Category: books

Editing Process: Step One

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One of the first questions I ask whenever I tell people TNWSY won’t come out until 2015 is this: “Why so long?”

Yes, it does seem like eons away, but there are a lot of steps between “congratulations we’re making your manuscript into a book!” and “congratulations, your book is now on shelves!” A lot.

So I thought I’d write about the steps, as I go through them, for those interested in the whole publishing process. (Granted each editor and publishing house may do things differently, so this is just my experience.)

Step One: Editorial Letter

Last week I received the infamous editorial letter. The first editorial letter is a basic overview of things your editor wants you to look at and work on. It could be very long or very short. It could be very detailed or very vague. Each editor is different.

For TNWSY, mine was  a basic overview of a few things my wonderful editor would like for me to elaborate on, punch up, work on. Four points specifically for me to look at, and focus on as I go through the entire manuscript again.

It’s been really fun so far because I haven’t visited TNWSY is quite some time. I’ve missed the characters, the locations. It’s nice saying hello again, and concentrating on areas wonderful editor thinks need a bit more attention.

I will say, I feel very lucky , because none of the editorial notes asked me to change anything HUGE about the book. They just asked for more. And, heck, of course I’d love to write more about this story.

I’ve worked so much with my agent, that it’s interesting getting a new person’s opinion, a new view of the subject at hand.

So that’s where I’m at now. I’m revisiting and relearning. I’m adding more to the story, and giving the characters more life. And it’s pretty great.

Read: THE VOW

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Every now and then a new YA book comes around that’s different from all the others. I get really excited when that happens. Last night, I finished The Vow by Jessica Martinez, and not only is this book completely new, it’s also beyond good and, I personally think, beyond necessary.

No one has ever believed that Mo and Annie are just friends. How can a guy and a girl really be best friends?

Then the summer before senior year, Mo’s father loses his job, and by extension his work visa. Instantly, life for Annie and Mo crumbles. Although Mo has lived in America for most of his life, he’ll be forced to move to Jordan. The prospect of leaving his home is devastating, and returning to a world where he no longer belongs terrifies him.

Desperate to save him, Annie proposes they tell a colossal lie—that they are in love. Mo agrees because marrying Annie is the only way he can stay. Annie just wants to keep her best friend, but what happens when it becomes a choice between saving Mo and her own chance at real love?

The story is told by both Mo and Annie, alternating voices every other chapter, and because of that, you can see both of their struggles, and both of their willingness to risk a lot for each other. This isn’t a relationship book (though there is that), this is a friendship book. It’s about doing everything for your best friend, because you need them just as much as they need you. Because you know they’d do the same. And though their decision to marry at just 17/18 and basically lie to the government is extreme, it’s also real. Because if you could save the person you love (even platonically), wouldn’t you? How much would you risk or change yourself for someone? That’s, essentially, what the book questions. 

And there’s more, of course. There’s Annie’s past, and why she’s so determined to help Mo. There’s Mo’s past, and struggles with racism after moving to a very small, very white city. There’s the idea of belonging to a place and fitting in, and what it’s like when the place you used to call home isn’t any more. 

Jessica creates a very believable story, with an amazing cast of characters. Annie and Mo jump off the page, and you find yourself cheering them on even when you know it’s a stupid decision. Because they’re so well-drawn and real. The supporting characters are just as good – the co-workers at the ice cream shop where Annie and Reed (her chance at real love) work. Annie’s parents. Mo’s parents and vulnerable but strong younger sister. 

Though Jessica does a great job creating these characters, and showing the reasons behind every decision, what she does best is create an atmosphere. You feel the town around them. You understand Mo’s fears. You get a look at Jordan and know why he won’t fit in there anymore, even though he didn’t, originally, fit in America, either.

And, on a personal note, Jessica manages to gently address the racism issue so wonderfully. She could have gone extreme, she could have ignored it completely, but she walks this wonderful line that’s true. I say it’s personal because as someone with an Indian husband, I’ve seen the looks he’s received, I’ve heard the comments. I know he’s the only ethnic person in a room sometimes. She wrote what he’s gone through. (Though not the immigration issue; he’s a resident here, thankfully.) 

I highly recommend The Vow if you’re looking for something new and powerful. It’ll take you by surprise. It’ll make you cringe and cheer and weep. And it’ll piece you all back together with its power and beauty. 

Pirating Books

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Fun fact: libraries provide free books! I know, right? It’s a bit crazy. You can walk in, grab books, check them out, and leave. And it’s free! No one will stop you! You just have to return them after 3ish weeks (depending on the library). Libraries even have free eBooks! And movies! And CDs!

I know the above is a well-known fact, but sometimes I think people forget. They forget that libraries are there to simply provide free information (such as, you know, books). I bring this up because I keep hearing about the pirating of books, and it makes me a bit angry. Apparently people are ripping eBooks (or even scanning paper books – what!) and putting them online for people to download for free. This isn’t a new thing, it’s been around for a while, but It’s a bit disheartening to say the least. And I don’t say this from an author’s perspective (an author who’s afraid her books will be pirated, too), but from a librarian’s perspective. Because, hello, we’re here to give you free books!

So here are reasons people are pirating:

I want the book, but can’t afford it. Understood. It’s pricey buying every book you want. Does a friend have it that you can borrow? If not, go to the library!

But it’s checked out at the library. Put it on hold, it’ll come back soon! Or, does your school library have it? See if they do. (And if it’s checked out – put it on hold! Twice the chance of getting it quickly.)

But I want it NOW!! Does the library have an eBook of it? An audio book? See! Perhaps that can hold you over until your copy is in. (Also, browse the shelves. There are hundreds of other titles that may keep you busy until the book is in.)

But my library doesn’t carry it. Talk to a librarian, and ask them to order it. We love hearing recommendations. We can’t read everything, so perhaps we might miss a title. Let us know.

But it’s only released as an eBook. A lot of libraries have eBooks now. I know mine does. Check.

But how is getting it from the library different than pirating it? The author still doesn’t make any money. Wrong. First off, authors don’t like when you pirate their books. Period. Second, in libraries, check out statistics are very important. If a book has a lot of holds, there’s a strong chance we’ll purchase more copies. (We just put in a large order for Cuckoo’s Calling, obviously. And even though it’s an older book, my library just received a new batch of Looking for Alaskas because the hold list was just that long.) Also, if we see a book by a specific author is getting checked out often, we’ll definitely order their future books because we know readers want them. Supporting us supports the authors.

A main goal of a library is to give the patron what they want. If you come in and want a book, we’ll do everything we can to get it to you. You may have to wait a few days, but you’ll get it. You’ll see.

RTW: Your Favorite LGBT Novel

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(This week’s post was inspired by YA Highway’s Road Trip Wednesday question: What’s your favorite LGBT novel?)

The YA world moves fast. Topics change. Trends evolve. Things that were considered crazy or taboo are now normal. And, honestly, that’s awesome.

I’ve always had friends who were gay. There was never a time when that was weird or different; it just was as normal as having a friend who was Asian. So while getting my MLIS, I did a rather extensive research paper on the trends in YA lit with homosexual lead characters. I looked at books from different countries, and saw how these main characters were portrayed, and if the overall story was a happy or sad one. (For a while, most books that had main gay characters ended tragically. It was nice when they started evolving into something more positive.)

After I completed the paper, I wanted to write a follow-up called Out of the Closet. The thing is, all of those books I studied (this was back in 2010) dealt with characters coming out to their peers and families, and the reactions they endured. In my follow-up I wanted to discuss books where these characters were already out, and living normal lives. It was rare at the time.

Now, three years later, it’s the norm. And I love it. I love that there are brilliant YA books where characters are just gay, and that’s it. There’s no drama, no bullying. And while those events still unfortunately happen in real life, it’s nice showing that there’s more. That there are complicated, gut-wrenching romances between two characters who happen to be gay. That there are characters who save the world and are also, hey, gay. And while, yes, I still want and appreciate the coming out stories, I want more books where it’s after the fact, too.

After the DOMA decision, I made a YA LGBT display at the library. We carry A LOT of YA books with LGBT characters (both main and secondary), and I was pleasantly surprised to find the majority of them checked out. Those pictured were left. And within the day, many were taken.

So, to answer the question – I’ve read a lot, so i’ll go with my favorites from just this year.

Every Day by David Levithan
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Winger by Andrew Smith (not the main character, but my favorite character)

All amazing books. All amazing characters.

Necessities

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So as you can tell, i’ve had a pretty exciting past few days. It’s been kind of surreal, really, hearing that other countries think they can sell my book (ahh!), and officially becoming a contracted author. Honestly. What has my life become?

But before I get all I AM THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME, I want to pay tribute to how I got here.

Through very, very honest friends.

Here’s the thing about writing a manuscript – usually the first draft is not good. Mine was not at all. I mean, it was a story with a plot and major characters. There was a beginning, middle, and end. Things happened and upon reading it, I thought (hoped) it might have potential. But after editing it to make it all shiny and pretty, I didn’t go straight to querying agents. I queried my friends.

A few of my amazing friends became critique partners. They’d read and go over my manuscripts before anything. They’d tell me what was good, what was bad, and what maybe, possibly had potential. They were honest and brutal. They were kind and helpful. AND THEY WERE AMAZING.

They told me when I used words too often (eyebrows, apparently), and told me when a character just wasn’t sitting right (one actually wrote “I want to strangle her right now.”) They told me when the plot felt meh, and when something just didn’t make sense.

And all of those critiques made not only my manuscript better, but me as a writer better. I need their input. I value it so much. And I know that no matter how many negative things they say about the story, they’re doing it because they want the story to succeed. There’s never anything more.

And now? I love getting messages from them like, “I just saw someone at B&N who reminded me SO MUCH of *insert character here*” or “that was such a *character* thing you just said.” Because, oddly enough, the story that felt real to me all that time, now feels real to them, too.

(Special shout-out to Katie, Colure, Michelle, Misty, and Joe. And S, of course.)