Possible Memorable Items to Include

Here are a few items that can help expand your love writing.. Of course, these items will transition with your intention, style, and voice.

1. Start by acknowledging event. The place, day and time.

2. What was your emotional state at time? Did you feel sad, say so. Angry, shocked, or confused, say so. Even love letters and journals have more than one emotion. Were you grieving at time?

3. Describe any qualities -- physical, emotional, professional or social. Tell what you admired about them (or yourself). Is there something you miss? Are they or were they a great teacher, storyteller, devoted father, mother, aunt, uncle?

4. Remember little things. The small stuff does count. Was there a particular smell you remember? What were they wearing, or not.

5. Have you had this experience before. If so, when? How are they different? How are they same?

6. Did a book, quote, musical piece, photograph, or song lyrics provide comfort or expand experience?

7. Who else was involved? Did they build with experience or take from it?

8. What makes this love different? Or same? And if same, same to what?

9. Was this an everyday event that turned extraordinary? Why?

Whether a love letter is your intention or to begin with a list, don't forget to love yourself and to add yourself to menu of a love-writing experience. Most of time we look for love in other places when it truly needs to be recognized from within first. Take time, find magic you hold inside you, find love that you hold for relationships, for what you have accomplished, or desire to accomplish, or what type of love affair you want to have with world while you are still in it.

Love is a gift, whether presented only in a journal or expanded into something wrapped and bowed. The expense is only that of pen and paper but its cost is time and thought. Place love on your calendar this week. It is as much a gift to you as it is for everyone else in your life, past or present.

© Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

*Hand pick agents you submit to. DO NOT SEND MASS MAILINGS TO AGENTS. It won't work, and is a waste of time and money. Instead, research who to approach and pick 5, 10, 20 or so who actually sell your type of work. Agents stick to niches themselves, and one way to find that niche is in various resource guides like Writer's Market, LMP (Literary Market Place … in all big libraries), or Writer's Digest 2002 Guide to Literary Agents. (I have several other techniques I share in my Self Help Author's Crash Course, which is on sale at moment. See below.)

*Make your letter great. Your pitch will be placed in a pile with other cold submissions that arrived that day (maybe 25 -50) and an assistant will thumb through them, spending about 10 seconds on each one. This means if you have a personal contact, you mention it in first sentence. Trim your description of your book into a meaty, mouth-watering paragraph. Add a bit on why you are person to write it. And BE SURE to let them know you hand picked them, out of all agents out there, because of great work they've done for authors X, Y and Z. In fact, you predict they will have similar success with your property, as they did with Book X they just sold to Q Publisher, etc. In other words, make it personal, a little witty, and smart

*Don't use old contact info … and call to see that agent you're contacting is still at address you have before you send anything

*Don't ever pay an agent to evaluate your book. This is not how standard agents work, and is illegal.

*Give agent one month to evaluate your work. Then follow up by phone or email. Many will tell you how they like to be contacted in guides such as The Writer's Market and those listed above. Continue to follow up, until such actions are ridiculous. You'll probably get some kind of response, especially if you're letter is great

*Follow up and ask for referrals. If you're lucky, you'll get intended agent on phone. They may seem interested, but just won't commit. (A standard line is "I'm not taking on any new clients right now.") So ask if they know any agents they might recommend, or someone who is expanding their operation. Then send a thank you note if their info has been helpful. Agenting is a small world, and many people stay in it for life. They'll remember when you reappear at their door years later. And this time it may open

*Be persistent. You may have to go through several lists of hand-picked agents, before you get bite you need.

*Work your personal connections. Be exhaustive, thinking of anyone you know who might connect you with other agents, or even authors. Most authors will want to see project you're pitching, and may not feel comfortable sharing their contact with you… but many may.

For information on how to create your own publisher-ready book proposal that agents will sit up and pay attention to, drop by Suzanne's site, http://www.getknownnow and get her free listing of 25 Top Self Help Literary Agents.