Guide to Literary Agents

5 Signs a Literary Agent is a Good Match For You.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alerts

Tuesday, February 09, 2010 12:30:14 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, February 08, 2010

How I Got My Agent: Debra Berndt
Posted by Chuck

"How I Got My Agent" is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. I find it fascinating to see the exact road people took that landed them with a rep. Seeing the things people did right vs. what they did wrong (highs and the lows) can help other scribes who are on the same journey. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.

To see the previous installments of this column, click here.

If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll talk specifics.

Debra Berndt is the author of "Let Love In:
Open Your Heart and Mind to Attract Your
Ideal Partner." See her website and
follow her on Twitter.

SHARING WHAT I LEARNED

My idea for the book was born after another failed love affair that led me on a transformative inner-journey. A year later, I found myself in a new career and a fresh perspective on my love life. I wanted to share what I had learned and empower single women to love themselves. I hired a coach and began the process of making my dream a reality.

I wrote my first book proposal in 2004 and attended the San Diego State University Writers' Conference in 2005. I gained a ton of insight about getting published but, lacking an impressive platform, I left the conference without any bites on my proposal. Internally, I had a nagging doubt of whether my "attract love" system (the subject of my book) worked because I was still single. Although I have seen the power of the transformation in many of my clients, I felt my proposal had a touch of disbelief in between the lines.

FINDING A PLATFORM ... AND LOVE

During the next year, I continued to receive rejection letters from agents while I was busy building my platform with a regular column in a local Denver magazine and monthly segments on the ABC affiliate's Saturday morning news show. I also met the man of my dreams, which finally gave me the reassurance that my system for singles was solid. I rewrote the proposal with a little more passion and conviction and returned back to the SDSU Writers' Conference in 2006.

Before attending the conference, I researched the various editors and agents in attendance and made my wish list. One agency—Full Circle Literary—really stood out to me because of their interest in empowering women. I picked both partners of that small firm (one as a backup) just to be certain that I was able to at least meet one of them. Because of a cancellation, the event staff scheduled me to meet with both!

I first met agent Stefanie Von Borstel, who really liked my idea. She was impressed with my platform and eager to discuss my proposal with her partner, Lilly. I met Lilly Ghahremani later that afternoon and I felt that I could work with both of them. During the conference, I attended some of Lilly's panels and saw that she was extremely knowledgeable in the publishing industry. Later that evening, I ran into Stefanie at a networking cocktail party and really enjoyed speaking with her. Out of all the agents, they were my top choice to represent me.

A few weeks later, my excitement quickly died when Lilly rejected the proposal, but she gave me some really great advice on how to fix it up. It was a relief that she was open to see another submission. I could have given up after all that time, but I was in for the long haul. So determined to get it right, I hired a writing coach to help me get the proposal in top shape. Shari Cauldron had a lot of knowledge in the publishing industry (a published author herself) and knew exactly what I needed to do to make the proposal irresistible. We worked for a few months on the proposal and I had a professional editor put the final touches on it. The financial investment was a little steep, but turned out to be worth every penny.

POLISHED AND READY

When I resubmitted the proposal to Full Circle Literary, I felt confident that I put in my best work. Lilly contacted me stating that she loved the changes and was ready to talk about possibly working together. Over the next few months, she continued to coach me on adjustments to the proposal to make it even better and more appealing to publishers. We came up with our final proposal and she sent me the contract to represent me. The first hurdle was overcome. I had an agent!

At first, the search for the dream publisher was slow, but within a few months I had four solid offers in the same week. I accepted the offer from J. Wiley & Sons, LLC in 2008 and my book will be in stores on March 1, 2010. The journey from idea to final publication has been a long road, but the final product was worth the wait. As I look back, I am so glad ignored the advice to self-publish and rush the creation of my book. My advice to those who are searching for an agent is to get expert advice, professional editors and never give up—because there are readers out there who want to buy your book.

This post is an online exclusive complement
to a spotlight on Debra in the March/April 2010
issue of WD. If you don't have a sub to
Writer's Digest, what are you waiting for?
Get one now!

Breaking In (Writer's Digest) | How I Got My Agent Columns

Monday, February 08, 2010 3:17:43 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Sunday, February 07, 2010

''Dear Lucky Agent'' Contest: Middle Grade and Young Adult
Posted by Chuck

"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest:

Kids Novels (Middle Grade and Young Adult)

Welcome to the second "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest on the GLA blog. This will be a recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here's the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes—meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you're writing a book-length kids novel, this second contest is for you!

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to februaryagentcontest@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of middle grade or young adult fiction. You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, I ask that you do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through your social media - blogs, Twitter, Facebook; or 2) just mention this contest once and also add Guide to Literary Agents Blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) to your blogroll. Please provide link(s) so I can verify eligibility.

CONTEST DETAILS

      1. This contest will be live for approximately fourteen days - from Feb. 7 through the end of Sunday, Feb. 21, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within seven days of end of contest. Winners announced on the blog thereafter.
      2. To enter, submit the first 150-200 words of your book. Shorter or longer entries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
      3. This contest is solely for completed book-length works of middle grade and young adult fiction (kids novels).
      4. You can submit as many times as you wish.
      5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
      6. There are more rules (most of them dealing with legal stuff) that you can find in the comments section of this post.
      7. By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as the terms added by me at the beginning of the "Comments" section of this blog post.

PRIZES!!!

First place: 1) A critique of 25 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A query critique from your agent judge. 3) Two free books from Writer's Digest Books (I will give you several choices and you pick the books your want).

Runner-ups - second and third place: 1) A critique of 10 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) One free book from Writer's Digest Books (I will give you several choices and you pick the book your want).

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) JUDGE!

Jennifer Laughran is an agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Books she's repped include:

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., by Kate Messner

Flash Burnout, by LK Madigan

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It, by Adam Selzer

Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl, by Daniel Pinkwater

Want more information?

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

Check out The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters.

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Free tips on writing book-length memoirs.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Contests

Sunday, February 07, 2010 5:11:47 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [22]

Winners Announced: "Dear Lucky Agent" - Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction
Posted by Chuck

A huge thank you to all 150 or so people who entered in my first "Dear Lucky Agent" contest. Agent Katharine Sands of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency looked through all submissions this past week and chose her top winner and two runners-up, each of which will receive a critique and free writing books.

The Winners

Grand-prize winner:

Bocas Time, by Forrest Walker

Runners-up:

Zen Under Fire: Learning to Sit Still in Afghanistan, by Marianne Elliott

Kitten Heels in Kathmandu: The Adventures of a Solo Female Vagabond, by Mary Bartnikowski

A LITTLE ABOUT THE CONTEST JUDGE:

Katharine Sands is an agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She is the agent provocateur for Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye. Books she's repped include:

SAT Word Slam, by Jodi Fodor

Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers and Moods, by Shawn Tassone and Kathryn Landherr

Taxpertise: The Complete Book of Dirty Little Secrets and Tax Deductions for Small Businesses the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know, by Bonnie Lee

Contests | Memoir

Sunday, February 07, 2010 4:32:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Chantal Panozzo
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Chantal Panozzo, award-winning freelancer and aspiring memoirist.

Chantal Panozzo is a writer and copywriter
based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her essays have
appeared everywhere from The Christian
Science Monitor and National Geographic
Glimpse to the Swiss News. She is also at
work on Hausfrau: The Memoir, a story about
looking for an identity in a country where the
bells still ring at 11 a.m. to remind all women
to get home and cook their husbands lunch.

1. Make business cards. Lawyers have them and they feel important. You can, too. Plus it just makes you look like you take your writing seriously.

2. Live abroad. Think of it as an MFA, except you’ll differentiate yourself with more than a piece of paper. You’ll be able to write about things from a unique viewpoint. And you’ll find ideas for stories that you never could have imagined before. For example, if your Swiss neighbor wants clean your gutter until it’s so shiny you could drink out of it, let her. And then go write about it.

3. Tell the truth. I try to (sorry, Dad). But then again, I’ve got to make up for my career as an advertising copywriter somehow. So I write stories about the people I know, the places I live, and the things that have happened to me. As Garrison Keillor one said, if it’s something people are ashamed of, it’s probably worth writing about. And in my experience, this is true. For example, I was able to sell a story about being laid off in Switzerland to a radio station, a magazine, and a best-selling anthology series. People love when your life sucks more than theirs. And having to keep working for three months under the same boss that fired you qualifies for the ultimate in life suckiness.

4. Read books. There’s no excuse for not reading, even if, like me, you live in a country where paperbacks cost the equivalent of $30. To keep from going broke, I buy 50 books at a time when I’m in the U.S., and stuff them in my suitcase. Writers read. Some of us just have to deal with more back pain because of it.

5. Fight more. Assume the writing contract could be better because a lawyer wrote it and most people know that good English does not read like Sanskrit. So only use contracts as starting points. It doesn’t hurt to ask for more money or ask to retain more rights. Remember, when one writer prevails, we all do.

6. Read your stuff out loud. Good writing is usually about good listening.

7. Use the Internet to your advantage. This is especially important if you live in a remote location that makes networking in person difficult. I started the blog Writer Abroad so I could connect with other writers around the world and find out how they worked. I’m always looking for new writers to feature, so please get in touch if you’re interested.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

A great resource for memoir writing is Writing Life Stories.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far

Sunday, February 07, 2010 10:46:53 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Successful Queries: Agent Tina Wexler and 'Tagged'
Posted by Chuck

This series is called "Successful Queries" and I'm posting actual query letters that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting the actual query letter, we will also get to hear thoughts from the agent as to why the letter worked.

The 26th installment in this series is with agent Tina Wexler (ICM) and her author, Mara Purnhagen, for her young adult book, Tagged.

Dear Ms. Wexler,

Sixteen-year-old Kate Morgan is just as baffled as the rest of the Cleary High School student body when gorillas invade their town. Okay, they’re not real gorillas, just life-like renderings painted on the buildings, but still. Why would anyone go to so much trouble?

A mysterious graffiti artist isn’t the only thing causing an uproar in Cleary. The school’s resident rich girl is throwing a sweet sixteen bash complete with an MTV camera crew, a live band, and an ultra exclusive guest list, which, to Kate’s shock, includes her but not Lan, her Vietnamese best friend. Kate is determined to acquire an invitation for Lan, but the birthday girl isn’t budging- until she needs a peculiar favor from Kate.

Shy and sensitive Kate is also trying to conceal her crush on Eli, a guy she works with at the local coffee shop. Ever since she was dumped by her first boyfriend months earlier, Kate has turned to Eli for support and now hopes their friendship can turn into something deeper. However, Eli’s girlfriend, Reva, has made it clear that he’s taken, and with her fiery temper and razor-sharp nails, she’s the last person in the world Kate wants to anger. Kate suspects that Reva may be involved with the graffiti, or worse, that she’s covering for Eli and his friends.

Both the graffiti and the party spark debate among the students at Cleary. Some think that the graffiti is a crime while others classify it as art. Some want more than anything to be invited to the party so they can cash in on their fifteen minutes of televised fame while others plan to boycott the over-the-top snobfest. Kate falls somewhere in the middle of both issues until the night of the party, when she learns the truth behind the graffiti- and the real reason why Lan has been left off the guest list.

My short fiction has been published in Orpheus and the GSU Review. I won the 2003 Hardegree Prize for Fiction, a regional award sponsored by the Hub City Writers Group. I am also a member of the SCBWI.

Tagged is a completed 49,500-word young adult novel. I would be happy to send sample chapters. Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,

Mara Purnhagen

Commentary from Tina

Mara's query caught my eye with the very first sentence. (Did she say gorillas?!) I had to find out more based on that line alone.

And who doesn't love a secret crush and a school divided by the whims of the popular, tough choices between best friends and peculiar favors? I'm also interested in art and in general interested in YAs that explore issues beyond the high school bubble, so I was excited to see that this story would be exploring What IS art?. Lastly, I was a big Veronica Mars fan (sniffle), and the mysteries at the core of this story made me think that Tagged might fill the void left by that show's cancellation, which in my mind is as good a reason as any to ask to see a manuscript. ; )

Of course, it's also just a well-written query, with the right amount of personality and professionalism, a solid bio, etc. I was thrilled when I received pages and found Tagged to be exactly what her letter promised--and more!

This post is an online exclusive complement
to a spotlight on Mara in the March/April 2010
issue of WD. If you don't have a sub to
Writer's Digest, what are you waiting for?
Get one now!

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "Wake"

Successful Queries: (Nonfiction) "Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon"

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Breaking In (Writer's Digest) | Successful Queries

Saturday, February 06, 2010 10:04:42 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Friday, February 05, 2010

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Description
Posted by Chuck

"Don't tell me the moon is shining;
show me the glint of light on broken glass."
~Anton Chekhov

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. This week, I’m serving up five articles on writing description.

1. When is description necessary? Doyce Testerman answers that question.

2. Tips to remember when writing description. Children’s writer Anna Staniszewski offers her tips.

3. Using description to place the reader in the scene. Check out Bertum’s blog for great articles on writing description.

4. The art of description. How to bring your settings to life. On the blog Writing-World.com, writer Anne Marble shares 8 tips to bring your descriptions to life.

5. Selling the Sizzle. Writing description is like a barbeque cookout. Check out this post on the Murderby4 blog.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Craft and Story Beginnings | Footnotes

Friday, February 05, 2010 2:48:17 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Agent Advice: Laney Katz Becker of Markson Thoma Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Agent Advice is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Laney Katz Becker of Markson Thoma Literary Agency. Laney was an agent at Folio Literary Management before she joined Markson Thoma. Prior to becoming an agent, Laney was an advertising copywriter and freelance journalist, as well as an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction. Laney grew up in Ohio and enjoys reading, writing, sewing and snuggling with her pooch.

She is seeking: “book club fiction,” (i.e. novels with substance that you're eager to talk about); character-driven stories; and smart, psychological thrillers. She also loves a great memoir, especially if it teaches her something new, exposes her to a different culture/country, or has a great voice. She's always on the prowl for narrative nonfiction, (especially from journalists), as well as practical nonfiction—parenting, family, relationships, pets—by experts with solid platforms.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

LKB: My background is in writing. I started my career as a copywriter in the advertising/marketing/publicity arena, and later worked as a freelance journalist. My articles and essays have appeared in more than 50 newspapers and magazines. I am also an author of both nonfiction (Three Times Chai) and fiction (Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend ). My novel was a Literary Guild, Alternate Selection; chosen by Redbook as the Editors' Favorite Pick; recommended by Library Journal; and was the recipient of several awards. I love writing (obviously) but as I grew older, I wanted to get back to working with people. (A writer’s life can be very isolating, and I didn’t want to spend my days alone, writing novels in my basement. Hence the career change.) Being an agent allows me to use all my skills and feels like something I prepared for my entire life. If you want to read more about my second career as an agent, check out my blog on the Huffington Post.

GLA: What’s the most recent thing you’ve sold?

LKB: I recently sold Traci Foust’s Confessions of an Unsane Childhood (Simon & Schuster / Gallery Books). It’s a memoir – and a debut – about growing up with OCD and anxiety. Traci is very talented and worked with me for a year to get her proposal in tip-top shape. When I signed her, I knew the proposal needed a lot of work, but I fell hard for her literary voice (which was funny and yet poignant). Traci has a great story to tell and I’m thrilled to have played a part in helping her get it out there.

GLA: How does this vast background contribute to your agenting style and skills?

LKB: I’ve walked the walk of the writer. I know where they’re coming from and I think that kind of insight is invaluable. I also think that my writing skills make me a really good editor, and I work very closely with my authors on the revision process to get their novels and proposals ready for submission. But, it’s a double-edged sword. Because I have the writing skills, sometimes authors expect me to “fix” things, (not okay) or complain about how “hard” writing is. Ha! Tell me something I don’t know.

GLA: You seek literary and mainstream fiction. But when you say you want “commercial” do you mean the pop genres, such as romance?

LKB: Strike all that. When it comes to fiction what I’m really looking for is what I call “book club fiction.” It’s the sort of novel that leaves you dying to talk about what you’ve read with someone. It’s not so literary that you feel like you need a thesaurus by your elbow, nor is it so slow moving that you feel like you’re watching grass grow; in other words, it doesn’t feel like work to read. But, it is much more than an entertaining read; you have to bring your brain because it has some substance to it. I also love really smart thrillers. Not the apocalyptic type; more psychological or puzzle thrillers. Things that mess with your head. (Do you notice a recurring theme, here? I like fiction that makes me think.)

GLA: You say you love memoir, and a few of your recent sales - Unsane Childhood and then First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria - are those great books writers love to see – i.e., memoirs written by people who are NOT celebrities or politicians. Give us your top 3 tips on writing memoir and catching your attention.

LKB: Love this question. Everyone thinks their story is interesting to others, but more and more publishers are worried about “platform,” which is why we see so many (too many!) celebrity books. But even if you’re not famous, you can do yourself a huge favor if you have some following/audience/readership. Whether it’s through Facebook, Twitter, a blog, a regional radio show, a regular column in your local paper …something!
When it comes to memoir, I’m a sucker for voice. I want it to feel fresh and compelling. I want to like you on the page. I also want a fresh story. I’m not interested in the dysfunctional family memoir, or the abuse (drug, sexual, etc.) memoir. I’m sorry, I truly am, but I feel like I’ve read that story too many times and I just don’t want to invest months of my life working with an author on a proposal if it’s a topic/story that doesn’t wow me. BTW: that’s another thing. I sell memoir by proposal only. And no, it doesn’t mean if you’ve already written the whole book it’s better. Proposal. Only. I also like a memoir that exposes me to a different culture or country. I like stories that allow me to walk in someone else’s shoes. In both fiction and memoir, I like racial stories.

GLA: Concerning nonfiction proposals coming in through the slush (that aren’t memoir), what are you looking for and not getting?

LKB: Great credentials; great writing.

GLA: What do you pray for? More good parenting books? More psychology? Etc.

LKB: When it comes to practical nonfiction/how-to books, platform is key. That’s what I pray for. Qualified experts with a strong platform that will make publishers salivate.

GLA: You’ve been a writer and now an agent. Taking what you know and have seen from both sides, tell us about what changes you see for the future of the publishing industry.

LKB: I wish I had a crystal ball. But I think what’s happening now will continue: Publishers are publishing fewer books; advances are smaller and publicity/marketing support isn’t what we’d like it to be. I think there will be more ebooks published and I think that debut writers will have an even tougher time getting published in hardcover. But you don’t need a crystal ball for any of that; it’s just sort of the lay of today’s land.

GLA: You rep a lot of debut books and novels. What’s it like to take on so many debuts and help people with their first books?

LKB: It is FABULOUS! I’m helping someone realize his/her dream. And that is always something I love. But debut authors can be frustrating, too. They require a lot more time and hand-holding and that’s okay – as long as they remember to say thank you :-D
But seriously, debut authors don’t always understand the job/role of an agent and their expectations aren’t always realistic. They may read some blog about an author getting a seven-figure advance and they figure that they’ve written a good book so they should get that kind of advance, too. (Don’t I wish?!)

GLA: Something personal about you writers would be surprised to know?

LKB: I don’t cook. Really. Not ever.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming conferences where writers can meet/pitch you?

LKB: Nope. I happen to really like slush and use the time I would typically spend at conferences reading unsolicited submissions. That way, I’m judging the work and the writing – and it’s paid off. The slush pile has given me authors who’ve gone on to make national and international bestsellers’ list, become B&N Discover Great New Writers picks, and Debutante Ball (www.thedebutanteball.com) selections.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t discussed?

LKB: When looking for an agent always be professional: Read submission guidelines. If an agent only takes electronic submissions, don’t send them snail mail. Make some reference in your query to the fact that you’ve done your homework. “I’m sending this to you because I know you love book club fiction,” “I laughed all the way through Eve Brown-Waite’s memoir, First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria, and I’m writing to you because I have a project I think might also resonate with you…” Get it?
If an agent asks for pages or a proposal, resend your query; don’t ever expect an agent to remember you or save stuff. We are inundated with material and read a lot. So give us the tools we need to do our jobs because if you don’t send along everything we need, you’re making it easier for us to just pass and move onto the next email in our inbox. But, if you love writing and are willing to work hard and revise and revise – don’t give up. In fact, check out our website and send me a query! (Laney[at]MarksonThoma[dot]com)

Want more on this subject?

Read an interview with agent Meredith Kaffel (Charlotte Sheedy Lit)

Read an interview with agent Lucienne Diver (The Knight Agency)

10 Query Letter Questions Answered.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Memoir

Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:37:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

How to Trim Your Query to 250 Words (or Fewer): Advice from Agent Janet Reid
Posted by Chuck

Agent Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management, aka the Query Shark, gave this information at a query workshop for the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group.

This guest post by Donna Gambale and
Frankie Diane Mallis, critique partners
who blog at www.FirstNovelsClub.com
when they’re not writing young adult
novels. (Donna, author of "Magnetic Kama
Sutra," also previously guest blogged here)

Your ability to write a query that does your novel justice can make or break your chances of landing an agent. Reid recommends spending two months perfecting this 250-word marvel.

Your query encompasses three sections:
      1. 100 words answering the question “What is the book about?”
      2. A brief summary of your writing credits, if you have them.
      3. Miscellaneous information on how you found the agent or why you chose him/her.

THINGS TO CUT FROM EACH SECTION

Section One:
     1. Back story.
     2. World building.
     3. Character roll call.
     4. Telling.
     5. A synopsis.

Section Two:
     1. Academia – classes, teachers, degrees, dissertations.
     2. Conferences you’ve attended.
     3. Self-published novels, or traditionally published novels with poor sales.
     4. Personal information.

Section Three:
     1. Begging, flattery.
     2. Arrogance or self-deprecation.
     3. Offer of an exclusive.
     4. Your marketing plan.
     5. Quotes from rejection letters, paid editors, critique groups, your mom.

TWO THINGS TO KEEP

Section One:
     1. Title, genre, word count.
     2. The essentials of your novel. (Every time you think you know, ask yourself “So what? And then?” until you’re left with your main character, conflict, and consequences.)

Section Two:
     1. Published short stories or novels.
     2. Published magazine or newspaper articles.

Section Three:
     1. Why you chose this agent.
     2. A connection you have from a conference/workshop.

Start from the bare bones and build from there. Infuse each section with your book’s personality. Consider every word. Don’t forget your contact information. And close with “Thank you for your time and consideration.” Now get trimming!

Want more tips and posts?

Query letter tips.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today

Guest Columns | Queries and Synopses and Proposals | Writers' Conferences

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:56:55 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Upcoming Writers Conferences Where I'll Be ...
Posted by Chuck

VOICE Writers Conference, Feb. 13, Huntington, WV
I'll be presenting on several topics; also in attendance will be literary agents Miriam Kriss (Irene Goodman Literary) and Cherry Weiner (Cherry Weiner Literary), who will both be taking pitches from writers. (voicequarterly.com/writers-conference.html)

Writer’s Digest Editors Intensive, March 13-14, Cincinnati, OH
These recurring intensives feature a small-group setting and a day of presentations by WD staffers. On Sunday, writers and editors meet for personal one-on-one meetings where pages of writers’ work is critiqued. (writersdigest.com/conferences-events)

Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning Seminar, March 20, Lexington, KY
I'll be presenting on “Everything You Need to Know About Getting an Agent.” Questions from attendees welcomed and encouraged. (carnegieliterary.org)

Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, April 15-17, Dayton, OH
I will present on a variety of topics. Last year, more than 300 attendees were at this event, billed as a "one-of-a-kind national resource for humor and human interest writing." (humorwriters.org/2010Register.html)

Want more on this subject?

Check out this guest column by Han Vance on Networking at Writers Conferences.

Read more about the dos and don'ts of pitching agents at conferences.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

What is an author platform?

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Writers' Conferences

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:38:16 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Author Platform and the Debut of Your Book
Posted by Chuck

A writer who has ever done any research on her intended occupation has heard the term author platform. Author platform describes all the ways in which you can gain visibility among readers. It refers to your web presence, public speaking and classes taught, media contacts or previous publishing credits such as articles written for magazines, newspapers or websites as well as your networking skills. Your platform is the difference between a reader passing your book up or her giving it a chance by flipping the cover open to read the inside flap.

Guest blog by Lindsey Edwards, writer
of paranormal, fantasy and historical
romance. See her website here.

Going about establishing a platform is different for writers of fiction and nonfiction books. For one, nonfiction authors need to create a trustworthy name for themselves before seeking representation or publication, whereas fiction authors need to focus their efforts more on reaching the masses once they’ve signed a book deal with a publishing house.

NONFICTION PLATFORM TIPS

Create a name for yourself. Before an agent will agree to represent your book, you first need to create a name for yourself. For nonfiction, it’s very important to have testimonials to back you when trying to sell a piece of work you claim to be intimately knowledgeable of.

Target your readers and cater to them. A book is never going to be met with unanimous approval. Meet with your audience by speaking at colleges, libraries, businesses or with whomever else your book could find a home. Even online classes, advertised to the right audience, can bring in potential readers.

Join professional organizations—where you can participate in events and meet with other experts in your field who could later endorse your book.

Write articles—for websites, magazines or newspapers on your topic.

Volunteer. Many friendships or offers are achieved through shared interest and goodwill.

Don’t forget the power of the Internet. Blogs and websites, networking sites and forums are all ways to identify yourself with readers as an expert in your field.

FICTION PLATFORM TIPS

With fiction, agents are more interested in previous publishing credits, but once you sign on the dotted line with a publishing house and have a release date it’s very important to do your share of publicizing yourself and your novel.

Get in touch with the publicity department of your publishing house to see what they will do to help spread the word and strategize a plan offering up ideas of your own. Publishing houses only reserve so much money toward authors, and even fewer dollars are spent on publicizing new novels so you may want to consider putting some of your advance towards the exposure of your novel, it will be well worth it on your next advance if you do this right.

Create a professional looking website with information on yourself, links to any networking sites, a list of your appearances, a guestbook to sign, and perhaps if you have any to share, information on coming attractions.

Obtain a blurb from a well-known author who writes books similar to yours, endorsing your novel.

Locate all the influential book reviewers and make sure they receive an ARC (advanced reading copy) of your novel.

Generate good word of mouth. Now more than ever, word of mouth is done over the Internet. Good news for you because it broadens your circle of readers to those who may tweet to their friends (a Twitter term) good tidings of your book.

Market yourself online so people start to become familiar with your name. When you have a release date for your novel you can do a blog tour where you visit several blogs that compliment the type of book you are marketing and do interviews.

Giveaways. Set aside a few books from the ARCs you receive and use them to create a stir by hosting a giveaway for a signed copy of your book.

Video tape yourself reading an enticing summary or scene excerpt from your book and post it on your networking sites, YouTube and even websites or blogs of friends.

Radio, newspaper and television interviews can help spread the word about a book signing. Remember to have a freebie to hand out to your readers like a bumper sticker, bookmark, postcard, magnet or what have you with your name and the name of your book, along with your web address for further exposure.

Ask for reviews. One more tip for authors of either type of book is to ask anyone who’s said they loved your book to write a review of it on Amazon or on the Barnes & Noble website.

To see how well you’ve done at getting the word out about yourself and your book, sign up for alerts on the search of your name or book. Go to google.com/alerts. Good luck!

Want more on this topic?

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Examine Great High-Concept Hooks for Children's Books.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guest Columns | Platform

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 12:54:22 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Three Great Links for Kids Writers
Posted by Chuck

Here are interesting things you may want to check out on this fine Tuesday:

1. The Official SCBWI Blog is all online from their recent conference this week. The link here will take to all the info agents gave during their agent panel at the 2010 Winter SCBWI Conference in NYC. Great stuff here. Special thanks for running the blog goes to Alice Pope, editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

2. Kids agent Chris Richman explains what he is looking for. Chris, an agent with Upstart Crow Literary, goes into detail about exactly what he wants to receive in terms of kids submissions. This is a nice breath of fresh air.

3. Kids agent Mark McVeigh invites you to query once again. Mark is a publishing pro but new to the agent world. Evidently, he got buried in submissions and couldn't respond to them, so he is inviting writers to resubmit if they never heard back the first time. This message below was posted on the Verla Kay message boards. (Special thanks for this heads up goes to blog contributor Nancy Parish.)
       "If you sent us a query before November 1, 2009, and haven’t heard anything back from us, please consider querying us again (queries[at]themcveighagency.com). Please only reach out to us if your manuscript falls into one of the following categories:
       • Quirky, funny picture books with a unique twist; always kid-centric: what haven't you ever read before in a picture book? Well, write it!
       • Chapter books with a great hook--school based, funny, always character or situation driven.
       • Middle grade genre books, especially those with series potential – for example, set in a private school, sports-related (for either boys or girls or both!), for horse-lovers, and something so irresistible to capture that elusive male reader who prefers video games. Girl books, but no watered-down "rich girl with sexy lifestyle" please
       • YA – funny or full of teen angst; envelope pushing or issue based; love stories, of course; always looking for something original and with a kid's or teen's voice. Again, ask yourself: what hasn't been done before. Make it--and this goes for everything you send Mark--start with an intoxicating chapter that FORCES the reader to keep going.
       Please note that we are NOT looking at middle grade or YA fantasy at this time. Dazzle us with your query letter but keep it brief! Then paste the first 10 pages of your manuscript into the body of the e-mail (no attachments). Can’t wait to read your work!"

Want more on children's writing?

New children's agent seeking submissions.

How to write picture books for kids.

Buy the kids writers' bible: the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

Interview with kids agent Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Read a successful young adult query: "Wake" by Lisa McMann.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Children's Writing

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 12:22:02 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, February 01, 2010

Agent Advice: Irene Goodman of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency (and News About More of Her Auctioned Critiques!)
Posted by Chuck

Agent Advice is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Irene Goodman of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. Irene's clients are regulars on the New York Times, USA Today, Walden, Publishers Weekly, and Bookscan bestseller lists. Together with her dynamic staff, her agency represents over 80 authors. Originally from the Midwest, Irene has a B.A. and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. She divides her time between New York and the Berkshires. Her personal passions include opera, Doonesbury, Mark Twain, theatre, and children. She also auctions off manuscript critiques for charity (see more below).

She is seeking: memoir, narrative history, music, social issues and commentary, animals, parenting, food, Judaica, Anglophilia, Francophilia, crafts, and lifestyle. Her fiction list includes historical fiction, women's fiction, thrillers, literary fiction, and mysteries.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

IG: I've always enjoyed breaking through red tape and doing my own thing. When I first came to New York to work for a book publisher, I got a chance to see up close what agents do. And I said to myself, "I would be good at that." So my next job was working for an agent. What motivates me is that it's endlessly exciting. In our office, we all look forward to Mondays. We have comradeship, and we have joy. Sometimes we go on "class trips" to the theatre or the beach, but we never stop talking shop.

GLA: Before we get into the interview, about a month ago, I blogged about you doing a critique auction for charity. How did that go?

IG: It was amazing! I auctioned off critiques of 25 partial manuscripts on eBay, and the response was fantastic. The top bid came in at $1025.00. We raised over $15,000 altogether, all of which will go directly to the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Deafness Research Foundation.
       I intend to keep doing these auctions for as long as I can. There will be two auctions a month (one per foundation), every month, with another big marathon each year in December. The next eBay auction starts today (Feb. 1, 2010) at 3 p.m. Pacific time, and there are 4 auctions for various causes. Auctions will continue every month. Anyone who wants to participate or get more information should go to my web site www.irenegoodman.com, where they will find a link to the auction pages.

GLA: What are some things you've sold recently that you're excited about?

IG: I sold a trilogy of novels about the life of Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey that went to Ballantine, at auction. The first book is called Becoming Marie Antoinette, and it covers the high stakes makeover that the pre-teen underwent before she went to France. The second book will be about the queen years, and the third book will cover her untimely end. (Or as the author likes the sum up the three books--teen, queen, guillotine.)
        Another one that looks very promising is Shakespeare Undead by NY Times bestseller Lori Handleland, that sold to St. Martin's. Did you know that the Bard was a necromancer in his spare time, chasing down zombie armies? Or, as Anne Hathaway put it, "No wonder he was never home."

GLA: What's something that was recently released that you are excited about?

IG: Susan Donovan's Ain't Too Proud to Beg, a contemporary romance novel that pushes the boundaries and delivers the author's trademark intelligence and wit. It made #21 on the NY Times Extended list. Since it's the first of a trilogy, the next books are sure to go over the top.
       Another one that's coming up is And God Said by the foremost translator of ancient Hebrew, Joel Hoffman. If you think you know what the most famous verses in the bible mean, you are probably wrong. Centuries of mistranslation have turned incorrect concepts and words into icons that aren't what you think they are.

GLA: Historical fiction can cover a lot of ground. Do you find yourself drawn to anything in particular? For example, would you consider an epic book set in Rome?

IG: Rome is a tough sell, but anything is possible. However, I focus more on European stories with a strong hook. Female subjects work best. The court of Henry VIII has been very well mined, but there are plenty of other delicious people in history whose stories are begging to be told.

GLA: Let's say you're reading a partial for a mystery or thriller. Tell me about some bad openings you see time and time again - what are some Chapter 1 cliches?

IG: The most common opening is a grisly murder scene told from the killer's point of view. While this usually holds the reader's attention, the narrative drive often doesn't last once we get into the meat of the story. A catchy opening scene is great, but all too often it falls apart after the initial pages. I often refer people to the opening of Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, which is about nothing more than a young couple getting an apartment. It is masterfully written and yet it doesn't appear to be about anything sinister at all. And it keeps you reading.

GLA: Barbara Poelle at your agency once told me that you had a great habit of finding nonfiction projects that were off the beaten path. What did she mean by this?

IG: Well, not too long ago, an odd little self-published book came in the mail called Their Last Suppers by Andrew Caldwell. It's about famous people in history, their colorful ends, and their last meals, including recipes. The author was traveling all over the country promoting it at wine stores and restaurants, including theme dinners (i.e. the last supper on the Titanic). I loved this quirky idea, and went wide with the manuscript. Three publishers offered on it, and it went to Andrews McMeel.

GLA: You rep a lot of nonfiction projects. What are you looking for and not getting?

IG: Nonfiction is less about what people send me than it is about what I go after. I'll get an idea for a nonfiction project, find the right author with the right platform or attach a big name to it, and get a writer if necessary. That works a lot better than sitting around waiting to see what comes in. Most unsolicited nonfiction submissions lack the necessary platform that would make them worthwhile.

GLA: According to your website, you have an interest in books about Britain and France. Why this interest? Do you also look for fiction books perhaps set in these countries?

IG: Britain? There will always be an England. France? Are you kidding? Go to France, have one meal there, and then come back and tell me if you still have that question. The French know how to love life and love themselves. They know how to take pleasure seriously. I sold a book called French Women Don't Sleep Alone by Jamie Callan, about how to get a guy the French girl way. (Hint: Dating is so American.)

GLA: You've agented for decades and seen the publishing landscape change. Do you have any advice for authors on how they can be prepared for whatever lies ahead?

IG: Look for the loopholes in the system that weren't there before. Consider the case of Boyd Morrison, who posted his unpublished thriller, The Ark, on Amazon, available only as an e-book. The readers found it on their own and it quickly became a Kindle #1 bestseller. Using that base, I was able to sell it to Simon & Schuster, where it now headlines the Touchstone list. Our brilliant foreign rights agent, Danny Baror, has made major sales in over 15 countries (and counting).

GLA: Something personal about yourself people might be surprised to know?

IG: My favorite movie of all time is The Godfather (both I & II). I have seen them both countless times, and manage to find something new each time. I will go toe to toe with anyone on Godfather trivia. It is also one of the best business books ever written. Seriously. One of the most quoted lines is "It's just business, not personal." But what people often forget is what Michael says later on, which is that everything is personal.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven't discussed?

IG: There's an old proverb: "If you are like him, who will be like you?" Be bold. Be yourself. Write the book that only you could write. Technology changes, but the fundamentals don't. Human beings have had a driving need to tell stories since they lived in caves. The earliest storytellers enthralled listeners around campfires. Chaucer entertained the court by telling them the Canterbury Tales. In the 19th century, people lined up for blocks to get the next installment of the new Dickens story. Today, teenagers in Tokyo are downloading the latest vampire saga onto their phones. So no matter what format becomes the norm, a great story is still what it's all about. Hone your craft, learn the techniques of telling a great story, and the rest will come.

Want more on this subject?

Read an interview with agent Meredith Kaffel (Charlotte Sheedy Lit)

Read an interview with agent Lucienne Diver (The Knight Agency)

Buy "Face of Betrayal," a thriller.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Contests

Monday, February 01, 2010 2:58:50 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Sunday, January 31, 2010

How I Got My Agent: April Henry
Posted by Chuck

"How I Got My Agent" is a new recurring feature on the GLA blog. I find it fascinating to see the exact road people took that landed them with a rep. Seeing the things people did right vs. what they did wrong (highs and the lows) can help other scribes who are on the same journey. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.

To see the previous installments of this column, click here.

If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll talk specifics.

This installment of "How I Got My Agent" is
by mystery and thriller writer April Henry.
She has published eight books, and will have
two more out this year. The paperback of
Face of Betrayal comes out tomorrow (Feb. 1).
Learn more at her website and also see her blog.

I STILL HAVE MY EARLY REJECTIONS

I started trying to get in 1991 - before there was a World Wide Interweb. I had a literary agent guide with a green cover that I poured over religiously. I think it was called Literary Agents of North America, as if it were a guide to infrequent sightings of a rare species. I got over a hundred rejections total for my first novel and then my second. Some agents rejected a book as soon as they read my query; others after they read part or all of the book.

I still have the file of those rejections, which I called Submissions & Rejections. And it still fills me with a mix of anxiety, shame, and self-pity to page through them. “I’m afraid I can’t provide the necessary enthusiasm,” wrote Anita Diamant about my second novel. (Anita ended up becoming an author herself and writing the bestselling book The Red Tent.) Sterling Lord, who at that point had been an agent for 40 years and whose clients included Jack Keroac and Ken Kesey, also “did not feel enthusiastic enough.”

Another agency offered to look at my manuscript - if I would pay $400 first. Some gave thoughtful responses, like the agent who found my writing “effective,” but then added that the structure was “unwieldy.” One sent me two pages of comments about characters and plot. Even the mixed messages, like the agent who said I had “real talent” but then added she hadn’t felt compelled to keep reading, gave me hope. I got typewritten responses, handwritten notes, letters from dot-matrix printers, form rejection letters addressed to “Dear Author” that had clearly been photocopied dozens of times, and one memorable “No!” scrawled on the top of my query and sent back in my self-addressed stamped envelope.

A DEAD END

I tried reaching out to a few authors: Marge Piercy, Beth Gutcheon, and Elinor Lipman (who was just starting out, but I had met her cousin at a business seminar). Again, since this was before the Internet and author websites, my letters first had to find their way to the publisher and then to the writer. All tried to offer advice, but they weren’t agents and often their own agents weren’t taking on new clients.

I brought Elinor’s letter with me to a signing of hers a few years ago. While she didn’t remember writing it, she marveled at the fact that it was handwritten.

FINDING "THE ONE"

I read this article, which appeared 18 years ago. I read it a couple of months after it came out, because my officemate used to bring me her old New York Times. After reading the article, I looked up Harold Ober in my green book. That was it. There was no other way to figure out more about them. (Sometimes I try to recreate how I used to learn about things before the Internet, and it gives me a headache.) I typed up a letter (no e-mail, remember?) to an agent there, Wendy, and got ready to send it off. At the last minute, I double-checked the spelling on her name. I had to re-type the letter and envelope when I realized there was no T on Schmalz.

Wendy replied (by letter) and asked for a full manuscript. Then she contacted me (by landline phone) and offered to represent me. Now, years later, we’ve been together longer than some couples have been married. I’ve had eight books published, with five more on the way. During that time, I also wrote two books that did not find a publisher. Both were books I loved. I could have been crushed. But by then I was hooked, too stubborn to stop. Instead, I kept writing.

And what if I had given up years ago, after my hundredth rejection from a literary agent? Around the same time, I took a writing class. At least two of the folks in that class - T. and J. - were far better writers than I was. They both gave up after getting a few rejections from agents. As far as I know, they haven't been published. So don't you give up, too. Keep going!

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

See all posted stories of writers finding their agents.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Free tips on writing book-length memoirs.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Genre Writing | How I Got My Agent Columns

Sunday, January 31, 2010 7:23:32 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Robert Lewis
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Robert Lewis, who writes crime fiction.

Robert Lewis writes crime fiction
and runs the NeedleCity blog.

Right now, I have the good fortune to be represented by the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, and my book, Unseen Damage, is being shopped to editors this very moment. I wanted to write a column from my unique situation - from the vantage point of a writer who has an agent and is now trying to 1) build a platform and 2) sell the book. Here are seven things I now know that I hope can help you:

1. Getting an agent is only the beginning. When we start out writing and dreaming of finding an agent and getting published, we, of course, focus on getting the agent. This is natural. It makes sense. In reality, however, it’s only the end of the first phase. The next phase, getting published, is where even more work awaits.

2. Every writer/agent relationship is different. This is probably one of the hardest things an aspiring writer has to learn. It was certainly hard for me. I’ve spoken with many writers who jump at the first agent who offers representation. This may not be the best move. The writer/agent relationship is first and foremost a business relationship, and in business people succeed best when they are well-suited to work together. Ask a lot of questions when you’re on the phone with this prospective agent. See if you can work together. Do you “click”? Always remember: If one agent wants to sign you, there will be others.

3. Landing a rep does not necessarily lead to publication of your book. Sad but true. Just “mind the gap” and keep working on the next project while your agent sends out your manuscript. Let your agent do his or her job while you keep churning out the golden prose.

4. It’s going to take time. No way around this. It took 4-5 months from the time I signed with my agent to the time she began to send my novel out to publishers. I’ve heard of it taking eight to twelve months or even longer before an agent felt a manuscript was ready to go out into the world. And once it goes out, it will take even more time. Again, just keep your head down, and always remember to breathe.

5. Building your author platform will be one of the most vital parts of the process. Once my book began to go out, my agent felt it was a good time to begin building my platform. Twitter, Facebook, blogging, Myspace, website, etc. This takes a lot of time and energy. Your platform is one of the major ways that people will hear about you and your book. I imagined myself at my desk, writing furiously, sending out my manuscripts to my editor for publication while my publicist did all the advertising. Ha! I was so naïve! These days it’s up to the author to sell his or her self, and their work.

6. It isn’t really done until the book is in print. One of the first things you’ll probably do after you sign with your agent is go back and rewrite your book. Maybe a little, maybe a lot. The revising I did on my novel took three months. Fairly deep revision it was, too, as I had to take a character that had been killed and bring them back to life. It was an incredible learning experience.

7. Just relax. Writing to land an agent can take years. It took me about four years of intense writing and two manuscripts to finally sign with a reputable agency. I took off about two weeks after I signed the agency agreement to read some novels my agent suggested I read before I tackled the rewrite. After all the work to get to where I am today, I’m beginning to realize just how important it is to not write. To regroup, reassess, and recharge. Writing will hopefully be your career for many, many years. You need to arrive at the gates with enough strength to walk through.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

A great resource for memoir writing is Writing Life Stories.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far

Sunday, January 31, 2010 7:01:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Cover Band Soap Opera: Lead Singer Leaves the Stage; I am Forced to Sing, Practically at Gunpoint
Posted by Chuck

A while back, I blogged about a time when our lead singer was sick and his voice just gave out about 10 minutes into a four-hour show. Well, this past Saturday gave me flashbacks to then. My cover band was playing a show on Saturday night in Cincinnati and the lead singer was/is battling a "toothache from hell." So our gig was supposed to last until 2 a.m., but at 1:30, our singer simply declared he was "done." The announcement was made in the microphone and that was that.

The final song ends (and, yes, it was "Zombie," as always) and the lead singer up and leaves the bar. Our bassist tells the drummer and I everything is going to be OK and that we'll just tell the bar owner to take $100 off our price for the night in exchange for this hassle. Uh ... well that plan didn't work.

I wanna rock right now
I'm Chuck and I came to get down

The plan seemed good until the bar owner walked up and whispered some words into the bassist's ears. The bassist turns to me, spooked, and says "Chuck, you have to sing right now. I'm not kidding, dude, you need to sing like right now or we're all dead men."

OK ... but what about the lyrics? And what about how I can't really sing? Taking a quick look over the set list, I pick out a few songs that I can barely pull off: "Alive," "Margaritaville," "Johnny B Goode," "I Want to Be Sedated." So off we go. I make an explanation to the crowd and then set off into some Pearl Jam.

And what happens? The crowd digs it. They seem to realize instantly that our bus no longer has a driver, and they're singing along with me, dancing more than before, trying to show some enthusiasm and keep the party going. In fact, when 2 a.m. finally rolled around (Thank you Jesus), the dance floor was packed. My bandmates thanked me afterward for saving the show, but the truth is the crowd saved the show. They could have thrown rotten tomatoes and little packets of Splenda at us. But no. They were kind, and that's a nice memory to have.

Cover Band Venting

Sunday, January 31, 2010 6:38:11 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [6]

Friday, January 29, 2010

Agent Advice: BJ Robbins of BJ Robbins Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Agent Interview by

contributor Ricki Schultz.

Agent Advice is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features BJ Robbins of the Los Angeles-based BJ Robbins Literary Agency. She started in publicity at Simon & Schuster, was later Marketing Director and then Senior Editor at Harcourt, and opened her own agency in 1992.

She is seeking: quality fiction—both literary and commercial—and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, biography, narrative history, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine and health. (Please send all children’s and young adult queries to Amy Maldonado.)

GLA: How did you become an agent?

BR: Becoming an agent seemed a logical step after spending nearly 15 years in publishing in NY. I started in publicity (first at S&S, then at M. Evans and Harcourt), then moved up to Marketing Director at Harcourt. A few years later, I jumped the editorial/marketing divide and became a Senior Editor at Harcourt.
       When I found myself living in Los Angeles in 1991—much against my will, I might add (though I've gotten over it)—I decided the way to remain in the book business and utilize all of my publishing experience was to start my agency.

GLA: Tell us about a recent project you’ve sold.

BR: I recently sold Nafisa Haji's second novel, tentatively titled The Sweetness of Tears, to Morrow. Her first novel, The Writing on My Forehead, came out last March, with the paperback edition out this March 2010. I'm also looking forward to the paperback edition of John Hough, Jr.’s Seen the Glory, which S&S will publish in July. It's a brilliant Civil War novel about two young brothers from Martha's Vineyard who join the Union Army and fight at Gettysburg.

GLA: What are you looking for right now and not getting? What do you pray for when tackling the slush pile?

BR: I look for something that stays with me, that's not only engaging but teaches me something. It could be a novel about a 15-year-old runaway in Seattle, or nonfiction about a particularly dramatic moment in history. I want to be moved, entertained, enlightened. What I pray for is a writer who comes to me with something that doesn't need one bit of editing. Since that doesn't happen often—or ever—I look for writing that pops off the page, doesn't bore me, and has something to say.

GLA: Among other areas, you seek projects in the area of medicine. What are you looking for here?

BR: I like the occasional gory tale, like Dr. Pamela Nagami's The Woman with a Worm in Her Head, which is about her experiences in the field of infectious disease. I don't have a big medical list, although I would certainly welcome more of it, especially insightful and/or groundbreaking medical stories.

GLA: In your profile on Publishers Marketplace, among a list of other things, it says you do not represent “anything with ‘unicorn’ in the title.” Should all fantasy writers think twice before querying you, or is it just that particular mythological creature that rubs you the wrong way?

BR: To be honest, I added that line for my own amusement. I think I had recently received a whole slew of unsolicited submissions with unicorns in them and found it irritating. However, I don't handle fantasy or science fiction or most genre fiction, so I do hope that those writers think twice before submitting to me. (I have nothing against unicorns, by the way, in case there's a Save the Unicorns group out there who might come after me.)

GLA: Because you deal with so much nonfiction, platform must be important to you. In your opinion, what’s the best way a writer can build platform?

BR: Start locally; get yourself in front of groups of people, get published wherever you can, and build from there. Develop a web presence via a website and social networking sites. Befriend famous people, star in your own TV show, write a nationally syndicated newspaper column, or host a program on NPR.
       No seriously—platform is very important, but having something to say and having the writing skills to present your ideas in an informative and engaging manner is important, too. But still try to befriend some famous people, especially if they have national TV shows or a gig on NPR.

GLA: How do you prefer to be queried?

BR: I accept e-mail queries, but I also like getting queries and submissions through old-fashioned snail mail. I just changed my e-mail address for queries, so please use this one: robbinsliterary[at]gmail[dot]com. A Web site is in the works, but in the meantime, the best source of info is my Publishers Marketplace page. I would like to reiterate that it is impossible for me to send a response to every person who sends a query. I wish I could, but it's just too time-consuming. If I'm interested, you will hear from me—I promise.

GLA: What changes do you think 2010 has in store for the publishing industry?

BR: I'm hoping that no more divisions will be consolidated and that the big layoffs are behind us. I do believe that e-book sales will steadily increase but not dominate as much as people think, and that advances will continue to decrease for all but the most successful authors. And I'm hoping that publishers deal with the problem of e-book piracy, which I believe will be a big issue in coming years.

GLA: What is something about you writers would be surprised to hear?

BR: I play basketball in the North Weddington Mom's League. I've been their power forward for the past nine years, having discovered my inner jock in adulthood.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers’ conferences where writers can meet and pitch you?

BR: The two I go to consistently are the SDSU conference in January and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Workshop in August.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t talked about yet?

BR: Three things:
       1) Make sure you've done all the necessary homework before submitting to an agent.
       2) Get as much feedback from as many people as you can—professional feedback, I mean—before sending your work out. Much of what I see might have potential, but it isn't there yet.
       3) Write a great query letter, one that's written with confidence and passion and doesn't exceed more than three or four paragraphs.

This agent interview by Ricki Schultz,
freelance writer and coordinator of
Shenandoah Writers in VA. Visit her blog
or follow her on Twitter.

Want more on this subject?

Read an interview with agent Jessica Regel (Jean V. Naggar Lit)

Read an interview with agent Meredith Kaffel (Charlotte Sheedy Lit)

Read an interview with agent Lucienne Diver (The Knight Agency)

Interview with agent Jeffrey McGraw (The August Agency).

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews)

Friday, January 29, 2010 10:23:11 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, January 28, 2010

''Dear Lucky Agent'' Contest: Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction
Posted by Chuck

Note from Chuck: It's Feb. 1, 2010, which means this contest
is now closed. Thank you for entering. Winners
should be announced within 7 days or so.
Meanwhile, our next contest should start
within a week or two, as well. It's for writers
of kids books!

------------------------------

"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest:

Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction

Welcome to the first "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest on the GLA blog. This will be a recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here's the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes - meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you're writing book-length memoir or narrative nonfiction, this first contest is for you!

HOW TO SUBMIT

You can leave your entry in the Comments section of this post, or just e-mail it. Send e-mailed entries to januaryagentcontest@gmail.com. (If using e-mail, paste everything. No attachments.)

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of memoir, femoir or narrative nonfiction (also called creative nonfiction). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Though not mandatory, feel free to submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, I ask that you do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through any social media - blogs, Twitter, Facebook, forums, message boards, comments on other blog sites; or 2) just mention this contest once and also add Guide to Literary Agents Blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) to your blogroll. Please provide link(s) so I can verify eligibility.

CONTEST DETAILS

      1. This contest will be live for approximately twelve days - from Jan. 19 through the end of Sunday, Jan. 31, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within seven days of end of contest. Winners announced on the blog thereafter.
      2. To enter, submit the first 150-200 words of your book. Shorter or longer entries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
      3. This contest is solely for completed book-length works of memoir (life stories), femoir, narrative nonfiction or creative nonfiction. Stories, naturally, must be true - not simply fiction based on truth.
      4. You can submit as many times as you wish.
      5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
      6. There are more rules (most of them dealing with legal stuff) that you can find in the comments section of this post.
      7. By commenting on this post or e-mailing your story, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as the terms added by me at the beginning of the "Comments" section of this blog post.

PRIZES!!!

First place: 1) A critique of 25 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) Two free books from Writer's Digest Books (I will give you several choices and you pick the books your want).

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) JUDGE!

Katharine Sands is an agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She is the agent provocateur for Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye. Books she's repped include:

SAT Word Slam, by Jodi Fodor

Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers and Moods, by Shawn Tassone and Kathryn Landherr

The Complete Book of International Adoption: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Child, by Dawn Davenport

Taxpertise: The Complete Book of Dirty Little Secrets and Tax Deductions for Small Businesses the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know, by Bonnie Lee

Contests | Memoir

Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:40:15 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [27]

New Agent Alert: Chris Kepner at Victoria Sanders & Associates
Posted by Chuck

Reminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.

About Chris:He is a native of Buffalo, New York and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Starting as an intern for Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, Kepner joined Victoria Sanders & Associates thereafter. According to his mother, Chris has had a book with him ever since he could hold one. From the Hardy Boys Mysteries and Goosebumps, to Kurt Vonnegut and Ernest Hemingway, Chris’s passion for literature has always been strong. Chris maintains a blog and welcomes your questions and comments.

He is seeking: At the moment, he is especially on the lookout for quality nonfiction and top-quality literary fiction. With very eclectic interests, he is open to all types of books as long as the writing is exceptional. Please include the first three chapters in the body of the e-mail. The only thing he does not want to see right now are YA or other kids books.

How to contact: "If you’d like to send me a query letter, email it to ckepner[at]victoriasanders[dot]com. I prefer writers include the first three chapters pasted into the body of the e-mail. Please don’t send your query to more than one agent within our agency." No snail mail queries. Query letters should describe the project and the author in the body of a single, one-page e-mail that does not contain any attachments or attached files. He responds to queries in one to four weeks.

Want more on this subject?

Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management.

Free tips on writing book-length memoirs.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:36:44 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Mysteries
Posted by Chuck

“What I like in a good author is not
what he says, but what he whispers."
~ Logan Pearsall Smith

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. This week, I’m serving up five articles on writing mysteries.

1. What a girl wants. In an interview on the GLA blog, Agent Stacia Decker discusses what she’s looking for in a mystery, as well as some ins and outs of the genre.

2. Hook ‘em Dano. On the working writers blog, they list 3 ways to make your mystery stand out.

3. Follow the rules. On the About.com fiction writing site, they list 10 rules for writing mysteries.

4. Look at all the angles. On her mystery writing site, Elizabeth Craig discusses how writers can improve an idea.

5. It begins on Page 1. On his blog, mystery writer, Bill Cameron debates the use of a Prologue.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Footnotes | Genre Writing

Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:14:34 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Writing Erotica (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Posted by Chuck

As an erotica author, I’ve found that many people have preconceived notions about the art of writing erotica and erotic romance. Before I became well versed in writing the genre, I had misconceptions of my own, and that led to much trial and error as I worked to refine my craft and learn how better to please my audience. Following are 10 tips I’ve accrued for those curious about writing erotica:

Lisa Lane is an eclectic writer who works in
multiple genres and formats; she writes
novels, original screenplays, short stories
and essays. Four of her erotica novels and
six erotic romance short stories are published
through Ravenous Romance. She also has one
“sweet” romance published. See her website here.

1. It’s not all about the sex—really. While sex does play a key role in erotica, the sex itself is secondary to the development of the characters and plot. A good erotica writer knows that, no matter how great the sex is, there still needs to be a good, solid story if one wants to hold a reader’s interest.

2. Dynamics sell. Flat characters never go far, but in erotica, you really do have your work cut out for you when it comes to creating believable and entertaining character dynamics. Dashing heroes make for great romance and passionate love-making, but they won’t keep the story going. Think about the characteristics that you find most entertaining, and then brainstorm: Readers like characters who use fun dialog, have a good sense of humor, and make interesting choices. What types of hobbies, beliefs or interests might help to develop your characters--and give them something in common? The hero must be worth pursuing, and the heroine must be worthy of her hero.

3. Perspective is pivotal. Most readers prefer erotica shown from the female perspective, unless the work is written specifically for readers of M/M (man on man). If you have an idea for a heterosexual erotic story with the hero taking full lead, consider ways you might revise it to focus more on the female’s point of view. Some (very limited) authors have found success in shifting through both points of view, and it works well in some circumstances, but many editors will frown on the “head hopping” of internal dialog.

4. Mixed-genre erotica and erotic romance are all the rage. While many readers still enjoy straight erotica, mixed-genre erotica is a great avenue to take for writers looking for their niche. Use your literary interests to your advantage and write what you like, letting the erotic aspects work as an added feature to your work. You’ll have more fun writing, and that will shine through to your readers.

5. Know your target audience and make sure you brand your work accordingly. Are you writing for fans of erotic romance or other subgenres? Make sure that romance is a strong part of your plot if you’re planning on marketing to erotic romance readers, and make sure you’re clear about your subgenres. Let your audience know what they’re in for before they read your work: if you are including kinky or gay/lesbian aspects to your story, or if you are incorporating audience-specific subgenres such as horror, steampunk, or hard science fiction, be clear about those aspects in your marketing. Readers do not respond well to these types of surprises.

Buy "Love in Space" Buy "Lust in Space"

6. Don’t be afraid to take chances. One point that I cannot stress enough is the importance to be innovative and unique in your erotica. There are only so many ways to write a traditional sex scene, and they can become repetitive and boring. Use your subgenres to your advantage. What is it about your characters or their circumstances that you can use to make your erotica different? What limits can you break, without crossing the line?

7. Don’t be too quick to relieve your audience of the romantic and/or sexual tension. Let it build, let it fall, let a heart or two break, and then give the readers what they’ve been waiting for.

8. Great sex doesn’t always have to include love. While erotic romance is a hot market right now, don’t underestimate the power of pure, raw, primal sex. It can be fun and interesting to develop characters that make their moves based on pure attraction, the love/hate dichotomy, and revenge or rebound.

9. Don’t forget the foreplay. Just as it is important to build sexual tension, it is also important to make sure your characters don’t jump into the act of lovemaking too quickly. Foreplay helps to add to the sexual tension you’ve already built between your characters, and it makes that final “climactic” release all the more satisfying.

10. Be tactful about your ending. Like romance, erotica and erotic romance readers tend to expect a “happily ever after” or “happy for now” ending. Don’t let your audience down by offering them a great story, only to leave them hanging or disappointed by the characters’ outcomes. Even cliffhangers in series need to give the readers hope that all is well, if at least for the time being. If the main couple does not end up together, make sure there is a good reason for it, and that they are better off going their separate ways.

Writing erotica can be a fun and rewarding venture, but as with any genre there are rules to which the author must adhere. While rules can sometimes be stretched or even broken, knowing your audience and your market will go a long way in helping you to promote your work. Have fun, write what you like, but make sure that you’re also writing with your target audience in mind. Good luck!

Want more on this topic?

5 Articles on Romance Writing.
Agent Scott Eagan explains the difference between women's fiction and romance.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guest Columns | Romance

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:34:26 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Alexis Grant
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Alexis Grant, journalist and memoir writer.

Alexis Grant is a journalist writing her
first book, a travel memoir about backpacking
solo through Africa. See her website here.

1. No story’s about the author. A memoir revolves around the author’s experiences and ideas—and so can fiction and nonfiction. But the story is never really about the author. It’s about something larger than one person, a theme readers can relate to, one that makes them reflect on their own life. My memoir, for example, is my story of backpacking through French-speaking Africa. What’s it really about? Why each of us should take a leap in life, and the value of traveling solo. I’m an important piece of that. But the story’s not solely about me.

2. Artist’s colonies are worth jumping into. I consider myself a journalist, not an artist. But during my first artist’s residency this year, when I spent five weeks in the woods of northern Georgia, I learned that I really do write more and better in a quiet setting with no distractions. I also met other creative types who opened my eyes to new ideas and fed my writing fire. Finding the time—and sometimes the money—to go to a colony can be difficult, but you’ll be glad you did.

3. Writing a memoir is a lot like writing fiction. It’s nonfiction, of course. All my stories are true. But they have to be told with dialogue, description, scene-setting, pace, characters—the same tools I’d use to write a novel. (These skills do not come naturally to someone who has used direct quotes and right-to-the-point leads for most of her writing career.) Writing this way takes practice. It helps sometimes to remind myself that my true story should read like a novel.

4. Exercise has more than physical benefits. Stuck on a scene? Sick of a chapter? Taking a break to go for a run or walk the dog isn’t wasted time. It’s a chance to think about the story without the pressure of having to put words on paper. Your brain is still working but in a different way, which may benefit you and your story in the long run (pun intended). I do my best thinking when I don’t mean to—while running.

5. A problem can be solved by writing through it. Not sure where the story’s going or whether there’s a bigger lesson behind a scene? You’ll never know if you don’t start writing. Put words to paper—any words—and sometimes the muse works her magic, bringing the story to a place you didn’t expect. Other times that scene should go right into the trash. But even knowing where the story’s not going can help. And often the best way to figure that out is to write through it.

6. My favorite parts aren’t necessarily important to the story. I loved watching the sun set over the Niger River—but that memory, however important to me, might not help my book. For every scene, we must ask ourselves: What’s the reason for including it? Does it propel the story forward? How does it benefit the reader? When it comes to your favorite parts, ask yourself these questions twice. Just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean it’s good for the story.

7. If it’s embarrassing, it’s probably a keeper. Details that feel the most revealing tend to be the ones that let the reader into my head and help them understand me as a person—and that’s what memoir is all about. Whenever I’m tempted to cut an embarrassing paragraph,* I remind myself that those are usually the parts my readers enjoy most. Of course, this rule of thumb can be taken too far—a memoir is not, after all, a diary. But most of our face-reddening habits or thoughts serve a vital purpose in our stories: they make us more human. If it helps the reader relate to you, it’s worth keeping.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

A great resource for memoir writing is Writing Life Stories.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far | Guest Columns | Memoir

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:08:31 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Agent Advice: Steve Laube of The Steve Laube Agency
Posted by Chuck

Agent Advice is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Steve Laube, founder of The Steve Laube Agency. Steve has been a bookseller for Berean Christian Stores, and an editor for Bethany House Publishers.

He is looking for: quality Christian fiction in all genres. For nonfiction, he is seeking fresh, new Christian ideas in all areas of material for adults. Please not do send any poetry, personal biographies, personal stories, end-times literature, or children’s picture books.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

SL: In January 2003 I was approached by Frank Weimann of The Literary Group to join his NY agency. His timing was impeccable as the publisher for whom I was an editorial director was being sold. I had been assured of an unchanged job under the new company, but when Frank's offer came I saw it as an opportunity to try something new and exciting and I would not have to move. A little more than a year later, in 2004, I decided to branch out on my own and form my own literary agency.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold?

SL: Tough question since we are averaging a new contract every 10 business days. The most recent announced deals would include two nonfiction books by America's Cheapest Family, Steve and Annette Economides, to Thomas Nelson. The first on saving money while grocery shopping and the other on teaching your kids about money.
The other major deal was the next two novels by Michael Phillips to FaithWords, a division of Hachette. Michael has over seven million books in print and is one of the icons of Christian fiction.

GLA: You have an extensive background with booksellers and the publishing industry and Christian books. How does it all add to your style as an agent?

SL: I value that background in that it keeps me grounded by keeping the ultimate reader (the customer) in mind. I can still picture those people coming into the store asking for help with their book purchases. With that first in mind, it is further accentuated by having worked as an acquisitions editor and editorial director. It became evident at the publishing house that the marketing and sales directors are key to the success of a book. Therefore I always keep them in mind when creating a proposal for a client. First, will it ultimately work in the market?, and second, will it get past the marketing/sales team?

GLA: You seek Christian fiction in "all genres" except for kids. What subgenres of Christian writing are relatively new/exciting and still have room to grow?

SL: A tough question because the market can shift rather suddenly. I think the entire general book industry was caught by surprise when chick-lit lost all momentum as a subgenre in a year's time. A lot of publishers were caught holding and publishing books that no one wanted. Also the industry was surprised by surge in supernatural stories (i.e. vampires).
In the Christian market it was the acceleration of interest in Amish fiction that came, seemingly, out of nowhere. I have the privilege of working with Cindy Woodsmall (whose Amish stories have been on the NY Times bestseller list and she was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal last Fall). When we signed her, I was taken by the quality of her writing and the marvelous characters and settings she created. The "Amish" aspect made it unique, but at the time it wasn't a "craze" yet. It is one of those times where we were ahead of the curve. And kudos to Waterbrook and editor Shannon Marchese for recognizing the value of the books and working hard to packaging them so perfectly.

GLA: On this subject, is Amish fiction considered Christian fiction? Do they go together?

SL: Since the Amish fiction craze really started within the Christian market, yes, they go together. Bev Lewis wrote The Shunning back in 1997 and it was a huge bestseller. In many ways she pioneered the genre. Later Wanda Brunstetter became a force in the genre. Then in 2006 Cindy Woodsmall became part of this trio of top sellers and suddenly we had traction in the marketplace with three authors all selling significant numbers. Other publishers saw this have joined in the fray.

Check out "The Hope of Refuge" by
Steve's author Cindy Woodsmall.

GLA: A Christian agent once told me that Christian fiction does not have to be "over-the-top, hit-you-on-the-head" Christian writing, but can be a lot more subtle. Do you agree?

SL: Your source is absolutely correct. In fact, it is a myth that Christian fiction is simply a sermon in story form. That may have been true 40 years
ago but no more. There are some amazing writers whose literary acumen is as good as anything else found in the general market. I can easily recommend authors like Jamie Langston Turner (Some Wildflower in My Heart), Lisa Samson (Embrace Me), Tosca Lee (Demon: A Memoir), and Susan Meissner (The Shape of Mercy). I almost dare anyone to read these four books and then declare all Christian fiction weak and poorly written. Anyone who says that has not read the right books.
     Few remember that Jan Karon's Mitford series was originally published and distributed in the Christian market. The same with the incredible fantasy writer Stephen Lawhead. A more recent example would be Ted Dekker. His Spring release last year Boneman's Daughter was on the NY Times list and that story is, in essence, a serial killer thriller.

GLA: Let's talk nonfiction quickly. It would seem that a subject like "restoring your faith" or "connecting with the Lord" has been done many different ways before. Is the key to getting your attention simply a fresh spin on an old topic?

SL: The nonfiction world is driven by the visibility (platform) of the author. There are exceptions of course, but today's publishers are increasingly concerned with a built-in audience. For example, I had very little trouble selling Antony Flew's There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. He was very well known in philosophical circles and his textbook God & Philosophy has been in print since 1968. In that case we had actually sold the manuscript before Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens created was Wired magazine called the New Atheism. So when Flew's book hit the market in Fall 2007 it was perceived as a response when in actuality the book had been written before the topic was so popular.
     An example of finding a niche without a prior platform would be Allison Bottke's Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children (Harvest House). This book is selling more now than it did when it first came out two years ago. She found a topic that effects innumerable families: the "problem child" who is now an adult. Allison is a great marketer and created seminars, videos, and a S.A.N.I.T.Y. curriculum to go along with the book.

GLA: You say you don't want any personal stories, but do you accept memoir?

SL: Good question. I've yet to see a memoir cross my desk that I think has the literary quality or the story to make it commercially viable. When I say "personal story," I mean the "God saved me from Cancer" type of books which are legion. That isn't to say that there are not quality memoirs in our market, that would be inaccurate. I'm only saying that I have not found one proposed to our agency.
     I have a theory (and it is only a theory): In the Christian market, the memoir has struggled to find success. Why? I posit the reason is that everyone who has found vitality in their Christian faith is a miracle. I like to say that, in a group of Christians, if everyone were to tell their "story," that group would end up have a worship service. The miracle of changed lives is extraordinarily compelling. But, why would you ever want to pay 15 bucks for my story? Who cares? The person on the pew next to me has a story that is just as compelling, if not more.
     But in the general market, the memoir is usually a incredibly well-written story that dives into the depths of the angst of life and its sufferings. Unfortunately there is only a measure of redemption found ... and if found, usually comes from within ... some strength of character or circumstance that helps with their "redemption." In many cases, this is very different from the journey of faith that a Christian would tell.
     Like I said, this is a theory and if full of massive generalizations that are probably unfair. But I think you get the point I'm trying to make.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers' conferences where people can meet/pitch you?

SL: I will be the Writing for the Soul conference (Denver) in February 2010. The Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference (near Santa Cruz, CA) in March 2010. And the Desert Dreams Conference (Scottsdale, AZ) in April 2010.

GLA: How do you like to be contacted by writers seeking representation?

SL: Please review our guidelines on our website. I spell it all out in exhausting detail on the site.

GLA: What's something writers would be surprised to learn about you personally?

SL: I lived the first 14 years of my life in Anchorage, Alaska (I was born there ... before Alaska was a state). I experienced the famous Alaska earthquake (9.2 on the Richter scale) in 1963. Later we moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where I went to high school. Then I moved to Phoenix to attend college and have never left. From the Arctic to the Tropic to the Desert. From the 49th to the 50th to the 48th state (New Mexico is #47 and I have no plans to relocate...).

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven't covered?

SL: Become a student of the industry. It will help every writer to understand the process and make the entire experience more tolerable. Read my blog for occasional insight. Other greater and better blogs include those by Rachelle Gardner, Chip MacGregor, Victoria Strauss, etc.

Want more on this subject?

Read an interview with Christian agent Chip MacGregor.

Buy the memoir guide, Writing Life Stories.

Read an interview with Christian agent Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Christian Agents

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:52:07 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, January 25, 2010

How I Got My Agent: Kiersten White
Posted by Chuck

This installment by Kiersten White, author
of PARANORMALCY (HarperTeen; Sept. 2010)
Check out her blog: Kiersten Writes.

THE SLUSH PILE WORKS

I’ve seen a lot of articles lately on how it’s impossible to get published unless you are somebody, or you know somebody, or you know somebody who knows somebody. Agents filter ruthlessly. Publishers won’t take risks on unknowns. No one wants to spend time and money on something with no guarantee of success. In short: give up. It’s not going to happen. You can have all of the talent in the world, but if you aren’t someone, you’re no one. The system is broken and you will never, ever be able to crack it.

I am proof the system works. I am a no-name, nobody stay-at-home mom - just another woman with a useless English degree, two babies, and a desperate need to do something, anything, to prove that my brain isn’t leaking out while I spend years of my changing diapers and chasing toddlers. I’d always wanted to be a writer, but a couple of years ago it became more than a romantic idea. I picked my genre, wrote the best book I could, and queried. And queried. And queried...

AGENT: YES ... SALE: NOT YET

Fifty letters. Most agents never responded. I spent my afternoons mulling over online databases, Googling agents, doing whatever I could to increase my chances. I had no connections, no author friends to give me a leg up, nothing to set me apart but my writing.

It worked. Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary wasn’t my first choice, mostly because I didn’t know she existed when I started my search, but when Michelle and I talked, we connected. From the very first call I knew that she was passionate about my writing. Her other clients loved her, and my gut instinct was to go for it. So I said yes.

And editors? Well, they said no. Despite Michelle’s work, we couldn’t find a home for that novel. It was too commercial, not commercial enough, too slow, too fast, too old for the market, too much not enough something. Those few months were brutal. But I had something I didn’t have while querying—a professional, someone on my side who believed in my writing for no other reason than that she liked it. And so while I waited, I wrote. Three books. When it was time to pick a new manuscript to send out, I spent the next four months polishing my choice. I workshopped it with critique partners. I cut ten thousand words. I pulled it apart and pieced it back together and combed those lines until they shined.

FRUITION WITH PARANORMALCY

When I couldn’t make it better, I was more than a little nervous to send it to Michelle. I knew she didn’t like “creature” books, and this was so different than the book she signed me for I wasn’t sure what she’d think. Where my first book was third-person, moody and intense, this book was first-person, showcasing a very chatty, sarcastic narrator who was unwillingly immersed in the world of the paranormal—and regularly interacted with vampires, werewolves, hags, and even a mermaid best friend. Totally not Michelle’s thing.

When she loved it, we knew we had something special. The thought of going on submission again made me want to cry, but I wanted this, I had Michelle on my side, and another sub round couldn’t kill me. (Pack five stress pounds onto my body, sure, but definitely not kill me.) Less than a month after it went out, Paranormalcy sold in a three-book deal, in a pre-empt, to HarperTeen. My dreams of publishing were going to come true, with my dream house, no less. All from my agent’s slush, without a single celebrity acquaintance to my name.

I’m currently finishing up edits on the sequel, celebrating four foreign market sales, looking forward to my release, and enjoying being represented by such a savvy, dedicated agent, who signed me not for a book but for a career. I’m still a stay-at-home mom, just a little busier and with quite a bit more random, ecstatic dancing on a regular basis. I’m also proof that good writing and hard work trumps all. The system works. You just have to work harder than it does, is all.

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How I Got My Agent Columns

Monday, January 25, 2010 9:33:38 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [13]

10 Questions About the Query Process...
Posted by Chuck

I recently did a guest post on the blog of Hartline Literary (called "From the Heart" - talking about "10 Smart Questions About the Query Process." You can see the entire post on the Hartline blog and see a quick excerpt below.

1. Can you re-query an agent after she rejects you?

You can, though I’d say you have about a 50/50 shot of getting your work read. Some agents seem to be more than open to reviewing a work if it’s been overhauled or undergone serious edits. Other agents, meanwhile, believe that a no is a no—period. So, in other words, you really don’t know, so you might as well just query away and hope for the best.

2. Should I mention that my work is copyrighted or has had professional editing?

No. All work is copyrighted the moment you write it down in any medium, so saying something that’s obvious only comes off as amateurish. On the same note, all work should be edited, so saying that the work is edited (even by a professional editor) also comes off as amateurish.

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