submissions

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: How To Hook A Literary Agent’s Attention

Donna L

Beginning in the Fall of 2023, Story Catcher Publishing will provide support for new and established writers who want to expand into the indie industry. We will celebrate the relationships we build with the Kidlit community.

But what if, as a writer, you don’t want to step your toe into the hybrid publishing pool?

Then we still want to provide resources for writers focusing on hooking an agent to represent them because readers deserve all the lovely books we can create for them!

Here are some things to keep in mind as you go in search of the right agent for you…

POLISH YOUR MANUSCRIPTS

You can’t play baseball without the right equipment, and you can’t hook an agent without some polished manuscripts. And I don’t mean just one manuscript you just typed “the end” on. To show a potential agent you are a serious professional when it comes to writing, they will expect three to four high-quality completed stories to look at. Check your spelling. Double check your grammar. Triple check everything and make sure there has been plenty of revisions done to tighten those storylines. If you get a wink from a potential agent, you want to then dazzle them with stunning stories.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR

There are almost as many types of agents as there are writers. Take a moment to really think about the type of agent you are looking for. Want one for your picture books? Need someone to guide you through your chapter book series? In search of a partner to champion your young adult novels? Whatever type of agent you are looking for, DO YOUR RESEARCH! There is nothing more disrespectful to an agent than for them to have to dig through a slush pile of manuscripts that aren’t even genres they represent! Take the time to study the likes, dislikes, and preferences of each “dream” agent so your short list will only include the talent most suited to your writing style.

PREPARE YOUR QUERY LETTER

You have three or more polished manuscripts. You’ve done your research and have a list of potential agents who might be interested in your style of writing. Now you need to focus on creating the strongest introduction to your work that you can via a stellar query letter. Check out our blog on creating a strong query letter by clicking on this link… http://storycatcherpublishing.com/2023/02/22/story-catcher-publishing-expansion-creating-a-strong-query-letter/

IT’S TIME TO SUBMIT TO YOUR AGENT LIST

Choose the first four or five agents from your list and review their website submission requirements to make sure you understand what you need to submit to them. Some only want query letters. Others want a query letter and a full manuscript if you are submitting picture book stories. Still others want query letters, synopsis, and maybe first ten pages if submitting a chapter book or young adult novel. DO YOUR RESEARCH before you push that send button!

TRACK! TRACK! TRACK!

It doesn’t really matter what method you use to track your submissions. Some people use index cards. Other use an Excel spreadsheet. Many choose a program like Query Tracker (http://querytracker.net) which is free and is an excellent way to track your manuscript submissions to potential agents. Whichever method you choose, double check your agent websites to see the time frame allowed before you should send a polite follow up email to that agent. If you don’t get a response from an agent after the follow up email, realize they probably aren’t interested in your work and it’s time to move on to the next one.

The search for agent representation can be a long and tedious process. It can literally take years to finally hook an agent so make sure you have the patience and a thick enough skin to make it worth the effort!

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

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Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: When Rhyming Matters

Donna L

Most young children (and a lot of adults too) love listening to rhyming picture books. The lyrical storylines with near perfect rhyme, rhythm, and meter capture a reader’s imagination and creates worlds full of page turning adventure or whimsical silliness. But even though some people think this genre may be easy to write, a GREAT rhyming picture book contains certain key elements.

When Story Catcher Publishing opens for submissions in the fall, we will be looking for rhyming picture books which have these key elements as well as a strong storyline…

CHOOSE YOUR RHYTHM

Rhyming picture books are known for their lovely lyrical sentence structure. Nowhere is the word choice and placement of those words as important as in a rhyming picture book. Select your rhythm or pattern and STICK TO IT! Whether you choose couplets, A/B Alternate rhymes, simple four-line rhymes, etc. be sure to remain consistent to the pattern you have chosen. Once your story is read out loud, any deviation from that chosen pattern will jump right out to declare you amateurish attempt at writing a rhyming picture book.

WHAT ABOUT METER?

Once you have your rhythm chosen for your story, you have to pay attention to your meter or syllable beats for each line. You can’t jump around like a cat on a hot tin roof. Be consistent! Let’s say your first two line have a 10 syllable beat to it. Then your third and fourth line drop down to a 6 beat pattern. That means lines five and six would typically repeat the 10 syllable beat. Lines seven and eight would then follow with a 6 beat pattern. This way a writer stays true to the rhythm they’ve chosen AND conformed to the meter they’ve selected.

MAKE THOSE WORDS COUNT

I’ve mentioned before the industry “sweet spot” for picture book word count runs 300-500. Add to that the challenge of sticking to a patterned rhyme and now there is added pressure to make those words count! This is where some writers make the creative decision to switch to prose instead of rhyme.

DON’T SACRIFICE YOUR STORY

Once you’ve picked your rhyme, rhythm, meter, and words, you have to then make sure you still have a story to tell. The end result must still have a beginning, middle, and end. The main character still has a problem to solve, adventure to go on, a mission to accomplish, etc. and the reader can find a satisfactory ending to the story where the main character has grown in some way from a subtle lesson learned.

Here are some ways to help writers improve their rhyming picture book skills:

READ IN YOUR GENRE

It can’t be emphasized enough about reading as many books as you can in the genre you want to write about. Study the classics but embrace current industry favorites (released within the past five years) so you can be fully aware of what is out there…what is winning awards and capturing the attention of those readers you want to read your own book!

READ OUT LOUD

Once you have completed your manuscript…paying attention to rhyme, rhythm, meter, etc. then read your story out loud. Better yet, have someone who isn’t familiar with your story at all read it out loud. If there is hesitation or sudden stops in the flow of your words, then make notes of where you have to focus your editing efforts before submitting your story to an agent or publisher.

DON’T TALK LIKE YODA

Writing, or speaking, in a forced rhyme only works for a certain Star Wars character. Here’s an example:

“Whenever we go for a walk,

with you, I like to talk.”

No one but Yoda could get away with talking like that and you certainly don’t want to see it in a rhyming picture book. Be very careful to not put “forced rhymes” in your manuscript. It screams your lack of skill writing that type of picture book. It is the main reason some agents and publishers won’t even accept rhyming picture books as part of their submissions, so pay close attention to your sentence structure!

Writing rhyming picture books can be a huge challenge for some writers, but that’s not to say it’s completely impossible to have a strong rhyming story. Everyone knows Dr. Seuss’ lovely rhyming picture books, but here is a small list of other authors just as skillful so check them out!

Bill Martin

Giles Andreae

Claire Freedman

Anna Dewdney

Julia Donaldson

Arnold Lobel

Kess Gray

Just to name a few…;-)

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: What Is Author “Vetting”?

Donna L

Opening up for submissions this Fall will be like opening the flood gates. We expect to get a number of different publishing queries because we will offer ways to help writers of picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, young adult books, and specialty books a way to become published authors when they may not have been able to step into the publishing world before.

Maybe it was outside their budget to self-publish properly.

Maybe it was too overwhelming to maneuver their way through all the channels to produce a quality product.

Maybe they are looking for a support team to help them achieve their goal of having a publishing career.

Whatever the reason, writers will be submitting to Story Catcher Publishing looking for a chance to work with someone knowledgeable in the field of publishing to help them share their story with the world.

But we will be looking for someone too.

“Vetting” is when someone investigates someone they potentially want to connect with. Agents, editors, publishers, etc. usually look at a number of factors before deciding to reach out to a writer. Here are some of the places SCP will check for activity…

Google…We will do a Google search of the writer’s name to see what pops up. Do a Google search of either my author name or Story Catcher Publishing, and you will find a long list of articles, images, and ways to find out more about us. Authors we want to work with may not have as many search links as we do, but it will give us a starting point.

Website…It’s one of the best ways to learn more about a writer. If they have a website, and especially a blog, it helps give a better sense of their personality and writing style.

Social Media…We will check if they have a presence in groups like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, etc. If they do, we’ll look at their posts, engagement level, number of followers, etc. to give us an idea of what level of assistance they might need from us for their project. If they don’t, that also tells us how much help they might need in the future.

Other Connections…If a query letter identifies some previous connection between the writer and SCP, we might reach out to those connections to learn more about those writers. We plan on working very hard to assist our authors with their future publishing careers, so the more we know, the better we can help them!

Vetting is a standard industry practice which helps both writers and agents, editors, or publishers better determine the best way to move forward.

Everyone at Story Catcher Publishing is excitedly counting down the days to when we open for submissions, so make sure to come back next week for another update on our expansion…

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Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Story Catcher Publishing Expansion: Chapter Book & Novel Submissions

Donna L

Last week I announced the BIG NEWS that Story Catcher Publishing will open its doors to submissions in the Fall of 2023. But I also said SCP would be offering a different way of supporting indie writers than what other small press publishing houses currently do.

How, you ask?

One way is to publish books WITHOUT future profits in mind. SCP profits, that is. Let me explain…

Indie authors currently have three ways to publish their books:

  1. Traditional publishers, which usually are closed to anyone not represented by an agent and THOSE creatures are almost as elusive to connect with as running into a leprechaun!
  2. Self-publish through retailers like Amazon’s KDP. While this doesn’t usually cost much, if anything, to create a book, the entire burden of proofreading, editing, formatting, production set up and marketing is left up to new authors who may not have the training or knowledge to set up their author platform correctly. Amazon also likes exclusivity which can limit an indie writer’s choices of markets or selling opportunities.
  3. Hybrid-publishers who will publish your book (usually for a hefty price to cover all services needed) but still won’t necessarily have YOUR interests in mind.

This is where Story Catcher Publishing will be different. I have spent the past four years fine tuning and streamlining the publishing processes so that I can release quality picture books, chapter books, and novels at bare bones costs.

I have dreamed for years of giving back to the KidLit community for all the love and support everyone has shown me. Beginning this Fall, each chapter book or novel selected for publishing under the SCP umbrella will reap the following benefits:

  1. A publishing package for chapter books and novels up to 60,000 words will cost only $550 TOTAL! This covers proofreading, ISBN, cover design, formatting, and production set up for both ebook and paperback titles. This will initially be offered to the first 50 titles accepted by Story Catcher Publishing so we can make sure this pricing covers basic industry costs before rolling it out to the general public. After prior cost analysis, it appears this pricing should be viable but this model needs to be tested in real world applications.
  2. Ebook distribution will be through Amazon KDP. Paperback will be through IngramSpark to ensure availability to 80,000+ online retailers including B&N, Books A Million, Walmart and others.
  3. Payments (via Paypal) will be divided into three installments of $150 due with signed contract, $250 due with completion of cover design, and balance of $150 due with completion of paperback production files. (The industry average for these services ranges anywhere from $1,350 to $6,100 or more depending on who you hire to help you.)
  4. SCP authors will retain 100% royalties to their paperback titles.
  5. SCP authors will also receive FREE access to support covering websites, author platforms, marketing, sales sheets, blogging, author events, etc.
  6. SCP authors will receive FREE promotion through our website, blog, online store, and any SCP events including festivals, contests and giveaways.
  7. If a SCP author should sign with a major literary agency, or a medium to large traditional publishing house where the agent or publisher is interested in re-releasing their existing SCP title, we will amend OUR existing contract and remove the paperback title from our inventory upon proof of a signed contract.

It has always been my hope and dream to support other indie writers on THEIR journey to publication. To me, that means not standing in the way of their future, wherever it may take them.

Well, there you have it. The basics of what Story Catcher Publishing will offer chapter book and novel writers starting this Fall. Next week I’ll share what we will be able to offer writers and writer/illustrators of picture books.

I hope you are as excited about the future of Story Catcher Publishing as I am. Any questions, just drop them in the comments below or send me a private message. I want this to be as transparent as possible.

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Jack is afraid of the THING in the closet. Monty is afraid of the LUMP in the bed. One day boy and monster both decide they no longer want to fear what hides in the dark. Both have a plan, but will be surprised by what they discover after A BUMP IN THE NIGHT.

Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927