tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post1414982566800971617..comments2024-02-16T04:42:50.005-05:00Comments on QueryTracker Blog: A TOUCH MORTAL Q & A Giveaway with Leah CliffordPatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17771807777617244491noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-69537759113696253282011-02-26T21:59:42.852-05:002011-02-26T21:59:42.852-05:00Hey guys! Saw we had some late questions and figur...Hey guys! Saw we had some late questions and figured I'd answer them :) <br /><br />@Dancer I signed with Rosemary Stimola. When I started talking to agents I made a list of things that were important like communication, editing technique and references from other clients. I really wanted someone who had the same vision of an agent/client relationship as me!<br /><br />@Theresa It's not at ALL similar! You can see my original query on the Query Tracker page's Success Stories <br /><br />@Empty Refrigerator. Yes. Still do quite often! lol Writing a book after being signed and selling is exactly the same as writing one before. Same doubts, same struggles. It's not magically easier.<br /><br />@writesbymoonlight It's not anti-climactic by a long shot, but it is VERY very surreal. I won't tell you how often I just stare at it, wondering how it all happened. I mean, one day it was words in my head, and then words on paper, and now words in print. I still can't quite wrap my head around it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-22512347408340502802011-02-25T14:20:20.497-05:002011-02-25T14:20:20.497-05:00Congrats on your debut novel!
Is seeing your boo...Congrats on your debut novel! <br /><br />Is seeing your book in print what you expected or was it sort of anti-clamatic?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-31685701842137391752011-02-24T18:28:13.319-05:002011-02-24T18:28:13.319-05:00Congratulations!!
Question: Did you ever want to g...Congratulations!!<br />Question: Did you ever want to give up?Esperantohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12051691926591464516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-59837545686464945122011-02-24T13:26:38.068-05:002011-02-24T13:26:38.068-05:00Hi, Leah. Good luck with your book.
My question...Hi, Leah. Good luck with your book. <br /><br />My question: <br /><br />Is the blurb here on the post similar to your original query?Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-72052947120005167312011-02-24T12:42:23.004-05:002011-02-24T12:42:23.004-05:00Hi Leah,
When you found an agent, what comments d...Hi Leah,<br /><br />When you found an agent, what comments did you receive that made it clear this person was right for the vision of your novel?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />PatDancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08247509552222994314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-20894176765941671932011-02-24T10:22:18.117-05:002011-02-24T10:22:18.117-05:00Thank you everyone for a great Q&A, and thank ...Thank you everyone for a great Q&A, and thank you Leah. I hope your book does great.<br /><br />We'll be posting the names of the prize winners soon, so watch the blog.Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17771807777617244491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-59308595336338389472011-02-23T20:07:48.763-05:002011-02-23T20:07:48.763-05:00ALSO! I need to apologize to Zac and Sarah, who as...ALSO! I need to apologize to Zac and Sarah, who asked how long it took from start of novel to book in hand. It was actually THREE years. I thought something looked funny with that! I drafted from Feb 2008 to around Oct 2008, edited some, landed my agent in Feb 2009 and the book deal December 2009. A Touch Mortal came out 14 months later. So all told, about 3 years. Leahfail.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-50517885139522671522011-02-23T20:02:30.862-05:002011-02-23T20:02:30.862-05:00@Robbin I'm trying to think of how to answer t...@Robbin I'm trying to think of how to answer this...actually, I've been thinking about it for awhile. The truth is, every time I think of a mistake, it was a moment that ended up pivotal to getting me to where I needed to be. One thing that's hard and that I had trouble with would be remembering everyone's journey is different. I found some aspects of the journey easy, while others had a lot of trouble with them and vice versa. The best thing to do, the thing I try most to stick to is to be kind to everyone. <br /><br />@Michael About a month from first query to first offer and another week or two to decide! <br /><br />@Ashelynn Thank you! I hope you love it! The sequel has been TOUGH. I'm probably not supposed to tell anyone that, but it's the truth. I don't outline well, and with a trilogy, there is SO much to work out from narrative arcs for each character to series arcs. I don't think I'd do another trilogy again without knowing exactly how it was going to end and having most of it written. (lol I say that NOW...)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-19930985430462561132011-02-23T18:39:02.782-05:002011-02-23T18:39:02.782-05:00Congrats, Leah, on the book birthday! I can't ...Congrats, Leah, on the book birthday! I can't wait to get my hands on A TOUCH MORTAL. <br /><br />My question is what was it like writing a sequel?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-52705560615741983522011-02-23T18:05:52.512-05:002011-02-23T18:05:52.512-05:00Hi, Leah,
The cover is very appealing. I write y/...Hi, Leah,<br /><br />The cover is very appealing. I write y/a and always see if the cover attracts me to the prose.<br /><br />My question is. How long did it take for you to acquire your agent?<br /><br /><br />MichaelMichael Di Gesuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047267262428143113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-51342774538426877272011-02-23T16:16:20.256-05:002011-02-23T16:16:20.256-05:00@Zac and Sarah It took me about eight months or so...@Zac and Sarah It took me about eight months or so from start to finish, with a BIG block of that being a terrible few months where I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the story. I thought it wasn't my book to write and I came really REALLY close to giving up. That's why it's important to have a writer support group so they can tell you you're crazy when you say stuff like that! lol I finally added another point of view and it was what the story needed! I started it around Feb. 2009 so around two years for the final copy in my hands. That said I was on a rushed schedule for being published and came out in 14 months.<br /><br />@Stephsco I just don't feel like an adult! lol I don't have kids, I'm not married. I don't think that I THINK like an adult. My writing voice seemed like it was better suited for upper YA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-16088883626983054142011-02-23T16:07:37.413-05:002011-02-23T16:07:37.413-05:00@Noble I was very specific with who I sent to and ...@Noble I was very specific with who I sent to and spent a lot of time researching the agents to be sure they were a fit. I read a lot of interviews to get a feel for them! <br /><br />@Ali Thanks! I do read quite a bit, though it's almost exclusively YA these days! I'm a huge Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Dead Tossed Waves) fangirl and love love love Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver, Linger). And there's really no way to say it that doesn't sound like I'm showing favoritism but the other YA Rebels members have some GREAT books coming out!<br /><br />@Eliza I had two versions of the query but they were very similar, more tailoring toward different agents than rewriting. My request rate was good so I stuck with it! I don't belong to any guilds, but learned a TON from other members on the Query Tracker forum.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-26692182335599981762011-02-23T16:00:04.217-05:002011-02-23T16:00:04.217-05:00Are there any mistakes that you made along the way...Are there any mistakes that you made along the way that you are willing to share. Most of us learn from our own mistakes :) Congratulations!Robbinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340267650156858452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-82111149203265523972011-02-23T15:57:52.366-05:002011-02-23T15:57:52.366-05:00You mentioned earlier in the comments that you det...You mentioned earlier in the comments that you determined you did not want to write adult market fiction as a career. What swayed you to write YA?Stephscohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06328839483008086049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-7950776558563175872011-02-23T15:35:31.589-05:002011-02-23T15:35:31.589-05:00How long did it take you to complete your first dr...How long did it take you to complete your first draft? And how long did it take from the first word you wrote until you had a copy of your printed, published book in your hands?Sarah Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12520707316481087712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-81481976973376966992011-02-23T15:07:25.602-05:002011-02-23T15:07:25.602-05:00Did your query gain a lot of requests, or did you ...Did your query gain a lot of requests, or did you have to re-write? <br /><br />And, Do you belong to any writing guilds? If yes, how have they helped?<br /><br />grats girl!Eliza Tiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00765731038856226730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-31226826252105305822011-02-23T14:57:28.674-05:002011-02-23T14:57:28.674-05:00Hi Leah :) Congratulations on your book release!
L...Hi Leah :) Congratulations on your book release!<br />Love the plot of the book... <br /><br />When you get a chance to read, what are your favorite genres and/or authors to read?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-72229450266167029742011-02-23T13:35:03.036-05:002011-02-23T13:35:03.036-05:00It sounds amazing and I can't wait to get a co...It sounds amazing and I can't wait to get a copy of the book. <br /><br />Any tips on finding that perfect agent? Did you just blindly submit or did you select a few that felt/looked right? <br /><br />MichelleC. Michelle Jefferieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08409892648057659363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-22231076945840725922011-02-23T13:29:23.205-05:002011-02-23T13:29:23.205-05:00@Keriann On the Career Side: Establish an online p...@Keriann On the Career Side: Establish an online presence. It should be something you're comfortable with! I used to blog, but found vlogging was more my style so I do that now (I'm Thursday on the YA Rebels on youtube!). Whatever you choose to do, it shouldn't be about promotion 99% of the time, but more about conversation (if that makes sense). Talk to other writers, if you're blogging or vlogging, talk about things that you noticed or wondered about or felt something strong for and ask others opinions. Start conversations on twitter. Ask questions. You want to talk to people, not at them. You'll find there are a lot of damn cool people out there! Pretty soon you're making friends and having fun! <br /><br />Writing Side: Write. Writewritewrite. Read as much as you can. I like to think of it as my brain being a well. If I take words out to put them on a page, I need to read and put them back in! Edit. Kill your darlings! Every scene has to have a reason for being there or should be cut(even if it's awesome). KEEP EVERYTHING...everything you cut just paste it into a separate file! There were so many scenes I thought I had to cut and ended up using pieces and parts of later! Someone once told me if a beta reads and says your story is really good, ask them what you can do to make it great. <br />Know that you will cry. A lot. You will also laugh and scream and panic and dance. It's worth it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-65010691053458307912011-02-23T13:03:51.705-05:002011-02-23T13:03:51.705-05:00Hi Leah! I'm a brand-spanking-new writer so ev...Hi Leah! I'm a brand-spanking-new writer so everything is all very shiny and new and exciting. So I'm curious, do you have any tips for someone like me who is just starting out?<br /><br />PS - I'd love to win the contest :). And congratulations on your first published work!Keriann Greaney Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00584000678535698327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-34509837039833801832011-02-23T13:03:46.617-05:002011-02-23T13:03:46.617-05:00@Alicia haha Yeah, I worked at Cave of the Winds ...@Alicia haha Yeah, I worked at Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Colorado. They used to have an extreme tour that was 3 hours of crawling and climbing. Kneepads, headlamps, helmets...the whole bit. I also led the normal tours through the commercial part of the cave and lantern tours through a historical section. I also did many of the children's programs for the schools that came. While I lived in Colorado I was secretary of the Southern Colorado Mountain Grotto, did a ton of caving and some conservation work (delicate formations would be damaged by mud that people brought in on their shoes and clothing and we would carefully clean off formations with lint free cloth, hauling the dirty water out so as to not contaminate the cave). SO MUCH FUN! Some of the best years of my life!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-3435674301886752682011-02-23T12:49:31.526-05:002011-02-23T12:49:31.526-05:00Okay, this isn't a book related question, but ...Okay, this isn't a book related question, but I have to know more about when you were an extreme cave guide. Was this splunking?Aliciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03984224793995345630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-65738553084614119682011-02-23T12:23:22.955-05:002011-02-23T12:23:22.955-05:00Thanks Tere! <3Thanks Tere! <3Leah Cliffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13926107911534068011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-11717461819786008032011-02-23T12:21:31.409-05:002011-02-23T12:21:31.409-05:00Congrats, Leah!
I just downloaded the book yester...Congrats, Leah!<br /><br />I just downloaded the book yesterday, but haven't had a chance to read it yet, so don't enter me for the contest, but I just wanted to say how happy I am for you.<br /><br />Good luck with everything!Tere Kirklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13562750950130316280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454222325290313520.post-11134353131398336652011-02-23T11:53:51.239-05:002011-02-23T11:53:51.239-05:00@Lori Hi! Thanks! This one (A Touch Mortal) starte...@Lori Hi! Thanks! This one (A Touch Mortal) started with a short story I wrote years ago for a college class. I loved the scene and the characters and always wondered about what was going on. My trunked novel I think started with a scene too. Usually I'll have an exchange of dialogue pop into my head that references things or people I don't know and I'm like "Who are they talking about?" and I write to find out. lol ...yes, I know I sound crazy. I've made my peace with it! lol<br /><br />@Taffy Yes, I had an adult paranormal that I started to submit and realized I could do better. The plot wasn't too original and I didn't think I wanted to write adult for a career. So I pulled the novel and started writing A Touch Mortal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com