Posts Tagged ‘organization’
Query Spread Sheet
Think you’re ready to query an agent about your book? Then make yourself a spread sheet and buy a copy of Guide to Literary Agents. They put out a new one each year, so get the latest version.
The Book (Guide to Literary Agents)
This book has everything you need for just $18 on Amazon.com. Each listing tells you the agency’s name, their contact info, what kind of books they accept, how to contact them, and the agency’s terms. Get your highlighter out and start marking up your copy.
The Spread Sheet
Mine had these categories: Agency name, SASE, Query, Synopsis, Outline, Bio, 3 pages, 1st chapter, 2 chapters, 3 chapters, Mailed?, Letter back?
Each agency that was worth querying got a listing on my sheet. I put an X in any box that pertained to them. If they required a self-addressed-stamped-envelope and 2 chapters, I put an X in the “SASE” and “2 chapters” columns. In the “Mailed?” category, I put the date that everything was sent. Many places can take months to reply so knowing when you sent to an agency can be very helpful.
It’s a lot of work getting everything together for queries, so try to stay organized and keep up with your tracking. Keep all your files in a single folder so you can quickly print what you need. And don’t re-invent the wheel! If you change your bio to 1 paragraph instead of 3, save it and label it. Next time someone requests a 3-4 sentence bio, you won’t be starting over.
And for those of you who wake up screaming from spread sheet nightmares, you have a couple options. Get a friend who loves them (yes, we do exist) and just keep them updated on what you do. Or, use the old pad of paper and a pen trick. I’ve heard it works for some :p
Staying organized
The hardest part of my job as AJ’s manager is to stay organized. I have files for everything from treatments, to convention newsletters, to legal paperwork. I have spreadsheets all over my computer with dates, notes, and reminders. You have to a system that works for you.
For Phoenix, we have to work backwards. We have a date in mind when we’d like to be published, but that will certainly move around some. There’s a 6 month period minimum where the book is completed but not available – this is when the reviewers get their hands on it. Continuing backwards, there’s the time it takes to have the books physically printed, layout and design, final editing, cover design, and publisher approval. All this comes after AJ finishes writing.
Each of AJ’s books is in a different phase of the process, so staying organized is key. Otherwise we could miss an opportunity or get pushed back. It happens all the time and then we have to decide if we delay the release to fix the missed opportunity or move ahead without it.
-Eli
