Guide to Literary Agents - Nonfiction

The 8 Elements of a Nonfiction Book Proposal

Chuck — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:56:34 GMT

Writing a strong nonfiction book proposal can seem a daunting task at first. However, once you understand the elements required, you can create a proposal that compels agents and editors to want to see more of your work.

School psychologist by day and lover of books
by night, Christine Fonseca started writing
as a way to blend the two. Her upcoming books include
Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids
Cope with Explosive Feelings (Prufrock Press 2010) and
The Ultimate Guide for Gifted Kids (Prufrock Press, 2011).
She also writes teen fiction. See her website here.

So what are the elements of a good proposal?

1. Overview. The overview presents the reasons why your book is needed in the market place. It may state facts and figures regarding wholes in your particular niche that you believe your book will fill. This is the section that will initially sell the agent or editor on the topic of your book. Make sure it is a strong hook!

2. Market. The market section tells the agent/editor the specific markets your book serves. Remember, the publishing industry is first and foremost a business. Therefore, it is important to give the agent/editor a broad sense of all interested parties in your specific book. My book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, for example, is primarily a parenting book. However, it has secondary markets that include teachers and counselors. I made sure to include that in this section of the proposal.

3. Competition. The competition section is one of my favorite sections—both as a nonfiction and fiction author. This section provides a detailed analysis of competitive titles and why your book is needed. You will need to openly talk about the books most similar to yours and indicate why an agent or editor would want your book instead. Does it meet a specific need not addressed by the other books you mention? What does your book uniquely offer the reader? This is the section to address those concerns.
Sometimes you will find a book that mirrors yours in most ways. If this is the case, find a way to add something unique to your idea and clearly indicate the differences in this section. I have used side-by-side comparisons when my idea was very close to a similar book on the market. Such visuals can be very compelling as a reason for an editor to choose your book for publication.

4. Author Bio. This is your platform—and trust me, you are not going to sell a book without a strong platform in this market. This section explains in clear terms why you are the right person to write the book. If your experience and education contribute to your platform, be sure to say that. If it is something else, include that as well. It is important not to be shy in this section. Equally important—don’t stretch the truth. Just present the reasons why you are an expert on the topic of your book.

5. Promotion. This is another one of my favorite sections. This is where you discuss your promotional plan for the book. Things like your social networking, platform building activities, speaking engagement, etc all go into this section. An important thing to remember when subbing the proposal to editors, especially with small niche-markets, is the conferences in which your potential publisher will most likely exhibit. If you are willing to try to speak at those conferences that can go a long way to convincing your publisher to buy your book. Again, this is a business. The more you are willing to help with the promotion of your book, the better—for you and for the publisher. As with the other sections, it is important not to over-promise. If you do not want to speak at conference, do not say you will.

The next three sections related directly
to the actual book you are proposing.

6. Chapter Outline. Provide a detailed table of contents for your book, including any ideas you may have regarding book packaging or other details. You do not need to indicate the contents of each chapter—though you may want to mention format. Content will come in the next section.

7. Chapter Abstracts. This is where you have a paragraph or two summarizing the content of the chapter. It can be relatively lose, though my recommendation is to have your project as clearly thought out as possible, Many times agents and editors have specific questions about your work. Being clear on the project enables you to confidently answer those questions.

8. Sample Chapters. This is where you get to show off your writing skills. Most proposals include the first 2-3 chapters. If your book has sections that vary, you may wish to include a chapter from one of the other sections. In Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, the first part is more descriptive while the remaining two sections include different tips and strategies. By including chapters from each section, the agent/editor got a clearer picture of my vision for the book.

When the proposal is complete, it will usually be anywhere from 20 to 50 pages or more—just like a partial with fiction writers!

To word to my fiction friends: Although fiction writers don’t typically need to create a proposal for their novels, the process of analyzing the market, looking at what makes your books unique within a tight marketplace, and plans for promotion are all things that can only help the fiction writer. Doing the market research can help you better position your book when it comes to securing an agent, selling the book, or promoting it once it is published. It can also help clarify your ideas if you are writing a book on a very tight topic (think vampires), helping clarify how you can make your book stand out and represent something fresh.

Nonfiction proposals are a lot of work—but worth it in the long run. Not only does it enable you to sell an idea to an agent or editor, it clarifies your project in your own mind. The clarification makes the writing process that much easier.

The 2011 Writer's Market, completely updated,
has thousands of markets for nonfiction writers.

Want more on this subject?

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

See a successful nonfiction query here.

Nonfiction words of wisdom from agent Ted Weinstein.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Sharlene Martin is Teaching ''10 Secrets to a Winning Book Proposal''

Chuck — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:57:45 GMT

More very cool news: Literary agent Sharlene Martin—a nonfiction book expert whose clients have been featured on the "Today" show," "Oprah," The View," and just about everything else—is teaching a webinar on the 10 Secrets to a Winning Book Proposal. (Sign up here.)

It all goes down at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, June 17, 2010, and lasts 90 minutes.

If you write nonfiction, here are
four reasons to attend:

1. Sharlene's track record is massively impressive. Sharlene has represented a wide range of books that reach the New York Times bestseller list and the international literary market. Her nonfiction clients are all over the media! She knows how to sell and promote a book.

2. Ask questions. Ask Sharlene questions relevant to your own situation. No question goes unanswered. Get some personal attention.

3. Co-host Anthony Flacco. Sharlene is co-hosting the webinar with author Anthony Flacco, whose most recent true crime book, The Road Out of Hell, is out now. You get the wisdom of two nonfiction experts for the price of one!

4. Free PDF download. After the webinar is over, you will not only be able to access it for one year online (and re-watch the presentation), you will also receive a free PDF download. It's more instruction from Sharlene on composing a killer book proposal. (Sign up here.)

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Every year, qualified writers with worthy books find themselves left by the wayside because they neglect the vital step of creating an effective book proposal before submitting their work. The principals in this workshop are designed to empower every writer who employs them with the ability to leave fantasies of success behind in favor of securing a real-world publishing contract from a mainstream publishing house. (Sign up here.) What you'll learn:

The Title Page – It's no mere detail; we need to get it right from the beginning!
The Table Of Contents – Mistakes here are an invitation to confusion.
The Overview or Summary – Most important for grabbing an editor's attention.
About The Author – It can be hard to talk about yourself. Here's how?
Photo Insert – Know your Jpegs.
Book Comparisons – Lazy work here can lose you a publishing contract.
Your Marketing and Promotion Plan – Showing that you have the "legs" to run with this book.
Chapter Outlines – How to best display your ability to structure out ideas.
Sample Chapters – Show that YOU are the one to write this book.
Write, Rinse, Repeat – Writer's block? What writer's block?

Who should attend? Writers of nonfiction books in any category, including memoir. It is aimed at individuals who have no interest in making excuses for failure, writers dedicated to the proposition that they have a worthy story to tell and valuable information to convey. When you employ the principals presented here, you will create real results that meet your goals.
Sign up here!

If you're writing nonfiction or memoir and want to sell your proposal, sign up for Sharlene's webinar.

Check out Sharlene and Anthony's resource
for writers: Publish Your Nonfiction Book.

Agent Advice: Regina Ryan of Regina Ryan Publishing Enterprises

Chuck — Tue, 25 May 2010 04:26:55 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 Regina Ryan of Regina Ryan Publishing Enterprises.

She is seeking: Regina primarily represents adult nonfiction. She is particularly interested in projects having to do with architecture, history, business, natural history (especially birds), science, the environment, women's issues, parenting, cooking, psychology, health, fitness, sports, travel, gardening and well-written narrative nonfiction.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

RR: I’d been an editor (at Knopf) and editor-in-chief (at Macmillan) and when I went on my own, I wanted to continue working with authors and ideas. I wore two hats: agent and book packager, but I focused on packaging. After about 15 years, I decided to only be an agent for two reasons: 1) book packaging was very high risk—it required a tremendous investment of time and energy before you knew whether you had a viable project—and 2) I had been mainly creating my own book ideas and I missed the excitement that I’d known as an editor—of being bombarded with new ideas by a variety of interesting, often quirky authors. Now, as an agent, I have all of that, in spades! It’s great.

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

RR: When Johnny Comes Marching Home: What Vets Need, What They Don’t Need, and What All of Us Can Do to Help by Paula Caplan, Ph.D., MIT Press. The author, a psychologist, argues that we have not learned the lessons of the Vietnam War—that simply labeling vets as having PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] and sending them for treatment with drugs and/or therapy is not going to help solve their problems and, in fact, may be harmful because they are thus labeled as mentally ill. We, as individuals, have to get involved and help them back into society.

GLA: Are there any books coming out now that have you excited?

RR: Yes. Just out is Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer by Andrea Lyon (Kaplan Publishing). It is the inspiring story of a woman dedicated to helping everyone get justice from our system. She writes movingly about her clients, all convicted of murder, but all special human beings in her eyes and all with stories to tell. She has never had a client executed, and she explains her approach, which is a radical departure from previous practice.
What’s Wrong with My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?) by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth is a splendid book, just out from Timber Press. It’s a gorgeous visual guide to diagnosing and curing plant problems organically by a plant pathologist and a horticulturalist. The authors (who happen to be married) are on an old-fashioned cross-country book tour, speaking to master gardener classes and at flower shows and selling hundreds of books as they go.
Another wonderful book coming out this May is called The Thinker’s Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words by Peter Meltzer. The author is a lawyer who loves words, especially unusual words (what I think of as “50-cent” words) and spent over 10 years compiling this work. It’s a delight to read and a very useful reference.

GLA: What are you looking for right now when tackling the slush pile?

RR: I always hope for projects that will contribute to making the world a better place. At the same time, I pray for something that will astonish and enlighten me—something that hasn’t been done before, or that is done in such a clever and smart way that one feels one has to read it.

GLA: Among other areas, you have a strong interest in projects involving natural history—especially with regard to birds. What is it that draws you to our feathered friends, and what are you looking for here?

RR: Birds are so beautiful to watch, and their life histories and abilities are so amazingly interesting and surprising that I find them fascinating. I would like especially to represent books by scientists and naturalists that are serious science but that still speak to the general reader. Or, on the other hand, something by an amateur like myself that is beautifully written.

GLA: You also seek projects in the travel category. How healthy is this area at the moment, and why do you think this is so?

RR: Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s terribly healthy. But if the right project came along, I’d be delighted. Armchair travelers are always interested in something fascinating and new.

GLA: Because you only deal with nonfiction, platform must factor into the equation when you consider a project. In your opinion, what’s the best way a writer can build his platform? What impresses you?

RR: The ideal is to appear on the "Today" show as a regular, but since this is not an option for most, there are many things an author can do.
An author should have a website up and running even before approaching me. Plus, he or she should be already using social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, to accumulate followers. He or she should also be capturing e-mail addresses too. The important thing is to be able to show a publisher (and agent) that the author can reach people—lots of them—that are interested in what he or she is writing about.
I’m impressed when I see that an author grasps all this and is doing what it takes to build a platform. For instance, I took on an author whose work was good but not an easy sell. However, she had so many web hits and Twitter followers (she’s up to 50,000!) that I knew she would be a great promoter and could deliver an audience to the publisher. We are now negotiating with a publisher who absolutely loves her Twitter following.

GLA: Name three things that make you stop reading every time they crop up in a book proposal.

RR: 1) Clichés. 2) Bad writing that is poor in grammar or boring. 3) Memoirs written as revenge—showing how rotten someone has been to the author (what I think of as the “poor me” memoir).

GLA: What should writers to know about Regina Ryan Publishing Enterprises, Inc., that they can’t find in your online profiles or Publishers Marketplace?

RR: I’m listed on many sites such as WritersMarket.com, AAR and many others. And I’m in the process of setting up a Facebook page.

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

RR: I think we’re in a time of real flux, so it’s hard to say, except that electronic publishing—e-books and “enriched” books particularly—are going to be more important than ever before.

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

RR: Yes, I will be at the International Women’s Writing Guild’s Big Apple Conference in New York on April 18 and the American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference on the morning of April 23. As well, I will be at the American Independent Writers’ Conference in Washington DC on June 12 and at the Tappan Library in Tappan New York on Sept. 21.

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

RR: For pleasure, I only read fiction.

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

RR: 1) Say what your book project is right away on one or two sentences, without a big preamble; after that, you can explain it more fully. 2) Do a careful, thoughtful, sharp analysis of the competition. It would be good to include Amazon sales figures with your analysis. Figure out why your book is different and better than each, and articulate that fully. It’s a key to selling your proposal and 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?

See a successful nonfiction query here.

Nonfiction words of wisdom from agent Ted Weinstein.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Judy Winter

Chuck — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:45:18 GMT

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

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

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

Judy Winter is a national speaker, advocate,
and the author of Breakthrough Parenting for
Children with Special Needs: Raising the Bar
of Expectations. She is the recipient of the 2006
Chief Everything Officer Award (CEO) in Community
Outreach from AOL and Dove, and the 2002
Exceptional Parent Award from the Michigan
Federated Chapters of the Council for Exceptional
Children (MCEC).

A NEW GUIDE FOR ALL

Flashback to 1990, when my son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, an event that left both our lives in jeopardy. Physically recovered, I faced the daunting task of raising a child with a physical disability. Determined to focus on my son’s potential, as I had with his then six-year-old sister, Jenna, I searched for a great parenting guide and came up empty handed. Books were medical or filled with outdated statistics and scary images. There was no humor, no hope, and little reason to get out of bed—not good enough for my son.

I decided to write a new guide, and promised my son that everything we did to ensure his best life, we’d share with other families to benefit their children, too. Our parenting guide would include success stories, valuable resources and a humorous take on the absurdity of daily demands. It took sixteen years to realize that vision.

THE FIRST CONFERENCE IN HAWAII

I began to share my own challenges through essays and feature work that highlighted the lives of those with special needs. My challenges were great; the rewards were greater. I interviewed dozens of people facing special needs. I wrote personal essays/features for the Lansing State Journal, Michigan Department of Education (MDE), and Writer’s Digest. With determination and a strong work ethic, I created industry buzz and a writer’s platform.

I knew the odds of getting an agent and book deal were dismal, but I wasn’t focused on statistics. I wanted to change children’s lives and never doubted my work’s value. It took eight months to write my proposal, complete with a copy of Michael Larsen’s bible, How to Write a Book Proposal. I attended the 2003 Maui Writers Conference, absorbed the tropical blend of humidity, celebrity speakers, and love for words proclaimed by other writers. I spent the required $$ to pitch agents, fueled by my greatest muse, my son.

Michael Larsen and other agents expressed interest. Some talked representation once I’d returned home. But I believed the intense realities of 24/7 parenting would prevent me from fulfilling new-author demands and shelved the project. Then the darkest moment befell me. My son passed away unexpectedly in 2003. Devastated, I thought I would never write again.

HONORING MY SON

The 2004 Maui Writers Conference was fast approaching and though my flight was booked, I told my husband I wasn’t going. His reply? “If you don’t go, you’ll never finish Eric’s story.” I headed for paradise armed with a perfected pitch, research about which agents to woo, and an impressive media kit. I walked around, bereaved, but with great purpose and enough pit-bull determination required to impact needed change and honor my son.

In an early general session with agents, I met Catherine Fowler of Redwood Agency. I immediately liked her. I had skipped time at the beach to hone my pitch, and it worked. All agents pitched expressed interest, but Catherine requested an immediate copy of my proposal and signed me before we left Maui. On the mainland, we prepped the proposal to send to top publishers. Five major publishers expressed serious interest and I signed with Jossey-Bass in November 2004. In the months that followed, I opened a deep vein of grief and let words spill onto the page. Breakthrough Parenting for Children with Special Needs: Raising the Bar of Expectations was published in March 2006. My success story was twenty years in the making.

I believe the successful agent/author dance is the result of top-notch professionalism. Stay humble and say thanks. Hold your head high and deliver what you promise. Hone your skills, network, and ditch the diva attitude. Observe the world around you. Don’t fully trust spell check. Be passionate about your work. Follow these tips—and you might snag yourself a great agent, too.

Michael Larsen's book, How to Write a
Book Proposal (now in its third edition) has
sold more than 100,000 copies and
helped countless writers sell their work.

Want more on this subject?

7 reasons agents stop reading your first chapter.

Should you start with plot or character?

Word count for novels and children's books.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Kate Epstein of The Epstein Literary Agency

Chuck — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:45:14 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 Kate Epstein of The Epstein Literary Agency. Kate founded her agency in 2005, after four years' acquisitions experience at Adams Media. Kate Epstein holds a B.A. with Highest Honors in English from the University of Michigan. She lives with her husband and two children outside Boston.

She is seeking: The only fiction she accepts is YA. On the nonfiction side, she likes Crafts, Fashion, Health, Humor, Inspiration. Journalism, Lifestyles, Memoir. Nonfiction Narrative, Parenting, Pets, Popular Culture, Reference, Relationships, Self-Help, Travel, and Women's Interest

GLA: How did you become an agent?

KE: The short answer is that I quit my editor job, paid my town $20 for a business certificate, and hung out my shingle. My background as an editor was invaluable; I also took a number of agents out to lunch or drinks, in exchange for which they let me pick their brains. These days I still find it helpful to solicit advice, at times, and I’m always open with my own. (Even agents more experienced than me seem to find me useful at times.)

GLA: What's something coming out right about now that you're excited about?

KE: Jeffery Guidry’s memoir, An Eagle Named Freedom, releases in May from William Morrow. It’s a moving story of a man who volunteers in wildlife rescue and his relationship with a very special bird.

GLA: You used to be an editor. How does your background play into your skills and style of agenting?

KE: I find it immensely useful to know where an editor is coming from when issues arise. Editors are, for authors, the face of their publisher, and sometimes have to present decisions that were not made by them unilaterally. While at times it’s my job to be a bad cop so my clients can protect their relationships with their editors, I keep in mind that there are always people involved.
I’m extremely good at the ventriloquism and sympathy involved in editing a manuscript, and I delight in such work. I love to seek ways to make a book more what its author dreamed it could be.

GLA: Your history is specializing in nonfiction, and I see a lot of pet- and animal-related books you've sold. Are you still looking for books in this area?

KE: Absolutely I am. Nonfiction for adults was my exclusive focus for a several years and now I’ve added YA fiction and nonfiction. Nonfiction continues to stand out among submissions because so much of what I’m getting now is fiction. When it comes to pet books, I know a good deal about what I can sell and a good, credentialed author in that area is especially welcome, because I do bring so much expertise to that area. Doing your homework and making it show in your query that you’ve read my website is still the best thing you can add to a great query to make me pay attention.

GLA: You probably see more book proposals than most anybody. Can you give writers three tips on improving their proposals?

KE: The most important thing to remember is that it is a sales piece. It should be professional—but also dynamic. It’s great to dot your i’s and make sure all the pieces are there, but you need to transmit a level of excitement about your project.
A really common problem is a weak marketing plan. I do understand the challenges people face in this area. I believe that even if your efforts are unlikely to directly generate more than a few hundred sales, that you should still describe what you are going to do personally to push your book. An ambitious, even creative, plan for what you will bring to the effort tells a publisher that you will be an eager partner, and that any resources they do provide you will not be ill-spent.

An Eagle Named Freedom

GLA: What are some bite-sized helpful tips writers can take home concerning how to boost their platform?

KE: I think the most important thing is to understand your audience. Know them well. The trap of platform-building—apart I suppose from simple burnout—is that talking can preclude listening. Talk (I mean that broadly—if it’s online it’s typing, of course) about who you are and what you have to offer, but at the same time, listen (or read) and learn.

GLA: Concerning the slush, besides "good writing" and "voice," what are you looking for and not getting? What do you wish there was more of in the slush pile?

KE: Practical nonfiction by credentialed authors is certainly the smallest stack in my pile, and I’d love to see more of that. I’ve placed a couple of craft books recently, and more of that is welcome. Uncredentialed authors that want to write practical nonfiction should, as a rule, team with someone more credentialed. If I were more on top of my slush pile right now, I could better answer this question, but thus far I’m getting the strong impression that a lot of YA authors have embraced hackneyed ideas about high school and social strata. Plot and character are to me the two most important things; I think most people that attempt YA realize how vital plot is, but to me character is just as important.
     I can truthfully say that I’m open to all kinds of topics in YA.
     When it comes to memoir, I’m always curious about peculiar jobs or unusual experiences, and I tend to see a lot more books about family life, which aren’t necessarily as interesting to me.

GLA: Recently you made an announcement about taking on your first fiction submissions—with young adult. What draws you to young adult?

KE: I really thought for many years that I had lost much of the ability to gobble a book like a delicious meal, to be so absorbed in it that the real world looks pale. I thought perhaps that was a childish thing. When I started reading YA again, I realized that it is a function of the books themselves. Good YA draws in a reader and doesn’t let go, but it doesn’t stint on plausibility or fullness of character.
     I fear to comment on my favorite subgenres because it’s so hard to say how I’ll feel about a book without looking at it, and there isn’t wide agreement about what defines certain genres. (For example, by my lights The Hunger Games, which I adore, is obviously science fiction. But not everyone seems to agree.) When a novel has speculative elements—fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal—I tend to like it most when it reflects in some way on the world we live in. This has not generally been a norm of fantasy (Tolkien told the truth when he said he didn’t write allegory), but it can certainly appear.

GLA: You also said you'd take on YA nonfiction. Do writers still need to submit a proposal?

KE: Absolutely publishers will expect a proposal for YA nonfiction. I’m pretty open in this area. It’s probably pretty narrow, though, since young adults read nonfiction for adults as well.

GLA: Best way for writers to contact you?

KE: E-mail, definitely, kate[at]epsteinliterary[dot]com. I have a rule set up so that if you’re not in my address book and your email has “query” in the regarding line, it’ll get sorted correctly. My guidelines are on my website; I’ve recently started asking for the first three pages for all memoir and fiction submissions.
     The only reason I have not simply closed the door to paper submissions is because I am committed to the first amendment rights of prisoners, and prisoners generally can’t e-mail. Everyone else should be able to, is my point of view.

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

KE: My undergraduate thesis was about Emily Dickinson. It was called “Visiting with Emily Dickinson” and it was about how poets have responded to her in prose and poetry. That feels like a long time ago; but I do still mark December 10 as her birthday.

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

KE: Read, for gosh sakes, read! Read books!
     I also think that if you’re getting ready to pitch agents, it might be worth your while to read Publishers Marketplace for a month for $20. The deal announcements are mostly mini-versions of agents’ pitches to publishers (notwithstanding editors can post deals as well, I think it’s mostly agents that do it), and they give you a very up to date version of what’s selling and how. You can also see what agents are placing books like yours—though don’t assume Publishers Marketplace is always complete.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Drew Perez of Andrea Hurst & Associates

Chuck — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:49:42 GMT

About Drew: Drew began as an intern for Andrea Hurst & Associates while working on his Masters Degree in English Literature. Combining a deep sense for plot and character development along with his extensive experience with all manner of fiction, from literary to pop culture, Drew moved to an agent position where he keeps an eye out for the book that demands he keep turning the page. Drew utilizes his development talents to help bolster novels through structural edits and reorganization. Currently, he is building his list by looking for new writers that offer something different to the market while keeping that appeal needed to bring the readers back again and again.

He is seeking: Fiction: Historical, Military, Thriller, Mystery, Some Science Fiction, Some Fantasy Humor, Literary, Pop Culture, Young Adult. Nonfiction: Health and Fitness, Business, Pop Culture, Humor, Relationships. Not looking for: Women’s Fiction, New Age, Children’s.
"Drew’s tastes run the gauntlet in the fiction world. Inheriting a taste for military fiction from his father, Drew keeps an eye out for historical fiction from any time period, but appreciates Victorian to WWII works that shed a different light on well-known history. He also enjoys Science Fiction and some Fantasy, especially those stories concentrated on the darker, character driven stories. He likes his sci-fi and fantasy in the gutters, not the stars. Drew especially likes Latino fiction or stories from Central and South America, be they character driven literary to thrillers."

How to contact: E-Query and put "Query" in the subject line. Paste your query in the e-mail; no attachments. Please indicate if this is a simultaneous submission. Responds in up to 2 months. "If we are interested in seeing more of your work, we will request a synopsis, author bio, sample chapters, and, for nonfiction books, a proposal."

Want more on this subject?

How many agents should you query?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency

Chuck — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:14:02 GMT

About Jennifer: Jennifer is a literary agent and founder of The Unter Agency, LLC. She began her book publishing career in the editorial department at Henry Holt & Co. She later worked at the Karpfinger Agency while she attended law school. She then became an sssociate at the entertainment firm of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP where she practiced primarily in the areas of publishing and copyright law. In 2008, she started her own agency.

Seeking: quality fiction and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, food/cooking, nature/environment, biography, pop culture, travel/adventure, true crime, politics and health/fitness. She also represents all types of children's literature (picture books, middle grade, and young adult).

How to submit: (Editor's update 1-11-10: Someone just wrote and said that Jennifer got a flood of queries - probably thanks to this post - and is no longer accepting queries because of it. I would wait a month or two before trying her again. This is her website.)

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Jody M. Roy

Chuck — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:40:59 GMT

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

Jody's most recent book is Autobiography
of a Recovering Skinhead, the story of Frank
Meeink, a white supremacist who changed his
ways and now speaks on diversity.

1. It’s about your writing, not you! It’s very easy to take editors’ and reviewers’ comments personally; in fact, it’s natural. But if you allow yourself to bog down in emotional reactions to the comments, you won’t grow as a writer. I give myself a set time-frame: no more than 24 hours to fume. Then I set my emotions aside and get to work.

2. Editorial notes are both an immediate to-do list and a long-term lesson plan. I first transform editorial notes into a very specific checklist for my work in the coming hours or, as the case may be, weeks. Then I dive into the work, one tiny to-do at a time, until every single item has been completed. If I stop there, I make my editor happy. However, if I take the process one step farther, I grow as a writer. Once I’ve completed a round of revisions, I cull any editing notes that are not completely unique to the work at hand and rewrite them into guidelines that will inform my future projects. Over time, I internalize the lessons and develop new skills.

3. I am the expert on the content, which means I cannot be the expert on the clarity. Whether I’m writing scholarly arguments or developing characters in creative nonfiction, I know my content intimately. As a result, I know what I mean, and that means at a certain point I am incapable of assessing the clarity of the piece, of knowing what critical information I’m leaving out, of judging the work’s accessibility for my target audience. After years spent inside a topic area or storyline, an author loses the ability to do a “clean” read of their own work because they fill in the gaps automatically. I find that the more experience I gain as a writer, the farther into the revision process I can take myself, but there always comes a point past which I need other people’s feedback, in particular to gauge the clarity issue.

4. If a cut doesn’t hurt, it’s not deep enough. I wish this weren’t true, but it is. A piece is always stronger after a good pruning. If an argument, character, scene, or individual word isn’t necessary, if it doesn’t contribute in some way to the overall purpose of the piece, it needs to go. In revising Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead: The Frank Meeink Story, 180 pages were sliced (yes, you read that right: pages, not words!) from the original draft. It about killed me, but those cuts streamlined the narrative, focused the characters, and, ultimately, made the book accessible to a wider audience.

5. Save your creativity for the manuscript; the query letter and proposal must conform to industry norms. An agent once commented that a proposal of mine was “fantastic.” I shared with her my “secret”: I bought a copy of Writers’ Market and followed the directions for how to write a proposal. Writing a book is a creative enterprise; presenting a book to agents and publishers is not. Do your homework to learn the conventions for proposals and queries, then submit only what an agent or publisher requests, not one word more.

6. Schedule writing time. Some people work best in short, daily increments. Others need long blocks of time. Know what works for you and then schedule your life around that pattern. If publishing is your goal, writing must become both your priority and your routine. Of course, some days the words simply won’t flow, but that’s no excuse not to work.

7. Create rituals. Some writers are as superstitious as major-league pitchers. I am one of them. I don’t believe my rituals work magical mojo on publishers (I wish!), but I know they help me focus and persevere, so I keep doing them. I have a particular pattern of laying out pages-in-progress while brewing coffee before I get to work in the evenings; that routine signals my brain to switch gears into writing mode. It’s not so much mystical as habitual. Another ritual I swear by is this: When I begin the submission process, I tape a note card to my computer screen that says, “No doesn’t hurt.” Whether I’m trying to place an article or sell a book, that note card does not come down until I sign a contract.

Jody M. Roy, Ph.D., (pictured with Frank Meeink)
serves on the Board of Directors for the National
Association of Students Against Violence
Everywhere. Her publications include Autobiography of a
Recovering Skinhead: The Frank Meeink Story as
well as Love to Hate: America’s Obsession with
Hatred and Violence.

Want more on this subject?

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

See a successful nonfiction query here.

Nonfiction words of wisdom from agent Ted Weinstein.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Jennifer Lawler at The Salkind Agency

Chuck — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:12:04 GMT

About Jennifer: Jennifer, a martial artist and writer, is the author or co-author of more than 25 nonfiction books in the how-to and self-help genres, including the popular and award-winning Dojo Wisdom series, which includes Dojo Wisdom for Writers (Penguin). She has also written about writers’ concerns for The Writer, Writer’s Digest, American Writer, and others. For the past several years, she has mentored writers at various stages throughout their careers. She earned a Ph.D in medieval literature from the University of Kansas and can still translate Old English if she thinks hard enough. Her website is at www.jenniferlawler.com. She blogs about the writing life at www.jenniferlawler.com/wordpress. (She even previously did a GLA blog guest column.) She joined The Salkind Agency in 2009.

She is seeking: "Self-Help and How-To books, including books on personal growth, sports, crafts, self-care and home-care. Jennifer also has a lively interest in history and narrative nonfiction, including memoirs."

How to submit: jennifer@studiob.com. Send a query that explains about the work and you as an author (publishing history, credentials for nonfiction). If you choose, you can send a proposal as an attachment even without getting a blessing ahead of time (though this policy may change over time).

Want more on this subject?

New agent seeking writers: Kimberly Shumate of Living Word Literary.

New agents at FinePrint Literary Management seeking queries: Ward Calhoun and Laura Wood.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Jack Perry of Max & Co.

Chuck — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:01:25 GMT

About Jack: In 1994, Jack joined Random House and went on to become Vice-President of Sales & Marketing for Random House, then head of Sales for SourceBooks and Scholastic. He recently landed with Max & Co., a Literary Agency and Social Club.

Seeking: He will focused upon nonfiction books with a foundation in history, business, politics, narrative nonfiction, math, & science. He also likes sports. And music. In fact, if the writing is good enough, he can be led to a vast array of topics

How to submit: Jackwperry38@hotmail.com. E-query, and include a brief synopsis and biography stating what the book is and who you are. "Ideally both will point to a very large collection of people willing to drop $24.95 to read your work. We appreciate direct & cogent proposals (well...at least in others). Then include sample chapters as attachments, one of which must be your opening (we like to see how you take the stage). If more than four weeks have passed without a response, write again or call. E-mail was never intended to carry the burden we all now place upon it. Stuff gets lost in the ether."

Want more on this subject?

Read an interview with Max & Co. founder Michael Murphy.

How many agents should you query?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Sophia Seidner of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management

Chuck — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:42:49 GMT

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?

How many agents should you query?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Wolfson and 'Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon'

Chuck — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:27:57 GMT

I'm re-posting this Successful Query
in honor of the book reaching the
NYT best-seller list this week.
Congrats to Michelle and Mark.

--------

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

The first installment of this series is with agent Michelle Wolfson (Wolfson Literary), and her client, Mark Di Vincenzo, and his book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There.

Dear Ms. Wolfson,

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner? Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to send an email or ask for a raise? What about the best time of day to schedule a surgery or a haircut? What’s the best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre? What’s the best day of the month to make an offer on a house? What’s the best time of day to ask someone out on a date?

My book, Timing is Everything: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, has the answers to these questions and hundreds more.

As a long-time print journalist, I’ve been privy to readership surveys that show people can’t get enough of newspaper and magazine stories about the best time to buy or do things. This book puts several hundreds of questions and answers in one place -- a succinct, large-print reference book that readers will feel like they need to own. Why? Because it will save them time and money, and it will give them valuable information about issues related to health, education, travel, the workplace and more. In short, it will make them smarter, so they can make better decisions.

Best of all, the information in this book is relevant to anyone, whether they live in Virginia or the Virgin Islands, Portland, Oregon, or Portland, Maine. In fact, much of the book will find an audience in Europe, Australia and Latin America.

I‘ve worked as a journalist since 1984 and have made a name for myself as someone who exposes wrongs, such as rampant abuses at mental hospitals and decades of neglect by government agencies that monitor the environment. I've won numerous awards, competing against reporters from The Washington Post, The Washington Times, the Associated Press, the Richmond-Times Dispatch and The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot. In 1999, the Virginia Press Association created an award for the best news writing portfolio in the state – the closest thing Virginia had to a reporter-of-the-year award. I won it that year and then again in 2000. The next year I beat out reporters from The Charlotte Observer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to win the Southern Environmental Law Center’s first-place journalism award. I then became metro editor at a 100,000-circulation newspaper in Newport News, Va. Over the years, I’ve honed my long-form writing skills by doing magazine cover stories and writing short stories. During the summer of 2007, I left newspapering to pursue book projects and long-form journalism.

I saw your name on a list of top literary agents for self-help books, and I read on your Web site that you're interested in books that offer practical advice. Timing Is Everything offers plenty of that. Please let me know if you'd like to read my proposal.

Sincerely,
Mark Di Vincenzo

Commentary from Michelle:

This query caught my attention and I requested it less than 3 hours after I received it. I’m pleased to say that Mark became my client and his book, with the new title Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go There will be coming out from Harper Collins in October.

I loved the opening to Mark’s query. I tend to prefer it when authors jump right into the heart of their book, the exception being if we’ve met at a conference or have some other personal connection. Otherwise, it’s safe to assume I know you are looking for representation and I like to get down to business.

Mark chose clever questions for the opening of the query. All of those questions are in fact relevant to my life—with groceries, dinner, e-mail, and a raise—and yet I don’t have a definitive answer to them. Then the next paragraph he got a little more offbeat and unusual with questions regarding surgery, the Louvre, buying a house and dating. This showed a quirkier side to the book and also the range of topics it was going to cover. So I knew right away there was going to be a mix of useful and quirky information on a broad range of topics.

The next sentence was great. By starting with “As a long-time print journalist,” Mark immediately established his credibility for writing on this topic. While I needed more—which he provided later—this was great to know right away that he had experience researching topics. And the second half of that sentence helped show that there is a market for this book. This established the need for such a book.

And what do you know? Mark had the solution! A book that answers that need. And he does, in the rest of that paragraph. I think he could have shortened it a drop maybe to “…hundreds of questions and answers with valuable information about issues related to…” I would also be careful not to be too specific about how you envision the final book, and this is something I am always changing with authors in their proposals, since if editors see it differently, you may turn them off by having such a rigid format already described. Why large print? Who knows. I would not put that in a query.

Mark’s next paragraph is interesting because I like it if an author can describe his target audience. However, when most authors say their audience is everyone, as many do, I pretty much automatically reject it. And even as I type this, a query comes in for a YA vampire novel that will, “find a market in most reading ages, similar to the first couple Harry Potter books.” But Mark’s book really does have broad market appeal and he made his point based on a regional basis rather than age, although I think it cuts both ways in this particular case. But keep in mind this is a reference book—and facts are facts and they really do apply to all people.

Mark’s bio paragraph is a little on the long side but offers a lot of good information. Again, I think a journalist is the perfect background for this kind of book since being an expert on any one thing wouldn’t help; you really need to be an expert in researching information and delivering it in an entertaining readable fashion. Overall, I felt I gleaned enough information to feel confident that we could present Mark’s platform in an impressive enough manner to find a publisher.

I liked Mark’s final paragraph, of course, since it’s all about me! Seriously though, it is nice when I feel like an author has sought me out specifically and thinks we would be a good fit. Here I am saying Mark is going to be doing a research heavy book and he has taken the time to research agents as well and has personalized his query with a little flattery thrown in. Always a nice touch.

Of course, now that I’m looking at the query with an eye towards critiquing the query itself, I will comment on the little nitpicky things that I notice, but wouldn’t necessarily stop me from requesting something. Since I just mentioned personalization, I’ll say that on closer inspection, I noticed that the "Dear Ms. Wolfson," is in a different font than the rest of the query. Now I don’t expect you to send me an exclusive query; in fact, I hate them since I then feel pressured to respond right away when that’s not how I generally work if I’m not interested. But you could at least make me feel like you’ve typed it out just for me, and a different font calls attention to a writer's admirable, yet meant to be secret, time-saving methods.

Want more on this subject?

Successful Queries: (Fiction) "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "Wake"

Successful Queries: (Nonfiction) "Peaches & Daddy"

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Chuck — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:28:32 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 Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown Ltd. Nathan was born and raised in Colusa, California, where he learned a thing or two about rice farming, and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in English. Besides the usual agenting duties, Nathan is well known for his popular blog on agenting and publishing, widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) blogs by literary agents on the Internet. In addition, he is a new writer of middle grade works, with his first book due out in 2011.

He is looking for: a wide range of genres and is particularly interested in literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, young adult fiction, historical fiction, mystery, science fiction, business, sports, politics and popular culture. He does not represent poetry or screenplays. He welcomes submissions via e-mail. Please send a brief description of your project (no attachments, please) to nb@cbltd.com.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

NB: I really love books and wanted to work with authors. When I graduated from college, I decided to go into publishing and found my way to Curtis Brown Ltd., where I started as an assistant. I've been with Curtis Brown ever since.

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

NB: The most recent deal I announced was a debut suspense novel, Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann, which will be published by Soho Press in 2010. When the author queried me, it was one of the best I'd ever received, and the manuscript didn't disappoint.

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

NB: I'd like to see a bit more nonfiction, but I'm really just looking for new, talented writers of all types.

GLA: How long have you had your blog?

NB: I've been blogging in earnest since early 2007.

GLA: Has the volume of submissions you get increased significantly since you started the blog?

NB: Definitely. I now receive somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 queries a year, and I think the blog is the main reason behind the high volume. When the legendary anonymous agent blogger Miss Snark linked to me for the first time, I received several hundred queries almost instantaneously, and it's been a steady stream ever since. But I'm very thankful for the queries I receive, even if it's an ongoing challenge to keep up.

GLA: On your blog, you have an extensive list of tips, rules, and good/bad examples you refer to as "The Essentials," which you request writers read before querying. Where are new writers are going wrong in the queries you see?

NB: I always recommend that authors carefully target their agent search and personalize their queries, and I wish more authors took the time to do this. Personalization shows that an author has chosen to query an agent specifically and isn't simply blasting an e-mail out to every agent they can find on the Internet. It also means they've taken the time to research the business. All of these qualities bode well for the author's professionalism and the quality of the manuscript.
Queries also tend to be either way too long or way too short—it's surprising how few queries provide just enough information without being overly long. It shouldn't take much more than 250-350 words, but then, it shouldn't take only 50 either.

GLA: With regard to "The Essentials," do the queries you receive show evidence that the senders have done the homework?

NB: I'd say about 25% of the queries I receive really take the advice to heart. No matter how much advice is out there, not everyone is going to follow it.

GLA: You represent young adult fiction but tend to stay away from middle grade projects. Has this changed since writing and selling (congrats on your book deal, by the way!) a middle grade sci-fi novel? As well, do you find you lean more toward sci-fi when it comes to juvenile literature?

NB: Thank you! As an agent, I'm actually drawn more to the types of books I read than what I write. I may write sci-fi, but I read all types of books and don't really prefer sci-fi over other genres. I'm drawn to the author's talent and the particular stories they tell more than the genre they're writing in.
    When it comes to children's books, the projects I have taken on have been all over the map, from dark literary fiction to fun commercial genre fiction. I tend to lean more toward the young adult side of the children's book world as a reader and agent, but I'm open to the right middle grade project as well.

GLA: Two nonfiction categories you accept are "history" and "business." With so many books already written in these subjects, what must book proposals in these areas have in order to get you interested?

NB: For history and business, the author needs to have impeccable credentials, the writing talent to engage the reader, and must be addressing the topic in a unique fashion and/or charting new territory. It's a tricky and somewhat rare combination, which is why there's such a premium on the authors who possess all of these qualities.

GLA: In addition, you represent sports-related books. What topics are you tired of seeing in this area?

NB: I'm definitely open to sports nonfiction, but fiction in the sports world can be somewhat tricky. In real life, sports already provides such a compelling ongoing narrative, and sports novels that try only for verisimilitude can sometimes have a difficult time competing with what's actually happening in the real word. I mean, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Ochocinco because his jersey number is "85." How can a novel compete with that?
        In order for a sports novel to work it usually has to be what I call "sports plus." Literary sports novels have worked, historical sports novels have worked, children's sports novels have worked, suspense novels in the sports novels have worked, etc. But just a "sports novel" is difficult.

GLA: You are a self-proclaimed "e-book aficionado." Having embraced what many believe will take over the publishing world, do you have any advice on how writers can maximize their success in this changing industry? What are your thoughts on the future of publishing?

NB: Things are going to be changing very rapidly in the business in the coming few years as e-book adoption continues to rise. The business is going to have to adapt, and it may necessitate new business models.
        But I don't think everything is going to change. People will still want to read books, there will still be a demand for great books, and authors will still be needed to write them. The delivery of those books to readers may change, but books aren't simply going to disappear.
        The most important thing an author can do as the world of books changes is to keep doing what they've always been doing: write as well as they possibly can. After that, it's a matter of letting the chips fall as they may. Even if they're digital chips.

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

NB: I like to encourage authors to engage in "productive procrastination." Everyone needs to take breaks while writing from time to time, but instead of fiddling with fonts and the cover page, instead: read industry blogs and newsletters and try and find out as much about the industry as possible. I'm always looking for authors who demonstrate a high level of professionalism and take the time to learn the ins and outs of the business. There's a whole lot of great information out there, and authors who take the time to learn about the business before querying agents and read industry blogs (like your GLA blog) will have a big leg up.

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

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

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

Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Natanya Wheeler of Nancy Yost Literary

Chuck — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:26:46 GMT

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

This installment features Natanya Wheeler of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency. Previously, Natanya was an agent at Lowenstein-Yost Associates.

She seeks: literary fiction that touches on current events or multicultural issues; family sagas; dark and edgy thrillers with a great new hook, moody mysteries and cozy mysteries. She loves to find new writers and does not shy away from debut talent. For nonfiction, Natanya would love to find authors with strong platforms who write in the areas of nature, especially birds, women’s issues, alternative lifestyles, green living and food.

Natanya Wheeler

GLA: When did you first fall in love with books?

NW: Oh! Can't remember. Always?

GLA: How did you become an agent?

NW: I just really wanted to work with books and it seemed like a creative and fun job. And it is!

GLA: Tell us about this move to Nancy Yost Literary.

NW: We share office space with Liza Dawson Associates and the Laura Dail Literary Agency - it's a wonderfully cooperative and sunny atmosphere.

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

NW: The working title is Bingo's Run (Spiegel & Grau) by James A. Levine. The story follows the extraordinary life of a young drug runner in a Kibera slum.

GLA: You seek genre categories – thrillers and mysteries. The standard advice is not to query for more than one book (e.g., a trilogy, or series). Do you agree with this personally?

NW: When an author sends me a query with a whole bunch of books listed, it feels very unfocused. If the book is the first in a proposed series, of course I would like to know that. But yeah, just one book at a time.

GLA: What draws you to a good thriller or mystery? Strong protagonists? Dark themes? A killer hook? All of the above?

NW: I like some psychology with my mysteries and thrillers. If the author gets me inside of the head of the protagonist or the antagonist, I'm definitely going to keep reading. A killer hook is great and all, but I find myself more drawn to a conflicted protagonist trying to right some wrong.
I don't have many pet peeves really - it's kind of a joy reading the slush and discovering the wealth of creativity in the world. I actually love it. I'll admit though if a query is about a bunch of beautiful models, beautiful blondes or beautiful brunettes getting serial-killed, I'm going to stop reading. This is one I see a lot. Unless it's central to the plot, I kind of feel like this is a book, not a TV show, not a movie - so why not make it a little deeper? I really do get this one a lot. Let's not kill all the beauty in the world.

GLA: With literary fiction, do you put much stock in the query or synopsis? Is it all about the writing in that category?

NW: It's definitely all about the writing, which is why I really prefer to get a sample of the writing. Actually, I prefer a sample of the writing for all fiction queries.

GLA: Besides just general “good writing,” what’s something specific you’re always looking for but never getting. What do you pray for when tackling the slush pile?

NW: I just look to be lost in the voice of the writer, no doubts, no hesitations, just completely drawn into the author's world. I think I am finding what I'm looking for, on the whole. I'm really looking for unique and standout voices in fiction - and by definition, that's not going to be an everyday occurrence in the slush. Would I love to find more? Yes! That's why I keep reading.

GLA: When we crossed paths at a conference last year, you told everyone that you enjoyed birdwatching. Are you on the lookout for books in this subject area?

NW: I would love to find a book about vultures a la John McPhee. To me, it seems like a fascinating subject. Vultures have a lot of historical and cultural significance from ancient society to the present. Some cultures view the bird as a charm, while others revile it. Does it all go back to how that culture deals with death? Plus they have some fascinating, albeit kind of gross, science. Vultures!

GLA: There have been a lot of “green living” books in the past few years – and there’s always a decent number of food books. How does a submission catch your eye in these areas? Is it as simple as a good platform and the ability to sell books? Or maybe a fresh take on an old subject? Something you’ve never seen before?

NW: With food books, I'd say something I've never seen before and absolutely top notch writing. For green living, it's definitely about the platform and ability to sell books. I think you're right - there have been tons of green living books and we might be reaching market saturation in that area.

GLA: If you were teaching a class on nonfiction writing & submitting, what is the first thing you wish every author would be educated about?

NW: Learn how to write a nonfiction proposal. It makes my job so much easier!

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

NW: Please visit our website, where you can find submission guidelines. My e-mail is on there, so feel free to query me through e-mail. However, I have found that I tend to respond better to paper submissions. Just a personal preference.

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

NW: I'll be at the SoCal Writer's Conference San Diego in February.

GLA: What’s something surprising writers would be interested to hear about you, apart from your ornithology interests?

NW: I once rode my bicycle across the U.S., not perfectly dipping a toe in each ocean, but close. I also rode my bike from Paris to Barcelona, in a zigzag like fashion. Fun! Even with all that, riding a bicycle in Manhattan scares me - a lot.

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

NW: Oh, this is going to sound flaky, but listen to your inner voice. Don't write for the market or what trends may say the market is. Write a book that challenges and satisfies you.
Also, don't quit your day job. Not just yet. Establishing a writing career is a process, not a one-shot deal. There's a fine line between realistic expectations and cynicism. So let's all quit the cynicism because what is cynicism but intellectual laziness? Publishing is not dead! It's just having a few growing pains.
Which is to say - you have time! I love books. You love books. Lots of people love books. It's all going to be okay. Oh, and the last piece of advice is that you should always do what your agent tells you to do.

Want more on this subject?

Interview with agent Jeffrey McGraw (The August Agency).

Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management.

Interview with agent Phil Lang (Reece Halsey North/Kimberly Cameron).

What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

What Agents Hate: Even More Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

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

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Do You Need a Conservative Literary Agent For Conservative Books? A Liberal Literary Agent for Liberal Books?

Chuck — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:44:49 GMT

Someone found my GLA blog searching for "conservative literary agents." So, I started to wonder about the question, "Do you need a conservative literary agent to publish a conservative-minded book?"—such as, let's say, Why Liberals Will Ruin This Country or whatever. Would an agent need their beliefs to line up with the book's message? Or is an agent partisan-blind to a nonfiction book that fulfills the big three: 1) has a good idea, 2) proves that markets exist for the book, and 3) has a platform and credentials?

Well, I had no idea what the answer was, so I enlisted three pros: Ted Weinstein, founder of Ted Weinstein Literary; Sharlene Martin, founder of Martin Literary Management and author of Publish Your Nonfiction Book; and John Willig, founder of Literary Services, Inc. Here is what they had to say:

Ted Weinstein Says:

"That's an interesting question, and one without a single answer. I suspect many agents prefer to work only with political authors whose views are at least in the same quadrant as their own. Some, though, including myself, are open to and enjoy the chance to work with clients whose views challenge us and are no less effective at selling those books to the right editor and publisher. I have represented a number of liberal, conservative and libertarian authors writing on a range of interesting topics, and sold their books to a mix of publishers.
"As always, the best way for an author to see if an agent might be right for them, regardless of their political views, is to read the good directories/guides to agents (including your own) and then visit any prospective agent's website to get a more thorough understanding of their work with other clients."

Sharlene Martin Says:

"I believe that in order to be 100% committed and passionate about selling my clients’ work, it’s important for me to be aligned philosophically with their book. It’s so much easier to fight for a sale for something you truly believe in than something you don’t. So, to answer your question, without giving up my political affliations (*smile*), my answer is yes—I personally need to embrace the viewpoint of my client’s work. It makes it easier for me."

John Willig Says:

"As is so often the case in publishing, there really is not a definitive answer. It can certainly vary from one agent to the next especially considering the topic. There's a broader and critical issue at work here and that is whether your agent (regardless of interests/religious or political persuasions) can effectively reach and knows the editors for your topic and presentation. While he/she may not entirely agree with your perspective, they still could be your best advocate to publishers in that specific genre. So again it can really vary from agent to agent on taking on the topic but it is the writer who must be assured that the agent can effectively represent the project to publishers; thus, they should be doing their homework regarding the agent's expertise in specific categories.
"Sure it's a big plus if the agent is 'aligned' with your topic and passion and if he/she has the knowledge of the market, publishers and editors then the writer is working (initially) in the best of worlds."

No matter what kind of agent you're aiming
for, the best all-around database is
Guide to Literary Agents. Buy it here.

Want more on this subject?

Interview with nonfiction agent Ted Weinstein.

Interview with nonfiction agent John Willig.

Nonfiction words of wisdom.

What is an author platform?

Author Billy Coffey discusses how platform led him to sign with 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 2011 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Successful Queries: Agent Kate McKean and 'Frantic Francis'

Chuck — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:19:18 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 tenth installment in this series is with agent Kate McKean (Howard Morhaim Literary) and her author, Brett Perkins, for his book, Frantic Francis.

Frantic Francis

September 14, 2006

Dear Ms. McKean:

I am working on a nonfiction book that would seem to fit your interests and have included a brief synopsis that you may enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to read the following.

Knute Rockne, “Pop” Warner and Amos Alonzo Stagg are college football’s immortal coaches, celebrated in books, movies and myth, yet none of them have influenced modern football more than the forgotten Francis Schmidt. The game’s wide-open style, which has helped to make it the most watched and most profitable sport in America, is largely the creation of Schmidt, an intense eccentric with an insatiable imagination. In The Rise and Fall of Francis Schmidt: How One Coach’s Madness Changed the Way Football Is Played, I rediscover one of the most unusual and influential men in football history.

Between the World Wars, Schmidt’s collegiate squads at Tulsa, Arkansas, Texas Christian and Ohio State won eight titles in three different conferences. Altogether they won 157 games by a staggering point differential of +3,753 points. What made these teams so dangerous was the use of Schmidt’s groundbreaking strategies. He preached speed, deception and imagination, while his counterparts stuck to Victorian football, built on simplicity, power and caution. Most teams of the era used playbooks consisting of 20 to 50 plays, while Schmidt’s boys employed an omnibus of more than 400 plays that was altered daily. The intricate diagrams were daring and far ahead of their time. Some of them were just plain crazy, like the play in which the ball was lateraled four times, the quarterback touching it first and last. The bewildering juggernaut was unlike anything seen in the sport’s 65-year history.

The Rise and Fall of Francis Schmidt is a story. It’s about a man who rose from unpaid, volunteer high school coach to a shot at the big time, coaching at one of the nation's most famous football schools. Schmidt is an oddball trying to prove his unorthodox methods while a nation of football lovers look on with curiosity. It's these years as head coach of Ohio State that serve as the backbone of the book. For seven seasons (1934-1940), the Buckeye faithful would go on a wild ride. Unimaginable highs would be followed by shocking reversals. Using Schmidt’s progressive system of offense, the Buckeyes became nationally famous in the football world. The ending was ugly and ultimately tragic. After burning bridges in Columbus, Schmidt ended up in coaching exile at the University of Idaho where he would soon die at the age of 58.

Like many great innovators, there seemed to be nothing normal about Schmidt. He was brusque and socially awkward, as well as paranoid and manic. In reality, he probably suffered from hypomania, a form of bipolar disorder. His players called him “Frantic Francis.” He forgot their names, shocked them with his relentless cursing and confused them with his erratic behavior. It was this madness that would make him forever important but it would also hasten his demise and allow his influence to go unexamined for so long.

A large number of the coaches who had worked or played under Schmidt―that is, who had been exposed to his altered state of football―would go on to create waves in the game, changing it forever. Modern NFL icons like Al Davis and Bill Walsh acknowledge Schmidt’s lineage and its influence on their own highly touted modern strategies. Although Francis Schmidt is an important figure in football history, he is currently unrecognized by the mainstream. This book will change that forever.

If you would like to see the full book proposal, please contact me using the information below. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Sincerely,
Brett Perkins

Commentary From Kate

Brett's query had me at "college football." I'm a big fan. But also, Brett's introductory paragraph was short and sweet--no "this-is-why-I-had-to-write-this-book" reasoning that is all ego and no info and often gets in the way in query letters.

He dove right in with the book's hook. He promised a hidden gem, and untold story with an arc, and a tangible contribution to the field. Plus, with the insane stats he shares in the third paragraph (+3,753 point differential!), I could see the proof behind his claims. Most importantly, his even tone lent the letter authority. No THIS IS THE BEST STORY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL hyperbole to oversell the story. Lastly, Brett addressed the market (Ohio State Buckeye fans, recent players who tout Schmidt), without citing irrelevant numbers. Not all (roughly) bazillion college football fans will be interested in this book. They should be, but it's more important to hook the ones who will than address the vague masses.

I did a little research of my own to see if I could tell if Schmidt was the real deal or not, and if there was room for him on the shelf. Sometimes, when there isn't already a book on a subject, it means there isn't a market to support it, not that no one's tackled it yet. But I was convinced there was a market for this book. *I* wanted to read this book.

I will say, his letter is a little long, and it doesn't need to be this detailed. Brett should have also sent along a proposal and sample chapters with his query, but I won't fault him on that one because our website wasn't up at the time of his letter.

All told, the content of Brett's letter got my attention, and I requested his proposal. He sent it, I signed him up, and we edited the proposal together. We accepted an offer from Bison Books, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press, well known for their sports history titles. I think Brett's done a fantastic job with the book. And check out that cover! Isn't it handsome? Brett and I fought hard for this book, and I'm very proud to see its publication day, today. Please check out the book on BN.com!

PS: Go Gators.

Want more on this subject?

See the entire Successful Queries category here.

Previously, I interviewed agent Kate McKean.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Amberly Finarelli of Andrea Hurst Literary Management

Chuck — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:55:54 GMT

She is seeking: Her nonfiction areas of interest: Humor/gift books, Crafts, How-to (financial, house and home, health and beauty, weddings), Relationships/advice, Self-help, psychology, Travel writing, Narrative Nonfiction. Her fiction areas of interest: Commercial women's fiction, Comic and cozy mysteries, Literary fiction with a focus on the arts, culture, and/or history. She is NOT looking for: True crime, Thrillers, Science fiction, Children's, Fantasy, or Young Adult.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

AF: After finishing my degree in English with a concentration in professional writing, I worked for a small press in Sacramento, CA, where I came in contact with Andrea Hurst and worked my way from assistant agent to agent.

GLA: What's the most recent thing youve sold?

AF: One of my favorites is Imagine Life with a Well-Behaved Dog (St. Martin's Press, by Julie A. Bjelland).
We've also been packaging for the Complete Idiot's Guide series.

GLA: You seek mysteries but not thrillers. What draws you to the mystery genre?

AF: Perhaps it's just the fact that I grew up in a small town, but I love the intimate, slow-paced lifestyle that is found in both small town life and cozy mysteries. Something in the idea that these protagonists could be my next door neighbor just sucks me in.

GLA: You're also seeking comic mysteries. Could you help define this category? Are there some examples people should read?

AF: Loosely, a comic mystery is simply a mystery with humorous elements. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and our own Presley Parker Party-Planning mysteries by Penny Warner are good examples.

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

AF: I am looking for fiction in any of the areas I represent, really whose voice just utterly blows me away. Maybe it's the sheer amount of submissions I read per week, but it can be difficult to find that powerful voice combined with a unique storyline that makes me shove the other manuscripts aside and succumb to the power of the narrative. Developing voice is a lifelong process, and a very slippery one at that, but as long as writers are aware of what voice is and can identify what makes their own writing voice unique, it can' t help but be evident in their writing.

GLA: I know that AHLA now has five agents. If a writer sends you a promising query outside your specific areas of interest, will you pass it along to another agent?

AF: I generally will, because I like to connect great authors with great agents, but I would caution writers against depending on this too much. Make sure you do your research, check out our site to see what areas we each represent, what books we like, and then pitch us. We will appreciate the leg work you've done, and you'll appreciate the faster response!

GLA: We met at the Reno Writers Conference. You likely took a lot of pitches that day. When writers sit down to pitch you in person, what are they doing wrong?

AF: For me, it mostly comes down to preparedness. In my experience, writers can be overprepared, where they have a pitch that they've obviously memorized, and they become very nervous if they stray from it. In most cases, these pitches end up sounding monotonous, like a customer service recording rather than a human being talking about their human story. Writers pitching me can also be underprepared, talking too long about the overall storyline of their book instead of focusing on key points and characters, and saying too little about their writing experience and commitment to writing. Remember that it's like an interviewcome prepared, but don't forget the human element.

GLA: Speaking of conferences, will you be at any upcoming writers' conferences where people can meet and pitch you?

AF: With our new agent additions to our team, we're currently working out our conference schedule for next year, but be sure to check out our web site for conference schedule updates.

GLA: Lets talk about women's fiction, for a moment. Lets say the query is intriguing and you request a partial. When you start to read women's fiction partials, where do you see writers going wrong?

AF: Because the genre is so inundated, if I feel like it's like something I've read before, I stop reading. In light women's fiction, this often happens when a book starts out like a real workday: the protagonist is late, rushing to the office (usually in some writing/publishing related field), chewing an apple and putting her heels on at the same time. Then we meet her best friend/co-worker then there's the demanding boss and finally the dreamy co-worker love interest. And don't even get her started on dieting and her parents coming into town.
In serious women's fiction, because it usually deals with more serious aspects of life, if I feel like the writing is melodramatic or heavy-handed, I'll stop.

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

AF: That's a common question! Thankfully, there is a lot of information on the subject, but some basics: Have a web site. Internet presence is imperative in todays market. Start a blog, Twitter account, or e-newsletter - something that builds your Internet base. Also, continue to nurture and grow your client base in your professional field, as these will be the most obvious people to purchase your book. Generally, were hoping that this platform is built up before authors approach us.

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

AF: I'm a sucker for a really good caf mocha.

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

AF: Unless weve spoken or written previously and I've requested something more specific, an airtight, professional e-mailed query is the best way to get my attention.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we havent discussed?

AF: I think my colleagues at AHA could attest to the fact that weve seen an increase in unconventional query letters. Unconventionality in itself isn't a bad thing, and can sometimes work at getting my attention, but please be aware that the conventions in query writing help both the agent and you. Dont begin queries with "I know this isn't a real query, but I wouldnt be surprised if you just deleted this on sight." Wow us first with your professionalism and unique story, and then with your unique creative prowess in your book.

Want more on this subject?

See all agents I've interviewed here.

If you're interested in Andrea Hurst Literary Management, I've interviewed Andrea before and profiled Gordon Warnock.

If you like what you're reading, sign up for e-mail notifications by putting your e-mail in the box on the upper left corner of this page.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

2010 GLA Excerpt: How to Write a Book Proposal

Chuck — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:53:24 GMT

The 2010 Guide to Literary Agents has arrived in bookstores and is available now. Needless to say, I am excited to see it in print. I mean—just look at the book. It looks like a delicious s'more. That is—a delicious s'more filled with tons of agent info and conference info and articles. I suppose that's just the marshmallow filling.

Besides finding the book in stores, you can also order it cheaper from F+W online. To help show you some of the great content inside its pages, I'm going to excerpt some articles to give writers a little taste of what articles are included to help scribes on their journey. The following excerpt below is from literary agent Cricket Freeman of The August Agency. Her article is all about How to Write a Successful Book Proposal.

REACHING THE TOP 10 PERCENT

Today’s publishing marketplace is a far cry from that romanticized in movies. Agents simply cannot sell an unknown writer’s idea for a nonfiction book. For an agent to sell a book to a major publisher, it requires the following:

    1. A fresh idea to spark interest
    2. A catchy title and concept to grab attention
    3. A distinctive author’s voice to hold that attention
    4. The expertise to back up the concept
    5. The skill to execute it
    6. The capacity to promote it
    7. The ability to present it with enough passion so editors can see the first six elements and grasp the vision.

Many people have the first element. Some have the second, third, fourth, fifth, and maybe the sixth. But a very rare few have the last. Bring all seven to the table and you’ll jump to the top 10 percent of submissions.

UNDERSTANDING EDITORS

Imagine an editor is considering two submissions by first-time writers. Both books are equally well written, suited for his house, and he’d be proud publishing either. But he only has budget for one. Reviewing one he sees a tight synopsis, a descriptive table of contents, and a short author bio. Promising. Reviewing the other he sees those things, but also a colorful author with blurbs from known writers, who knows her competition, is connected to her target market, provides several versatile outlines, plus plans for self-promotion. Valuable. A professional writer on a firm career path.

Which author would you rather be?

Or, look at it this way: Suppose you wanted to open a bakery, would you waltz into a bank, plop a box of your wonderful donuts on the banker’s desk, assuming he’ll hand over a hundred grand? Nah, you know Mr. Banker wants more than a yummy crueller; he wants facts and figures to reassure his board. Well, publishers are no different. Editors look at the big picture—past a good read. They look at things like audience, relevance, sales climate, marketing possibilities, sales history of similar books, current trends, the author’s professionalism, and, of course, potential profits.

Give more info than expected and you deliver a welcomed baker’s dozen. If you’ve fleshed out an idea and written a great book, now is the time to take command. Steer the next stage of its production, shape each section, and create a terrific submission package.

Want more on this subject?

Agent Ted Weinstein previously talked all about proposal writing.

If you're interested in The August Agency, I interviewed Cricket's co-agent, Jeffery McGraw.

Buy the 2011 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Ward Calhoun of FinePrint Literary Management

Chuck — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:17:23 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 Ward Calhoun of FinePrint Literary Management in Manhattan. Ward has helped develop several best-selling humor titles, has both written and edited several books for Sports Illustrated, and has overseen the production of titles ranging from science to entertainment. Most recently, at Hylas Publishing, his projects included books on music, fitness, and history. During his time there, he also managed to write a book or two, including The Llama Sutra (2006) and Must-See Movies (2008).

He is seeking: He’s currently looking for nonfiction titles in the areas of: sports, humor, and pop culture. See full submission guidelines here.

Ward Calhoun

GLA: How did you become an agent?

WC: After hitting most of the stops along the editing line—assistant editor, associate editor, project editor, managing editor, senior editor—I think I was done with editing, and it was done with me. My first job in publishing was at John Boswell Associates, which was a literary agency/book packager. I really enjoyed that development side of the business. The idea of dealing directly with writers and helping build something from the ground up is one that has always appealed to me. So, in a way, this move brings my publishing career full circle. Also (FinePrint President) Stephany Evans threatened to have my legs broken if I said “no.” She can be very persuasive that way.

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

WC: I’d love to see some more humor. Just about every week, I receive three or four web-based bits of goofiness from friends. Not all of these sites translate into books, but some of them surely do. Another area I’d like to explore is simple gift books that go after particular niches, such as first-time dads or surfing dogs or alcoholic golfers. The only thing I pray for when tackling the slush pile is more time. There are just too many snap decisions to make.

GLA: Can you tell us something that will make you stop reading every time it crops up in a book proposal?

WC: I’m not a fan of the rambling mad scientist types who can write a 10-page sentence on how they’ve devised a formula to turn sea water into gasoline.

GLA: To you, what is essential to a promising book proposal?

WC: In some way, it really has to be entertaining. I mean, no one wants a proposal that reads like a textbook, even if the book you’re trying to sell is a textbook. If you’re pitching a humor project, make sure your proposal is in some way funny. If you’ve got a book on a disgraced college football coach, don’t dwell on his first job in Pop Warner football. Get right to the moment he started unraveling. In the end, people want to be entertained when they read, and proposals are no different than the books themselves.

GLA: How much does a writer’s platform impact whether or not you agree to represent his or her manuscript?

WC: Let’s just say, it doesn’t hurt. Look, if a particular book concept catches my interest, I am not going to turn my back on it because the person doesn’t have his or her own blog. However, if I am on the fence and the author does appear to have an impressive background, it may be the thing that sways me to take a shot.

GLA: You represent pop culture projects. In your mind, what defines this subject?

WC: Uh oh. Someone once asked me this question during a job interview, and I proceeded to ramble on for around a half hour on everything from Quisp cereal to why Taxi was one of the five greatest television sitcoms of all time. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job. If I were to take another crack at defining pop culture, I would say it is the non-biodegradable stuff (both experiences and tangible artifacts) that sticks in our collective consciousness both as Americans and, in many instances, as a global community. Sure, we’re all very different. But go and recite a line from Caddyshack in a bar or make a bold statement about who makes the best hot dogs, and watch complete strangers line up to put in their two cents.

GLA: Staying with pop culture, can you give some examples of books you’ve repped in this area so writers can get a sense of your tastes in pop culture work?

WC: At my first job, we created an instant book during the O.J. Simpson trial called O.J.’s Legal Pad, which I thought was a brilliant idea. Henry Beard, John Boswell, and Ron Barrett took this circus trial phenomenon and banged out a very funny book in record time. But, not all pop culture projects have to be done on the spot. I love reference guides like Alex McNeil’s Total Television as well as books that dissect aspects of popular culture itself.

GLA: We have not discussed humor projects much in previous agent interviews. Can you tell us a little bit about what grabs you in this category?

WC: My guess is the reason it hasn’t been discussed very much is that what most people, including myself, are looking for is originality. For instance, I thought Don Novello’s The Lazlo Letters (1977) was hilarious and inspired. So when Jerry Seinfeld’s incredibly similar Letters from a Nut came out in 2001, I was considerably less impressed. Not that I wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to rep Jerry Seinfeld. I’m not that crazy. But, I just feel if you’re going to use an existing idea as inspiration, do something different with it. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook was both clever and funny, and when Max Brooks came out with The Zombie Survival Guide, it was very funny, too, but in its own right.

GLA: You also seek sports-related books. Can this be anything? Coaching? Memoir? Weird statistics? Anything?

WC: Just about anything. There are subjects that don’t interest me as much, such as fishing, auto racing, and figure skating, but you never know. Oh, wait, I got one. This is probably a mistake on my part, but I’m really not interested in seeing any books on ultimate fighting or mixed martial arts. I don’t mean to offend anyone; this is just a personal preference.

GLA: What are three topics you would classify as overdone in sports-related books?

WC: The first thing that comes to mind are the proposals you get after a major sports team wins a championship. It’s one thing if a coach or player wants to write an account of that magical season, but you also get all sorts of people pitching books who are peripherally connected to the team. I’m just not sure that anyone wants to read the story of the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers as told by a guy who plays golf with the equipment manager’s brother. Another overdone category in sports is leadership books by coaches. Finally, I’d say anything on synchronized swimming. If there’s even one book on this sport, it’s one too many.

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

WC: Don’t get too despondent when an agent passes on your submission. Sometimes the concept just isn’t right. I usually like to keep a list of writers whose proposals I may have passed on, but who are otherwise talented, so that I can contact them should other projects arise that would be a good fit. Finally, always wear clean underwear when you’re going to meet with a publisher.

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?

A previous post on the blog revealed agent Ted Weinstein's tips on writing nonfiction.
If you're writing nonfiction, you need to start thinking platform. Check out Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal.
If you've been looking over the agents at FinePrint Literary, stay posted to this blog. An interview with agent Diane Freed is forthcoming shortly!

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Jessica Sinsheimer of Sarah Jane Freymann Literary

Chuck — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:54:19 GMT

She is seeking: She handles literary fiction, young adult, women’s fiction, food memoirs, travel memoirs, parenting, psychology, and cookbooks. See full submission guidelines here.

Jessica Sinsheimer

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JS: I was lucky. My college roommate had an internship at a large agency in New York and, when she finished, got me an interview. At the time, I was fresh from small-town California—there were literally sheep across from my high school—and had no idea what an agent was. But I arrived, loved it (who wouldn’t love reading and talking to writers and editors all day?), and kept on. The same friend got me another internship at a small publishing house, and when I graduated, I was hired with my current company.

GLA: Tell us a little about yourself – what are your interests? Your hobbies?

JS: In addition to the usual publishing-type interests (bookbinding, quill pens, wax seals, old books), I enjoy hiking, kayaking, traveling, browsing for heirloom produce at the farmer’s market, making homemade pasta, throwing dinner parties, undertaking unusual arts and crafts projects, keeping up handwritten correspondence, digital photography and exploring the city. In the next year, I’d like to study a new language, find a karate studio, and get involved with an environmental organization.

GLA: What draws you to literary fiction? Why the love for that category?

JS: I’ve loved literary fiction since a very young age, and I love when manuscripts come across my desk that make me sit up after a brilliant sentence and pause to savor the image—to think, Yes, this is why I love books.
I’ve just finished Robert Goolrick’s A Reliable Wife, which is an excellent example—because the writing is so beautiful, the book transcends the subject matter. If you can write a book that’s officially about one thing but really, actually, about so much more, I will bother everyone in the office until they read it (“How about a cup of tea and this manuscript? How about right now?”) and then, as they read and laugh if it’s funny and make appreciative sounds, and we get that incredible We’ve found something really special glow, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I always love my job, but especially in those moments.

GLA: Concerning the “edgy young adult” fiction you seek, can this be any genre? Can you help writers understand more about what you do and don’t want to see in YA submissions?

JS: Yes, of course—there’s a freedom to this work because it’s for readers who haven’t yet settled into the rational, routine, this-is-possible-and-this-isn’t adult mindset. With that in mind, I’m happy to see YA works of any subgenre. Young Adult can be more tender -more emotionally raw, and messy, and thus truer to life than works for adults.
That said, my personal preference is for YA that would be of interest to young women. We’re primarily looking for YA crossover—works that are multilayered so that they are interesting to adult readers as well. My favorite manuscripts include but also deal with larger concepts than shopping/romance/school issues: they examine the emotional nuances of this life stage, with writing that is beautiful but accessible to young adults.

GLA: When reading a YA partial, what are the 1-3 most common reasons you stop? Where are people going wrong?

JS: Once we’ve determined that the writing is strong enough, it’s usually a question of plot (we receive many works that are derivative or otherwise unoriginal) or voice. As we know from the young adults in our lives, anything that sounds even vaguely parental will not be well-received. And there’s nothing worse than narration that reads like a text message from a grandmother.
In the past month, I’ve received twenty-nine YA partials. Looking back on my notes, I see that I rejected eight for writing, seven for voice, six for derivative or unoriginal plots, four because they were inappropriate for the age group, and two that simply weren’t a good fit for the agency but may find a home elsewhere. Then there were two I liked and passed them on to others in my office.
Also, I think a lot of writers, seeing the success of Twilight, have tried to force their manuscripts into this genre. I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s so true: write what you are meant to write—don’t write what you think will sell.

GLA: According to your BEA bio, literary and edgy YA is the only fiction you are looking for. Is that still so?

JS: Not at all! I’d especially love to see women’s fiction, literary fiction, food memoirs, travel memoirs, Parenting, Psychology, and cookbooks. Naturally, many works are some combination of the above. I also have a lot of respect for writing of the Aimee Bender/Amy Hempel variety, but know this is hard to find in full-length form. If the writing was extraordinary, I’d consider anything—though violent works about alien wars would, admittedly, have an uphill battle.

GLA: You seek a few nonfiction subjects. When you start reading a query letter for a nonfiction book, what do you immediately look for in the letter?

JS: I always look for a strong narrative element. Nonfiction isn’t just about facts; it’s about the narrator—usually the writer—discovering the subject matter, how it relates to others, and what it means for the reader. Platform is, of course, necessary for some nonfiction, but it isn’t the first thing I notice. I’d say first writing, then narration, then professional background.

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

JS: Absolutely. In the past six months, I’ve taught workshops, presented on panels, and done author-agent speed-dating, which I love. I’ll be at the Writer’s Digest conference in September and expect to travel more throughout fall and winter. See my blog for updates: http://agencygatekeeper.blogspot.com/

GLA: What’s the best way to submit to you? Just a query? Something else?

JS: A query is best—preferably via e-mail—to Submissions@SarahJaneFreymann.com. I won’t object to a few sample pages (attach them as a Word document, please): I know that writing queries is a skill separate from writing manuscripts.

GLA: I know this may be a tough question, but what are your thoughts on the future of publishing? What can you tell writers?

JS: We need to remember that many of the major publishing houses predate the Great Depression. Yes, there have been scary moments, and the industry is changing. But I don’t think it will be technology that brings on this change. I’m with Nicholson Baker (in this week’s New Yorker): though ridiculously convenient, the Kindle can turn otherwise extraordinary content, like the New York Times, into something the resembles a blog. A reliable blog, but a blog. I think great writing deserves more than that.

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

JS: Keep in mind that we are not looking for, and representing, every work that is devoid of flaws—we’re looking for the work we fall in love with.
      Ensure that the first line of your pitch proves that you’ve done your research: I spent six months gathering data on why I reject authors (there’s a pie chart on my blog), and the number one reason is a lack of research into agents. It’s not necessarily genre, here, but fit: a certain feel that makes a work compatible with that agent’s sensibilities. I immediately have more respect for authors who have done their homework. Use the books available and your intuition.
      Your pitch letter may change your writing life forever. Do not simply cut and paste, and certainly do not BCC. Tailor each one. Say something like, “I see that you represented [name of book]; I liked X, Y and Z about it” or “I loved what you said at [conference name]” or “I see you like [name of TV show]—my work is similar.” Vary your sentence structure, use strong verbs and advanced punctuation—and do so correctly. Prove with your writing that you love the language.
      Be cordial: we’re considering a long-term working relationship. The best writers are often the kindest. Don’t be impatient, but follow up graciously if you’re not sure we received your work.
      I wish I could take authors into the office—a sort of field trip, with free coffee and souvenir letter openers—so that you could see the kind of consideration we give everyone’s work. We read every query carefully, we discuss many of them, we consider a million factors that have nothing to do with whether or not you have what it takes to be a writer. Sometimes we have something too similar to your work; sometimes we just don’t feel we’re the very best agency, of the many, many agents out there, to champion this project. Have faith that we do this out of love of writing, and take our responsibility toward the future of books very seriously. We’re here not just to sell your work, but to make it—and you, as an author—all that you can be.

Want more on this subject?

Previously, I interviewed another agent at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary: Katharine Sands. See her interview on the blog here.
If you're interested in meeting Jessica in person, she will be at our writing conference in New York, Sept. 18-20. 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 2011 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Successful Queries: Agent Jon Sternfeld and 'Children of Disappointment'

Chuck — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:30:10 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 eighth installment in this series is with agent Jon Sternfeld (Irene Goodman Literary Agency) and his author David Chura, for the narrative nonfiction book, Children of Disappointment. (The book has not yet come out.)

Agent Jon Sternfeld
of The Irene Goodman
Literary Agency

Dear Mr. Sternfeld:

Aware of your interest in social issues as well as education, I would like you to represent Children of Disappointment: Kids in Adult Lockup, an 80,000-word narrative nonfiction book. This book examines important cultural concerns while maintaining a deeply personal approach, telling the stories of kids disenfranchised by their own actions and by society's attitude towards them.

The number of kids in U.S. jails is at an historic high, having risen 35 percent since the 1990s, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. For ten years I shared that life behind bars. As a teacher at a New York county prison, I worked seven hours a day with the kids the media throws away as drug and sex-crazed "super-predators" and with the correctional officers it depicts as sadistic misfits. Children of Disappointment: Kids in Adult Lockup offers a new, more fully realized portrayal of these teens and COs, reflecting my work in the classroom and beyond, into the blocks, the high security unit, the visiting room, and the clinics. The book reveals the gripping and poignant stories of troubled kids and the adults who care for them, experiences unavailable to visitors and volunteers.

Whereas writers and reporters write about kids held in juvenile detention centers - Mark Salzman in True Notebooks and John Huber in Last Chance in Texas - I write about minors already serving time in adult lock-up, a much harsher world than that of juvenile centers. With this insider's view, Children of Disappointment: Kids in Adult Lockup shows what prison is really like, responding to many Americans' concerns and curiosity, while at the same time putting a face on the statistics academics and policymakers analyze and act on. Readers meet the 17-year-old druggie and devoted daddy; the snarling but protective Irish-Bronx CO; the wannabe hip-hop poet; the cheap warden rationing inmate toilet paper. Yet even in the grim prison setting, humor flashes into these stories' darkest corners. Children of Disappointment: Kids in Adult Lockup, with its unique yet universal perspective, mirrors society's challenging family and community problems.

Excerpts from Children of Disappointment: Kids in Adult Lockup as well as my short stories and creative nonfiction essays have appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. The editors of Fourth Genre nominated "Pin-Ups," a selection from the book, for a 2005 Pushcart Prize in narrative nonfiction.

Thank you for considering my request for representation. Below is the first chapter (seven pages) of Children of Disappointment: Kids in Adult Lockup. A complete proposal and other sample chapters are available at your request. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

David Chura

Commentary From Jon

Having to cull through something like fifty query letters a day, I’ve developed something of a system about what questions to ask myself as I scan queries (yes, scan; sadly, I can’t read every word or I’d have no time for anything else).

The questions are:
        1.) Does it interest me?
        2.) Does it appear to be well done?
        3.) Can I sell it?

Though these three questions are bouncing around my head simultaneously, I’ll take each separately so I can give writers a peak as to how this whole thing works, at last on my end.

1.) Does it interest me?
        This includes both personal taste and a sense of ‘wow’ (or ‘aha’, or ‘I haven’t seen this before.’); I feel the excitement in my bones if I feel this. Is it an original take on a topic that engages me? Is it fresh? Is the angle new and (to some extent) groundbreaking?
        I represent a mix of literary fiction and social/cultural nonfiction (mostly narrative), so if the book falls into one of these areas and answers question one affirmatively, I’ll usually ask to see more.
        David Chura’s Children of Disappointment is right in my wheelhouse; the author clearly researched the kind of narrative nonfiction that I’m looking for. This world piques my interest, both from a socio-cultural standpoint and from a dramatic standpoint. He frames his project as an original and human spin on an area that the news and the public have pigeonholed, so the angle feels new to me.

2.) Does it appear to be well done?
        A query letter gives the content of the book, but it also lets agents know if you can write, organize your thoughts/ideas, and express yourself engagingly and professionally. Writers should not just blindly dump content into their query letter and hope the agent wants to read their manuscript. The old “I’m not good at query letters” doesn’t fly with me; if the query letter is poorly done, I most likely will never get to your chapters.
        This is an extremely professional and well-written query letter. It’s structured properly, announcing at the outset what the book is and how it connects to me and then giving enough detail without going overboard with its summary (I often ignore long synopses.) The letter has enough voice to give me a sense of who the writer is and he clearly understands how to ‘position’ is book (with comparable titles) in a way that lets me know what ‘type’ it is. I can picture where it would be shelved at bookstores and can imagine myself buying it.

3.) Can I sell it?
        Really the biggest question, and the one that is often a guessing game based on experience. With non-fiction, I have to consider the promotional capabilities of the client (known as ‘a platform’), and without some expertise or connections, publishers have no chance to get word out about the book. Besides platform, there needs to be both a definable audience and interest in the topic, as well as something of a gap that needs to be filled. If there are too many comparable titles to your book, then why write another one?
        As for Children of Disappointment, it’s certainly a dark area, but there’s something marketable about the project. Writers like Jonathan Kozol and Barbara Ehrenreich have explored the underclass in compelling way and given birth to a new genre in the process. Television shows like “The Wire” and “Oz” have shown that the public has an interest in this subject matter, as long as there’s drama and a humanity behind it; since Children of Disappointment is coming from their teacher, I’m imagining it’s not going to be hard-hitting and cold, so much as eye-opening and moving.
        Luckily, the writing turned out to be novelistic and engaging – a huge reason why I ended up signing David and his project.

Want more on this subject?

See all the installments of this "Successful Queries" series here.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Adriana Dominguez of Full Circle Literary

Chuck — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:52:25 GMT

Adriana Domínguez

Full Circle Literary is based out of the SanDiego area, but Adriana will be their east-coast representative.

About Adriana: She has more than 10 years of experience in publishing, most recently as Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children's Books, where she managed the children's division of the Latino imprint, Rayo. Prior to that, she was Children's Reviews Editor at Críticas magazine, published by Library Journal. She is also a professional translator, and has worked on a number of translations of best-selling children's books.

Fiction areas of interest: Children's books - picture books, middle grade novels, and (literary) young adult novels. On the adult side, she is looking for literary, women's, and historical fiction.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Multicultural, pop culture, how-to, and titles geared toward women of all ages.

How to submit: "To save trees we are now accepting initial queries and submissions by e-mail only. To submit to Full Circle, please send a brief, one-page query (in the body of the e-mail, no attachments please) describing your book project and author highlights. No phone queries. Please send your queries to: submissions(at)fullcircleliterary.com Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. We will notify you if we are interested in representing your project or if we will be requesting additional materials (such as sample chapters or a proposal). Unfortunately we cannot respond personally to every query and submission we receive."

Also: "Please refer to our blog posts on fullcirclelit.blogspot.com for further detail about what we might be looking for at any one time, as well as a more detailed explanation of what we seek in an author and their credentials."

Want more on this subject?

I previously interviewed Full Circle agent Lilly Ghahremani. See that interview here.
Check out Writing & Selling the YA Novel, by award-winning YA author K.L. Going.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agent Alert: Gordon Warnock of Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management

Chuck — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:47:42 GMT

Gordon Warnock

About Gordon: He started as an intern with Andrea Hurst Literary Management, a Sacramento-based agency, and has now been promoted to full agent. Recently, he attended the 2009 San Francisco Writers Conference and the 2009 Jack London Writers Conference. E-mail: gordon@andreahurst.com. Web: www.andreahurst.com.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Memoir, Pets, Cookbooks, Self-Help, Current Events, Humor, How-To, Health and Dieting. Fiction areas of interest: Commercial Narrative, Character-Driven Literary, Monster and Disaster, Pets, Humor. Does not want to receive: Religious Fiction, Women's Fiction, New Age, Children's and YA.

How to Submit: "Please query one agent only from this agency. E-mail your query and please include your query in the body of the email--no attachments. Do not send proposals, sample chapters or manuscripts unless specifically requested by an agent. They will not be opened or returned. Please indicate if you are simultaneously submitting to other agents. Give some time to respond—in busy periods this may take several weeks. The agent will contact you if we are interested in seeing more. If interested in seeing more of your work, we will request a synopsis, author bio, sample chapters, and, for nonfiction books, a proposal. Fiction must be complete to be considered. Please send only your very best, most ruthlessly edited work. Hint: If you just finished your novel recently, chances are it is not yet ready for scrutiny."

Want more on this subject?

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

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

Chuck — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:05:01 GMT

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

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

Dear Mr. MacGregor,

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

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

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

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

All the best,

Roger Martin

Commentary From Chip

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

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

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

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

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

Want more on this subject?

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

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agents: Laura Wood and Ward Calhoun at FinePrint Literary Management

Chuck — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:55:15 GMT

FinePrint Literary Management, 240 West 35th Street Suite 500, New York, NY 10001.

How to submit (to either agent): "For fiction, send a query letter and synopsis and the first two chapters via regular mail. If you query via email, do not send an attachment without invitation. If we’re interested, we will ask to see a few chapters or the full manuscript. For nonfiction, send a query letter, proposal, and sample chapters via regular mail. If you send a query via e-mail, do not include an attachment. If we’re interested, we will ask for additional material."

Ward Calhoun's areas of interest: nonfiction titles in the areas of sports, humor, and pop culture.

Prior to becoming an agent, Ward was a Senior Editor at Hylas Publishing, among other positions. During this time he’s also managed to write a book or two, including The Llama Sutra (2006) and Must-See Movies (2008). Contact him at ward@fineprintlit.com

Laura Wood's areas of interest: She "specializes in serious nonfiction, especially in the areas of science and nature, along with substantial titles in business, history, religion, and other areas by academics, experienced professionals, and journalists. Laura enjoys hanging out with scientists and academics in general and believes in bringing their findings to a wide audience."

Prior to becoming an agent, Laura worked at several publishing houses. Contact her at laura@fineprintlit.com.

Want more on this subject?

Blog contributor Ricki Schultz interviewed Ward Calhoun here.

To see all the many agent interviews on this blog, click here.

If you're writing a nonfiction book, consider either of these resources: Publish Your Nonfiction Book (available Nov. 2009) by agent Sharlene Martin; or the 2010 Writer's Market.

Agent Advice: Sheree Bykofsky of Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Inc.

Chuck — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:35:44 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 Sheree Bykofsky of Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Inc.

She is seeking: prescriptive nonfiction with a fresh idea and a twist on standard advice. She also seeks narrative nonfiction with a sharp voice, a point of view, and a reason for readers to discover it: weird, intelligent, funny pop culture, and music. Also, popular reference with an edge to it. She does very little fiction, but would love to find a wonderful new voice. No sci-fi, horror, romance, or juvenile. "At this time, we request only e-mail submissions sent to submitbee@aol.com with no attachments."

GLA: How did you become an agent?

SB: I used to be the executive editor of The Stonesong Press, a book packaging company. We were most famous for the New York Public Library Desk Reference, for which I served as co-editor. When authors would approach us to represent them, we would send them to agents. My boss at the time said, "Why don't you become an agent so you don't have to turn away good writers?" I think I surprised him when I took him up on his suggestion.

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

SB: Just out, Mike Matusow's Check-Raising the Devil. Here are some other books out now: Don't Swallow Your Gum: Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health by Dr. Aaron E. Carroll and Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman (Griffin/St Martins); and Am I the Only Sane One Working Here: 101 Solutions for Surviving Office Insanity by Albert J. Bernstein, Ph.D. (McGraw-Hill).

GLA: You say you’re open to finding a fresh new fiction voice, but it seems like you don’t want genre/commercial or kids submissions. Does this mean you’re seeking literary and mainstream voices, perhaps?

SB: That's correct. We like mainstream fiction with a literary quality. I also like the mystery genre.

GLA: You specialize in nonfiction. Let’s talk about a book proposal – specifically, the Overview section that agents see right away. When you look over a proposal, what do you want to get out of Overview or you’ll stop reading?

SB: I want to know what the book is about right away. I would like to see a thoughtful title, even though it will change. I like to believe from what I'm reading that not only is this a great new idea but that this author is the bes author to write this particular book.

GLA: You wrote an edition of The Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published. When you were writing that book, what are some good, general points of advice you wrote down that you think everyone should know?

SB: It is a best-selling book, now in its fourth edition. The five reasons authors need an agent: 1) contacts; 2) contracts; 3) money; 4) guidance; 5) subrights. Truly, I believe every author should read that book before approaching agents.

GLA: On that note, I see another “Idiot’s Guide” on your sales list. Are you looking for more queries that are for the Idiot’s series?

SB: We represent many Idiots authors. None of them is an idiot! (That doesn't sound right, but it is correct grammar.) The publisher usually likes to suggest titles for the series, and then we find the author. But sometimes we do submit authors and ideas to them, and so the answer to your question is yes.

GLA: You seek prescriptive nonfiction. The first thing that comes to mind with me is something like “How to Stay Healthy,” but certainly prescriptive nonfiction expands past the category of health/wellness. Can you give me/us some examples of prescriptive nonfiction not in that category?

SB: Other perennial topics are business, parenting, relationships, personal finance, how to play poker, etc.

GLA: You’ve repped poker books and even written a few. Two questions: How did your love for poker come about, and would you be willing to rep even more poker books?

SB: Yes, I would be willing to look at more poker books. I used to play tournament Scrabble (R). My Scrabble friends (the national champion and other top players) formed a poker game over 25 years ago. We played very seriously. By the time the lipstick camera was invented and poker became a big spectator sport, I was already an expert at it.

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

SB: I will be teaching doctors how to get their novels published at the SEAK conference in Hyannis in October.

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

SB: Do it right the first time.

Want more on this subject?

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

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

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

What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

What Agents Hate: Even More Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent: Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Chuck — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:32:07 GMT

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

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

This installment of "How I
Got My Agent" is by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, who
writes nonfiction. Laurie is a
writer and blogger who created and
maintains a series of Quips and Tips blogs,
including: Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals,
and Quips and Tips for Couples Coping With Infertility.
She's also the Feature Writer for Psychology Suite101.

I signed with the Irene Goodman Literary Agency several months ago (I call my agent "Special Agent Jon Sternfeld") and it only took three weeks from searching to signing. Here’s how it happened – I call it my “12 Step Program.”

1. Solidified my book idea. I created a strong hook, a well-thought-out idea, and a catchy query that grabbed my agent’s attention. I’d actually submitted my idea (See Jane Soar) to several publishers before deciding I’d rather have an agent do the legwork.

2. Prepared an airtight book proposal. To learn how to write a book proposal, I scoured Elizabeth Lyon’s Nonfiction Book Proposals Anyone Can Write from head to toe. I didn’t do everything she recommended – I learned all I could, then let my creativity and instincts take over. I read a few other books about nonfiction proposals, as well.

3. Polished my proposal until it sparkled. The first agent I talked to (not Sternfeld) said he couldn't believe how unprepared and unprofessional writers can be! That made me realize how important it is to edit every sentence of my queries, proposals, and manuscripts until I have nothing left to give.

4. Did the research. I looked at the 2009 Guide to Literary Agents, explored Predators & Editors, and Googled “literary agents in America.” Ultimately, I found Sternfeld through Predators & Editors.

5. Followed agents' submission guidelines. The agent’s websites I visited had clear submission guidelines. I took them seriously, more or less.

6. Queried far and wide. Agent Janet Reid recommends querying as many agents as possible. I e-mailed 14 of the “highly recommended” ones on Preditors & Editors. I also asked a colleague for her agent’s name, she e-mailed him, he e-mailed me, we spoke later that day, and he sent me a contract a couple days later. I didn’t sign on with him – and I’ll tell you why soon…

7. Double checked my book proposal. I let it “cook” while I was researching agents. Taking a week or even a month off from a particular piece can do wonders for one's writing and editing skills! (I never take a week or month off writing in general).

8. Chilled. While I waited for editors’ responses, I wrote magazine article ideas, played around with a new book idea, and caught up on my blogs. It took Sternfeld less than a week to contact me.

9. Talked to Special Agent Sternfeld. He e-mailed and requested a phone conversation less than a week after I sent my book proposal. We talked within half an hour of his e-mail.

10. Made sure we were on the same wavelength. I was tempted to sign on with the first agent I talked to, but he suggested a significant change to my book. It didn’t light my fire, but hey – I’m open to thinking about stuff. He sent the contract and left the ball in my court … and I decided not to play with him. Sternfeld, however, was thrilled with my book proposal! “Even if you don’t sign with me,” he said, “don’t change anything. It’s great the way it is.”

11. Read and signed the contract. I signed on with Irene Goodman without a lawyer’s rubber stamp (but I did compare it to my other contract – which was five pages long. Goodman’s was one page).

12. Celebrated! Darling hubby and I opened a bottle of champagne and toasted my hard work and the future (more hard work). And the next day, I went back at work: querying magazine editors, blogging for Quips & Tips, and trying to develop new book ideas.

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 agent Ted Weinstein's words of wisdom on nonfiction writing and book proposals.
If you're interested in her Laurie's agent, Jon Sternfeld, check out his contributed column to my blog.

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.

New Agent Alert: Jacquie Flynn of Joelle Delbourgo Associates

Chuck — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:37:21 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.

Jacquie Flynn recently joined Joelle Delbourgo Associates as an agent. Prior to that, she was a long-time editor at Amacom Books. As an agent, she will specialize in areas of nonfiction. "She specializes in coaching authors to use Social Media and other marketing tools to build and connect with their reader community."

Nonfiction areas of interest: business and career, technology, science, psychology, self-help, and parenting.

Authors with whom she has worked include: William Illsey Atkinson, award-winning science writer; Ira Blumenthal, brand consultant, author, speaker and educator; William H. Colby, the lawyer who represented Nancy Cruzan's family in the first right-to-die case to reach the Supreme Court; Scott Fox, leading internet business evangelist and frequent speaker; Moira Gunn, Ph.D., host of public radio’s Tech Nation; Frederick Hahn, founder of Serious Strength, Inc.; and more.

How to submit: Does not accept e-mail queries of any kind; all materials must be submitted in hard copy with a SASE (letter only). Send snail mail queries to Joëlle Delbourgo Associates, Inc., 516 Bloomfield Ave., Suite 5, Montclair, NJ 07042. Please specify whether your work is being reviewed by other agents and/or publishers. Please submit a detailed overview outlining the nonfiction project, including a table of contents, marketing plan, author bio, and audience for the proposed work, along with a sample chapter of actual text. "We generally respond to all submissions within six weeks. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we cannot always respond with a personal letter."

About Jacquie: She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University where she majored in International Relations and rowed on the Women's Crew team. She is also a Hockey Mom, knitter, and avid hiker who lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Like Joelle, she speaks French — but not nearly as well.

Around the WD Properties: 7-7-09

Chuck — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:56:45 GMT

Here is a look at things going on
around the Writer's Digest world
and more.

Call for Submissions!

The editorial staff of Writer's Digest Market Books is now open to queries for the 2010 editions of Photographer's Market, Songwriter's Market and Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market (which will be published in October 2009).

These books, similar to Writer's Market, offer craft- and business-related articles for photographers, songwriters and artists as well as interviews with both newer and more experienced professionals in these areas. (Refer to past editions for examples.) If you have an idea for an article or interview, e-mail your query to alice.pope@fwmedia.com.

Short Short Story Competition

The 10th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition is accepting entries! We're looking for fiction that's bold, brilliant ... but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer. But don't be too long about it—the deadline is December 1, 2009.

The Grand-Prize winner will receive $3,000 (that's $2—or more—per word).
For guidelines, prizes and to enter online, click here.

Sign Up for My Magazine Freelancing Webinar!

Editor's note: I did the webinar yesterday with Zac and everything went very well. Keep your eyes on www.writersdigest.com/webinars to see the next time we teach the class

I am teaching a webinar on Freelancing this Thursday at 1 p.m. It's all about the basics of freelancing for magazines, newspapers and online. We'll talk about everything - how to come with ideas, how to compose a query, how to resell old pieces, how to pitch a market correctly - all that stuff. Freelancing should not be underestimated. You bring in more money, you build your platform, you build your credentials and you make sure you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.
And as if the webinar wasn't awesome enough already, I will be joined by Writer's Digest managing editor Zac Petit, who will chime in with some great advice. Every question asked will be answered, either live during the seminar or afterward. Sign up today!

Successful Queries: Agent Sammie Justesen and 'Over-the-Counter Natural Cures'

Chuck — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:19:33 GMT

I've meant to start this new series on the blog for a while now, but am just now getting around to it. It's called "Successful Queries" and I'm posting actual query letters that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting the actual query letter, we will also get to hear thoughts from the agent as to why the letter worked.

The second installment in this series is with agent Sammie Justesen (Northern Lights Literary Services, LLC) and her author Shane Ellison, for his book, Over-the-Counter Natural Cures.

Dear Sammie Justesen,

1. I appreciate your passion for selling. I thought you'd be interested in my work as a rogue drug chemist turned consumer health advocate.

2. Americans are under attack. Obesity, lethargy, depression, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are a ghastly epidemic in our country. And all these serious health issues can be attributed to a lack of nutrients. How severe is this problem? According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 90% of Americans are nutrient deficient. Armed with little more than "symptom masking drugs," Western Medicine is powerless against the onslaught.

3. The Wal-Mart Cure: Ten Lifesaving Supplements for Under $10 will teach Americans how to easily and inexpensively avoid being nutrient deficient by using key nutritional supplements that are readily available on the shelves of Wal-Mart.

4. Americans spend $6 billion a year looking for the "right supplement," often basing their health decisions on hype and false advertising. They use overpriced, ineffective, and even dangerous products and wonder, "What the hell am I supposed to take?" The Wal-Mart Cure reveals the answer and shows readers how to:
•    Replace prescription drugs with supplements
•    Ensure proper dose for best efficacy and safety
•    Choose the best time to administer (chrononutrition)
•    Avoid dangerous drug/supplement interactions
•    Combine nutritional supplements with healthy diet and lifestyle habits
Studies show that the proper use of nutritional supplements could save a whopping $3 billion in prescription drug costs annually. The Wal-Mart Cure will not only protect Americans from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or even cancer. It will also protect their bank accounts from Big Pharma.

5. Known to my readers as "The People's Chemist," I am an award-winning scientist and a prominent health professional with a master's degree in organic chemistry. I write health advocacy articles (thepeopleschemist.com) that reach over 400,000 readers monthly. I have written Health Myths Exposed and The Hidden Truth About Cholesterol Lowering Drugs and co-authored 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health with Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Julian Whitaker.

6. The Wal-Mart Cure - a 6x9, nonfiction book with 11 chapters and nearly 60,000 words/200 pages - will be the first of a 3-part "People's Chemist" series that will target not only Wal-Mart shoppers but millions of diabetics and athletes. To follow are The Wal-Mart Cure for Diabetics and The Wal-Mart Cure for Athletes.

7. My proposal is available upon request.

Sincerely,
Shane Ellison, M.Sc.

Commentary From Sammie

Why I swallowed the hook:

This is a great letter, and Shane Ellison’s proposal lived up to the promise of his query. I found a publisher for his project within six weeks. Let’s dissect this winning letter one paragraph at a time:

Paragraph 1: Shane uses my name, instead of “Dear Agent.” His opening salvo implies he’s familiar with my work, but he doesn’t go overboard and slather me with false compliments. I love the way he describes himself as “a rogue drug chemist turned consumer health advocate.” This tells me he has a sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He writes with a confident voice that grabs me right away.

Paragraph 2: Shane outlines the problem his book will address, using valid statistics. Because I’m a nurse, the health topic interests me – and I know he did his homework to find my interests. I like his first sentence, “Americans are under attack.”

Paragraph 3: Shane introduces the title of his book and describes what it’s about in one sentence (a logline). His title is clever (though he wasn't able to use it for legal reasons), and expresses what’s in the book. By the way, vague, boring titles are a turn-off. I asked myself, “How is this book different than other books about health supplements?” The title answers that question: The Wal-Mart Cure shows us how to fine cheap, effective supplements at discount stores. Shane will tap into a market of consumers who don’t like to shop at expensive health food stores and want to get rid of their prescription drugs.

Paragraph 4: Shane elaborates on why his book is needed, then uses bullet points to summarize exactly how he’ll help readers. Who doesn’t want to be healthier and save money at the same time? But again I’m wondering – how will he sell this book against so much competition?

Paragraph 5: Shane answers my question when he presents his qualifications. I’m thrilled to see he’s building a platform now (400,000 readers), instead of waiting until the book comes out. These days, publishers expect authors to develop web sites, create blogs, and build a marketing base upfront. When I read the titles of Shane’s previous books I checked online and found they were self published. This might have turned me off, but I saw how he used the books to gain an audience.   Even better – Shane has already branded himself as “The People’s Chemist.” Good for him! With that personal brand, he’s reaching out to folks who shop at discount stores and believe expensive prescription drugs are a rip-off.   Shane knows his audience.

Paragraph 6: In closing, Shane provides a word count for his book, although he forgot to mention when it will be finished. The word count is within acceptable limits, which isn’t always the case with authors. I’m glad to see Shane has two follow-up books in mind.

Closing: Shane remembers to ask for what he wants – he’d like to send me the proposal. I’m relieved to know he has one, because some nonfiction writers get things backwards and send queries before writing their proposals. Other writers sign off without telling me what they want. I’ve actually had to contact people and ask, “Are you looking for representation, or just announcing your book?”

Shane’s credentials are impressive, his letter is well organized, and his voice sounds confident. He’s out there branding himself and working on a platform instead of waiting for someone to sell the book for him. His professional attitude tells me we’ll work well together.

Book Note: I sold Shane’s project to Peter Lynch at Sourcebooks. Watch for it in bookstores this fall (2009). On a personal note, my husband and I are taking the supplements and getting great results from Shane’s book.

Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Wolfson and 'Timing is Everything'

Chuck — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:05:32 GMT

I've meant to start this new series on the blog for a while now, but am just now getting around to it.

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

The first installment of this series is with agent Michelle Wolfson, and her client, Mark Di Vincenzo, and his book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There.

My book, Timing is Everything: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, has the answers to these questions and hundreds more.

Sincerely,
Mark Di Vincenzo

Talking Nonfiction: Word Count and Promotion

Chuck — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:40:39 GMT

Here are some questions that
came in recently. Both had
to do with nonfiction.

Q. For nonfiction: Once the book is published, is the author required to keep a website going about themselves & the product? Or does agent do all promoting?

A. Great question. An agent will do little to nothing in terms of promotion because that is not their job. With luck, the publishing house will help back you with marketing and promotion, but that much more often that not does not happen. It will be your job to have an electronic platform in place to promote the work. Like agent Ted Weinstein mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago, when you are going to sell a nonfiction book, you almost have to assume that you are self-publishing it - meaning that are you already have channels in place to sell it.

Q. Is there a minimum word count for nonfiction? Can a book be too short?

A. It depends on the book. My wife just picked up that gift book called Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News With Baby Animals, which is filled with pictures of cute animals and only one line of terrible news every two pages. That book has maybe 400 words total.
As a nonfiction writer myself, I know this is tough. How do we approximate word count? Should a diet book be 30,000 words or 45,000? The best thing that you can do is look over comparable books and try to judge word count by their size, average words/page, and illustration content. After that, your agent will be able to help you more.

How I Got My Agent: Jennifer Lawler

Chuck — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:15:53 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.

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
Jennifer Lawler, who is a
nonfiction specialist.

THE REFERRAL

Earlier this year, when I was finishing up my new book proposal, I mentioned to a casual coffeehouse friend that I'd be looking for a new nonfiction agent. Marilyn, said coffeehouse friend, is a former journalism-major-turned caterer-turned-food-writer, and she asked, "Are you going to query Neil?" >

I thought: Who's Neil?

It turns out she was talking about Neil Salkind, a friend of hers from a social organization, who, among other things, happened to be a literary agent. Marilyn had introduced us a few months previously when Neil was at the coffeehouse one morning - but at the time, I was working obsessively on fiction and editing a quarterly martial arts magazine. I wasn't focused on nonfiction books, so I just said hello and let them get back to their conversation. My impression of him was that he was comfortable in his own skin, interested in all kinds of people and things, genial and generous.

But no, I didn't think of querying him until Marilyn urged me to.

What I planned to do was to follow the route new writers are suppose to follow: Research agents who represent your kind of work (I write mostly self-help and how-to books, and my new proposal is in the same vein), then make a list of your top ten favorites, query them, wait a couple of weeks for feedback, make any necessary adjustments to the query letter, make another list of ten agents, query them, then repeat, until either someone makes an offer of representation or you run out of agents to query.

CONTACTING NEIL

Fully prepared for a long siege, I drafted a query letter and gave my proposal a final polish, ready to start contacting agents. Then I remembered what Marilyn had said about Neil. So I did some online research and found out who he represented, what books he'd sold recently, and came away with the belief that he could do good things for my career. So I e-mailed him, reminded him of our brief introduction and our mutual friend, and he immediately suggested we get together over coffee, talk about my new project and see what we thought of each other. (Yes, the theme is emerging: Hanging out at coffeehouses is instrumental in building your career.)

So we met. In the first few minutes of our conversation, he showed that he was squarely on the side of the author, that he knew a lot of people in publishing, and that he could sell books. Also, he liked my book proposal, and he had ideas about it - lots of ideas, which was wonderful. I was specifically looking for someone who could keep up with me because I try to write as much as I can.

He offered representation right away, we signed an agreement and now I'm looking forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship.

Talking Agent Queries With Wendy Burt-Thomas

Chuck — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:41:33 GMT

I was fortunate enough to talk recently with "Query Queen" Wendy Burt-Thomas, who authored the new book, The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters. To learn more about Wendy or her three books, visit
www.GuideToQueryLetters.com. Below you will find some helpful Q&A with Wendy about sending queries to agents.

GLA: Regarding queries to agents, when reviewing queries that worked and queries that didn’t, what recurring aspects were you coming across in good queries and what recurring aspects were you coming across in bad queries?

WBT: First, a disclosure: I wrote all the bad queries in the book myself because I didn’t have the heart to rip apart real writers. With that said, I can tell you that they were all based on the concepts I’ve seen in bad query letters over my years as an editor and author consultant.

The recurring aspects in the bad queries are often the following:

      1. Sending queries for novels that aren’t finished
      2. Telling ("I’m a great writer! This is a great book!") instead showing (letting your writing speak for itself)
      3. Mentioning that everyone who has read it (especially your mother) loves it
      4. Talking about money, movie deals or TV shows based on your manuscript
      5. Comparing yourself to Stephen King, Nora Roberts, etc.
      6. Pitching a general query with no hook ("I’d like to send you my romance novel.")
      7. Sending a sci-fi manuscript to an agent that represents romance (i.e., choosing the wrong agent for your genre)
      8. Not mentioning why you choose that agent/agency
      9. Not offering to take the next step ("I’d be happy to send you the complete manuscript…")
      10. Including too much irrelevant information ("It took me four years to write this book.")

As one might guess, the best queries were the ones that did the opposite of anything listed above. But to be more specific, many of the recurring aspects of the good queries included:

      1. An appropriate word count for the completed novel.
      2. A request for representation.
      3. A request to send the appropriate materials as per the agency’s guidelines (proposal, first 30 pages or completed manuscript)
      4. A referral, mention of previous books the author represented, or some acknowledgement that you chose the agent on purpose
      5. An interesting, well-written hook to draw the agent’s interest
      6. A "teaser" that left the agent wanted to know how the book ends ("What will happen when her husband learns his baby is part alien?")
      7. An interesting title
      8. Published pieces and/or relevant experience ("I lived with the Amish for a year to make sure the book was accurate.")
      9. A good platform (blog, Web site, media contacts, e-newsletter subscribers, etc.)
      10. For nonfiction especially, a clear understanding of your book’s purpose, niche and market. (You can save the details for your proposal, but the query should help the agent see where the book is going and who it’s for.

GLA: What do you think is the most common reason that good writers don't get published?

WBT: Poor marketing skills. I see so many writers that are either too afraid, too uniformed, or frankly, too lazy, to market their work. They think their job is done when the write "the end" but writing is only half of the process. I've always told people who took my class that there are tons of great writers in the world who will never get published. I'd rather be a good writer who eats lobster than a great writer who eats hot dogs. I make a living as a writer because I spend as much time marketing as I do writing.

GLA: What are some of the biggest misconceptions that writers have about getting a book deal?

WBT: That they'll be rich overnight, that they don't need to promote their book once it's published, that publishing houses will send them on world book tours, that people will recognize them at the airport. Still, you can make great money as an author if you're prepared to put in the effort. If it wasn't possible, there wouldn't be so many full-time writers.

GLA: What must-read books do you recommend to new writers?

WBT: Christina Katz (author of Writer Mama) has a new book out called Get Known Before the Book Deal - which is fabulous. Also, Stephen King's On Writing and David Morrell's Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing. Anything by Anne Lamott or my Dad, Steve Burt.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 6 articles on building a platform.
Buy Christina Katz's book on platform, Get Known Before the Book Deal.
Platform and the debut of your book.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Nonfiction Words of Wisdom from Agent Ted Weinstein

Chuck — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:19:16 GMT

On Wednesday, Ted Weinstein was one of the four literary agents who participated in our "Ask the Agents" panel at the conference. Ted, who specializes in nonfiction books, was full of wisdom on the panel. Below you can find four especially nice tidibits from him.

Four Tips on Submitting Nonfiction

By Ted Weinstein

1. Platform is the first thing he looks for when evaluating a nonfiction book proposal. On the subject of platform, Ted advises that nonfiction writers should "assume they are self-publishing." By that, he means that you should not count on any help from the publisher in selling the book. They will distribute it, yes, but once it hits the shelves, you have to make sure it gets off the shelves. If you expect no backing from the publisher to do this, you are, essentially, self-publishing in a way, and will make sure that you have a platform.
On this topic, he added that writers will sometimes come along and say "If my book gets published, I'll be famous!" Then Ted quips back, "No, if you get famous, they'll publish your book!"

2. You must submit one or a few sample chapters with a nonfiction book proposal. Concerning what chapter(s) to submit, do not submit the introduction if you are only submitting one sample chapter. Instead submit the actual Chapter 1, not merely the introduction itself.

3. When comparing your book to other titles in the marketplace, he advises two things. First of all, use the term "comparable titles" rather than "competitive titles." Second, try to prove how your book is like the Olympic rings. Show all these different rings exist - all these different types of books. But no book can link them together like yours!

4. He said he rarely asks for an exclusive look at a book proposal, but on the rare occasions that he does, he asks for no more than one week. That timeframe, he says, is more than enough for any agent to be exclusively reviewing a proposal.

Want more on this subject?

7 reasons agents stop reading your first chapter.

Should you start with plot or character?

Word count for novels and children's books.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Greg Daniel of Daniel Literary Group

Chuck — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:21:45 GMT

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

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

GLA: How did you become an agent?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

Read an interview with Christian agent Chip MacGregor.

Buy the memoir guide, Writing Life Stories.

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

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alert: Doug Grad Literary Agency, Inc.

Chuck — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:19:34 GMT

He's probably a little bit busy in his new transition from editor to agent, but you should take note of Doug Grad, who has created the newly-formed Doug Grad Literary Agency.

Strangely enough, Doug doesn't have a whole lot of information on his Web site regarding what topics he's looking for. It seems he is interested in just about all adult fiction and nonfiction topics. If you take a good look at his recent sales, it seems like they are mostly nonfiction items.

How to contact: Query him. If he is interested, he will request the full book proposal (for nonfiction submissions), or the first 50 pages (for fiction). Send e-queries to doug.grad@dgliterary.com

New Agency Alert: Kirsten Neuhaus Literary

Chuck — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:02:52 GMT

Kirsten Neuhaus, who has worked at a few agencies in recent years, has recently broke out on her own. Here are the details:

Kirsten Neuhaus Literary Agency
21 W 38th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
646 839 6899

Seeking: Nonfiction, particularly current events, international affairs, pop cultural studies, and narratives with strong female voices, as well as up-market, commercial fiction.

Submission Guidelines: "Our preferred method for receiving queries is via email. Please send a query letter, including a bio, and approximately ten sample pages to:submissions@kirstenneuhausliterary.com."

Please Note:
    - All material must appear in the body of the e-mail.
    - She will not open any attachments.
    - She does not respond to queries via phone.

Agent Advice: Kate McKean of Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc.

Chuck — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:43:46 GMT

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

This installment features Kate McKean of Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc. A native Southerner, Kate earned her Master's degree in Fiction Writing from the University of Southern Mississippi before starting her career as a literary agent.

She is seeking: Her interests lie in literary fiction, contemporary women's fiction, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, mystery, young adult and middle grade fiction, narrative nonfiction, sports related books, food writing, pop culture, and craft. She prefers email queries and can be reached at kmckean@morhaimliterary.com. She is not accepting any epic fantasy, science fiction, or children's picture books.

Kate McKean

GLA: Briefly, how did you become an agent?

KM: I've always loved writing and books, but I'm also a very outgoing person. As an agent, I get the best of both worlds--the creative aspect of helping my clients craft great novels and proposals, and the social aspect of networking with potential clients and editors. There are editors, teachers, writers, and salesmen in my family. Being an agent is like all of those professions put together.

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

KM: Most recently, I've sold audio rights for some agency clients, which is always fun, but the last book I sold was the sequel to the New York Times bestselling I Can Has Cheezburger called How to Take Over Teh Wurld.

GLA: To me, at least, it seems like a lot of fiction stories that writers are pitching at conferences are about middle-aged women who break out of their unsatisfying life to live a life of adventure and/or excitement. As someone who looks for contemporary women's fiction, do you see a lot of these queries? And if so, what advice can you give writers on standing out from the crowd?

KM: I see a TON of novels like these, and haven't signed up any of them. The advice I would give to writers working on this subject would be to focus less on the WHY the characters are changing their lives and more on WHAT they're doing to change their lives. The emotional reasons behind these stories are familiar to readers, but what they do with it can be new, different, and interesting. Bottom line, though, writing trumps all. A well-written novel with this subject matter would catch my eye.

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

KM: I'm looking for a novel to fall in love with. I'm looking for excellent writing, with a plot that keeps me turning pages. I'm looking for the diamond in the rough. I know that that's not a helpful answer to writers looking to query me, but I find that if there's a certain topic I'm looking for, I know how to go out and find it. I'm now just looking for that serendipitous connection of a great story and impeccable writing---just like every other agent and editor on the planet.

GLA: It says you seek paranormal romance, but nothing about any other type of romance. What attracts you to this specific subgenre?

KM: I'm a finicky genre reader, especially in fantasy. I don't want to learn a new language when I read a book, or have to create a completely new universe in my imagination, but I do want to escape my mundane existence. I particularly like that paranormal romance is equal parts a new and interesting, but takes place in a setting that I'm usually familiar with (you know, with the same laws of gravity and such). In the end, I'm a sucker for a romantic story, so paranormal romance satisfies both those cravings for me as a reader.

GLA: No agent has ever really talked about urban fantasy before. If someone asked you for your "Three Tips if Writing and Submitting an Urban Fantasy," what would you tell them?

KM: Frankly, those tips would be just about the same for a writer writing in any genre.
        1. Give me characters I can care about.
        2. Give those characters something to DO.
        3. Be aware of the genre, so you know if you're treading the same path as other authors.

GLA: People say fantasy books tend to be longer than most books and don't abide by normal word counts. Is this true with urban fantasy?

KM: Any story that requires the author to create a new world different from our own is going to need some extra pages to flesh that out. As long as this is done in a way that keeps the plot going and keeps the reader turning pages, the final word count doesn't really matter to me. But yes, fantasy does tend to be a little longer.

GLA: You seek young adult works. You don’t want picture books. Do you accept middle grade?

KM: Yes, I will consider MG.

GLA: You seek sports-related books. Can this be anything? Coaching? Memoir? Weird statistics? Anything?

KM: I'm a huge college football fan and I'm making it my mission to prove to the publishing world that football fans will buy books. (Whether or not I'm tilting at windmills here is another matter.) But I am interested in all sports, and all topics. I have one client writing a memoir as told through baseball cards, and another working on ideas about the NFL in it's early years. Practical nonfiction on sports topics is harder, because the writer needs a major platform to sell books.

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

KM: I'll be in Denver at the Romancing the Rockies conference May 1-2, 2009.

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

KM: I believe that all writers who hope to be published should remind themselves daily that they're writing for their readers, not for themselves. Writing is definitely a personally gratifying experience and can have wonderful therapeutic and self-esteem building results--but if your reader isn't compelled to turn the page because of something the writer is *trying* to do with the narration or theme, then what good does it do? One of my writing professors used to say: "Mean less." To me, that means don't set out for your book to be *about* something, especially an abstraction (love, trauma, homesickness). Just find some characters in your imagination. Make them do something. Make the reader care about what they do.

Want more on this subject?

Kate contributed one of the examples in the "Successful Queries" series.

If you're interested in the Howard Morhaim agency, I previously interviewed agent Brandi Bowles.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

If you're into the categories of paranormal or urban fantasy, check out The Encyclopedia or Werewolves, Vampires and Other Monsters.

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.

Agent Advice: Meredith Kaffel of Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency

Chuck — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:59:09 GMT

She is seeking: "or children's books, my first love is YA. And my YA tastes run the gamut from the highly literary (especially fish out of water tales, outsider stories told teetering from the edge, high concept novels taking on themes with gravity, up-market historical fantasy and stories involving the arts in some way), to the highly commercial (teen paranormal with a twist, high school dramas and friendship sagas, anything with sass and attitude, etc). I also enjoy smart middle-grade fiction, and I will take on the occasional quirky picture book manuscript. I'm actively looking for new illustrators as well -- for both the picture book and graphic novel/comic markets. As for adult manuscripts, I'm primarily looking for narrative nonfiction (specifically books dealing with food, science, international themes, feminism, cultural trends, art and literary history, music, and general "juicy" history and biography), and the rare literary novel that steals my heart. I tend to be drawn more toward darkly wry and edgy fiction than novels brimming with sugar-and-sunshine, but my rule about taking on a project is that there are no set rules. I just have to love it." I accept both email and snail mail queries. For email, please send to meredith@sll.com, and for snail mail, to: Meredith Kaffel Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency, 65 Bleecker St., Ste. 12, New York, NY 10012. For initial queries, I prefer a query letter along with 1-3 sample chapters for fiction, or a proposal for nonfiction."

GLA: How did you become an agent?

MK: I interned for agent Sarah Burnes one summer, when I was an undergrad at Yale. I watched the rhythm of her day, the intimate author and editor contact, the invigorating daily flurry, and thought "that's what I want to do." After that, I kept interning in publishing until I graduated, and then, after a brief stint as a writer's assistant, I joined the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency.

GLA: You have a Sterling e-mail, but you're not technically with Sterling, is that right?

MK: Good question. Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency (CSLA) is an affiliate of Sterling Lord Literistic (SLL). Charlotte owns her own agency, but we're a sister company of SLL – a boutique agency within the larger agency. It’s really a best of both worlds situation: the intimacy of a small agency, complete with the wonderful SLL extended family.

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

MK: A hilarious, quirky middle grade novel called Flirt Club by Cathleen Daly. It went to Neal Porter at Roaring Brook exclusively, because I wanted Neal's gorgeous aesthetic on this book. Thankfully, he loved it as much as I did.

GLA: You look for a lot of children's stuff. Specifically, with "fish out of water" stories - do you gravitate toward multicultural tales? Or can it simply be "poor kid gets sent to a rich boarding school" story?

MK: Charlotte and I both are very interested in multicultural tales, yes. But I'm also interested in any character who feels like an outsider, a misfit, anyone struggling to figure out who he or she is or how to exist outside his or her comfort zone.

GLA: Does "tween" exist as a category? If you got a query for a tween book that clearly straddled the YA-MG line, would you take it on? Or is it too hard to market because it's neither one nor the other?

MK: Tween does exist, and various publishers even have specific tween imprints in place. As for queries, the same standard holds true for me in terms of tween as it does with YA or MG: if the voice is authentic, then I'm probably interested. However, I do look more at plot with tween novels: right now, it's not enough just to have a great tween voice -- the storyline also needs to be unique enough to stand out in the marketplace.

GLA: What's more common? Seeing a juvenile ms that talks down the audience, or one that's a little too purple-prose and over their heads?

MK: Well, typically I'd say the former. But since CSLA is the agency of Lemony Snicket, we also see a lot of queries attempting to mimic Snicket's highly idiosyncratic voice – which sometimes unfortunately results in the latter!

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

MK: Things I cross my fingers for:
      1) High-concept YA novels - especially something as brave as Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.
      2) YA and adult novels that make me laugh out loud (either light comedy or something really dark and twisted, something that's 'I can't believe I'm allowing myself to laugh at this, I should be arrested' funny)
      3) Science for the trade market, pop sociology, books regarding cultural trends, counterculture histories, books which weave food and/or travel in as a theme, books about escape, about things lost and found, music histories for the trade market, compelling biographies of undersung women in history
      4) Books about the renaissance (fiction or non, and especially YA novels set in the renaissance)
      5) Teen paranormals that subvert and reinvent the genre and aren’t just vampire knockoffs

GLA: Following up on that last question, you seek plenty of narrative nonfiction in a whole host of subjects? Which of these categories, in your opinion, is really under-mined, so to speak? Which category is wide open and hasn't been fully explored yet?

MK: CSLA has long represented works of African-American history, but I think this category remains under-mined. Less crucially, I'd also love to see a book on the internet's effect on radio from a cultural standpoint, having become a recent NPR pod-cast fanatic…!

GLA: Since you seek narrative nonfiction, do you want a book proposal, a full completed manuscript, or both when pitching you?

MK: A really bang-up proposal with a sample chapter or two is often enough for me when it comes to narrative nonfiction -- at least in terms of taking someone on. Though if you’re not submitting many chapters, your proposal should be in the same voice as your book would be – it should leap off the page in the same way and should not be dull just because it’s a proposal!

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

MK: Indeed, I'll be attending the Wyoming Writers, Inc. conference this year in June 2009, and also the Surrey International Writers’ Conference in October 2009.

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

MK: Try to educate yourself in terms of the current state of the publishing industry, and be ready and excited to help market and promote your own book as much as possible. To this point, having an already-established Web presence helps immensely – in finding an agent and ultimately a publisher.

Want more on this topic?

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

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

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

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New 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.

Check Out Interviews With Two Agents: ICM's Tina Wexler, and Curtis Brown's Ginger Clark

Chuck — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:20:41 GMT

I came across Gretchen McNeil's Seanchai blog recently, and saw it had posted two recent interviews with top-notch agents.

Click here to read an interview with Tina Wexler of ICM.

Click here to read an interview with Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown.

Ginger Clark Tina Wexler

A little more info:

GINGER CLARK represents science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, paranormal chick lit, literary horror, and young adult and middle grade fiction.

TINA WEXLER specializes in middle grade and YA fiction, with particular interest in adventure stories with boy appeal, contemporary coming of age stories, tall tales, and mysteries. On the adult side, she is looking for narrative nonfiction (religion, memoir, pop culture) and up-market women's fiction.

(By the way, both Tina and Ginger will be at Writer's Digest's own conference in New York on May 27, 2009, if you're thinking about pitching either of them.)

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

The WD Writing Conference in New York! (and Other WD News and Opportunities, Too)

Chuck — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:44:37 GMT

Every year, Writer's Digest Books puts on an awesome one-day writers' conference in conjunction with BookExpo America. This year's BookExpo event is in Manhattan in late May, and our writers' conference is on Wednesday, May 27.

Well have I got some good news for writers. The numbers of literary agents who will be in attendance taking pitches from writers just keeps getting bigger. We are at about 60 agents right now and that number will certainly grow by a few. We'll basically just keep signing up agents until representatives from the Jacob Javits Center in NYC stop us because of fire codes. (Only half joking.)

Below you will find the list of attending agents who will be taking pitches at the conference. Here are the details: The slam is the finale of our event on Wednesday, May 27, at the Jacob Javits Center in Midtown, NYC. The slam goes from 3 to 5 p.m., and pitches last three minutes total. You get to pitch as many agents as you can in that time. I don't care what category/genre of fiction or nonfiction you're writing, we have multiple agents attending who are looking for what you write. Memoir? Check. Children's stuff. Check. How-to business? Check. Romance bordering on erotica? Check. Everything in between? Check.

Prior to the slam, the day is chock full of presentations and panels with authors, agents and editors.

For space purposes, we can't fit the complete agent bios on this blog post; however, you can see everything these agents accept and "want" on the official conference BEA page right here. That link will also show you who is presenting at the conference itself.

Literary agents (and some editors)
in attendance at the 2009
Writer's Digest Books Writers' Conference:

EMMANUELLE ALSPAUGH (Judith Ehrlich Literary)
MICHELLE ANDELMAN (Lynn C. Franklin Associates)
BERNADETTE BAKER-BAUGHMAN (Baker's Mark Literary)
MICHAEL BOURRET (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management)
JAMIE BRENNER (Artists and Artisans)
REGINA BROOKS (Serendipity Literary)
ANDREA BROWN (Andrea Brown Literary)
SHEREE BYKOFSKY (Sheree Bykofsky Associates)
DEBBIE CARTER (Muse Literary Management)
JENNIFER CAYEA (Avenue A Literary)
DANIELLE CHIOTTI (Firebrand Literary)
ADAM CHROMY (Artists and Artisans)
VIVIAN CHUM (Prospect Agency)
GINGER CLARK (Curtis Brown, Ltd.)
GREG DANIEL (Daniel Literary Group)
STACIA DECKER (Firebrand Literary)
RACHEL DOWNES (Caren Johnson Literary)
VERNA DREISBACH (Dreisbach Literary Management)
JENNIE DUNHAM (Dunham Literary)
STEPHANY EVANS (FinePrint Literary Management)
SORCHE FAIRBANK (Fairbank Literary Representation)
MOLLIE GLICK (Foundry Literary + Media)
GARY HEIDT (Signature Literary)
BLAIR HEWES (Dunham Literary)
LEAH HULTENSCHMIDT (editor, Dorchester Publishing)
CAREN JOHNSON (Caren Johnson Literary)
ABIGAIL KOONS (Park Literary)
MIRIAM KRISS (Irene Goodman Literary)
MICHAEL LARSEN (Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents)
MEG LEDER (editor, Penguin imprint, Perigee)
SANDY LU (L. Perkins Associates)
DONALD MAASS (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
ALEXANDRA H. MACHINIST (Linda Chester and Associates Literary Agency)
MICHAEL MANCILLA (Greystone Literary Agency)
SHARLENE MARTIN (Martin Literary Management)
JEFFERY McGRAW (The August Agency)
COURTNEY MILLER_CALLIHAN (Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc.)
JUDITH ANN MIRAMONTEZ (Book Cents Literary Agency)
ROBIN MIZELL (Robin Mizell Literary Representation)
CHRIS MOREHOUSE (Dunham Literary)
ELLEN PEPUS (Signature Literary)
LORI PERKINS (L. Perkins Agency)
BARBARA POELLE (Irene Goodman Literary)
ELIZABETH POMADA (Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents)
ALANNA RAMIREZ (Trident Media Group)
JENNY RAPPAPORT (The Rappaport Agency)
JESSICA REGEL (Jean V. Naggar Literary)
JANET REID (FinePrint Literary Management)
CHRIS RICHMAN (Firebrand Literary)
JANET ROSEN (Sheree Bykofsky Associates)
RITA ROSENKRANZ (Rita Rosenkranz Literary)
ELANA ROTH (Caren Johnson Literary Agency)
KATHARINE SANDS (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary)
ALISON SCHWARTZ (ICM)
JESSICA SINSHEIMER (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary)
MICHAEL STEARNS (Firebrand Literary)
NICOLE STEEN (Elyse Cheney Literary)
GRETCHEN STELTER (Baker's Mark Literary)
JOANNA STAMPFEL-VOLPE (Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation)
UWE STENDER (TriadaUS Literary Agency)
KARI STUART (ICM)
BROOKE WARNER (editor, Seal Press)
CHERRY WEINER (Cherry Weiner Literary)
TED WEINSTEIN (Ted Weinstein Literary)
JENNIFER WELTZ (Jean V. Naggar Literary)
TINA WEXLER (ICM)
JOHN WILLIG (Literary Services, Inc.)
TOM WILLKINS (Jeff Herman Agency)
CHRISTINE WITTHOHN (Book Cents Literary Agency)

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

AND OTHER WD NEWS

1. SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBINAR
        Wondering how to become an established author in an online world? Writer’s Digest is here to prepare you to take advantage of all the new online tools (like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), while also showing you the essentials of creating a website that gets noticed. We’re offering an online, interactive presentation that teaches you how to:
        - Easily build a website or blog in an afternoon or weekend. (It’s much easier than you think.)
        - Use social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. These sites are changing the way authors and publishers can market, promote, and connect.
       - Find success examples of writers using the Internet and examine why their strategies work.
        The online event is on March 31 at 1:30 p.m. EST. All you need is a computer with Internet access. Seats are limited, so register today! [Link to registration page]

2. FREE ARTICLE ON CHOOSING A CRITIQUE GROUP
       See it online here courtesy of Writer's Digest.

Agent Advice: Alanna Ramirez of Trident Media Group

Chuck — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:59:46 GMT

She is seeking: literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture and lifestyle books.

Alanna Ramirez.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

AR: I became an agent by working my way up through various positions at Trident Media Group. I started here as Ellen Levine’s assistant and had the privilege to work with many of her illustrious clients – Christopher Andersen, Russell Banks, Michael Ondaatje, Louis Sachar, Marilynne Robinson, and Sheila Weller, among others. Soon after, I became First Serial Associate and sold first serial rights for all of the authors on Ellen Levine’s list while continuing to work as her assistant. I sold short stories and book excerpts to American History Magazine, A Public Space, BOMB, Esquire, Harper’s, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Virginia Quarterly Review, among others. In 2007 I was promoted to Audio Rights Agent and also worked as an Associate in Chairman, Robert Gottlieb’s office, working with his elite client list – Catherine Coulter, Dale Brown, T. Jefferson Parker, and Karen Robards, just to name a few. In January 2009, I was promoted to Literary Agent. Previous to my experience at Trident, I worked in editorial at Penguin/Berkley Publishing Group, and also spent a year in the publicity department at HarperCollins. My experiences in the publishing side of the business have complimented my run at Trident.

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

AR: Most recently I sold a nonfiction book called Saving Cinnamon: The Amazing True Story of a Missing Military Puppy and the Desperate Mission to Bring her Home by Christine Sullivan, which will be published by St. Martin’s Press in Fall 2009.

GLA: What draws you to narrative nonfiction? What are you looking for in a narrative nonfiction submission?

AR: I majored in history and journalism in college, and I think that when you combine these two subjects you come up with narrative nonfiction. I enjoy history because I’ve always thought of historical events as stories – little insights into the culture, politics, psychology of a certain period of time. And I am drawn to narrative nonfiction because the writer will dig deep into history (or a current topic) with an investigative eye. I’m interested in seeing narrative nonfiction that explores important American figures, historical events (American or European), current cultural trends or events.

GLA: A lot of writers have memoirs, but few make it through the gauntlet to publication. What sets the best ones apart?

AR: I think the best memoirs are the ones that read like fiction. The circumstances are so extraordinary (The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls) or so unbelievable (Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs), or so inspiring (Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert) that the reader gets completely lost in the narrative. For me, a truly successful memoir should take me on a journey that I would not ever experience in my own life, and keep me up reading long into the night.

GLA: You also seek pop culture books and lifestyle books. Can you throw out some examples of these genres so writers can get a feel for what constitutes a “pop culture” work, etc?

AR: I think of “pop culture” as anything that’s an up-to-the minute trend. For example, playing off of our current economic situation I sold a book called Bitches on a Budget to NAL. It’s a smart, witty (sometimes snarky) guide for women to who want to survive a recession in style. I’m also interested in blog culture, fashion, style, film, and entertainment.

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

AR: As you know, I’m looking to take on nonfiction authors – memoir and narrative nonfiction. But I’m also looking for literary fiction that has the ability to cross over into the mainstream market. Think – The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini); Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen); The Dive From Clausen's Pier (Ann Packer); or While I Was Gone (Sue Miller). I’m also interested in novels about quirky families that span generations … some of my favorites include Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides); The World According to Garp (John Irving); I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb); The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen).

GLA: Most common problem(s) you see in a query for literary fiction?

AR: The most common problem that I see with queries for literary fiction as that the author has a hard time telling me what their book is about. The best way to pitch me is with 5 or 6 well-crafted sentences that give me the gist of the plot. Please don’t forget to tell me if you’ve won awards or have been published in literary magazines, or anything else notable about yourself and your writing.

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

AR: I’m not scheduled for any conferences yet this year.

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

AR: If you have a really great story to tell, and it doesn’t quite fit into what I’ve described, please pitch me anyway. It would be great to see a literary crime novel, for example. However, I’m not considering science fiction, fantasy, or romance.

Want more on this subject?

If you're interested in Trident Media, check out this post on new Trident agent Stephanie Maclean.

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

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

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

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Defining Create Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction and Biography

Chuck — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:30:38 GMT

Q. At first I thought I was writing "narrative nonfiction." As I proceed through the book, I have begun to wonder whether I might be writing "creative nonfiction," or even an "autobiography." Could you please further elucidate the distinctions?
- Mark

A. Well let's see...
      Narrative nonfiction IS creative nonfiction. They are one in the same - the terms used interchangably, though the former is more common right now.  Both are used to define nonfiction that reads like a novel. Examples: Into the Wild, The Right Stuff, In Cold Blood, Seabiscuit. Films like Apollo 13, The Perfect Storm, etc.
      When you're talking about a Biograohy or an Autobiograohy, you're talking about a work that really focuses on one individual. I tend to feel like autobiographies and biographies are usually for celebrities. Brad Pitt gets a biography...
      How do you know if your work is a memoir, biography, or narrative nonfiction?
      Biographies tend to be sweeping - focusing on the whole life. Memoirs tend to focus on an aspect or time period of a life, though not always. For example, Marley & Me was about his time with the dog - THAT was the aspect. A Long Way Gone was a memoir written about a man's experience as a child soldier in Africa - THAT was the aspect.
      Biographies tend to be about one person. Narrative nonfiction can focus on several or many.  When the book is mostly about you, it's an autobiography. When the book is about bigger things than yourself, than it's narrative nonfiction. Know, however, that the term "narrative nonfiction" is typically used to describe books that are NOT about the author.
      And sometimes the genres can overlap. For example, a book I just got done writing about called Bonnie & Clyde: The Lives Behind the Legend by Paul Schneider is called a biography by the publishing company, but it feels more like narrative nonfiction to me.

Agent Advice: Courtney Miller-Callihan

Chuck — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:16:03 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 Courtney Miller-Callihan, of Sanford J. Greenberger Associates. Courtney began her career in publishing at Random House, where she spent a number of years in subsidiary rights sales and in contracts before joining Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in 2005. Courtney holds a B.A. in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a M.A. in English from The Johns Hopkins University.

She is seeking: She looks for nonfiction projects on unusual topics, science, personal finance, business, pop culture, lifestyle books, and craft books. In addition, Courtney is seeking new voices in literary fiction, historical fiction, and women’s fiction. Solid credentials are a must. She also represents a limited number of children’s book authors and illustrators. She prefers to receive submissions via e-mail at cmiller [at] sjga [dot] com.

Courtney Miller-Callihan

GLA: How did you become an agent?

CMC: I've always loved books - everyone in this business does, which is the best thing about it. I think my interest in publishing stemmed from a stubborn desire to actually use my two degrees in English. I started at Random House, in the contracts department, in 2002, and then spent a couple of years in subsidiary rights before joining SJGA in 2005. I started taking on my own clients shortly thereafter.

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

CMC: The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia, illustrated by Elizabeth O. Dulemba (Sterling, fall 2010). Sterling is doing a great series of picture books about holiday traditions in different states.

GLA: You seek "unusual" nonfiction topics. Kind of like "miscellaneous"? Could you give me some examples of books out there in the market you wish you'd repped?

CMC: "Miscellaneous" is good, or "weird." I want to see proposals for books on subjects I've never really thought about or even heard of, as well as really creative takes on subjects that have already received a lot of attention. I love narrative nonfiction and investigative journalism, and anything that teaches me something new.

GLA: You seek solid credentials. Is that just for nonfiction? Or do you want some kind of a platform even when getting a fiction query?

CMC: If the query is for literary fiction, I like to see a strong record of publication - short stories in literary magazines. For more mainstream fiction, the platform doesn't matter if the writing is terrific.

GLA: Do you find that you have any weird quirks as an agent? Perhaps everyone likes a query presented in such-and-such a way, but you prefer something else?

CMC: I respond poorly to clip art, whether it's the "writerly" scroll of parchment on the letterhead or simply an attempt to add illustrations to a proposal. Better to leave it out.

GLA: Regarding the juvenile work you will accept - can you elaborate a bit? Mid grade? Picture books?

CMC: I'm feeling more drawn to middle grade and YA at present, but I've always got my eye open for really wonderful illustrators. I don't like talking animal books or picture books done in rhyming couplets.

GLA: Literary fiction, historical fiction and women's fiction are unique in that none of them fall under "pop" or "genre" fiction. What do you like to see when you sit down to read a partial?

CMC: Introduce me to a character I want to get to know. Get me invested in the story, fast. And, everyone always says this but it's true, I live for the times I get so absorbed that I almost miss my subway stop.

GLA: What are you looking for now and not getting? For example, a 18th century story set on the high seas...

CMC: I'd love to see more historical fiction with a non-Western setting. As with my taste in nonfiction, I relish the opportunity to learn something. I'd love to see more compelling, character-driven women's fiction. And I'm on the lookout for a book on homesteading - DIY, frugality, eco-conscious.

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

CMC: Nothing on the schedule at the moment (but I'd love to hear from writers' conferences looking for more agent participants/speakers!)

GLA: Best piece of advice concerning something we haven't discussed?

CMC: I can't emphasize enough the importance of making a good first impression. Agents are inundated with queries, and for me, the ones that follow my guidelines (a proposal and CV for nonfiction, a synopsis and the first three chapters for fiction), spell my name right, and maybe reference my existing clients' projects, really do stand out from the pack.

Want more on this subject?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Katharine Sands On Book Proposals

Chuck — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:47:49 GMT

So I finished a book proposal in December and passed it on to my agent. Just a few days later, when talking to Katharine Sands (superagent extraordinaire), she mentioned that she would look it over for me as a favor to try and ID any weaknesses, etc.

She came back with one major note, and I wanted to share it with you because it was so good.

The book is a humor (gift) book. Her critique was this: She wanted to know, "What is the benefit to the reader? What have they gained by reading your book? What are they now that they weren't before?"

Great tip. I'm used to saying "This is what the book is." She's saying not to forget including "This is what the book will provide for readers." Considering this was a gift/humor proposal, that didn't occur to me too much. Luckily, the revision will only take a few sentences here and there.

Katharine Sands of the
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

See an older GLA interview with Katharine Sands here.

Agent Advice: Sammie Justesen of Northern Lights Literary Services

Chuck — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:00:10 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 Sammie Justesen, of Northern Lights Literary Services, LLC. She represents genre fiction and all areas of nonfiction.

Sammie Justesen

GLA. How did you become an agent?

SJ. I began my career as a nurse and moved into publishing as a clinical editor for a medical publishing firm. From there I began editing non-medical books, including fiction.

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

SJ. I’m working on a two-book deal with Wiley for Frank Rumbauskas Jr. These will be follow-up books to his business bestseller, Never Cold Call Again.
        I’m preparing to sign a contract with Sterling Publishing for Thank You For Firing Me, by Candice Reed and Kitty Martini: a practical and inspirational guide to rebuilding one's career after being fired.

GLA. You look for a lot of nonfiction. What are you seeking right now and not getting? What do you wish would turn up in the slush pile?

SJ. I’m open to any topic that will interest to readers and has a wide market. I’ve accepted books on everything from Hip-Hop music to sustainable agriculture. I’d love to see more queries from authors who’ve done their homework and prepared a great proposal.

GLA. Fill in this sentence. "If a book proposal doesn't _________ , I can't do anything with it and say no to the author."

SJ. If a book proposal doesn't address a wide enough market, I can't do anything with it and say no to the author.

GLA: Your fiction interests seem to be mostly genre - romance, women's, mystery, suspense and historical. What draws you to genre categories?

SJ: I lean toward representing the kind of books I enjoy reading, because I have a better understanding of those genres. Also, I find genre titles are easier to sell.

GLA: Do you find that people mis-categorize submissions to you? Do you get "romance" that's really not romance at all, for example?

SJ: Usually the queries I receive are correct with categories, but authors sometimes try to combine categories in a way that won’t sell to publishers. For example: a steamy romance novel combined with a violent spy story. Where would it go in a bookstore? Who would read it? Bookstores need to know exactly where books will be shelved.

GLA: Suspense is a genre we've never really talked about on the blog. Can you throw out a few things that you believe are integral to a good suspense genre book?

SJ: These suggestions come to mind:
        1. Learn the formula by reading and studying this genre. (Of course, you won’t let your readers know you’re following a formula). Analyze your favorite book to see how the writer adds suspense, to the book in general and individual scenes.
        2. Your central problem or issue must be serious enough to engage readers’ attention. What’s at stake? Don’t go overboard (like saving the earth from giant insects), but make sure your protagonist faces a life-changing threat. Make it personal for the hero.
        3. You’ll need a sympathetic protagonist, complete with flaws, quirks, and a reason for us to care what happens to her.
        4. Have a great ending in mind before you start the book.
        5. Your bad guys should be interesting, entertaining, and smart. Don’t use cardboard villians. The hero should be fully tested by his adversaries.

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

SJ: We plan to attend the Writers of the Pacific Northwest Conference in Seattle (July, 2009), the Jackson Hole Writers Conference (June, 2009), and the South Carolina Writers Workshop in Myrtle Beach (October, 2009).

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

SJ: Publishers are struggling to cope with the volatile economy. In 2009, writers and agents must go “lean and mean.” We need to work harder at creating books that are well written and attract a wide audience. Before you send queries, focus on creating a platform and marketing plan.

Sammie Justesen is a literary agent with Northern Lights Literary Services, LLC. She is interested in the following genre fiction categories: romance, women's mystery, suspense and historical. She is open to practically any nonfiction subject that comes with an awesome book proposal.

Agent Advice: Ellen Pepus of Signature Literary (formerly the Ellen Pepus Literary Agency)

Chuck — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:48:23 GMT

She is seeking: "narrative nonfiction, including history, true crime, science, adventure, and memoir, as well as self-help, health and diet, food and cooking, travel, entertainment, popular culture, how-to and humor. She also represents a wide range of fiction, including literary, historical, mystery, women's fiction and romance, erotica, thrillers, fantasy and general commercial fiction. She does not handle science fiction, young adult, children's, short stories, poetry or screenplays."

GLA: How did you become an agent?

EP: My background is in English, writing and law, and I'd always wanted to work in publishing. My introduction to agenting was at The Graybill and English Literary Agency where I was assistant to several agents (including Jeff Kleinman and Elaine English) and sold foreign rights. When that agency disbanded in 2006, I decided to start my own agency, based in Washington DC.

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

EP: The Belly Dancer, DeAnna Cameron, Berkley 2009. Really fun historical fiction by a first-time novelist.

GLA: You say you're looking for women's fiction that transcends chick lit. Can
you expand on what you mean by this?

EP: I love themes and subjects that appeal to women - books about people, relationships, women's lives. I like the funny, lighthearted aspect of chick lit, but I'm more looking for books with more depth, that are original and unpredictable and take a few risks. I would love to find authors who can break out of the formula and still tell a great story.

GLA: You also look for "animal stories," but this seems like a subject where you may get a lot of bad submissions. True? What mistakes are people making?

EP: It's funny; animal books are sort of perennial sellers, so I thought I'd put it out there as something I was looking for - but I do get a lot of misguided submissions in this area, particularly people's "cute pet" stories. I'd like to see books that include animals as a theme or subject, but not necessarily ones about someone's weird dog or cat. Instead, I'd love to see good narrative nonfiction in the science or nature areas or even a memoir/human interest story with an unusual twist and great writing.

GLA: What are the most common problems you see in a query letter from an unknown author?

EP: The most common problems in query letters - first, mistakes in grammar, spelling, word usage, or sentence structure. Anything like that is going to put me right off. Second, not saying what the book is about right away. I am only able to spend a minute at most reading your query letter - tell me exactly what I should know immediately because I may not read all the way to the end. Third, being boring or unoriginal - writers don't seem to realize how many query letters we read in a day or a week, we've seen everything and are looking, more than anything, for our attention to be caught, to be taken by surprise. Be surprising!

GLA: What are you noticing about how the recession is affecting the publishing
world and authors' abilities to sell work?

EP: It's definitely tightened up quite a bit. I think there will still be sales but maybe fewer for a while, and publishers may be less likely to take a chance on an unknown fiction author unless the work has a very strong commercial hook, or, in nonfiction, if the author has a great platform.

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

EP: In 2009, I'll be at the Las Vegas Writers Conference in April and Washington Independent Writers Conference in June. I'll also be taking pitches at the Writer's Digest Books Writers' Conference just before BEA in May in Manhattan.

GLA: When writers pitch you in person, what do they need to do to make their
short amount of time work?

EP: I think pitching is difficult because it's impossible to judge a piece of writing based on a pitch. Having said that, I want to hear about what the book is about, what makes it interesting, why people will want to read it, what one thing will get a publisher excited about seeing it. I also usually like to have a conversation with the writer, to find out their background, why they wrote this particular book, what else they've written, etc.

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

EP: My best advice to writers is to keep practicing, to take workshops and classes, to really learn your craft. Read a lot. Notice things like story structure, character development, how scenes are put together in the books you love. These things can all be learned. I see way too many people who think they can just bang out an unoriginal, poorly crafted novel and get an agent to take it seriously.
Writing is a discipline and it requires dedication, talent, craft and - unfortunately - luck, but the luck part has a lot more to do with the first three than people think. And if you don't succeed with your first novel, write another one. Consider that first one practice. Keep going, but don't get bogged down thinking you've written a misunderstood masterpiece if every agent in the world turns you down. Assume there's something in that piece that isn't working and move on ... but keep writing.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Greystone Literary is Back in Business

Chuck — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:11:16 GMT

I first met literary ageny Michael Mancilla in New York in 2007. He founded a cool, newer agency called Greystone, but the agency closed after a few years. Fortunately, it has recently reopened. Michael specializes in nonfiction and is looking for good writers.

Greystone Literary Agency

437 New York Ave. NW, No. 211, Washington DC 20001. (202)234-2299. E-mail: mike@greystonelit.com. Web site: www.greystonelit.com. Contact: Michael Mancilla. This agency is dedicated to both cultivating the voices and perspectives of the authors it represents and acting as a liaison to the publishing community. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to opening his agency, Mr. Mancilla trained with literary agent Peter Rubie via New York University's publishing program. He is also a nonfiction author who earned a Lambda literary award nomination for his writing. Established: 2003. Represents 15 clients. 25% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 100% Nonfiction Books and Scholarly Books.

Nonfiction subjects of interest: Agriculture, Animals, Archaeology, Biography, Parenting, Computers/Electronic. Current Affairs, Education, Ethnic/Cultural Interests, Health, History, Interior design/decorating, Juvenile nonfiction, Language/Literature, Money/Finance, Music/Dance, Nature, Photography, Popular Culture, Psychology, Religious/Inspirational, Science, Self-Help.

How to Contact: Query with SASE. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Responds in 3 weeks to queries. Responds in 6 weeks to manuscripts. Does not return submissions. Actively seeking: narrative nonfiction by recognized leaders in their field. Also encourage submissions by journalists who want to expand beyond magazine and newspaper writing. Does not want to receive memoirs. Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Binding time: 1-year. Charges for postage and photocopying. Writers' Conferences: BookExpo America; Washington Independent Writers Conference. Tips: "To write is human, to edit is divine. I also want to know why you are the best person to write this book and I encourage authors with good writing skills to consider pairing up with an expert in the field as either a coauthor or to write the foreward."

New Agent Alert: Loren R. Grossman of the Paul S. Levine Literary Agency

Chuck — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:27:48 GMT

Agent Paul Levine's wife, Loren R. Grossman, has joined him at the agency and is looking for clients. She specializes in nonfiction.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Archeology, Art/Photography/Architecture, Child
Guidance/Parenting, Coffee Table Books, Education/Academics, Gardening,
Health/Medicine, Science/Technology, Law, Religion, Memoirs, Sociology.

How to contact: E-mail her at lrg@ix.netcom.com. Submitting writers are encouraged to refer to one or more “how-to” writers’ manuals. Send a one (1) page, single-spaced query letter, preferably by e-mail (although “snail mail” and fax are acceptable). No query-related phone calls, please. In your query letter, note your target market, with a summary of specifics on how your work differs from other authors’ previously published work.

All submissions should be photocopies free of spelling and grammar errors, in clear 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman), double-spaced, paginated, on white 8.5x11 20-lb. paper, with 1-inch margins. If you are asked to submit material, and you would like it returned should we not accept it, don’t forget to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelop (SASE).

New Agent Alert: Amberly Finarelli of Andrea Hurst Literary

Chuck — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:21:06 GMT

Andrea Hurst Literary Management, a Sacramento-based agency run by the talented Andrea Hurst, has a new official rep, Amberly Finarelli, looking for clients. She is currently looking for new clients in the following areas:

Nonfiction:

humor/gift books
crafts
how-to (financial, house and home, health and beauty, weddings)
Relationships/advice
Self-help, psychology
Travel writing
Narrative nonfiction

Fiction:

Commercial women's fiction
Comic and cozy mysteries
Literary fiction with a focus on the arts, culture, and/or history
Contemporary young adult.

Learn more about Amberly Finarelli on the Andrea Hurst agency site. Her e-mail is amberly@andreahurst.com. Submission instructions can be found online.

Agent Advice: Abigail Koons of The Park Literary Group

Chuck — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:30:26 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 Abigail Koons, of Park Literary Group, LLC.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

AK: After working for EF Education, a large Swedish company specializing in educational travel, I decided to make the switch to publishing. I attended the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and started working as the foreign rights assistant with agent Nicholas Ellison the week after I finished the program. That job eventually morphed into an agent’s assistant position and here I am, six years later, an agent and the director of foreign rights at The Park Literary Group.

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

AK: Actually, the most recent sale for me was just this week. After many years of trying to find a publisher for Nicholas Sparks (author of The Notebook and most recently, The Lucky One) in Korea, I concluded a four-book deal with Magic House Publishing.

GLA: Your bio says you seek "travel narrative nonfiction." Can you help define this category for writers? What are some examples of this category?

AK: Travel and adventure narrative nonfiction is the type of book that takes you away to another place. It is often a memoir, but can be a journalistic story of a particular event or even a collection of essays. The key here is that it tells an interesting and engaging story. It is also very important these days that the story is fresh and new—you’d be surprised at how many people have had the exact same experience with the rickshaw in Bangkok that you had. Some recent successful examples of this genre are Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and most things by Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson.

GLA: When you get a query for a commercial fiction novel such as a thriller, do you want the author to have a series in mind? Should they mention this? Or just pitch it as one book?

AK: The author doesn’t have to have a series in mind to pique my interest because frankly, not all thrillers are meant to be series. If the do intend for the novel to be the first in a series, it helps to know, but it’s not necessary. The most important thing is to pitch the strengths of your project—don’t just say what you think the agent wants to hear.

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

AK: To be honest, I’m not seeing great thrillers! I’d love to find a political or military thriller set today that addresses the very real issues that we’re facing. An intelligent and exciting novel set among the Iraq War or covert missions in Pakistan (we’re talking fiction, here). I’d also like to see more funny novels that aren’t completely over-the-top. I love outlandish characters but I still want them to be believable. I am seeing too many memoirs, however, and I’m taking on very, very few.

GLA: Let's say you're looking through the slush pile at query letters. What are common things/elements you see in a query letter that don't need to be in there?

AK: If your query letter is more than one page long, there are things in there that are superfluous. The most common unnecessary addition is a description of the writer’s family/personal life if the book is not a memoir. Some personal background is good, but I would much prefer to know about the amazing novel you wrote. The personal information can come later. The other most common misstep is listing weak qualifications for writing the book. What I mean by that is when someone says “I have a daughter so I am qualified to write this very general book about how to raise daughters.” In today’s very crowded book market, you must have a strong platform to write nonfiction.

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

AK: I will be in Austin, TX the weekend of Nov. 14 leading a workshop about query letters.

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

AK: Keep it professional. Although many agents and editors are in publishing for the love of books, it’s still a business. It’s hard not to take rejections personally, especially at the beginning, but responding to a rejection with an angry e-mail, letter or phone call will not serve you well.

"Eager to work with emerging and established talent, Abigail Koons is currently looking to add to her list of diverse and engaging authors. Her passion for travel makes her a natural fit for adventure and travel narrative nonfiction, and she is also seeking projects about popular science, history, politics, current events and art. She is also interested in working with commercial fiction, especially superb thrillers and mysteries." See her agency web page here.

Agent Advice: Ted Weinstein of Ted Weinstein Literary

Chuck — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:21:01 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 Ted Weinstein, founder of Ted Weinstein Literary Management, based in San Francisco.

He is seeking: "narrative nonfiction, popular science, biography and history, current affairs and politics, contemporary culture, business, sports, food and cooking, health and medicine, entertainment, and quirky reference books. Please note he does not represent fiction, screenplays, short stories, poetry, or books for children or young adults."

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

TW: I represent nonfiction in many different categories and I sell new books frequently, so it's best for authors to visit my agency's website for the latest information on our deals, our clients, and their recently published books.

GLA: It seems like if someone wanted to write about cooking or politics or history, it's all been done before. That said, what stands out for you in a proposal? What are you looking for immediately to draw you into a project?

TW: There are several factors that can help a book's ultimate prospects: great writing, great platform, or great information, and ideally all three. For narrative works, the writing should be gorgeous, not just functional. For practical works, the information should be insightful, comprehensive and preferably new. And for any work of nonfiction, the author's platform is enormously important.

GLA: Online at your website, people can listen to your speech called "Book Proposal Bootcamp." To summarize, what do you detail in the speech?

TW: The "Book Proposal Bootcamp" workshop, which I teach frequently at writers' conferences and elsewhere, gives an overview of the whole process from book idea to book tour, but with a central focus on the actual proposal, which is essentially a business plan for a book. I explain all the elements of a proposal - overview, about the author, target audience, comparable titles, marketing and promotion plans, detailed table of contents, sample chapters - and try to give as much guidance (and true stories) as a 90-minute session allows.

GLA: You look for writers of nonfiction biography. Are you looking for interesting people who want to write their own autobiography, or are you looking for good writers who can write biographies of famous people? If it's the latter, how do writers secure the rights to write Mick Jagger's life story, for example?

TW: Memoir/autobiography is a thriving genre (I highly recommend the 826 Valencia Writing Centers' The Autobiographer's Handbook, which I represented), but the appeal of any particular work will come from the literary quality of the writing and the author's ability to make the story compelling to someone who hasn't previously heard of him or her. We all see too many memoirs where our reaction is either "This just isn't great writing," or "Why would a stranger care about this writer's personal story?"
For biographies, of course, the writing quality is key, as well as the fame (or infamy) of the subject and the freshness of the material or insights the author presents. Often an "authorized" biography is more interesting (we all want to read a story where the subject gets to have his or her say, too), but there is no single way to persuade a subject to cooperate. And nothing prevents an author from writing about a public personality, as long as they don't write anything libelous, of course.

GLA: Can you give me an example or two of where a journalist was working on a topic and made it into a book that you agented? How did the timeline work? Did you contact them or vice versa?

TW: Recent examples include Nena Baker, who was a reporter for the Portland Oregonian and the Arizona Republic, and whose current affairs and science book The Body Toxic just came out from Farrar, Straus & Giroux. She and I met at a writers' conference where she first pitched me a different project, but the impact of environmental chemicals had long fascinated her and seemed an important and timely topic to me. So she and I worked on a proposal, sold it, and although the whole project took several years, she had a wonderful working relationship with her editor, Denise Oswald, at FSG.
Another client, Eric Janszen, an economics analyst and writer (and former tech executive), wrote the cover story of Harper's Magazine in February 2008, "The Next Bubble," about our current economic situation. Based on that article, I contacted him and helped him develop a book proposal, and the quality of his insights and the timeliness of the topic led to a frenzied, two-day tour to meet with eight different publishers who were interested. Adrian Zackheim at Portfolio/Penguin aggressively pre-empted the book on the eve of what was going to be a big auction, and Eric is close to finishing the manuscript now, with publication of The Post Catastrophe Economy scheduled for next spring.

GLA: What are the most common things you see writers doing wrong when composing a nonfiction book proposal?

TW: Professionalism always wins. A book proposal, as I said earlier, is simply a business plan for a book. Authors who don't learn all they need to know about writing a great proposal (you know, I heard there's a good "book proposal bootcamp" audio recording available somewhere on the Web...) and then carefully take advantage of what they have learned are much less likely to succeed.

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

TW: I attend a wide range of conferences, which varies each year, and it isn't essential to meet me face-to-face to pitch me a book. Perhaps a third of my clients are referrals, another third I discovered and contacted myself, and another third I took on from blind submissions via my Web site. I read every submission I receive, and I'm always looking for that query or proposal where I can say, as in that Tom Cruise/Renee Zellweger movie, "You had me from hello."

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

TW: Write every day, get in a serious writing group for high-quality feedback, treat writing like the craft and privilege it is.

Blank Spots on the Map

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Jeffery McGraw of The August Agency

Chuck — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:55:06 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 Jeffery McGraw of The August Agency, LLC. Jeffery handles some fiction but specializes in nonfiction.

Jeffery McGraw

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JM: To cut a very long story short … I started out as a book buyer in Boston, moved to New York to work in soap operas for a while, and later fell - completely by accident - into book publishing at HarperCollins, working my way up the editorial ladder under the brilliant guidance and mentorship of Marjorie Braman (now Holt’s new editor-in-chief: go Marjorie!), left to explore other areas of publishing including a stint as publicity manager for Abrams, happily returned to Harper to become editor for its entertainment imprint, and later got laid off when said imprint wisely got restructured. In the months that followed, I couldn’t find a publishing job available that fit me and that I also fit in return. (You try applying for a women’s fiction editorial spot when you have tons of experience working with women’s fiction but nevertheless happen to be a guy. Damn that extra leg!)
        At that point I grew restless, but also entrepreneurial.
        Originally, I suggested to my good friend, Cricket, who had just a few years prior started her own budding literary agency, that we work together. That’s when we folded her operations into a brand new company, The August Agency, LLC. After years as an editor, becoming an agent was a natural transition for me. Finally, I could work on books for which I had enormous passion – not just titles someone else instructed me to handle. With such a liberal arts mind set, I was able to cast a very wide net and take on a diverse array of authors and projects that matched my interests.

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

JM: One of the most personally intriguing projects I’ve sold in the past year is author and political scientist Dr. Jack Godwin’s latest effort, Clintonomics: How Bill Clinton Reengineered the Reagan Revolution, due out next year from Amacom. I have been a political junkie for as long as I can remember, plus I love books that enlighten you in ways you never would be able to imagine. Jack Godwin satisfies on both levels with Clintonomics. Just when you think you know everything you could every know about someone – in this case the forty-second president of our great and storied nation – Jack makes you think again, revealing facets of a fascinating figure you never realized existed.

GLA: You have a self-declared "enormous passion for well written melodramas." Can you expound on this? Also, concerning these "melodrama" submissions you receive, where do you see writers going wrong in their writing?

JM: My maternal grandmother, Betty, instilled in me my love for melodrama, starting when she introduced me to the film version of Gone With the Wind when I was 12. Over the years, I would view that film more than 100 times and read the novel that inspired it, which, in all its glorious descriptive wonder, is an even richer experience (Mitchell puts the “scribe” in describe) – at least six times.
        Many people mistake the meaning of the word "melodrama," wrongly attributing it to overacting or extreme sentimentality. In fact, it is what the Greek defined as a combination of music (melos) and conflict (drama). That alone defines opera, a drama set to music. Watch any great Ross Hunter production – Back Street starring Susan Hayward, or Imitation of Life starring Lana Turner, for example – and you’ll find the driving force behind these soap operatic motion paintings can be found in their sweeping musical scores. Nothing appeals to our emotions more easily than music; it serves as a drug to seduce us into feeling a certain way. Loud, pulsating drum beats might signify danger, making us feel scared. A soft and sweet piano melody may soften our hearts, while screaming violins might make those same hearts soar. Combine this spellbinding phenomenon with genuine conflict and you have a magical combination. Not many literary magicians can pull this off on the written page by employing their gifts for language in the same unique fashion as the greats used music in their films, but some have, and to masterful effect: Margaret Mitchell, Fannie Hurst, Michael Cunningham, Olive Higgins Prouty, and Lloyd C. Douglas, to name a few. At their best, these authors have underscored the emotional undercurrent that drives the actions of their characters.
        As an agent, I have yet to come across an unpublished work of fiction that appeals to my emotional core in the same way Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, Cunningham’s The Hours, and Hurst’s Back Street have. If I only find one novel in my entire career that moves me as much as these and other great authors and their stories have, then the life-long search will have proved its worth. I am sure the late Harper editor Robert Jones felt that way when he first read Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto (though, for what it’s worth, I still think Pedro Almodovar should have snatched up the film rights before Bernardo Bertolucci got his hands on them).

GLA: Your nonfiction areas are vast and varied. What are you looking for right now and not getting?

JM: I’d love to rep more psychology titles (hey, it’s therapy I can afford) … works of narrative nonfiction that take me down roads I’ve never been but am willing to travel and bring all my friends with me … economics books that appeal to the underdog in all of us (think Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed or our own author Sarah Maxwell’s The Price is Wrong) … history books that are less about the past than they are about the present and future … memoirs that are by turns honest, riveting, tongue-in-cheek, LOL-funny, witty, sardonic, and dry like a good martini should be … intriguing, highly commercial nonfiction by brilliant lawyers (unlike most people, I love the rule of law and adore the attorneys who maneuver and navigate it all, except when they try and make simple things complicated, which is probably how to define what they do best, including, but not limited to, drafting publishing agreements; notwithstanding the foregoing, I realize I digress too much) … unique studies that make you go, “Hey, why didn’t I think of that before?” such as Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us) … compelling books by intelligent writers who can turn the seemingly obvious on its head (e.g., a staunch conservative defending the right to gay marriage, or a liberal out to prove racism can serve society in a good way) … and nonfiction that appeals to both the masses and professional fields (business, medical, legal, police oriented, et al).

GLA: Because you rep so much nonfiction, you see a lot of proposals. Where do these proposals commonly fall short?

JM: There are two areas in which I find most nonfiction proposals to be delinquent. The most apparent is the concept itself. Typically, it’s been done before in some fashion or another and doesn’t stand out enough from the crowd. In the competition section, where you list those titles that are either like-minded or comparable in some way, your obligation is two-fold: First, you must prove there is a market for a book like yours, and; second, you must prove your book fills an obvious void within that market.
        The second and more common shortfall I find in proposals is that the author has little or no platform.

GLA: At a recent event, I met a writer who was also a scholar. She was writing a nonfiction book (and knew her subject inside out), but she seemed to have very little concept of platform. When you meet with someone like that - some who has superior knowledge but no marketing ideas - what are some basic helpful things you would tell them to do?

JM: Build your base. I’ve given workshops at writers’ conferences about establishing an author platform, and it all boils down to one basic concept: Develop a significant following before you go out with your nonfiction book. If you build it, they (publishers) will come. Think about that word platform. What does it mean? If you are standing on a physical platform, it gives you greater visibility. And that’s what it’s all about: visibility. How visible are you to the world? That’s what determines your level of platform. Someone with real platform is the “go to” person in their area of expertise. If a reporter from the New York Times is doing a story on what you know about most, they will want to go to you for an interview first. But if you don’t make yourself known to the world as the expert in your field, then how will the NYT know to reach out to you? RuPaul used to say, “If you don’t love yourself, how the hell else is anybody else gonna love you?” I’m not saying be egotistical. I’m just saying, know your strengths, and learn to toot your own horn. Get out there. Make as many connections as you possibly can. We live in a celebrity-driven world. Love it or hate it, either way we all have to live with it. So, celebrate what you have to offer, and if it’s genuine and enough people respond to it, then you will become a celebrity in your own right. Get out there and prove to the world that you are the be-all and end-all when it comes to what you know about most. Publishers don’t expect you to be as big as Oprah, or Martha, or the Donald, but they do expect you to be the next Oprah, or Martha, or the next Donald in your own field.

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

JM: Aside from the regular media trade exhibitions such as Frankfurt (international publishing), MIPCOM (international television), and the like, I will be at the Surrey International Writers' Conference this October 24-26. I’ve attended a good number of conferences, and this one is the absolute best I’ve ever experienced. I’ve come away with a wonderful client from this very conference and even sold his book. It’s the most smoothly run operation, unlike some other conferences I’ve attended. I truly wish I could say I am attending more this year, but frankly I’m not on the conference circuit as much as I would love to be. I enjoy conferences where I can get to know and have some true blue face time with writers and editors as well as fellow agents in the industry. So, if there are any conference directors out there looking for presenters, I would love to hear from you!

GLA: Best piece of advice concerning something we haven't discussed?

JM: Have no expectations in this business (or life, for that matter) and you will not be disappointed. Write for your life! Not someone else’s. If you want to be an ordinary writer, write an ordinary book; if you want to be an extraordinary writer, prepare to go the extra mile. To be a true writer, you have to do two things more than anything else: read and write. Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can. Nothing in this world is perfect, so don’t try to write perfectly. Just write, and accept it, and then polish it until it’s as good as you can get it. And, like no wine before its time, don’t jump the gun and submit your work to agents and publishers too early. Do your homework: Workshop your writing projects through writers groups and conferences, and when you’ve done as much as you can do on your own to make it as great as you can get it, research agents and editors before submitting to them. If they don’t handle what you’ve written, don’t send your work to them. If they have specific guidelines for submitting, follow those guidelines to the letter, no matter what you think may be exceptional in your case. In many cases when people submit to our agency, writers fail to include the first chapter or 1,000 words as required in our submission guidelines. How are we to know what we’re looking at if we don’t see something substantive in the form that we’ve asked to see it? You could have a great idea that’s poorly delivered, or present a lackluster premise to us that’s ultimately marvelous in its execution. If we don’t see a true sample of it, we’ll never know.
        At the end of the day, don’t take rejection personally. You will get rejected. That is a given. Publishing is not personal; it’s a business. Think of it that way. “Not right for us” usually means “Your project is not going to contribute enough to our salaries to make ends meet.” The end. That old saying, “It’s me, it’s not you” is so true. I teach a workshop called He's Just Not That Into Your Book. Finding the right agent or editor can be like searching for one's soul mate. It can take many frogs to find your prince. If an agent or editor turns you down, know that it’s primarily about his/her business needs, not you personally. Don’t be offended. Take it in stride and move on. And try to learn from your rejections. Consider how you could improve your work before submitting it elsewhere. Also, ask yourself if you're submitting to the right places. Above all else, don’t be afraid to put yourself and your work out there. Writers often can be so timid. I see it all the time. It’s like they’re so afraid no one in this world will love them or what they’ve written. Well, let's assume that's true (even though it's not). From this standpoint, what do you have to lose? If you have no expectations, then you won't be disappointed. And, if fate is kind, you just might be pleasantly surprised! You'll never know unless you try. Just jump. The net will follow.

Do You Send a Query or a Proposal or Both?

Chuck — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:27:35 GMT

Q. I have completed my nonfiction book proposal and am ready to begin contacting agents. In the 2008 Guide to Literary Agents, I notice that the preferred method is to send agents a query letter. Does the agent require the proposal too, or is the proposal used to send to publishers? Can I send agents the proposal and a cover letter? I'm just wondering how best to proceed, and appreciate any insight you might have.
- Jane

A. Every agent is different in terms of what they want, so there is no preferred method, so to speak. Most will probably tell you to send the proposal right away. Some will want to see a strong query letter, and then ask for the proposal if they're intrigued by the query. Much more often than not, they will say exactly what they want on their website. If they do NOT (and you've really looked everywhere), then I advise just sending the proposal. Most agents can size up a proposal in about two minutes. After that, they will either be interested and read the whole thing, or they will send a form rejection your way.
And to address another point here, the proposal is indeed sent to publishers by the agent, but an agent will go over it with a fine-tooth comb for a while to make sure it's perfect.

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.

Ageny Profile: Diana Finch Literary Agency

Chuck — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:27:30 GMT

Diana Finch Literary Agency

116 W. 23rd St., Suite 500, New York NY 10011. Phone: (646)375-2081. E-mail: diana.finch@verizon.net. Contact: Diana Finch. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to opening her agency, Ms. Finch worked at Ellen Levine Literary Agency for 18 years. Established: 2003. Member of AAR. Represents 45 clients. 20% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Currently Handles: 65% Nonfiction Books, 25% Novels, 5% Juvenile Books, 5% Multimedia.

Represents: Nonfiction Books, Novels, Scholarly Books. Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Business, Child Guidance/Parenting, Computers, Current Affairs, Ethnic/Cultural, Government/Politics/Law, Health/Medicine, History, How-to, Humor, Juvenile nonfiction, Memoirs, Military, Money, Music/Dance, Nature, Photography, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help/Personal Improvement, Sports, Theater/film, Translation, True Crime, Women's Issues. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Detective/Police/Crime, Ethnic, Historical, Literary, Mainstream/Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult.

How to Contact: Query with SASE or via e-mail (no attachments). Accepts e-mail queries. No phone or fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Returns materials only with SASE. Actively seeking: narrative nonfiction, popular science, and health topics. Does not want: romance, mysteries, or children's picture books.

Recent Sales: Armed Madhouse, by Greg Palast (Penguin US/UK); The Bush Agenda, by Antonia Juhasz; Journey of the Magi, by Tudor Parfitt (Farrar, Straus & Giroux); Radiant Days, by Michael FitzGerald (Shoemaker & Hoard); The Queen's Soprano, by Carol Dines (Harcourt Young Adult); Was the 2004 Election Stolen?, by Steven Freeman and Joel Bleifuss (Seven Stories); An Iranian Memoir, by Azadeh Moaveni (Random House); Great Customer Connections, by Rich Gallagher (Amacom). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales.; 20% commission on foreign sales.
Offers written contract. "I charge for photocopying, overseas postage, galleys, and books purchased, and try to recap these costs from earnings received for a client, rather than charging outright." Tips: "Do as much research as you can on agents before you query. Have someone critique your query letter before you send it. It should be only 1 page and describe your book clearly—and why you are writing it—but also demonstrate creativity and a sense of your writing style."

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: Julie Hill of Julie Hill & Assoc.

Chuck — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:05:02 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 Julie Hill of Julie A. Hill and Assoc., LLC. Julie's specialty is nonfiction.

She is seeking: nonfiction in the following subjects: Reference, Biography, History, Religious, Mind/body/spirit, Health, Travel, Lifestyle, Science. Send all submissions via snail mail. Never send a complete ms unless requested. Send to Julie A. Hill and Assoc. LLC, 1155 Camino Del Mar, #530, Del Mar, CA. 92014.

Return to Naples

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JH: I was writing for periodicals. My friends, who were screenwriters and also going through the finding-an-agent process, suggested I'd be good at it. And here I am.

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

JH: Lately I've been doing a lot of contract negtotiating for other people, but I did most recently sell a title to Barricade Books that releases in October 2008, Return to Naples: My Italian Bar Mitzvah. My most well-known book of late is A Blessing in Disguise by Andrea Joy Cohen, MD, from Penguin, released January of 2008. I always have the Florida travel guides from Frommers and Dummies (by Laura Lea Miller), which get updated yearly. I'd love to do more travel guides. Cafe Life: Venice Pubs in September '08 is the third in the Cafe Life series. Two more are due out next year: Seattle and San Francisco.

GLA: What are you specifically looking for right now and not getting? For example, a great nonfiction book about massage...

JH: Really great writers for travel, travel and travel. Also memoir, self help, and advice. I am also looking for anything that is in regard to Jewish titles, such as books about the Holocaust.

GLA: Your website says you are actively seeking queries from good nonfiction authors with a platform. Can you help define what separates a decent platform from a great platform?

JH: A great platform includes an author with great name recognition through a regular writing or performance gig: a column, a show, with a large audience. Their books traditionally do better than unknown writers, though there are exceptions. Having a big web presence is also in the great platform category. If you get a million hits a month, your platform is one publishers will care about.

GLA: What happens when you get a writer with good visibility and platform, but not in the subject they want to write in? Can that still work?

JH: If they have an outside editor to work with and some viable ideas, yes.

GLA: Do you consider yourself to have any weird quirks as an agent? In other words, have you ever been on an agent panel and heard all the other agents agree on something while you yourself thought differently

JH: YES. Most agents do not handle travel guides and I love them. They seem to shun "work-for-hire" like travel guides and related content.

GLA: Do you find that writers who break into nonfiction books and prove themselves as a reliable writer are in a position to get further book assignments from publishers?

JH: Abso-friggin-lutely, especially if their platform and sales history is impressive.

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

JH: None planned at present - sorry.

GLA: Any other bit(s) of advice concerning something we haven't discussed?

JH: Know how to write a great book proposal!

Want more on this topic?

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

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

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

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

2009 Article Excerpt: Nonfiction Book Proposals

Chuck — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:24:04 GMT

I have officially wrapped up all editing on the 2009 Guide to Literary Agents. It's over. Finally. Done. (I. Love. Using. Periods.) To celebrate, I thought I'd post excerpts from the forthcoming upfront articles.

2009 Article Excerpt:

Agent Mollie Glick of Foundry
Literary + Media talks
about nonfiction book proposals.

"...There are lots of ways to think about book proposals. Some agents, like Jean Naggar, president of The Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, think of proposals as a blueprint for what the finished book is going to look like. Other agents, like Richard Morris of Janklow & Nesbit think of it as an author's first chance to show off his/her unique narrative voice. In this tough market—a market in which editors are looking for reasons to reject projects rather than reasons to accept them—I think of proposals as an argument for why an editor can’t afford not to take a book on. Any way you look at it, a book proposal is your first chance to prove that you’ve got all of the elements needed to spin your raw idea into a literary goldmine.
        So what exactly are the essential elements that publishers and agents are looking for when they read your proposal? Five Things:
        1. An original idea. What fresh, original and engaging idea will your book present?
        2. But not too original. What published books share the same audience as your book? Why were those books successful, and why will your book appeal to the same readers?
        3. A clear sense of what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there. What’s the scope of your book? How are you going to set about gathering and presenting your information?
        4. Why is this an important book? How is your book different (and better than) other similar books? Why is now the time to publish a book on your chosen subject?
        5. Why are you the go-to-guy (or gal) to write a book on this subject? You may have heard the word “platform” floating around and wondered what it means. Put simply, there are two kinds of platforms, and ideally you want to demonstrate that you’ve got both. First: What makes you an expert and the clear choice to write the book you’re proposing? Second: What media connections do you have that will help you reach your intended audience with your message?..."

         - "Book Proposals: Five Elements of a Nonfiction Proposal" (page 41)

While Guide to Literary Agents is best known for its large and detailed list of literary agencies, every edition has plenty of informational articles and interviews designed to help writers perfect their craft and contact agents wisely. The 2009 edition is no different, with more than 80 pages of articles addressing numerous writing and publishing topics.

Agent Advice: Brandi Bowles of Howard Morhaim Literary

Chuck — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:19:29 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 Brandi Bowles of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency in New York. Brandi has been an agent with Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc., in Brooklyn, New York, since 2007. She was previously an assistant editor at Three Rivers Press.

She is seeking: She represents fiction in the areas of science fiction, women's fiction, quirky or experimental literary fiction, and light-hearted southern fiction. Her favorite novels include House of Leaves, The Time Traveler's Wife, Love is a Mix Tape, and World War Z. She is also looking for nonfiction proposals in the areas of music, pop culture, sociology, science, humor, and prescriptive/narrative/how-to. She only accepts e-mail queries and can be reached at bbowles@morhaimliterary.com.

GLA: You're a new agent, which can be a big advantage to authors seeking representation. Tell us a little about how you got started in the business.

BB: I’ve wanted to be an agent ever since I read the book The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing, when I was about 14 years old. After college, I moved to New York, enrolled in the NYU Master of Science in Publishing program, and landed an internship with Inkwell Management, a literary agency in midtown Manhattan. I worked at Inkwell for a few months and was then recommended to Three Rivers Press, a Random House imprint that specializes in humor, music, and pop culture paperbacks.
Three Rivers was a wonderful education for me, but eventually I began to crave more autonomy and the freedom to pursue my own creative ideas. When a too-generous publisher got involved and asked if she could give my name to Howard Morhaim, I recognized it as an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Howard’s is a highly respected name in the industry, and I knew I could go far under his tutelage if I played my cards right. The rest is history.

GLA: You've indicated you're looking for memoir and biography; nonfiction on the topics of pop culture, music, science, and travel; and historical novels, science fiction, and mysteries. Do any other kinds of manuscripts interest you?

BB: I really love big idea books, and books about broad sociological phenomena, but will only consider them if they are written by experts in their fields. I love books that shed new light on something in pop culture, media culture, and everyday life. In terms of fiction, I also like Southern fiction, experimental fiction, and cross-cultural novels. Quirky, funny, edgy, or naughty book ideas are always welcome in my inbox, and bonus points go to any authors that can make me laugh.

GLA: Do you consider screenplays? Graphic novels?

BB: I don’t consider screenplays or graphic novels, but I do consider graphic nonfiction. I currently have several cartoonists and illustrators on my list, some working with writers and others developing content on their own.

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

BB: E-mail! I prefer to do all of my business online.

GLA: Is the Internet dramatically changing the way you do business? If so, in what ways?

BB: I do pretty much all of my business online, and that includes scouting for clients, offering representation, e-mailing back and forth with authors, submitting to editors, doing market research, and more. I do find a lot of clients online. I read pop culture and industry blogs to stay updated on current trends. I read the New York Times online. And when I’m browsing, I bookmark reviews, articles, and blogs from new authors I love.

GLA: Do you want to receive queries from writers who reside in countries other than the U.S.?

BB: I’m a big fan of cross-cultural fiction. As long as the writing is up to par (the writer is proficient in American English) and the subjects, examples, and anecdotes hold interest in the States, I’m game.

GLA: What kinds of writing credentials or professional affiliations do you look for when you receive a query?

BB: For nonfiction queries, it is essential that the writer be an expert in his or her field. For fiction and memoir, awards and blurbs from established authors are always nice, as are mentions of participation in well-respected writers’ groups and conferences. They show me that the author is serious about his or her work.

GLA: Do you identify and acquire new clients from among contest winners, whose work is published in literary journals, or through online networking sites for emerging writers?

BB: I have acquired several clients from writers’ conferences. I have not yet picked up any writers from literary journals, but I’ve found several nonfiction writers online through sites like ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) and through mentions on popular blogs (usually media and pop culture blogs).

GLA: If a writer sends you a promising query outside your specific areas of interest, will you pass it along to one of your colleagues at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency?

BB: If the query letter is intriguing enough for me to read the material, and the material impressive enough for me to wish I sold a certain type of book, then yes, I would pass the writer along. My colleagues at HMLA also work on YA, fantasy, paranormal romance, graphic novels, history, and craft. I don’t work in these genres because they don’t interest me as much, so the query letter would have to be really good. Sometimes I pass along material that’s too literary for my list to a network of young agents. But again, the material really has to stand out for me to pass along my recommendation.

GLA: Do you read any publishing industry periodicals or blogs that might also be helpful to prospective clients?

BB: In terms of publishing industry, I read Publishers Weekly (both the print and online editions), Galleycat, PublishingTrends.com, Gawker, PubRants, the New York Times' PaperCuts, and Bookslut. As for other blogs and websites, I’m so all-over-the-map it would be hard to create a comprehensive list. That said, some of my regular stops are Jezebel.com, Boing Boing, Metafilter, Digg, 3 Quarks Daily, The Consumerist, Fark.com, The Believer, What Would Tyler Durden Do?, Pitchfork, and Stereogum.

GLA: We know you'll be presenting an information session and taking pitches at the 2008 Las Vegas Writer's Conference (April 17-19, 2008). Will you be attending any other conferences or events in the future where writers can meet you?

BB: I will also be attending the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Summer Conference in Seattle, the Alaska Writers Guild’s 2008 Speculative Fiction Writers Conference in Anchorage, and Words & Music in New Orleans.

GLA: You also teach a one-day mediabistro workshop with Susan Shapiro. How do you prefer to be approached by prospective clients in person at a workshop or business event—other than during a scheduled pitch session?

BB: I don’t mind writers coming up before or after any panel discussions or speaking engagements. I also don’t mind writers approaching me at cocktail or mingling parties at conferences, as long as they aren’t too heavy-handed with their pitches. That’s why those events are set up. The only times I really get frustrated are at meals, when I’m busy talking to other colleagues, or at end-of-conference type banquet events. If the event is for relaxing and celebrating, and not networking and pitching, I intend to do just that.

GLA: What do you want prospective clients to know about you?

BB: I believe that the agent-author relationship should be open and collaborative. When it comes to editing, I always want there to be a dialogue about what’s working, what isn’t, and why, and I want my clients to feel comfortable being honest with me. Writers at conferences have flattered me by telling me how approachable I am. Wonderful! I’m a firm believer in pulling back the curtain on book publishing and don’t think it should be shrouded in such mystery and intrigue. I will always strive to speak openly about the way this business works. When I sign a client, I consider from that point on that we are a team.

GLA: To a writer looking for an agent, can you offer advice about something we haven't discussed?

BB: It still surprises me how many writers are angry or defensive when agents reject their work. It’s a wasted opportunity. We invest countless hours reading book proposals and giving each proposal careful thought. We have firsthand knowledge of what’s selling (or easy to sell) and what’s not. Rather than firing off a counter-response (which has probably never convinced an agent in the history of agenting), authors should use the opportunity to find out why they were rejected and improve their future chances of success. It is not rude to ask for more detailed feedback following a rejection, as long as the request is polite. We may be able to give advice or point out character, dialogue, pacing, pitch, or structural issues that you might have missed. It could also lead to a referral or a request to resubmit.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews on the blog.

Interested in the Howard Morhaim agency? I previously interviewed agent Kate McKean.

If you're looking for advice on nonfiction proposal writing, check out Bulletproof Book Proposals.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Verna Dreisbach of Dreisbach Literary Management

Chuck — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:15:06 GMT

Update: Verna left the Andrea Hurst Literary Agency in 2008 and started her own agency: Dreisbach Literary Management

--------

"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 associate agent Verna Dreisbach of Dreisbach Literary, a boutique agency in California. Award-winning author Verna Dreisbach's writing has appeared in literary journals, magazines, books and newspapers, and she has served as a ghostwriter for a New York Times bestseller. She develops ideas for The Idiot’s Guides and The Everything Guides and is always seeking topic experts and co-authors to write additional books in these series.

She is seeking: literary and commercial fiction, with a particular fondness for mystery and thriller. Nonfiction areas of interest include: Biography/Memoir, True Crime, Business/Economics, Social History/Culture, Spirituality/Religion, Native American Indian, Parenting, Women's Issues, Health, Travel, Cookbooks, Science.

GLA: You're a new agent, which can be an advantage to authors seeking representation. Tell us a little about your background and how you got started in the business.

VD: My start in the literary world was quite coincidental. After working in law enforcement for 13 years, I returned to school to finish my economics/mathematics degree. A professor in an advanced writing class suggested that I enter my creative nonfiction in a literary contest, and I won. This began a series of excellent writing opportunities, an internship, and eventually a position as an associate agent with Andrea Hurst. I fell in love with writing, majored in English with an emphasis on language study and am now in the process of applying to the MA program in creative writing and composition. I feel I can best represent writers being a writer myself. If I ever have the time, I would love to finish my degree in economics.

GLA: The Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management website indicates you're seeking literary and commercial fiction, including mysteries, suspense, thrillers and women's fiction, as well as nonfiction in the areas of travel, self-help, parenting, business, pets, health, true crime, spirituality and the environment. You also have a particular interest in Native American authors and subjects. Would you consider any other submissions?

VD: I have taken a particular interest in books that have a political, economic and social focus. I want to represent books that cause the readers to stop and think about things in a way that they never have before, books that get to the core of who we are, our place in the world and what we are doing with our lives.

GLA: What kinds of writing credentials do you look for when you receive a query?

VD: Credentials are most important when writing nonfiction, and I look for professional degrees and experience in the field in which the author is writing. Nonfiction authors are more successful when they have already published in their field—whether it is magazines, journals etc.—and are in the process of building a platform prior to attempting to sell their books. Fiction writers do not necessarily need to have won writing contests or have a degree in English, although I do appreciate the efforts of writers who have taken the time to improve their writing. Having said that, writing is still an art form that begins with the talent to write and tell a story well.

GLA: Do you identify and acquire new clients from among contest winners? Whose work is published in periodicals? Through online networking sites for emerging writers?

VD: I am open to finding writers in any new or creative manner. I do review my query letters, but I prefer not to sit and wait for writers to come to me. This might be the police officer coming out in me, the pursuit of new talent. I did just sign a new fiction writer, Lillian Hamrick, whose book The Secret War was a finalist for the Fabri Literary Prize, which was sponsored by Boaz Publishing in Albany, Calif.

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

VD: I ask to be queried via e-mail at verna@andreahurst.com. A good query letter is essential. Research the most effective and professional way to query an agent. In addition to the technical side of writing a fiction query, don’t forget the appeal of the story. I want to read a query letter that compels a need in me to read the book. The agency Web site provides resources for writers.

GLA: If a writer submits a promising query that happens to be outside your specific areas of interest, would you pass it along to one of your colleagues at Andrea Hurst & Associates?

VD: This system is already in place within the agency. We will forward mail to each other if we feel that a particular query would be of interest to the other agent. Also, during a conference, I will provide a writer the business card of either Andrea or Judy if I know that they would be a good match. We work as a team.

GLA: What's your defining personality trait?

VD: I am not one for singular defining words. I believe in a balance. On one hand, I have strength and fortitude, in whatever I set my mind to. I am not deterred by a challenge and don’t hesitate going for what I want, which is probably what made me successful as a police officer. Yet, those characteristics are balanced with a patient and understanding side, which expresses itself in raising my children or training horses. Surprisingly, training horses becomes more of a lesson about oneself, and a true test of patience.

GLA: Will you be attending any conferences or events in the future where writers can meet you?

VD: I enjoy attending writers’ conferences and have several scheduled for this year (2008). Right now, I am scheduled to attend the following conferences:

GLA: To a writer looking for an agent, can you offer any advice about something we haven't discussed?

VD: Professionalism is just as important as being a good writer. When agents decide to represent writers’ work, they are also representing the writers. Also, don’t lose focus on the purpose of writing. The purpose needs to be the love of writing, the expression and the art, so that the best writing can come forth. Keep this in mind, and then think about the goal of publishing. When submitting work to an agent, make sure that you are sending a finished product that has been edited and proofread.

Want more on this topic?

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

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

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

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

What is a Platform?

Chuck — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:59:58 GMT

This is a complicated subject, and a lot of people could write many pages and barely scratch the surface on this. That said, here's my short version of how to define "platform."

Platform, in essence, concerns all the avenues you have to sell your work to readers who will buy it.
      Let's look at an example: You want to write a book on astronomy and eclipses. Can anybody write this book? Sure, if they become knowledgeable enough. Can anyone sell this book? No way. First of all, examine who will buy this book. Probably other people interested in astronomy and eclipses. A person with a good platform to write this work will have different avenues in place to connect with these specific people who will pay money for the book.
      Some ways to do this would be to write for science magazines and get your byline out there, to run an astronomy-oriented Web site that gets good traffic, or to have a newsletter and blog dealing with similar topics. The writer of this particular book must have these avenues in place when the book comes out, because the publisher will likely spend $0 on promotion and marketing, so the book must be easy to sell, and that's how platform comes into play.
      Other factors of platform to mention real quick include credentials and media opportunity. If you're the foremost expert on eclipses, for example, then you're likely quoted all over in the media regarding the phenomena, so you have a natural platform built in. Or - let's say you were a stripper who wanted to write a funny memoir about the experience (like Diablo Cody did). That has a lot of media potential in terms of people being interested in interviewing you, etc. Those two things can constitute platform as well.
      At the CNU conference last weekend, a writer was talking about his nonfiction book on World War II. He explained that he had become very well versed on military matters through research and was a capable writer for such a project. I told him there was little chance of selling it because of the problem I mentioned above. You don't have to just write nonfiction; you have to sell nonfiction, too. And the most effective way of doing that is to be well known and respected by the types/groups of people who will buy the specific book in question. That's a platform.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 6 articles on building a platform.
Buy Christina Katz's book on platform, Get Known Before the Book Deal.
Platform and the debut of your book.
Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Michael Murphy of Max & Co.: A Literary Agency & Social Club

Chuck — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:57:56 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 Michael Murphy, founder of Max & Co.: A Literary Agency & Social Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. Michael has worked in the book publishing industry for 30 years. His first 13 were with Random House-Ballantine, where he was a vice-president. Later, he ran William Morrow & Co. as their publisher until the company’s acquisition by and merger with HarperCollins. He formed Max & Co.: A Literary Agency & Social Club in the fall of 2007.

He is seeking: He is looking primarily for narrative nonfiction, memoir, and eclectic visual books. Additional information can be found on his agency’s Web site.

Michael Murphy

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

MM: My most recent sale was a novel, Concord, Virginia, by Peter Neofotis. I had been the novella competition judge at the recent Words & Music festival in New Orleans. Work is sent with the author's name removed, so it wasn't until after I chose Peter as the winner that I learned anything about him. By day, he works in environmental biology at Columbia University. By night, Peter performs in small clubs throughout Manhattan performing monologues from his ever-evolving tales of the people and events in the fictional Southern town. I met Peter in November, sent out his manuscript in January, and sold it in February to Michael Flamini at St. Martin's.

GLA: The name of your agency is completely, intentionally out of the ordinary. Do you actually host a salon, or is the allusion tongue-in-cheek?

MM: The name is definitely not tongue-in-cheek (I hope). Max & Co. was chosen because, while I was the all and the everything in the company in October 2007, I do not intend this to be true in October 2008. I didn't want the name to be about me. Already, I have retained two people as virtual "scouts" and part-time agents. One is in New York City; her title is East Coast Presence. The other is my Greater Midwest Presence. Both have book publishing experience. I am also partnering with Lisa Queen of Queen Literary to use the benefit of her great experience and reach into foreign markets where mine is limited.
As far as "& Social Club," that refers to a vision I hope to make a reality by 2009. I would love to have an annual retreat—in cabins with screened-in porches, ideally by water—where Max & Co. writers could come to share success stories, new contacts, marketing ideas, and (of course) play cards until 3:00 a.m. while drinking Thai beer and wearing funny hats. In addition, when one writer, say from Seattle, has a new book hit the shelves, my other writers in New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, etc. would do what they could to help launch the title.

GLA: You headed William Morrow & Co. for years before leaving it and New York City behind and starting your agency in Cincinnati. What's the one thing about being a publisher that you don't miss?

MM: The endless meetings that are so much a part of corporate life. Some days, many days, I would be in meetings from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and return to my desk to find an impossible list of phone messages and e-mail that needed attention.

GLA: Your new Web site indicates you're looking primarily for narrative nonfiction, memoir, and eclectic visual books but would make an exception for the right sort of dark and twisted fiction. Can you elaborate on your preferences?

MM: Actually, I already am representing dark and twisted. I sold Tony O'Neill's novel Down and Out on Murder Mile to HarperCollins. Tony, a former heroin junkie, is truly a poet of the grotesque. I sold another book about cocaine and heroin addiction, Jason Peter's memoir, Hero of the Underground (on sale July 2008). Normally, I loathe books like Hero. He was an All-America football player and first round NFL draft pick prior to being a drug addict. But, in this case, Jason was fearless about exposing his Caligula years, and the intense writing brings the book closer to Bukowski or Hubert Selby, Jr., than any sports bio or recovery tale. The exception I would consider would be a commercial (happy ending) novel, if there were something in the writing to grab me.
You captured my areas of interest. I do not represent genre fiction, psychology, science, nature, or business books. However, I would backhand a nun in broad daylight to be involved with a business book like David Dorsey's The Force. The writing was brilliant. Great writing can always change my mind. I have zero interest in Captain Cook and not much more in orchids. Yet, I devoured Blue Latitudes and The Orchid Thief because Tony Horwitz and Susan Orlean are superb writers. I'd follow them anywhere. My preferences are my preferences, but I am always open to what I call the Suddenly, From Across a Crowded Room Moment.

GLA: Are you interested in graphic novels?

MM: This is a great example of the Suddenly, Across a Crowded Room Moment. Until 2000, I did not think graphic novels were for me. I found Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen interesting. But, in no case did I do more than sample a few pages. Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan changed everything. His genius is not just his artistry but that he can tell a story as full and compelling as a good novel. So, while I am not the right agent for most of what people consider graphic novels (Judith Hansen and Denis Kitchen do that really well), I would be interested in something at the level of Chris Ware (a very tall order).
As noted, I am focused on eclectic visual books. Toss a few words on the same page as the artistry of someone like Mark Ryden or Eduardo Recife and, yes, I am very interested. Whether that would be considered a graphic novel I will leave to people arguing on panels at the Comic-Con convention.

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

MM: My answer here is my personal preference and should not be taken in as a guide. I love e-mail. I like to receive chapters as e-mail attachments. Most agents do not. I want, but rarely receive, everything (pitch, synopsis, chapter outline, author bio, sample chapters) in one simple email.

GLA: What kinds of writing credentials or professional affiliations do you look for when you receive a query?

MM: I look for zero credentials but am pleased when I discover some. Sometimes writers’ profiles can be every bit as important as their talent. MFAs in creative writing or publications in obscure journals carry very little weight with me or with most editors. Publisher interest can be piqued by a writer having something that points to a large, ready, and able fan base willing to drop $24.95 on the author's book. This can be a successful Web site, appearances in national media, or being considered the leading voice or "the face" of a company, product, or line of thinking.

GLA: Do you identify and acquire new clients from among contest winners? Whose work is published in periodicals? Through online networking sites for emerging writers?

MM: A short but only partially accurate answer is "No." I do subscribe to and/or read a number of periodicals or writing Web sites. If I were just a reader, or an agent with a lot of time on my hands, I would pore over The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Tin House, or Zoetrope: All-Story (which was consistently brilliant when Adrienne Brodeur was the editor). However, in my work life, the writers who appear in these places are generally already "agented up." I pay more attention to journals like Topic (a version of Granta), The Walrus (sort of Canada's New Yorker), and The Bellevue Literary Review. But this has not proven to be a sweeping success in acquiring client writers.

GLA: If a writer sends you a promising query outside your specific areas of interest, will you pass it along to another literary agent?

MM: In such cases, where I see promise but I am not the right agent to bring that promise to fruition, I do provide the names of specific agents to the writer. Sometimes, I have then contacted the agents to let them know a writer is coming their way. But, in no circumstances do I want to get sucked into brokering a relationship between a writer and another agent. There simply isn't that kind of time.

GLA: Will your newly designed Web site include a blog?

MM: I'm really not sure. I know I definitely do not want a traditional blog, because I don't need the stress/burden to keep the content fresh. I also see no need to add my opinions to the absurd amount of other opinions from other people about practically everything. Though, you should vote for Barack Obama. Also, I would like to see features that constantly update where my authors are appearing or when their books get new reviews.

GLA: Will you be attending any conferences or events in the future where writers can meet you?

MM: I have attended BEA (BookExpo America) for decades and will be in Los Angeles for the '08 Expo and, like last year in New York, I will be meeting writers at the pre-show Agent Pitch Slam sponsored by Writer's Digest (May 28 at the convention center).
I attend the Words & Music festival in New Orleans every year. I consider this a great conference for writers aspiring to be published. Each attendee gets one-on-one sessions with agents and editors to critique their writing.

GLA: To a writer looking for an agent, can you offer advice about something we haven't discussed?

MM: Choosing an agent should involve as much thoughtfulness and care as choosing a college or a lover. In the case of the latter, probably more care. I have seen young writers too anxious to leap to the first "real" agent to show interest in their writing. If these same people had been contacted in high school by Flatland Community College and told, "We are very impressed with your transcript," they would not have rushed to attend Flatland Community College before applying to colleges more desired.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Interview: Andrea Hurst of Andrea Hurst Literary

Chuck — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:21:56 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 Andrea Hurst, principal at Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management. Andrea works with both major and regional publishing houses, and her client list includes emerging new voices and New York Times bestselling authors. In addition to working in the publishing field for over 20 years, Andrea is a published author, skilled acquisition and development editor, speaker, and literary judge for writers' conferences. She enjoys working with authors who have something worthwhile to share and are driven by their enthusiasm and desire to create books that touch lives and make a difference.

She is seeking: To query her, use e-mail queries only. She is now accepting queries for Nonfiction: Prescriptive and Narrative Nonfiction, Parenting, relationships, women’s issues, Personal growth, health & wellness, diet, Business, true crime, animals, Pop culture, humor, cookbooks, gift books, Spirituality, metaphysical, science, psychology, and self-help, Home & Garden; Fiction: Adult commercial fiction, Women’s fiction.

Andrea Hurst

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

AH: Jean-Michel Cousteau and James Fraioli's Code Name: Polar Ice, with illustrator Joe St. Pierre, an interactive illustrated adventure series for children. We sold the book to Gibbs Smith, for publication in 2009.

GLA: Proposals are pretty straightforward in terms of what an author needs to include? Are there any details or aspects that you look for but writers don't include?

AH: I look for a really strong marketing section with a detailed plan on how the author will help sell the book.

GLA: Let's say a professional with a terrific platform contacts you and nicely says "I'm not a writer and I don't exactly know how this works, but here's who I am and here's my idea." Is this a situation where you contact them and give guidance and tips, or do you believe that everyone should learn how to write a proposal before contacting an agent?

AH: If the author has an amazing platform and a great idea, we will work to help educate them on how to write a book proposal. I also offer tips on my Web site to guide writers while working on their proposal.

GLA: Considering all the areas of nonfiction you look for, are there any areas where you find the volume of submissions to be mysteriously lacking? What are you looking for and not getting?

AH: I would like to see more health and parenting books by professionals working in the field. We would also like to receive some cutting-edge business books and proposals dealing with women’s issues, particularly focused on baby boomer issues such as empty nest, menopause, and starting over.

GLA: You rep mostly nonfiction, but do take some fiction, including women's. What do you look for in a submission?

AH: With any fiction submission, I am looking for a writer who has extensive experience in the craft and understands the requirements of the genre. We look for authors who have taken the time to take classes from experts, read prominent books on writing fiction, or they have worked with a professional editor or critique group to polish the manuscript.

GLA: You accept young adult. Do you also take other juvenile areas such as tween, middle grade and picture books?

AH: My associate, Judy Mikalonis, accepts limited middle grade, so, YA yes. Tween yes. Limited middle grade and no picture books. Writers querying her show know that Judy is looking for a fresh, authentic voice, amazing writing and a transformational message. A big, original hook always helps, but without the authentic voice, amazing writing and transformational message, the hook is irrelevant. YA submissions tend to be 98% unoriginal and a hook is irrelevant without the voice, the writing and the message.

GLA: Best piece of advice regarding something we haven't discussed?

AH: I suggest that all writers take the time to learn the business of writing. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published is a quick and thorough way to learn the business from industry professionals. Go to writers' conferences. Meeting agents and editors in person is an extremely valuable experience.

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

AH: I will be at the Writer’s Digest Books Writers' Conference in Los Angeles in May 2008. Check our Web site for all the conferences my associates will be at throughout the year.

Want more on this topic?

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

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

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

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alert: Davis Wager Literary Agency

Chuck — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:47:44 GMT

Davis Wager Literary Agency

419 N. Larchmont Blvd., #317, Los Angeles CA 90004. Phone: (323)962-7741. E-mail: timothy@daviswager.com. Web site: www.daviswager.com/. Contact: Timothy Wager. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to his current position, Mr. Wager was with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, where he worked as a reader and associate agent. Established: 2004. Represents: Nonfiction and fiction.

How to Contact: Query with SASE. Submit Author Bio, short synopsis for fiction, full book proposal and outline for nonfiction. Query via e-mail. No fax queries. Actively seeking: "literary fiction and general-interest nonfiction."

Pavilion Literary Management Seeks Specific Nonfiction

Chuck — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:37:46 GMT

I got a note from Jeff Kellogg at Pavilion Literary Management recently, noting that he was actively seeking some areas of nonfiction.

The categories are:
History
Popular Science
Medicine
Pop Culture

Submit your work to him at 660 Massachusetts Ave., #4, Boston, MA 02118, or at query@pavilionliterary.com. See the agency submission guidelines here. Pavilion actually represents a variety of fiction and nonfiction topics, in addition to those above being actively sought.

Agent Advice: Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency

Chuck — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:45:38 GMT

Agent interview by
blog contributor Robin Mizell:

"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 The Bent Agency's (formerly with Trident Media Group) Jenny Bent, who has represented more than a dozen books on the New York Times bestseller lists since becoming an agent in 1996. At Writer’s Digest Books, we were pleased to have her as a contributor to the 2003 Guide to Literary Agents.

She is seeking: Check out Jenny's online guidelines here, as she represents a lot of subjects.

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

JB: Ronda Rich’s What Southern Women Know About Faith to Dudley Delffs at Zondervan.

GLA: You've said you're looking for literary fiction and women's commercial fiction, humor, narrative nonfiction, biography, health, and how-to books. Do other kinds of manuscripts ever interest you?

JB: Not so much the health books or biography anymore. In terms of practical nonfiction, I’m really looking for projects which can be best described as women’s lifestyle. I also like dog books and, occasionally, branded authors that I can make work in the CBA. I’m actually looking right now for a dog book that would work in the CBA, but it has to be from an author with a platform.

GLA: If a writer sends you a promising query outside your specific areas of interest, will you pass it along to one of your colleagues at Trident Media Group?

JB: Yes, absolutely.

GLA: How would you describe your ideal client?

JB: Ah, the famous "ideal client" question. Someone who writes quickly and sells well.

GLA: How can writers best learn your particular tastes and preferences?

JB: I think it’s really trial and error when it comes to finding that out. You can look on the Internet for old interviews, etc., which might be helpful, or read books that I’ve agented.

GLA: Do you want to receive queries from writers in countries other than the U.S.?

JB: I represent authors from Australia and England. What nonfiction writers should know is that it can be very difficult to place an author who sells well abroad in the U.S. It’s not impossible, but if the base of your readership is abroad, that doesn’t necessarily translate to sales in the U.S.

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

JB: E-mail, definitely.

GLA: What kinds of writing credentials or professional affiliations do you look for when you receive a query?

JB: This really varies by project, I’m afraid. An active speaking schedule is always helpful.

GLA: Do you identify and acquire new clients from among contest winners, whose work is published in literary journals, or through online networking sites for emerging writers?

JB: My list is so full right now that I mostly rely on referrals or queries or ideas that I originate. I did absolutely find clients this way in the beginning of my career, however.

GLA: Is the Internet dramatically changing the way you do business? If so, in what ways?

JB: The Internet is both harmful and helpful. I do very much like getting e-mail submissions, and also I think authors can find out more about agents online. When I first started, it was much more difficult to research agents. But I find that there is a lot of wrong information getting circulated, and I also feel that the anonymous nature of the Internet encourages people to act with a real lack of civility.

GLA: Can you tell us a little about selling the dramatic rights to your clients' books?

JB: I think there’s no formula to doing this. What Hollywood is looking for is constantly changing and seems to depend on whatever movie is currently working at the box office. Deals in Hollywood often just seem to be a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

GLA: Do you read any publishing industry periodicals or blogs that might also be helpful to prospective clients?

JB: Publisher’s Lunch is one of the best things to happen to publishing. And I mourn the loss of Miss Snark.

GLA: Will you be attending any conferences or events in the future where writers can meet you?

JB: In 2008, I’m going to RWA and to the South Carolina Writer’s Workshop.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

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.

New Agent Alert: Verna Dreisbach at Dreisbach Literary

Chuck — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:50:30 GMT

New agent at Dreisbach Literary (and she was formerly at Andrea Hurst Literary Management): Verna Dreisbach.

Verna comes to the agency from a career in writing. She is currently accepting submissions in the following genres:
Fiction: Commercial & literary fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, commercial women’s fiction, young adult, Native American Indian. Do not send sci-fi or horror. Verna’s 13 years of law enforcement experience as a former police officer gives her a genuine interest and expertise in the genres of mystery, true crime, and suspense. Her other interests include horses, having ridden since she was a young girl. Her newest endeavor has taken her into the realm of natural horsemanship training.
Adult nonfiction: Travel writing, self-help, parenting, business,
pets, health, true crime, and any fresh, compelling idea that is
matched with a strong platform.

In her words: "I work directly with packaging authors and ideas for such series books as The Idiot’s Guides and The Everything Guides, and believe in helping authors break into the world of writing through these types of guide books. If you have an idea for a guide book, are an expert in a field that you believe should have a one, or would like to be a writer for one of these projects in conjunction with an expert, please send me your resume.">

New Agents at Prospect Agency, LLC

Chuck — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:23:42 GMT

Finding one new agent building her client list is a nice treat. But what if you had two at the same agency? That's exactly what's happened at the Prospect Agency. Here's the down-low on these two new(er) agents. Some links at the bottom will help you submit.

      "Rachel Orr (rko@prospectagency.com) joined Prospect Agency in 2007, after eight rewarding years editing children's books for HarperCollins. She enjoys the challenge of tackling a wide variety of projects—both fiction and nonfiction—particularly picture books, beginning readers, chapter books, middle-grade/YA novels, and works of nonfiction.
      "Rachel is currently taking on new clients."

      "Becca Stumpf, (becca@prospectagency.com) junior agent, joined Prospect Agency in 2006 after working as an assistant at Writers House Literary Agency. As a reader, Becca falls hard for sentences that are beautifully crafted, for humor in unexpected places, and for characters that come to life and follow you around for a while. Becca is looking for adult and YA literary and mainstream fiction that surprises. She's also interested in select nonfiction, including narrative nonfiction, journalistic perspectives, fashion, film studies, travel, art, and informed analysis of cultural phenomena. She has a special interest in aging in America and environmental issues.
      "Becca is currently taking on new clients."

Visit the agency's official submissions page!

New Agent at Triada U.S. Literary Agency

Chuck — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:43:23 GMT

Triada U.S. Literary Agency, Inc., based in Pennsylvania, has a new literary agent accepting queries: Rebecca Post.

She specializes in nonfiction and is seeking queries. See the agency's submission guidelines here. Definitely check those guidelines out, because there's plenty of specifications, from how to address the query to how they respond.

They are interested in: "how-to, self-help, education, current affairs, health, psychology, cookbooks, travel books, pop culture, sports, adventure, true crime, biography and memoir. TriadaUS is also open to reviewing other genres and topics, as long as the material is for a trade or general audience and not scholarly."

New Agency Alert: PlainSmart Publishing Agency (Complete)

Chuck — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:55:45 GMT

Previously, I posted some info on a new literary agency, Plainsmart Publishing Agency. Below you can find complete and updated information that was sent to me today.

PlainSmart Publishing Agency

520 Kerr St., #20033, Oakville ON L6K 3C7, Canada. E-mail: query@plainsmart.com; info@plainsmart.com. Web site: www.plainsmart.com/contactinfo.html. Contact: Curtis Russell. Seeking new and established writers. Established: 2005. Represents 8 clients. 25% of clients are new/unpublished writers. Specializes in: "We take on a very small number of clients per year in order to provide focused, hands-on representation. We pride ourselves in providing industry leading client service." Currently Handles: 50% Nonfiction Books; 50% Novels.

Nonfiction areas of interest: Biography, Business, Child Guidance, Cooking, Current Affairs, Government, Health, How-to, Humor, Memoirs, Military, Money, Nature, Popular Culture, Science, Self-Help, Sports, True Crime, Women's Issues/Studies. Fiction areas of interest: Action/Adventure, Detective/Police, Erotica, Ethnic, Family Saga, Historical, Horror, Humor, Juvenile, Literary, Mainstream, Mystery/Suspense, Picture Books, Romance, Sports, Thriller, Young Adult, Women's.

How to Contact: Query with SASE. Submit: Synopsis (for fiction) and Author Bio. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 6 weeks to queries; 6 weeks to manuscripts. Does not return submissions. Does not want: poetry or screenplays. Recent Sales: World Famous, by David Tyreman (AMACOM); What Burns Within and The Frailty of Flesh, by Sandra Ruttan; The Road to a Nuclear al-qaeda, by Al J. Venter (Potomac). Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 25% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. Termination notice: 30-day This agency charges for postage/messenger services only if a project is sold. Tips: "Please review our Web site for the most up-to-date submission guidelines."

Zack Company Seeks Queries

Chuck — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:20:29 GMT

The Zack Company, Inc., a literary agency, is actively seeking clients. In the past, the agency has stopped accepting queries at different times (because of slush pile overflow, most likely).

As far as I can tell, the agency is looking for all kinds of nonfiction, and some fiction. Regardless, this seems like a great opportunity.

The agency's Web site has an incredibly detailed "What We Want" page detailing what to send and how to send it.

Agent Advice: Gary Heidt of Signature Literary

Chuck — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:47:49 GMT

Note from Chuck: This interview took place when Gary was with FinePrint Literary Management. He is now with Signature Literary.

-------

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

This installment is with agent Gary Heidt of Signature Literary (formerly of FinePrint Literary Management). Gary was a John Jay Scholar at Columbia University and General Manager at WKCR-FM. Upon graduating, he returned to the nightclubs as a gigging musician. He is a published poet and columnist. His librettos for composer Evan Hause's Defenestration Trilogy earned praise, and his musical comedies (he has written several in collaboration with Gary Miles, including The Feng Shui Assassin and American Eyeball) were described by The Onion as "strangely funny." Originally from Texas, he has lived in New York City for a decade and a half.

He is seeking: Gary Heidt represents both fiction and nonfiction. He seeks History, science, current events, pop culture, military history, memoir, politics, cultural criticism and Fortean/High Strangeness/paranormal or deep politics. In fiction, he seeks literary fiction. He also likes techno-thrillers, hard-boiled crime, graphic novels and young adult novels with a bit of an edge to them. No science fiction, fantasy, cozies, romance, or historical fiction please.

GLA: What are some recent things you've sold?

GH: 100 Girls, by Adam Gallardo and Todd Demong, a graphic novel about a girl (actually, 100 Girls) who is/are the product of a government experiment intended to create a superweapon. Another is Secret Places, Hidden Sanctuaries, by Stephen Klimczuk and Gerald Warner. Two Knights of Malta - one a globalist businessman, the other a Scottish Lord - explain some of the world's greatest mysteries.

GLA: You represent both "history" and "military nonfiction." With so many books already written in subjects such as these, what must a nonfiction book proposal have to get you interested?

GH: There is no end to history. All of history will never be written. Anything that has a great story and great characters and profound conflicts will be of interest in history. With military nonfiction, we're looking for novelistic, action-filled narratives of battles, famous or heretofore neglected, with emphasis on the characters of the combatants, and lots of detail.

GLA: If you were teaching a course on writing nonfiction book proposals, but only had 60 seconds to talk, what would you say?

GH: 1) Spill the beans. Don't try to tantalize and hold back the juice. 2) No bullshit! We learn to see right through bullshit, or we fail rapidly. 3) Write for local publications and small publications first; why does everyone want to pole-vault from being an unpublished author to having a big book contract? It makes no sense. You have to learn to drive before they'll let you pilot the Space Shuttle.

GLA: It appears as though you gravitate toward nonfiction, but you also represent literary fiction. If you're reading a requested literary fiction manuscript, what are you looking for in the first 20 pages?

GH: There was a great first chapter of a Chuck Palahuniak novel that started out with a woman in a burning wedding gown firing a shotgun down a flight of stairs. How can you stop reading something like that?

GLA: What's another piece of advice you can pass on to writers that we didn't already cover?

GH: Get published small. Local papers, literary journals, Web sites, anything. The more credits you have, the better. And list them all (although not to the point of absurdity) in your query.

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

GH: Probably. Although meeting in person isn't all it's made up to be. A really good query with some good prior credits will do just as well.

Want more on this topic?

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

See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.

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

How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.

Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice: Nancy Love of Nancy Love Literary

Chuck — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:01:35 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 Nancy Love of the Nancy Love Literary Agency. Nancy is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives as well as the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She specializes in nonfiction.

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

NL: How Your Child Learns Best, by Judy Willis, to Sourcebooks. She's a noted neurologist and middle school teacher who tells parents how to use the latest revelations about the brain to help their children overcome the rote memorization in today's classrooms and engage in creative thinking and discovery.

GLA: The last time you updated your Guide to Literary Agents listing, you said you're closed to new fiction clients. Is this still accurate?

NL: Yes, but I am taking on new writers of adult nonfiction. Writers should send queries before submitting proposals.

GLA: Traditionally, an author queries an agent, who then contacts publishers. But are there instances where publishers contact you and say, "We have this idea for a book and we need a writer"?>

NL: Yes, that does happen sometimes. This is why I give editors my client list. That can lead to an assignment for one of the writers I represent. Or they will call looking for a writer for a particular book.

GLA: If a writer sells their first nonfiction book to a medium-sized press, what are realistic expectations in terms of an advance and possible first print run?

NL: The range is so enormous, I can't begin to guess at what a writer should expect. It depends on whether the writer has a big platform and there is an expectation of a lot of books being sold, or whether there is an auction that raises all boats, on whether there is a buyback to sweeten the advance and the print run.

GLA: What are the most common problems you see in nonfiction book proposals?

NL: The writer doesn't express succinctly and clearly what the book is about.

The writer doesn't expand adequately on what she/he can do to promote the book.
The writer doesn't understand that they need to say why their book is better and different than the competition. It is not enough to just list the competition.

GLA: You said you're actively seeking "narrative nonfiction." Can you help define this for writers?

NL: Everyone loves stories. That is what a "narrative" is. There have been many individual ways of expressing this since it all began with the New Journalism. The writer puts the reader in the story; he doesn't stand outside and report on it or interview the principals. Think The Perfect Storm or The Right Stuff.

GLA: Your definition of narrative nonfiction sounds like the definition of creative nonfiction. Are they one in the same or just very close?

NL: I think people teaching writing and journalism in colleges have thought up all these categories. I have never heard anyone give a definition of creative nonfiction and narrative nonfiction that made them sound like two different things. I don't make up these labels; I just try to sell the stuff.

GLA: Are there good or bad times of the year to query an agent?

NL: There are times when it is easier or more difficult to sell books to publishers (summer because of vacations; around the winter holidays because everyone is shopping or away). But agents are always working, except when they are taking a vacation, and it might take more time to get an answer from an agent who is on vacation.

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

NL: At this time, I don't have any dates for future conferences.

Nancy Love specializes in nonfiction and is accepting nonfiction queries for the following subjects: biography, parenting, cooking, current affairs, ethnic, politics, health, history, how-to, nature, popular culture, psychology, science, self-help, travel (no how-to), true crime, women's issues. To contact Nancy, send a snail mail query and SASE to 250 E. 65th St., New York, 10065.

Nancy says "Nonfiction authors and/or collaborators must be an authority in their subject area and have a platform.>

Agent Advice: John Willig of Literary Services, Inc.

Chuck — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:34:16 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 agent John Willig of Literary Services, Inc. in Barnegat, N.J. John specializes in all things nonfiction and has been in publishing for more than 30 years.

John Willig

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

JW: We have recently enjoyed a number of excellent deals. Jim Trippon's Becoming Your Own China Stock Guru (to John Wiley & Sons), Beverly Smallwood's This Isn't Supposed to Happen to Me! (which was managed by my associate, Cynthia Zigmund, who is based in Chicago) and Hector Seda's Home $weet Home: 151 Guaranteed Projects to Increase the Value of Your Greatest Investment (to Adams Media) stand out. Above and beyond the financials, we were happy to find editors who were genuinely excited about each book's topic potential and working with the author. These authors/clients of ours will be working with great champions of their work, which I believe will ultimately have a very positive impact on their publishing experience and outcomes.

GLA: If an author envisions a five-book series for his story and even has three manuscripts completed, is it still best to query you regarding the first one only? Will the "series talk" come later?

JW: We've been seeing a lot more of these types of "series" presentations lately—the feeling being that the author needs to present a future "franchise" for the agent and publisher to get them more interested in representation and publishing their work. This is not necessarily the case. In fact, it may send up a red flag about the author's expectations.
I always try to downplay the series pitch unless there has already been a strong brand presence established in the marketplace. My advice is to sell the first one; when it sells well, the editor and publisher will be very happy to listen to ideas for books two and three. Oftentimes, the idea for the next book is actually embedded in the current book and it's up to the author and editor to listen to the marketplace and know what topic is garnering more attention than others. Also, feedback can come from the publisher's sales and marketing teams, who will suggest (based on the success of book one) that the author write another book or make a series out of the original.

GLA: What's the difference between a literary agent and a literary scout?

JW: Great question. I have many friends who do one or the other and/or a little bit of both. I think it is analogous to how a ghostwriter works vs. how an author works.
The ghost is working primarily as a "work for hire" and does not necessarily want to be involved with promotion, publicity, etc. An author is obviously consumed with all these issues as they affect outcomes and careers. These matters also concern the author's agent, who's an advocate throughout the publishing process, be it for legal contractual matters or for giving guidance on cover designs, publicity campaigns, etc. Our inboxes are filled each day with these types of concerns and challenges for our authors and clients. It being a client-based relationship, the agent is actively involved in all aspects of the author's book and, many times, well being!
Now, this is where one needs to be careful in this discussion because, in publishing, there are always exceptions. But for the most part, I think literary scouts feel that since they are going to be paid primarily from the publisher, there may not be as much as a vested interest in the outcome. Being paid a flat fee for performance (like a ghostwriter) vs. being paid an agent's commission (similar to writers' royalties) can define one's level of future involvement and responsibilities to the project.

GLA: You specialize in nonfiction. If you have a client who wants to try her hand at fiction, should she approach you and ask for your blessing in finding a second agent? Also, how would it work when the next nonfiction book comes along? Would there be conflict between you and Agent 2?

JW: Since the author and agent have a client-based relationship that, hopefully, will be longstanding, I think it’s always best for a writer to let me know what's going on with their projects and if there’s a fiction book in the works. I like to know about (all my clients') projects even though I work exclusively with nonfiction writers. Sometimes I'll review samples, make recommendations, and suggest fiction agents. The agreement the author makes with the fiction agent can be exclusive to fiction or to a particular genre. It's always best to get these things out front and in the open and clarified in the agreement to represent.

GLA: What conferences will you be at this year? Will you be taking pitches?

JW: I try to attend a variety of publishing and professional conferences each year, such as the Writer's Digest Books Writers' Conference, Author 101/MEGA Book, ASJA, etc. I'm always open to pitches, whether in person or via e-mail. On our Web site, www.LiteraryServicesInc.com, we have posted our submission guidelines and questions.

John Willig is a literary agent and a member of the Author's Guild. He specializes in nonfiction books, seeking a variety of subjects, including art, biography, business, parenting, cooking, crafts, health, history, how-to, humor, language, money, New Age, pop culture, psychology, science, self-help, true crime and sports.
He does not want to receive fiction, children's books, religion, memoirs or poetry.

'How to Write a Book Proposal' (2008 GLA Article Excerpt)

Chuck — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:16:58 GMT

2008 Article Excerpt:

Elizabeth Lyon talks about how
writers can craft a winning nonfiction
book proposal.

" ... Instead of writing a complete (nonfiction) manuscript, you'll need to create a compelling book proposal that answers the seven questions agents and editors consider ...
      Why you? Are you an authority on the subject, or could you become one?
      Why now? Two common reasons for a book's rejection: It's already been done, and it's never been done! Is your book a rehash of existing books on the subject?
      Who is your audience? Remember the publishing adage: 'A book written for everyone is a book written for no one.'
      What books already exist on the subject? Finding similar books to yours doesn't quash your chances of getting published. They actually help you refine your idea and define how it's unique.
      How well can you write? A book's style, diction, vocabulary, density of detail, and organization vary according to its subject and intended audience.
      Do you have an established platform? Without a national platform, you can still succeed, but your book will probably find a home with a smaller or specialized press.
      What kind of book organization have you planned? Your book's uniqueness defines your slant, which is your perspective and approach to the subject, and allows you to create a title and subtitle that reflect it. Next, you can plan the table of contents."

- "Professional Proposals: Launching a Winning Nonfiction Proposal" (page 45)

The 2008 edition is outdated now,
so snag the new 2010 edition!

While Guide to Literary Agents is best known for its large and detailed list of literary agencies, every edition has plenty of informational articles and interviews designed to help writers perfect their craft and contact agents wisely. The 2008 edition is no different, with more than 80 pages of articles addressing numerous writing and publishing topics.

Building Your Platform (2008 GLA Article Excerpt)

Chuck — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:19:49 GMT

2008 GLA Article Excerpt:

Writer Christina Katz talks about how
writers can build their platform and
connect with readers. The more
readers a write can reach, the more likely
their book will sell (especially if it's nonfiction).

" ... The word 'platform' simply describes all the ways you're visible and appealing to your potential, future or actual readership. To build a platform, an author must create and maintain a Web presence without sacrificing too much regular writing time or paying a fortune in fees. Platform development is not only important to existing authors, it's also crucial for wannabe authors or soon-to-be authors.
      Before you build a Web presence, you must brand yourself ... To start, answer the following questions:
      How are your products or services distinguishable from the competition? (A book is a product, by the way.)
      How are they better than the competition? (Emphasize this.)
      How are they worse than the competition? (De-emphasize and address this.)
      What emotional need(s) do your products or services satisfy? (Do not skip this one.)
      What colors, images and front style might make sense for your identity? (These will aid with your logo design.)"

- "Almost Famous: Start Building a Platform to Garner More Attention and Respect" (page 25)

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 6 articles on building a platform.

Buy Christina Katz's book on platform, Get Known Before the Book Deal.

Platform and the debut of your book.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alert: Daniel Literary Group

Chuck — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:21:16 GMT

Daniel Literary Group

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

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

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

Want more on this subject?

Interview with Steve Laube, agent who seeks Christian works.

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

Interview with Rachelle Gardner, agent who seeks Christian works.

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

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

The Road to a Nonfiction Book

Chuck — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:35:55 GMT

In his interview below, agent Jim Donovan of Jim Donovan Literary stressed that writers who want to sell a nonfiction book would do well to have several (or, better yet, many) articles published in magazines. Writing for magazines, as well as newspapers, will help a writer better their craft—and it will also prove to an agent that you can write.

So how do you get published in magazines to help your chance of getting an agent? I could spend hours on this (and many smarter people have written books on it). A simple option is to pick up a book on how to sell magazine articles; there are good books on this subject published by Writer's Digest Books and good books published by other houses. However, the must-have book is easily Writer's Market; the book is essentially a gigantic directory of magazines that accept freelance material from writers.

So now you know about WM. But what else can you do? Well, if you're a new writer, then you'll want to seek out new magazines. The reasoning is simple: New magazines do not have a stable of freelance writers, and these magazines usually do not pay as well as bigger publications. Because of these reasons, new magazines are more likely to buy articles from writers—and that's music to a new scribe's ears.

Here's three sites offering free newsletters that notify writers of new magazines:

Absolute Markets, www.absolutemarkets.com
Writer Gazette, www.writergazette.com
Writer's Market, www.writersmarket.com

Good luck!

Letter Writing Contest

Chuck — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:35:50 GMT

Agent extraordinaire Lori Perkins, another cool agent blogger, has passed on a cool contest for writers - specifically, mothers.

Here's the gist: A pair of professional writers are putting together a book called Dear Daughter: On the Day You Were Born ... and they're seeking contributors through a writing contest.

Mothers who wish to participate should compose a letter, 500 to 1,000 words in length, that is addressed to their daughter, discussing the day of the daughter's birth. According to the press release on Perkins' Web site, "Judges will be looking for candid, honest letters that evoke strong emotion, and offer insight and depth." The contest rules are liberal, and the term "daughters" includes stepdaughters, daughters-in-law and more.

It has a money prize and winning stories will be published. The deadline is Sept. 31. I haven't read the rules thoroughly so make sure you do. With a contest like this, it's a great opportunity, but always important to check what rights you're giving away. Best of luck!

Agent Advice: Rita Rosenkranz of the Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency

Chuck — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:43:17 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 Rita Rosenkranz, who founded the Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency in 1990.

Rita Rosenkranz

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

RR: A book called Brand your Way to an MBA.

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

RR: A book that makes a difference—that has a distinction because there are no obvious rivals in the marketplace, either because this author has a better command of the subject than anyone else out there or because it’s a fresh subject having to do with our times. Actually the way I say it is: I look for projects that present familiar subjects freshly or lesser known subjects handled commercially.

GLA: Agents say writers should think about where their book would fit on the bookstore shelves. Is that an absolute necessity?

RR: For a certain kind of book, yes, where it is a purpose-driven book, if you will—where the author has a particular need and will be steered toward a particular Barnes and Noble shelf. You want to make sure the commute is an easy, unambiguous one. But there are other kinds of books that are perhaps more radical and revolutionary in their sensibility. Frankly, I have a book coming out next spring called Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids, which Beyond Words is publishing. And my feeling is there’s really nothing comparable. It’s totally distinctive and will be shelved in probably a couple of places. I don’t know what category they'll put on the back of the book: inspirational, illustrative, gift? It actually straddles a lot of fences. I hope it doesn’t get lost because of that, and that’s always the threat—that if you cant (classify) it expertly and precisely, it'll end up nowhere. But I think there are some books that can transcend category and catch on because of their fantastic strength and distinction in the marketplace.

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

RR: TMI—too much information. TMI before they get the point of connection to me, such as too much background information that has nothing to do with the material at hand. The pitch has to be scripted and precise, so that I have enough time to react. If they've used all their time in telling me about the work, I can't steer the discussion to find out really if I’ve got a reason to connect to it. I do my best to interrupt if necessary because I'm aware of the passing of time and I want to make it count for them, hence make it count for me too. When I’m listening to a pitch, it’s with the hope that I'll connect with an author and represent the author.

Rita Rosenkranz founded the Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency in New York City. Her adult nonfiction stretches from the decorative (Flowers, White House Style, published by Simon & Schuster) to the dark (Saving Beauty From the Beast, published by Little, Brown). She represents health, history, parenting, music, how-to, popular science, business, biography, popular reference, cooking, spirituality and general interest titles.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Richard Goodman, on the Elusive Definition of Creative Nonfiction

Chuck — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:39:16 GMT

In my experiences speaking at writers’ conferences, no two subjects generate more disagreements from attendees than 1) the value of self-publishing, and 2) how any one human being can exactly define “creative nonfiction.” (From time to time, this results in people standing up in the crowd and saying, “I think you’re dead wrong about that, Chuck. Dead wrong.”)

Because of all this, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to talk about creative nonfiction with an aficionado on the subject: Richard Goodman, who recently spoke on the topic at the Tennessee Writers’ Alliance Writers’ Conference in Franklin, Tenn.

There are many writers out there composing memoirs, stories based on truth, stories influenced by truth, historical fiction and everything in between. If you're going to write creative nonfiction and query an agent, be sure your story is truly creative nonfiction.

Richard Goodman >

GLA: Richard, what, in your opinion, constitutes “creative nonfiction”?

RG: My opinion is that creative nonfiction is nonfiction that strives to have many of the same qualities of fiction.

GLA: What are some good examples that really fit this definition?

RG: There’s quite a few, actually. Starting back in 1976, with Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior. That’s a fabulously well written book. I think In Cold Blood is another example. It’s no wonder (author Truman) Capote called it a “nonfiction novel.” Actually, I think Seabiscuit is a good example. The story is not about a horse race as much as it is about character. (Author Laura Hillenbrand) draws character beautifully - the three main characters in that book - Charles Howard, the owner of the horse; Tom Smith, the trainer; and Red Pollard, the jockey. Actually, there are four characters, with Seabiscuit. And just looking at the way she writes the horse races - there are three or four of them in the book and they’re all compelling. That’s the combination of incredible research and elegant, careful writing.

GLA: What often gets confused with creative nonfiction but is definitely not?

RG: A lot of ordinary journalism. I think a lot of biography. It’s definitely not creative nonfiction, but that doesn’t mean it’s not (excellent).

GLA: If someone comes up to you and says they’re writing a memoir but taking liberties with it and calling it “creative nonfiction,” what would you say to them?

RG: I would say I don’t agree with that. I don’t think it’s right. I don’t subscribe to that. If you’re going to do that, why not just write fiction? That’s what fiction is. You’re deceiving the reader. If you do something such as make up an entire character, I don’t see how that could be nonfiction.

Richard Goodman is the author of French Dirt (Algonquin); his next book, set for a spring 2008 release, is The Soul of Creative Writing (Transaction). He has written for numerous national publications, including The New York Times, Vanity Fair and Saveur. Learn more about him at richardgoodman.homestead.com.