Guide to Literary Agents - Memoir

How I Got My Agent: Colin Broderick

Chuck — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:29:43 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 Colin Broderick.
Colin is the author of the memoir,
Orangutan. His site, www.colinbroderick.com,
will be up and running soon.

ROCK BOTTOM

On the sixth day of the sixth month 2006, I left my apartment in Hells Kitchen with the last of my belongings in a small U-Haul truck to drive to farmhouse up north and try to save my life. It might sound like I’m fabricating the facts here for dramatic effect but as I started the truck and headed north I glanced at the dash clock and it read 6:06. It occurred to me then and I still believe it now that there was some Dante-esque connection at play here, my life had literally spiraled to its lowest point. I was a 38-year-old, twice divorced alcoholic weighing in at an astonishing 115 lbs. I was broke and now I had lost my apartment. It was time to start the long crawl out of the hole I had dug for myself. I had witnessed the depths of the inferno and it held little of the allure it once did for me. I wanted nothing more to do with it.

Within three days, I had started writing what was to become my memoir, Orangutan. I had been writing for twenty years since moving to New York from Northern Ireland at the age of 20 to work construction. I completed a couple of novels, plays, short stories and notebooks full of poetry—but I had only ever managed to get one short story published and that had been 10 years before. I spent my twenties convinced that I would be "discovered." An agent or editor would read one page of my manuscript and run to the nearest phone to dial my number with an offer that would catapult me into the waiting arms of the Nobel Prize Committee. It didn’t happen. I did send my early manuscripts out to a few agents and agencies but I can’t remember even receiving a rejection letter. It seemed finding an agent was a more elusive dream than finding a publisher. I used to joke that you needed an agent to get an agent in this town.

Orangutan

THE AA REFERRAL

After spending a year on Orangutan—a year that saw me back on the bottle for a brief but productive period that added a stint in an upstate jail to my resume—I started dating a girl who had been a bartender of mine once upon a time. She was a writer, also. She read what I had written and was convinced that this was the manuscript that would finally get me published. She took me back to the city gave me a place to stay and a desk for my work. I married her for her efforts and quit drinking to devote my time and energy to creating a career for myself in the only profession that has ever made any sense to me: writing.

I was at a meeting one night way downtown—one of those meetings you hear about where the alcoholics gather to drink coffee and smoke their cigarettes—when I heard a guy about my age tell his story. He’d escaped from a locked ward at Bellevue Mental Hospital, and was the first to escape from the institution since the early 70s. He’d sobered up and written a book about it, and with the help of his wonderful agent had just nailed down a book deal. I lurked around outside the meeting afterward waiting for my moment. He was quite popular and had a lot of goodbyes to say but I was patient. This was my guy—I was sure of it. When he finally turned to leave, I followed him around the corner and stopped him with a tap on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, my name’s Colin I just heard your story in there and it was great. Here’s the deal; I heard you say you have an agent, well I’m a writer myself and I have this manuscript almost finished and I could really use an agent.” Here he started mumbling some line about how he had introduced someone to his agent already and it hadn’t really worked out for him but I didn’t let him finish. “I can assure you, I told him that if you introduce me to your agent you will always remember this as the night you discovered Colin Broderick.” He smiled. I had appealed to his cooky sense of happenstance. He laughed and eyed me skeptically.
     “You’re not bullshitting me,” he said. “You can really write?”
     “I promise, I will not embarrass you.”

"SHOOT"

Three days later (thanks to a phone call from this nice man), I was seated in the office of Dystel and Goderich down on Union Square. I on one couch, Jane and Miriam on another facing me. “Okay, shoot,” Jane said clasping her hands in her lap and the two women glaring at me with raised eyebrows.
     “What?” I had no idea what to do next.
     “Well, why are we sitting here with you? Shoot.”

This was the moment I had been waiting for my entire adult life. Here was an honest-to-goodness shot at the hoop. I jumped right in with my story and within a few minutes I could tell they were warming up. We had made a connection. They asked me if I’d brought anything with me for them to read. I had. I gave them a disc with what I had of the manuscript so far and in within three days I was back in their office signing a contract. I had my agent!—the same agency who represented Barack Obama, a Hemingway, Judge Judy, and a Bellevue escapee. I had found my home.

It took six months for them to sell Orangutan to Three Rivers Press, (Random House, no less). Over the past year, both Jane and Miriam have been working closely with me helping me refine my next book proposal. They have just submitted it to the publishers. It’s been a long hard road, but it’s been well worth the wait. And that Bellevue escapee, author Chris Campion, and I became fast friends into the bargain.

This guest column by Colin is an exclusive online
supplement to a feature on him in the Jan. 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 subject?

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Need some help finding the best literary agent for your work? Sign up for my webinar, "How to Land a Literary Agent," on Dec. 17, 2009. You can ask questions and hear me discuss queries, proposals, submissions, copyright and more.

New Agent Alert: Sophia Seidner of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management

Chuck — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:42:49 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 Sophia: OK, so Sophia's not technically a "new" agent, but she just moved from Wiley to Judith Ehrlich Literary Management, and seems to be transitioning more from international sales to taking on domestic clients (and this is a good thing for writers). Sophia worked in the literary division of International Management Group, starting as an assistant to the literary agent Julian Bach, working with clients such as Pat Conroy and Jan Morris. After Julian Bach’s retirement, Sophia continued as an assistant agent, and contracts and subsidiary rights manager, working on behalf of clients such as Jack Welch, Ken Blanchard, Marshall Goldsmith, Peter Drucker, Bill O’Reilly, Pearl Jam, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, and Elvis Costello. Next Sophia joined John Wiley & Sons, Inc. as an international rights manager for three years. At Wiley, she focused on selling translation rights for Wiley's extensive list of business, technology and culinary titles.

Seeking: strong literary fiction and nonfiction including self-help, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and biography. Areas of special interest include medical and health-related topics, science (popular, political and social), animal welfare, current events, politics, law, history, ethics, parody and humor, sports, art and business self-help.

How to Submit: sseidner@judithehrlichliterary.com. For nonfiction, query and include an explanation of platform. For fiction, query with brief synopsis and a small representation of the writing (7-15 pages pasted in the e-mail). "If we are sufficiently intrigued by your project, we will ask for samples or the complete proposal or manuscript. Due to the volume of submissions, we regret that we cannot respond to all e-mail. We do not represent children’s books, novellas, poetry, textbooks, plays or screenplays."

Want more on this subject?

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How to write a query letter: The 3 parts

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

New Agent Alert: George Bick of the Doug Grad Literary Agency

Chuck — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:43:57 GMT

About George: Prior to joining the Doug Grad Literary Agency as an associate agent, George was a sales and marketing veteran of over twenty years at Warner Books, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins. (Previously, I blogged about the opening of the DGLA. See that post here.)

Seeking: Bick is actively looking for narrative nonfiction, business, science fiction, horror/paranormal, thrillers, military, comics and graphic novels, diet/self-help, memoir, pets/animals, romance, science, humor, pop culture, and travel.

How to submit: "Query by email letter first at query@dgliterary.com. Please do not send more than a brief letter explaining your book--no sample material unless requested. And your patience is greatly appreciated. The agency is receiving over 100 queries a week and our time is limited--our first priority is to our clients and their books."

Want more on this topic?

For other posts about graphic novels, click 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Dorian Karchmar of WME (William Morris Endeavor) Entertainment

Chuck — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:40:52 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 Agent Advice: Dorian Karchmar of WME (William Morris Endeavor) Entertainment. Dorian has been a literary agent for over a decade.

She is looking for: "She represents bestselling and award winning literary and quality mainstream fiction and narrative nonfiction (memoir, biography, history), cookbooks and general upmarket nonfiction."

GLA: How did you become an agent?

DK: I started agenting in 1999 when I came back to New York after completing my MFA in nonfiction at the University of Iowa.

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

DK: Russian Winter, a debut historical novel by Daphne Kalotay, to HarperCollins; subsequently, we have sold it in 14 countries.

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

DK: More phenomenal historical fiction—I get a lot in, but not a lot that’s as good as it needs to be—that, and a beautifully-written, very scary ghost story for grown-ups.

GLA: Can you tell us a little bit more about the kinds of short story projects you seek?

DK: I am not actively seeking short stories, as collections are nearly impossible to sell. The culture has moved away from stories to the point where they are nearly an endangered species from a financial perspective. That said, I do still take occasional leaps with collections, in which case I tend to be drawn to linked collections and collections that illuminate a place or culture that is unexpected or in some way deeply unfamiliar. (I would love to find something set in North Korea, written by an “insider.”)

GLA: I read online that you seek "offbeat/quirky" fiction. Can you give us 2-3 examples of books you've repped that fall into this category so that writers can get a better sense of what you mean here?

DK: That definition of what I’m looking for has probably caused me more trouble than almost anything else I’ve put out there, so I’m happy to have the opportunity to clarify. I love to be transported when I read, and what I’m seeking are stories and voices that I don’t feel I’ve read before. I’m not looking for the deliberately experimental, nor am I looking for much in the way of overtly comic novels (though I do love to laugh, I like the laughter to be only one part of what a book makes me feel—I’m not a big fan of satire, per se).
        I represented an extraordinary memoir last year called The House at Sugar Beach by New York Times reporter Helene Cooper, which was a New York Times bestseller. It’s the story of her growing up in Liberia and of her return there as an adult to try to find the foster sister she left behind when Helene’s family—a political royalty—was forced to flee the country in the way of the coup in 1980 when Helene was 13. That’s a story unlike any I had read before—something only this author could have written—and it completely transported me both emotionally and intellectually, to places I had never imagined. To me, that is very exciting.
        Last year, HarperCollins published a debut novel I represented called The Seamstress by Frances De Pontes Peebles, a young Brazilian-American writer. It is an epic set in Brazil in the 1930s, telling the story of two poor sisters who are separated as teenagers: one is kidnapped by a group of roving bandits and goes on to become their eventual leader; the other sister marries into a political dynasty in the capital of Recife. It’s a sprawling, deeply colorful story, and it felt both beautifully old-fashioned and refreshingly original to me in its settings and the intertwining of the political, the natural world, and the emotional pull between these sisters who are separated for over a decade. This wasn’t a book you would look at and necessarily think of as “quirky,” but, again, it could not have been written by anyone other than Frances, and I think it was an absolute triumph of historical fiction that used impeccable research without ever falling prey to it.

GLA: Do you notice any trends in what you tend to represent? Subgenres or elements that particularly grab you?

DK: I seek out assured and elegant voices—I’m a stickler for clean writing, which doesn’t mean it has to be spare, but I want writers who have made the tough decisions about what to include and what to exclude on a word level, line level, and plot level.
        I have lately been drawn to historical fiction and to fiction that has some sort of fabulous element to it—again, I’m dying for a ghost story: I’d like to be spooked out! I’m always interested in books that bring together unlikely people or pairings: something told from a unique point of view that we don’t often get to inhabit (an animal; someone with an strange and interesting job)—that’s back to the “offbeat” thing for me. I’d like to read about a Chinese washerwoman on a British naval vessel during WWI; an old gardener in the 18th century who takes it upon himself to redesign all the Queen’s gardens at some far-flung castle in France that the Queen never visits, etc.

GLA: You also rep some nonfiction areas. If you met a writer and suggested that he build his platform, only for him to ask "How do I do that?" - what would you say?

DK: Social networking via the Internet; lectures and other public appearances; building alliances with other professionals working in whatever his/her field of expertise may be.
        The reality is that certain kinds of nonfiction—especially practical, advice, business, etc.—are only going to sell meaningfully if the author is already very established in his/her field and has a media presence—TV show, radio show, etc.—or a huge presence on the lecture/personal appearances circuit.

GLA: How do you prefer to be contacted by writers seeking representation? Do you want a synopsis and sample chapters right away?

DK: E-mail queries are fine. A simple, straight forward query letter laying out meaningful writing/biographical background and what the book is.

GLA: What is the number one mistake you see in queries?

DK: People querying too early—before their writing and their book has matured to the point it needs to be. Finding an agent should be the last step, not the first. If the book is truly wonderful and fully-baked, the author will be able to find an effective advocate for it. Most people querying are doing so well before their work can stand up to honest scrutiny.

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

DK: Don’t give in to internal and external pressures to try to find an agent before you’ve matured as a writer. The book business is very difficult and not getting any easier; most books that are published don’t sell well, and many careers end practically before they start.
        Write a book that only you could write, and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
        Be more patient and more honest with yourself than you ever thought you could be.
        Find a couple of writers who you think are better than you are, ingratiate yourself with them, and start reading and workshopping each other. And ask them—beg them—to be merciless. Be humble and quiet while they give you feedback.
        Be prepared to cut, delete, throw away, put in a drawer.
        Only when you’ve got your best possible work—something that can stand up there with the best of whatever genre you’re working in—should you start looking for the right agent to represent you. If you’ve got a terrific book, you should end up with plenty of good agents from which to choose, so don’t jump at the first person who says “yes.”
        Put the good of the work before the good of your ego as much as you can.

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

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

Agent Advice: Byrd Leavell of Waxman Literary Agency

Chuck — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:06:08 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 Byrd Leavell of Waxman Literary Agency. Byrd began his career at Carlisle & Company and then served as an agent at InkWell Management and Venture Literary. Byrd says: "As a literary agent I believe in representing works that carve out new territory and authors who are committed to creating books that succeed in the marketplace. I specialize in working with authors who have established a following on the Internet, athletes, celebrities, journalists, and first-time writers who are bound for glory. I love narrative nonfiction that pushes the envelope and finds new audiences, talented fiction that is a blast to read, and anything written by a motivated, confident, unapologetic author with a story to tell."

He is looking for: General fiction, Mystery, Reference, Biography, Business/investing/finance, History, Health, Travel, Sports, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Pop-culture.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

BL: I graduated from UVA, attended The Radcliffe Publishing course in Boston, caught a ride to New York, and then landed a job as Michael Carlisle’s assistant. I worked at Carlisle & Company for the next four years and made the jump to handling my own clients during that period.

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

BL: I just sold a hilarious book by Justin Halpern, the writer behind Shit My Dad Says (on Twitter), to Kate Hamill at IT books. Mark my words, it is going to be on bestseller lists next Father’s day.

GLA: From what I can gather, you are pretty open as to what you accept concerning nonfiction, and there are even some novels in your repertoire. Can you help readers better understand what you are looking for in fiction vs. categories you don’t represent?

BL: With fiction, I don’t want to rule anything out; if it’s good, it’s good, but I tend to gravitate toward the end of the spectrum where smart and commercial overlap. I only sign a couple novels a year, and it’s always because something leapt out of my inbox to the point that I couldn’t stop reading it.

GLA: You look for authors who have used the Internet to creative a unique and wide platform. Can you give us some examples of how clients have done this prior to you signing them. This may help writers understand how to cultivate a fan base before approaching an agent.

BL: I do indeed. Tucker Max (I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell) was one of the first clients I signed, and as I pitched his book to publishers, he had X amount of visitors each month - a huge fan base, etc. I realized I had hit on a formula that I completely identified with and believed in.
        Since I’ve been in the industry, publishing has gone through a couple different stages as it has tried to figure out what can make the jump from the web to the bookshelves. For a while, if you had a great blog, you could land a deal. Traffic was maybe mentioned in the third paragraph of the Author Bio section. And then none of those worked. Then for a while, if you had some insane amount of traffic and a big web presence, you could land a deal. But none of those really worked either (Fark, Perez, others). Now, editors seemed to be focused on Twitter, and after that, it will be the next thing. How many people hang out with your 3-D image at their house, etc.
        The key is this: You have to have lots of fans who will actually want to buy your book, and then you have to write a book that can succeed on its own in the marketplace, without any support from those fans whatsoever. Look at Clay Travis. He has a great web presence, but the guy writes terrific books about SEC football that sell to a very receptive audience. Other authors in his position usually make the mistake of trying to do sports humor books that they think their online readership will buy, and none of them sell more than 8,000 copies.

GLA: Speaking of Tucker Max, that book is approaching one million sales and the movie is coming out – congrats. You represent memoirs. A lot of people like to write memoirs or vignettes about their own life, but most don’t get sold let alone sell a million copies. What can people learn from Tucker’s writing and his success?

BL: That Tucker is a force of nature, knew that his book was going to be huge when I first spoke to him while he was sleeping on a friend’s couch, and the level of success of IHTSBIH is a reflection of this more than anything else.
      Tucker’s book also worked because it was the first to appeal to an audience that publishing had decided would never buy books and because he is a great storyteller. No one ever gives him any credit for this, but it is the main reason his book has stayed on the list for the last two years and will hit the #1 spot for the first time next week. If you want to write a memoir, you need to create something that appeals to an audience and not just your own need to write about yourself. (For the record, if you are reading this, don’t start your query with “I am the next Tucker Max.” I will just delete it.)

GLA: I see several sports books on your list – one from a journalist, two others by sports celebrities. Are you looking for more sports submissions by journalists? Something specific perhaps?

BL: We represent some of the best sports writers in the business and are always looking for submissions from journalists.

GLA: Most common problems you see in a query letter?

BL: A general lack of professionalism. That and writing three paragraphs about the plot.

GLA: What are you praying for when you tackle the slush pile? Specifically, what are you looking for that no one seems to send?

BL: Good question. Most of my clients are actually people I have tracked down on my own. The one thing I never see, that I would love to find, is an author that has sold a large number of their self-published book, (think above 30,000) completely on their own. (I represent Once a Runner, and by the time I reached out to the author he had single-handedly sold more than 100,000 copies.)

GLA: When you get a narrative nonfiction submission, do you want to see a proposal? The whole ms?

BL: I usually just want the first couple pages pasted below the query.

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

BL: I’ll be on a panel at the Digital Book World Conference called “The New Farm System: Scouting Blogs and Self-Publishers for Commercial Books.” The event is Jan. 26-27, 2010, in NYC.

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

BL: Pass.

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

BL: Read more books. And the novel you are sending out isn’t ready yet.

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Interested in attending Digital Book World in New York in Jan. 2010? Learn more 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Michelle Humphrey of Sterling Lord Literistic

Chuck — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:56:38 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 Michelle Humphrey of Sterling Lord Literistic. Michelle has been with Sterling Lord since 2007. As an assistant for the Renee Zuckerbrot Agency and then Anderson Literary, she's worked with such authors as Kelly Link, Amy Ryan, Barry Lyga, and Helen Benedict. Prior to agencies, her gigs have included English Teacher, Proofreader, and Freelance Book Reviewer; her reviews have been published in Bitch, Bust, and The Women's Review of Books.

She is looking for: "She is interested in representing writers of young adult fiction (historical, contemporary, literary), middle grade, memoir, women's fiction, and narrative nonfiction (history, psychology, women's studies).

GLA: How did you become an agent?

MH: After working numerous non-fulfilling jobs (I think my low-point was when I was a proofreader for the yellow pages), I took an internship at the Renee Zuckerbrot Literary Agency, and have been working at agencies ever since - for three years.

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

MH: This month, I've sold a YA novel called Steinbeck, the Scoot and the Pull of Gravity, by Gae Polisner, to Frances Foster at Farrar Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers.

GLA: You seek awesome YA. What can you tell us about your love for this category?

MH: I'm drawn to teen heroines. It seems like all the great battles happen for them: girl versus family, girl versus boy, girl versus best friend from childhood, girl versus popular crowd, girl versus Evil Creature of the Night. Who can resist?

GLA: You seek not only contemporary and literary YA, but also "historical." Can you give us some examples of historical YA you loved so writers can get a feel for your tastes.

MH: One of my favorite books is The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages, which is about the Manhattan project. I love those characters, and I especially love World War II history and 20th-century history in general. If characters are likeable and dimensional, I could get into any kind of historical context, but 20th-century history is probably my favorite.

GLA: Do you also accept middle grade, as well?

MH: Yes I do! I'm open to anything, especially stories that are character-driven.

GLA: Some agents love synopses and some don't. Where do you stand?

MH: I am pro-synopsis - no more than three pages, though. Not a fan of synopses in the query. Query letters should have a teaser for the story (like a blurb on the back of a book), whereas a synopsis should be separate from the query letter.

GLA: When you get a narrative nonfiction submission, do you want a full proposal or the entire book, or a combination thereof?

MH: Full proposal and sample chapter, please.

GLA: Do you find yourself getting proposals for narrative nonfiction that really aren't narrative NF at all, but rather mis-classified?

MH: I don't get many proposals, unfortunately, but I'm always on the lookout for great narrative nonfiction. I do get memoirs in proposal format, and I'm generally not a fan. For memoir, I'd prefer to see the writing - first three chapters, for instance.

GLA: What are the most common and recurring problems you see in chapter 1 of a garden variety fiction partial?

MH: This is an excellent question. The most common problem is that the writing feels a little clichéd (i.e., it's something I've heard before, and it's not particularly vivid). Or, I just don't get a sense of a story happening. Even character-driven stories, I think, need a clue of the drama right from the beginning.

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

MH: I am obsessed with Red Hot Chili Peppers - band and food.

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

MH: Nothing planned right now, but I'm always open to e-mail queries, and am generally happy to answer (brief) questions about publishing from new authors: I can be reached at michelle@sll.com.

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

MH: Embrace rejection! Wink at it, laugh, maybe bake a rejection pie. You'll get there -- why not have fun along the way?

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Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

Agent Advice: Emily Forland of The Wendy Weil Agency

Chuck — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:42:47 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 Emily Forland of The Wendy Weil Agency, Inc. Emily is in her twelfth year at The Wendy Weil Agency, Inc. In addition to representing her own list of authors, she also handles the agency's foreign rights. Originally from Texas, she has a B.A. in English from the University of Chicago, an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, and an MFA in Graphic Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

She seeks: The Wendy Weil Agency, Inc. represents fiction and nonfiction for the trade market. We work with literary and commercial fiction, mystery/thriller, memoir, narrative nonfiction, journalism, history, current affairs, books on health, science, popular culture, lifestyle, and art history. We do not handle screenplays or textbooks. See full submission guidelines here.

Emily Forland

GLA: How did you become an agent?

EF: By accident. I needed a summer job after my first MFA year at Sarah Lawrence College. I met Wendy Weil and became an intern, which means I spent a summer reading manuscripts at the agency, answering the phone, and dragging packages to the mail truck. This was just after Wendy had been profiled in Poets & Writers sounding like herself, an approachable agent who champions writers. This resulted in a huge flood of submissions and it was my job to go through those manuscripts. Out of that unwieldy stack, I hit upon one that stood out, and that became an Oprah Pick, Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes. It was tremendously exciting to watch that happen. I got hooked. It was supposed to be a summer job, but it is 12 years later, and I am still here.
      I like writers, and I like working with writers. I think having a bit of a writing background makes me empathize with the vulnerability of writers and what they go through in putting their work out into the world.
      Also, lunch is a nice thing.

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

EF: In fiction, a transfixing debut called Stiltsville by Iowa MFA grad Susanna Daniel. A love song to Miami, this episodic novel follows the life of a marriage, starting in the 1960s and ending in the 90s. It will be published by Jennifer Barth at HarperCollins next summer.
      Nonfiction: Playwrights at Work, by Rosemarie Tichler and Barry Jay Kaplan, a lively collection of interviews with great American playwrights of the day, to Northwestern University Press.

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

EF: I’m looking for a distinctive voice. That can mean a lot of things, but I look at every submission wanting to be gobsmacked on the first page (and those that follow!) by original, compelling, well-crafted sentences. I like character-driven stories. Humor helps, though it isn’t a requirement.

GLA: Within commercial fiction, can you tell us about two or three manuscripts you recently agreed to represent and what grabbed you about each to the point where you knew you had to represent them?

EF: I guess I tend to be most interested in commercial fiction with literary qualities.
      I took on a novel that made me laugh out loud on pretty much every page, at the same time that every sentence is so polished as to almost be some kind of perfect haiku. The structure is idiosyncratic, and the subject is an extremely timely take on the spiritual estrangement of contemporary culture. I was wowed by the writer’s originality and craft.
      One novel is set on a hardscrabble subsistence farm in the Australian outback during World War II, beautifully and slyly told in the salty first person narration of the main character, a farmwife named Gin Toad. It is extremely accomplished.
      Another novel follows an immigrant Russian family with three daughters of marriageable age. The writer’s approach is playful and original. She pokes fun at her characters, but she handles them with real affection. The dialogue is fizzy and hilarious. That dialogue got me. It jumps off the page.

GLA: Specifically within the thriller genre, do you prefer any particular subgenres, such as legal, psychological, or supernatural thrillers, etc.?

EF: I like a psychological novel. I have a knee-jerk reaction against the fantastical and supernatural (my own limitation) that I can get past when the story is grounded in strong writing.

GLA: Where do you notice most nonfiction book proposals fall short?

EF: Voice again. I want a proposal to be thorough, meticulously researched, well-organized, etc., but it also needs to be a compelling argument for the subsidized existence of this particular book. And the most convincing way for an author to demonstrate that is by being good company on the page. Also, there is that whole thing about platform (groan).

GLA: One area of nonfiction you seek is journalism. With the Internet pushing us toward an increasingly paperless society, many see the world of journalism as changing. Do you think printed newspapers and magazines will be obsolete one day? What should a journalism proposal look like in order to stay current with the times as well as catch your attention?

EF: I like paper and the tactile nature of books and magazines and newsprint. That said, I do read most of my news online. It is hard to deny that the magazine and newspaper business is heading that way. Ultimately, though, I suppose the story is what’s important and the medium of delivery is secondary.
      Because of the way a publishing timeline usually works, a journalism book proposal should anticipate where the news is going and what we’ll be interested in a couple of years. The writer needs a solid platform, an area of expertise, to have done the research, and to convey it in a lively manner that convinces me I’m interested in a subject I didn’t necessarily previously know I wanted to read about. I once heard a nonfiction editor say that a journalistic book should either be the first book on a subject, or the last (definitive) book on a subject.

GLA: Is there a particular angle to explore or avenue to attempt for writers without celebrity status who wish to break into memoir?

EF: It depends on what you mean by ordinary people. If you mean a non-celebrity, yes definitely. But if you mean a common experience written in unextraordinary prose, probably not. What makes a successful memoir is a distinctive story, or else a distinctive take on a common life experience, combined with highly readable prose. And I’ve found that you really need both. Both the story and the voice. It doesn’t work when you have just half.
      An example of a memoir that really worked is Jennifer Traig’s Devil in the Details (Little Brown). It tells about the author’s girlhood as an obsessive-compulsive religious fanatic. Books had been written about OCD, but at that time nobody had written about the disorder called scrupulosity. And Jenny’s writing is sympathetic, smart, and FUNNY. She has the distance on this period in her life to render it an insightful and very enjoyable reading experience.
      Another was Margaret Sartor’s Miss American Pie (Bloomsbury), which, through compelling, moving, and sometimes unintentionally humorous diary excerpts, traces the author’s evolving girlhood, which was rife with romantic, identity, and spiritual crises in 1970s Louisiana. The authenticity of her voice crackles on the page.

GLA: Would you say your MFA in Graphic Design influences your acceptance of art pieces? For example, are you more interested in graphic design books? As well, what topics are you drawn to most in this category? Least?

EF: I am a visual person with an affinity for visual texts (art and design books, picture books, graphic novels, etc.) but have represented very few. Art books can be expensive to produce and challenging to get published, but I am always open to being wowed by a project.

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

EF: In terms of submitting material, we always talk about the importance of writers putting their best foot (feet?) forward. Because we’re all (editors and agents) inundated with reading, we don’t usually have time to see potential in work and nurture it until it becomes a polished finished piece (which isn’t to say that there isn’t some editing, and there are always exceptions). It is always a good idea for writers to ask another trusted reader to take a look before sending out their materials. It is to authors’ advantage to make sure their work is far along when it is goes out into the world for consideration.
      In terms of writing, I once heard Tony Hillerman give a talk at the Taos Writers Conference and he spoke about how each person is the world’s expert on their own life experience (whether it be following the crime beat as a news reporter in the Southwest, or something else). He talked about the breakthrough in his own writing when he decided to mine the territory in which he was the world’s smartest. I guess that’s not new advice, but I thought it was a good way of thinking about it.

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?

Check out all the agents I've interviewed here.

Want to query Emily? Check out How to Write a Query Letter to an Agent.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

Agent Advice: Diane Freed of FinePrint Literary Management

Chuck — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:20:38 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 Diane Freed of FinePrint Literary Management in Manhattan. Diane has been in the book publishing field her entire career, and with FinePrint since 2006. She owned and managed an independent publishing services company, edited reference books for U.S. News & World Report, and has coordinated book promotional campaigns for Time-Life Books.

She is seeking: Diane is looking for nonfiction projects in the categories of advice/relationships, spirituality, inspiration, health/fitness, memoir, narrative nonfiction, popular culture, lifestyle, women’s issues, the environment, and humor. Her fiction interests generally are commercial and literary fiction, including women’s commercial fiction. Diane accepts e-mail submissions only. See full fiction submission guidelines here and full nonfiction submission guidelines here.

Diane Freed

GLA: How did you become an agent?

DF: I’ve always loved how reading a book can transport you, so this sparked my fascination with books as a kid. Each submission, fiction or nonfiction, is in some way a new idea, and it’s satisfying to be part of getting new ideas into the marketplace. Day to day, I like the process of working with an author to help develop and organize a manuscript and/or proposal. In turn, I value the relationships that develop with my authors. For 15 years, I worked in publishing houses (Time-Life Books, U.S. News & World Report Books, Prentice-Hall, Addison-Wesley) in editorial and production positions. Then I owned and managed my own full-service book packaging company for 10+ years. In each capacity, and now as an agent, I’ve enjoyed bringing books to fruition.

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

DF: My most recent sale isn’t typical of what’s on my list, but I’m really excited about it. It’s Sammy in the Sky, a children’s picture book, to be published in late 2010 by Candlewick Press. It’s a touching and uplifting story about the death of a family’s pet dog. On a whim, author Barbara Walsh called Jamie Wyeth—knowing the Wyeths are a family of dog lovers—and asked Jamie if he’d read her story and consider illustrating it. He loved it and, to her amazement, agreed! He’s working on the sketches now.

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

DF: I’m looking for a fiction submission that knocks my socks off—I start reading and then put everything aside because I’m so excited about the writing! I’m open to all kinds of commercial fiction and commercial women’s fiction, but am especially taken by character-driven stories that explore relationships between people and ultimately give the reader insight into his or her life in some way.

GLA: One of your areas of interest is memoir. Given your experience, is there a particular angle to explore or avenue to attempt for an ordinary person to break into memoir?

DF: Memoir is a tough sell because readers apparently love celebrity stories, either written by the celebrity or by someone who knows a celebrity well. Otherwise, editors want memoirs by people who have lived in the extreme in some way (as in waaay out there). I do get these, but they have to be jaw droppers and well-written, and all too often submissions don’t meet both criteria. For a regular guy to break into memoir, it would help if the story fits nicely into the current cultural or political climate. As one example, we’ve been hearing lately about hidden alcoholism among mothers of young children, and I have a submission from a mom who tells just this story about herself and her play group friends. I perk up when someone’s story matches the zeitgeist.

GLA: You also seek “baby boomer trends.” To give writers a better sense of where to start, can you be more specific about what qualifies as a baby boomer trend? Also, are books in this category best left to writers who are baby boomers themselves?

DF: I suppose the word “interest” is a better word to use than “trend.” Boomer interests would include their concerns about how they’ll leave their “legacy” in some way now that they’re in their 50s and 60s; being caregivers to their parents while still raising their own children; unique ways that they are dealing with retirement (or lack of it) in this economy; women, and men too, coming into their own after years of raising children. Just about all of the baby boomer stories I consider are written by boomers themselves. Stories written by boomers and for boomers have particular appeal—they’ve all been there, or are heading there, in some way.

GLA: At the next month's Writer's Digest Conference, you will be on a panel discussing self-publishing and mainstream publishing. Other than impressive book sales, what are a few things in the query of a previously self-published book that might gain your interest in representing it?

DF: Such things as: The book won a contest. The first book I sold that was originally published as a POD book, Bufflehead Sisters by Patricia DeLois, was notable because the story won a contest through a writers’ website. The author’s “prize” was the site sponsor publishing it as a POD book. She was also out giving readings in the New England area, so I was impressed that she was out promoting it.
The author must have lots of energy and passion for the book. I recently sold two book journals, originally self-published, to Sourcebooks: Read, Remember, Recommend (adult version, teen version) by Rachelle Rogers Knight. The author researched, designed, typeset, and had them printed (in China); they were striking in content and design. I almost passed on them, but the author was persistent and sent me the books so I could see for myself. She won me over.
The book must appeal to a wide audience. Many people self-publish a book because they want their family story in print, which is just fine, but for a commercial publisher to consider it, the book has to speak to an audience beyond immediate family and friends. The same goes for self-published books with only regional appeal; some are only of interest to readers who live in or are familiar with the geographic setting of the story.

GLA: What is the number one problem you see with queries that come across your desk on a daily basis?

DF: For fiction, some writers don’t check our agency website to see that we want a synopsis and the first couple of chapters in the body of the e-mail. For nonfiction—and I’m seeing more and more of this—some writers don’t prepare a proposal to accompany their sample chapters or manuscript. A proposal is part of a nonfiction package; it shows that the writer has done his or her research on the project and is a tool for the agent in making her decision. And with memoir, the story should be complete and have a proposal before querying.

GLA: Concerning another area of interest for you, adult nonfiction, what are three topics you would classify as overdone in this subject?

DF: Depressing misery lit; memoirs comparing themselves to Eat, Pray, Love; and diets to end all other diets.

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

DF: Other than next month’s Writer’s Digest “Business of Publishing” conference, and I’ll be at the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance pitch session this winter. These sessions are fun and worthwhile; it’s great to meet new writers one-on-one. But e-mail submissions do the job, too; after all, it’s a writer’s story that begins the relationship between author and agent.

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

DF: Know how to write a winning query letter. Face it—this is your ticket in the door. Too many writers don’t realize the importance of presenting themselves as professionals. In the query, you’re presenting not only your writing, but yourself as a potential client as well. The agent wants to get the impression that you’d be a reasonable, mature person to work with. Also, in your query, be sure to explain who your audience is and why you’re the best person to write this book.

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?

If you're interested in FinePrint Literary Management, check out previous interviews with FPLM agents Ward Calhoun and Janet Reid.

In this WD article online, Diane and other agents talk about what to do when taking a self-published book and trying to give it a second life.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

Agent Advice: Elisabeth Weed of Weed Literary

Chuck — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:48:49 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 Elisabeth Weed of Weed Literary. She previously worked at Curtis Brown and Trident before starting her own agency.

She is seeking: She handles "upmarket women’s fiction as well as an eclectic mix of non-fiction, with an emphasis on narrative, investigative and women’s issues from the humor driven to the thought provoking."

Elisabeth Weed

GLA: How did you become an agent?

EW: Much to my dismay, I learned in my college fiction writing class that I was a much better editor than a writer. I wanted to work with books in some capacity and loved the idea of agenting. The (eventual) autonomy you have to pick and chose what you want to work on was really appealing. I sent resumes out to every agency in the Jeff Herman Guide (this was pre Chuck Sambuchino!) and Curtis Brown called me back.

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

EW: I just sold a fabulous hybrid memoir/how-to by Sister Madonna Buder, an 80-year-old nun and Iron Man competitor to Marysue Rucci at Simon & Schuster. The title is still up in the air, but Running on Faith, God Speed, Iron Nun are all in the "running."

GLA: We know you’re seeking upmarket women’s fiction, but not most genre fiction. That said, what about other categories? Literary fiction? Romance? Any children’s?

EW: I would love to do more literary fiction. I've just signed up a two new novels that I think fall into that grey (but very appealing!) area between literary and commercial. I guess you could say, I am looking for terrific writing that isn't quiet. A great high concept always helps. (How original of an answer is that?)

GLA: You’ve sold plenty of upmarket women’s fiction. What draws you to this specific category?

EW: In part I can relate to it, but also, it sells! Specifically, I am drawn to fiction that with a touch of magic. Allison Winn Scotch's Time of My Life is about a woman who gets a chance to go back in time and live her life over again and Therese Walsh's upcoming debut, The Last Will of Moira Leahy involves an ancient dagger with supernatural powers that takes the protagonist on an incredible journey of sorts. I guess one of the things I love about my job is that I am continuously and pleasantly surprised by what I find. I wouldn't have thought I'd fall in love with a book about a magical dagger but I requested it when my son was three weeks old and read it in two days. It was so good! All to say, these categories can shift a lot.

GLA: Besides “good writing,” what are you looking for right now and not finding?

EW: I would love to find a great new voice in women's self help. For example, I sold a book to Crown last year on Impostor Syndrome which is something smart and ambitious women seem to suffer from. In a nut shell, they think they aren't smart or qualified enough, despite their amazing resumes and in turn suffer by over-preparing to an unhealthy degree. Sound familiar, anyone? The author has been studying the phenomenon for years and speaking at companies and business schools across the country about it and on how to get a handle on it - aka the author really knew her subject and had also built up a potential audience for when her book is published. I'd love to work with someone doing something similar.

GLA: When I attend writers’ conferences, I run into a lot of women writers who are writing similar stories – about a middle-aged woman who is stifled in her home life and leaves to get in some kind of adventure. As someone who seems to specialize in women’s fiction/nonfiction, do you see a lot of these submissions? If so, what separates the good from the bad?

EW: I do. And it's tough because a lot of the stories are good. Some are really good. But at the end of the day, that's not always enough, especially in today's climate. So, rather than separating good from bad, I find myself separating the fresh from the familiar. Even if it's been done before it needs a new setting or twist. I imagine that's a vague and annoying answer but it's also a tough question. The truth is, I know it when I see it.

GLA: Book proposals: Besides lack of platform, where are writers going wrong?

EW: A lot of memoir comes across my desk and it's really hard to tell an author that their personal narrative just isn't that interesting. What they need to do is ask themselves who is going to play $25 to read my story? Same is true for all nonfiction, which is why the platform is essential. If you are an expert in a field then people will come to you. It also helps a publisher see where they will find an audience should they decide to buy that book.

GLA: Do you put a lot of weight into a synopsis? Some agents do and some do not.

EW: I don't read synopses. For fiction, a great cover letter that gets to the essence of what the book is about (think jacket copy) is really helpful.

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

EW: I will continue to go to Grub Street in Boston as long as they will have me. It's the best conference I've been to.

GLA: What’s something about you writers would be surprised to know?

EW: That I don't usually do these sort of interviews because I hate talking about myself. I hope it's a quality that makes me a good agent because I love talking about my authors.

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

EW: Read! It makes such a difference to me when a query letter cites a comparison book (and it actually lives up to it) as it shows me that the author knows her audience and has done her homework. And buy books. Our industry isn't in a great place at the moment and needs all the help it can get. And, if you want to be published and have others buy your book you really should be doing the same.

Please note that Elisabeth does NOT handle the following: Picture books, mysteries, thrillers, romance, military.

Want more on this subject?

Check out all the agent interviews on the GLA blog!
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Carrie Wilson Link

Chuck — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:34:51 GMT

This installment of "How I Got
My Agent is by Carrie Wilson Link,
who writes memoir. See her
author website here and her blog here.

STARTING WITH REJECTIONS

When I first began looking for an agent for my memoir, Unstrung: Memoir of a Mended Marriage, I made a list of about 30 agents that I was interested in. I compiled the list based on loose connections and reading the acknowledgement pages of all my favorite memoirs, and learning who those author’s agents were.

I had read several books on how to get published, and consulted several online articles on how to write a query letter. One weekend, I finally sat down and wrote my query letter, and then created a matrix for keeping track of who I’d sent it to, the manner in which I’d sent it, when, and if I’d sent any sample writing or not. Each agent is different, some only want e-mail queries, and some won’t accept e-mail. Some will accept a chapter or two; some specifically ask that you not send anything but the query. The matrix helped me keep track.

Then I started including the rejections on the matrix, and the form of the rejections: post cards, e-mail, form letters, or in many cases, silence. Some rejections came in as little as 20 minutes, some “I’ll take a look at the first 50 pages,” requests, too. Some I’m still waiting to hear from over a year later. You never know.

"WANT TO MEET UP?"

About two months into the process, a friend offered me free use of her Manhattan apartment. I contacted two agents in New York that I was very interested in, but still hadn’t heard anything from. “I’m coming to New York and was hoping I could meet with you,” I e-mailed. They both replied that yes, they’d love to meet with me. I printed off full manuscripts and proposals and flew east.

Both meetings went well and I was sure my biggest problem would be in choosing which of the two I’d want, when the fighting for me began. One of the two learned within a week that she was pregnant with twins (already adding to the two under two she had at home) and would not be taking on any new projects. The other one? Never. Heard. From. Again.

HEARING FROM LAURIE

Back home and feeling discouraged, I got an e-mail from one agent I’d queried and not heard from: Laurie Harper at Sebastian Literary Agency. “I’m so sorry it’s taken so long for me to get back to you,” she started out. I was immediately in love with her; she was an agent with a good heart. The e-mail continued, “I just went through a surprise divorce. If you can bear with me, I’d love to consider your work. In the meantime, you should certainly continue to query other agents, as it may take me a while to catch up.”

Coincidentally, I had just finished reading, and loving, Split: Memoir of a Divorce by Suzanne Finnamore – all about a “surprise” divorce. Having nothing to lose and everything to gain, I sent the book to this agent. And my full manuscript. And my full proposal (unsolicited). And a letter explaining what I was and was not looking for in an agent and what I brought to the table. And a personal note explaining that Split was a personal favorite of mine, and I hoped it served as a balm for her.

A few days later I got an e-mail from the agent, saying, “I must admit I was surprised, but happily so, by the box you sent. Thank you.” I wrote back, and within a few weeks, she called and said, “We are well-matched. I love your book. I love you. I’d like for us to work together.” We’ve been happily collaborating every since.

And the icing on the cake? I had written a blog post about Split right after I’d read it, and Suzanne, the writer, contacted me. She’d been Googling herself and found my blog post. I kept her e-mail address “just in case,” thinking "What are the chances?" But after getting signed by my agent, I pulled out that address and contacted Suzanne. “Thanks for writing Split; it got me an agent.” That little e-mail began a cyber friendship – a rich and satisfying one for both of us. One day she e-mailed and said, “What was the subtitle of your book? Memoir of a Mended Marriage?” I wrote back, “No, but it is now. That’s better.” And it is.

Want more on this subject?

See all the posted stories of writers finding agents.
Do you have a good story about how you found your agent? E-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll start a dialogue.
Check out my tips on writing memoir: Part I, and also Part II.
You Don't Have to Be Famous is a great book all about how to write your life story.

Successful Queries: Agent Verna Dreisbach and 'The Power of Memoir'

Chuck — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:14:27 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 fifth installment in this series is with agent Verna Dreisbach (Dreisbach Literary) and her author Linda Joy Myers, for her nonfiction book, The Power of Memoir.

Dear Ms. Dreisbach,

It was so wonderful to meet you at the East of Eden Writers Conference a couple of weeks ago. I felt that you understood my work and not only saw what I had accomplished but could see my vision of the kinds of books I want to write in the future, and how it all connects to my larger platform for the National Association of Memoir Writers. As I mentioned to you, my work as a therapist, healer, and writer all intersect to provide books, workshops, online coaching, and tools for memoir writers all over the world through my two websites and my social networking connections on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

My nonfiction, self-help guide Becoming Whole, Writing Your Healing Story is a pioneering how-to book on healing one’s emotional life through the practice of memoir writing. As a therapist and memoirist, I have developed ground-breaking techniques that have helped thousands of people realize the wisdom and power of their personal stories. Becoming Whole offers specific guidelines and exercises to help both experienced and novice writers unravel the complicated, sometimes daunting, and always exhilarating task of penning a memoir. This important and accessible book provides essential tools and techniques to help writers open to layers of inner listening, explore their deepest thoughts and feelings, and express the unexpressed.

Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story is part of a new generation of books about writing and healing, an area of focus that is growing every year in both psychotherapy and medicine. The subject of writing and healing came into the public view nearly fifteen years ago with the work of Dr. James Pennebaker and Dr. Joshua Smyth, and has been followed by several other generations of study and research. The research is documented in various journals, one of the most famous articles was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1999, which documented that writing helped to heal diseases such as arthritis and asthma.

I have a Ph.D. in psychology and have had a therapy practice in Berkeley, California for thirty years. I’m currently the president and founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers, which connects memoir writers from all over the world, with several international members and guest speakers. I teach memoir-as-healing workshops in the Bay Area and nationally, and offer online coaching and workshops. A frequent traveler to writing conferences as a consultant and workshop presenter, I enjoy presenting the “good news” about memoir writing and the power of writing to heal to therapists and writers, and to those who don’t see themselves as writers who want to capture their family stories.

Endorsements: I received a number of endorsements for Becoming Whole, including Dr. James Pennebaker, the premier researcher about how writing heals, and various memoir writers—Michele Weldon, Susan Albert, John Fox, and Maureen Murdock, author of Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory and The Heroine’s Journey. Becoming Whole: Writing Your Healing Story was a Finalist in the ForeWord magazine’s 2008 Book of the Year in the nonfiction self-help/writing category, and my memoir, Don’t Call Me Mother: Breaking the Chain of Mother Daughter Abandonment, received the Gold Medal Award from BAIPA, Bay Area Independent Publishing Association, First Prize in the Jack London Nonfiction Contest and endorsements from many well known writers and memoirists. I’ve earned numerous awards in a variety of writing contests in the genres of fiction, memoir, poetry and nonfiction. My fiction manuscript, Secret Music, a novel about the Kindertransport, placed as a finalist at the San Francisco Writers’ Conference.

I am not just a one-book author, with several more books that I want to get out into the world—a World War II fiction book, a how-to book on writing spiritual autobiography, and another memoir. I hope you will consider representing me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D.
www.namw.org
www.memoriesandmemoirs.com

Commentary from Verna

I’ve had several inquiries as to the difference between a fiction and a nonfiction query letter. I figured I could be helpful by providing a nonfiction query as an example. A nonfiction query letter will tend to be slightly longer than the average fiction query, partially because the agent will need to know a little about the market, audience and expertise of the author. Still, it should be concise - otherwise it will start to read like a proposal and agents tend to have rather short attention spans reading query letters. If an agent is intrigued by the query, then they will ask for a proposal.

First and foremost, the query is in the form of a business letter with a formal introduction and closing, and she has spelled my name correctly. You would be amazed at how frequent a mistake this is in query letters. Already, the author has my attention. Professionalism is what gains my attention. I believe professionalism is just as important as good writing.

Linda immediately addresses the fact that we have met and reflects upon the personal nature of our conversation. These reminders are helpful, especially since agents meet with a large number of writers at conferences. We may need reminding. What I like about Linda, and what I look for in nonfiction authors, is an understanding that the book is not the ultimate goal. The book is only a natural byproduct of a larger platform. She has a passion as a therapist and as a writer and wants to share that passion with others, naturally leading to founding a national organization to serve her goal. Impressive.

She then provides a brief synopsis of her book in a way that should entice the agent to want to read more. As a writer, you are offering a product. We need to see a need for your product and you only have one paragraph to hook us.

Her next paragraph addresses the market, clarifying the need for her book not only in field of writing, but in the field of psychotherapy as well. She notes a few experts in the field and documented research that’s been conducted, although, I would have preferred a more recent article to be cited in the query.

Linda then lists her relevant expertise and introduces her platform. Let me repeat this part—relevant experience. I do not need to know life stories or childhood dreams. I liked that Linda has traveled to writers' conferences, taught workshops, has been interviewed on the radio, etc. This shows to me that she’s motivated and proactive – imperative qualities to have as a published author.

Acting proactively, Linda secured prominent and relevant endorsements for her book, showing that professionals in the industry also support her work. She then touches upon the writing awards she’s won, leading me to believe that when I actually read her sample chapters, she’ll have something to say and be able to say it well.

I was looking forward to reading Becoming Whole. I did offer representation to Linda and have enjoyed working with her. Becoming Whole later sold to editor Alan Rinzler at Jossey-Bass. Becoming Whole was expanded and the result is her soon to be released book, The Power of Memoir – How to Write Your Healing Story.

Questions About Writing Memoir...

Chuck — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:36:26 GMT

Q. I'm a first time author, and have written a memoir about my autistic
son. How important is having a platform for a memoir? I keep
hearing that memoir is treated like fiction. I'm wondering if my query letter might be the reason for rejections. I'm getting no response. Can I re-query with my new query letter? What is the standard word length for memoirs? Mine is 53,000 words.
        - Hank

A. Lots of questions.   Let's take these one at a time.
        A platform is attractive, but not totally necessary. Memoir is essentially treated like fiction, so if you're written an amazing, touching manuscript, you are golden. However, a good platform could help your case if the manuscript is only "very good" and not "outstanding." I am a fan of writers creating mini-book-proposals for their memoirs to help set their work apart.
        Hank, if your queries are getting no requests for a partial (sample pages), then yes, the problem lies with the query itself.
        I would wait at least a year or two before requerying the same agent. Change the title and completely overhaul the query letter before you do so that agents will approach it with a fresh eye.
        Memoirs usually run the same length as a novel - 70,000 to 100,000 words. Yours seems a bit short. Push it to more than 60,000 words and then start querying.

Agent Advice: Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich

Chuck — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:33:54 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 Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich. Jim interned for DGLM while studying urban design at New York University.

Seeking: "literary and commercial works. He is particularly interested in literary women’s fiction, underrepresented voices, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, and anything unusual or unexpected. In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction, humor, memoir, paranormal nonfiction, and anything related to architecture, planning, or real estate." His e-mail address is jmccarthy@dystel.com. To contact him, enclose a cover letter, outline or brief synopsis of the work (with word count if possible), a sample chapter, and SASE for our response. Please type all of your correspondence and double space everything other than the cover letter. E-mail queries are fine (no attachments). Please be sure to query only one agent at this agency.

Jim McCarthy

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JM: I really stumbled into the industry. I was studying Urban Design at NYU and needed a part-time job. Stacey Glick, my now colleague, was the first person to call me back from the forty resumes I sent out. I didn't even know what a literary agent was at the time. Ten years later, I know it was a hell of a lucky break.

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

JM: One of my most exciting recent sales was for a literary novel called Yield by a young writer, Lee Houck. I originally signed it on in 2006. It sold last month to Kensington. It was a long, long process, but it's a book I've always adored, and I'm thrilled that it will be seen in print. I also just sold seven new young adult titles by the outstanding (and New York Times bestselling) Richelle Mead to Razorbill.

GLA: I'm very curious. What constitutes these "underrepresented voices" you
seek?

JM: This is very open for interpretation. What I really mean is that I want to see stories that aren't being told. I think there are a lot of groups that don't necessarily see themselves represented in the literary market as much as they should: whether that means underrepresented ethnic, religious, or even geographic narratives or simply people who feel like they fall out of the mainstream, I'd love to have a look.

GLA: When you're looking at a submission for a literary novel, how much stock do you put into queries and synopses?

JM: I always want to see samples when I'm looking at literary queries. There are tons of books that I probably wouldn't be especially interested in just based on a synopsis that I ultimately end up loving. Coetzee's Disgrace is a great example. The plot didn't appeal to me, but the book was dazzling. Once I see that something is literary, I tend to skip to the sample to see if the voice grabs me.

GLA: When I think of paranormal romance, I think of vampires and more
vampires. What other things do you see would classify the fiction writing to be in this category?

JM: Well, I certainly do love my vampire romances. And zombies, succubi, werewolves, and all of those other glorious fantastical creatures. But what I'm seeing a lot of (and am really encouraged by) is that the boundaries of the subgenre are being stretched. I love fiction that is fantastical--alternate worlds, alternative realities, that sort of thing. It isn't so much about the entities you're writing about as it is the ability to create a world that feels wholly realized and entirely believable in its own right.

GLA: We met recently at the Las Vegas Writers Conference. You took a lot of pitches. What were the most common mistakes you saw writers doing concerning in-person pitches?

JM: Fear. Writers get so caught up in making sure they capture everything about their book in as short a time as possible that they get really worked up and flustered. I'm not looking for a synopsis of everything that happens in a book when I'm getting pitched. I just want to hear someone talk about why they wrote their book and what excites them about it. It should be a much more natural process than a lot of people are ready for it to be.

GLA: Concerning the mystery and romance genres, do you seek anything specific here? Do you have particular "likes" (subgenres, etc)?

JM: I'm really open to anything, but I particularly love serial killer thrillers, ghost stories, and anything hardboiled in mystery. I'd love to find my very own Chelsea Cain or Charlie Huston. On the flipside, I adore a good cozy mystery series, particularly if there is an element of humor. In terms of romance, I skew more contemporary than historical, still love a good sense of humor, and am always on the lookout for writers who pull off sexy really well (it's tougher than it sounds!).

GLA: On the same subject, what do you pray for when tackling the slush pile?
What do you keep looking for and not getting?

JM: I always used to answer this question by saying that if someone would write a novel about Elvis, vampires, and road trips, I would definitely sign it on. Happily, someone finally took me up on it! So now I'm dying to find some great big Gothic thriller or romance. A 21st Century The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is my current dream project.

GLA: I've been talking a lot about memoir on the blog recently. Is there anything you can add when talking to writers about writing and submitting memoirs, since so many people are doing so?

JM: Two bullet points I'd throw out there: first, make sure you're ready to share your story on a major scale. I've seen people write their memoirs and then pull them from consideration and, once, even from publication, when they realized that they weren't prepared to deal with the emotional effects of sharing something so intimate. It's something you really need to be sure you explore personally before you take that step. And when you do decide to write it, my second piece of advice is to find your framing mechanism. It isn't usually enough to just present a snapshot of your life. You need to find a narrative in there--something with a beginning, middle, and end. It doesn't have to be chronological, but you need to give the reader structure. I always find myself recommending three memoirs that I think do this especially well: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Strip City by Lily Burana, and the amazingly funny (and truly moving) I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell.

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

JM: I'll be at PNWA in Seattle from July 30-August 2, and at the South Carolina Writers Workshop conference October 23-25.

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

JM: If you think you can give up writing, then give it up. If you can't ... if you know that no matter how much stress or rejection or frustration you face, that you can never stop writing? In that case, never give up. Publishing is too hard to face if you aren't in it for the right reasons. But it's not too hard to break into if it's what you need to do.

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.

Google Alerts and 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alert: Priot Entertainment Group

Chuck — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:10:12 GMT

I just got word that agent Donna Bagdasarian, who was formerly with both Vigliano Associates and the Maria Carvainis Agency, has started a new agency: Priot Entertainment Group.

She is actively building her list with this new agency.

Fiction areas of interest: general fiction/mainstream, literary fiction, mystery and suspense, thrillers, historicals, contemporary women’s fiction. Nonfiction areas of interest: biography and memoir, history, business, finance, psychology, popular science.

How to submit: "We request that all submissions be with a query plus short sample. All submissions will be responded to within 6-8 weeks, ideally. Send submissions to submissions@priotgroup.com

Some Tips on Memoir, Part 2: Include a Book Proposal? You're Not Gonna Like This But I Say Yes

Chuck — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:18:57 GMT

As my boss Jane Friedman once said, there are three reasons a memoir will sell.

1. Celebrity. If you're a famous politician or actor or business guru, you can sell a memoir.

2. You've Had an Incredible Experience. Think of the girl surfer who got her arm bitten off by a shark but continued to surf. The child soldier in Africa who lived to tell the tale. The guy who decided to retire at 28 and move to a retirement community in Florida. The guy who lived "biblically" for an entire year.

3. The Writing is Incredible. I'm guessing that most people out there fall under this third category.
        The thing is: I've traveled from one end of the country to the other and met a lot of great writers. The problem is: Everyone's writing memoir. That's OK, because there are great stories waiting to be told and a lot of literary agents who want the category.
        But because you're going up against so many other submissions, writers need every edge they can get. That's why I say write a book proposal and submit it with your pages/query. It doesn't have to a super-detailed or long proposal. Anything will help.
       Discuss target audiences. Discuss competing books. Talk about a basic marketing plan. Use the business side of your brain. And to talk about competing books for a moment (usually a section called something like "comparative analysis"), you don't just have to list the most immediate books. So if you're writing a memoir about taking care of a child with down syndrome, similar titles in the bookstore are not limited solely to stories that are memoirs about caring for someone with down syndrome. Competing titles include books about caregiving, informational nonfiction books about down syndrome, memoirs of single parents (if that's the case), and so on. Think about it from several angles.

You Don't Have to be Famous.

Some Tips on Memoir, Part 1: Don't Combine It With Self-Help

Chuck — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:24:56 GMT

I spent a lot of time this past weekend at a writers' conference talking to people who were writing memoir, and I want to share some conversations we had.

First of all, it seems that a lot of people feel the need to combine their memoir with self-help information. In other words, a person will write a book that 1) tells their experiences of taking care of a child with down syndrome, but also 2) has chapters on what down syndrome is, how medicine for it is changing, etc.

Combining these two categories - memoir and self help - is not recommended because publishers aren't looking for these types of books. There is a market for both, but not when combined. If you really want to focus on your personal story, it's a memoir, and people can easily take something away from it. Or - you have a more business-like self help book that is instructional.

Choose one; not both.

Early Bird is the memoir I'm
reading right now.

You've Got a Memoir - What Now?

Chuck — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:28:14 GMT

Q. I have a completed draft of a nonfiction book.   It is, I think, a memoir.   My question is this: who do I look for? I'm thinking that it might be in the memoir list of agents, but some might not want to deal with me.   I don't know of any stories similar to mine, nor who would jump at my story. And then part of me wonders who are the better agents -- I have no real way of knowing who is good.
        - Joseph

A. OK. First things first. Is it a memoir or a nonfiction book? If it's about your life experiences and your journey, it's memoir. You have to define it before you go much further.
       Next: Your sentence saying that you don't know who would jump at your story is worrisome. I'm assuming you're saying, "I'm not sure what type of readers would buy this book." Is this correct? If it is, then you're in a bit of trouble. Memoirs have to be well written, but I also recommend having at least a small book proposal (business proposal) that you can submit with the manuscript itself. This book proposal needs to define similar books in the marketplace, to which you compare and contrast your story. You also need to define some types of audiences (e.g., "dog lovers," "divorcees") who would buy your product. No book is wholely unique, so you need to start looking at other memoirs out there to see what's similar to your book, because there are probably several.
       Lastly, concerning which agents are "good," simply research agents who acept memoir by looking in a print or online database of agents. WritersMarket.com is one such database. Look for agents who have sold some books, and then never pay any upfront costs when dealing with them. Those are the basic and most important tips.

New Agent Alerts: Stacia Decker and Danielle Chiotti of Firebrand Literary

Chuck — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:13:37 GMT

Editor's Note: Firebrand Literary closed in July 2009. Three agents from Firebrand Literary have broken off to form a new agency: Upstart Crow Literary. It will be headed up by Michael Stearns, who was formerly a prolific children's book editor. Also onboard are agents Chris Richman and Danielle Chiotti. Between the three of them, they handle adult fiction, lots of kids fiction, and some nonfiction, too. Stacia moved on to Donald Maass Literary.

-----

I got word last week about two new agents at Firebrand Literary, but had to kind of sit on it until the official announcement came this morning. Both of these agents will be attending the Writer's Digest conference on May 27 in NYC and taking pitches from writers. Both have backgrounds in editing, and you can learn more about Stacia and Danielle's backgrounds on the Firebrand Web site.

New Agent: Stacia Decker

To see an updated post on Stacia (now at Donald Maass Literary), click here.

New Agent: Danielle Chiotti

Danielle specializes in a variety of trade fiction and nonfiction books. For nonfiction: narrative nonfiction, memoir, self-help, relationships, humor, current events, women’s issues, and cooking. For fiction: commercial women’s fiction and multicultural fiction (with a slightly “literary” edge), romance, paranormal romance, and young adult fiction for girls.

To contact them personally, it's (firstname)@firebrandliterary.com. However - note that these new agents do not take queries over e-mail but rather through an online submission form on the Firebrand Web site.

Firebrand is another one of those agencies that is still relatively new in the grand scheme of things, but has quickly turned itself into an up-and-coming powerhouse of an agency.

Is It Nonfiction or Fiction or Memoir or ... ?

Chuck — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:16:12 GMT

Q. I want to write a story about my life (very unusual circumstances), but I can't completely recall all the details with regard to signifigant events: What day was my son taken away from me? What day did my daughter's father tell me he was arrested by the organized crime unit for being a bookie?
        Also, I'm sure that no one wants me to use their names or the names of businesses that are going to be discussed. What genre am I going to classify this as?
       - Lori

A. If you're making anything up, it ceases to be nonfiction. If you make up conversations to create scenes, or you make up names/characters to help the story go along, you're definitely entering the realm of fiction and not nonfiction/memoir.
       You can certainly use the names of real people and businesses, but everything must be true and you have to be able to prove it if necessary. When you start to write negative things about people and places, it gets complicated.
       If you're worried about using real names and real timelines, my advice is: Don't. Draw upon events of your life and create a fictional story.
       "But wait," you say. "A lot of it is based on real things that happened!" Yes, I know. So are many, many other novels. Yours is no different. Draw upon your life experiences to write a great story. And when you're touching on sensitive things, such as mobsters, you will want to make sure that your characters in the book are not too close to real-life figures. Better safe than sorry.

Is It Truth or Fiction?

Chuck — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:51:49 GMT

Q. I'm sorry to bother you, but I would like to ask you a question. I have just finished writing a book about [true events in the U.S. in] 1948. The facts are accurate; however, I did use fiction to fill in between the actual events. How do I determine whether this is fiction or nonfiction?
- Scott

A. It's fiction. If anything anywhere is made up, it has to be fiction. This gets complicated, though. If you're making some parts up and calling it fiction, then it gets dangerous to have lots of real people and names thrown in there, because you could get sued because you're including them in a story that is not 100% true.
My advice? Do however much research it takes to piece together these parts you have to make up. Figure out what happened and make the entire story nonfiction. Writing it as "narrative nonfiction" allows your readers to experience this journey as it unfolds, like a novel would. Narrative nonfiction is a bit "hot" right now, so this is your best bet.

On Writing Memoir and Agents...

Chuck — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:15:38 GMT

I spent much of these past few weeks on vacation, but now I'm finally back in the office, plugging away on projects and glancing through the brand new 2009 Guide to Literary Agents, which will be available nationwide soon.

One of the projects I've spent several nights on recently is freelance editing a memoir. To back up a bit here, let me first say something about the memoir genre in general: Everybody wants to write one, it seems. When I go to writers' conferences, there are a disproportionate amount of writers who are trying to sell memoirs (with picture books probably a close second). So I am often listening to memoir pitches and hearing about them. It is rare, though, that I get to read an unpublished one front to back like this and dive into it.

So fresh from editing the manuscript, I humbly offer four tips for those out there penning a memoir:

        1. Give us only the best parts. A lot happens in your life, so writers may summarize lots of information in their pages, but this approach backfires. In your quest to get it all down on paper (in a much too diary-like fashion) and leave no month un-summarized, you have "told, not shown" us everything, and we never slowed down to enjoy scenes of the best moments. Realize that you will end of leaving plenty of the cutting room floor.
        2. Ask yourself: Is your life that interesting that someone will spend $25 to read it? If you say yes, identify why. Make that the crux of your book.
       3. Establish the themes early. Is your book about redemption? Family commitment? Overcoming despair? Figure it out and have that theme tie the book together.
       4. Write it like a novel. Use cliffhangers, quotes, white space, character development, and the three-act structure. Make sure it begins quickly and hooks us in.

The good news for memoir writers is that plenty of agents want to rep your books, but the bad news is that you're fighting against lots of other writers, so make sure your writing stands apart. You must either have a tremendous story to tell, or a fantastic voice that can make an ordinary story very entertaining.

New Agency Alert: Straus Literary Agency

Chuck — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:27:27 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.

Straus Literary Agency

319 Lafayette St., #220 New York, NY 10012. (646)843-9950. Fax: (646)390-3320. E-mail: jonah@strausliterary.com. Contact: Jonah Straus. See the agency website. New agency actively seeking clients. Prior to becoming an agent, Jonah spent 13 years in editorial, sales and marketing for publishing and book distributers in New York and San Francisco. Established: 2003. Currently handles: 50% Fiction, 50% Nonfiction.

Nonfiction areas of interest: biography, history, mind/body/spirit, travel, lifestyle, memoir, cookbooks, multicultural, current events, politics, humor. Fiction areas of interest: general fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction, multicultural fiction, mystery. How to Contact: E-mail query with synopsis, author bio and two sample chapters as attachment.

Recent sales: Above Top Secret: Uncover the Mysteries of the Digital Age by Jim Marrs (The Disinformation Company); Depression, War and Cold War: Studies in Political Economy by Robert Higgs (Oxford University Press, USA).>

Note: This agency is not be confused with Robin Straus Literary, Inc.

Agent Advice: Paul S. Levine of Paul S. Levine Literary

Chuck — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:55:02 GMT

Paul S. Levine

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

PL: I just sold a fantasy book—it’s the first fantasy book I’ve ever sold. It’s by an author named Steve Savile, who is a British author living in Stockholm, Sweden, and I sold it to a brand new start-up publisher called Variance Publishing.

GLA: If you don’t usually rep fantasy novels, how did this one fall in your lap?

PL: Steve was referred by another client. It just goes to show you once again that the best way to get an agent is through a referral.

GLA: When you go through the slush pile, what are you looking for but not getting?

PL: A professionally written query with something I can sell. In nonfiction, I’m looking for self-help and how-to books with authors who have a so-called "platform"—people who are experts in their field, who can get out and promote and publicize and sell their book. For fiction, I’m looking for commercial, salable mysteries, thrillers and chick lit, among other things.

GLA: You once told me that you’d like an emotional connection to a book, but more so, you are looking for projects and novels you can sell. How long does it take you to size up a book proposal and judge whether you’re interested?

PL: Two minutes. After I look at the overview, I flip to the most important sections: the “Marketing” section and the “About the Author” section. I can size up a query letter in three seconds.

GLA: 75% of your clients are new and unpublished. That’s high for an experienced agent. Are you plucking people from the crowd and getting them to write good books?

PL: I represent new and upcoming authors who I hope will become the next Stephen King. We’re all looking for that author who will break out of the pack and become a bestseller. I like to take on beginning writers who have potential. Obviously, my agency is not an ICM (International Creative Management), so I can’t attract writers who have 10 or 15 books published.

GLA: You bridge gaps between a lot of areas in the literary world. You rep fiction, nonfiction and some movie rights. You’re also a lawyer. How does having your toe in all of these pools help you excel at what you do?

PL: I started off as a lawyer representing a large book publisher here on the west coast, so I know the kinds of tricks that publishers try to play when they issue their contracts. When a client signs with me, they get a 2 for 1. In addition to selling their work, I will also look over their contracts.

GLA: Do you also represent TV writers and screenwriters?

PL: No. I don’t represent screenplays. I only deal with the movie and TV rights for literary projects I’ve sold. I have rarely, if ever, been able to sell a project to a Hollywood producer or studio without a publishing contract first.

GLA: Talk to us about the process of “vetting” a manuscript. How does that work and when does a manuscript need someone like you to vet it?

PL: Vetting is when you look for libelous content – something that is a false statement of act that tends to lower one’s reputation in the eyes of the relevant community. That’s the legal definition. I look for anything that would remotely defame or libel a third party.
        When I vet a true crime book or some other supposedly true story, such as a memoir, I’m looking for backup for anything that the author says that may be libelous or slanderous. There has to be some independent corroboration of what’s being alleged. For example, if a memoir accuses somebody of committing a murder, but person was never convicted of murder, then that’s a problem. A complete defense to libel is truth.

GLA: Speaking of memoirs, what is the current market for selling them?

PL: After James Frey, memoirs are really, really tough to sell. Publishers are shying away from anything even remotely controversial. Unless you’re Lindsay Lohan or somebody like that, I’m not taking on your memoir.

GLA: What are some basic tips and info on copyright you think all writers should know?

PL: Register your work for copyright the moment you’re starting to circulate your work to potential agents and publishing houses. Register each substantial revision to the work. If you make minor changes, those don’t warrant a new copyright, but if you make some major revisions, then you should register the revised work. Spend the $45 and download the form “TX” from the copyright office web page. Register your work as soon as it’s finished, so that’s it’s registered prior to the date it’s ripped off. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
        In the nonfiction area, registering the book proposal with the copyright office is basically useless. What a copyright protects is not the ideas, but the words themselves – the expression of the idea. A copyright for a proposal is not appropriate.
        By the way, the most fun an author will ever have is to fly to Washington, D.C., go to the Library of Congress and check his or her book out, because the Library of Congress is just that – a library.

GLA: You have an online submission form – is that the best way to query?

PL: That’s a good way, sure. But I also take e-mail and snail mail queries. I’m also open to carrier pigeons and strip-o-grams, but no writer has yet to query me like that.

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

PL: I’ll be at the Writer’s Digest Books Writers’ Conference in Los Angeles (May 28, 2008), the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference (June 21-26, 2008), the Great American Pitchfest (June 20-22, 2008), and the Cuesta College Writers Conference.
        This summer, I’ll also be teaching classes as part of the UCLA extension and writers program. Starting June 7, I’ll be teaching “Fiction and Nonfiction Writers’ Essential Guide to the Legal and Business Aspects of Getting Published.” On Aug. 9, I’ll start “Filmwriters and TV Writers’ Essential Guide to the Legal and Business Aspects of Getting Published.”

GLA: Best advice on something we haven’t discussed?

PL: Keep plugging away.

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.

Google Alerts and 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management

Chuck — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:17:52 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 Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management (formerly of Wendy Sherman Associates). Michelle has been with Wendy Sherman Associates since 2004, and has also previously worked with Joelle Delbourgo Associates. She enjoys working directly with emerging writers. She has a MA in Literature from New York University.

She is seeking: literary and commercial fiction, YA, memoir, pop culture, humor, graphic novels, popular science and narrative nonfiction. Books that capture elements of the strange and wonderful will always pique her interest, and she also looks for those that offer a unique perspective of the world. Submissions to her by mail and e-mail are equally OK. Please include a SASE for snail mail response, and no attachments in an e-mail.

GLA: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to be an agent?

MB: I pretty much always knew that I wanted to work with books in some way, but I started out in academia rather than publishing. While I was discovering that studying literary theory was actually not keeping me involved with contemporary writing, I happened on a Craigslist post for an agency assistant position with Wendy Sherman Associates. I've been here ever since, and started representing my own clients about two years ago. Every day, I wake up and am excited to go to work- I get to read and develop the work of exciting new authors, match them up with editors, and see their books hit the shelves! Who wouldn't love that?

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

MB: Most recently, I sold Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by Scott Browne to Broadway Books - it's an amazing debut novel narrated by a loveable zombie who just wants a little respect. I love zombies and see a lot of zombie-oriented books, but this one stood out to me for the amount of heart and humor Scott was able to put into the story.

GLA: You rep both memoir and literary fiction. These are two categories where cold submissions tend to be a lot more bad than good. What do you look for? What gets you to keep reading?

MB: Memoir and fiction are both difficult categories to get editors excited about right now - they just see so much, and it's much easier for them to sign up a miss than a hit. So I, too, must be really selective. In both, I'm always looking for a really good hook or well developed concept that makes the book immediately interesting, even if I haven't read a word of the sample. Unfortunately, an extremely well written, lyrical book without a pitchable subject just won't work for me. For memoir, there really must be something unique about your life, or you have such an amazing voice that you can turn the normal into the riotously funny. Once I have something with an interesting hook, I need the material to deliver on that promise.
        In literary fiction, I often look for a track record of previous publications. If you've been published in Tin House or McSweeney's or GlimmerTrain, I want
to know. It tells me that the writer is in fact committed to their craft and building an audience out there in the journals. But if you have a good story and are a brilliant writer, I wouldn't mind if you lived in a cave in the Ozarks. For the record, I have yet to sign anyone who lives in a cave in the Ozarks.

GLA: You also rep narrative nonfiction. What gets mistaken for narrative nonfiction but is definitely not?

MB: To me, narrative nonfiction is a true story about a subject that is from the perspective of the author. Memoir and narrative nonfiction have a lot of overlap, but I see narrative nonfiction as reaching out into the world more so than memoir. For example, a client of mine is writing about her experiences farming in downtown Oakland. It's her personal tale, but she also incorporates farming history, the history of her city, and a portrait of the people around her. When I see an article that I love or read about an interesting person, I try to reach out and see if the author is interested writing a book. How-to is definitely not narrative nonfiction.

GLA: What are you looking for that you're not getting? What never seems to be in the slush pile?

MB: I would love to see more accomplished literary fiction in my slush pile - a good story with the writing to match. With most of my literary fiction, I tend to read a story I like and then find out if the author is working on anything of book length, but I have seen some lovely surprises in the slush and really welcome more. I'm always on the look out for what's being called "book club fiction"- fiction that has a central issue or story that sweeps you off your feet and gets you talking. I adore slipstream fiction that mixes elements of genre with literary execution, and want to see more of that too. Commercially, I like genre with breakout potential, a la Neal Stephenson and Neil Gaiman - something that a non-genre reader can pick up and really enjoy.
        I also am actively building my YA list, and want to see YA that doesn't necessarily have to take place over a trilogy. Trilogies are fine, but that first book has to persuade me on its own.
        Some specific wishes running through my brain right now: a literary ghost story, a book club novel that explores another culture, and a YA that I can really sit down and enjoy as an adult.

GLA: Do you feel like the economic recession is hitting the publishing industry?

MB: I have noticed a little bit more of a squeeze from publishers on what they're buying. In the past few years, it seemed a little easier to sneak an interesting but atypical project into an editor's line up. It still happens plenty, though, it's just more of an uphill battle. We're seeing the biggest impact in bookstores, where sales are slowing and independents are often shutting down. But as long as there are books out there that find their audience, I think we can be optimistic.

GLA: Do you have any strong likes or dislikes when it comes to queries?

MB: My main dislike is when the author doesn't tell me what their book is actually about. That's why the query letter is there in the first place! And if you find that you can't distill the story into a pitch, that might signify a larger problem.

GLA: What is the most common problem you see in a synopsis?

MB: Sometimes I'll see a synopsis with too much detail. Focus on the main conflicts and turning points, not the color of your protagonist's outfit (unless that is in fact a major part of the story!).

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

MB: I'll be at Thrillerfest and Sewanee this summer, both in July.

GLA: Other piece(s) of advice concerning something we haven't discussed?

MB: The writers who are dearest to my heart are those who've gone out and done a little bit of legwork by making a website/blog, belonging to organizations, publishing in magazines, podcasting, etc. Once your book is published, it takes that sort of self-promotion to make it work anyway, and it helps if you are laying the groundwork ahead of time. If I can present you to an editor as a promotional whiz, they are more likely to consider working with you.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews here.

Word Count Guidelines for Novels and Children's Books.

Check out agent Don Maass's popular book, The Fire in Fiction.

20 Tips on Writing a Query Letter

How Money Works: Book Royalties, Advances and Flat Fees.

What are the BEST writers' conferences in the country?

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

New Agent Alert: Spencer Ellsworth at Lori Perkins

Chuck — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:42:17 GMT

APRIL 2009 UPDATE: Spencer is on a hiatus from agenting. (I think he's back in school.) Check with the L. Perkins Associates agency from time to time to see if he has returned.

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It's very late here, but I wanted to pass along some information about Spencer Ellsworth, a new agent with L. Perkins Associates (the Lori Perkins Agency).

He sent me a note saying he is looking for "science fiction, fantasy, historical novels, graphic novels, satire, memoir and travel writing. Please, no vampires."

Query him at sellsworthlperkinsagency@yahoo.com.

Here's some holy water, Spencer,
to keep those vampires at bay.

Talking Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction

Chuck — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:02:31 GMT

Q. What's the difference between memoir and narrative nonfiction? Aren't they the same thing?

A. Memoir is when someone writes about their own life. Narrative nonfiction is when someone writes about the lives of others.
Both of these categories are notable because they blur the line between fiction and nonfiction. Narrative nonfiction is unique (and in high demand) because it tells a true story - hence the word nonfiction - but it's told like a novel. If you want to write about horse racing, you would probably come up with an average book on horse racing. But Seabiscuit is narrative nonfiction. Same thing with the space program. There's a huge amount of difference between a book on NASA's programs and The Right Stuff.

Q. How do you pitch memoir and narrative nonfiction if they bridge the gap?

A. Memoir is tricky because it's the only nonfiction subject that must be treated as fiction. That means you have to write the entire manuscript (and revise it) before submitting. You would eventually write a synopsis - not a book proposal.
Narrative nonfiction, however, is still nonfiction and you would submit a proposal, most likely. Writers with a track record and platform would do just fine submitting a book proposal and writing very little of the actual text. But - for writers without a track record, it wouldn't hurt to write a lot (or all) of the manuscript. Narrative nonfiction is tricky, and you have to show that you know what you're doing.

Q. Are publishers jittery about memoirs these days because of James Frey and A Million Little Pieces?

A. From what I'm hearing, oh yeah. I talked with literary agent and lawyer Paul S. Levine over the weekend and he said that memoirs should be vetted before being sent to publishers. The purpose of this is to eliminate any libel or invasions of privacy in the text itself. Though vetting a manuscript will not ensure that you never get sued, it should prevent anyone who sues you from winning.

Agent Advice: Debbie Carter of Muse Literary Management

Chuck — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:10:11 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 Debbie Carter of Muse Literary Management. Prior to starting her own agency in 1998, she worked for a literary agent, a talent manager, and in the record business as a talent scout. She has a BA in English and music from Washington Square University College at NYU.

She is seeking: literary novels and short story collections with popular appeal, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, espionage fiction/nonfiction, children's fiction/nonfiction and literary narrative nonfiction. Other nonfiction areas of interest include music, writing, birds and gardening.

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

DC: Recent sales include a short story to The Kenyon Review by 2005 Pushcart nominee Aurelia Wills, to be published in their 2008 summer issue; and a children's folktale collection, The Adventures of Molly Whuppie, by Anne Shelby, to Univ. of North Carolina Press.

GLA: You accept short story collections and novellas. Do you feel that the stories have to be connected or can they all be individual? Are these still a tough sell to publishers either way?

DC: I am looking for writers of short fiction who have enough stories for a collection or are writing toward completing one. Most collections are by prize-winning authors and feature stories previously published in name journals and magazines. If stories are interconnected, like a novel, and the work is strong enough to compete with debut novels, the writer does not need these credentials. Aurelia Wills, a writer who sold a couple stories on her own to journals, is completing stories toward a collection, and I submitted stories to journals as she worked toward that goal. We sold one to The Kenyon Review, but major journals passed on the other stories; unfortunately, we couldn't agree on a strategy for further submissions and we parted company: I thought the stories needed to be longer and that she should revise, and she wanted to keep sending the stories out because making submissions was "a numbers game." If a writer and I don't agree editorially on content, I will usually suggest that they seek feedback in a workshop. Some follow my advice, but some don't and decide to submit to publishers on their own.
      It is a matter of a reader's taste whether or not an editor publishes a story, but if I see something wrong with a story (usually an aspect of the structure), I will ask the writer to "fix" it. It's rare for an agent or anyone for that matter to like everything by a writer, and many writers will want to sell everything they write. I try to allow room for disagreement in my relationship with writers: I offer an agency agreement that is limited to specific works. I offer an agency agreement that is limited to specific works.
      As for novellas, the content of the story should determine its length, but I didn't see any novellas by new writers on BN.com. Children's publishers are open to young adult novels of novella length, but I don't know firsthand if publishers of adult fiction are receptive to them; I haven't found one. Stewart O'Nan just published Last Night at the Lobster, a Christmas novella. If readers buy it, then publishers will know there is an audience for the short novel, and will probably consider short novels by new writers. When I receive a query for a novella, my first hunch is that the book isn't finished. I usually recommend that the writer read Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen, for its checklists in chapter 2, to see if there's something missing in their story or plot.

GLA: When you're reading a partial, what are the most common problems you see in the writing samples? What are the most common reasons you turn down a submission?

DC: I usually request the first hundred pages of a novel, and for story collections, four or five stories. I want to see if the opening chapters or stories capture me in any way, with a compelling narrator or a strong premise or situation as in The Firm or The Day of the Jackal. Many times, I turn down first submissions because they're trashy or trite, or they're about obscure or specialized topics, like Roman history. That's not to say these manuscripts won't appeal to other readers; on my Web site, I list genres that don't appeal to me. But I'll always tell writers why I'm passing and offer suggestions on where they might look for agents. Or, in the case where I like the voice or specific passages, but there isn't enough there for me to work with, I'll suggest books for further reading.

GLA: You seek narrative nonfiction. What are the key elements you look for in a narrative nonfiction submission? What elements must be there to capture you attention and distinguish it from regular nonfiction?

DC: I read narrative nonfiction as I do novels, for story and character, except they seem to mean more to me because they're true. I've placed my favorite titles on the "bookshelf" page on my site www.museliterary.com with links to excerpts.

GLA: Plenty of people want to write a memoir (and many do), but few are good. For you, what separates the best memoir from the others?

DC: The way you phrased the question is subjective. What's good depends on whether you're looking for a well-constructed story or a firsthand, often amateur, account of an experience that may provide answers to questions in your own life, as a kind of self-help read. I'm looking for well-constructed stories, and the memoirs I like, posted on my bookshelf page, are by authors or journalists who have studied writing. I evaluate them as I would a first-person narrator in a novel. Do I like this person? Some bestselling memoirs don't appeal to me because their lives are just too awful to read about, as in The Glass Castle. The narrator recalls one miserable episode in her childhood after another with no letup; she wore me out.
In a play or novel, the dramatist or author would alter the plot, selecting only significant scenes instead of telling everything about the life, and arranging them for dramatic effect; and giving readers a break from the main story with scenes with other characters. Some memoirs are on topics that don't appeal to me, such as Eat Pray Love, a spirituality title, or I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (why would I want to read about a womanizer? Again, a personal reaction) or the didactic Bill O'Reilly books; But in the memoirs I do like, the narrators appeal to me as people, and have strong plots that satisfy expectations for traditional story structure: I like coming-of-age stories like Mermaids by Patty Dann, stories that capture an aspect of American culture that has past, like The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, or stories of historical significance that are relevant today, like The Zookeeper's Wife.

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

DC: Right now I'm booked for the Sand Hills Writers' Conference at Augusta State University in March. I'll also be at ThrillerFest in NYC in July.

GLA: What's your best piece of advice regarding something we haven't discussed?

DC: I would suggest they read Publishers Weekly and the New York Times Book Review. I know writers need time to write and research their projects, but I think writers would be less frustrated if they knew more about the business. Many writers approach novels or memoirs strictly from aesthetics: Is this a good book? Many of them are thoughtful and well-written, but do they know who would want to read it? Can they define their book's category as a publisher or bookseller would? Does the book speak to the concerns of their readers? Some of the stories and topics are old-fashioned, too derivative of other books, or aren't relevant to our lives today.
Readers are looking to connect with a character, and see the world in a way that is familiar and new at the same time. We constantly hear that people have less time to read, but we all have time for a compelling story that speaks to our concerns, like Harry Potter, Sophie's Choice or Carrie. Reading PW and the NYTBR will tell them what's being published by large and small companies, what's selling, and why. They don't have to force themselves to write books they don't like just to fit a trend, but they should see who is publishing books they like, and shape their own manuscripts to fit publishers' lists.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews here!

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.

Google Alerts and 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Taryn Fagerness of the Taryn Fagerness Agency, LLC

Chuck — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:19:45 GMT

Note from Chuck: This interview was conducted when Taryn was with Sandra Dijkstra Literary. Taryn formed her own agency in 2009. The information below can still help you, but know that Taryn now specializes in foreign rights and audio rights, etc. She is not taking on new queries or clients except by referral or special request.

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"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 Taryn Fagerness of the Taryn Fagerness Agency, LLC.

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

TF: I most recently sold a book to Simon & Schuster by an amazing woman named Roz Savage called Rowing Across the Atlantic: One Woman's Adventure from Office to Ocean. Roz rowed (yes, rowed) in a high-tech rowboat, but a rowboat nonetheless, from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa to Antigua. She was alone at sea for 130 days, but she made it. I love this book because Roz isn’t some super athlete; she’s a regular woman who decided to drop everything and do something big, and for her that big thing was the Atlantic. This book was a joy to sell.

GLA: You were just at the La Jolla Writers' Conference and met writers who pitched their work. What are the most common things you saw writers do wrong during an in-person pitch?

TF: Two things: One, some authors didn’t seem to understand their true "hook," or most interesting aspect of their work. One writer I met spoke about his young adult fantasy novel, but it wasn’t until the end of his pitch that he mentioned how his book was inspired by Japanese folklore and myths. How cool! That is what I would have wanted to hear first, until then it sounded like just another young adult fantasy. Two: some authors over-praise their work. Some people told me how wonderful, great, amazing, funny, etc. their projects were. Coming from the author, such statements make me a bit skeptical. Of course the writer thinks his or her own work is amazing, but what is it about your work that makes it so fabulous? Why is it wonderful? I want more concrete information about an author’s work so I can really think about where the book might fit in the market.

GLA: One of your specialties is that you look for nonfiction that has to do with science, nature and the environment. What draws you to the books in these subjects that you do end up taking on?

TF: In books dealing with nature or the environment, I look for a unique perspective. There are a lot of books about global warming and the environment in the works at publishing houses right now, and so I hope to find something that stands out - something original that moves me. A book I wish I’d represented, to give you an idea of what I like, is The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. In science books, I look for weird, quirky, interesting and unique. I love neuroscience and psychology. I sold, for example, a great book called Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee. It’s fascinating and somewhat bizarre.

GLA: If someone has a great idea for a nature book but lacks a good platform, should they send a proposal anyway? Or should they build up a platform and query later?

TF: It would depend on the type of nature book. If a person is writing all about trees, for example, but they’re a professional knitter (i.e., not a botanist) living in Tucson, there’s a problem. Serious, informative nonfiction books must have authors with solid, relevant platforms; it is a fact of publishing. However, I believe a person’s experience can be an excellent platform. For example, we have an author who is working on an interesting book about farming. The book is about his experience. Maybe he doesn’t have his own TV show or a newspaper column, but he does have a great story to tell. The experience and what he learned from that experience is his platform.

GLA: Describe your dream client.

TF: My dream client is someone who recognizes that writing a book is a collaborative effort. These clients trust their agents, ask the right questions, and, as we say, "do the work," meaning they make good revisions, provide useful support material, and put together, with our help, a polished project/proposal. These clients are professionals who understand we are their partners and advocates and that we work very hard on their behalf. They have realistic expectations about the publishing process.

GLA: You take some fiction. Tell us about the genres that interest you and what the book must have to keep your attention.

TF: I look for a spark, something that instantly connects to my mind and/or my heart. I’m particularly drawn to highly original concepts and voices; I like an element of the unexpected in fiction, something odd, interesting or unique. I want to learn something about our world or about myself that I never knew. Above all, I look for great writing, great story and a great ending. Some of my current favorite books (not books I’ve represented) are Life of Pi by Yan Martel, Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I don’t like traditional mysteries, thrillers or romance. I don’t like most war fiction. I do like science fiction and some fantasy, and I am actually hoping to represent more sci-fi, paranormal and speculative fiction.

GLA: A lot of people want to write a memoir but few are good. What do you look for in a memoir?

TF: Memoir is such a tricky genre. Everyone has a story (when I go to writing conferences, memoir writers are usually the overwhelming majority), and, unfortunately, you are right - few are good and many are overly sentimental. I look for two main things: a unique story and great writing. Memoirs should read like novels; they should have suspense, conflict, emotion, character development, dialogue and narrative arc. On top of all that, it’s a tough question to ask about one’s own story, but authors should ask it: Why will people be interested in me?

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming conferences where authors can meet you?

TF: Yes! I will be at the San Diego State Writer’s Conference, Jan. 25-27, 2008.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews here!

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.

Google Alerts and 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Michelle Andelman of Lynn C. Franklin Associates (formerly of Andrea Brown Literary Agency)

Chuck — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:59:00 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 Michelle Andelman, of Lynn C. Franklin Associates (formerly of Andrea Brown Literary), holds a BFA in Dramatic Writing and an MA in English Literature from NYU. Her publishing and film background allows her to offer clients guidance at every stage of story development.

She is seeking: all children's categories, from picture and chapter books to middle-grade and YA fiction, with an interest in fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, adventure, romance, graphic novel, and serious literary projects. She's drawn to high-concept, commercial tween and teen lit if it's edgy, gritty, and daring or all sweetness and light. Stylized but authentic voices, magical realism, Jewish themes, interesting story structure, freak and geek protagonists, identifiable quests, and fully realized storyworlds always catch her eye. Her adult categories are literary and women's fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir.

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

MA: I’m very proud that my most recent sales will launch the careers of two brand new writers. Debut author Jenny Meyerhoff’s chapter book, Third Grade Baby, and contemporary YA novel, Girl in Waiting, both went to Farrar, Straus & Giroux. And, Cheryl Peevyhouse’s dystopian middle grade novel, The Melancholy Chronicles of Keen and Rodder, went to Hyperion. So, unpublished writers should take heart. Editors and agents are certainly looking to nurture and invest in new talent.

GLA: You specialize in children's writing. What are some subjects or styles of writing that you rarely receive in a submission and wonder why more writers don't tackle such a subject/style?

MA: So far goes style and execution, I'd love to see more MG and YA submissions use innovative narrative strategies deliberately and well. For example: alternating voices/POVs, or a structure that plays with narrative time. Kids are sophisticated readers. Books that engage them on the level of storytelling, as well as story, could break out. So far goes subject matter, I don’t see as many stories as you’d think about multicultural families and friendships. I’d also love to see more YA submissions depict awkward, funny and real—rather than flat and glossy—teen romance.

GLA: Simply put, concerning middle grade and young adult—how should they differ? Subject matter? Length?

MA: As a disclaimer, there are exceptions to these rules, with the fantasy genre being a big one. But, typically, MG novels run between 20-40K words and feature protagonists aged 9-13. YA novels run between 40-65K and feature protagonists aged 14+. The type of relationship at the core of a project can also tell you how to characterize it: MG often revolves around a protagonist’s relationships with family and friends, while a story heavily driven by a romantic relationship is going to be YA.

GLA: What are the most common mistakes you see with new writers trying to compose a graphic novel?

MA: Graphic novels are such a fresh format. I adore DC’s Minx line, and I think YA novelist Cecil Castellucci did a wonderful job on The Plain Janes. That said, not all novelists are natural graphic novelists. You need to be a visual storyteller. You need to be able to reveal information via image and gesture, rather than dialogue. You need to be a tight, swift and sparse plotter who favors action over exposition.
Common mistakes I’ve seen: too much text, humdrum rather than spectacular illustrative opportunities, and a graphic novel that doesn’t "need" to be one.

GLA: Many people tend to try their hand at children's writing and picture books, but it's often said that writing such books is much more difficult than writers first consider. Why is this so?

MA: I suspect the common thinking goes that if a writer "knows" children, she can write for them. But a successful children’s author doesn’t simply "know" children—what makes them tick, what their internal and emotional lives are like—but she also knows children’s literature. She's an avid reader, so she's familiar with what’s age-appropriate and authentic to her category of the market. If she's writing a picture book, she’s a skilled visual storyteller and can offer up a plot, character, relationship, or emotional arc in miniature—but still, and this is the difficult part, in full.

GLA: Some publications have said that the picture book market is flat, and publishers aren't interested in new picture book ideas. Any truth to this?

MA: The first half of that statement has been true and, as a result, picture books have proven to be tougher sells in recent seasons. But, importantly and thankfully, the second half of that statement is false. Like any market, the picture book market tightens and trends, so it’s important to know some publishers now want character-driven picture books with less text, meaning lower word counts. But, they’re always interested in new ideas.

GLA: What's your best piece of advice for new writers who wish to submit children's work to agents?

MA: My best one word of advice: professionalize. A new writer who has done her homework on the children's market ahead of time, and submits to agents in a way that suggests a professional approach to a writing career, is going to stand out. Professionalizing may mean doing a few different things that make all the difference: joining a critique group that can help you polish your manuscript before you query, researching and approaching agents according to submission guidelines, crafting a query that aims to pique interest in—rather than fully explain—your project, and joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI).

A book sold by Michelle:
Dreaming Anastasia

Want more on children's writing?

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

New children's agent seeking submissions.

How to write picture books for kids.

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

Interview with kids agent Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary.

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

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

Agent Advice: Katharine Sands of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

Chuck — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:23:59 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 Katharine Sands, a literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency in New York City. She is the author of Making the Perfect Pitch: Advice from 45 Top Book Agents (Kalmbach).

She is seeking: Katharine seeks a variety of fiction and nonfiction, memoir and femoir. She seeks books that have a clear benefit for readers' lives in the categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty. wisdom, relationships, parenting and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or pop culture. For compelling reads in "faction," memoir and "femoir," she likes to be transported into a world rarely or newly observed. Her fiction interests include literary, chick lit and commercial fiction.

Katharine Sands

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

KS: The project I’m most excited about selling is always the most recent. A book I’m particularly excited about is The Complete Book to International Adoption: A Step by Step Guide to Finding Your Child, which is by Dawn Davenport. It’s with Broadway. I met Dawn at a writers' conference in the hallway

GLA: Speaking of meeting writers at conferences, what do you think is the most common mistake writers make when they give a short in-person pitch to an agent?

KS: One of the things I believe people do wrong is to speak to agents as they would a tax professional or lawyer – somebody for hire who is there to listen to their process and backstory and get involved with their case in that way. Agents are listening in for a reason to be interested, first and foremost, and they’re not going to be interested in the writer’s (process), the word count, what is impeding, or why the writer doesn't want to do extra work.

GLA: Let’s say an acquaintance calls you and says, “Hey, an agent wants to represent me, but she’s new and has no sales. Is that OK?” How would you answer that?

KS: An agent with little or no sales who has been an assistant in a leading agency will have just as much clout getting to an editor perhaps as an established agent, at least initially. One of the things I always advise writers to do is to ask an interested agent – that is, one who’s made an offer of representation – “Why do you want to be my agent?” They will then hear a very clear thumbnail sketch of how that agent will sound agenting. Secondly, you’re listening for strategy and prognosis: How will that agent work with you and what is their prognosis for your career?

In terms of sales, it’s not the only indicator of the agent’s ability to agent you, because we have New York Times bestsellers that were first or second sales from newer agents. It’s much more open in that way now than it was some years ago. An important point to remember is that sometimes for newer writers - that is, one without any kind of track record, celebrity or platform - a newer agent is better for several reasons. They’re the most committed. They’re eager to build their list as the writer is to become published. And also, they don’t subject a writer to a problem I have seen with very established, even leading, agents. An editor is not going to make a low offer to a leading or big-money agent that they might make to a newer agent - and sometimes, that works to a newer writer’s advantage. Because an editor that wants to be known for big money might simply decline a project rather than make a mediocre offer and be branded in the mind of an agency as someone who can’t get big money. It will cost them the chance maybe to get bigger books. I have seen publishable authors sometimes go too high in terms of their representation.

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

KS: It might be the voice or it might be something very specific about the fresh approach to the story or the material.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews here including an interview with Katharine's co-agent, Jessica Sinsheimer.

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.

Google Alerts and 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guide to Literary Agents - Memoir

How I Got My Agent: Colin Broderick

New Agent Alert: Sophia Seidner of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management

New Agent Alert: George Bick of the Doug Grad Literary Agency

Agent Advice: Dorian Karchmar of WME (William Morris Endeavor) Entertainment

Agent Advice: Byrd Leavell of Waxman Literary Agency

Agent Advice: Michelle Humphrey of Sterling Lord Literistic

Agent Advice: Emily Forland of The Wendy Weil Agency

Agent Advice: Diane Freed of FinePrint Literary Management

Agent Advice: Elisabeth Weed of Weed Literary

How I Got My Agent: Carrie Wilson Link

Successful Queries: Agent Verna Dreisbach and 'The Power of Memoir'

Questions About Writing Memoir...

Agent Advice: Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich

New Agency Alert: Priot Entertainment Group

Some Tips on Memoir, Part 2: Include a Book Proposal? You're Not Gonna Like This But I Say Yes

Some Tips on Memoir, Part 1: Don't Combine It With Self-Help

You've Got a Memoir - What Now?

New Agent Alerts: Stacia Decker and Danielle Chiotti of Firebrand Literary

Is It Nonfiction or Fiction or Memoir or ... ?

Is It Truth or Fiction?

On Writing Memoir and Agents...

New Agency Alert: Straus Literary Agency

Agent Advice: Paul S. Levine of Paul S. Levine Literary

Agent Advice: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management

New Agent Alert: Spencer Ellsworth at Lori Perkins

Talking Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction

Agent Advice: Debbie Carter of Muse Literary Management

Agent Advice: Taryn Fagerness of the Taryn Fagerness Agency, LLC

Recommended Life Stories and Memoirs to Read

Agent Advice: Michelle Andelman of Lynn C. Franklin Associates (formerly of Andrea Brown Literary Agency)

Agent Advice: Katharine Sands of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency