Writers on Wednesday ~ Cindy Bennett & Blog Tour

Today, Cindy Bennett is making a stop here on her blog tour for RAPUNZEL UNTANGLED. She has a great sense of humor and uses it in her writing.

Enjoy today's post:

Give us your elevator pitch.
 Rapunzel Untangled is the modern day version of her tale with witches, Facebook, and a charming non-prince.

What’s your favorite snack?
Lately I've been on a Ranch flavored Pringles kick. I know: fake chips, right? And they give me horrendous breath. Still, horrible as they are for me, they're pretty tasty.

What is your most memorable high school experience?
Meeting my husband. He was very outgoing and I was a complete wallflower, so he seemed very intimidating to me at first. He was a well-known football player and I tried to blend into the background, so we were a strange combination. I don't think I spoke more than 3 words to him when we first met, but somehow I managed to convince him to be my boyfriend anyway.

What was the first book that turned you into a reader?
Where the Wild Things Are is the first book I remember reading, but I think it was the Beezus and Ramona books by Beverly Cleary that really showed me that books can take you into worlds you'd want to live in, with characters you'd want for friends.

Are you a night owl or early bird?
Total night owl. Mornings and I don't get along at all. I'm usually up until anywhere between 3 and 5 a.m. and sleep until noon.

What is your favorite meal?
Homemade chicken enchiladas with white sauce. Yummmmmm.

What do you never leave home without?
Since I can't take my laptop (which is quite large and weighs 13 lbs) I take my phone which keeps me connected. Now if only I could somehow figure out how to write on it . . .

Do you have any pets?
 I currently have 3 dogs, which is weird because I'm not a dog person. But my husband and kids are, so there you go. I have another 2 dogs currently staying here with my daughter-in-law while my son is deployed to Qatar. 5 dogs!

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring writers?
Keep on writing, every single day, even if it's only for ten minutes at a time. While you're doing it, make sure you learn the mechanics of writing (spelling, grammar, punctuation) and utilize them while retaining your unique writers voice.

What are you goals for 2013?
Writing-wise I plan to finish the last two tales for Enchanted Fairytales by the end of February, complete the sci-fi collaboration I'm writing with Sherry Gammon and Jeffery Moore, finish a novella I'm writing for a paranormal/fantasy anthology due out in March or April, complete the sequel to Immortal Mine, and get a start on another novel that's been shoving its way into my brain. Personally I plan to try to spend more time with my family and at least pretend to clean my house once in a while.

Author Guest Spot with Cindy Bennett

I LOVED Geek Girl by Cindy Bennett! A good, clean book I can recommend to any teenager. Today I'm honored to have her as a guest here!

Which is More Effective: Writing a Query, or Hitting Your Head Against a Wall? 

by Cindy C Bennett

I have yet to meet an author who actually enjoys writing a query letter. There’s something not quite right about taking an 80,000 word manuscript that you’ve labored over for months, and then trying to condense that into about 300 words. Not only that, in those 300 words, you have to make your strongest sales point within the first 100 words. To give you an idea of how long that is, you are now reading the 78^th word. If this were my query, I’d only have this one last sentence to make an impression good enough to keep you reading.

So how do you go about writing a query? Well, the first thing you have to do is research. There are many, many sites out there with great advice about writing a query. Read as many of them as you can. They are all a little different, with different opinions or “rules” for a good query letter. There isn’t any one that is the absolute right way, and that’s because it all depends on who you’re sending the query to.

That means the second thing you want to do is search out the agents or publishers that you are going to submit to. They all have different guidelines, and depending on those will depend on how you format it. You’ll want to make sure you’re submitting to the right agent. If an agent states they represent children’s books, your query for your adult thriller is going to hit the circular file beneath their desk, or the virtual one on their desktop (read: recycle bin).

Almost always you want to begin with a hook, something that peaks the interest of the recipient. You can read samples galore on the internet. You just have to figure out how to make your letter sound interesting in one sentence. And you thought 300 words was ridiculously few. Somewhere in there you need to get in the title, genre, and word count—all very important pieces of information.

Next you’ll want to give a very brief synopsis of the book. This is not the same as a blurb. Cliff hanger type sentences don’t work here: “Will she give the baby up, or decide to raise him herself?” Instead say what does happen: “She decides to keep the baby, and then must deal with the consequences of that decision, including trying to keep the baby’s father involved.”

Finally, you have to toot your own horn. This is where I struggle most. Why should this agent/editor believe that I’m the best person to have written this particular book? If you’re writing non-fiction, this is much easier. With fiction, it can get a little sketchy, unless you’re writing about something you’ve specifically had experience with.

Another option is to take an online class with help on how to write a query. I did this after so many rejections came in I was beginning to fear both my mailbox and my email inbox. And then, ironically, I never sent any of those out since I decided to self-pub. But it came in handy when I did decide to submit once again, and it was a positive experience since I received a “yes” from Cedar Fort.

Whatever, and however, you choose to write the query, just be professional, clear and concise, and make sure your grammar, punctuation, and spelling are absolutely perfect. One mistake there and they will likely not give it a second glance. If all else fails, go ahead and hit your head against the wall a few times. It’s about equal in the painful department. (Just kidding! Please don’t hit your head against the wall.)

For an interview with Cindy and a review of her book GEEK GIRL, head over to my book review blog Book Addict.