Posts from — July 2009

Romance writer Marcia King-Gamble is in love with writing. And after twenty-five published books, her love has paid off. WordHustler sat down with Marcia to discuss query letters, finding an agent, and how everyone deserves a happy ending.

Read on to get inspired, then write your own happily ever after!

WordHustler: You’ve been reading romance novels since you were 6 years old, but how long have you been writing? Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote?

Marcia King-Gamble: It seems I have been writing most of my life.  My mother, who was a teacher, tells the story of taking me to her classes at age three and watching me scribble furiously as she spoke. She didn’t realize I was following her curriculum until one day she discovered I was actually writing. She called those stories my childhood fantasies.

In terms of actually creating adult stories, I’ve always had one story or another roaming around in my head. I wrote short stories in college, joined my local Romance Writers group years later, and had my first book published in 1998. Today I am still going strong and enjoying every bit of what I do.

WH: What were some of your favorite books when you were growing up? What about when you were a teenager?

MKG: Too many to mention but I’ll give it a try. I grew up on a British Caribbean Island and read what I got my hands on. Books like: Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women, Jo’s Boys, etc.

These stories took me to far away places and fueled an already fertile imagination. In between I indulged a forbidden pleasure- I was after all six. I read Mills and Boon books – back then they didn’t even have sex. Now you know why I am a die-hard romantic

WH: What about romance writing draws you to it? Do you write any other genres of books?

MKG: I still believe in the happily ever after. We all need to believe that somewhere out there is a good fit. It helps us endure the dating nightmares.  Romance writing is about feel good stories and keeping hope alive. I have written mainstream books that wouldn’t exactly be classified as romance – This Way Home (paranormal), (contemporary), Hook Line & SingleMeet Phoenix (action adventure) – to name a few.

WH: You’ve written well over twenty-five books and have been published by Kensington, St. Martin’s Press, BET, and Harlequin. How did you go about finding an agent? Or did you send your book to publishers and get it published first?

MKG: I’ve actually had three agents throughout that process. When I first started out, I had already submitted to a publisher and gotten the nod. Then I got an agent. Agents are wonderful for helping with the negotiation process.

WH: What advice would you give writers for crafting a great query letter?

MKG: The query letter is an opportunity to showcase your voice so put your all into it.  In a succinct manner, tell the editor or publisher who you are and what story you have to tell. Mention a relevant movie or a best selling book that is similar. Add your unique plot twist and your writing credentials – even if modest, like contributions to  a company newsletter or poetry awards. The query letter should be a one-page sales pitch. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

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Mashable has a great article up about the 100 Best Writers using Twitter today that is worthy of checking out. In the ever-changing web world of marketing what you write, the authors who use Twitter to both entertain and stay relevant are on top of their game. Read the article HERE.

Speaking of all things Tweet-able, WordHustler’s Twitter is up and running and we’d love you to connect with us! You can find us @wordhustler or check out our page HERE.

Thousands of writing songbirds tweeting our name? We can’t wait to hear it! Tweet on, Hustlers!

Gather round, boys and girls, and prepared to be transported to a magical world of…publishing success. That’s right. Ann Whitford Paul is the proud author of 19 children’s books and a brand-new, uber-helpful tome: “Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication.”

WordHustler was lucky enough to be able to sit down with Ann to ask about her writing experiences, being represented, and getting published…many, many times. Stay tuned at the end of the interview for a special trivia question about children’s books- the winner receives a free copy of Ann’s “Writing Picture Books” (and will be that much closer to children’s book success themselves!).

So here we go! Once upon a time…

WordHustler: How did you get into writing? I know you studied Sociology, then decided to pursue children’s book writing after having your own children. How did you actually go about doing it (getting represented, getting published, etc)?

Ann Whitford Paul: Reading books to my children inspired me to try writing books that other grown-ups and children could share.  I thought since the books were short, they would be easy too.  Ha!  Their briefness is exactly what makes them so difficult.  I wrote for five years before I sold my first book (published in 1986 and long out of print).  I did not work with an agent until after I’d sold my second book.  Since then I’ve had several different agents and am now representing myself.

WH: What were some of your favorite books as a child? What were some of your children’s favorite books?

AWP: My favorite books as a child were THE STORY OF FERDINAND and THE SECRET GARDEN, both of which I still enjoy and my children did too.  Their favorite books were CURIOUS GEORGE and they loved Russell Hoban’s FRANCES books, too.

WH: Do you feel like there is a big difference between children’s books today and the books you read to your children?

AWP: There’s a huge difference between the books today and the books my kids loved.  First of all, books are much bigger in size and brighter.  Publishers understand that glitzy covers entice customers in bookstores to pick up a book.  Also I think books are much louder and filled with lots and lots of action.  This is a shame.  Children in this noisy and fast-paced world need slower quieter books more than ever.

WH: Besides yourself, of course, who are some of your favorite children’s book writers out there?

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