if you already have this book, you may choose another.

All you have to do to enter today’s contest is post anything below, then check back on Sunday to see if you’re the winner!

I don’t think I’ve ever ranted about anything on our blog, but I’m so irked by something that I figure the best way to get it off my chest is to air my annoyance here, among friends.

Two weeks ago my husband, Don, had major foot surgery on his left foot, which included breaking and repositioning his big toe, shaving off bone, and about 17 stitches once all the work was done. Right now, he’s in a resin cast, from his toes all the way up to just below his knee! He’s been in a lot of pain (yes, he’s on pain killers, but the pain is still there), and he absolutely cannot put any pressure on his left foot at all. It’s been extremely difficult for him to get around since he can’t use his left foot at all (though when he has to get somewhere in the house he uses crutches or a walker), and as a result we keep our “outings” to a minimum because it’s so much work for him. But a few days ago I decided I needed to get him out of the house and we went out for lunch, just the two of us, with him hobbling along on his crutches.

Lunch was great, but here comes my “rant”. As we were leaving the restaurant, Don was ahead of me and making his way toward the entrance doors. Before I had a chance to open the door for him (He’s on crutches – he can’t open the door by himself, obviously!), about six high school teenagers came bursting through the door, pushing and shoving their way in. They saw Don standing there, balancing on crutches and one leg, and LET THE DOOR CLOSE ON HIM. No one stepped aside. No one offered to hold the door open for him. I was still behind him at this point and I was dumbfounded that not one of these kids had the manners or courtesy to hold the door open for him.

Keeping my annoyance to myself, I stepped around him, and opened the door for him myself. He went through, and I was once again walking behind him toward the parking lot. We were on a sidewalk, and coming toward us was an even LARGER group of teenagers, at least a dozen of them, heading toward the restaurant – without any adults accompanying them. They were laughing and pushing and shoving, and though they CLEARLY saw Don coming toward them on his crutches, not ONE of them stepped out of the way for him. They continued to walk three across on the sidewalk, and when they passed Don they literally jostled him off the sidewalk! He almost lost his balance and fell.

At that point I was so angry and I’d had enough. I stepped in front of the teenagers, made eye contact, and said quiet loudly so there was no doubt they’d hear me, “Excuse me, just in case you didn’t notice, there’s a man on crutches trying to get by. Can you please have some courtesy and step out of the way?”

I thought for sure I would have startled a few of the kids to the point that they’d realize how rude they were being, apologize, and step out of the way for him to pass, or they’d at least look contrite. Nope. Instead, they GLARED AT ME. So, of course, I glared right back, in a way that dared one of them to say something, anything, so I could rip into them. :biteme: They were smart enough not to say a word, but their behavior was something that left me steamed.

I cannot even begin to tell you how pissed off I was :evil: – as well as shocked at their lack of manners and common courtesy. Both of my girls have been taught from an early age basic manners, being polite, and respect for someone who might need a bit of help. I can say with 100% confidence that they would have stepped out of the way for a handicapped person. I also believe that they would have said something to their friends, so they’d move out of the way, too. It’s the way I raised them, and I’ve seen them in action when we’re out together – they ARE courteous, and polite, and kind. I’d accept nothing less from them, and they know it.

It seems I’ve been noticing this trend more and more with teenagers – the lack of respect when it comes to adults, the overall lack of consideration when it comes to treating other people with kindness, and teenagers being so self-absorbed that they just don’t care about anything other than themselves. I know there are a lot of really good kids out there, raised by good, kind, caring parents who’ve taught them well, but it just astounds me that so many kids today aren’t being taught all those basic manners that we learned as kids (and have hopefully passed on to our own children). The big question is, WHY NOT?

Okay, deep breath. My rant is over and I do feel better. I’d love to hear your comments and point of view on my topic. How would you have reacted to the situation? And do you think that many kids lack respect these days?

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And now, on a more uplifting note, here are the winners from Julie’s contest yesterday:

Congratulations to Robin, comment #10, who has won the two mass market paperbacks of Julie Kenner’s first two Demon-hunting Soccer Mom books and to Donna M. #40 who has won the copy of Diana Peterfreund’s Secret Society Girl. Please email Julie at Julie at JulieLeto dot com (no spaces…you know the drill!) with your snail mail addy so she can get the orders rolling!