Whoops, Questions And Chat

January 13, 2010 in Site Stuff | 15 comments

I write my posts and schedule them ahead of time. Sometimes, I mix the schedules up and the blog posts several things a day without me realizing (it’s either user error or a robot takeover… you decide!). That happened today and I’ve taken the two extra posts off and will save them for this coming Friday and Monday. (Those who commented on the posts already, your comments have been saved and will be visible when I put the posts up again.) Sorry!

Also, I’m getting a lot of comments and want to make sure I’m answering your burning questions. I try to catch as many as I can but sometimes I moderate a whole bunch of comments at once and a few questions slip through. Feel free to use this post to comment with a question, and I’ll be able to see and herd your questions more easily.

Finally, I’m going to be live chatting tomorrow, Thursday the 14th, at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on Twitter, using the hashtag #scribechat. I’ll answer questions about the contest but you can also just say hello or ask me other agenting or publishing questions. To follow along, log on to your Twitter and do a search for #scribechat at the appointed time. Or you can use a site like Tweetchat.com to make it easier. You can find more info on the chat here: ScribeChat.com.

UPDATED TO ADD: Click here for the chat transcript. That was a lot of fun! Ellen Hopkins was there for a while and had some great things to say about writing and attending conferences.

Related posts:

  1. Publishing/Query/Writing/Agent Questions
  2. Awesome Link: Teens’ Big Life Questions
  3. Quick Note
  4. Welcome New Readers!

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  1. Fleur Bradley’s avatar

    Fleur Bradley on January 13, 2010 at 9:27 am

    This posting chaos has happened to me, and I’m sure it’s a robot takeover :-)

    Looking forward to the tweetchat!

  2. Bane’s avatar

    Bane on January 13, 2010 at 9:34 am

    Thanks for being so accommodating to our questions. You’re an amazing, generous resource.

  3. Mary’s avatar

    Mary on January 13, 2010 at 9:40 am

    Bane — Er, you’re welcome… Have you been taking happy pills today? :)

  4. Bane’s avatar

    Bane on January 13, 2010 at 9:52 am

    Nah — I wouldn’t know happy if it smacked me upside the head with a bottle of Haldol. Just think you do a lot for the community, and, while some of it is ultimately self-serving (i.e., better informed writers creating better products that you might one day rep), I appreciate it.

    And I promise I won’t send you a query in the next day or two now that I’ve got all this brown on my nose :)

  5. Emily M.’s avatar

    Emily M. on January 13, 2010 at 10:06 am

    I’ve really enjoyed your blog, and I appreciate the opportunity to ask questions. I’m wondering about querying picture books–how many picture book manuscripts should you have ready (polished, shimmering, perfect) before you query an agent? I’ve heard at least ten. Is this true? In a query letter for picture books, would you mention that you have other manuscripts, or just focus on the one you’re sending?

  6. Kristi’s avatar

    Kristi on January 13, 2010 at 10:56 am

    Ugh – this is one of the rare moments when I wished I understood Twitter but even the word “hashtags” scares me. :) Hope it goes well though!

    Bane – lol. Also, if it helps, the clients I see who take Haldol are usually not happy either — they just have fewer voices telling them to strip naked and walk in traffic :)

  7. Siski Green’s avatar

    Siski Green on January 13, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    Bane, turquoise/yellow/violet/fuchsia/red/green noses are so overrated. On Mary’s blog, a brown nose is definitely a sign of good taste.
    (And with that, my brown nose goes another shade deeper!)

  8. Mary’s avatar

    Mary on January 13, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    Bane and Siski — Uh, thanks guys. And here I thought you were all hanging out with me because of my sense of humor! :P

  9. Cassandra’s avatar

    Cassandra on January 13, 2010 at 5:02 pm

    I must say, I’m also a big fan of your blog, Mary. It’s so informative, really interesting, always something new to discuss – often times something I’m wondering about. It’s like you read my mind, sometimes.

    I have a few questions for you:

    What’s the best and/or hardest part of being a lit. agent?

    What’s your best advice to people who have finished their novel and are planning to query agents in the near future?

    Thanks for your great blog! Helping the writers of today hone their craft to be the published authors of tomorrow. (Hey, I think I have a slogan for you!) : – }

  10. Lia Keyes’s avatar

    Lia Keyes on January 13, 2010 at 6:46 pm

    Kristi – Lia Keyes, the host of $scribechat here! Don’t worry if you’re too intimidated to attend a Twitter chat. A transcript of the chat will be available by Friday morning both here and at http://scribechat.com, so you won’t miss anything except the chance to ask your own questions.

    If that’s important to you, why not try opening a Twitter account, then enter http://Tweetchat.com into your browser url window and sign in using your twitter id. Enter #scribechat into the search window provided, and that’s all you have to do. All the tweets appear (hopefully) close to real time before your very eyes. It’s magic!

  11. Jackee’s avatar

    Jackee on January 13, 2010 at 7:24 pm

    Brown-nosing aside, we can get publishing information anywhere. I think a lot of us DO come here for your sense of humor and the lovely way you word things.

    Now if only I can figure out that stupid Twitter thing…

  12. Lynn Rush’s avatar

    Lynn Rush on January 14, 2010 at 5:58 am

    Ah, crumb. I can’t go to the chat. I’m bummed. I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for the scribechat info, Lia.

    Have a great day, everyone.

  13. Kristi’s avatar

    Kristi on January 14, 2010 at 8:43 am

    Lia – thanks so much for the info. I’ll be at my hubby’s show tonight (he’s a singer/songwriter), but will definitely read the chat later. Thanks again!

  14. Lia Keyes’s avatar

    Lia Keyes on January 15, 2010 at 12:55 am

    Thanks to all of you who attended the chat tonight – you certainly made it a lively event! For those of you who missed the chat the transcript is up at http://www.scribechat.com/?p=355

    Mary, you’re a good sport and a generous spirit! I hope you find that submission that makes your heart beat a little faster.

  15. Barbara Bayne’s avatar

    Barbara Bayne on January 31, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    Mary,
    Thanks so much for the insider info you offer on your blog, it’s humorous and realistic at the same time. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the future of e-books sometime.