Robert Brewer, one of the editors of WD's awesome poetry blog (Poetic Asides), is inviting writers to e-mail him poetry-related questions that he will answer on the blog.  Simply e-mail your questions to robert.brewer@fwpubs.com and put "Poetic Asides Poetry Question" in the e-mail title. Take advantage of this! Robert is a published poet who knows what he's talking about.

It's been too long since I mentioned Kevin Alexander's This Writer's Life blog, where he muses on writing, and basically just makes me laugh all day long.

In mere days, I'll be walking the hilly streets of San Francisco, and presenting at the San Francisco Writers Conference.  I will be speaking on how to get your freelancing career going, and how to write an awesome query letter.

Nob Hill in San Fran

Here is a good place to again mention other upcoming conferences where I'll be presenting. If you have a chance to make it out to one of these conferences, do so.  They are all top notch.

CNU Writers Conference, Newport News, VA, March 14-16

Northern Colorado Writers' Conference, Fort Collins, CO, April 4-5

League of Vermont Writers' Spring Session, Rutland, VT, April 19

Northeast Texas Writers' Organization Writers' Conference, Camp Shiloh, TX (northeast of Dallas), April 25-26

Writer's Digest Books Writers' Conference, Los Angeles, CA, May 28
      The granddaddy shindig of them all!  This conference takes place just before the huge trade book fair BookExpo America, so we always have a slew of amazing editors, agents and authors presenting and taking pitches.  Last year, we had 60 agents and editors at perhaps the biggest pitch slam of all time.

Agents and Editors Conference (Writers League of Texas), Austin, TX, June 20-22.

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.

She's not exactly brand new, but I just learned that Pippin Properties has a new(er) agent: Samantha Cosentino, who joined the agency this past year. Samantha is one of three agents at the boutique agency.

Pippin is a smaller agency that focuses on children's writing. Like the agency's other reps, Samantha is interested in picture books, middle grade and young adult work. To submit, send a one-page query to her at info@pippinproperties.

This installment features literary agent Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management. She was formerly with Imprint Literary; before that, she had her own agency: JetReid.

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

JR: Siesta Lane, by Amy Minato to Skyhorse Publishing.

GLA: The FinePrint Web site indicates you're seeking mysteries and offbeat literary fiction; elsewhere you've said you're also interested in nonfiction: justice and death penalty issues, African politics, contemporary art and music, and how-to books. Do you consider anything else? What about graphic novels?

JR: I'll look at anything people send me. I don't know anything about fantasy or Westerns, so I tend to say no, but I read every query letter.

GLA: If you happened to receive a promising submission that was outside your areas of interest, might you pass it along to one of the other agents at FinePrint?

JR: You bet. And if you query me and I say no, you can still query anyone else at FinePrint.

GLA: How would you describe your ideal client?

JR: Jeff Somers. Mindy Tarquini. Sean Ferrell. Eric Stone, Jake Needham. Bill Cameron. Bob Fate. Oh, you mean generally? They write well. They write really, really well.

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

JR: E-mail. Snail mail is fine. I really, really don't like phone calls.

GLA: What is your defining personality trait? What don't we already know about you?

JR: I'm cruel, unkind, demanding and fierce. And I drink a lot of scotch.

GLA: What publishing industry periodicals or blogs do you currently read that might also be helpful to prospective clients?

JR: 1) Yours (GLA). 2) GalleyCat. 3) Kristin Nelson's Pub Rants blog. 4) Nathan Bransford.

GLA: You've said you don't enjoy traveling, but will you be attending any conferences or events in the future where writers can meet you?

JR: Scene of the Crime Conference, Wichita, Kan., April 11-13. The Muse & the Marketplace, Boston, Mass., April 26-27. Surrey International Writers’ Conference, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Oct. 23-26, 2008. No one else has been brave enough to ask.

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

JR: Read Stephen King's book On Writing. Read E.B. White's books of essays. Surround yourself with beautiful things when you write, even if you prop open an art book from the library. Expect great things from yourself. Don't talk about what you're going to do ... Do it. 

Janet Reid is an agent with FinePrint Literary Management in New York City. She became a literary agent after working for 15 years in book publicity and hosting an author interview program for an Oregon Public Broadcasting affiliate.
      FinePrint’s Web site provides submission guidelines, and Janet’s blog includes much more detailed information about her personal tastes and how to send her a query. At present, she is reading all types of manuscripts, but she especially appreciates crime fiction and authors with a wry sense of humor.