Hello everyone!

This week, I’m sharing everything I have learned from experience and research about the important things to pay attention to when submitting a manuscript.

1. Following instructions
   Every literary agency/agent has their own specifications. Although they generally need the same things (query letter, proposal/synopsis, manuscript) they have different specifications when it comes to method of delivery and format. For example, many agents don’t want your manuscript attached to their email. They prefer you copy and paste it into the email itself. READ INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING A QUERY!
2. Finding an agent
   You can find agents/agencies online and at events like writers conferences.
3. Researching your agent’s requirements.
   Before contacting an agent/agency, make sure you research them. Know what genres they represent, when authors they have represented in the past, and read a book or two in your genre that they have published before. This information will help you know if they are the appropriate agent/agency for you and it will help you write a stronger, more specific query letter.
4. Know your word count
   When querying, most agents will ask you for a word count. They need to know the size of your book. If you use a program like MS Word, it will display word count at the bottom of the page. If you do not have a completed manuscript, you can estimate your word count by how many pages you want you book to be. It is generally calculated at about 250 words per page if you have 12pt. Times New Roman font on an 8.5X11 size page with 1 inch margins. According to Writer’s Digest, a memoir is treated like a fiction novel and is generally between 70,000-100,000 words. 
5. Know your genre
   Know your genre. The more confident you are about your genre the easier it is for the agent to sell your book to a publisher. If you think your book is in between genres then provide the agent with solid examples of existing books in those genres to show them where it belongs in the market.
6. Chapters/index
   Depending on the agent and genre, you might have to submit either chapters or an index with your manuscript. This can be difficult to do when you haven’t finished writing the book but it’s important for you and for you agent to know that you have the book planned out even if it isn’t finished.
7. Font, margins, document formatting.
   For me, formatting is the most tedious part of submitting a manuscript. As I mentioned before, agents/agencies have different requirements as to how they want the manuscript formatted. This includes the font, the size of the font, the size of the page, the size of the margins on the page, the order of the contents in the manuscript, the location of your name on each page, the location of the page number on each page, etc. As tedious and time consuming as this can be, it is extremely important because agents will refuse to read your manuscript if it isn’t formatted to their specifications.

I hope you found the information in this blog helpful. In my next few blogs, I will continue to explore each of these topics and break them down further with more resources and experiences I’ve had.

As always, thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read my blogs and shared your advice and experiences with me. I’m in this writer’s journey like all of you and I hope to continue learning from you all as well.

If you have any advice or personal experiences to share about the information in this blog, please comment below or contact me personally through the contact form on “contact” page.
You can also sign up for my newsletter on the bottom of the page for updates on my writing.


Next Wednesday’s blog will be about my (scary) process of learning how to write a query letter.

Until then…
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Happy Writing! :)


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As I am working through the editing/revision process of my memoir, I'm learning new ways of improving my process from my personal experience, feedback from my critique group, and suggestions from professional editors. Although I am still figuring out my process as I go, here are some tips that have helped me:

1. Fresh eyes. I mention this in my previous blog, but looking at your work with fresh eyes is extremely important in the editing/revision process because of how tedious this part of the process can be. Make sure you take regular breaks and step away from your computer to keep yourself from getting bogged down in the details. It’s easier to catch mistakes and get new ideas with fresh eyes.
2. Read out loud. I’ve heard this advice from several people, including professional editors. If you are like me, you tend to overwrite at times. I took this advice to heart and began reading my work out loud. It helped me simplify sentence structures and give my writing a more conversational (less formal) tone.
3. Revision first. After I shared my previous blog “Editing and Revision Process” on a Facebook group, one of you mentioned in the comments how important it is to distinguish between the major revision process and the editing process. Always do your major revisions first. It can be a huge waste of time if I start editing and then realize I need to cut out big chunks or add in new chunks to my essay. I always go through and address the essays that need major revisions before I get into line editing.
4. Critique Groups. I’ve mentioned this in previous blogs but having a critique group is priceless! Show your work to people you trust such as critique/writing group members to get new eyes on it. You can find critique groups online. If you live in the Atlanta area, you can find critique groups based on your genre through the Atlanta Writers Club. If you lack access to a group, find a friend or two that you trust who will give you helpful constructive feedback.
5. Beta Readers. As one of you mentioned in the comments of my previous blog, beta readers are very helpful. Gather a few people that are willing to read your work and give you feedback. If you are having a hard time finding people in your network, Facebook writing groups are a good place to put out a call for beta readers.
6. Get a professional editor (if possible). It can be expensive to get a professional freelance editor, however, if you can afford it, it is a worthwhile investment. This way, you will know exactly what to revise or edit before you even pitch your manuscript to an agent. You can go to websites like www.thewritershigh.com to find great freelance editors online.
7. Use feedback wisely. I have had the opportunity to get many eyes on parts of my manuscript. I have received feedback from my professors, critique group members, classmates, a professional editor, and my husband. That’s a lot of feedback! Although these are all people whose opinion I value and whose feedback I trust, this is my memoir. At the end of the day, I need to have the discretion to know what feedback to incorporate and what to ignore. Sometimes people might give you feedback that will take your work in a different (not necessarily bad) direction. It is up to you to decide where you want your final product to go. I talk more about how to make the best of your feedback and develop critiquing skills (giving and receiving critiques) in my blog “Developing Critiquing Skills.”
8. Read about it. When it comes to line editing and improving grammar skills there are many great books out there. One book that was recommended to me by a professional editor was Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. Although the book is for fiction writers, it works well for memoir as well. It includes exercises and funny cartoons that help you improve your editing skills. 

As always, I am humbled and encouraged by all of you who take time to read my blogs and share your advice/experiences with me. You all keep me motivated!


Please continue to share your advice/experiences regarding the revision/editing process with me in the comments.


Next Wednesday’s blog will be about the process of submitting a manuscript.
Until then…
​

Happy Writing! :)


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Writing is the fun part for me because I get to be creative and make something new. However, editing is just as important if not more important in my writing process.
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In this video, I want to share with you the importance of this process and how I have structured my own editing/revision process over time.
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​Thank you for watching and I hope you found this blog useful!


Again, thank you to all of you who have been reading/watching my blogs and sharing your advice and experiences with me. You all keep me motivated to keep posting.
Please share your thoughts on this blog with me in the comments below and feel free to share it with other writers who might find it useful.


In my next blog, I will give you all some editing and revising tips that I have learned from my critique groups, professors, and professional editors.
Until then...
​

Happy Writing! :)


Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽

Art by Loso F. Perez of Prime Vice Studios
Creative Consulting by Dan “DTM” Flores
Edited in iMovie

Memoirs are personal. As a memoir writer, you give readers a glimpse into your private life in the book. Although it is about you, it has to be built around universal themes that others can relate to. The things we experience in life might be unique to us, but our emotions and reactions to those experiences are often universal. When writing a memoir, you have to be aware of the universal themes you are building your story around.

My memoir is a collection of essays that aren’t in chronological order. The way my memoir is structured, it is even more important for me to have strong universal themes tying all of the essays together.

The big question is, how do you sift through your entire eventful life to find (a) common universal theme(s) for your memoir that will engross your readers?

1. Write, write, write. The more essays you write about your life, the more themes you will see emerging from your writing. I realized which themes I was most comfortable with and inclined to write about once I had a few essays under my belt.
2. If you are older or have experienced many things in your life at a young age, it is best to pick one part of your life to build the memoir around. Make your memoir an exploration of your life based around that one significant moment/experience/person/etc. That way you will have a focus for the universal theme(s) of your memoir.
3. Tell your story out loud to others. Talking about the part of your life you want to write about in the memoir will help you figure out what the main themes in your story are based on what peaks your listener’s interest.
4. Don’t start with a rigid theme/structure in mind. It helps to have a general idea of where you want to go with your memoir but don’t be rigid about the direction before you start writing. That will make your process more analytical and less authentic. Let your writing show you the way.
5. A universal theme helps connect your readers to you on a level beyond your specific experiences. For this reason, it is important to be able to see and analyze your life beyond your personal situations. I’ve said this before in multiple blogs but writing a memoir is like going to a therapist. You have to be able to dig deep.

These are a few strategies that have helped me become clearer over time about what the universal themes in my memoir are and how to make sure they are consistent through all parts of the book. I hope you found this useful!

Thank you to those of you who have been taking the time to share your experiences and advice with me on these blogs and on social media. You all keep me motivated to keep writing. 
Please share your experiences with me in the comments below on how you were able to find (a) strong universal theme(s) for your memoir because I am always looking to improve my writing process!

Next week’s blog is about the editing/revising part of my writing process. Until then…
​
Happy Writing! :)


Find me on social media. Links at the bottom of the page 👇🏽