And, that's not all

I have folders for all kinds of hints and things to do in documents in Word. Since I am now going through outlining, synopsis, query, etc, it is time to go through all those notes and see what the experts tell me to do, to succeed.

After drawing up my list of items needed before I sent my manuscript off, I used that outline, including the numbering and I created files with the most important notes in them and the beginnings of what I had done as an outline, or synopsis, etc.

This was necessary as I found out I had about five starts on a synopsis and three outlines, etc. So, now I have a file entitled DOCUMENTS FOR SUBMITTING and within it I have folders titled: "2 a Outline - book long" "2 b Outline - book short" "2 c Outline - Moon Tree Series" and then: "3 a Synopsis Long 8 pg" "3 b Synopsis Long 5 to 3 pg."

I am working my way down this TO DO YET list from the top down, and yet, I have some started in almost every file. These starts will likely not be retained, but I'm off to work, yet again on my 2 a Book outline Long. Hopefully, the short one will be a bit more swift.

Constant Confusion - now Organization

I live with confusion. My manuscript is written and edited and edited and edited. I figure about a hundred and five times at the beginning and at least fifteen edits towards the end. I have had two other people read it and I read it aloud. THAT (reading it aloud) was an invaluable edit. Never skip that. I have two more people who are in the process of reading it and while they are doing that, I started preparing my accompanying documents.

I started off with the log line. It is the TV Guide version of your story and it needs to be gripping and sexy and tantalyzing. I spent days on this and endless versions. That was when I decided I was going about this, yet again, wrong.

So, I went back through all my notes and made a list of exactly what documents I need to have to submit. Now, some of these are not needed to submit but, when that agent calls up and says, "Hey, love your manuscript. I need a one page bio by tomorrow." or "I need an eight page synopsis and your marketing plan." You better be ready.

Realizing that I need several various versions of several things, I decided it was easier for me to start with the longest version of synopsis, bio, outline, whatever, and get that exciting and vivid and then use it to edit a shorter version. I think that will work best for me rather than starting with a short version and going back to a longer version.

I have a list, note, I have hints on each line, but that's not all:

1. TO DO YET:
   1. Know where your book would sit on the shelf & Read each of these from PAPER OUT LOUD
2. Outline
   a. Moon Tree Brothers Book Long
   b. Moon Tree Brothers Book Short
   c. Moon Tree Series
3. Synopsis: See 12 things a synopsis should do
   a. Long – 8 pages – for Manuscript Submission
   b. Long – 3 to 5 pages – for Manuscript Submission
   c. Short – 2 pages – for Manuscript
   d. Short – 1 page – for Manuscript
   e. Query Synopsis
   f. Flap Synopsis
   g. Log Line
4. Query letter that honestly represents your book
5. Bio: Third person, not first – Times New Roman - 12 point – 1” margins with heading above centered (Sheryl Adair VanVleck and next line centered Author bio) You are interesting
   a. Web page longer for Web
   b. Web page 2/3 to 1 page – double spaced page for the Web Page and book/agents without photo
   c. 1/3 to ½ single spaced if author’s photo included - page for Book and Agents (200-250 words)
   d. 50 word for Amazon and Blogs
   e. Short bio blurb for book jacket
   f. My Education
   g. My Writing Credits
6. Marketing Points
7. Build Web Site - Conform all: Web page/blogs/myspace/facebook/twitter
8. Send: As much of manuscript as requested, ONLY IF RQUESTED

Now, some of these things, like flap copy, I am not responsible for, but I think it is a good exercise for me and also, I may use it on my web site. Yes, I know exactly how long I have been working on that website. I decided the wording I was struggling with for the web site were the same things I need for these documents, so why not just do these first and take the wording from there.

Told you I am a slow learner! Toon in again, for what I did next. "and that's not all."

You really MUST read it aloud

As many times as I thought I had just one more edit, I do believe, this last edit was the last edit. It was the "read it aloud" edit and I am here to tell you that it is the one edit you must not skip. Nothing compares to you reading it outloud. You cannot do it while reading it to another person either. Do it alone. You will find all kinds of things, like places where the word "began" is better than the word "started", or where you should have a comma where a period should be or vice versa.

Husband was gone for three days picking up oldest son, Gaffer, from Duluth, Minnesota, where he was stranded after a three month futile job search. The second boy, EMT, was working each day and the youngest, JRock, was in school, so I took those three days to read my book. It was highly productive.

I had recently printed it out and had husband and EMT do their read throughs, marking comments. Now, it is Gaffer's and daughter's turn. I will take all the help I can get.

So, after having a month of power outages, a tornado and a large limb on my roof, and a computer melt-down, I am off to work on all those pesky things I need to submit. First up, is my log line and, while I have written about that before, I have found some new help, think I have a good one written and will write about that next post; providing I have power. It went on and off twice so far this morning.