Rant and Rave Fellow Humans

A teen boy takes his own life. Turns out he was gay. Turns out he was bullied.

Turns out humans are scum. That’s not news.

It is depressing. Depressing that we have still so far to go as a society. Depressing how unforgiving we are of differences. Depressing how insular we are when it comes to stepping out and trying to understand something that is not us, or outside our limited, white bread understanding.

I’ve always admired Rick Mercer, but now he has taken that to a whole new level by taking us to task with his rant on homosexualtiy and bullying. Yes, he asks homosexual folks in the public eye to speak out, but I think we ALL should. We all have a duty to protect and cherish every life around us.

View the rant here–it is short, direct, and utterly awesome.

(And I particularly like his idea of police coming to that school and shaking up a few kids. I really, really do.)

As writers we have a cherished and honoured place in the world. With our words we can influence. We can change the way people think, feel, and react. Open their eyes. Open their souls.

Open the world. Add that 10% of society to your stories. Tell their tales. Show the world that they bleed just like everyone else. As Mercer says, you don’t have to be annoying about it, but speak out. (Not a direct quote.)

WAE Network–Join Now!

Jeff Hermann (author and agent–you may have heard of his vital annuals “Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents”) is starting a Writers, Authors, and Editors network called WAE network. It boasts that it is the first social network for writers, agents and editors and that it will be an opportunity to interact like never before.

Boy, am I curious!

If you sign up now (one of the first 1000–better hurry it is already at 262–you will get a free lifetime membership) you will receive an email when the site goes live. (Note: to get the free membership, I do believe you need to share this site with friends. Click on the envelope icon on the website and send a note to a friend. That should do the trick.)

Google Pig?

What is a Google pig? Well, according to my father, it would be me. That’s right. I’m a Google pig. And proud of it. It’s taken some hard work and dedication to become the pig I am.

I’d like to thank my laptop, family, and social networking/media sites for this opportunity….

Seriously though. What is a “Google Pig?” A Google pig is someone who ‘hogs’ the first page or so of search results in Google. In my case, I generally hog the first few pages if you search for “Jean Oram.” You will see that my website pops up. Profiles for me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, AgentQuery, Goodreads, as well as visits/interviews on other people’s blogs.

However, I have noticed that in the past year this has changed a little. Are popular sites like the White Pages popping up in my search results because Google is learning my searching behaviour?

By watching what you click on in search results, Google can learn that you favor particular sites. For example, if you often search and click on links from Amazon that appear in Google’s results, over time, Google learns that you really like Amazon. In reaction, it gives Amazon a ranking boost. That means you start seeing more Amazon listings, perhaps for searches where Amazon wasn’t showing up before. (Full article by Danny Sullivan.)

Possibly. Or maybe the fact that I haven’t been as active or hanging out as ‘widespread’ on the Internet for the past eight months is allowing Jean Oram the allergist and MD sneak back into the first few pages of results. Or maybe she’s creating an online presence that is creating competition for me in terms of results? (Thank goodness my name isn’t Joe Smith!!!)

Either way, for now I’m still a bit of a Google Pig. And I plan to keep it that way.

Are you a pig? If you are, good on ya! Tell me about your rise to porkdom!

It’s Friday… What Are You Reading?

One of the loveliest things about weekends this time of year are those dreary cool days where there is absolutely nothing as wonderful as curling up with a book in front of a fireplace (if you have one) and sipping a warm drink (if you are so inclined). And not just any book, a book that lifts you off to a whole new world and wraps you in its characters for an entire afternoon.

It’s Friday. And that means it’s time to line up that super-delicious weekend read. Whether it is an escape read or something more serious… you are in good company. Every Friday thousands of people over on Twitter share what they are reading. (#FridayReads) So, what are you reading?

Need a good book? Check out #FridayReads on Twitter… or the website! That’s right! There’s a website so you can share your reads any time! You can read what the Friday Reads Team is reading, check out the Best Read list (a list of the most frequently shared books), author Q & As, as well as giveaways.

Sweet deal!

Queries… The Truth in Numbers

There comes a time in a writer’s life when they need to send a query to a publisher or agent to help move their published book dreams to reality. This can be an interesting and frightening time, full of angst. How do you write a one sentence hook that accurately summarizes your book and intrigues an editor/agent? How do you make your letter stand out? How do you know which no-nos to avoid? How do you allow your writer’s voice to come out in a business letter? How do you subtly add in the facts that you have garnered in your research of said agent or publisher? How, how, how?

(Four words for you on this one: research, AgentQuery Connect, and critiques.)

Once you figure you have that down in spades, you start sending the letters off. Then you wait. And wait. Your heart skips a beat whenever you open your email or see an envelope in your mailbox from an unfamiliar address. Eeek! Is it rejection or a request for more?

More often than not, it is likely a polite form letter saying ‘no.’ But then sometimes it is a ‘please send more, you’ve got my interest.’ And then you heart does a huge pitty-pitty-boom-boom that makes your heart do all sorts of funky beats and your head spin. Could this be it? Could this be the moment?

Good question. What are your odds? Folks in the industry have said that about 1 in 100 writers land an agent. Of those with an agent, about half of them manage to get their first book published. Gack! You mean it isn’t a sure thing once you’ve landed an agent. Sadly, no.

Back to queries. What is a good request rate on a good query letter? The numbers range from 10-30%. Seems like a lot doesn’t it? It is! (This number *does* vary a bit by genre.) Your query needs to be FABulous.

A little food for thought: The average agent can receive up to 100 queries a day. Every day. Sometimes more. Sometimes less. Of that 100, maybe one or two of those moves them enough to ask for a partial. If that is you, you are in the top percentile, aren’t you? And that feels pretty good.

A little more food for thought: About 70-80% of those queries you’re competing against, aren’t  that good. They aren’t serious, the queries don’t make sense, don’t talk about the book, are full of errors, or commit majorly heinous query faux pas (like bulk sends) and often are quickly and easily discarded.

So… If you aren’t snagging a request it means your query isn’t doing its job, OR your story is lacking something which shows in the query. For example, even if you have a stellar query, if you are late to a trend that is in its death throes… well, good luck and don’t expect a lot of requests.

A tip: Cold queries aren’t the only way to get an agent. Think blog contests where agents are involved, think conferences, think agent chats, think making yourself an online writerly commodity (what does that mean? Think moderator on writing sites, that sort of thing!). Find a way to make a connection with an agent. Think of a way to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Think of a way to show you are a professional. Think, think, think….

When you feel ready to query, there are lots of helpful sites (forums, agent blogs, agency websites, and a whole lot more!) out there to help you figure out how to put your best foot forward–and I urge you to make use of them. Make sure your writing is the absolute best it can be–there is no point using up your queries on the ‘best’ agents if you aren’t ready. Test that query. Do runs of 10 or so at a time. All rejections? Take a second look. Have someone else take another look. (Don’t forget to look at the first chapter you are sending along with it.) Make use of your resources and best of luck!