Hello,

I received a letter last month from a literary agent, Annie Hawkins of John Hawkins and Associates, Inc. She’d responded to the first three chapters of You Don’t Know Me, my mystery/crime novel featuring New York City detective Owen Story. She wrote only a few lines, I’ll quote them, “Dear Lori Mathews-Shabazz. Thank you for giving me the chance to read sample materials from YOU DON’T KNOW ME. (I’m not sure why that was capitalized) While I liked your writing and concept I’m afraid I didn’t FALL IN LOVE (this capitalization I did for emphasis) with the overall story line. I’m sorry we didn’t connect on this project, but I wish you well for its success. Very truly yours, Anne Hawkins.”

It was not the worst response I could’ve received, but what continues to play in my mind is that one word: LOVE. “I didn’t fall in love with…” Ms. Hawkins was the second agent who’d reviewed You Don’t Know Me—or at least the first three chapters—and informed me he “didn’t fall in love with it”. The literary agent Sheree Bykofsky of Sheree Bykofsky Associates Inc., writes in her introduction section on her website: www.sherebee.com, “I don’t limit myself to particular genres because I’m always surprised by what appeals to me. If I love it, then I’ll take it on.”
Or this passage from Building A Buzz For Elephants from the April 24, 2006 issue of Publisher’s Weekly. Margie Scott Tucker, co-owner of the northern California-based 10-store Books Inc. mini-chain, heard Popelars Elephants (Water for Elephants by Sara Grue) pitch at the institute. ‘…back home, Tucker started passing around galleys to the staff—“Everybody loves it,” she said.”
That LOVE again and again. But how do I get readers to love my writing? Is there is a recipe I can follow that would create this love for my writing? Is there a recipe any one can follow for any kind of love, that ephemeral, overwhelming feeling that’s as elusive as well, happiness?

Though I don’t believe there is a recipe I can concoct to get the readers to love my writing, I do believe there are elements I can create in my stories that may get people to apply that word to my stories. First, the story must be intriguing, inventive, exciting even if it’s about baking muffins, something different has to be made of it. The story has to show the reader something by use of the best words, smooth language that doesn’t get in the way of the story. The characters must be real to the reader and live a life that seems different from my experiences even if they’re the same. It must be characters I can feel something for love, hate, understanding.

I’m reading The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean and I LOVEd the story because I knew nothing about orchid growers and that world. The story about an orchid thief was so interesting you had to keep reading and as well as the characters being original, the main character John Larouche was outstanding.

So there maybe a recipe to get readers to love my stories; though a caveat here: realistically not everybody is going to love my stories, not everybody loves me or you for that matter in life so why should what I write go by a set of different rules. And getting and agent to love your work is a bit different because they have an agenda that’s tosses your work at the bottom of their lists, the top spots going to: profit; books similar to mine (or yours) already on their list; the agent may love your book but the others in the agency do not; a full booklist; a need for writers with track records only; all this. But—and a big but too—if an agent loves your work all those top spots become unimportant and the agent will fight for your work so that others will read it and love it too.

So, I guess LOVE is the key word here after all. LOVE the stories you write. Find an agent if you can that LOVEs your story or stories—DO NOT settle for less. And keep writing the stories you LOVE. It really is a simple recipe isn’t it.

If you have questions or comments I’d love to read them and reply, so please email me at: matwrite1@hotmail.com.

Until next time, God willing,

Lori