Greystone Literary Agency, an agency run by Michael Mancilla based in Washington, DC, is not accepting new clients until November 2007, according to the agency Web site.

Other news concerning Greystone Lit:

      1. While the agency is known for dealing with mostly nonfiction, it may soon be known for dealing with all nonfiction concerning new clients. If I can verify this Web rumor, I'll let you know. In the meantime, don't send fiction or nonfiction.

      2. As like it says in the 2008 GLA: "Effective Jan. 1, 2008, (the agency's) new address will be 437 New York Ave., Suite 211, Washington, D.C. 20001."

If you've ever thought about going back to school for more classes on writing, consider Writers Online Workshops. It's a variety of online classes and workshops taught by WD staffers, contributors and editors. Fall sessions are about to begin.
      I myself will be instructing "Fundamentals of Nonfiction Writing," starting on Sept. 6. Sign up now!
      Also see the full list of courses available.
      As well as the faculty link.

Novel & Shory Story Writer's Market has a new editor - Rachel McDonald. Get to know her through her posting on the NSSWM blog. Recently, she's posted some fiction writing contests as well as an excerpt from the newest edition of the book.

WD Columnist/funnyman Kevin Alexander has just completed his thesis, which has given him not only plenty to joke about, but also more time to write posts. Check out his Writer's Life blog here.

As author Bob Mayer wisely put it, writers' first books tend to be blood-lettings.

What that means is writers compose stories about their own lives (memoirs or life stories) - for catharsis, or to just tell their story because they need to tell it. Month by month, I continue to see that everyone wants to write a memoir or life story, even though such things don't sell well and are often written like a diary, not a book. (That said, agents will be hesitant to take on anything that's a tough sell.)

Just today at a book signing in Tennessee, a young writer came up and said she was writing a life story about her uncle and wanted some advice. I wanted to recommend some good memoir and life story books but couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. After we finished talking, I brought the subject up with some other writers and asked for some good recommendations. These are the three they immediately came up with:

      1. The Color of Water, by James McBride
      2. Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt
      3. Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom

Bottom line: "Personal story is dead," as agent Chip MacGregor said in a previous post. However, if you are determined to write yours, make sure you are reading excellent memoir writing. The three books above seem like a good start.

For more on personal story writing as well as when it might actually be beneficial to self-publish such a book, see this previous post.

Writer Unboxed, a cool site devoted to genre fiction writing, was kind enough to interview me recently, asking plenty of questions about the new 2008 Guide to Literary Agents.

Please check out the full interview here!

2008 Article Excerpt:

WD book editors talk about how
writers can avoid getting scammed
by dishonest agents. 

"First of all, it can't be stressed enough that you should never pay agents any fees just so they consider your work. Only small fees (such as postage and copying) are acceptable - and those miniscule costs are administered after the agent has contacted you and signed you as a client. 
      A typical scam goes something like this: You send your work to an agency and they reply with what seems like a form letter or e-mail, telling you they love your story. At some point, they ask for money, saying it has to do with distribution, editing, production, submissions, analysis or promotion. By that point, you're so happy with the prospect of finding an agent (you probably already told your family and friends) that you nervously hand over the money. Game over. You've just been scammed. Your work may indeed end up in print, but you're likely getting very little if any money. To be a successful author, publishers must pay you to write; you must never pay them."

            - "Sign on the Dotted Line: Research Your Options and Beware of Scams" (page 51)

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

From the Kleinworks Web site, concerning a change to their queries and submissions policy: 

                  "Note: Due to an overwhelming number of 
                    submissions, Kleinworks Agency cannot 
                    accept unsolicited submissions or queries 
                  at this time. This supersedes any information 
                    that may be posted or listed in writers 
                      guides, on blogs, or on websites."