Tag Archive - Are you the next Ted Dekker?

AYTNTD Update

January 12, 2010 in Journal with 3 Comments

OK, so I know there are lots of people out there ready to hunt me down. You’ve turned in your submission for the AYTNTD and have been waiting patiently by your computer wondering, “Did Kaiser read it? Why haven’t we heard anything? Has he been abducted and brainwashed? Assassinated by the CIA?” Well, the answers my friends are yes, because, no (I don’t think, but how would I really know?), and not yet.

Believe it or not, I am just now finishing up the last of the submissions this week. It’s taken me almost two months to get through them since I decided to read them all personally. Originally, my plan was to solicit the help of some colleagues and spread the work around. That felt too Wal-Mart-ish to me. You deserve better so I have read each one. Every. Word. And there are a lot of them, which is impressive. Impressive on your count, not that I read them. It’s exciting to see so many writers who are developing their craft patiently and consistently. I feel honored that you were willing to share your work with me. Seriously.

Where to from here? Well, I’m going to post the results on Monday. I know, I know—more waiting? It’ll be worth it. There isn’t time or space to give detailed feedback on individual submissions, but there are several comments I can make that apply across the board. I’ll outline the hits and misses that I came across and share how to tighten up your submission and focus your writing a bit more. Fair enough?

So, keep an eye out on Monday.Oh, and to the guy who put up a tent in the woods behind my house (yeah I’m talking to you). You can go home now. Even if your manuscript was awesome I just can’t represent a stalker in good conscience. It’s just–weird. Besides, I think my neighbor’s considering shooting at you.

Are You the Next Ted Dekker? Let’s Find out.

November 14, 2009 in Journal with 5 Comments

At 12:01 a.m. CT tonight, I’m opening up my inbox so you can submit your novel proposals for consideration. My hope is that, somewhere among the many submissions that I’m expecting, I’ll find a talented novelist ready to go the next step. There’s no guarantee, of course, that that will happen. Being ready is really in your hands, not mine.

So, let’s get started on how this will work.
I will only consider, submissions that meet the following criteria:

  • Full length, adult works of Fiction. That means novels with a word count of 80,000+ No short stories, short story collections, anthologies, young adult novels, screenplays, or blog entries stapled together and delivered in a Trapper Keeper will be considered. I am not interested in non-fiction works at this time, so please no business, self-help, 7 Steps to (fill in the blank), spirituality books, etc.. They will not be considered. Your novel does not have to be currently finished, but you must commit to completing it within 90 days if you are chosen.
  • Works that can be published as Suspense or Thriller. I am not interested in children’s books, romance tales, or Amish stories (especially Amish romance). Other than those limitations, you may mix genre as long as your story has strong suspense elements. Remember, I’m looking for the next Thriller writer.
  • Works that have not been previously published. Goes without saying, but I’m just saying.

If you were able to check all three boxes then continue reading. If you were NOT able to check all three, you stand at a fork in the road. You can either change your plan or wait until next time to see if you’re what I’m looking for, but please do not try to slip through with something that I don’t want. It’ll only make me grumpy.

For those who are on to the next step, here’s the “what I want and how I want it” part. Please read this next section very carefully. Continue Reading…

Are you the next Ted Dekker? (Part 2)

September 15, 2009 in Journal with 17 Comments

Like I mentioned in my post on September 2nd (“Are You The Next Ted Dekker”), I think the next best selling author could very well be reading this blog right now. That person may be you. And, if that’s the case, I want to give you the chance to break through the noise and get noticed. This business of publishing is tough to break into. I understand that, and I want to help you, or at least give you a chance to be heard. How am I going to do that? Well, I’m going to do something that other agents would call me crazy for doing: I’m going to invite you to send me your novel proposal.

It’s crazy, I know. An agent asking for submissions? Well, this could be a gamble that pays off for both of us, so I’m willing to go the extra mile or two.

Now, before you hit SEND on that email to me, you need to understand that there are ground rules that I’m putting in place for your sanity and mine (mostly mine). I’m going to outline them here, but I’ve also created a summary of these guidelines that you can DOWNLOAD HERE AS A PDF. Please take the time to read them carefully. Because of the large number of submissions I am expecting, you must follow the guidelines detailed on this one-sheet. If you do not follow these instructions, your submission will not be considered. No exceptions.  It’s not that I don’t like you; I just need some guidelines to help make the process smoother for both of us.

So, let’s get started, shall we? Continue Reading…