Outside News: New England played its own joke on locals on April Fools Day. Spring is supposed to be here but apparently that was the joke. It snowed that day. Yes, snowed.
Inside News: I got to meet Brandon Mull again and have him sign his latest book for me. Also, thanks to bringing an old, white, 2-inch binder he'd signed years ago, I got permission to email him again. My focus is advice on how to pitch my story. Here's some of what he told me:
Publishers want to know two things about a book. First question? Who do I sell this to? Second? Is it good?
The answer to the first question is the audience of the category in which your book falls. In the eyes of most publishers and consequently most agents, the ideal book fits neatly into an existing category, while having a catchy hook or premise that sets it apart from other works in the category. In that case, the publisher knows where the book will be shelved in a bookstore and what audience they are trying to reach.
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Now some publishers may want to see a synopsis. But hardly anybody is good at writing a synopsis. Just do your best. Try to give it some personality or voice if possible. A synopsis is the opposite of a novel. A synopsis is a summary. Nobody would read a book like that. It has no life. A novel happens in scenes, where people think and feel and choose and interact. Which is why the sample chapters are where you really prove yourself.
A big thanks to Brandon Mull, and an even bigger congrats on making it not just to the best-sellers list, but also to the #1 spot.
Today's Status: dragon. Too cool to not be.
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