In less than a month, I'll be at the Harriette Austin Writers' Conference in Athens, Ga. The conference has a great list of speakers and agents lined up—and one such agent is Cherry Weiner of the Cherry Weiner Literary Agency. That's why Cherry is the newest featured agent for "Agent Advice," 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.

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

CW: A very nice three-book deal—hopefully the start of an ongoing series—to HarperCollins. The overall series title is "Skinner" and it is a modern urban fantasy. The author is Marcus Pelegrimas, also known for his terrific Western books as Marcus Galloway.
    
GLA: You'll be at the Harriette Austin Writers’ Conference. When an author sits down to pitch you, what is some advice you can give them?

CW: One word: Relax. If you're relaxed, you can pitch your story a lot better than if you're in a panic, or scared of the big bad agent sitting in front of you. And I will want to know three things before getting into the story line:
      1. Is it finished? 
      2. How many words? 
      3. What is the genre?
Then give me about three sentences on the story. And, if you can, tell me what makes your book different from all the others out there of the same ilk—and don't tell me your voice because I know this—all voices are different. I want to know if you have a different hook.     
 
GLA: What subjects or genres are you actively seeking at this time?

CW: Actually, I'm not "actively seeking" any specific genre. If I talk to an author who impresses me and whose story line sounds interesting, you can be sure I'll ask for it.   I do handle all the fiction genres, and some nonfiction but not a lot. I handle very little YA and very little children's as well as no poetry.
 
GLA: Will you be speaking in Georgia?

CW: I don't speak at conferences. I do a three-minute (presentation) to give you information and help you understand publishing. Then I host a large Q&A where you ask and I will answer. I throw the whole time open to any kind and every kind of question the audience members want to ask.
 
GLA: You request that writers not cold query you, but instead meet you at a conference before querying—why?

CW: I have been in the business for 30 years now, and I am not a new agency looking for authors. I have my established ones, but leave room for new people that I meet at conferences. By talking to the author first, I get a sense of the person and if we can work together. More importantly, though, I think that an author should meet the agent that is going to handle their "baby." I do tell the authors to try and meet all the agents that are at a conference, get a sense of them as agents and people, and then decide who they would like to work with, and then contact them. 

Cherry Weiner of the Cherry Weiner Literary Agency.

Here's what's going on around the other Writer's Digest properties:

A pair of Writer's Digest Books editors have teamed up to start a great new blog for poets. The blog—"Poetic Asides"—was recently created as a joint effort between Poet's Market Editor Nancy Breen and Writer's Market Editor Robert Brewer.

On the Writer's Digest magazine Web site, several great articles are online. Make sure to check out the 2007 list of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers, an invaluable resource.

"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 Mollie Glick, a literary agent with the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency in New York City.

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

MG: I just accepted a fabulous three-book preemptive offer from Simon & Schuster for a first-time novelist named Dorothy Hearst. Her series is called “The Wolf Chronicles” and it was pitched as a cross between The Clan of the Cave Bear and Watership Down. It's about the first wolves that became dogs and the co-evolution of dogs and humans. Another recent deal I'm really excited about was a first novel by Willa Cather Award-winner R.M. Kinder. It's a dark literary suspense novel called An Absolute Gentlemen, and it's coming out from Counterpoint this October—right around Halloween!

An Absolute Gentleman by R.M. Kinder (Counterpoint)

GLA: Your agency is a member of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR). A lot of agents out there are non-AAR. Plenty are reputable. Plenty aren't. How do writers go about separating the reputable from the non-reputable?

MG: If the agent you're considering isn't a member of the AAR, you'll want to check a few references of clients they've worked with, to ask them what houses they've made deals with, and to make sure their commissions are fair and that they're not charging you for reading fees.

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

MG: Being really nervous. When authors get really nervous, they tend to give full plot summaries, rather than presenting a concise one- to two-sentence elevator pitch, telling me the kind of book they're writing. Another big mistake authors make is failing to do the same research they would if they were sending a letter—making sure that the agent they're sitting with handles the kind of book they're writing.

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

MG: I'm drawn to originality—in voice and subject matter. When I've got a manuscript or proposal in my bag, sitting next to a great published book I'm reading and I pick up the manuscript instead of the book because I'm that drawn to it, I know I'm going to take it on.

Mollie Glick is a literary agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. She focuses on literary and commercial fiction, as well as nonfiction—she's a generalist, more interested in finding fresh, unique voices and smart, original perspectives than in sticking to a prescribed genre. Very hands-on, Mollie works collaboratively with her authors to refine their manuscripts and proposals, then focusing on identifying just the right editors for the submissions. Published books Mollie wishes she had worked on are Siri Husvedt's What I Loved, Audrey Niffeneger's The Time Traveler's Wife, and Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow.

Mollie Glick of the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency.

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!

According to her blog, Rachel Vater has moved to Folio Literary Management.

Says Rachel on her new venture: "I'm so excited and pleased to announce my new position with Folio Literary Management ... This is my dream agency ..."

For those who didn't know, Rachel - a rising star in the literary agent world - was once the editor of a little book called Guide to Literary Agents. She then lefting editing for the thrills of agenting, and was an agent at Don Maass and Associates as well as Lowenstein-Yost Associates.

Agents on the Web

This is as good a time as ever to mention that Rachel is an agent blogger. She tackles all kinds of subjects, including what goes into a good query, how to craft an effective pitch, and how to evaluate why exactly your novel may not be interesting to an agent.

Check it out.

Wouldn't ya know it ... I sent out a newsletter this morning that says "Check out the blog for this, check out the blog for that," and it's sent out just as the blog temporarily went haywire.

Not to fear - the GLA blog is back up and running. Sorry for the confusion.