I just received a note from the Ampersand Agency, based in the United Kingdom. The note basically says that although they have always had a policy of taking on quality American writers, UK publishers are just not interested in writers from across the Atlantic.

Sigh. This brings up a bigger question - is it worth it at all to query a UK agency? There are plenty located overseas, and plenty take queries from American authors, but I so rarely hear a success story. This sounds like a good article topic for the 2009 Guide to Literary Agency upfront section...

The most recent WD special publication is out: You Can Write for Children. (If you don't see it in bookstores, don't worry - it will be there soon.) The magazine is packed full of information for children's writers of all kinds - YA, middle grade and picture book writing tips.

WD's own "answer man," Brian Klems, has posted a new post on his Questions and Quandaries Blog about writing log lines for movie scripts.

The WD poetry blog, Poetic Asides, is still going strong thanks to numerous posts by both Writer's Market Editor Robert Brewer and Poet's Market Editor Nancy Breen.

On a side note, if you live in the Lexington, Ky. area, several editors from Writer's Digest will be at the Joseph Beth Booksellers tonight (Sept. 11) for a big Q&A session at 7 p.m. Stop on by!

GLA: What are some children's writing subjects or styles that you don't see tackled often, and wonder why more writers aren't tackling such a subject/style?

GLA: Do you ever turn down work because it's too "smart"—meaning the concept is too complex or the language is too advanced? Is there a fine line?

JR: Not really. However, I'm not typically drawn to books that play with the formats. I've never liked epistolary novels (and don't even get me started on Pamelaby Samuel Richardson). I'm also not a fan of books that are told through verse or text message.

      Complexity, however, I love. A book I really liked as a kid was The Westing Game. I just recently reread the book a few months back and realized how much I'd missed—but, I still loved it!

GLA: I've heard that nothing is taboo anymore in young adult books, and you can write about topics such as sex and drugs. Is this true?

JR: I would say this: Nothing is taboo if it's done well. Each scene needs to matter in a novel. I've read a number of "edgy" young adult books where writers seem to add in scenes just for shock value and it doesn't work with the flow of the rest of the novel. "Taboo" subjects need to have a purpose in the progression of the novel—and of course, need to be well written! If it does, then yes, I would say nothing is taboo.

      Taboo topics do, however, affect whether the school and library market will pick up the book—and this can have an effect on whether a publisher feels they can sell enough copies.

GLA: Do you find writers proposing things to you as "the first of a series"? Is that helpful or hurtful?

JR: I wouldn't pass on a project just because it was "the first of a series." I would pass on a project that isn't a complete book in its own right—meaning the first book in the series needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end.

GLA: What is the most common reason you reject a query?

JR: In a query, it's simple: bad writing. In sample chapters, the most common reason is because I don't feel the necessary "spark" with a story. I get a lot of responses from writers whose chapters I've passed on asking why I've passed. A lot of times, it's just a subjective gut reaction. If I can't get 100% behind a project, then I'm not going to take it on.

GLA: When you sit down to read a manuscript, what do you want to see (or "feel") in the first 10-20 pages (if anything)?

JR: (Is it a cop out to go back to "the spark"?) I want to be fully immersed in the story from page one. If it's funny, I want to laugh. If it's dramatic, I want to feel connected to the characters. It's a similar feeling any reader has when they go to the bookstore and read the first few pages of a new book. What makes you buy that book? The line, "But it really gets going in chapter 10" is lost on me. No agent, editor or consumer will get to chapter 10 if they're not interested in chapters 1-9.

GLA: What are some children's books you've read recently that you think all children's writers should read?

JR: Well, I, along with everyone else on the planet, just finished the last Harry Potter. Rowling's series is such a modern classic, I think any children's writer should check it out. For the YA audience, I would also say The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants because it's a wonderful example of how teen girl fiction can be commercial and well-written. Spud is a funny and touching "boy" story. And a book I recent sold, The Patron Saint of Butterflies, by Cecilia Galante, which comes out next spring, is a great example of a book on a serious topic that's told in a compelling way.

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

JR: Yes, I'll be attending James River Writers Conference in Richmond this September.

Jessica Regel has worked at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc. for five years. She agents her own list of children's and adult books while also working in the subsidiary rights department, selling film, audio, and UK rights. She received her BA degree in English Literature from Hunter College.
      Her list includes edgy adult fiction such as 6 Sick Hipsters by Rayo Casablaca, commercial young adult fiction such as Heartbreakers by Pamela Wells, and middle grade novels such as Hershey Herself by Cecilia Galante. 
      She's always looking for strong commercial fiction, literary fiction, edgy/hip fiction, young adult, and middle grade novels, children's non-fiction, and narrative nonfiction. She doesn't handle practical nonfiction, inspirational/religion, genre science fiction or fantasy, or political thrillers. 
      Some of her favorite books include: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Separate Peace by John Knowles, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins, Another Country by James Baldwin, Franny and Zoey by J.D. Salinger, Blubber by Judy Blume, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, The Thief of Always by Clive Barker, The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox, and The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas.

Jessica Regel

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.

P.O. Box 47594, 946 Lawrence Ave. E., Unit 2, Toronto ON M3C 1P0, Canada. Phone: (416)850-8767. E-mail: spiridon@rogers.com. Contact: Alethea Spiridon. Seeking new and established writers. Prior to becoming an agent, Ms. Spiridon was an editor for Harlequin Books in Toronto. Established: 2007. This agency specializes in romance and women's fiction. "I lived and breathed romance fiction for 6.5 years while an editor. I know what editors are looking for and can guide writers so they can land that much coveted first or next contract."

Currently Handles: 25% nonfiction books, 25% novels, 25% short story collections, 25% juvenile. Nonfiction subjects of interest: Business/Economics, Child Guidance/Parenting, Cooking/Foods/Nutrition, Current Affairs, Health/Medicine, History, How-To, Juvenile nonfiction, Language/Literature/Criticism, Memoirs, Nature/Environment, Popular Culture, Self-Help/Personal Improvement, Women's Issues/Studies. Fiction subjects of interest: Action/Adventure, Confession, Erotica, Experimental, Family Saga, Fantasy, Feminist, Glitz, Historical, Humor/Satire, Juvenile, Literary, Mainstream/Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Picture Books, Romance, Young Adult.

How to contact: Query with SASE. Submit:Outline/Proposal, Synopsis, Author Bio, 50 pages if submitting fiction, SASE. Accepts e-mail queries. No fax queries. Accepts simultaneous submissions. Responds in 4 weeks to queries. Responds in 6 weeks to manuscripts. Returns materials only with SASE. Actively seeking: Actively seeking romance, women's fiction, young adult, middle grade, nonfiction, mysteries, literary fiction and commercial fiction.

Terms: Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales. Offers written contract. This agency charges for office expenses, such as postage and photocopies. Tips: "Think of the agent as your first reader. Do a meticulous self-edit of your work to ensure you present your best possible writing. Observe how other books are marketed by reading tons of back cover copy and then write a blurb for your own book. If you’re struggling, you might not have a clear sense of direction for your work. You need to have a solid sense of your manuscript so you can present it seamlessly to agents (and then editors). Be clear. Be concise."