Is Your Manuscript Pretty?

I had it pointed out to me that it doesn't matter if you write Pulitzer prize quality material. If it doesn't look good it'll never be read. Don't believe me? Fine, but can you afford not to? If your manuscript has lengthy paragraphs, say over 2-3 sentences per and not much dialogue then it's probably destined for the rejection pile.

I've heard from an eyewitness that agents and editors actually flip through your manuscript and may not read it at all based on the way the pages look. I've read that you should avoid large blocks of exposition but I didn't realize that it was because of the way it looks on the page I just thought it was because it'd bore your readers to tears. So you need to make it pretty. Leave plenty of white space and keep your paragraphs short.

I know I've harped on the Marshall Plan for Novel Writing a lot on this blog but listen to this. In a 400 page work an agent/editor will flip to page 100, 200,& 300 to make sure you have your turning points in place. Just as Evan Marshall tells us to do. He is an agent after all so he should know.

So add making a pretty manuscript to your list of things to do if you want to get published.

Agent Interview: Evan Marshall, The Evan Marshall Agency

Evan Marshall owner of The Evan Marshall Agency reveals his pet peeves, thoughts on electronic readers and self publishing and a word of advice to new writers in this interview.


MP: I know that you don't like receiving novels that have a hero named Evan or manuscript submissions on pink perfumed paper. Can you share your top five pet peeves regarding manuscript submissions?


EM:

1. When it’s a type of book I don’t handle, like a children’s book or even nonfiction. Writers must to their homework when approaching agents, or they’re wasting everyone’s time, including their own.

2. When the cover letter tries to educate me about what the public wants, and why this book fits the bill. I hope that as an agent I have a pretty good idea of what the public wants. Let the book speak for itself.

3. When the cover letter says the book is designed for fast, easy reading or is “dumbed down."

4. When a manuscript reads more like an extended synopsis—showing rather than telling.

5. When a manuscript starts with tons of backstory and explanation, instead of launching right into the action.

MP: How do you feel the recent explosion of self publishing has impacted the industry?

EM: Self-publishing is an exciting development for writers, but many self-published books are of inferior quality and sell poorly. Every so often a self-published book is extremely successful and a traditional publisher picks it up. I would say this is the main impact of self-publishing: that these “gems” are given a test run that proves their appeal.

MP: Do you think electronic readers such as Kindle will increase the demand for books?

EM: Yes, I do. I know a number of people who now read more on their electronic readers than they did with traditional printed books. Anything that pulls in more readers is a good thing.

MP: Are there specific writer's conferences that you normally attend? Do you still do sessions on The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing at conferences?

EM: I don’t attend as many writers conferences as I used to, since my client list is very full and time is at a premium. But I sometimes attend the conferences of Romance Writers of America and Romantic Times BOOKreviews (as you can see, I handle a lot of romance!). I haven’t done sessions on The Marshall Plan® in a while, but I receive a lot of requests and may start again soon.

MP: When you're looking at taking on a new client is their writing the only important thing or does their ability and willingness to market themselves play a role as well?

EM: Yes, a savvy, aggressive promoter is quite attractive to me—and to publishers. Many writers have reached success largely through their own marketing efforts.

MP: What's your best piece of advice for a new writer?

EM: Target one genre of book—the one you most like to read—and read heavily and constantly in it to see what other writers are doing and to think up ideas that haven’t been done. Focus all of your efforts on selling in this genre. Don’t jump around.

If you'd like to learn more about Evan Marshall's Template Generator or his views from an authors stand point take a look at these articles:

Author Interview: Evan Marshall
Software Review: The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator

Author Interview: Evan Marshall

Like many of us Evan Marshall has more than a full time day job and still manages to find time to write. He's also president of the Evan Marshall Agency and a software designer. Wondering what his creative process is? Read on:

MP: How long does it take you to plot a new novel?

EM: It takes me a solid month to plot a mystery, with all the twists, turns, and surprises to my satisfaction.

MP: After it's plotted how long does it take to write it? Do you find that it's easier/faster to plot/write subsequent novels?

EM: Writing the novel takes me approximately four months. Unfortunately, plotting never gets easier, because like many writers I’m always trying to top myself, come up with something fresh and different my readers will like. One thing that does help is the novel-writing system I devised some time ago—The Marshall Plan®—which I have presented in The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing and several other books, and which I have just released in software form. The program is called The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing Template Generator. It does the heavy plotting/structuring work for you, so that you’re free to be really creative in your story.

MP: Do you talk about your novel while it's in process or keep it close? If you share it, let us know who the lucky person is.

EM: I keep it very close. I find that no matter how much a story element might excite me, I can never quite convey it to other people, and their odd looks or well-meaning discouragement takes the wind right out of my sails. So when friends and family ask me what my book is about, I smile and say, “I don’t want to spoil it for you.”

MP: Do you have a group of first readers or a critique group you share the edited manuscript with? If not, how do you feel about critique groups in general?

EM: No, I have never worked with first readers or critique groups. The first person to see my manuscript is always my editor. I think critique groups can be quite effective if members are truly knowledgeable about each other’s chosen genre; otherwise, they can do more harm than good.

MP: How many revisions do you generally do before you're satisfied with the finished product?

EM: Once my manuscript is all down, I finally allow myself to print it out, and this is when the heavy editing starts. I do one extremely rigorous edit—changing things, moving things around, reinforcing elements, making everything consistent, planting additional clues—and key in all of these changes. Then I print out again and do what I call my medium edit; this most closely resembles the traditional manuscript edit. I key these changes in, print out again, and do what I call my cosmetic edit. Here is where I look for repeated words, overuse of adjectives or adverbs, and scenes that run too long. I keep editing and printing out until I literally can find nothing I want to change.

MP: What sort of marketing do you do for your books after they are published?

EM: Most of my marketing is done via my email lists and website. I find that the Internet is the perfect way to reach mystery readers.

MP: Other than The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing and it's attending Template Generator, what are the top three writing books on your shelf?

EM: It’s hard to pick favorites, but three that were very helpful to me early on were Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea to Finished Manuscript by Robert C. Meredith and John D. Fitzgerald; Guide to Fiction Writing by Phyllis A. Whitney; and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Davd King.

MP: What's your next project?

EM: My next project is the third book in my new series, the Hidden Manhattan mysteries. The first book, Death is Disposable, is already out and I’m proud to say it has received wonderful reviews. The second book, Evil Justice, will be out in December. The series features Anna Winthrop, a New York City Sanitation garage supervisor with an eye for solving murders. But that’s all I can tell you now. I don’t want to spoil it for you. ; )

evan marshall

Software Review: The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator

How would you like to write a novel that is so well crafted it grabs your reader by the throat, shoves them up against the wall and doesn't let go until they've finished it? If you're going to write it you'll need to plot and as I pointed out a couple of weeks ago plotting ain't for weinies.

While I was in the midst of my plotting angst I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator. I had used Evan Marshall's book to guide me in targeting a genre, determining word length, and number of scenes/characters. I had actually written my plot in the form of a word document instead of writing everything out on the scene cards he provides and thought I had it covered.

When I received the Template Generator and started plugging in my plot I found out differently. Using Evan Marshall's software program forced me to really think about some things that I hadn't realized were issues. It helped me to identify the need for two additional subplots and helped me to fill in some gaps in my story that I hadn't seen before. The program is easy to use and I can guarantee that I'll be using it to plot from now on.

Here's what Evan Marshall had to say about The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator:

MP: The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator is a natural extension of your books. Can you tell us how it came into existence?

EM: Ever since my first Marshall Plan® book, The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing, came out ten years ago, I have received mail from writers asking if the system is available in software form. The system does lend itself perfectly to a computer program. Once I started to think about converting the system into software, I knew exactly how I wanted it to be, so rather than hire a developer, I took several years to teach myself how to program, and created the software myself. And it’s exactly what I wanted it to be—a program that helps you answer some key questions about the novel you plan to write, then generates a “template” or detailed plot structure for that novel, with the proper number of viewpoint characters, the idea number of scenes, and all of them in their proper place and order. It really works! And there’s no other program like it.

MP: Most of us are either left brained or right brained. Writing is definitely a right brain activity. How difficult was it for you to switch to the left brain activity of programming?

EM: I thought learning programming would be a nightmare, but I love it, because it’s actually more right-brain than people think. I found creating the software—deciding on its design, its look, keeping it clean and simple but effective—was extremely creative. I’m working on two more exciting new programs now.

MP: How long did it take to complete the software?

EM: All in all, about four years.

MP: What's your favorite aspect of The Template Generator software?

EM: That you can keep changing your mind about any number of elements—word length, number of viewpoint characters, whether to include a romantic thread, whether to make your antagonist visible or “invisible” (as in a mystery), and so on—and the program automatically readjusts your template. This feature makes it very easy for a writer to try out different ideas to see what works best.

MP: Do you recommend that people purchase The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing in addition to the Template Generator? Why or why not?

EM: The program is designed to stand completely on its own, so that it’s not necessary to read the book, but for people who want to reinforce some of the ideas in my system and read more deeply, it can’t hurt.

MP: Where can we purchase The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator software?

EM: At my website: www.marshall-plan.com. There you’ll find a detailed explanation of the program and what it does, with numerous screen shots.

evan marshall

Author Interviews Coming Up

We've got some author interviews coming up in the next few weeks. Here's a short list of who you can expect.

• Evan Marshall, author, agent, software designer
• Pat Carr author of Death of a Confederate Soldier
• Stephen R. Donaldson author of the Thomas Covenant series
• Marilyn Collins author of Write History Right
• Radine Trees Nehring author of the To Die For mystery series
• J.A. Jance New York Times Bestselling Author

And lots of others. If there are any questions you have for these authors or any authors you'd like to hear from leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.