The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide (the black dagger brotherhood)

by Дж. Р. Уорд

  This, of course, created a problem. For me as the author, bringing in a major character like Lash and having to explain why all of a sudden everyone knew him was just not going to work—it would have involved way too much exposition. So I had to work off of absolute time—which is different from the fungible time the Scribe Virgin and the Omega can manipulate at will. Absolute time is the absolute destiny that is the sole province of the Scribe Virgin and the Omega’s father. This absolute truth and time in the vampire world reflects the culmination of all the choices ever made by all actors in that universe, and the books have to run on that absolute—otherwise it’s a mess (or, more accurately, a boring stretch of explaining and flashbacks).

  Lash is therefore shown from the day John Matthew first meets him on the bus. Which is, in absolute time, exactly what happens.

  It’s on this same absolute time that the John Matthew and Darius thing went down. When Darius is killed in Dark Lover, and he goes to the Scribe Virgin in the Fade, John Matthew does not exist. But after the Scribe Virgin and Darius strike a deal, the Scribe Virgin steps back in time and plants John Matthew/ Darius in that bathroom in the bus station as an infant. John Matthew then develops over the course of those years independently of the vampire world—until his destiny brings him in contact with Bella through Mary in Lover Eternal (after Darius is dead). Technically, therefore, John Matthew and Darius coexist for a period of years, but there is no contact between them.

  A mind-bender for sure. But kind of cool.

  Anyway…I could keep going on and on, but I might as well end here. Get me started on the Brothers and their world and I’m a windup toy with no end of enthusiasm.

  So that’s Lover Enshrined…and the series so far.

  On some level, I can’t believe I’ve actually written the first six books already. It’s been a blur, a strange, fascinating, terrifying ride that’s taken me to places, both in terms of writing and on a personal level, that I couldn’t possibly have predicted.

  I’m grateful for all of it. Even the really hard parts (and there have been some).

  Next up is Rehvenge.

  And if you thought the first six were humdingers…wait’ll you get a load of him.

  For Writers

  Advice and FAQs

  As this section is for writers, I think I’ll start by listing my eight writing rules up front in a nice little group:

  I. P & R—PERSIST AND REINVENT

  II. WRITE OUT LOUD

  III. OWN YOUR OWN WORK

  IV. PLOTLINES ARE LIKE SHARKS

  V. SWEAT EQUITY IS THE BEST INVESTMENT

  VI. CONFLICT IS KING

  VII. CREDIBLE SURPRISE IS QUEEN

  VIII. LISTEN TO YOUR RICE KRISPIES

  Writing is hard stuff, and publishing is a difficult business to break into and survive, much less thrive, in. But here’s the thing. I don’t really know much in life that isn’t hard. Being a mother is difficult, and so is being a teacher or an accountant or an athlete or a student. My point is, I’m not sure whether writing is any more scary and heartbreaking and exhilarating than anything else. I do know that the eight rules above have taken me this far—and I hope they’ll continue to see me through the ups and downs of my endeavors.

  I’ve had a lot of writers, both prepubbed and published, come to me for advice. I’m always flattered, but also a bit at a loss in describing how I do what I do or why it’s worked thus far (and I never take for granted that it’s going to keep working). Routinely, however, I make a couple of recommendations for each of the various stages of the process, which follow below. I would like to note, however—and this is important—this advice is for people who are trying to get published. You DO NOT have to write solely to get published. I wrote for years just for myself and was perfectly happy doing so. What is laid out hereafter is for folks who are doing something that is quite specific—and it must be said that a published book is a very distinct animal and NOT THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL.

  I’ll try to get off my soapbox now. But I just think it’s important for folks to know that if you write, you are an author. Period. You don’t need a publisher or consumers to validate what you are doing. Getting a book on the retail shelves is just one avenue some people choose to explore—but not the only one. Collecting the oral history of your family for the next generation or writing in journals to record your thoughts for yourself or jotting down descriptions of a thunder-storm for no other reason than you like how the lightning travels across the black sky—that all counts and it all matters.

  Right, advice for those who want to get published:

  1. Finish a book. Even if you don’t like it, or you don’t think it’s good enough, see one of your projects through to the end. Discipline is mission critical to publication, and no matter how enticing the other ideas in your head may be, get to the final page on at least one of your WIPs (works in progress). If you find yourself getting distracted by the buzz of new characters or concepts, write them down in a notebook or Word document to save for later. But teach yourself to finish what you start. Writing can be a drag. It can be nothing more than a series of tiny, incremental steps that drive you nuts. In every single Brotherhood book, particularly while revising, I’ve wanted to scream from frustration because I’m convinced that what I was working on was the longest book in history and it was NEVER going to be finished. That’s just part of the process.

  2. Find other writers. I joined the Romance Writers of America (www.rwanational.org) after I’d finished my first marketable project, and I’ve met all my writer friends through RWA. There are local chapter meetings across the country, e-mail loops you can participate in, contests you can enter your writing in, regional conferences, and a magazine that comes every month with tons of information in it. Additionally, every year there’s a big national convention, which is great for networking with other writers and which offers opportunities for appointments with editors and agents, as well as classes taught by experts. RWA also has on its Web site incredible resources on craft and business—essentially everything that has to do with romance writing. If you want to get published, I strongly recommend joining, but RWA isn’t the only group available. And if you want to get published in another genre, there are other nonprofits that likewise encourage content-specific networking (like mystery or horror or sci-fi).

  3. Don’t write to the market, but be strategic. In terms of subgenres (like paranormals or romantic suspense or historicals), if there’s something that’s hot that publishers are buying, it never hurts to put your hat in the ring if what’s being bought is something you’ve legitimately got in you to write. The Brothers and I are an example of this. By the same token, if there’s something that you want to write but isn’t selling very well, if your goal is to get picked up by a publisher, you might consider exploring some of your other ideas and seeing if they’re in a subgenre that’s moving a little bit more. HOWEVER, that all being said, if you write what you’re passionate about, your enthusiasm is going to come through on the page and make for a better reading experience—and things change. What’s hot now may be replaced with something else in another year. Hold on to your rejected manuscripts—you never know when you might resubmit to someone else or in another form in the future.

  4. Write your book for you, then see who it fits with. It’s a good idea to know what individual publishers/editors are buying, and it does make sense, once you’re finished with a project, to send it to the right place: For example, you wouldn’t want to get a medieval romance to an editor who’s looking for paranormals (more on how to find out who’s buying what in a little bit). The great thing about having a good agent is that they’ll know on whose desk to place your work. Some editors like to work with dark stuff, others like comedy, and personality matches are always a plus in the editor/author relationship. If you haven’t found an agent yet and are submitting without one, ask other authors whose material is similar to yours who they’re working with (but, again, more on agent/editor searches in a lit
tle bit).

  5. Category or single title is a personal choice. There are a couple of different avenues to explore when it comes to getting published in romance, and I’m not talking in terms of subgenre. The two big ones for print books are categories versus single titles. Categories, such as Silhouette Special Editions or Harlequin Intrigues, are shorter stories that fit into clear guidelines laid out by the publisher in terms of content and page count. Single titles are the longer, stand-alone books. There are pluses and minuses to doing both: You don’t need an agent to approach category editors, whereas for the most part, if you want to sell a single title, you’re going to need representation. Categories, therefore, can be a really good place to break into (and a TON of supersuccessful authors like Elizabeth Lowell, Suzanne Brockmann, Lisa Gardner, and Jayne Ann Krentz got their start with them). Also, categories can help you find your niche in the marketplace a little quicker, because the guidelines for submission are so clear—there are lines that feature suspense, paranormal, humor, you name it. I tell folks to check out www.eharlequin.com for the list of category lines and their submission guidelines. EHarl, as we call it, also has terrific resources on craft.

  In my career, I kind of started out bass-ackwards, doing single titles first, then going to category when I wanted to keep doing contemporary romances while the Brothers were getting started. I love writing my categories (Silhouette Special Editions under the Jessica Bird name), and they’re a great break from the Brotherhood books—lighter and quicker, they clean my palate. I will say, though, that I do not find them appreciably easier to write just because they’re shorter—good work is hard no matter what the page count is.

  As for the single-title market, compared to getting picked up in category, it can be more competitive, and as I said, there is most often the rate-limiting step of needing an agent. However, you do have more freedom in single title in terms of page length, content, and subplots, as well as the potential for earning more money—although there is more risk, too. If you don’t sell, there is a perception out there that you will get dropped more quickly than in category.

  The choice depends on where you are in your writing and the kind of stories you want to write. And it’s not a one-or-the-other kind of thing. You can try a single title or start out in category, it’s really just what appeals and what you think your material is best suited for.

  6. A note on e-pubs. I don’t have a ton of knowledge on e-pubs, so I usually refer folks to friends of mine who have been brought out by them and have firsthand knowledge of which ones are the best in terms of author support and business ethics. I think e-pubs can provide a really good opportunity for professional editing and are a great avenue to bringing your name forward to the market much more quickly than would otherwise be possible. I also think they can be groundbreaking in terms of what kind of content they’ll publish and can be an outstanding place to see through a project that might otherwise be deemed too racy or too controversial. I do think authors should be careful—going with those companies that are more established and getting an independent read on contracts before you sign is only smart (as well as apropos in ANY business endeavor).

  7. Agents are desirable. From what I understand from the editors whom I know, their slush piles have grown geometrically over the past few years. I’m not exactly sure why—maybe it’s the advent of computers, who knows. But this phenomenon, in addition to the squeeze publishing is currently under, means that editors are understandably even more overloaded and cautious than ever before.

  This is where agents come in. The editors I know use agents as a kind of gateway for screening projects, and they rely on recommendations from them when it comes to choosing which material to review and perhaps bid on. A good agent has relationships with editors in every house at every level and knows where to place proposals. In addition, they can vouch for your project with their reputation, giving you even more credibility.

  A good agent doesn’t have to be your friend and they shouldn’t be. They should tell you the things you don’t want to hear and be honest about where you are in your career and where you’re going. Each one is different, just like each author is different. Some want to have a say in content, others stress promotion; some are hand-holders, others are bulldogs. The key thing is to find a connection that works for you. And remember it’s a relationship like any other. Be professional and honest and expect the same, and never, ever shoot the messenger. If your agent is doing their job right, you’re going to hear things you don’t like or wish were different. The key thing is working together to solve problems and getting your work out to as many people as possible.

  8. How do I find an agent or a publisher? The best advice I can offer here is go out and get the most recent version of Writer’s Market. This yearly reference volume is a great guide to what agents and publishers are looking to buy. The listings are grouped by agent (or agency) and by publisher as well, and give names, addresses, and statements as to who is looking to represent or acquire what. RWA also does a yearly report on agents and publishers that is specifically geared toward romance (another great boon that comes with membership). Further, if you know published authors, it also helps to ask around and find out who they are represented and published by, how they like their agent and editor(s), and what kind of experiences they’ve had. Sometimes you can even get someone to pass your work on to their representative, which can be very helpful—although this is something you should wait to have offered to you, not something you should pressure another author for.

  It may take several tries to get represented or picked up by a publisher, but it’s a case of persist and reinvent until it works. And when it comes to agents, if you can’t find one to take you on, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are out of luck, because again, some publishers don’t require them.

  9. Multiple submissions require full disclosure. Certainly sending out the same project to a couple of different agents (or publishers, if you are unrepresented) at a time can potentially reduce the duration of the process, but it can also land you in hot water if more than one of the folks wants to represent or publish you. If you do choose to multiple-submit, disclose the fact right up front—and be sure you do not send it to agents or editors who refuse multiple submissions.

  10. Be professional. And this is about everything. Make sure your submissions are spell-checked and properly paginated with appropriate type-face and margins (Times New Roman 12 or Courier 10, double-spaced, one-inch margins all around)—as well as bound with a rubber band. When talking to folks, be polite and concise. If you’re going to an editor or agent appointment at a conference, dress appropriately. Be on time—if you tell someone you’ll get something to them by a certain date, leave yourself wiggle room for emergencies and have the material drop on the day you committed to. Write thank-you notes. Speak well of others or shut your piehole. Sure, a lot of this is no-shit-Sherlock, but it matters. God willing you’re going to have a career in this business, so you might as well start building your reputation and good name from day one.

  11. Do not submit too early. This one was HUGE for me. What I’m talking about is your material. There is a tremendous temptation to finish whatever you’re working on and get it out to an agent/editor as quickly as possible—or at least there was for me. The thing is, though, you can make a first impression only once, and you’d be surprised at the kind of faults you can find in your work if you go back one more time with fresh eyes. My rule of thumb was (and is) to FORCE myself to sit on whatever project I was working on until I could give it one final read-through. It was brutal, because of course I was curious about what the editor or agent was going to say and whether I would get bought. But the thing was, I was never sorry I waited.

  Here’s a perfect example. My first published book, Leaping Hearts, was not the one I got my first agent with. I wrote it during the process of trying to find representation. By the time I was picked up, I knew LH was much stronger than what I’d sent out, so I told my agent at the ti
me to wait until I could get the new material to her. I actually delayed what went to market by a couple months in order to get LH right. But it was the correct thing to do, and my agent agreed with me. Leaping Hearts was a much stronger book and it was sold quickly.

  The thing is, it’s in my nature to want to beat deadlines, but rushing compromises the work. I’m not saying that you should get caught up in analysis paralysis, where you go over the material so many times you crush it by overediting. But there is a ripening period for the writing that has to occur, and over time you’ll figure out what that is for you and how many revisions you need.

  12. Promotion. Once you’re sold to a publishing house and have gone through all of the editorial and production steps that culminate in your book being bound within a cover, you’re going to want to consider the various options for promotion.

  I’ve talked to a ton of authors and agents and editors about promotion because, like everyone else, I’m still trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. And you know what the consensus appears to be? (And this is after convos with hugely successful authors and very powerful publishing houses, mind you.)

  No. One. Has. A. Clue.

  There seems to be no quantifiable link between any one author-driven promotional activity and book sales. That being said, however, there are things that authors can do to help support what their publisher does for them.

  a. Brand yourself, and build your promotions around that brand. Ask yourself what kind of books you write and create a definition. For example, dark erotic paranormals are J. R. Ward, and everything I’ve done for promo has the dark erotic paranormal vibe.