Search options (Page 14 of 58)

I don't question your experience in the industry. I agree that the genre is important to the agent/publisher going forward with marketing, etc.  What I don't agree with is that it is imperative to know what that genre might ultimately be in the eye of said agent/publisher. My point is that you pick the genre the way you see it and then don't waste a lot of time worrying about whether it is "right" or not. If the agent/publisher thinks it should be something different (and not everyone is going to agree) then they will use whatever they deem the most marketable for them.

Personal story. My first query letter many years ago when I didn't know what a query letter was and made no mention of genre got a very positive response. I had recently joined a writers' group and the initial reaction to my first presentation was that it read like an English 101 essay. It was suggested I change the voice to that of the child protagonist -- much the same way the original To Kill a Mockingbird was switched to the voice of Scout, not the adult. After making the voice switch on the first few chapters, I received many wows and decided I was ready for the big time.

I sent a letter to a reputable agent in NY with no mention of genre as I had no idea what should be in a query letter. I simply wrote the letter in the same voice as the child protagonist and explained my fits and starts in completing the story over many years due to putting food in my belly, etc. The agent responded in the same voice as my letter requesting a sample of three chapters or fifty pages (not sure exactly what it was all these years later) which I sent. Still no mention of genre by me or the agent.

The agent then requested the full manuscript suggesting it might fit in mid-grade. I sent the full manuscript with my opinion that it might not be suitable for mid-grade as the story evolved into more colorful language and graphic activities associated with coming of age. My mistake was that in my eagerness, I did not take the time to revise the rest of the manuscript into the same voice and gentler presentation. Thus the full manuscript was rejected, but it had nothing to do with me not placing it within a specific genre with my query letter. That is my point. Sure, you should state the genre in your query, but not being certain of what that genre is should not be a problem to lose sleep over. It is more of a big deal for the agent/publisher than it is for the author and said agent/publisher knows where to put it if the story has merit. That's the way I see it. Take care. Vern

Oh yeah, you're cool. Take care. Vern

I have no doubt that a marketer might put a book in a specific genre for promotion, but if what you state is the case, then give me an example or two of a book which has no elements of any genre other than the one it supposedly fits. And also show me any submission requirements which would state that a book must fit one and only one genre and that genre must be picked by the author in advance. And why would there be such a thing as crossover if a book must fit entirely in one specific genre? Call me skeptical.  Thanks. Take care. Vern

I use quite a bit of dialect in my novel Root Hog or Die and have found that reviewers are about evenly split between loving it and not so much. I did lighten it a smidgen over time, but nothing drastic. I finally decided to leave it up to any future publisher/agent as to whether it stays in the current form or is reduced or eliminated. I find it much easier to do away with dialect than to create it in the first place. For any who might be considering using dialect in their writing, it is basically a crap shoot. Take care. Vern

Well, that's all well and good and correct I suppose, but if someone asks what it "is" it seems better to describe some of its features than to simply say it is not something else. Its rather difficult to prove a negative so I guess that's why no one (other than the ones who decide to publish it) really knows what literary fiction is -- it is not. Take care. Vern

I'm pretty sure that in this statement,
" I set it up in the narrative and then let the profanity and the weirdness distinguish his dialogue. Without using ums and uhs or stuttering or whatever."
John said nothing about not tarnishing dialogue with swearing -- not his point. Thus it is very difficult to use John's use of swearing to prove one's point based upon a point he never made. Or are we now allowed to discuss politics in the forums again? Oh well, it was worth a shot. Take care. Vern

My mantra for speaker tags (feel free to borrow it): "Let the words (dialogue) and actions show the tone and/or state of mind of the speaker." Yes, there may be a few exceptions as with every rule, but there should not be many imnho. Take care. Vern

You could rearrange it to eliminate any doubt: "Caligula's peers called him Bastardus Minusculus in his youth. However, once his brilliance was recognized, the epithet became associated with a great honor similar to the Nobel Prize during the late second and third millennia." or such.
Take care. Vern

A good book and a good story are whatever the audience deems it to be. Period. Granted, in most cases, your audience is not going to be ecstatic about a book which is sloppily written, full of errors, undeveloped characters, ridiculous dialogue, torturous descriptions, no plot, no tension, slow as molasses, etc., but a few minor deviations from the "publishers norm" are most likely not going to be a stake in the heart. The only "concrete rule" is the one which states "There are no concrete rules." That's the way I see it. Take care. Vern

You always have been allowed to edit up to the contest deadline. I doubt that has changed. It would be kind of useless to have reviews if you couldn't. Take care. Vern

Personally, "She is a donkey" without any context says a lot more and more subtly than spelling out what has not been mentioned with four times as many words which in no way covers all the characteristics which might be attributed to the simple four word phrase. Take care. Vern

Here's a start, but a google search will give you about 10,800,000 more sources. Take care. Vern

Metaphor vs simile
Metaphor vs Simile. Metaphor and simile are often confused due to their similarities. But in fact, the two imply different aspects of language. Just to start with, we can say that a simile is a metaphor, but all metaphors are not similes.
Difference Between Metaphor and Simile
www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-metaphor-and-simile/

Is this answer helpful?
What is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?
https://www.dailywritingtips.com/what-i … between...

The terms metaphor and simile are slung around as if they meant exactly the same thing. A simile is a metaphor, but not all metaphors are similes.
Simile and Metaphor—What’s the Difference? | Grammarly
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/whats-th … tween-a...

Simile vs. Metaphor Quiz. Both similes and metaphors add color and depth to language. Share your favorite similes and metaphors in the comments! Grammarly is a must-have
I