Guide to Literary Agents - Christian Agents

Agent Advice: Chris Park of Foundry Literary + Media

Chuck — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:38:46 GMT

"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 Chris Park of Foundry Literary + Media. Prior to joining Foundry, Chris worked as an editor for several New York publishing houses (Hachette Book Group, Random House) and helped launch an independent publishing company. She has a degree in English from Harvard University and lives in a Chicago suburb with her family.

She is seeking: memoirs, narrative nonfiction, Christian nonfiction and character-driven fiction, and she enjoys working with authors to develop books that are appealing and accessible to a broad audience.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

CP: It’s not terribly interesting—just your run-of-the-mill editor-turned-agent story. I loved being an editor, but it seemed each year more of the job was being taken over by duties that had nothing to do with editing. There were entirely too many days I found myself thinking, If only I could spend all my time working with my authors. And of course publishers only reward editors for looking out for their authors’ best interests when those interests align with their own. So I was already playing with the idea of switching to the agenting side when my family decided to move away from New York so my husband could go back to school. As an editor, I had great respect for Peter McGuigan and it was quite fortuitous that he and Yfat Reiss Gendell were launching Foundry at the moment I was leaving Hachette. Not to brag but my colleagues at Foundry are the best.

GLA: What’s something you repped that came out recently (or will come out) that you’re excited about?

CP: Operation Beautiful by Caitlin Boyle. An extraordinary movement that came out of an ordinary moment that we know all too well—picking ourselves apart in front of the mirror. Caitlin got sick of it one day and slapped a note with the words “YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL” on a mirror in a public bathroom—the note that launched a thousand Post-its! Notes on gym lockers, magazines, diet shakes in the supermarket, you name it. I’m not a big inspiration person, but the message and the means of transmittal were so empowering, and almost subversive in the way it took on all the negative messaging out there about image and beauty. The book is filled with stories and notes that are pretty inspiring—some from women fighting eating disorders, fighting cancer, fighting in Iraq.

GLA: How does your editing background influence your tastes and skills?

CP: It certainly opened my eyes to the reality of publishing. It made me realize just how many obstacles there are to getting a book published successfully, and how badly an author needs a passionate advocate. As an editor I used to prompt my authors, “Ask me about sales projections. Ask me about getting endorsements. Ask me if the book’s been presented to Wal-Mart” so that I could help them understand what was going on behind the scenes. I love that I now get to do that 24/7 in my capacity as an agent. As far as tastes go, I’ve worked on enough books that I figured out what I don’t like. Polemics. True crime. Serial killer novels. Diet and exercise books. I know it’s frustratingly vague, but I love being in the hands of a masterful storyteller, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.

GLA: When we met in DC, you mentioned working with Christian titles. Can you explain more about what toe or toes you still have in these waters?

CP: Christian books make up about half my list at present. By Christian, I mean orthodox Christianity. I spend a lot of time responding to queries for New Age books and The Secret-type books, and sure, there’s a place for those, but I’m not your man. If Jesus is not mentioned, it’s not Christian to me. I haven’t yet taken on Christian fiction, because I haven’t read anything that made me fall in love. So at present it’s all nonfiction, and most of my Christian writers have some sort of platform in the CBA world. The CBA is taking its time embracing the memoir category, but when it does, I’ll be there. I recently placed a gorgeous memoir, A Good and Perfect Gift by Amy Julia Becker, about her struggle to understand what it means to be created by God when her daughter is born with Down syndrome. I’d love to see more of that kind of thoughtful, emotionally honest writing in Christian books.

GLA: Speaking of DC, did you take pitches? What advice do you have for writers when composing a pitch, whether one to include in a query or in person to an agent?

CP: Please don’t say There’s nothing like it out there. That really isn’t helpful. Try to find a few comparison titles so the agent can get a sense of the book right away. If you tell me your book is The Glass Castle meets The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, I’ll know instantly that it’s a emotionally rich memoir about growing up poor in the South, and since I love both of those books, I’ll move your query to the top of the pile. (And yes, in that example I’ve mixed fiction and nonfiction. Movie comps are good too. If the shorthand works, go for it.)

GLA: I’m a huge Vikings fan, so what was it like to work with Brett Favre on his illustrated autobiography when you were an editor?

CP: Well, I’m not sure if you as a Vikings fan remember this but Brett used to be a Green Bay Packer. I married a huge Packer fan, and in my vows I promised not only to support him in his devotion to all things Packer but to shift my allegiance as well. He got to meet Brett so I think I held up my end pretty well! When we visited him at his house, he was mowing his lawn. He’s as down to earth as everyone says he is. But my favorite Favre is his mom, Bonita. She’s amazing.

GLA: In addition to the Favre book, I see you recently sold a memoir regarding the New Orleans Saints football team. Do you have a fondness for football or sports in general?

CP: I definitely favor football, although baseball seems to translate to the page with greater success. What is frustrating about working with sports books is the frequency with which publishers use the R word—regional—to dismiss their potential. Believe it or not, a number of publishers used that word when they passed on Coach Payton’s book—after he and the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl! His book, Home Team: Coaching The Saints and New Orleans Back to Life, pubbed last week and just hit the New York Times bestseller list! Regional schmegional.

GLA: You seem to enjoy memoir and narrative nonfiction, but you also take any straight nonfiction subjects?

CP: Yes, I do play favorites. I just can’t get enough of memoirs and narrative nonfiction. I’m not much of a prescriptive nonfiction person. But I’m open to everything. I’d love to find a parenting book or a thoughtful piece of political writing.

GLA: It says you like “character-driven” fiction. Can you give us a better handle on what this means?

CP: I spent my first years in publishing as an editorial assistant working on a lot of genre fiction, and discovered that it’s not my strength. So I guess what I mean is that I like my fiction character-driven as opposed to plot-driven. No thrillers, suspense, romance, Westerns. I’m most drawn to women’s fiction and literary fiction that is accessible (meaning: don’t send me anything with stream-of-consciousness in the description).

GLA: What’s the best way to submit to you?

CP: A one-page query letter via email: cpark[at]foundrymedia.com, and an excerpt included in the body of the e-mail so I can get a taste right away.

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

CP: Unfortunately, not this year—staying close to home until the baby turns one. But I really should get out there more, am open to suggestions ...

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

CP: That I’m not a dude! Although that misimpression is sometimes useful (say, when I’m contacting football stars). Chris isn’t short for anything. My parents named me after Chris Evert (not realizing her given name is Christine) and though I suffered through years of tennis camp I have nothing to show for it.

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

CP: I’m not so good with advice. None of this will be new: Spend time reading other people’s books—it’s amazing how many would-be authors look down on what’s out there and won’t deign to step foot in a bookstore. Find agents who have represented authors you admire by reading the acknowledgments pages. Memoir writers, don’t offer your story until you’re emotionally ready to promote it and talk about it ad nauseam. Try to be original and avoid derivative ideas. Buy a Crockpot and use the time you save to write. But not to write a Crockpot cookbook—that one is already on the bestseller list.

If you're interested in Christian writing, check
out the May/June 2009 issue of WD, with a
joint interview with Jerry Jenkins and Stephen King.

Want more information?

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

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Marybeth Whalen

Chuck — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:47:24 GMT

This is a 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 Marybeth Whalen, speaker and debut novelist.

Marybeth Whalen's first novel, The Mailbox, came
out in June 2010. Marybeth is a member of the
Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker team and has
served as general editor of For The Write Reason
and The Reason We Speak. She and her husband
co-authored Learning To Live Financially Free.
Additionally, she serves as director of She Reads
(Proverbs 31 Ministries' fiction division).
See her website here.

1. The people I've spent years investing in through my community, my blog, and other avenues of life were well worth it. I didn't do it so that someday I could cash in on our relationship, but now that I have a book coming out it is so nice to have people cheering me along and helping to spread the word.

2. I will never arrive. As I write this, I am finishing my second novel to turn into my publisher. In some ways I feel more confident than I did with my first, but in some ways I am painfully aware of how much I still have to learn. I will always be learning, going to conferences, reading books on the craft. I hope I never stop.

3. Social media really does work. It's not a waste of time to invest in Twitter and Facebook and blogging and all those other things that "they" tell you you should do. Build your tribe and you will be thankful later. Just make sure you strike a balance between internet time and writing time.

4. It's good to know who you are and what you write. That way, when you get asked about your style by interviewers like I have been recently, you won't sit there dumbfounded with no answer whatsoever. Are you funny? Serious? Do you write contemporary? Historical? Fantasy? Is your audience women, YA or children? Boil it all down into some sort of descriptive statement that people can latch onto. I am, incidentally, still working on that.

5. Style, voice and command of the language are very necessary but a unique hook or angle can also go a long way to getting you published. Look around for the unique way you can package that theme or issue you want to write about so that it will grab readers. I am not foolish enough to think that my novel got picked up because of the excellent writing (See #2 above) but I did something unique in crafting a love story around a little-known real NC landmark. We can all look around for those elements in our lives—people, professions or places we know about that others perhaps do not—that add something unique to what we have to share.

6. Editors are really, really necessary. It hurt to have my novel shredded by my editor. I may have hated her momentarily. But what she created from those shreds is what makes the book good now. When people tell me they like the book or they couldn't put it down, I send the compliments on to her. My name might be on the cover but the credit largely belongs to her.

7. You have to have family support to make it. Without the full-fledged support of my family—especially my husband—I could not have seen this challenge through. If you have a supportive spouse and children, that's something to be thankful for. I know I am.

I will leave you with this excellent—and very true—quote from Sidney Sheldon, "A blank piece of paper is God's way of telling us how hard it is to be God."

Writing a novel? Agent/writer Donald Maass
is a fiction writing expert, and his book
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
can guide you on your journey.

Want more on this subject?

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

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Kelly Mortimer of Mortimer Literary Agency

Chuck — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:59:59 GMT

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 Kelly Mortimer of Mortimer Literary Agency. The founder and president of the Christian Media Association, she has received the 2008 American Christian Fiction Writers “Agent of the Year” award as well as a spot in 2008’s Top Five on the Publisher’s Marketplace list of “Top 100 Dealmakers” in the romance category. She also has a Web site for writers called Perils of Publishing and a Yahoo group that follows her agency.

She is seeking: contemporary romance, contemporary inspirational romance, mainstream fiction, paranormal, comedy, thrillers/suspense, young adult, and has eclectic tastes in nonfiction. She is not looking for: chick lit, middle-grade, children’s books, picture books, cozy mysteries, erotica or romantica, fantasy, novellas, poetry, sci-fi, or historical westerns.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

KM: I was a writer, and my editing partner kept buggin’ me. She thought I’d make a great agent. Then I got a nudge from The Big Dude Upstairs. Actually, He whomped on my head for nine months, and I finally said, “If You insist…”

GLA: You have described yourself as “the Extreme Agent” and “the un-agent,” and the tagline on your agency website is: “Diabolically Diligent. Maniacally Moral. Defiantly Different.” Can you tell us what you mean? What sets you apart from other agents—other than your masterful use of alliteration?

KM: I’m extreme because I’m fearless. Inside, I’m on fire. There’s no one I won’t walk up and talk to, no risk I won’t take if the reward can be great, and nothing I see as impossible. I’m the un-agent, as I haven’t forgotten the client hires me and I work for the client; it isn’t the other way around.
     My three-sentence tagline explains who I am. By diligent, I mean I answer e-mails and calls right away. When a client sends me work, I edit it and send it out right away. My clients get a monthly report showing them where their work is, and how many times I’ve followed up. When I can’t get to something in a timely fashion, I explain and apologize. Moral means what I do has to be moral as well as legal. I’d rather hack off my arm than cheat someone. Defiantly different means I’m vocal about my views, and my views aren't always the popular ones. What makes me different? Many things, I think.
     1) I only sign pre-published writers (I hate the term “unpublished”), or those not pubbed at a traditional house in the last three years. That doesn't mean I’m looking for newbie writers—I can only mentor so many. I sign writers who are just shy of ready—or are ready, but can’t get a break.
     2) I keep a short list of around 15 active clients.
     3) I’m not in this for the money. When I sign a client, I don’t worry about how soon I can get them published and collect my commission. I make sure their best work goes out, even if it takes longer to make it cleaner.

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

KM: The last two books I sold were for a writer who’s been with me since July ’07, Kelly Ann Riley. I told her to keep writing, and I’d keep editing/submitting, and if we hung in there, we’d get published. She won RWA’s Golden Heart Award in 2009, and I later sold that manuscript, titled Firestorm, to Steeple Hill Love Inspired for their romantic suspense line. I also got her a deal with another publisher, Guideposts, to write for their mystery series. So, now she has contracts with two houses.

GLA: You won American Christian Fiction Writers “Agent of the Year” award in 2008, and you represent several inspirational writers. Would you say you specialize in Christian literature? As well, what draws you to it?

KM: I’m a Jesus-lovin’ woman. Big time. I also have a heart for Jewish people. God draws me to certain writers, and God brings certain writers to me. I think the manuscripts some inspirational writers write are harder to sell. They may need more help than secular writers. I wanna help those who need it most. I wanna give back. In the first half of my life, I charged up a huge debt there was no way I could pay. (Dropped outta high school, ran away from home, and was a drug addict). Then Jesus comes along and says, “Hey, Kel—walk away. I’ve already paid that debt for you. You can still make something of yourself. I want you to help a truckload of people. I’ll give you what you need to succeed. Trust Me.” I trusted Him. No rehab, no AA, no patches required. I’m one stubborn broad. I never fail, because I don’t quit until I succeed. I have God in my corner. By the time I hit my 30s [long gone now…bummer], I’d earned multiple degrees with honors and changed my life. I have a goal for my second half: when I get to Heaven, I want God to say, “Ya done good, Kel. It ain’t about how you started the race, it’s about how you finished it.”

GLA: Inspirational and secular romance can be polar opposites in terms of subject matter, yet one of the areas you seek is contemporary inspirational romance. Can you help define for writers what this is and give a few examples of what you’re looking for here?

KM: People have a misconception that romance novels are all about sex. They aren't; they’re about romance. Secular romances and inspirational romances have a lot of things in common: they deal with emotional attraction, they have characters who fall in love, and they always have a happy ending. There are also differences. Secular romances build more sexual tension and describe the “hot-and-bothered” stuff to different degrees while inspirational romances concentrate on the emotional reasons men and women fall in love—they don't address physical attraction. The characters need marriage to “seal the deal,” and writers haveta close the door on the love scenes. To me, that doesn't detract from the romance; it adds mystery to it. So, if you're writin’ romance for the secular market, I want the love scenes as fiery as possible—short of erotica, which is a sub-genre I don’t rep—and if you write inspirational romance, I want writing that’s squeaky-clean when it comes to sex, although there are exceptions.

GLA: Concerning your interest in young adult literature, what are you looking for right now and not getting?

KM: I’m lovin’ all kinds of young adult right now. I don’t need historical/classic fantasy YA; I have enough irons in the fire there. I’d love to see contemporary stuff: paranormal, suspense, comedy, drama. I like third-person point of view better than first. I get a lot of first-person submissions.

GLA: If a new writer asked you how to build his platform, what would you suggest?

KM: Pray. Okay, more than that. Here are some things editors look for in a platform:

A great hook. An interesting hook holds some weight. Find an angle that’ll perk an editor’s interest.
A national radio or TV appearance pumps the jam. No, it isn’t impossible to get on a show. Believe it or not, producers need to fill tons of TV minutes and are always hunting for interesting guests for their shows.
Get something published. Submit articles to magazines and newspapers. You can start with local publications, and then expand. Writing credits show someone thought enough of your work to publish it.
Have a strong presence in online communities like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, ShoutLife, etc. If you have thousands of “fans” or “friends” and a ton of people are following your tweets, they are all potential buyers of your book.
Ask high-profile authors to endorse your work and sing your praises. [No, publishers won’t consider your mother high profile.]
If you don’t know any such authors, start networking. It’s never too early to meet people who can help you in the future. Hook up with a local writers’ group and attend the meetings. Remember this mantra: Contacts, contacts, contacts = Contracts, contracts, contracts.
Create a blog and drive traffic to it. You need a mountain of hits. [We’re talkin’ Everest, here.] Write on interesting topics. Also, ask well-known writers, agents, and editors to guest blog, and then promote the heck out of it. E-mail everyone you know [and ask them to e-mail everyone they know]. Post announcements on every loop that will let you do so.
Plan a blog tour. It’s like a book signing tour, except you “tour” prominent writers’ blogs.
Be willing to place a Facebook ad. One of my clients did and doubled her sales.
Put up an eye-catching website, and give people a reason to come back. (Excerpts, articles, contests, etc.)

GLA: You have eclectic tastes when it comes to nonfiction; however, you specify that, when dealing with nonfiction book proposals, you prefer conservative writers with purpose and platform (though you also specify you believe everyone deserves representation). Can you talk to us a little more about that?

KM: I list an extensive amount of nonfiction topics because I have an extensive list of interests. When it comes to politics, I prefer conservative topics. I like purpose and platform, meaning I favor proposals that have a higher purpose—possibly to teach, inform, or help others—but, I also like interesting topics, whether they have a purpose or not. I need proposals with a strong platform because editors require one. For areas other than politics, proposals don’t need to have a conservative point of view.

GLA: How hands-on are you in terms of editing? How much input do you expect to have with your clients’ work?

KM: I do what I call “triple-threat editing.” When I sign a new client, I give their manuscript/proposal a content, line, and proof edit. My purpose is to sell my clients’ work, not edit it; yet, the cleaner the manuscript, the better the chance I have to sell it.

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

KM: I have a schedule on my website.

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

KM: “Rise, and rise again; until lambs become lions.” [From Ridley Scott’s 2010 film starring Russell Crowe: Robin Hood.]

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?

Interview with Steve Laube, agent who seeks Christian works.

Tips from Cecil Murphey, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Interview with Rachelle Gardner, agent who seeks Christian works.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Richard L. Mabry

Chuck — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:57:13 GMT

"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.

Richard L. Mabry's fiction debut,
Code Blue, is available now.

A FRUSTRATING START

I got my agent shortly after I quit writing. Sound unusual? Welcome to my world.

I started writing fiction in 2003. At that time, writers could approach editors without going through an agent, so access wasn’t a problem. The problem was that no publisher was interested in my novels. Finally, one editor told me that, if I’d revise two of my books with the help of an independent editor he recommended, I’d probably get a multi-book contract. Shortly after that, I approached an agent with this news, and she agreed to take me on. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. I spent a ton of money with the independent editor. Then the editor told me the publisher had decided my work still wasn’t good enough for them. My agent concluded that there didn’t seem to be a market for what I was writing. It’s an understatement to say we were both frustrated.

I kept at it, but after about forty rejections, including a time when I tried to write in different genres (including a cozy mystery), I decided to give up. The agent and I parted amiably, and I put aside my pen (figuratively at least). I was through writing.

A SECOND CHANCE

I’d met Rachelle Gardner at one of my first writers’ conferences, when she was an editor. Later, I reconnected with her through her blog, and continued to follow her even after I gave up writing. Rachelle was now an agent, and she ran a contest offering a critique of the first 20 pages of a novel to the person coming up with the best first line. On a whim, I dashed off an entry. Doggoned if I didn’t win with the line: “Everything was going along fine until the miracle fouled things up.” (By the way, the first chapter of that unfinished work is still on my hard drive).

Having nothing fresh to send for critique, I sent Rachelle the first chapter of my latest book--the one that had been turned down more times than a Holiday Inn bedspread. Rachelle’s response was: “Send me something that needs editing.” I didn’t know what to think. Someone in the industry actually thought my writing was pretty good. Maybe I should give it another try. With a great deal of trepidation, I sent off an e-mail query asking Rachelle to consider representation. I anticipated the usual slow process, hoping to get back a request for a proposal, then a partial, maybe a full manuscript. Instead, I got a return e-mail: “Of course I’ll represent you.” I’m not sure my heart has stopped racing even now.

A NICE ENDING

Rachelle made some excellent suggestions for improving my novel, and working together we produced something she thought she could sell. At the ICRS meeting, she pitched the proposal to Barbara Scott, who was starting the Christian fiction line at Abingdon Press. Barbara asked for Rachelle’s hard copy of the proposal to read on the plane. Shortly after she arrived home Barbara called to ask for the full manuscript. Eventually she bought the book.

Now the happy ending. Code Blue was released April 1. And even better, Abingdon will publish the next two novels in the Prescription For Trouble series in the fall of 2010 and spring 2011.

You know how there are times when you hunt and hunt for something, only to find it after you give up? Well, that’s what happened to me in my quest for an agent and publication. It’s nice to be good. It’s even better to be lucky. I’d like to be both, but if I can only have one, I’ll stick with luck.

Richard L. Mabry is the author of Code Blue.
A retired physician, he now writes Christian
fiction and nonfiction, and works fruitlessly
on improving my golf game. His book, The
Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A
Spouse, was published by Kregel Publications.

Want more on this subject?

Should you mention your age in a book query?

20 tips on query letters, from agent Janet Reid

Check out the Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters

What should you write in the bio of your query?

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!

Writing Tips From Max Lucado, Best-Selling Author

Chuck — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:03:58 GMT

It was his first time attending a writing conference. He is a best-selling author who has written more than 50 books and has sold 65 million copies of his work. Yet it was also his first time speaking at a conference. Although he was on unfamiliar territory, New York Times best-selling Christian author Max Lucado spoke of the tools writers have, at the Writing for the Soul conference in Denver in February 2010. Below, find his best tips on subject, discipline and clarity for writers.

Guest column by Audra Krell, published
freelance writer. Audra is also a vocalist,
and she and her son lead worship in
churches and at conferences across the country.

MAX SAYS: BE PASSIONATE

     • Your subject must be so worthwhile that it keeps you riveted to your chair.
     • Because of your passion, you write without ceasing until it's finished.
     • Strong topics and subjects cause writing to happen from the soul.
     • Desire to work your writing through, so the reader doesn't have to.

MAX SAYS: STEADY IS AS STEADY DOES

     • Make a date night with your notebook. If you sit long enough, you'll find something to write about.
     • With disciplined writing time, you'll grow to appreciate your work.
     • Good words are worth the work.
     • The only thing better than writing is when your words connect with the reader.

MAX SAYS: ON A CLEAR DAY

     • Get your book down to one sentence. Every paragraph must pay homage to that sentence, or it doesn't get to play.
     • Every word must earn its place on the page.
     • Write concise but not shallow.
     • Revise for as long as you can.

Good writing will go where we never can, and reroutes the trajectory of life. It seeps into the farthest corners of the world and the depths of a reader's soul. Readers let authors into their private moments by inviting the author to speak through their story. Although it's a challenging invitation, it's valuable and authors should accept. Clear thinking will deliver your words to their destination. Most places are far away, and require a long, long chair ride. Do not begrudge the hard work of getting it there, this generation needs the best books you can write.

For his final point, Max reminds the writer to let every part of the process work. "Sentences are like just caught fish. Spunky today, stinky tomorrow." Let editing do its job. That way, you will put forth good, passionate writing, which will reach readers where they live.

Want more on this subject?

Interview with Steve Laube, agent who seeks Christian works.

Tips from Cecil Murphey, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Interview with Rachelle Gardner, agent who seeks Christian works.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Secrets of Superb Writing: 8 Tips From Cecil Murphey, co-author of 90 Minutes in Heaven

Chuck — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:20:35 GMT

When Cecil Murphey (co-author of the best-seller 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life) became an author, he promised God two things: that he’d never stop learning, and that he would always give back to other writers. 114 (!) books later, Cec has made good on that promise by offering numerous scholarships to writing conferences, mentoring aspiring writers, and speaking to large groups of writers each year. I recently had the privilege of hearing Cec at the Hill Country Evangelical Free Church in Fredericksburg, Texas, where he led a session called “Secrets of Superb Writing.”

Guest column from Dena Dyer, author, speaker,
and entertainer from Texas. Her fifth book,
Let the Crow's Feet & Laugh Lines Come (Barbour)
will release in June 2010. For more info, visit her
website or her “Mother Inferior” blog.

With humor and honesty, Cecil touched on many mistakes beginning writers make—and gave us tips on how to avoid them.

1. Avoid “purple prose.” This refers to writing in which the author strains to sound dramatic and powerful. Usually, the result is melodramatic and strained. Examples: "When she saw his visage, her heart leaped into her throat. His feet flashed through the stripes of the late afternoon sun. The trees moved their limbs like an abstract artist piecing his design in the sky. Her dad’s mouth slammed shut like a bank vault a minute after closing." Write like you talk, Cecil advised us. That led to his second tip:

2. Be yourself. “People worry about others stealing their stuff,” he said. “But if you really write well and sound like yourself, no one can copy you.”

3. Be revealing. “If you don’t want to be self-revealing, don’t become a writer,” he said. “After all, I’d rather be disliked for who I am than be liked for who I’m not!”

4. Avoid clichés. “If it’s something you’ve heard before, don’t use it.”

5. To write good dialogue, listen to the way people really talk. “We don’t go around using other people’s names all the time,” Cecil explained. “But many writers use their characters’ names repeatedly in dialogue. It’s distracting.” ("CSI: Miami," are you listening? David Caruso needs to quit saying everyone’s name all the time!)

6. Let your sentences average no more than 20 words. “Years ago, short sentences were seen as choppy, but it’s simply the way people read now,” he explained. Similarly, he advised us:

7. Don’t be afraid to change with the times. “Words change and usages change,” Cecil said. “Don’t get hung up on that. It’s okay!”

8. End sentences with your strongest word. Instead of “Richard rattled the bushes with a stick he broke loose from a tree on the way in,” try: “With a stick he had broken loose from a tree on the way in, he rattled the bushes.” Bushes is stronger than the preposition in.

And finally, Cecil encouraged his audience to be true to themselves, follow their calling, be persistent, and keep growing and learning. “If you do these things, you will succeed,” he said. Great stuff, from an icon of the publishing world. For more of Cecil’s writing tips, visit his new blog.

Agent Advice: Etta Wilson of Books & Such Literary Agency

Chuck — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:55:31 GMT

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 Etta Wilson of Books & Such Literary Agency. In addition to being a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a founding member of the Tennessee Writers Alliance, and having served as the president of the Nashville chapter’s Women’s National Book Association, the school librarian-turned-agent has written 12 children’s books herself.

She is seeking: young adult, middle-grade and children's books for both the general and the Christian markets.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

EW: I became an agent as an outgrowth of being a book packager in the nineties. Several of the authors I worked with asked me if I would represent their work, and I was off and running. Most of these were authors of children's works, and that is my real love.

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

EW: Recent sales include: Crystal Bowman's What Rhymes with Pickle? (Boyd's Mills Press), Carol Adams’s Sammie, the Little Broken Shell (Harvest House) and Judy Christie's Hurry Less Worry Less for Families (Abingdon). All are due out this year.
At the moment, I'm really excited about Jerry Pinkney’s winning the Caldecott for The Lion and the Mouse. He's such a marvelous illustrator, and he's the husband of my client Gloria Jean Pinkney, who wrote Daniel and King of Lions (Abingdon, 2008).

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

EW: I look for imagination and creativity that indicate an author knows what he or she is writing about and is not afraid to put things together in a different way—either in fiction or nonfiction. Some of that comes with experience, so having publishing credits helps, but it's always a thrill when I find an exciting "voice" for young readers.

GLA: You specialize in young adult and children’s books for both the general and Christian markets. Are there any subgenres within juvenile lit that particularly hook you?

EW: The picture book has always been my favorite, partly because really good ones are such wonderful combinations of text and illustrations to communicate across the ages. It's also the genre that most usually avoids questionable content. Alas, they are also expensive to produce…
And I do love historical fiction and nonfiction. I also think children's comics and graphic novels are more appealing, probably due to the economy.

GLA: Any you shy away from?

EW: I simply don't know enough about vampires and witches to judge a good manuscript from a bad one for YAs. I don't "shy away from" the realistic contemporary novel, but it has got to be super to sell in today's market, and I'd love to see more of those—super ones, that is.

GLA: How would you describe the state of the Christian market right now?

EW: A certain segment of the Christian market is very solid and very loyal to shopping at Christian outlets. I'm not sure how large that segment is, but I have the feeling that it is declining. What was formerly a fairly healthy Christian bookstore market has been impacted by things like the success of Christian books in the general market (e.g. The Shack) as well as the sale of books online, which make the markets very hard to distinguish. In children's books, it's clear that publishers think curriculum is what they need to be producing for the Christian market.

GLA: What are three “Cardinal sins” you notice writers making when you’re reading a partial?

EW: Not knowing what is on the market at the time, modeling characters or plots too much like a current bestseller (sort of the opposite), and writing in a voice that doesn't really fit the story or the age level of the intended reader.

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

EW: One thing I really love about this business is that we never know what's coming or how fast! My best guess about 2010 would be more adaptation of content to electronic formats and continued change in the way revenues are computed and derived for authors—however, the changes in delivery of content to the consumer may be greater.

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

EW: That my favorite activity is traveling—four trips to England and Scotland, three to Italy, one to China, one to Australia and New Zealand, one to Switzerland, and one to the Scandinavian countries. It makes me sad that airline security is so threatened. I've got places to go!

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

EW: See our agency's Web site at www.booksandsuch.biz for our travel in 2010. Coming up, I will be at the Association of Professional Church Educators at the end of January and at SCBWI's Historical Fiction Workshop in March (both in Nashville).

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

EW: No matter how fast the world seems to spin, there are new things from the past to be incorporated into the present. We just have to keep our eyes and ears open. Yesterday I saw a chart on Fibonacci's numbers in nature—fascinating!

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?

How can you improve your query letter?

Need to write your query to Etta 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Steve Laube of The Steve Laube Agency

Chuck — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:52:07 GMT

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?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary

Chuck — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:16:43 GMT

Agent Interview by

contributor Kerrie Flanagan

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 Rachelle Gardner, an agent with Wordserve Literary and host of a very popular blog on publishing. Rachelle works with both fiction and nonfiction authors. She has been in the publishing business for thirteen years, working in various positions encompassing marketing, sales, international rights, acquisitions and editorial. She lives in Colorado with her firefighter husband, two daughters, and lovable yellow lab. Also, know that Rachelle is featured "Ask the Pro" guest for the Feb. 2010 issue of Writer's Digest. (Subscribe here.)

She is looking for: full-length fiction (75,000 to 110,000 words) in all genres except fantasy and sci-fi. She is looking for books that don't contradict a Christian worldview. In nonfiction, she represents books that would fit in the general market or the Christian market (or both).

GLA: How did you become an agent?

RG: I’d been working in publishing, in various roles, for more than a decade. During that time, a surprising number of people told me I should be an agent, and a few agents asked me if I wanted to join their agencies. I wasn’t ready for that; I loved editing and working closely with authors on their books. A couple of years ago, I’d left an in-house editor job and was freelance editing and writing. My agent, Greg Johnson, was looking to bring in another agent. I finally realized that as an agent, I could still do what I loved—work with authors and help them with their books. I decided to make the switch, and it turned out to be perfect for me.

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

RG: Snow Day, a novel by Billy Coffey, to Faithwords (a Hachette imprint). He’s an incredible writer with a popular blog and the book will be released in Fall 2010.

GLA: You have recently branched out from only representing Christian books to now representing general fiction as well. What made you come to that decision?

RG: I’ve always read heavily in commercial women’s fiction. I can’t get enough of authors like Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Elizabeth Berg, Anne Tyler and Sue Miller. I’d love to represent authors like that if I can.

GLA: What is the biggest mistake people make with their submissions for the Christian market?

RG: First, I try not to think of writers making “mistakes” because each writer has to go through a learning curve, and often the submission process and resulting rejection is very instructive to them. Also, I don’t think there are any mistakes that are specific to the Christian market—we see similar things from all kinds of writers. I think most writers query before they’re ready to be published. They haven’t been writing long enough to be producing work that large numbers of people would want to read. I used to call this a “mistake,” but now I believe it’s a necessary part of the process for each writer. The rejections give them valuable feedback so they can continue writing and getting better.

GLA: What misperceptions do people have about agents who don’t live in New York?

RG: They might think that agents outside of New York can’t sell books as effectively, or maintain strong relationships with editors. That’s a misperception because these days, most day-to-day business is done electronically whether you live across the street from the publisher or half a continent away. There are plenty of opportunities to meet face-to-face with editors at various times throughout the year.
Even though New York still has the largest concentration of agents, I know agents in almost every state these days. Technology has allowed us to be able to do our jobs effectively from just about anywhere. I think being outside of New York is no longer a disadvantage.

GLA: How often do you visit New York and how long do you usually stay?

RG: Since I’ve been focusing on the Christian market, New York hasn’t been all that important to my business. Christian publishers are primarily located in Colorado (where I live), Nashville and the Chicago area. I meet with them several times a year, either at their offices or at conferences. This year I’ll be going to New York for a week and will schedule five days of meetings with editors there.

GLA: Are there any advantages to living in the same state as one of your clients?

RG: My clients that live near me don’t have advantages over my other clients in a business sense, but I love being able to meet face-to-face and talk with them. It definitely helps us to have a stronger relationship. I get to meet many of my other clients at conferences, but I still have some clients I’ve never met in person!

GLA: How important is platform when submitting a nonfiction book proposal?

RG: We all know that platform is very important. But this isn’t easy for agents and editors. We love great ideas. We love fantastic writing. So when we receive a wonderful proposal from an author who doesn’t have a platform, we struggle with it. Everything in us says, “This is a terrific book. I’ve got to have it!” But market realities tell us it could be a bad business decision.
I’ve got a proposal out to several houses right now. Every one of them has said they love the book and the author is a terrific writer. But they’re all struggling with his lack of platform. They’re debating it in their pub board meetings. As of now, I still don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s a perfect example of the primary importance of platform. It is just too hard to sell a book without one.

GLA: What are you looking for right now and not getting?

RG: High quality women’s fiction that I can’t put down. Female-oriented suspense for the Christian market, similar to Sue Grafton & Janet Evanovich.

GLA: What are you tired of seeing?

RG: Memoirs written by people who haven’t studied the craft of memoir writing, but simply sat down to tell their tale. Memoir is a genre that’s all about the writing. It’s got to be fabulously written, well-organized, and have that can’t-put-down quality.

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

RG: The Northern Colorado Writers Conference in March of 2010.

GLA: What is something about yourself writers would be surprised to know?

RG: I like to crochet but I’m terrible at it! I’m trying to get better but meanwhile my kids are stuck with quite an array of badly-made winter scarves. Some might also be surprised that my vices are People magazine and a nice glass of Merlot.

GLA: When writers first contact you, what do you want them to send and how?

RG: I ask for a query that includes a pitch for the book and any other information that’s relevant. For fiction, the pitch is the most important part. Nonfiction authors need to give me a brief (one paragraph) overview of their platform in the query.
Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, I ask writers to paste 3 to 5 pages of their manuscript into the email. This allows me to make a more accurate assessment of the project. With queries, I don’t open attachments or click on links, so all the necessary information needs to be in the email.

GLA: What advice do you have for new writers?

RG: Spend as little time as possible cruising the Internet and watching TV. Spend as much time as possible reading and writing. It’s crucial for writers to be readers. Read whatever interests you. Read books of the genre in which you’re writing. Read books about the craft of writing. And read some things that are completely outside of what you’d normally pick up. Read, read, read.

This agent interview by Kerrie Flanagan,
director of Northern Colorado Writers and
a freelance writer. Visit her blog, The Writing Bug.

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

Agent interview: Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Matt Mikalatos

Chuck — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:12:55 GMT

"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 Matt Mikalatos, freelancer,
and author of the novel "Imaginary Jesus"
(BarnaBooks, April 2010). See his website here.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL

I wanted to write fiction, but couldn’t seem to sell it. I found, however, that I was selling short satirical magazine articles with astonishing regularity, and soon I sold a couple of “how to” articles on spiritual topics to the Christian market. When it came to magazines, I just had more success with nonfiction than fiction. I decided to write a proposal for a book of humorous essays called Imaginary Jesus, and started looking for an agent so I could submit it to the publisher who printed my magazine. I started through Writer’s Market, trying to cut the pile of agents down to a top ten list. I mentioned that I hoped to have an agent soon to one of the magazine editors, and they told me that they preferred un-agented submissions when they had worked with an author before, so why didn’t I send a proposal over and abandon my agent search? I immediately sent my proposal to the publisher, who said we would probably strike a deal with no advance and see where the book could go.

Excited and a little overwhelmed, I contacted an author friend named Gary Thomas. Gary had taught a seminary class at Western Seminary a few years previously and had graciously agreed to an interview for a class project of mine at the time. Now he agreed to meet me and my wife and give advice about the writing life. In the course of our conversation he told me that I really did need an agent and referred me to two of them, giving permission for me to use his name when I sent my queries. Both agents were out of my league without Gary’s referral and, in fact, I had crossed them both off my agent search list a month earlier simply because I didn’t think they would represent someone like me.

Learn more about "Imaginary Jesus"

HE LOVES MY QUERY BUT HATES MY BOOK

I sent a query to these guys within about 24 hours of talking with Gary, and the man who was about to become my agent, Wes Yoder of Ambassador Literary, sent me a note the next day saying he wanted to talk. During our conversation, Wes said he read my partial, hated it and told me he didn't want to represent me. I believe he said, "This is bad," as well as, "You're not delivering what you promised in the proposal." He told me that he suspected I was writing what I thought agents and publishers would want to see rather than what I really wanted to write ... that I wasn't being weird enough or honest enough, and wasn't embracing my desire to write a story instead of essays. He did say, though, that he would be willing to take a second look if I reworked it.

That weekend I radically altered the book from essays into a novel, and started writing the story of a guy named Matt Mikalatos who discovers while sitting in a coffee shop that the Jesus sitting across from him is not the real Jesus at all, but an imposter, which leads to encounters with the apostle Peter, a talking donkey, and a giant chase through space, time and Portland, Oregon. I sent five chapters off to Wes, and within a few hours he was sending me e-mails and leaving voice messages not to talk to any other agents. He said he wanted to be the "real agent" for Imaginary Jesus.

SUCCESS WITH WES

Now that it was fiction, I needed to finish the book! I wrote it in the evenings and the holiday breaks over Thanksgiving and Christmas ... the first draft was finished in just under six weeks, which was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I have a lot of memories of turkey cooking in the kitchen while I was hunched over the laptop by the fire.

So, my agent search lasted about two weeks from start to finish. About two months later the book was finished, and within a few months more we had two offers from great publishers on the table. And Imaginary Jesus hits the shelves this April! Looking back, I know Wes was right - I was successful when I wrote what I wanted to write, not what I thought would sell.

This guest column by Matt is an exclusive online
supplement to a feature on him in the Feb. 2010
issue of Writer's Digest (the "Breaking In" section).
If you haven't subscribed to WD yet, what are you
waiting for? Get a sub now!

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Debbie Fuhry

Chuck — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:37:54 GMT

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 Debbie Fuhry, inspirational fiction writer.

Debbie Fuhry is a writer of inspirational
fiction. She has a website and runs
the blog Grace is Sufficient.

1. Look before you leap. Don’t immediately sit down and start typing as soon as you realize the story in your head might be turned into a novel. Go ahead and make notes so you don’t lose your train of thought, but then take time to study a few of the books on the art of fiction writing.

2. Don’t be cheap. The old saying is still valid, “You have to spend money to make money.” Be willing to spend money—think of it as an investment—on books, magazine subscriptions, memberships to professional associations, and writers’ conferences.

3. Find a writing group. In addition to joining a professional association, look for a smaller group that meets locally. You will be encouraged by spending time with others who share your goals and interests, and you can often learn a lot, too. Such groups often include critique sessions. You will gain from having your own writing critiqued as well as from listening to the members comment on others’ work.

4. Make the best use of writers’ conferences. Attend a conference with the primary goal of listening and learning. Many writers attend their first conference with purposes of pitching their novel and making contacts. You will miss some of the best opportunities a conference affords that way.

5. Don’t bypass the agent. It’s natural to think, “If I sell directly to a publisher, I won’t have to hand over 15% of my earnings.” Setting aside the fact that plenty of publishers will not accept unsolicited submissions directly from writers, a good agent knows the legal and practical end of the business and most writers do not. Also, an agent can offer a layer of quality control between you and the publisher.

6. Cheer on other writers. It’s easy to be envious of others' success, and if you feel that way, acknowledge it and move on. It’s something else entirely to be resentful about it, and usually indicates that you feel as though another writer’s success somehow diminishes your chances. It doesn’t.

7. Keep your expectations in line with reality. While it’s fine to be able to dream about writing multiple bestsellers, be realistic. Only a tiny percentage of authors are that successful. So keep dreaming and keep working toward your dreams, but don’t quit your day job yet!

Want more on this subject?

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

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Kimberly Shumate of Living Word Literary Agency

Chuck — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:09:52 GMT

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 Kimberly: Kimberly began her employment with Harvest House Publishers as the assistant to the National Sales Manager as well as the International Sales Director. Within four years, she was hired into the editorial department steeped in the slush pile of would-be/trying-to-be/can’t-seem-to-be authors. Having been a screenwriter since 1995, a freelance article and book contributor, her ability to identify and polish the diamonds hidden within the coal mines of unsolicited submissions gives her an eye for talent and a heart for the underdog. She is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, the Christian Media Association, and has 12 years of publishing experience.

Seeking: adult fiction, YA fiction, Christian living, dating/marriage, parenting, self-help, apologetics, health, inspirational, environmental, social issues, pop-culture, women’s issues, and men’s issues. No cookbooks, children’s books, science fiction or fantasy, memoirs, or poetry. No simultaneous submissions, please.

How to submit: Submit a query with short synopsis and first chapter via Word document. Agency only responds if interested. Send queries to livingwordliterary@gmail.com. Web: http://livingwordliterary.wordpress.com/. No phone calls, please.

Want more on this subject?

If Christian/inspiration writing is your thing, check out the agents I've interviewed who specialize in this category, including Greg Daniel and Joyce Hart.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Mary DeMuth

Chuck — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:06:55 GMT

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 Mary DeMuth, who
has written three parenting books and
four novels. Her latest book is A Slow Burn.
She helps aspiring writers seeking
publication at http://www.thewritingspa.com/

TO THE CONFERENCE

I spent more than ten years writing in obscurity while my children were young. During that time, I created newsletters and short stories, always forcing deadlines on myself—and then meeting them early. When my youngest child started preschool, I dusted off my dream of writing a novel, completing it in four months. I also became a newspaper columnist and found success in writing for magazines. I attended a small, regional writers conference, then packed my bags for a major writing conference in the spring of 2003.

On the plane, my writing friend asked me what I hoped to accomplish there. I said something about finding a publisher. "Don't you want an agent?" she asked. "Are they really that important?" I asked. She shook her head in disbelief, then explained why I needed one.

We arrived in the wooded hills above San Jose, eager and ready to knock 'em dead. I sent ahead the first three chapters, a synopsis and a query letter from my novel Crushing Stone to three publishing houses. I retrieved my manuscripts with shaking hands. I tore open the envelopes and let out a breath. All three expressed interest. I hollered. And yelled. After writing in obscurity for so many years, the publisher’s approval validated me.

"I AM NOT LOOKING FOR CLIENTS"

I took the intermediate writing track taught by a big-name agent, the amazing Chip MacGregor, then with Alive Communications, now founder of MacGregor Literary. He said up front, "I am not looking for clients. I'm happy with my stable of authors." So, when I met with him, I didn't consider him as a possible agent prospect. I simply wanted to ask his advice. Chip was late for our meeting. I almost left. He came rushing in, apologizing. I told him I had some interest in my book and asked if he'd be willing to answer a few questions. He said sure. He asked for my proposal, and when I gave it to him, he said, "I've seen this before."

I wanted to die. In wanting to be efficient, I not only sent my proposal to the people at the conference, as instructed, but I also I sent it to his agency, even though I didn’t quite know the purpose of an agent. At the conference, I found out his firm did not accept unsolicited manuscripts, particularly from unpublished authors like me. In that, I violated the don't-send-your-stuff-if-you're-a-nobody rule. The reason he recognized it? My unusual stationary—not scented or colored, but it sported a curve on the right hand side. "Do you mind if I take this with me?" he asked. "Not at all," I said. We shook hands and parted ways.

THE CALL

I came home from the conference happy to know editors liked my writing, but discouraged to not have immediate interest. A few weeks later, I received an e-mail from Chip. He wrote, “You are one of the best new writers I've met and I'd like to talk about representation. Would you be interested?"

Would I?

I screamed. Hyperventilated a bit. I hollered some more. The children thought I was dying, so they raced upstairs, followed by my husband. I jumped up and down. Though they didn't know the reasons behind my pogo-ing, they joined me. Eventually I spilled out the e-mail's words. So, I received the email that supercharged my career, pulling me from obscurity onto the publication path. Within six months, I sold two books to major publishers!

Want more on this subject?

Read my interview with agent Chip MacGregor.

Read a "Successful Query" provided by Chip.

What are the BEST writers' conferences?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Billy Coffey

Chuck — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:32:27 GMT

This installment of "How I Got
My Agent" is by Billy Coffey,
who writes Christian nonfiction. Check out
his blog here. His blog is titled
"What I Learned Today."

Billy Coffey

TARGETING WORDSERVE

I’ve heard that signing with a literary agent is a more difficult task than signing with a publisher. I’d have to agree with that now. Then, however, things were different. That was when I had fallen for the classic illusion of a novice writer—writing a book is the hard part. Finding an agent to represent it? Simple.

That fantasy was pushed aside once reality set in. Writing a book, I found, was the easy part. Finding an agent to represent it was nearly impossible. Nearly. A year ago, I put the period after the final sentence of my manuscript, Snow Day, and submitted a query to Rachelle Gardner at WordServe Literary. I was a reader of her blog and she seemed like a perfect match for what I had written. In the meantime, I used the wait to research between 30 and 40 more agents who would possibly be interested in representing my book. That turned out to be a wise decision. Having those other potential suitors helped take the sting out of the rejection e-mail WordServe sent two weeks later.

REJECTIONLAND, THEN THE REFERRAL

I spent the next six months methodically trudging through that list of agents, querying and proposal-ing and, most of all, waiting. Quite a few asked for partials. Some wanted the entire manuscript. But all eventually passed.There really is such a thing as a good rejection, which is the equivalent of the most popular girl in school turning you down but still calling you cute. Quite a few of those no-thank-yous resembled that. But there was much less tickle than torture.

I had two things going against me. One was an economy that was persuading publishers to be very hesitant on taking a chance with an unpublished writer. The other was the fact that I didn’t have much of a platform. Many of those kind rejections offered the same piece of advice—do something. Writers can’t simply write anymore. Start a blog. Sign up for Facebook and Twitter. Put your name out there, build an audience, and submit again. So I put my manuscript in a desk drawer and forgot about finding an agent, concentrating instead on starting a blog and building an audience.

Eight months later I received an e-mail from a new reader who wanted to know if I had a book in the works and, if so, if I had an agent. I answered yes to the one and no to the other, and she suggested she could perhaps talk her agent into taking a look at my manuscript. Her agent just happened to be Rachelle Gardner.

SNOW DAY COMES FULL CIRCLE

I mentioned that Rachelle had already passed on Snow Day, but this kind new reader felt sure Rachelle would give me a personal look. I submitted to Rachelle again and held my breath. Rachelle contacted me a week later and asked for a telephone conversation. We talked about the book and the direction I wanted to take it, and she asked for the full manuscript and held my breath more.

She e-mailed again three days later. This time, she didn’t want me to call her. This time she wanted to call me. By that time I had met another friend online who had finally convinced me to sign up for Twitter. Rachelle direct messaged me there on the morning of our conversation and told me not to worry, for this was The Call.

I had never heard of The Call before, didn’t know what it meant, but I thought it sounded good. I paced the floor at work all day until my phone rang. Rachelle offered representation right away, and I could finally exhale. Breathing is important for conversation. We’ve since edited Snow Day and it is now in the hands of several interested publishers. Rachelle has been everything I could have hoped for and more in an agent. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.

In the end I got the agent I wanted, though in a nontraditional way. But I think it’s a lesson every writer in today’s market needs to know. Authors can’t simply write anymore. They need some level of exposure and self-promotion. If I hadn’t started a blog and put time in to attract readers, I wouldn’t have an agent. Blogs and social networking can bring people to you who are willing to help you accomplish your dreams. Yes, it can seem like a risk. But one worth taking.

Want more on this subject?

See all the posted stories of writers finding agents here.

If Christian/inspiration writing is your thing, check out the agents I've interviewed who specialize in this category, including Greg Daniel and Joyce Hart.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Successful Queries: Agent Mary Sue Seymour and 'A Widow's Hope'

Chuck — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:08:32 GMT

This new 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 ninth installment in this series is with agent Mary Sue Seymour (The Seymour Agency) and her author, Mary Ellis, for her book, A Widow's Hope.

A Widow's Hope

Dear Ms. Seymour:

Although I was unable to attend this year’s ACFW conference, I studied the list of agents who had participated. I was excited to see your name among the attendees since I’d heard many wonderful things about your agency. I have taken the liberty of enclosing the synopsis and first three chapters of A Widow’s Hope with my fondest hope you will select it for representation. A Widow’s Hope is a 95,000-word Christian Inspirational set in Holmes County, Ohio, the largest Amish community in the country.

After the death of her husband, Hannah Brown is determined to make a new life with her sister’s family. But when she sells her farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and moves with her sheep to Ohio, the wool unexpectedly starts to fly. Her deacon brother–in–law finds just about everything about Hannah vexing. When his widower brother shows interest in the young and beautiful widow, the deacon turns to prayer for guidance.

Hannah thought she could never love again, until she meets the strong, gentle farmer. Unfortunately, Seth Miller’s only interest is in Hannah’s sheep. He is content in his bachelor state and slow to recognize his daughter’s need for a new mother. Yet God offers Seth the perfect solution to their problems if he could only open his heart again ... and love.

My two previous manuscripts placed in the “Labor of Love” contest, sponsored by the Heart of Louisiana chapter, Baton Rouge, and the “Hot Prospects” contest sponsored by Valley of the Sun chapter, both chapters of RWA. I am a former middle school teacher, currently working in marketing and sales. I have spent many weeks and weekends in Holmes County, researching and enjoying the simpler way of life. I am currently working on the second in the series.
If you’d like to see the full manuscript, please contact me at the above address. It would be my pleasure to send A Widow’s Hope immediately. Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Mary Ellis

Commentary From Mary Sue

Mary Ellis actually went to my site to see which conferences I attend and that caught my attention right off the bat. She did research and had a reason for querying me rather than just sending out e-mails to every agent online.

Her pitch - the two middle paragraphs - worked well. The plot intrigued me. Everything was presented - the protagonist, the challenges, the conflict. Christian inspirational is a genre I represent often, and this was a good summary in a category that I like.

She mentioned contests she'd placed in so I knew her writing had potential. The awards were mentioned briefly and humbly without much hurrah or details, which is exactly the way to do it.

Finally, she was wise enough to complete the book beforehand and say so in the letter. You'd be surprised how many first-time authors don't finish (and polish!) their work before sending it out.

Requesting the full manuscript was a no-brainer for me - and I'm glad I did.

Want more on this subject?

To see the other posted letters in this "Successful Queries" series, click here.
If Christian/inspiration writing is your thing, check out the agents I've interviewed who specialize in this category, including Greg Daniel and Joyce Hart.
Take a peek at Writing the Christian Romance, by G.G. Martin.
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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Lisa Lawmaster Hess

Chuck — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:32:03 GMT

This installment of "How I Got
My Agent is by Lisa Lawmaster Hess,
who writes inspirational and juvenile.
See her author website here
and her blog here.

TWO NOVELS & NO LUCK

I started freelancing in 1993 and the unpredictability of writing on spec meant that I couldn’t quit my day job. When I signed up for my second course through the Institute of Children’s Literature in the fall of 2000, I decided to tackle something new, and so I began to try my hand at fiction. The short stories I developed as part of that course became the heart of my second book, Diverse Divorce, which came out in 2004.

One of the stories originally intended for that book never made it in, but the protagonist wouldn’t leave me alone. For the first time, I thought I might have enough material for a novel, which I targeted to my favorite age group, middle-grade readers. When the book was complete, agents passed on it - so I went on to write a second novel with the same characters. But alas, my characters remained homeless.

TRANSITIONING TO INSPIRATIONAL

I kept writing, and reading, and discovered Christian fiction - first as a reader, then as a writer. I was working on the first draft of my Christian chick lit novel, Casting the First Stone, in May 2008 when The Susquehanna Writers Workshop – rolled around. Familiar with the conference from my attendance the previous year, I was ready to take advantage of everything. Extra day off from work to enjoy the campus and get my bearings? Check. Friday night Red Eye critique group? Check. Appointment with an agent representing juvenile fiction? Check. Appointment with an agent repping adult fiction? Check.

I first saw her just as a critique group was about to begin when she asked to join our group. There was no photo of her in the conference brochure, so I didn’t know who she was until she introduced herself as Diana Flegal from Hartline Literary Agency.

DIANA, THE CONFERENCE, AND A PRAYER

Everyone in the group had a Christian flavor to their writing, which was not unusual at this conference. We had devotionals, skits, historical fiction, poetry and my contemporary novel to review, round-robin style. Diana declined to comment on any pieces, preferring to wait for our scheduled times the next day. So I was surprised when, on the way back to the hotel, she stopped me and expressed enthusiasm for the manuscript – my manuscript! – that we’d just critiqued. The next morning, as I was returning from breakfast, she stepped out of her room – across the hall from mine – and jokingly asked me if my ears had been burning.

Looking back, the funny thing is: She was so nice. So upbeat and down-to-earth. So friendly. So normal. Weren’t agents supposed to be stiff and formal? A bit holier than thou?

By the time I sat down with her later that morning, I was no longer nervous, at least not in the panic-stricken sense. Diana told me that she loved my work, and the validation (that I hoped and prayed and dreamed about) was just as good in reality as it had been in my dreams. Diana ended our appointment with a prayer. That blew me away. It made perfect sense, though. This Christian agent, this truly nice person whose company I enjoyed, couldn’t have closed our meeting in any more perfect way.

I signed my contract with Hartline on July 4, 2008. Diana is now shopping the novel she took on based on my conference submission as well as a nonfiction book for the educational market and a ‘tween novel. Waiting for that elusive sale is still frustrating at times, but with Diana at bat for me, it’s easier to believe that it will come.

Acting Assertively, a book for
students in grades 4-8, is one of
Lisa's previously published books.

Want more on this subject?

Do you have a good story about how you signed with an agent? If so, write to me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll start a dialogue about guest blogging.
Interested in inspirational writing? Check out our resource, Going on Faith: Writing as a Spiritual Quest.
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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Successful Queries: Agent Chip MacGregor and 'Mind the Gap'

Chuck — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:05:01 GMT

This new 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 seventh installment in this series is with agent Chip MacGregor (MacGregor Literary) and his author, Roger Martin, for the inspirational nonfiction book, Mind the Gap. (At Chip's request, he has changed the name of the author in this letter, but the letter itself remains the same.)

Dear Mr. MacGregor,

I enjoyed meeting you at the Atlanta conference last weekend. As I mentioned, I have read your blog faithfully for the past couple years, and you always seem to balance insight with humor. When I heard you were going to be at the Harriett Austin conference, I knew I had to attend. As a reminder, we chatted during the cocktail party, and explored how book on ancient spiritual practices might fit with CBA publishers’ recent interest in books tapping into Christian history. Per your request, I have enclosed a synopsis and first three sample chapters of Mind The Gap, a 50,000-word completed nonfiction book that was a finalist in the Southern California Writing Competition.

Jesus said we always live out what’s in our heart, so our actions reveal our character. Our lives are run by the deeply submerged governing ideas that are often very different from the things we claim to value or believe. In other words, there is a gap between what we want to do and what we actually do. Will power alone was never meant to carry the weight of right living—it’s too puny to defeat temptation or override the compulsions of a lifetime. By spending more time with Jesus in the Gospels, we overcome a key barrier in bridging the willing-doing gap -- we move away from the Jesus we thought we knew, and teachings we thought might be burdensome, to discover the Jesus actually portrayed in the Gospels. If we can learn to “mind the gap” – to give attention to changing our core idea systems and our related emotional dispositions, then our words and actions will eventually become more like Jesus, living more naturally from the inside out.

I am a professor at Baylor University, a busy conference speaker, and the author of four other nonfiction books in CBA. My most recent title, Seeing God with New Eyes, was a finalist for the ECPA Gold Medallion.

If you would like to see the completed manuscript, I can be reached at writer@myblog.com. Thanks very much for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

All the best,

Roger Martin

Commentary From Chip

OK, let’s explore this letter for a moment…

I think this letter is great. It came as an e-mail, and had the author’s name, address, phone, and email at the top AND bottom, so it was easy to find. Right near the top, he gave me context. (Can you imagine how many authors I’ve bumped into and had conversations with at conferences? Egad – I can’t be expected to remember them all. But he contacted me right away, gave me enough to jog my memory… and it didn’t hurt that he said something nice about my blog. I was glad he didn’t fawn, but everybody likes getting a compliment.)

The author (that’s not his real name) tells me fairly quickly the title, word count, and the fact that the book is complete. His title is intriguing, since I’ve lived in England and already have a context for the phrase “mind the gap.” There is a need for deeper spiritual books, and this one sounds interesting. The description he uses is fairly sound – though I’ll admit I would have liked to have seen it jazzed up just a bit.

Another thought: Roger is a university professor, and he sounds like it in his writing. There’s a formal quality to his words, and that no doubt reflects the tone of his book. I like that, since I see too many queries that are flat – why spend two years working on your book, then two minutes banging out a query? Let your query reflect your writing and voice.

I was very glad to see his credentials – that fact that he’s been a finalist for a prestigious religion-writing award certainly catches my eye. The whole thing might be a bit long, but in this case I enjoyed getting the extra information. This is a book I was quick to look at, and ended up signing the author as a client.

Want more on this subject?

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

This is the seventh sample query in this series. See all the queries here for free!

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Successful Queries: Agent Mary Sue Seymour and 'A Gift of Grace'

Chuck — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:51:42 GMT

I've meant to start this new series on the blog for a while now, but am just now getting around to it. It's 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 third installment in this series is with agent Mary Sue Seymour (The Seymour Agency) and her author Amy Clipston, for her book, A Gift of Grace.

Dear Ms. Seymour,

I am seeking representation for my Amish inspirational novel, A Gift of Grace, complete at 80,000 words. It is the first in my Kauffman Amish Bakery Series. The sequel, A Promise of Hope, is nearing completion, and another freestanding book featuring the same characters is in outline form.

Rebecca Kauffman's tranquil Old Order Amish life is transformed when she suddenly has custody of her two teenage nieces after her "English" sister and brother-in-law are killed in an automobile accident. Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and a heartache. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife. Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica's rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating for her nieces, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God.

I’ve visited Amish Country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, many times and have spent extensive hours researching the spot.

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), I hold a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and work full-time as a public information specialist.

Thank you for your generous time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Amy G. Clipston

Commentary From Mary Sue

The project was the perfect length and I like how word count was immediately mentioned. Also, she mentioned the book was completed - many first time authors never complete their books

It was a series and I happened to be looking for series right then.

A lot of why I loved this letter was due to her pitch. Her pitch was nicely abbreviated and proved she could write. I liked the concept and the characters from the start.

She had actually visited Amish country, which is the best way to research. I was impressed. She had a college degree, too. Although one isn't really isn't necessary, it can't hurt. You can find A Gift of Grace on Amazon.

Agent Terry Burns Interviewed on Novelists, Inc.

Chuck — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:45:03 GMT

I've met agent Terry Burns of Hartline Literary at a conference down in Texas. Good guy - and he's a writer, too, as well as an editor.

Novelists Inc. just posted a nice interview with Terry. I've pasted some of the Q&A below. To read the rest, see the full post over on Novelists, Inc.

NI: What makes a writer a good choice for you? What makes you a good choice for a writer?

TB: I need a writer that is flexible and committed, that understands the need to develop a good platform, promote and generate visibility. That understands the task of getting published is a team effort. The writer has the right to expect that each client will be treated the same and that the full resources of the whole team will be focused on making it happen for them.

NI: How much input do you expect to have on a client’s work?

TB: I don’t try to write for my clients, but I often will point out areas of concern that I believe need to be addressed to make a project more publishable. How it is addressed is up to the client, but I would hope that they take the need serious.

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Greg Daniel of Daniel Literary Group

Chuck — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:21:45 GMT

"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 Greg Daniel of Daniel Literary Group. Greg specializes in religious and inspirational works of both fiction and nonfiction. He also accepts nonfiction that has no religious angle. Send submissions to submissions@danielliterarygroup.com.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

GD: I’ve spent about 12 years in publishing, eight of which were at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where most recently I was VP and Associate Publisher. I’ve always known that one day I would open my own literary agency. I loved the notion of being with authors throughout their publishing careers, helping them navigate the publishing waters, and guiding them in such matters as branding and editorial direction. So in April 2007, I made the leap to agenting. I’ve never looked back. It’s been a real joy.

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

GD: Last week I sold inspirational fiction author Denise Hildreth’s next two novels to Tyndale. Denise is a wonderfully fun southern author who has had some nice success.

GLA: You say you’re open to any type of nonfiction submission, and a lot of fiction, but almost all of your recent sales have some angle of religion or inspirational to them. That said, are you still interested in queries that have no religious angle?

GD: Currently about 85% of the books I’ve sold have had some element of religion or inspiration, but I’ve also sold such nonfiction books as narrative history, pop culture, and business. I am open to nonfiction of almost any sort, that being my true specialty. I’d love to see more non-religious nonfiction. I’m extremely selective about the fiction I represent, and currently it consists primarily of inspirational fiction.

GLA: You seem to be right in the thick of inspirational and Christian publishing in what you do. Can you tell us how the Christian publishing world is changing?

GD: As Christian bookstores, especially the independents, struggle a bit and as general market stores keep increasing the size of their religion departments, it is opening up opportunities for a broader spectrum of Christian books to be published, not just the strictly evangelical books that Christian publishing used to be primarily confined to. There is a more ecumenical approach and spirit in Christian publishing these days.

GLA: Talk to me about a good platform for writing religious nonfiction. Besides being a preacher, what are other elements you’d like to see in proposals?

GD: Actually, being a preacher or pastor is not at all a prerequisite for writing religious nonfiction. I think I have only a couple authors who are pastors of some sort. Platform in religious nonfiction can be everything from pastoring a megachurch to having a wildly successful blog to being a notable scholar or thought leader. But it is important to have a platform and for that platform to be ever expanding.

GLA: What are the most common ways you see writers going wrong when they submit a query to you?

GD: Many nonfiction authors have almost no platform whatsoever. It is near impossible to publish nonfiction without a platform or recognized expertise in an area. Fiction authors err in sending manuscripts and queries that seem as if they’re first drafts - lacking the multiple drafts of rewriting that are necessary to truly hone and perfect their work.

GLA: Let’s say you sit down to read a Christian/inspirational fiction partial. What are some cliché openings that you see right there on page 1 or in chapter 1? What do you see way too much?

GD: I don’t think I see a whole lot of difference between the cliché openings of inspirational fiction and the cliché openings of every other kind of fiction. I must see 5-10 queries a day that begin their first chapter with a description of the sky or weather. Doesn’t matter what kind of fiction it is.

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

GD: The next conference I’ll be speaking at is the Southern Christian Writers’ Conference.

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

GD: Read deeply and widely in the area you want to be a writer. It seems that so often I receive queries where not only are the authors not at a point where they should be approaching agents yet, but they also appear to not even be astute readers of the categories they’re writing in. In addition to writing, writing, and rewriting in order to be a better writer, I’m a firm believer that the more intelligently you read, the better writer you’ll become.

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Mary Sue Seymour of The Seymour Agency

Chuck — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:45:12 GMT

"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 Mary Sue Seymour, of The Seymour Agency.

She is seeking: Mary is looking for new clients who write any type of romance including historical, contemporary category, contemporary mainstream, suspense, paranormal, regency or inspirational. She wants nonfiction about real life heroes, prescriptive books, cookbooks, and basically any type of nonfiction by credentialed authors. She is looking for Christian books of any type. She does not handle magazine articles, e-published or self-published books, general novels, children's books, poetry, short stories, New Age and books contradictory to fundamental Christian beliefs. E-mail her at marysue@twcny.rr.com. See her Web site before submitting material.

Mary Sue Seymour (left) pictured with
client Vannetta Chapman.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

MSS: When I was teaching elementary school, I wrote and had three different agents. One of them wasn't very good, so I talked to a girlfriend who was a business teacher. She convinced me to start my own literary agency as a hobby back in 1992. The first book i sent out sold a four-book deal to Bantam. God had given me a gift. I could look at a book that was flawed and write a prescription to fix it, like I had to fix the book that sold the four-book deal.

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

MSS: Today, I sold Shelly Galloway's two-book untitled deal to Johanna Raisenan at Harlequin Canada for their Harlequin America line, which I know is weird because its primary offices are in Canada. Yesterday, I sold Shelley Shepherd Gray's three-book deal to Avon Inspire.

GLA: You ask for the first 50 pages of text with a fiction submission. I’m guessing you usually don’t get through all 50 before you stop. What types of things will turn you off in those crucial first chapters?

MSS: The first line and first paragraph should demonstrate great writing ability and the knowledge that the author knows how to write a hook. If it's a romance, it would be nice if the hero/heroine meet on the first page or close to it.

GLA: If you were speaking to someone who was sitting down to write a romance book but had never done so before (they wrote either literary fiction or plain nonfiction), what would you tell them about the necessities of how to write?

MSS: The word count would range from 50K to about 100K. There is a formula to write a good romance. The hero must be a man the reader would like to date and the heroine should be the type of girl that is bigger than life that the reader would like to be like. They should meet, overcome obstacles and in the end get together. There are dozens of different kind of romances - the author could join the Romance Writers of America for support and and get into critique groups. All my published authors have critique groups.

GLA: If someone pitches a romance series to you rather than just one book, does that raise a red flag in your mind?

MSS: No, it's better. Most romance publishers would rather buy a series. Americans are collectors and like series. Publishers would rather pay to publicize one author for three books than pay to publicize three separate authors.

GLA: Concerning Christian fiction, what are you looking for and not getting?

MSS: I would like to see more historical romance that has Christian elements.

GLA: You’ve said before that you are big into the general information books, such as the “Everything” series and the “Idiot’s Guide to” series. What qualifies someone to contact you with an idea for a book in the series? Can you give us an example of when someone pitched one of these books cold to you and it came to fruition?

MSS: Editors from Adams Media e-mail me lists of titles they are seeking authors for. I forward the lists on to my clients who e-mail the editor via me a bio. If the editor likes the bio, she requests a table of contents and then they take it from there.

GLA: In addition to the literary agency, you also have a film agency. Can you tell us more about that? What are you looking for? Are you a script manager?

MSS: Ellen, my film agent, recently retired due to health issues and a poor market. I am looking for a new film agent.

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

MSS: In January, I will be at Space Coast Writers Guild Annual Conference in Cocoa Beach. The beginning of February will be in San Diego, and then at the end of February Naples, Fla, with the Southwest Florida Romance Writers. In March, I'll be in Charlotte for the Carolina Romance Writers Conference.

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

MSS: Writing is a process. People don't usually write books unless they have talent. You dont' take piano lessons if you have no talent. Join an organization for support; for example, if you write mysteries, join the MWA. Enter contests if you can afford the fees - especially ones judged by editors.

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Literary Agent Straight Talk at NCWC - Featuring Rachelle Gardner, Kristin Nelson and Jessica Regel

Chuck — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:24:22 GMT

Three agents were here with me at the Northern Colorado Writers' Conference:

      - Kristen Nelson of Nelson Literary
      - Jessica Regel of Jean V. Naggar Literary
      - Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve Literary

Here's some of what they had to say:

Gardner: In-your-face spiritualism doesn't have to be a part of Christian writing anymore. Today's Christian and inspirational books have subtle faith-based themes such as redemption and soul searching. The stories are still "clean," though, as they lean away from profanity, detailed sex scenes, or gruesome horror stuff.
Regel: The "hook" is crucial for a YA book. Echoing what Michelle Andelman said in March, Jessica confirmed that a book with decent writing (say a B-) can still get published if the hook is awesome enough.
Nelson: When trying to compose the pitch paragraph of a query letter, go to the bookstore beforehand and read the back paragraph on books in your genre. That is essentially what you are aiming to write.
Regel: Bio credits can push you over the hump. Let's say that your pitch is not good or bad but rather just OK. What can push you over the hump and get an agent to request more writing? Bio credits! That is the advantage to starting small and getting short stories and magazine articles published.
Nelson: Don't call your novel Second Chances. Everyone else has the same name. In fact, Google your title to see what comes up.
Regel: She said she is actively looking for both narrative nonfiction and middle grade works. However, concerning middle grade, she brought up some concerns about titles, as well. Her advice is to avoid the standard "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" template for a title. For example, stay away from titles like "Timmy Tom and the Friendly Squirrel."
Gardner: Don't explain your whole story in a pitch. Pique the agent's interest and let them request more.
Nelson: She said she is actively looking for fiction that blends literary and commercial elements, such as The 13th Tale and Snow Falling on Cedars.

Check out Kristin Nelson's
Pub Rants blog here.

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

What Should You Write in the "Bio Paragraph" of a Query Letter.

Why Your Manuscript Can Get Rejected, by Hallie Ephron.

10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Reminder for Nappaland Literary...

Chuck — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:16:51 GMT

Nappaland Literary Agency, an agency based in Colorado that primarily handles Christian and inspirational work, wanted me to remind writers and blog readers of the agency's specific submission procedures.

Because Nappaland is quite small, they only taken on clients by referral. If you just see them in the database/book and ignore this small tidbit, and send off a query real quick (what the hey, right?), it will be rejected outright.

Always read agency listings thoroughly to save yourself time, worry and postage!

Steve Laube Agency Changes Address

Chuck — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:16:21 GMT

The mailing address for the Steve Laube Agency has changed. It is now:

The Steve Laube Agency
5025 N. Central Ave.
No. 635
Phoenix, AZ 85012
krichards@stevelaube.com

The agency handles both fiction and nonfiction, and primarily serves the Christian/inspirational markets (CBA).

Steve Laube

Want more on this subject?

Interview with Steve Laube, agent who seeks Christian works.

Tips from Cecil Murphey, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Interview with Rachelle Gardner, agent who seeks Christian works.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency

Chuck — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:01:39 GMT

"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 literary agent Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency, who specializes in Christian/inspirational fiction, nonfiction and all subgenres therein.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold? (author, publisher, title, anything notable?)

JH: I have received four book contracts from Baker/Revell in the last few weeks - Jillian Dare, by Melanie Jeschke (romance); a three-book contract, Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot (historical); Journey to the Well, by Diana Taylor (Biblical fiction); and Kiss Me You Fool (nonfiction), by David E. Clarke, Ph.D. Also, I've sold a gift book recently, The Good Master by Linda Winn to Thos. Nelson Publishers.

GLA: I originally thought that Hartline leaned mostly toward inspirational and Christian titles, but the Web site makes it look like that's just one small part of the agency. What percentage of what you work on is in the religious market?

JH: We'll need to change that wording on the Web site. We primarily sell to the religious market. We do sell to the general market, but CBA is our main focus.

GLA: In a nonfiction submission, you look for a lot of information on the
market analysis, the competition, the marketing plan, etc. When you look at proposals, what are the most common things you see lacking that need to be fleshed out?

JH: The most common thing that is lacking is the author's bio. I need to know his/her life experience, education and why this author is qualified to write this book. The publishers want to know prior sales figures. Most authors do pretty well with the competition and the marketing plan. They have a little trouble with the market analysis and the sales figures.

GLA: When selling nonfiction, platform is a big deal. You look for platform also with fiction writers, as well. Why so? Will that affect your decision to sign a new client?

JH: Almost without fail, the editors/publishers are looking for authors with a platform. Also, as I mentioned, sales figures are crucial. In fiction, there are a few who are willing to take a chance on a new author, most major publishers are not. All editors tell me that if the writing is stellar, they will look at it regardless.

GLA: What are some new areas (or "sub-genres") of inspirational writing that are coming into their own?

JH: Fiction romance is a little larger than it was; romantic suspense and mystery/thrillers are popular. Science fiction and fantasy are doing a little better than previously. A few publishers are looking at cozy mysteries. For inspirational nonfiction, it's pretty much the same: Christian living, prayer, self-help.

GLA: If someone wants to query Hartline and could, in theory, query multiple agents, how is the best way to handle that?

JH: We prefer that they only query one of our agents at a time. We'd like the author to look at our Web site and the bios of our agents and choose the one that they feel best fits their writing. We often will pass a proposal to another agent if we feel it is good, but not what that particular agent is looking for at that time.

GLA: Will you be at any conferences in the future where writers can meet you?

JH: Yes, I will be at the following upcoming conferences:

Writing for the Soul, Colorado Springs, Jan. 31 - Feb 3
Southeastern Writer's Conference, Georgia, June 15-19.
Christian Writer's Conference at Seattle Pacific University, May 2-3
ACFW, Sept. 2008, in Minneapolis
We will also have representatives at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers' Conference, Glorietta Writers' Conference, Florida Christian Writers' Conference in Sarasota, and the Susquehanna-Valley Writers' Workshop.

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

JH: We like to see really good proposals, done according to our guidelines. Authors tell me this is the hardest part of writing a book. However, it is so very important. We only get one chance to submit to editors and we need to catch their attention with our submissions. The bio is very important, also the summary. We need to know who the author is and get a clear picture of the book.

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

Read an interview with Christian agent Chip MacGregor.

Buy the memoir guide, Writing Life Stories.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Rachelle Gardner Joins Wordserve Literary

Chuck — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:31:43 GMT

Wordserve Literary, a Colorado-based agency that specializes in representing "authors of faith", has added a cool new agent: Rachelle Gardner.

Rachelle has her own blog, which you should check out if you're planning to query her. Her blog page has links that will assist writers who want to submit to her.

Her interests: "In all genres, I'm looking for books that express a Christian worldview, whether the message is subtle or overt. Fiction:
Women's, Mystery, Suspense, Police/Crime, Family Saga, Historical, Legal, Literary, Mainstream, Supernatural, Romance, Fantasy. (In fiction, the Christian message should be subtly woven through, not in-your-face.) Kids' Fiction: Chapter books, middle grade, tweens, teens and YA. Nonfiction: Biblical, Christian living, Church, Devotionals, Home Life, Marriage, Parenting, Family, Apologetics, Pastoral, Current Affairs, Health, How-to, Humor, Memoirs, Money, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, True Crime, Women's Issues. Not looking for: Children's picture books, poetry, short stories, screenplays, science fiction; or anything that contradicts a Christian worldview."

Rachelle Gardner

Want more on this topic?

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

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary

Chuck — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:15:09 GMT

"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 Chip MacGregor, founder of MacGregor Literary in Portland, Ore. GLA had the opportunity to sit down with Chip at the Harriette Austin Writers' Conference. In addition to Chip's many years of agenting, he is also the author of several books and a veteran of the publishing industry.

He is seeking: While his clients write in a variety of genres in adult fiction and nonfiction, each writes from a Christian perspective. Though the agency does represent new, unpublished writers, Chip prefers to receive first contact with a writer through a referral or at a writers' conference. See the agency's full submissions page here.

Chip MacGregor.

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

CM: I did a series of books with Simon & Schuster called The Exorsistah, by Claudia Mair Burney, about a teenage African-American girl who realizes she has power over the supernatural world. I also just did a book with Zondervan called Devotions for Thinking Christians, by Lael Arrington and Kelly Kullberg. Rather than being about shallow little things, it's trying to examine the great thoughts of our contemporary world and Christendom and offering them in little bite-sized chunks for people.

GLA: You deal a lot with Christian fiction and nonfiction. How is the Christian market evolving today?

CM: This is the golden age of Christian publishing. For the last two years, publishing has been flat overall, but Christian fiction is not only growing—it's the fastest growing segment in all of publishing (these past two years). Five years ago, we basically had one category—Christian fiction, which started to segment between contemporary romance and historical romance. But in the last few years, we've begun to see much more realistic stories, and were seeing great divisions in terms of segmentation. We're seeing suspense, supernatural thrillers, futuristic and speculative fiction. There's a huge array in terms of different kinds of genres. Look at mysteries—we now have historical mysteries, contemporary mysteries, cozy mysteries. We're starting to see a lot of segmentation in the marketplace.
Christian nonfiction used to really be dominated by pastors of large churches who were writing on particular issues. What we see now is much more thoughtful writers coming in. We see, for example, spiritual journey and spiritual memoir. That's led to a number of people saying, "Here's my spiritual journey," and these are people who are really known for their writing. They're not pastors or Christian celebrities—though those books are still around. It's led to a lot of reflective work—and that's exciting because we're starting to see better writing.

GLA: A lot of people self-publish their books, but the quality in most self-published works is not up to snuff. Will you consider self-published works? If so, what qualifications do you look for in such books?

CM: I'm happy to look at a project that's self-published, but what I find is that a lot of self-published work is self-published for a reason. A publisher really wasn't interested in the book because it wouldn't sell well in the general market. Perhaps the idea wasn't big enough. Everyone (in publishing is looking for a writer with) a great idea, a great platform and great writing. But the fact is, the thing that's missing most often is great writing. We see a lot of good writing, a lot of OK writing, a lot of so-so writing. Great writing is the very first thing I look for in a self-published book.

GLA: What do you think is the most common mistake writers make when they give a short in-person pitch to an agent?

CM: You should be able to tell me what your book is about in a simple, nontechnical sentence. If you can't explain it in a simple, nontechnical sentence, then you probably haven't spent enough time thinking about the idea.

GLA: What's your best piece of advice?

CM: At writers' conferences, people sometimes come in looking for the secret—the secret to getting published. Writers need to know the secret to getting published is simply to become a better writer. The fact is, I don't know of a great writer that's unpublished. What I see currently are all these writers so focused on marketing—and I know we're market-driven more than ever before. "Get a platform. Where are you speaking?" I realize that's a reality of today's marketplace, but nothing excites an agent or editor or publisher more than finding someone who's a great writer.

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

Read an interview with Christian agent Greg Daniel.

Buy the memoir guide, Writing Life Stories.

Previous, Chip provided an installment for the "Successful Queries" feature on this blog. See the query and his thoughts here.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Janet Benrey of Benrey Literary

Chuck — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:42:12 GMT

"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 Janet Benrey, founder of Benrey Literary in New Bern, N.C. Janet founded Benrey Literary in 2006. Previously with Hartline Literary Agency, Janet worked several jobs that have had two common themes: marketing and publishing. A published novelist, she's co-written seven cozy mysteries with her husband.

She is seeking: For fiction, she is currently seeking contemporary women’s fiction for both markets, romance for both markets, and suspense/thriller for the secular market. She does not handle science fiction, fantasy or erotica. For nonfiction, she's looking for Christian Living books and self-help books for both markets. She's also keeping her eyes open for a unique project that captures her interest.

Janet Benrey

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

JB: Just this week, my client, Brenda Minton, received an offer from Harlequin's Steeple Hill Love Inspired for her second book, Making It Right.

GLA: When writers send you a nonfiction book proposal, what are the most common things you see lacking?

JB: Nonfiction proposals should be fairly easy to write. There's a lot of information available to writers on how to write the greatest, the most compelling, the "no-fail" nonfiction proposal, so I'm often surprised when authors fail to mention their reasons and credentials for writing the work. Like publishers, I often jump to the credentials section of the proposal before getting to the meat of the proposal. I need to know why an author is qualified to write what they're writing and how their work differs from what has already been published on the topic they've chosen.

GLA: One of your specialties is "Christian Living." Can you help define this and give a few book examples?

JB: The Christian Living category of books represents a huge umbrella that covers a multitude of topics. Christian Living works can include books on issues of importance to women, men and teenagers; Christian Living books can be about parenting, marriage, family life, divorce, breast cancer, healing, health, faith journies, spiritual challenges, leadership and devotionals. (One) series that I've contracted is for three books with a theme of taking faith to the next level. These were written by a pastor of a large church and the audience will be members of churches across the country who are interested in working through a study program that deals with parenting and other topics.

GLA: You handle different genre work—mystery, romance, Christian. When an author queries you, should they say their submission is simply a "mystery" or a "romance"? Or do they need to be more specific, saying it's a "cozy" or a "Christian romance" or a "sensuous contemporary"?

JB: Please tell me in which genre you're writing. An amazing number of authors fail to do this, leaving me to scratch my head. Please be specific. For example: This is a (insert word count) cozy mystery written for the Christian market. This is a (insert word count) contemporary/historical Christian romance. This does two things. It tells me that you read in your chosen genre and that you have a grasp of the requirements of the marketplace.

GLA: Bottom line—what attracts you to a work?

JB: Voice. Ain't got voice, ain't gonna sell. Voice is craft. Voice is dialogue. Voice is creating a fictional dream. Voice is the narrator you chose for your story. Voice is doing everything well. Voice is point of view. Voice is the sound of the novel

Want more on this topic?

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

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.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alert: Daniel Literary Group

Chuck — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:21:16 GMT

Reminder: Newer agencies 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.

Daniel Literary Group

1701 Kingsbury Drive, Suite 100, Nashville TN 37215. E-mail: submissions@danielliterarygroup.com. Phone: (615)730-8207. Web site: www.danielliterarygroup.com. Contact: Greg Daniel. Seeking new and established writers. Established: 2007. Prior to becoming an agent, Mr. Daniel spent 10 years in publishing—six at the executive level at Thomas Nelson Publishers. Specializes in: "We take pride in our ability to come alongside our authors and help strategize about where they want their writing to take them in both the near and long term. Forging close relationships with our authors, we help them with such critical factors as editorial refinement, branding, audience, and marketing."

Actively seeking: Nonfiction. The agency is open to submissions in almost every popular category of nonfiction, especially if authors are recognized experts in their fields. The agency will take fiction submissions as well, but no romance, children's or science fiction. Does not want: No screenplays, poetry or short stories.

How to submit: Query with SASE. Submit publishing history, author bio, brief synopsis of the work, key selling points. Send no e-mail attachments. Send first 5 pages if querying by e-mail. Submit 1-2 sample chapters with snail mail. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Responds in 1-6 weeks to queries. Returns materials only with SASE.

Want more on this subject?

Interview with Steve Laube, agent who seeks Christian works.

Tips from Cecil Murphey, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Interview with Rachelle Gardner, agent who seeks Christian works.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!