Quick Q&A with Jenny Rappaport

A while back I had sent some questions to Jenny Rappaport with the L.Perkins Agency. She is a regular blogger, for those of you who don't recognize the name, and her blog is called Litsoup.

1. What has blogging done for you in the literary industry?

Blogging has given me a much greater visibility. People know who I am from my blog, and I've gotten a large number of clients through it. It's also made me more visible to editors, of which quite a few read my blog as well. I think blogs are some of the most effective marketing tools out there, at least as far as promoting yourself goes.

2. Has blogging impacted your writing?

Blogging hasn't really impacted my writing. If anything, I write more now, since I've started blogging, which is an accomplishment for me. =)

3. So... Miss (soon to be Mrs.) Lit Soup, what's your favorite soup and why?

Progresso Macaroni and Bean--simply because I love it, and it's great with a little bit of Parmesan on top of it.

4. Many writers have a book or two that had a profound impact on them, an epiphany, or perhaps just a deep rooted love that began their journey into writing. Do you have a book that you've read like that? If so, which one?

I don't really have a book which started me on a profound journey to be a writer, or anything like that. I've been reading since I was three and a half years old, and I pretty much devour everything in my path. I've been telling stories for even longer than that, as my mother literally has notebooks full of the ones I would tell her, before I was old enough to write them down myself. It's just something I've always done...

5. What advice would you give to people that want to follow a literary agent career path?

Publishing is still very much an apprenticeship-based business, so you really need to get in on the ground floor. Work your butt off to get an internship in the publishing industry, even if it's not in a field you want to work in (i.e., textbooks); the experience you gain is going to open doors to you, which would otherwise be closed.

6. What's your biggest pet peeve when you read manuscripts?

My biggest pet peeve is bad grammar and spelling, as well as improper manuscript format.

Litsoup gives the lowdown on query letters

If you haven't been over to Litsoup in the last few days, Jenny has a great post that shares her advice on query letters. She's got all the detail over there, put here are the topics she touches on (with my comments under the topic):

1. Be professional
In every query advice article I read; in each book on writing; everywhere it seems - this topic is always touched upon. It has to be an issue if it's mentioned so many times - right? Is being professional in a query letter really that difficult for people to manage? Nut jobs and drama fiends aside, hmmm maybe there are just too many nut jobs and drama fiends. Maybe that's our problem. Perhaps we need a plan to weed them out somehow....

2. Space is at a premium
Again, to me this is a no-brainer. I think of this the same way I think about cover letters and resumes: keep it short and to the point. If I was applying for a job I'd make sure my creds match the job requirements and then tailor my cover letter accordingly. Most people know that a cover letter should only be one page (on occassion two - but never more) - same with the actual resume. Don't they teach some resume basics in high school these days?

3. Have a hook
This is where it starts getting difficult. Anyone who participated in Miss Snark's CoM knows how difficult it is to write a hook to grab an agent's eye (at least to her taste, anyway). But then again, the blurb on the back of a book is also a hook - one to grab a reader and it's completely subjective. To me, this is where it is critical to know your agent. No, I don't mean stalk him or her until you know what kind of toilet paper he buys and whether she eats twinkies or ding dongs. I mean to find out who they represent and what kind of books within the genre. The genres are still pretty darn big and ambiguous - not all romance are alike, not all horror are alike, etc. etc. The agent may say "I represent horror" - but what kind of horror? Stephen King kind? Does the agent have a strong anti-zombie streak? (Course, everyone knows zombies rock and we all love them! Go Max Brand!) There is nothing wrong with having a couple versions of a hook, just like you'd have several versions of a resume. Once you have the basis of a good hook - tailor the hook to the person reading it. You want them to like it enough to go to the next step and that's all that matters in the query.

4. Themes are extraneous information too
Less is more and all that. I guess I combined my thoughts and stuck them all under 3. :)

5. Writing credits can be both good and bad.
Until the day that agents say, "YES, this writer is a blogger. Wow. That rocks. I've got to sign her up" - I'll be keeping my writing credits to a minimum. :)

6. Leave out the bacon.
Another reminder to keep the query on target and focused. No need to share your recent experience with athlete's foot or the time you went to New York and drove through Central Park. Unless, of course, either item is a pivotal plot piece or a focal point of your novel. Agents don't read your letter to get a new friend. They don't really want to know your personality type or what you like to do in your pajamas. All they care about is if you have something that interests them and they think they can sell. Perhaps the motive behind adding in personal tidbits and "blah blah" is because we think it makes us stand out, it makes us seem more like a person, and it lets the agent know who we are... but the sad fact is, they don't care who we are. At least not yet. If the writing is good and marketable to them, then they care.

I thought Jenny's points were good. I've certainly heard all the points before, but apparently writers seem to forget them enough that we need the constant reminders.

The Sound of Words

My days are filled with music, literally, I hate the quiet of being home alone. Every day I listen to my yahoo jukebox or my ipod. I have no - zip, zilch, nada - talent for music. But I am certainly an admirer of it.

Yes, I did catch the premier of Idol last night... but that's a whole other post. *Minnehopeless* grumble, grumble.

Anyway, one of the chapters in First Five Pages focuses on sound. All writers know (or should know) that a strong voice is important.

There is a sound to prose; writing is not just about getting a story across, but also-if not mainly-about how you get there. Prose can be technically correct but rhythmically unpleasant. This is one of the distinctions between writing in general and writing as an art form. We've all encountered the ill-sounding sentence, but it just "sounds" wrong. Indeed, what I label sound may also be thought of as 'rhythm'.

I definitely agree with the above. I've read some good stories that unfortunately were just too weak in voice. The story was good enough for me to finish, but it lacked that extra umpf that made me want to run out and buy every book by that author - something I've done more than once.

Later in the chapter the author, Noah Lukeman, says the most common manifestations are sentence structure, echoes, alliteration, and resonance. Of those, awkward sentences probably drive me the craziest. I like to think I have a good ear for the sound of words, and bad structure sticks out like a big red flag.

What do you think? Do you notice the voice or sound of words when you read? How important is the "flow" of a story to you?

De-Lurk Week!

I jumped from A Spot of T over to Paper Napkin.... this week is De-Lurk week. If you comment, the comment fairy will sprinkle you with magic blog dust... or something :) So, if you hit a blog today. Leave a comment, even if it's just "Hi"



Also, some sites of interest for the writerly types. A new agent has a blog.

Agent in the Middle

And, Miss Snark mentioned this contest at Gather on her blog today. I think I'll join the group just so I can read the entries and be entertained.

There's also a group writing project over at Middle Zone Musings. Be sure to check it out!