"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.

This installment of "How I Got
My Agent" is by Shelli Johannes-Wells.
Shelli recently wrote her first novels
for children and her agent is trying
to sell her books.

EARLY ROADBLOCKS

I had never written a day in my life unless you consider my nutrition essay that won an Elementary state competition. Somehow, I don't think that counts. Even though I was doing business writing and spent 18 years in marketing, I never dreamed of being a fiction writer until I got pregnant with my first child. When I had my daughter in 2004, I took five months off. One day, I got an idea and started writing during her naps and late at night. Soon, I queried with my first draft (a big no-no, right?). I did a mass mailing without researching anyone! (another big no-no!) and rightfully received more than 100 form letter rejections from agents/editors. However, my manuscript ended up at acquisition meetings at two different houses. Unfortunately, it didn't make it.

I got frustrated and threw in the pen. Shelved my manuscript and turned off the computer. I mean, who was I kidding? I can't be a writer when I have never taken a creative writing class. Who did I think I was? I went back to working in marketing but something was missing now. In late 2006, I got pregnant with my son (do you see a trend?). I got another idea and started writing again. This time, I got more serious and joined SCBWI. For many personal reasons, I couldn't finish it. In the meantime, I wrote a tween non-fiction book that went to acquisitions at a huge brand name house but also didn't made it. I was so frustrated, I gave up again.

March 2008: I went to a conference where I actually talked to people and met Jessica Dehart. She and I started an informal critique group! This fabulous group of writers helped me finish the book and in 6 months it was ready for submission.

MAYBE - JUST MAYBE

Oct 2008: I queried a few agents. An agent replied, saying she liked my voice and setting, but hated the plot. More personal rejections followed saying the same thing. I sent out another round and waited. To prevent myself from going crazy, I needed to keep busy so I started my marketing blog to help other authors better market their book. I also began another book. I immersed myself in the industry and learned as much as I could. I did interviews with editors and agents and began building a platform. (My marketing blog got 40,000 hits in nine months!)

One of my blogger friends e-mailed me after seeing my blurbs and recommended her agent. This was so sweet because she had never met me; she just liked my writing. I sent my manuscript to her agent. A few weeks later, I got a promising letter saying, she " loved my characters, voice, and setting, but absolutely hated the plot." Same comment! The huge difference in this rejection was that at the bottom she said "if you revise it, I might be inclined to review it again.

Might?!

That was all I needed. A chance. Some hope. Since I had already gotten similar feedback, I decided to revise.  I dove in and spent the next few months reoutlining and totally redoing my book. I changed the premise, rethought the plot, and reWrote (not revised!) about 70,000 words - all because of that one chance No guarantee, just a shot!

SUCCESS WITH ALYSSA

In April of 2009, I sent the agent my revised book. While I waited, I went against all advice and re-queried (another no-no!) the few agents who had sent me personal rejections (my current agent was one of these lucky few :)  I asked if I could resubmit and I outlined all the changes I had made. I also pitched the new book I was working on. (which again, is a no-no!) Lucky for me, they'd forgotten the "rules." Within a couple days, they all e-mailed me requesting not only my revised book, but also the first 50 pages of the new book I was working on.

Within a few weeks, I got an e-mail from the agent "who might review my book again," saying she wanted to speak with me on the phone. That sent off a series of crazy events. She scheduled a call and offered me representation. I loved her and almost accepted her offer straight out but a writer friend told me to let the other agents know first. So I did. Then I got a barrage of emails requesting to speak with me on the  phone! I ended up interviewing several agents about offers of representation. Somehow, I was suddenly in a position where several agents wanted me! And now, I got to choose. What? That really happens?

A few days later, I chose Alyssa Eisner Henkin from Trident Media Group. Why? Because she had passion for my work. She had a very specific plan for both of the books she read, and we clicked. Being the optimistic pessimist that I am, I needed someone who was positive, and passionate. My tween angel book is just now going out on submission to some key editors. Having Alyssa by my side has been wonderful and worth the long journey. My advice is keep going. One day I was a frustrated writer and the next I woke up to multiple offers of representation. And you know what? When I got up that morning, I had no idea That Day was going to be The Day.

Want more on this topic?

• Agent Elaine Spencer talks queries.
  
• What should you write in the bio paragraph of a query letter?
  
• How to write a query letter - the three parts.
  
• 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!

"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.

This installment of "How I Got
My Agent" is by Adrienne Kress, a
writer and actress. She writes books
for children and has a super-cool
website. Click here to learn more
about her book, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate.

LONDON

I started writing my novel as an unemployed actress working as a temp in London, UK. When you’re stuck in front of computers all day long with not that much work to do, writing a novel seems logical. As I kept writing, and realized I was really getting somewhere, I wondered if I should try to see how one gets published. I figured it couldn’t be any harder than acting, and, heck, I was already used to rejection. 

I purchased The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, and, sure enough, the book said I needed an agent (as one does for acting). In the UK, they don’t want just the standard North American “query letter,” but also a synopsis and first three chapters. I thought this was awesome. When you contact an acting agent, all you send are your picture and résumé, not a sample of your talent. Writing something and sending it to a literary agent was a demonstration of what you could do. And no one was judging me on superficialities like appearance.  Huzzah!

HELLO, MISTAKES

I perfected my query and submission package with the help of my parents (former high school English teachers) and sent it out to 14 agents by snail mail. I’d read that it took a while for agents to get back to you. Since I’m the kind of person who works best on a deadline and I’d come to a point in my novel where I just couldn’t finish (probably had around 20,000 words left to write), I figured knowing that I had 4 to 6 weeks to finish the manuscript would help me get it done. 

Now this is how amazingly fast snail mail is in the UK. The next day, the phone rings, and it’s Julia Churchill from the Darley Anderson Agency asking for the entire manuscript. Well, what’s a girl to do? First, she panics. Next, she calls her parents in Canada. Then all three come up with a plan: Finish the book in the next three days so I can print off the whole thing at one of those printing places on Friday (it was closed weekends.) So I do. Then I place the manuscript on my fireplace mantle. And stare at it. Until Monday.

Then I walk the manuscript over to the agency. Since the agency was in my neighborhood, I thought it made sense. After all, hand-delivery would save me money, and I could guarantee that it got to its location. Little did I know that this was a no-no, that one simply does not go in person to an agency without being a client or being asked. I knock on the door. A confused girl answers it. I pass her the manuscript, all smiles, turn around and leave. It’s only when I get home I think maybe I should do some research on the agency. That’s when I learn that the Darley Anderson Agency is one of the top agencies in the UK. And I panic. Again. For two months.

And then I make yet another mistake: I decide to follow up. So I call. I didn’t know the general rule of thumb: Don’t call an agent if you aren’t a client or haven’t been asked to. But I call Julia, and she says she’ll get back to me later. She does. She loves the work, but wants me to cut it by 10,000 words and shorten the chapters. Sure. No problem.  Gulp. I take two painful weeks and do it. Once more, I walk the manuscript over. This time in the pouring rain. That same girl opens the door. Soaking wet, I pass her my manuscript protected in several plastic bags.

SUCCESS & A PUB

Julia calls on the Friday. Awesome.  She asks to meet me Saturday at a pub. We hang out for five hours. She tells me a few more edits she wants from me, but doesn’t offer representation, and we move on to just chatting. Finally I ask her, “If I do these edits and stuff, um ... what happens next?”

“I’d like to represent you.”

“Oh, good.” All smiles. In a moment, my life has changed. So many thoughts running through my mind.  Must call parents who can’t understand why they still haven’t heard from me since the meeting was scheduled for 6 and it’s now 11. Julia’s all smiles, too.  She says, “I always wait to see how long it takes the author to ask that question.” Oh those agents and their wacky sense of humor.

Buy Timothy and the Dragon's Gate!

Want more on this topic?

• How I Got My Agent: Kate Douglas.
  
• How I Got My Agent: Robert Hicks.
  
• 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!

Want more on this subject?

• How to Write a Query Letter. 
• Agent interview: Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents. 
• Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Wendy Sherman Associates.
  
• 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!

What's In a Pitch? is a new series that takes actual novel pitches and examines why they work successfully. This series is designed to help writers who need help composing the pitch paragraph of their query letter, or pitching an agent in person.

By the way, since I read mostly kids fiction, it will be mostly kids fiction here, too, but the framework of a successful pitch is the same no matter what category or genre you're writing. Today's pitch to dissect is (young adult) Rick Yancey's The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp. 

THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP

Alfred Kropp is the last person you'd think could save the world.  But when this oversized underachiever gets roped into a suspicious get-rich quick scheme, his life takes a turn for the extraordinary.  Little does Alfred know he has been tricked into stealing Excalibur--the legendary sword of King Arthur--and the most powerful weapon ever wielded by man.

With an ancient order of knights in hot cars, thugs on motorcycles, and a mysterious international organization following his every lumbering step, Alfred undertakes a modern-day quest to unravel a thousand-year-old mystery and return the sword to its rightful place.

Why Does This Pitch Work?

Like the other pitches examined, in this one: Alfred, our hero, is immediately introduced.  It doesn't start out talking about the history of Excalibur, or Arthurian legend for that matter.  It starts with Alfred.  Not only that, but Alfred is easy to like because of how Yancey calls him an "oversized underachiever."  This clever play on words immediately tells us that he is a lovable oaf who has never really done a whole lot - but he will.

Then the big hook lands.  Excalibur, the magical sword of legend, is actually real - and Alfred has unleashed its power onto the world.  Good hook.  Hard to resist.  It has magical and fantastical elements to it, but you can see from the rest of the pitch ("hot cars," "motorcycles") that this story is based in reality and the present time.

The stakes are clear: The most powerful weapon on Earth is in the wrong hands - and that means humanity itself is at stake.  Alfred has unintentionally endangered the world and he is on an adventure to right his wrongs.  Very nice.  Buy the book!

Want more on this subject?

• What's in a Pitch? Examining "Alibi Junior High."
• How to Maximize an Agent Pitch Slam.
• What are the BEST writers' conferences in the country?
• 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!

SCBWI NYC

I started planning my YA novel, Royal Rose, in the summer of 2006.  It was my third novel (nothing ever happened with the first two) and I managed to write a few chapters before attending the SCBWI NY conference. I’d brought along ten pages of Rose to be critiqued.

My first critique session was with an up-and-coming agent, and she really liked my work. She gave me some pointers, asked a bunch of questions, then asked if it was done yet. When I told her no, she said she’d love to read it when it was. I was thrilled! When I got home, I buckled down to write this story ... but it didn’t go so well.

Rose was so far out of my comfort zone that I had no idea what I was doing.  Plus, I was so emotionally invested in this story that I was mentally exhausted after each writing session. It sometimes took days to recover. As a result, it was a year before I had a completed draft. When I sent a query to the agent who’d critiqued it, she said she remembered me (!) and still liked the story - BUT, she was swamped with YA, and didn’t have the time to take on anything new. She referred me to a few other agents and wished me well.

CONTACTING OTHERS

I queried those agents and got a partial request from one of them. I sent it, and she replied back with a revision request, saying the story was weak in certain areas of the craft of writing. At first, I didn’t know what she was talking about.  I’d thought my story was strong in those areas.  But she was the professional, not me, so it was worth at least some research. It took months to figure out where my storytelling was lacking, but, lo and behold, she was right.  I revised the manuscript and sent it to her. She said my changes were better, but not strong enough. I did more research. More reading. LOTS of work.  Then I rewrote the whole thing.

I sent it back to her, confident I’d done what she’d asked. And she said I had - BUT (again with the but), she didn’t feel confident that she could make my manuscript stand out with what she knew of the YA Contemporary market at that time, with that particular project. So she passed. On one hand, I was devastated because I'd worked so hard, and it had never occurred to me that she’d say no when I’d done what she’d asked.  But on the other, I admired that she knew her limits and didn’t take me on out of some weird obligation.  In all honesty, I ended up getting more out of the exchange than she did, and I’m very glad for her insights.

PHASE TWO AND SUCCESS

Even though it felt like it at the time, I was not back at square one. I had a much stronger manuscript and a much better understanding of craft. Plus, I’d proven to myself that I could work my tail off instead of give up. I could definitely bring that to the negotiating table of other agents. I started researching agents through online websites then sent off my query letters. I got a solid request rate, but no offers. The rejections rolled in, and as they piled up it was hard to keep going.  I wondered if there was something really wrong with my story, but no one had either the time or the guts to tell me. Regardless, I wasn't going to give up. I loved Rose too much to set it aside. So I took what feedback I got, did more research, and still had that same request rate. I told myself that I would find someone who loved Rose as much as I did.

And I did. Two, actually.

I got a phone call from fabulous Agent #1, saying she loved Rose and wanted to discuss representation if I was willing to make some revisions. She wasn’t asking for an overhaul, but it wasn’t minor, either.  And, it made sense.  But I was about to leave for an amusement park when she called, and I didn’t want to make any rash decisions, so I asked if I we could talk the next day.  She said that was fine, and I floated out the front door. Right after that, I got an e-mail from fabulous Agent #2, asking to schedule a phone call to talk. My brain pretty much imploded. Apparently, I can handle only so much good news in one day.

Over the next few days, I spoke with both agents and both offered me representation.  It was obvious that I’d be lucky to work with either one. I ended up going with fabulous Agent #2: Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Literary Agency.  Not only because of her years of experience in this industry, but also because we really hit it off on the phone. I can’t say enough how excited I am to be working with her, and already have my sleeves rolled up, anticipating the hard work to come. Which I wouldn’t miss for the world!

Want more on this topic?

• Do you have a good story about how you snagged a literary agent and want to tell it on this blog?  Write to me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll talk.
  
• See all stories of how agents and writers hooked up here on the blog.
• Learn more about children's agent Brenda Bowen.
• 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!

Literary agent Ted Malawer has joined Upstart Crow Literary.  Ted was previously with Firebrand Literary, but with Firebrand's recent closure, he will join four other former Firebranders in forming Upstart Crow. He specializes in children's fiction.

The Upstart Crow agency webpage is not completely updated yet, so I will post some info about Ted below.

For YA: "I am really looking for books that walk the line between commercial and literary. I like high concept novels with great 'hooks,' unique premises, and great humor. I also enjoy lyrical fiction, as long as it has an authentic and compelling voice.  I'm a huge fan of mysteries, smart historicals, and urban fantasy about original topics (no vampires, please). I'm not so much into the snarky 'chick lit' voice, but great writing trumps everything..."

For middle grade: "I am drawn to unique coming-of-age stories. I like stories that make me laugh, but if you can make me cry, even better. I like projects with fantastical/supernatural elements, too, and action/adventure plots.  I love fun and exciting chapter books, especially with multicultural characters."

How to contact: ted@upstartcrowliterary.com; "submit a QUERY and TWENTY PAGES of your manuscript. Please put your query and sample in the body of the email, we will not open attachments. If your submission is received by our system, an automated response will be emailed to you. We will respond to most queries within two weeks to a month. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of submissions received, personal responses are only very rarely possible. But if we are interested, we will request your full manuscript."

Thanks for the tip:
Writer Nancy Parish

Want more on this subject?

• See my post on the formation of Upstart Crow Literary.
  
• Upstart Crow founder Michael Stearns interviewed by editor Alice Pope.
  
• Check out our online course: Focus on Writing Fiction for Children's.
• 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!

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 is part I of II, and features Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary. Joe has been in the business for more than twenty years. He started as a bookseller, became the children's fiction buyer at Barnes & Noble, worked at Houghton Mifflin, and recently at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers as their editorial director of Paperbacks. 

He seeks: children's and young adult and takes a special interest in multicultural and boy-centric books. As well, he represents graphic novels, picture books, and some adult genre fiction, with particular regard to fantasy and science fiction.

Joe Monti

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JM: I wanted to marry the unique retail experiences I acquired as a children’s fiction buyer at Barnes and Noble along with my publishing experiences in sales and editorial in a creative way that would also let me utilize my skills in advocacy for my clients.

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

JM: Eisner and World Fantasy award winner Charles Vess’s next picture book, written by Neil Gaiman, titled Instructions, coming late Spring 2010 from HarperCollins Children’s Books. Bits on the creation of the book can be seen here.

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

JM: Non-genre middle grade fiction, because as much as I love genre fiction, with a fierce passion, there is nothing finer to me than reading a middle grade novel that can accomplish so much, so elegantly, and with minimal word choice. I like to cite Jerry Spinelli’s Loser as my example of this. At the end of the novel, there’s a snowstorm, and the not-as-whimsical-as-he-was protagonist dives outside into it to help a friend. His parents follow suit. On one level, it reads like a desperate search through a blizzard; on another, deeper level, that perhaps only a sophisticated or adult reader can appreciate, Spinelli is plotting out a discourse on the meaning of loss. What is lost? What does it mean to be lost? And how do you know you truly are? And what then signifies you as a loser? Brilliant. 
      Another deep interest is YA science fiction aimed at a male readership. I’m a big believer that the going wisdom that boys of a certain age do not read is utterly wrong. I do believe that we lose a lot of boy readers after a certain age because there isn’t a lot for them to read, nor to easily designate as potential reads, after the ages of 11-13. When I was at B&N, I was fortunate enough to be in the position as a children’s fiction buyer when everything was changing, and thus be a part of it. In YA, while I think Burgess’s Smack, followed by Anderson’s Speak were the two biggest initial, critical successes, Von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series deserves equal time as a herald, as it proved to publishers that there was a large female readership here and that they should publish towards it. 
      In other words, GG was the gateway fiction the YA category needed to jumpstart it. I feel that smart, high-action science fiction (and action thrillers) will help to do the same for male readers. YA had Paolini, while the books became a phenomenon; oddly not many have tried to write more action-driven fantasy for boys. Give me some smart military science fiction for teen boys and you’ll see that readership start to pick up writers like John Green and Barry Lyga. Then, the category will get even more interesting. So I’m also talking to adult science fiction writers who have shown an interest or a particular appropriate voice in their works to write a YA novel.  Whether I represent them or not, I think it’ll be good for the industry as a whole. Doctorow’s Little Brother, which I loved with an intense passion, is a great example.
      Then, there’s another old flame: Steampunk. So, a lot of what I’ve seen is pseudo-steampunk: Quasi Victorian or Edwardian era fiction with some absurdist machinery. What Steampunk really was, and can be, is a rebellion against the mores of society, largely through the utilization of science and education. The rebellion, hence the punk aesthetic, is largely lost in the brass bolt tech or Victorian-ish era setting. I’m looking to put the punk back in steampunk and I hope I get such a manuscript across my desk because the era is such a wonderful mirror to our modern times in many ways. Except for the equality of race. But a good modern steampunk novel should address that as well as have some kick-butt action and tech. A lot is riding on Scott Westerfeld’s forthcoming Leviathan series to help break this subgenre out. But Scott’s got the talent to make it happen, so we may see more of it.

GLA: Why did you choose juvenile literature as your primary area of interest?  What is it that draws you to this category?

JM: Honestly, I was lucky. Like many in our field, I fell into it, and within three months of reading it intensely, I was in love and never looked back. In large part, I believe it’s because I can relate to the literature at a deep level. Take my love of middle grade: I had a traumatic experience at the age of nine when I had open-heart surgery. Back then, it was a life or death thing, and they waited to perform the surgery until I was just old enough to survive it.  I quickly became the introspective, chubby nine-year-old that enjoyed talking to adults cliché and had a sense of mortality and a level of empathy beyond my years. So when I read books like Because of Winn-Dixie, I not only know that girl, Opal, I also wish I had her story to help me understand what I was going through at that age. Thus, getting behind a book like that is not just a personal advocacy, but also a need to share it in a social sense to pay it forward. Children’s and YA fiction has the ability to transform a reader, and a bookseller, far more than any other category.

GLA: Cultural diversity also interests you.  What subjects are you tired of seeing in this area?  As well, are there any subjects you feel are untapped and would, therefore, be a refreshing change from the typical multicultural story?

JM: As our president famously said, I’m a mutt. My parents both immigrated here, my mother from Argentina (and her mother a full-blooded Quichua), and my dad from Italy. My wife, also a child of immigrants, is Chinese-American, and our son is all these things and more. So there’s our family history that colors so much of how I perceive the world, as a lens, not a filter. 
      When I was a buyer, I was tired of certain subject matters only because those subjects have been explored so well, so often, that you really needed to bring something special to the page to make anyone take notice. The Book Thief is a recent example of a Holocaust story done so well that it transcends and sits alongside some of the other great WWII works. Send me a story about some modern immigrant stories, some multi-generational stuff, like the forthcoming (in the US) YA novels of Carlos Ruiz Zafon. There are deeply rich stories about being an outsider, and yet how assimilation means a compromise and loss. I’d also love to see more issues of race discussed in modern terms, where there is the melting pot happening across the US, yet the tensions are still there, like the fear of the other. I think these stories, when done well, are universal stories, as we all feel that way at some point. Look at Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao as exhibit A.

Want more on this subject?

• Along with Joe, another new agent at BG Literary is Beth Fleisher, who I profiled before.
• See all children's related posts and agent info here.
• Need to write your query to Joe and want some guidance? Check out The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters.
• 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!