Publishing Monday: The Midwife of Venice book giveaway winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway of Roberta Rich’s THE MIDWIFE OF VENICE. Such thoughtful comments! Alas, there can be only one winner, so drum roll please….

Congratulations to Ellyn Darrah! You’ve been sent an e-mail with information on how to claim your prize. I truly hope you enjoy THE MIDWIFE OF VENICE—it’s a wonderful read.

As for myself, I’m off for a few days on a writer’s retreat—probably the final one for this draft of THE LILY MAID. I’m returning to the same place I went last year at about this same time: Atlantic City. It’s familiar. It’s inexpensive. It’s close to home. And I know where the slot machines are so I can avoid them.

At this stage of my process, I’m revising the novel’s ending as well as giving its 140,000 word entirety a last obsessive pass for narrative urgency and other finicky things. For example, did I really need that comma? Was that dialogue tag redundant? Is my character arc arching as it should?

(Yes, after two and a half years of writing this book, I’m have a hard time letting go. Sigh. But almost there!)

Daffodils from my Atlantic City retreat last year. See, pretty!

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Creativity Friday: Interview with author Roberta Rich-and a book giveaway!

I’m so pleased that historical fiction author Roberta Rich is my guest for today’s edition of Creativity Friday! Roberta’s international bestseller The Midwife of Venice has just been published in the United States by Gallery Books of Simon & Schuster in the United States to much critical praise. Elle Magazine called it, “A lavishly detailed historical novel.” In our interview, Roberta offers wonderful advice for writers struggling with the creative process and the publishing world. My favorite piece of advice: “Selling a manuscript is a lot like selling a house. In a boom market you might be able to sell a ‘fixer-upper’— a house that needs re-wiring and a new roof and a good paint job. But in a volatile market like this one, make all those repairs yourself before you go to market.” So true!

In The Midwife of Venice, Hannah Levi, a midwife in the Venetian ghetto, has gained renown for her skill in coaxing reluctant babies out of their mother’s bellies using her “birthing spoons”, a rudimentary form of forceps. One night a Christian nobleman, Conte Paolo di Padovani appears at Hannah’s door in the Jewish ghetto with an impossible request. He implores Hannah to help his dying wife and save their unborn child. But a Papal edict has made it a crime, punishable by death, for Jews to render medical treatment to Christians. And that’s just the start. You read the first chapter here.

More good news: Simon & Schuster is generously offering a giveaway of one copy of The Midwife of Venice. Information on how to enter the giveaway is at the end of this post.

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Kris Waldherr: What inspired you to write The Midwife of Venice? Was there a defining moment you can describe for us?

Roberta Rich: The inspiration came when my husband and I were on a walking tour of Venice and happened upon the Jewish ghetto. I was transfixed by the wide open campo, the tall rickety buildings some as high as seven stories. I tried to imagine people going about their day-to-day lives. Then I visited the Jewish Museum of the ghetto and saw two silver soup ladles in a display case. The image of ‘birthing spoons’ came to me, the rudimentary form of forceps that my heroine, Hannah, invents.

KW: I suspect you’re as enthralled as I am with sixteenth century Venice—my illustrated book The Lover’s Path is set in 1543 during the time of the sumptuary laws. What is your favorite aspect of this era? Least favorite? (Personally, I love the clothes and the art.)

RR: I love the elegance and frivolity of the era, the graceful architecture, the watery elegance of the city and the rich food. There is much, however that the modern person recoils from: the rigid class structure, the sense of entitlement of the nobility, the assumption that women were second class citizens to be used and abused and worked to death, and cruelty to animal as evidenced by pitting dogs against tethered bulls and bears. One of the worst of these ‘sports’ was a game that required a man to catch a live eel in his teeth from a tub of blackened water. No hands allowed.

KW: Historical fiction involves so much research to bring the past to life. What is your process like? Did you spend a lot of time in Venice?

RR: I have been to Venice twice—the first time to fall in love, the second time to see if the love would endure the fiery cauldron of daily life. It did. I rented a small studio at the foot of the bridge leading to ghetto and walked around a lot at night, absorbing the sounds and shadows and smells of the district.
I read many books on Venice, including the wonderful History of the Jews in Venice by Cecil Roth.  I am also fortunate to have a friend who is an early modern historian and who is generous with her time and ideas.

KW: What was the most fascinating detail you unearthed during your research which made it into The Midwife of Venice?

RR: The poor worry about how to feed their children; the rich worry about how to preserve their wealth. As a former lawyer, I was intrigued by how noble families in 16th century managed to keep their estates intact.

The Renaissance Venetians, the shrewdest of shrewd when it came to trade and commerce, devised a unique method to pass wealthy from one generation to the next. Their law of succession came to be known as the ‘Venetian system’. While the English ruling class applied strict laws of primogeniture―the male heir inheriting the entire estate, leaving his younger brothers to join the military or the church―a Venetian family with many sons, designated the heir by agreement. It was sometimes, but not necessarily, the oldest son. The heir would be selected by his brothers or by his father before his death. This had the effect of a limited meritocracy allowing the son most suited for business to take over the family firm and other sons to hold public office, considered a high honor for the family.

The son, who took over the running of the family enterprise, generally a merchant trading business, was the only one permitted to marry. His unmarried brothers would continue living in the family palazzo (so huge that many are now hotels or museums) along with unmarried sisters. Only one or perhaps two daughter married each generation because of the ruinously high dowries. Unmarried girls remained at home or entered convents. As a result there were a large number of unmarried randy young nobles which might explain the famous Venetian courtesans, said to be the most beautiful and educated in all of Europe. It is this law which incited the uncles in The Midwife of Venice to attempt to kill the Contessa’s new son, Matteo.

KW: The Midwife of Venice is your first published novel, but you have two earlier books which you chose not to allow the light of day. (I suspect all authors do—I have a file of them!) What did you learn from this experience? How did you know it was time to move on?

RR: I wrote what I knew. I thought this was what writers were supposed to do. I wrote about a smart-mouthed Vancouver divorce lawyer who chased a client down to Mexico. I knew a lot about both topics, having been a divorce lawyer who had traveled extensively Mexico. The book didn’t sell although my agent and I thought it was pretty good. Since I wanted to get published, it was clearly time to try something else. So I wrote a historical thriller, The Midwife of Venice. However, this makes me sound more calculating than I was. The truth is that I just fell in love with Venice and the Jewish ghetto and wanted to write about it.

KW: What is the best advice you wish someone had given you when you began to write fiction? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

RR: Find your genre. Writing teachers say you should write what you know. I don’t agree. Write what you can imagine. Write what turns your crank. You can fake it for a while. Years ago I tried writing Harlequin romances. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it because I rarely read them and don’t connect with them. You can write what you think will sell just as you can fake orgasms but by doing so, you are depriving yourself of the pleasure of experiencing the real thing.

Hone your craft. There was an article a few months ago in the Globe- ‘Writers—Twitter Less, Write More.’ Excellent advice. Don’t worry about promoting yourself until you have something wonderful to promote. Take courses, go to conferences, talk to people who are better and more experienced than you are, hire a book doctor. Take advantage of the expertise of friends, family and colleagues. Develop a thick skin and learn to accept criticism.

The Marketplace. Selling a manuscript is a lot like selling a house.  In a boom market you might be able to sell a ‘fixer-upper’- a house that needs re-wiring and a new roof and a good paint job. But in a volatile market like this one, make all those repairs yourself before you go to market. Your manuscript must sparkle. Most importantly, it must entertain. That’s your only job as a writer.

Sitzfleisch. This is a Yiddish word meaning the ability to keep the flesh in the chair. Fortunately, I am a creature of habit. In fact I have to be careful what I do- because if I do something- anything from brushing my teeth, to buying a chocolate peanut butter ice cream cone at the gelato store in my neighborhood, it is likely to become a life-long habit. This is one of the many reasons why I haven’t tried hard drugs—that and the fact that the narcos are invading our previously peaceful town in Mexico and turning it into a war zone. But that is another story.

KW: The external world of publishing is extremely different than the internal world of writing a book—apples and oranges. As a first time published author, what surprised you about the experience of getting published? What would you tell a writer seeking to break into publishing?

RR: Once you have achieved your goal of getting published- enjoy it. The Midwife of Venice came out in February 8th  2011 [in Canada; U.S. publication was February 14, 2012]. It hit the bestseller list right out of the starting gate. Thank you, Costco and Indigo Chapters and Wal-Mart. Enjoy the speaking engagements, the congratulations from old friends, the fanfare and hoopla.

Then get back to writing. Write an even better book.  At one of my very first events in Toronto a woman in the audience asked when the sequel was being published. It took me a year to write The Midwife of Venice. Then I went through three major revisions with my wonderful editor, Nita Pronovost at Random House. Then I went through two further revisions with line editors. I said to this woman-heckler, “This is a little like asking a woman who has just given birth to triplets when she is going to have her next baby.” But she was right. You must be prolific. If you aren’t by nature fast, you have to put in longer hours. Boring advice, I know. Like the one about losing weight: eat less, exercise more. Who wants to hear that rubbish?

KW: Finally, I understand that your next novel is set in Constantinople. Can you tell us a little about it? When can we expect to see it in print?

RR: The sequel follows Hannah and Isaac to Constantinople where Isaac owns a silk business. Hannah is midwife in the Imperial Harem. All is well until a certain sister in law arrives from Venice.

My editor and I are hoping for a spring 2013 publication date.

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Thanks, Roberta, for a wonderfully inspiring interview! As I mentioned above, Simon & Schuster has offered one copy of The Midwife of Venice to raffle off. To win, simply leave a comment by midnight, March 18, 2012. The rules: Only one comment per person. Small print: Book can only be shipped to U.S. mailing address. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here on Monday, March 19, 2012.

Good luck to all!

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Publishing Monday: How to find a literary agent in four steps

I’m still so close to finishing up this draft of THE LILY MAID that it’s a bit infuriating. Right now, I’m down to revising and rewriting the final part which brings everything together from the previous 350 pages. However, the closer I get to “The End” the more awareness I seem to gain on what’s still missing. Whether it’s a research detail, a character arc, or a plot detail, I’m compelled to go back and fix what’s wrong. After all, if I don’t do it now, when will I? But this does tend to slow up the process a bit. It’s like getting to mile 26 of a marathon and realizing that I’ve left the iron on at home.

What’s comforting me as I work is the understanding that Yes, This Novel Will Get Done. Every book I’ve worked on has had a moment where I’ve felt so close  yet so far. Why should THE LILY MAID be any different?

What’s also comforting me: the realization that spring is almost here! My little garden has already sprung some snowdrops (above) and delicate purple crocuses. Soon enough I’ll see some daffodils. I’m looking forward to sitting outside and writing in warm sunshine.

Anyway, all of this is part of the publishing and creative process. Another part: Finding a literary agent to represent your work. A fellow historical fiction writer recently asked me for advice on this oh-so-important quest; I thought others might find it helpful since I recently changed agents for my fiction. Here’s my process, broken down into four steps:

1. Have an amazingly killer query letter. Seriously. And have your completed manuscript (if you’re a novelist) or book proposal (if you’re writing nonfiction) polished to a high shine. (Not sure how to write a query letter? Or what makes a successful query letter? Visit here and here for a start.)

2. Make a list of the authors whose work you think target a similar market/genre as your book. Research who their agents are. Often authors will list who their agents are on their website or within their book acknowledgments. Other places to research this: Agent Query, Publisher’s Weekly.*

3. By now you should have a list of appropriate literary agents. Hopefully your list isn’t not too long—you want quality, not quantity. Finding an agent is like dating; it’s far better to query a few who are perfect matches than to query indiscriminately all over the publishing world. (In my case, my agent list was really small—about eight agents.) Visit their agency website to see what their submission policies are. Some prefer an e-mail query with the first chapter as a Word attachment; others request a mailed one page letter. Follow their instructions exactly.

4. Divide your list into an A and B list. Query accordingly. You might be wondering, Why not query all at once? Isn’t it better to have numbers on your side? Not necessarily. If you query literary agents in small batches, you can refine your query or manuscript if you get a less-than-positive response. It’s like not spending all your money in one place.

* Writer’s conferences often offer one-on-one workshops and meetings with agents. While these are great for making professional connections, I think the main value you’ll get is a heads up on which agent you feel chemistry with. Another factor to consider: Even if you meet an agent in person and are issued an invitation to submit, they often won’t initially read your query or manuscript. Usually they have an assistant do the gatekeeping first. So, network in person  all you want; most likely the agent is not going to be the first set of eyes who’ll read your work. However, you will probably save time. Instead of sending in a query and waiting for a response, you’ll probably be invited to skip ahead of the line to send in your manuscript instead.

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On Friday, I’ll be interviewing historical fiction author Roberta Rich about her creative process. Roberta is the author of the best-selling novel THE MIDWIFE OF VENICE which was released by Random House last month. It’s set during my favorite period of Venetian history too, the sixteenth century. And yes, there’s a giveaway! I hope you’ll stop by.

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Back from England—and toward “The End”

As you can probably tell from the silence here, I’m deep in trying-to-finish up mode for my novel THE LILY MAID and other projects. My intention was to get this draft to my agent by the end of January—it’s now mid-February. I’m closing in but need to cocoon myself until I get to the end. I’m currently revising and rewriting the final 15,000 words. Alas, the book has ballooned to 135,000 words—not unusual for a historical novel, but longer than I’d intended—so I suspect some editing may be in my future.

When I last posted here, I’d just moved my studio and was about to embark on a research trip to England. The trip was amazing—I’ll have much more to write about it once I come up for air. In the meantime, here are some photos from the trip. Most of my time was spent in the Cotswolds, where William Morris had his summer home, and in London, where most of my novel takes place.

Enjoy—and I’ll be back when I finish this draft!

• Filed under The Novel, the world around me, travels | One Response

The studio is dead, long live the studio (and other news)

It’s been almost a month since my last update. As you can imagine, it’s been an intense time between closing up the old studio (*sob*) and setting up the new one (yay!). Above and below are first looks at my new space. Above is my writing corner adorned by my Queen of Arrows painting from The Lover’s Path Tarot and a beautiful print of the Lady of Shalott (given to me by my friend Lunaea Weatherstone). Below is my new chalkboard wall which replaces the chalkboard wall of my previous studio. The peacock feathers are for inspiration.

Best of all, I have a studio view for the first time in over a decade. I can see several blocks all around. Cats in backyards, people walking, trees galore, squirrels and birds. Northern exposure, so no harsh sunlight on computer screens. It’s going to feel like a tree house of green once spring arrives.

It’s been a lot of work closing out the old for the new. (You may recall that besides moving my studio I also moved my home. Changes upon changes upon changes.) On top of all this, I’ve had some personal stuff going on that necessitated my attention and an unexpected trip to the West Coast. These interruptions are simply the realities of life when one has an elderly mother and a young daughter. All of this has pushed me behind on my January 31st deadline for THE LILY MAID, my novel-in-progress set in Victorian England. But what can one do except “make it work” (to quote St. Tim of Project Runway fame)?

However, a break awaits: I’m off to England for two weeks for a writer’s retreat. During this time, I plan to tie up the remaining plot threads for THE LILY MAID as well as finish researching the last details. For example, an entire section of my novel is set in the Cotswolds, a part of England where I’ve hardly spent any time. I’m also planning to revisit the Tate Gallery for a dose of inspiration from the Pre-Raphaelites and their cohort.Waterhouse’s Lady of Shalott painting is back on display there.

As for my intentions for the book, It would be lovely to come back with a ready-to-send-to-agent manuscript, but I’ll setting for the rest of the book being drafted after all these interruptions. Right now, I have about 95,000 words revised and polished to a high sheen. But I fear that the remaining 20K will be the hardest; they’re going to require the most amount of revising and reworking.

So here’s to the muses cooperating and nearly-completed manuscripts!

• Filed under The Novel, news & muse, studio and gallery, travels | 4 Responses