Q: In my writing I strictly follow the rules in The Chicago Manual of Style. For example, in a sentence joined with an "and," I place a comma after the last word before the "and" when the first part of the sentence is a complete sentence. I have received a rejection with the first page sent back and the editor's deletion marks are in contradiction to the rule in the Chicago Manual. Should I follow the Chicago Manual in my fiction writing or not?--Carolyn Boyles


A: According to Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (and editors I've spoken to at conferences), most book publishers use The Chicago Manual of Style—or some variation of it—as a formatting guide for their books. So when writing your novel or nonfiction work, it's best to follow those guidelines. But if you haven't been using The Chicago Manual of Style or an editor comes back with changes that contradicts it, don't panic.

The key to writing any manuscript is to be consistent—in other words, not matter what style you are using (Chicago, AP-style, your sixth-grade English teacher's rulebook), stick with it. Publishers and editors tend to be forgiving when reading a manuscript that doesn't embrace their style, but are less forgiving when the formatting is all over the place (e.g., using a comma in a parallel sentence structure sometimes and not using it other times; italicizing book titles in the first few chapters but underlining it others.) This lack of consistency looks unprofessional and lazy—two traits that could potentially cost you a deal. To a writer it may seem like nitpicking, but to an editor it shows discipline and an author who values the craft.

Most magazine and newspaper publishers, on the other hand, use The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual as a guide for their publications. But many, like Writer's Digest, take a few liberties with it to fit their own particular house styles. So don't read too much into style edits.

It's probably wise for all writers to have both the Chicago Manual and the AP Stylebook on their bookshelves. And maybe a good luck charm.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

As promised:

Q: When an agent isn't listed in the author's book acknowledgements, is there a way to search backwards to find that agent from the author, journalistic facilitator or publisher? Thanks for your expertise. —Alice Lazzarini

A: Finding out who was the agent of a particular book can certainly be tricky, especially if the person isn't mentioned in the acknowledgements—which is the publishing equivalent of not thanking your wife during your Oscar acceptance speech. And here you can't blame it on the orchestra playing you off.

There are several other ways to find out who represented a particular book or author, though. The simplest way is by typing the book's title (or the author's name) and "agent" into a search engine, like Google or Yahoo. Click through the top few links and see what you find. Often it can be as simple as going to the author's website and digging around.

If you don't have any luck finding the agent's name on the author's website, you generally can find contact information (most likely an e-mail address) for the author or the author's publicist. Feel free to shoot the author (or the publicist) an e-mail. I wouldn't sit around longer than a few days waiting for a response, but you might get lucky.

When all else fails, you can call the publisher, says Guide to Literary Agents Editor Chuck Sambuchino. "If you see that Knopf published The Neptune Paradox (the book whose agent you want), call Knopf's main line and speak to the operator. Explain your goal and request to speak with the editor who worked on the book. The operator will say, 'Oh, that's Judy Smith. I'll transfer you.' You won't talk to Judy, but rather her assistant. No matter. Ask the assistant if Judy did indeed edit The Neptune Paradox. When the assistant confirms Judy's involvement, kindly request to know who the book's acting literary agent was. She'll be happy to tell you."

When you finally publish your book, be sure to mention your agent in your acknowledgements. Not only will your agent thank you, other writers will too.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: I want to get paid for my writing, so I signed up for a journalism workshop at my community college to attain some clips. I’ve written articles for the school paper, but the “editors”—many just out of high school—have added typos to my articles. Can I still use these as clips? Do editors realize that a typo in an otherwise clean clip isn’t the author’s fault?—Linda Pescatore

A: Editors do read clips with a tiny grain of salt and understand that typos can magically appear without the writer realizing it. An editor wouldn’t turn down the next Hunter S. Thompson or Stephen King because his clip read “who” instead of “whom.”

Go ahead and send them those clips. Make a note that typos were added in the editing stage and that you’re actually very meticulous about grammar in your own work. Don’t sound defensive or irritated with the publication that supplied your clips; just state the errors matter-of-factly and professionally.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: I’m in the process of authoring books in four different genres. Do I need to enlist four agents?—N. Schad

A: You’re writing four books at once? I can’t handle writing two stories at the same time, let alone four, so I’m impressed. But when it’s time to find an agent, you may want to focus all your energy on one. “You don’t need four agents,” says Mollie Glick, literary agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. “When you’re ready to query, pick one genre and start researching agents in that specific genre. Pick a few to go after—ones you think will best fit your book.” She also notes that if you send out simultaneous submissions, it’s extremely important that you’re upfront about it in your query letter.

When an agent starts to nibble on your bait, it’s your call whether you show your other work or not. Glick, who’s had some writers ask her to look at all their work and has had others not mention it all, suggests that you always give the agent the option of reading your other work. “I prefer it when writers let me know about all of their books. It can help them make the sale.”

It’s even more important to mention them if you do land the agent. “If you’ve signed a contract, you may be obligated to show any other works to them first,” Glick says. “If you plan to shop your work elsewhere, make sure any written agreement reflects what genres that agent will be handling for you.”

If your agent turns down your other books, start shopping them around. “Having one agent can be used as an asset,” Glick says. “It’s seen as a positive. If you’ve already landed an agent, others are more likely to listen.”

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: When a publication requests e-queries and clips, how do you e-mail the clips?
—Nannette Croce

A: Sending clips via e-mail can be difficult. You can try scanning the images, but that sometimes blurs the words and makes the piece illegible. You can copy text into a word processing document and send it, but that doesn’t prove the piece you’re submitting has been published. So what can you do?

First, check to see if the publisher of your work has ever posted it on its website. If so, it may have your work archived. All you have to do from here is copy the link into your e-query and your worries are gone. But what if they don’t archive stories online?

Most magazines, newspapers, newsletters and other types of writing mediums use computer programs to lay out the work and then save that work as a PDF—Portable Document Format. PDFs are the standard format for distribution and exchange of electronic files. In other words, they can be easily e-mailed and accessed whether you’re using a PC or a Mac.

If you don’t have the PDFs of your work already, call the magazine or newspaper that published it and request that they send you the electronic versions. Most media outlets keep archives of all their work, but it’s only been within the past 10 years that technology has led to electronic archiving. The older the clip, the tougher it might be to get. But once you get the PDF of your work, you can send it to anyone through your e-mail.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: What’s the difference between “allude” and “elude”? Are they interchangeable? —Anonymous

A: “Allude” and “elude” are frequently misused in place of each other, even though they’re about as different as broccoli and ice cream.

“Allude” means to refer to something in a casual or indirect way. Michelle alluded to my tardiness by glancing at her watch when I arrived. My wife alludes to her birthday a week in advance by leaving a Things-I-Want list on the refrigerator.

“Elude,” on the other hand, means to avoid or escape from by quickness or cunning. Justin eludes the police by hiding in a bush. I eluded the school bully—and a wedgie—by ducking behind the principal’s car.

Make sure to use these words correctly in your writing. Otherwise, picky agents and editors may try to elude you.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: When should I use single quotes instead of double quotes?—John Batson

A: Double quotation marks signify the exact words of someone else speaking in your writing. Single quotation marks come into play when the person you’re quoting quotes someone or something else.

Look at this example:

“I’m irritated with Dad right now,” said my sister. “Last week he said to me, ‘Jennie, if you don’t wash your own clothes, I’m going to start throwing them in the backyard.’ Last night I found my favorite shirt hanging from the bird-feeder.”

The writer is quoting his sister, Jennie. She gets the double quote marks credited to her speech. But while Jennie is talking, she quotes her dad. His words (which she’s reciting) get the single marks.

As sentences become more complicated with multiple quotes, the rule is to alternate between double and single marks.

 “I talked to Mom last night and she said, ‘I agree with your father. And when he says, “I’m going to throw your clothes in the backyard,” he means it.’ This is laundry war!”

So use single quotes only inside double quotes. And you can quote me on that—as long as you use the correct set of marks.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: Is it necessary to ask permission to reprint an article if the reprint is used in a strictly academic setting?—Anonymous

A: Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107 of the U.S. code states that “the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship or research, is not an infringement of copyright.” But not all material is protected for your free use. There are provisions, and our legal expert Amy Cook says the writer must weigh some factors before considering the work fair game.

“If an article on a hot issue was published, and you distribute it to a large class without permission—ostensibly to examine the writing style—those students wouldn’t go buy the magazine,” Cook says, and the magazine would lose sales. “You can’t destroy the market value for the original.”

Courts also take into account whether the original work is more factual (which more readily falls into a fair use) or if it’s more creative (less likely to be a fair use).  The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work can come into question, too; so taking an entire article is risky.

“The bottom line is that writers or users should take only the smallest amount they need to comment on it,” she says. “The mere fact that it’s an academic use doesn’t automatically protect you. If in doubt, simply get permission.”

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: When working out a contract with a magazine, what are first serial rights?—Anonymous

A: When you sell first serial rights to a newspaper, magazine or periodical for a piece of work you’ve written, that media outlet has the right to be the first place to publish the article/story/ poem. After the piece runs, you’re free to resell it to another medium or to package a collection of your work into a book.

Rights can be sold geographic-ally, as well. It’s not uncommon to see article submissions with “offering first North American serial rights (FNASR)” written in the top, right corner of the first page. This limits the buyer’s rights and gives you the opportunity to sell the article in other locations outside the U.S. and Canada—such as England, Russia or Madagascar.

Reprints of your work that previously appeared in another publication are considered second serial rights. These rights are nonexclusive, meaning the author can sell the piece to many publications at the same time.

In the online world, you can sell the electronic rights to your piece. These rights aren’t as clear.
While they cover most of the same rules as first serial rights, the ever-evolving technology can cause some discrepancies between yourself and the publisher—like whether it can archive your work, place it in a database and let young punks download it to their PCs. This process is the least defined, and you may want to specify each right you license to the buyer.

Other rights to consider are simultaneous rights (giving you the ability to sell work to publications that don’t have overlapping circulations) and all rights (which means you sell all the rights to your work to the buyer, and you never get another dime for the piece, no matter how many times they publish it).

And remember, it never hurts to have someone familiar with freelancer contracts glance over your contract before you sign.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: Do agents steam off the stamps on self-addressed, stamped envelopes (SASEs) and resell them? The agents demand pages, SASEs, that sort of thing, but—and I know this sounds cynical—many of my queries disappear. In this age, why should we need to use what they call “snail mail” for queries and why do agents never answer?—Don Ballew

A: Of course agents don’t steam off stamps from SASEs and resell them. They steam them off and use the stamps themselves. (Hopefully you know I'm J/K, which is "just kidding" in Internet speak.)

Actually, they don’t steam off anything (as far as I know), and really do try to respond. To gain further insight on the matter, I called Donald Maass, president of Donald Maass Literary Agency. He represents more than 100 fiction writers.

“If you’re certain that you wrote to the agent’s current address and the SASE had sufficient postage, then you can conclude one of three things,” he says. “Either the agent is rude, the agent is busy or the agent just isn’t interested.”

Now, I doubt that agents try to ignore you, as their profession and income are based on finding great writing. With the mounds of submissions they continually receive, they probably don’t have time to respond to everyone (though that would be nice). And they do try to respond, but it's easy for queries to get lost in the shuffle.

“Snail mail” is still a viable form of submitting your query, though e-mail has really become increasingly popular in the last couple of years. There is one ultimate problem with e-mail: All that hard work goes down the drain if the editor accidentally labeled your e-mail address as spam and  you’re officially blocked from the system. So it's best to follow the agent's guidelines (which can typically be found online) when deciding whether to send it by the postal service or electronically. But when in doubt, you can always send a hard copy. After all, they are easier for agents to carry around and read while traveling, eating lunch or steaming off stamps.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Q: A friend approached me about writing her memoir. I don't know how to charge for it, especially since I have no idea how much material I'll have to work with and, therefore, how long it might be. Also, I know I want to share credit, on the one in a million chance that the client gets it published and the book becomes a bestseller. What should I charge? Should I assure a minimum number of pages?  What guidelines do you suggest? —Tamara Kort

A: According to guidelines set forth in the 2008 Writer's Market, ghostwriters charge anywhere from $50-100 per hour for "as told to" projects and $30-115 per hour for no credit pieces. “As-told-to” ghostwriting often nets you less money per hour because you get other benefits—such as a byline, an advance and a split of the royalties (up to 50 percent). But if you're willing to skip the byline and future earnings, you can act as a work-for-hire ghostwriter and charge more on the front end.

"Whatever is negotiated needs to be done, agreed upon, on paper and signed before work commences (or continues--if already started)," says Robert Brewer, editor of Writer's Market. "Included should be an estimate on the amount of time or pages expected; how many re-writes/revisions are expected; what constitutes a finished product; how and when payment will be made; and conditions under which the price might escalate."

If charging by the hour makes you (or your counterpart) nervous (Hey, I know I said to write about my first time at Yankee Stadium, but I'm not paying for the three hours you spent catching a game in the bleachers no matter how much 'ambiance' it added to the writing)—you can simplify it by charging per page. When translating hourly rates to pages, it comes out to $4-$25. I know that seems like a large range, but, like with any contracting job, the more experience and success you have, the more you can justify charging a higher price.

Realistically, the best bet for your first time ghostwriting is probably to negotiate a specific page count and price per page, so both you and your counterpart know the total amount that will exchange hands when the book is finished. (Negotiate royalties separately). As you become more comfortable with the process,  you can adjust accordingly.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

Yesterday was the annual BEA/Writer's Digest Books Writer's Conference, and I was fortunate to be a panelist on the popular Ask the Editors session. The organizer, GLA editor Chuck Sambuchino, told me it was for my in-depth knowledge of the submission and editing processes and my familiarity with inexpensive ways to self-market work, but I think that was just fancy talk for "Brian, you're so good-looking and we need a little eye candy up there for the ladies."

No, I promise you, I have not been drinking.

Others on the panel included such brilliant minds as WD Books Editorial Director Jane Friedman, WD Books Editor Lauren Mosko and Writer's Market Editor (and Poetic Asides blogger) Robert Lee Brewer. Together, we fielded a number of great questions, but one struck me as very unusual and I thought I'd share.

An audience member said that she had read/been advised that her book proposal should include a mention of any personal finances the author planned to use to promote her book, but only if that dollar figure topped $10,000. Her question was, "Is this true?"

The question caught me off guard—mainly because I've never heard this before. While it's definitely smart to provide any information about your self-promotional plans, it doesn't seem wise to place a dollar figure on what you're willing to spend of your own money to promote your work. And it certainly doesn't make sense (to me) to put it in writing.

There's no doubt that offering to spend your own money would be a selling point to publishers; after all, what employer wouldn't be thrilled by an employee that pays for the privilege of making them money. But it's a slippery slope that could lead to publishers demanding writers to spend their own money, which would put a big chunk of writers who live paycheck-to-paycheck at a permanent disadvantage.

Robert also made a great point: What happens when you commit $10,000 of your own money but only can drum up a $5,000 advance? Now I'm no math whiz, but by my calculation you'd be out $5,000 up front with no guarantee you'd ever see that money again. Both Jane and Lauren agreed that it doesn't seem sensible to make that promise, especially when you don't know what the economic times will be like come publication time.

Now this doesn't mean that you shouldn't invest in your book—and yourself—after you get the book contract. But without putting it in writing you give yourself flexibility.

ps- For more highlights and pictures from the conference, check out Chuck's GLA Blog.

Brian A. Klems is the online managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at WritersDig@fwpubs.com with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.