Guide to Literary Agents - Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Remember the movie Adaptation? (Second mention of that movie in a week! I know!) There is a scene where two brothers are sitting around, talking about the craft and business of screenwriting. One brother is discussing screenwriting workshops he recently attended and singing their praises. The other brother warns against workshops and instructors, saying that anyone who says they possess all the rules of writing is lying, because "there are no rules."
       The first brother counters, "Not rules, Charles. Principles. A rules says 'you must do it this way.' A principle says 'this way works, and has worked since the beginning of time.'"

Well that's what you have to keep in mind when reading my blog or others like mine. I, for one, speak in terms of principles, not rules. The thing is: Since there truly are no rules of writing, you can probably find a contradicting opinion to a lot of writing instruction, mine or others. You can't get every agent to agree on anything.

At past writers' conferences, I've heard agents say things such as:

1. "Oh, I will open unsolicited e-mail attachments."
       Sending them is generally a big no-no.

And the mind-blowing:

2. "I wouldn't say you have to have the whole novel finished before querying."
       Are you kidding? Can't we agree on anything???

Agents all have their little weird quirks that go against general principle. Some wants things this way. Others like to see this and that. You just have to look for these weird quirks in their submission instructions.
       I am not an agent. I don't factor in a single agent's strange likes and weird quirks. I speak to you from having interviewed and met many, many agents and hearing their general advice and instructions for submitting. Just keep that in mind...

"Wow them in the end, and you've got a hit."

5/7/2008 10:27:00 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Agent Advice: Paul S. Levine of Paul S. Levine Literary
Posted by Chuck

"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 Paul S. Levine of the Paul S. Levine Literary Agency. Paul has 27 years experience as a lawyer and has helmed his agency since 1996.

Paul S. Levine

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

PL: I just sold a fantasy book—it’s the first fantasy book I’ve ever sold. It’s by an author named Steve Savile, who is a British author living in Stockholm, Sweden, and I sold it to a brand new start-up publisher called Variance Publishing.

GLA: If you don’t usually rep fantasy novels, how did this one fall in your lap?

PL: Steve was referred by another client. It just goes to show you once again that the best way to get an agent is through a referral.

GLA: When you go through the slush pile, what are you looking for but not getting?

PL: A professionally written query with something I can sell. In nonfiction, I’m looking for self-help and how-to books with authors who have a so-called "platform"—people who are experts in their field, who can get out and promote and publicize and sell their book. For fiction, I’m looking for commercial, salable mysteries, thrillers and chick lit, among other things.

GLA: You once told me that you’d like an emotional connection to a book, but more so, you are looking for projects and novels you can sell. How long does it take you to size up a book proposal and judge whether you’re interested?

PL: Two minutes. After I look at the overview, I flip to the most important sections: the “Marketing” section and the “About the Author” section. I can size up a query letter in three seconds.

GLA: 75% of your clients are new and unpublished. That’s high for an experienced agent. Are you plucking people from the crowd and getting them to write good books?

PL: I represent new and upcoming authors who I hope will become the next Stephen King. We’re all looking for that author who will break out of the pack and become a bestseller. I like to take on beginning writers who have potential. Obviously, my agency is not an ICM (International Creative Management), so I can’t attract writers who have 10 or 15 books published.

GLA: You bridge gaps between a lot of areas in the literary world. You rep fiction, nonfiction and some movie rights. You’re also a lawyer. How does having your toe in all of these pools help you excel at what you do?

PL: I started off as a lawyer representing a large book publisher here on the west coast, so I know the kinds of tricks that publishers try to play when they issue their contracts. When a client signs with me, they get a 2 for 1. In addition to selling their work, I will also look over their contracts.

GLA: Do you also represent TV writers and screenwriters?

PL: No. I don’t represent screenplays. I only deal with the movie and TV rights for literary projects I’ve sold. I have rarely, if ever, been able to sell a project to a Hollywood producer or studio without a publishing contract first.

GLA: Talk to us about the process of “vetting” a manuscript. How does that work and when does a manuscript need someone like you to vet it?

PL: Vetting is when you look for libelous content – something that is a false statement of act that tends to lower one’s reputation in the eyes of the relevant community. That’s the legal definition. I look for anything that would remotely defame or libel a third party.
        When I vet a true crime book or some other supposedly true story, such as a memoir, I’m looking for backup for anything that the author says that may be libelous or slanderous. There has to be some independent corroboration of what’s being alleged. For example, if a memoir accuses somebody of committing a murder, but person was never convicted of murder, then that’s a problem. A complete defense to libel is truth.

GLA: Speaking of memoirs, what is the current market for selling them?

PL: After James Frey, memoirs are really, really tough to sell. Publishers are shying away from anything even remotely controversial. Unless you’re Lindsay Lohan or somebody like that, I’m not taking on your memoir.

GLA: What are some basic tips and info on copyright you think all writers should know?

PL: Register your work for copyright the moment you’re starting to circulate your work to potential agents and publishing houses. Register each substantial revision to the work. If you make minor changes, those don’t warrant a new copyright, but if you make some major revisions, then you should register the revised work. Spend the $45 and download the form “TX” from the copyright office web page. Register your work as soon as it’s finished, so that’s it’s registered prior to the date it’s ripped off. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
        In the nonfiction area, registering the book proposal with the copyright office is basically useless. What a copyright protects is not the ideas, but the words themselves – the expression of the idea. A copyright for a proposal is not appropriate.
        By the way, the most fun an author will ever have is to fly to Washington, D.C., go to the Library of Congress and check his or her book out, because the Library of Congress is just that – a library.

GLA: You have an online submission form – is that the best way to query?

PL: That’s a good way, sure. But I also take e-mail and snail mail queries. I’m also open to carrier pigeons and strip-o-grams, but no writer has yet to query me like that.

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

PL: I’ll be at the Writer’s Digest Books Writers’ Conference in Los Angeles (May 28), the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference (June 21-26), the Great American Pitchfest (June 20-22), and the Cuesta College Writers Conference.
        This summer, I’ll also be teaching classes as part of the UCLA extension and writers program. Starting June 7, I’ll be teaching “Fiction and Nonfiction Writers’ Essential Guide to the Legal and Business Aspects of Getting Published.” On Aug. 9, I’ll start “Filmwriters and TV Writers’ Essential Guide to the Legal and Business Aspects of Getting Published.”

GLA: Best advice on something we haven’t discussed?

PL: Keep plugging away.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Contracts and Copyrights and Money

5/6/2008 2:55:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, May 05, 2008

No More Excuses: Find a Writers' Conference Near You
Posted by Chuck

I know how important writers conferences are to writers. They energize us, allow us to network, and give us the chance to meet agents face to face and increase the chances of snagging one exponentially.

That's why I have listed about two dozen conferences below. I have tried to find at least conference for every state that's either smallish in size or population, so people can no longer use the excuse, "Well I would but there's none around here." The only state without a conference is South Dakota. Note: Not all states are listed here, because plenty of states have multiple conferences and finding them should be no problem.

Here you go:

Alabama: Writing Today, Birmingham, AL
Alaska: Alaska Writers Guild Speculative Fiction Conference, Anchorage, AK
Arkansas: Ozark Creative Writers Conference, Eureka Springs, AR; Arkansas Writers Conference (PDF), Little Rock, AR
Connecticut: Wesleyan Writers' Conference, Middletown, CT
DC: Washington Writers' Conference, Washington, DC
Delaware: Writers at the Beach: Seaglass Writers' Conference, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Hawaii: Maui Writers Conference, Honolulu, HI
Idaho: Idaho Writers League Writers' Conference, location varies; Sun Valley Writers Conference, Sun Valley, ID
Indiana: Midwest Writers Workshop, Muncie, IN
Kansas: Kansas Writers' Association's Scene of the Crime Conference, Wichita, KS
Kentucky: Kentucky Christian Writers' Conference, Elizabethtown, KY; Kentucky Women Writers' Conference, Lexington, KY
Louisiana: Words & Music, New Orleans, LA
Maine: Writers' Conference at Ocean Park, Ocean Park, ME
Mississippi: Mississippi Writers Guild Writers Conference, Vicksburg, MS
Montana: Flathead River Writers Conference, Whitefish, MT
Nebraska: Nebraska Summer Writers' Conference, Lincoln, NE
Nevada: Las Vegas Writers' Conference, Henderson, NV
New Hampshire: Keene State College Writers Conference, Keene, NH; Seacoast Writers Association Conference, Chester, NH
North Dakota: University of North Dakota Writers' Conference, Grand Forks, ND
Ohio: Columbus Writers' Conference, Columbus, OH; Northwest Ohio Writers Conference, Toledo, OH; Cleveland Rocks Romance Writing Contest, Strongsville, OH
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Writers Federation Annual Conference, Midwest City, OK
Rhode Island: Northeastern Writers' Conference, Bristol, RI
South Dakota: None!
Utah: BYU Writing and Illustrating For Young Readers Workshop, Provo, UT
West Virginia: West Virginia Writers Spring Conference, Ripley, WV; West Virginia Writers Workshop, Huntington, WV
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Writers Conference, Jackson, WY

By the way, there are several conferences in Canada, as well. I've also found international conference (with English-speaking presenters) in Paris, Italy, Geneva and Tokyo. Note that cities (locations) can change year to year. For example, the Pennwriters Conference (PA) has its conference each year in a different city around the Keystone State.

Writers' Conferences

5/5/2008 3:30:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

How Many Words Constitute Plagarism? I Want to Know What You Were Taught in High School.
Posted by Chuck

So I just blogged a little about what constitutes "fair use" and how it's all debatable. On this note, I want to talk about plagarism. Now I'm not really interested about talking about the law, per say, but rather what you were taught.

In high school, I had a strict English teacher who said anything up to and beyond "three distinct words" was plagarism. Now that didn't include proper nouns and such. So "the United States of America" only counted as one distinct word. But you couldn't lift the words "(1)detrimental to the (2)country's (3)future" from a source without a direct quote. Now, granted, even if you took the gist of the material and reworded it, you still had to attribute it with an endnote, but we're talking quotes, not endnotes.

When I got to college, it would be junior year before I heard any teacher address how many words you could get away with, but I was very surprised to hear my prof say "10 words." Whaaaat? 10 words? Heaven!!!

So ignore the law for now. Just let me know what you were taught back in the day. How many words could you use in sequence before you had to quote?

Mrs. Walker, my high school English teacher
(who is still teaching today at my school).
I was quite the troublemaker and
would often test her nerves.

5/5/2008 2:04:42 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Literary Definitions: Vol. 6
Posted by Chuck

Ever come across a publishing term and wasn't sure what it meant? (Who hasn't?)

The Buried Editor and I are
pairing up to start a series to
help define some oft-used
terms in the publishing world.
Here's Volume Six:

Attribution (Levels)
       On the record - When everything in an interview is fair game to be printed and attributed normally. This accounts for 99.9% of interviewing for most writers.
       Off the record - When a source explains something not for publication by any means, but just as a personal explaination to the interviewer. To be truly off the record, both the source and writer must agree to it. If a source simply says "Off the record" and gives their thoughts without the writer agreeing to stop reporting, then the conversation is not truly off the record, and the writer must determine whether to use the material.
       Unattributable - This is the current term for when you quote a source but keep their identity anonymous.
       On background - What's said cannot be quoted nor can the source be identified, but the gist of what's said may or may not be printed. For example, "A source inside the McCain campaign, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of this information, hinted that they may be as few as only two names on McCain's short list of potential vice presidential candidates."

Boiler Plate Contract (also know as a "standard contract") - (n.) A standard throughout the industry written document between the publisher and the authors that determines the advance, royalty rates and subrights distribution.

Faction - (n.) Works that are presented as fiction but that use actual facts, events and persons in their story and plot lines. Fictional characters are often incorporated as well, which separates the "factional" novel from the nonfiction novel. (In the latter, the documentary facts, characters and plot are based on real events.)

Fair use - The amount of copyrighted material that may be quoted - especially for the purposes of criticism, news reporting, teaching or research - without infringing a copyright. Fair use is usually determined by four factors:
       1. the purpose and character of the use (for example, commercial or not-for-profit educational)
       2. the nature of the copyrighted work
       3. the amount used in proportion to the copyrighted work as a whole
       4. the effect on the market value of the copyrighted work

Imprint - (n.) A smaller line of books within a larger publishing house. These often run kind of like a small press within a larger press. They have their own editorial staff but will often share other departments with the rest of the publishing house.

Subsidiary Rights - (n.) Rights associated with the publishing of a book that do not deal with the actual physical book. This can include film rights, merchandising rights, foreign rights, and electronic rights. Some authors are able to keep all of their subrights, but this is rare and generally requires your name to be J.K. Rowling or Stephen King.

Writer's Block - (n.) An unfortunate occurrence where an author can not think of a single phrase, thought or word towards his/her current project. Although often remedied by a good night's sleep, these writing slumps can occassionally last for weeks or months. Let's use the word in a sentence: When trying to think of words for this list, I suffer from writer's block.

Writer's Block: "Maybe I should write a few pages
and reward myself with a muffin. OK, I need to
establish the themes. Banana Nut - that's a
good muffin."

Definitions

5/5/2008 1:49:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, May 02, 2008

Around the Properties: May 3, 2008
Posted by Chuck

Here's what's going around around the WD properties...

The launch of There Are No Rules is here. My boss, Jane Friedman, the editorial director of Writer's Digest Books, recently launched her own blog to tackle the big questions of publishing.
I remember watching Jane speak at a conference one time when an attendee asked, "How do publishers get books on those tables you see when you first enter Barnes & Noble?" (I was thinking, Good question! I have no idea...) Jane didn't miss a beat. "They pay for it," she started, explaining the whole process. If you want to know things about trends, publishers, remainders, sales and all that, Jane's blog is a great place to check.

Writer's Digest staffer Brian Klems, who runs the Questions & Quandaries blog, recently answered a pair of submitted questions:
1. Why do authors use pseudonyms?
2. What is a literary executor?

Keep your eyes on the blog for forthcoming interviews with Jacqueline Hackett, an agent at Literary-Works; as well as Bernadette Baker, an agent with Baker's Mark Literary who specializes in graphic novels.

And I won't talk much about this last part because I plan to do a bigger post soon, but the Writer's Digest Books Writers' Conference (in conjunction with BookExpo America) is set to go down on Wednesday, May 28, in downtown LA at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Be there or be square!

Around the Properties

5/2/2008 11:58:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Why Can't I Get Past the Query?
Posted by Chuck

Q. I know this will sound trite, but I have exhausted a multitude of possibilities, and have come up with a dismal fact. Unless you are a well-known actor or perhaps a sports personality, having a manuscript even looked at is like urinating on a rope and expecting the flow to reverse itself ... so that it travels against gravity.
I won't bore you with what steps I've taken, but suffice it to say that my lack of success isn't due to the manuscript's quality - or lack thereof, since nobody will even respond to heartfelt pleadings of even a 2-3 page read! What must a person do to become a success? I have paid thousands of dollars to "vanity publishers" on my first two books, and just will not do it again on this - my best and third book. It's a political horror (Is there any other kind?) and the word count is 270K. Entitled: Necromancer, and if you read that alone, and knew anybody with a shred of curiosity, then you've at least digested the title, could you provide the name of an agent for me to e-mail or call? The book is worth it, and promises to entertain even the most selective of publishers/agents.
- David

A. OK, David. Let's tackle this problem one part at a time.
      First off, 270,000 words is not only too long, it's crazy long. A typical horror novel would run aboyt 90K, so if you mentioned the word count in your query, that alone could explain why no one requested more.
      Second: the title. First off, it's "titled," not "entitled." Second, I don't even read horror, but Necromancer seems like kind of a cliche title. I would change it. On this subject, what is "political horror"? I've never heard of that subgenre. Can it just be called "horror"? If you make up your own subgenre, then it might scare agents off.
      If you change your query to meet my suggestions and don't get requests for pages, then it's safe to say the problem lies completely in your query letter. I met a writer the other day in Texas who had a great background in journalism and a great premise for a novel. "Why won't any agents read a sample of my work, Chuck?" he asked. "Well, sir," I told him. "If you have good credentials and a good premise, then it's obvious that your query needs work."
      Lastly, the very fact that you say it will entertain "the most selective of publishers/agents" is not good news. Horror is a very specific niche, and I have never even heard of "political horror." So - on the contrary - very few agents and publishers will be interested in something like this. Your difficult job is finding a horror agent who will be interested.

"It's a lonely life - the way of the necromancer.
Oh yes. Lacrimae Mundi - the tears of the world."
- Merlin, Excalibur

Genre Writing | Queries and Synopses and Proposals

5/2/2008 11:20:49 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Agent Advice: Michelle Brower of Wendy Sherman Associates
Posted by Chuck

"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 Michelle Brower of Wendy Sherman Associates.

GLA: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to be an agent?

MB: I pretty much always knew that I wanted to work with books in some way, but I started out in academia rather than publishing. While I was discovering that studying literary theory was actually not keeping me involved with contemporary writing, I happened on a Craigslist post for an agency assistant position with Wendy Sherman Associates. I've been here ever since, and started representing my own clients about two years ago. Every day, I wake up and am excited to go to work- I get to read and develop the work of exciting new authors, match them up with editors, and see their books hit the shelves! Who wouldn't love that?

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

MB: Most recently, I sold Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by Scott Browne to Broadway Books - it's an amazing debut novel narrated by a loveable zombie who just wants a little respect. I love zombies and see a lot of zombie-oriented books, but this one stood out to me for the amount of heart and humor Scott was able to put into the story.

GLA: You rep both memoir and literary fiction. These are two categories where cold submissions tend to be a lot more bad than good. What do you look for? What gets you to keep reading?

MB: Memoir and fiction are both difficult categories to get editors excited about right now - they just see so much, and it's much easier for them to sign up a miss than a hit. So I, too, must be really selective. In both, I'm always looking for a really good hook or well developed concept that makes the book immediately interesting, even if I haven't read a word of the sample. Unfortunately, an extremely well written, lyrical book without a pitchable subject just won't work for me. For memoir, there really must be something unique about your life, or you have such an amazing voice that you can turn the normal into the riotously funny. Once I have something with an interesting hook, I need the material to deliver on that promise.
        In literary fiction, I often look for a track record of previous publications. If you've been published in Tin House or McSweeney's or GlimmerTrain, I want
to know. It tells me that the writer is in fact committed to their craft and building an audience out there in the journals. But if you have a good story and are a brilliant writer, I wouldn't mind if you lived in a cave in the Ozarks. For the record, I have yet to sign anyone who lives in a cave in the Ozarks.

GLA: You also rep narrative nonfiction. What gets mistaken for narrative nonfiction but is definitely not?

MB: To me, narrative nonfiction is a true story about a subject that is from the perspective of the author. Memoir and narrative nonfiction have a lot of overlap, but I see narrative nonfiction as reaching out into the world more so than memoir. For example, a client of mine is writing about her experiences farming in downtown Oakland. It's her personal tale, but she also incorporates farming history, the history of her city, and a portrait of the people around her. When I see an article that I love or read about an interesting person, I try to reach out and see if the author is interested writing a book. How-to is definitely not narrative nonfiction.

GLA: What are you looking for that you're not getting? What never seems to be in the slush pile?

MB: I would love to see more accomplished literary fiction in my slush pile - a good story with the writing to match. With most of my literary fiction, I tend to read a story I like and then find out if the author is working on anything of book length, but I have seen some lovely surprises in the slush and really welcome more. I'm always on the look out for what's being called "book club fiction"- fiction that has a central issue or story that sweeps you off your feet and gets you talking. I adore slipstream fiction that mixes elements of genre with literary execution, and want to see more of that too. Commercially, I like genre with breakout potential, a la Neal Stephenson and Neil Gaiman - something that a non-genre reader can pick up and really enjoy.
        I also am actively building my YA list, and want to see YA that doesn't necessarily have to take place over a trilogy. Trilogies are fine, but that first book has to persuade me on its own.
        Some specific wishes running through my brain right now: a literary ghost story, a book club novel that explores another culture, and a YA that I can really sit down and enjoy as an adult.

GLA: Do you feel like the economic recession is hitting the publishing industry?

MB: I have noticed a little bit more of a squeeze from publishers on what they're buying. In the past few years, it seemed a little easier to sneak an interesting but atypical project into an editor's line up. It still happens plenty, though, it's just more of an uphill battle. We're seeing the biggest impact in bookstores, where sales are slowing and independents are often shutting down. But as long as there are books out there that find their audience, I think we can be optimistic.

GLA: Do you have any strong likes or dislikes when it comes to queries?

MB: My main dislike is when the author doesn't tell me what their book is actually about. That's why the query letter is there in the first place! And if you find that you can't distill the story into a pitch, that might signify a larger problem.

GLA: What is the most common problem you see in a synopsis?

MB: Sometimes I'll see a synopsis with too much detail. Focus on the main conflicts and turning points, not the color of your protagonist's outfit (unless that is in fact a major part of the story!).

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

MB: I'll be at Thrillerfest and Sewanee this summer, both in July.

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

MB: The writers who are dearest to my heart are those who've gone out and done a little bit of legwork by making a website/blog, belonging to organizations, publishing in magazines, podcasting, etc. Once your book is published, it takes that sort of self-promotion to make it work anyway, and it helps if you are laying the groundwork ahead of time. If I can present you to an editor as a promotional whiz, they are more likely to consider working with you.

        Michelle Brower has been with Wendy Sherman Associates since 2004, and has also previously worked with Joelle Delbourgo Associates. She enjoys working directly with emerging writers and is interested in representing literary and commercial fiction, YA, memoir, pop culture, humor, graphic novels, popular science and narrative nonfiction. Books that capture elements of the strange and wonderful will always pique her interest, and she also looks for those that offer a unique perspective of the world. She has a MA in Literature from New York University.
       Submissions to her by mail and e-mail are equally ok. Please include a SASE for snail mail response, and no attachments in an e-mail.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Children's Writing

5/2/2008 4:17:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Should You Include Pages With Your Query?
Posted by Chuck

Q. When a listing [agent] says they get back to us on queries in X amount of time and on manuscripts in Y amount of time, what does this mean? Unless the listing specifically says no manuscripts without queries first, is it all right to send a manuscript without a query?
        - Dan

A. The first part of your question is pretty simple. It means that if you send in a query for review and they promise to get back to you within six weeks, they will do just that. They will either say "no thanks" or say "Interesting. Send more so I can read it." Manuscripts take longer to review, so an agent's timeframe on that is longer. When writers send in their work, they want to know how soon they will hear back with a yea/nay. This is just an agent's way of answering that for them.
       Usually an agent/agency will request exactly what it wants in terms of a submission. If an agent says "Query. Send no mss," then it's obvious that you should query only. However, if an agency says "Query us," that, too, means send a query only. Just because they didn't specifically stop and say not to send a ms doesn't mean they want writers to include it. Simply follow their guidelines to a T.
       Even if you disagree with me on this (and I know some of you do) and will send in pages regardless, I highly advise sending only the first five pages, not any more let alone the whole ms. (You are just wasting postage.) And if you're saying, "But my story doesn't get good till page 7! Can't I just send in the first 10 pages?", then you need to go back and rewrite your first chapter so it gets interesting quicker.
        But again, do what the agent requests. That's my best advice.

Queries and Synopses and Proposals

5/2/2008 4:00:59 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Sharing Your Ideas For Critiques
Posted by Chuck

Q. I would like to have someone with knowledge read the first draft of my first few chapters of my story to see what they have to say about it, good or bad, and tell me if I need to go back to college. (chuckle!) Do I need to pay for that service? My husband thinks that if I send my work to another (person), it may be stolen and plagarized. He and all my friends like my writing, but I need a professional opinion.
       - Jan

A. First of all, you may want to wait till you finish the whole manuscript before you get a critique. Yes, I understand you want to make sure you're on the right track, but as you complete the book, you may learn some things about the story and your writing, and go back to revise those first few chapters.
       You likely do need a professional opinion. The best option always is to get involved with a reputable writing organization in your area. Some peers will critique your work for you in exchange for you offering your opinion on theirs. But be careful that you do indeed hook up with good people. As I've said before, editors and agents don't steal writers' ideas. Writers steal writers' ideas.
       Professional editors are an option, and your work should be safe in terms of stealing ideas, but a good editor is not cheap, so you either have to cough up the dough, or risk going with someone who may or may not give you the best feedback possible.

5/2/2008 3:51:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

New Agency Looks for Romance
Posted by Chuck

Bressler|Scoggins Literary Management, a new agency, recently contacted me and said they are shifting their attention from a large array of subject to a narrower focus: romance. Here is the news from Becky Scoggins herself:

"After receiving hundreds upon hundreds of submissions, we have decided to specialize in romance categories, including romantic suspense, paranormal romance, contemporary romance and young adult romance. We also are looking for women's fiction and a very select amount of women's nonfiction (parenting, motivational, business written for women). This also fits in with our new partnership with Mamapalooza."

I have no idea what Mamapalooza is, but it sounds intriguing and it's too late to find out tonight.

Genre Writing | Random Updates

4/29/2008 12:01:37 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Monday, April 28, 2008

My Adventures in East Texas...
Posted by Chuck

Just got back from a camp neat Piitsburg, Texas, in the eastern portion of the state, and the Northeast Texas Writers' Organization Annual Conference. The conference went well and the attendees/organizers were remarkably nice. It seemed like every person I met with was just so pleased with my advice. I think it was more their zest for life than me firing wisdom pearls all the time.

The conference was held at a Lutheran camp site essentially in the middle of nowhere, which was a rare chance for me to relive my Boy Scout days. We stayed in cabins, not hotels, and nary a TV or iron was around. There were instructions in our cabins concerning how we should treat fire ant bites. (At the risk of sounding a tad wussy, this concerned me.) I did return back to the cabin the first night to find a black spider right on my bed. He did not live long.

So these past two weekends, I've had the chance to visit northern Vermont and eastern Texas. Here's my breakdown after having visited both. Burlington is a city full of super liberals. You've got a large population of college liberals there with the University of Vermont in town; restaurants state loud and clear on menus that their food is organic and the food made locally (because this is a selling point to the "localvores" in town); and every telephone pole is covered in signs for independent rock bands. That's Burlington in a nutshell.
      East Texas is (you guessed it) the opposite. It's a hub of Baptist/Lutheran conservatives and you can't go far without a sign or bumper sticker that praises God and/or Jesus. When we were served lunch, our placemats were the American flag. Our placemats!
      But moreso than the simple difference in political ideology and lifestyle is this: Vermont is self-aware that it is super liberal Vermont. East Texas thinks its way of thinking is how the rest of the world is, or at least should be. That's Texas in a nutshell.

Writers' Conferences

4/28/2008 12:18:24 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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