tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post1153573306033180019..comments2024-03-26T06:47:57.605-04:00Comments on Get Lost in a Story: Kylie BrantJacqui Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12793508141294935459noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-6274956156408635462011-01-14T16:07:38.982-05:002011-01-14T16:07:38.982-05:00Sorry I missed out on this fantastic advice and di...Sorry I missed out on this fantastic advice and discussion. <br /><br />~~Angi<br />(traveling all day on the 13th)Angi Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17568009648101184027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-65428792844918281802011-01-13T20:12:03.845-05:002011-01-13T20:12:03.845-05:00Abigail, I found early in my career that I had to ...Abigail, I found early in my career that I had to start tying up some of the threads 2/3 of the way through the book or I ended up with pages and pages of explanation at the end :)KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-77066239121941194882011-01-13T19:09:29.865-05:002011-01-13T19:09:29.865-05:00Kylie, that author who has that agent who helped m...Kylie, that author who has that agent who helped manage that editorial change should be kissing that agent's feet. What a story, and, yes, a good agent is worth 15 percent.Donnell Ann Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943037206984648849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-46580383654669544002011-01-13T19:04:05.355-05:002011-01-13T19:04:05.355-05:00thanks for a great interview, Kylie! To answer yo...thanks for a great interview, Kylie! To answer your question, the only time I don't like romantic suspense is when it's too many questions and not enough answers. I'm not talking needing to know whodunit in the first chapter, but answering small questions while moving the story along. That kind of thing.<br /><br />-AbigailAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-36237808092620692662011-01-13T18:34:14.733-05:002011-01-13T18:34:14.733-05:00Cat, as I suspected you must have been quite close...Cat, as I suspected you must have been quite close already :) How fabulous that your agent could suggest just the right changes for that first sale!<br /><br />You're absolutely right in that we learn on each book. You can expect the revisions to get less and less with each book until you aren't doing revisions at all anymore.KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-88099545472145195022011-01-13T18:27:50.013-05:002011-01-13T18:27:50.013-05:00Maureen, I think it's hard for aspiring writer...Maureen, I think it's hard for aspiring writers to know when their work is ready to submit to an editor or an agent. Sometimes they don't have a very realistic understanding of where they are at, in terms of craft. <br /><br />I didn't touch on this but there are things an agent can help with that have nothing to do with sales. I know an author who just had a horrible time with her editor. The revisions were slashing and unnecessarily harsh, after the author had successfully written dozens of books for other editors without such treatment. It got to the point where the author's confidence was in shreds...she needed to get a new editor or stop writing altogether. Her agent got that editorial change made, within a couple days. It saved my friend, and that wasn't something she would have been comfortable doing on her own.<br /><br />Each individual has to make his/her own determination about whether it is worth the 15% commission on a contract that leaves little wiggle room.KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-58180645542286672432011-01-13T17:50:49.355-05:002011-01-13T17:50:49.355-05:00Kylie, she did give me a hand with getting the sto...Kylie, she did give me a hand with getting the story ready. Her feedback gave me terrific insight into the story and although the changes weren't major, I think it gave the manuscript the polish it needed. I also went through 2 revisions with my editor. One before I sold and one after. But, the second book I sold required very little fixing after my agent read it and mostly just clean up for my editor. Obviously, I'd learned something in the last year. Book three should be interesting...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05663703767093923242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-57375310296134194752011-01-13T17:27:51.211-05:002011-01-13T17:27:51.211-05:00Great advice, Kylie. I remember hearing people say...Great advice, Kylie. I remember hearing people saying that landing an agent is the hardest part and I know first hand, that's not necessarily true... And like you, I highly recommend all writers wanting to be published by one of the big NYC houses, (with the exception of category romance), to get an agent, first, and only submit to agents after the agent option is exhausted. (Or move onto the next book.) <br /><br />I have 3 CPs who write for Harlequin and they're all agented and all glad to be. There are benefits beyond the contracts I think. But each author is different.Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-67624143321963487212011-01-13T16:46:19.780-05:002011-01-13T16:46:19.780-05:00Allison, your books are perfect examples of dark a...Allison, your books are perfect examples of dark and gritty suspense with a satisfying relationship at their core. That's my preference when reading RS :) You have a gem of an editior--and I know you already realize it! It would be wonderful to get that sort of feedback before polishing the book!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-3352757137644716522011-01-13T16:42:08.154-05:002011-01-13T16:42:08.154-05:00Cat, your work obviously was on that bubble of jus...Cat, your work obviously was on that bubble of just about good enough before you got an agent. Did she help you polish or streamline the plot to make it submittable? Congrats on your success!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-4083674434146699742011-01-13T16:40:39.159-05:002011-01-13T16:40:39.159-05:00Will do, Liz! The one thing I want aspiring write...Will do, Liz! The one thing I want aspiring writers to know is that the agent isn't the golden key--a great manusript is!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-51751260375032741462011-01-13T16:28:27.562-05:002011-01-13T16:28:27.562-05:00Hi Kylie! Great post, and I agree.
When I first ...Hi Kylie! Great post, and I agree. <br /><br />When I first sold, I made minor changes to the manuscript for my agent before she went out with it, and I agreed with all of her suggestions. Essentially, I removed a subplot that detracted from the main suspense and romance storyline. If I hadn't agreed, I wouldn't have made the changes (in fact, she made one suggestion I didn't like so I ignored it, but the ones I took definitely made the book stronger.)<br /><br />Now, I don't give my first draft to my agent, but I do send rough manuscripts to my editor for feedback. After 16 books, I trust her explicitly.<br /><br />As far as blending romance and suspense, I think we all have our own natural balance and the important thing is to write to your strengths and not simply to what you think the market is. Markets change. I get romance readers who wish I had more romance and mystery/suspense readers who wish I had no romance. But I like the blend I have, it weighs more on the suspense but I like having a relationship. My heroine deserves to have someone who loves her to come home to!Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-10320399247303914442011-01-13T15:03:22.987-05:002011-01-13T15:03:22.987-05:00Kylie, welcome to GLIAS. I write category for Sil...Kylie, welcome to GLIAS. I write category for Silhouette Desire and had been submitting for three years on my own with some success. But it wasn't until I got an agent and she submitted my book that I sold. I'm not saying I wouldn't have eventually sold, but having an agent behind my work made it happen a little faster, I think.<br /><br />Thanks for joining us today.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05663703767093923242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-57696911239188281732011-01-13T14:55:48.947-05:002011-01-13T14:55:48.947-05:00Kylie, hello again. I love your from-the-heart ans...Kylie, hello again. I love your from-the-heart answers that I hope will encourage all the writers without an agent. I was just talking about this with my agent this morning. She sometimes shakes her head when one of her authors is unusually impatient, and I had to laugh. I told her the general consensus out there among unagented authors is that once you get an author, you should make the best selling list in six weeks.LOL<br /><br />Yes, an agent is great, but you are living proof that it can be done without one. Thanks to you and Donnell for getting that message across.<br /><br />And let me know how that publicist works out.Liz Lippermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01807045909635613933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-1300349921322666122011-01-13T14:46:59.998-05:002011-01-13T14:46:59.998-05:00Simone, I'm not sure we see things differently...Simone, I'm not sure we see things differently so much as learn the parameters category has to fit within. Having written single title and category, I think in some ways category is more difficult. To pack a suspense story within the expectation of high emotion and romance and stuff it in 1/3 shorter book is definitely a knack, you're right about that!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-25295271945593111012011-01-13T13:27:04.027-05:002011-01-13T13:27:04.027-05:00Welcome, Kylie. The agent thing is so interesting....Welcome, Kylie. The agent thing is so interesting. I love my agent and I would never have been published without her. But I've never looked at writing category (I read category like crazy, but I seriously do NOT have the voice for it). Category writers see things differently which is always so refreshing to hear.Simone St. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11644672414225842277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-34619155083491394502011-01-13T12:25:24.144-05:002011-01-13T12:25:24.144-05:00I wish I knew the answer, Donnell! I just hired m...I wish I knew the answer, Donnell! I just hired my first ever publicist who I hope will answer that for me!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-41200852811895300152011-01-13T11:59:11.069-05:002011-01-13T11:59:11.069-05:00Ah, the next article by Kylie Brant be will be Get...Ah, the next article by Kylie Brant be will be Getting it Backwards: Know your Target Audience. Don't we wish? It's so confusing and subjective and dependent upon readers' tastes! When can we expect the article, Kylie ;)Donnell Ann Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943037206984648849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-21327761323780237852011-01-13T11:39:00.268-05:002011-01-13T11:39:00.268-05:00Gjillian, I see a real difference in the RS being ...Gjillian, I see a real difference in the RS being offered today. We have super steamy, almost erotic suspense. Then there's the real sexy action adventures. Some RS really emphasizes the romance with a meaty suspense. And more and more we're seeing dark romantic thrillers (like mine!) that have a dark suspense with a satisfying romance at the core.<br /><br />It's a tough line to straddle and no matter what you do you can't satisfy everyone. Thriller readers don't want to read pages of a love scene. Some RS readers demand more romance than I have in my books. I even know a NYT bestselling who is stating to make her books hotter. It depends on where the audience is. And unfortunately, we don't usually know that!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-17154342527792417372011-01-13T11:36:21.145-05:002011-01-13T11:36:21.145-05:00Great advice, Kylie. It's hard not to get caug...Great advice, Kylie. It's hard not to get caught up in the agent search or the feeling like that's all you need to break in. I appreciate the reminder, and all of your great answers to the other commenters. Thanks!Gwen Hernandezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01394401588845644494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-49165877013912395172011-01-13T11:19:00.943-05:002011-01-13T11:19:00.943-05:00Kylie,
Your question just floored me. First, as ...Kylie, <br /><br />Your question just floored me. First, as a historical romantic suspense author (debut) I struggle with the percentage of romance to suspense every day. And then second, as a reader, I want a really good mix of both. Hopefully the suspense supports the romance adding a third layer of tension to the story. <br /><br />Before I got my first publishing contract I was entering RWA chapter contests and was advised to write romance first and suspense second. I think that worked well for contests, but I see the romantic suspense novel has taken a turn toward more suspense, or am I imagining this? I also understand that editors are pressing for more <br />pain/suffering/danger/muah ha ha.<br /><br />Lately, I have come to the conclusion (more like settled temporarily) that as both a reader and a writer, I want both. The trick is how skillfully I am able to interweave the two!G. Jillian Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09606257875353431854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-53500652176695298412011-01-13T10:59:13.611-05:002011-01-13T10:59:13.611-05:00Understood. These are not blanket statements or g...Understood. These are not blanket statements or general rules ;) I know several people whose agents authors would feel lost without their editorial input. Thanks!Donnell Ann Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943037206984648849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-13159118153955299602011-01-13T10:53:03.504-05:002011-01-13T10:53:03.504-05:00Without meaning to make a blanket statement about ...Without meaning to make a blanket statement about all agents (which would be a gross generalization and inherently unfair) I would say that usually I have more confidence in the editorial suggestions than in the agent ones. However, in my earlier statement I was referring to agents who want changes prior to sending the work out.<br /><br />Editors know what fits their line, what sells and they see a massive amount of manuscripts a year. I tend to heed their advice :) If there's something I don't agree with we talk about that. But people who get a reputation of being difficult to deal with don't last long at publishing houses as a general rule!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-28931369839942445912011-01-13T10:37:47.244-05:002011-01-13T10:37:47.244-05:00Thanks, Kylie, as I said this new for me, and it&#...Thanks, Kylie, as I said this new for me, and it's so great to see that after 31 books, it still sparks a tad of fear in you LOL. My editor, Pat Van Wie, has completely astounded me. She's taken what I thought was a decent book, and made me follow through. Line edits wouldn't have done it. Possibly because she's a very talented author in her own right, but she nailed things I had hinted at or let go. Even made me read The Sociopath Next Door.<br /><br />She also said, your heroine would do what? I don't think so. My agent had some great suggestions, but my editor simply nailed every problem area. <br /><br />Which is why I question when an agent wants to change things before a book is actually sold. Your comments make sense! <br /><br />Thanks so much, for the explanation, Kylie!Donnell Ann Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943037206984648849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417651694294092310.post-4328112798162266252011-01-13T10:22:52.282-05:002011-01-13T10:22:52.282-05:00Gulp, Donnell. You hit on a fear of mine. My edi...Gulp, Donnell. You hit on a fear of mine. My editor asked me to include an overarching suspense plot in my newest trilogy. That means bringing closure to a suspense in the book but leaving strings hanging to be resolved in future stories. Some readers don't mind that and some hate it. Still waiting to hear the verdict!<br /><br />I think the revision process differs for each author and--more importantly--more every editor. Some editors want you to do revisions on things that could be handled in line edits. Some really rip the story apart and want massive revisions. Those are not--ahem--fun. Other editors barely touch the story, just pointing out a few things here and there in the line edits.<br /><br />I revise as I go along. I edit the current or previous chapter to immerse myself into the story and then continue on. I keep a running list of 'things to change' and at the end I read through the story once, adding or deleting from that list. Then I change what needs to be changed on the list and send it in. <br /><br />I never have enough time to edit. When I see the manuscript for the last time there are still things I wish i could change!KylieBranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02521116390801346909noreply@blogger.com