In less than a month, I'll be at the 2007 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 (no website).

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.

Cherry Weiner

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.


Want more on this topic?

• 5 Signs a Literary Agent is a Good Match For You.
• See examples of Successful Queries that agents liked.
• Check out The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters.  
• How to Write a Synopsis for a Novel.
  
• Facebook, Twitter and Literary Agents.
• Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
  
• Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
• Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

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 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.

While you're sitting at home, writing your soon-to-be-bestselling novel, you may find yourself daydreaming - envisioning your story on the big screen. But the unfortunate truth is that extremely few books ever make it through the Hollywood labyrinth to production.

At BookExpo America, I saw a panel of agents and film producers discuss why some books get made into movies but most don't. Participating panelists included Joel Gotler of IPG Literary Management, Brendan Deneen of FinePrint Literary Management (formerly of the Weinstein Co.), Luke Janklow of Janklow & Nesbit, and Legendary Pictures producer Alysia Cotter. Here are some tidbits from the session:

• "Packaging" is key. When a film studio options a book project and temporarily owns the book's film rights, they try to get a screenwriter attached to pen a script. With that script, they try to entice a big-name director and stars. When everyone is attached, they present the package to production companies and try to get it made.
• Having big names attached to a project can be a blessing and a curse. Stars make demands and want input, endangering a project.
• Everyone in Hollywood is a master of deferring responsibility.
• According to Janklow, a book must sell for studios to be interested. Deneen disagreed, saying studios often gobble up brand new work that hasn't had a chance to succeed or fail at the bookstores.
• It's a frontlist world, and there is a "prejudice" against older work that never got made.
• The odds of a book getting made into a film are very, very low - "200 to 1 on a good day," says Gotler.
• According to Janklow, only 5% of movies that get produced are based off good books in the marketplace.
• Hollywood does not look favorably upon authors adapting their own work for the screen - mostly because the author can't properly step away from the material and cut content (or "take a machete to it," as Janklow says).
• The key to a good package is a terrific screenplay based off the book. Everything starts with that.
• If a book is more about characters than the plot, it has a better chance of coming alive on TV rather than film.
• Many authors make great money but never see their books come to life on screen. Hollywood companies will continue to buy temporary rights to the book ("options"), paying $10,000-100,000 each time, but a production never occurs.

 Luke Janklow of Janklow & Nesbit, and
Legendary Pictures producer Alysia Cotter.

Want more on this subject?

• See a profile of script agent Garrett Hicks of Will Entertainment.
• See an interview with script manager Ken Sherman of Ken Sherman Associates.
  
• Is there a difference between literary agents and script managers?
  
• Want a great database of script agents/managers, script contests, conferences and theaters? Buy the 2010 Screenwriter's & Playwright's Market today!
  
• Check out an interview with script manager Marc Manus.
  
• Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
  
• Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

If you want a literary agent to represent you and sell your novel to a large publishing house, you need to write a great query letter to that agent, first and foremost. That's old news. But there's something else you can do, too: Prove yourself as a capable fiction writer by getting short stories published or honored through contests.

When an agent reads a query, she'll look at your pitch - the one paragraph that explains what your book is about. If she hasn't thrown your query in the garbage by the time she's done reading the pitch, she will then read the next (and hopefully, final) paragraph, where you explain who you are and any writing credentials you may have. This is your golden opportunity to stress your accolades.

Think about it: If she reads your pitch and is somewhat interested, it would help if the next paragraph says,

          "Three of my short stories were published in literary journals this past year, including Journal X; and one short story was awarded first prize overall in the Cool Short Story Contest in 2006."

Now she's thinking: "OK, the pitch didn't totally knock my socks off, but this is a capable writer. Maybe I should peruse the first 10 pages."

Where can you find contests? Writer's Market has a sizeable database of them. And because competitions pop up so quickly then die off just as fast, simply using Google will work. If it's a regional competition (e.g., Baltimore Area Fiction Writers present the 2007 Writing Contest), think about getting involved with the sponsoring group. Perhaps a writer in the group already has an agent and could refer you down the line.

On the Writer's Digest Editors site, wdeditors.com, I was in charge of posting news regarding cool agent blogs around the Internet. The series has now transferred to this new GLA blog. I'll continue to seek out new and old agent blogs for your enjoyment as time goes on.

With that in mind, let's look to the Bay Area, where San Francisco agent Nathan Bransford (of Curtis Brown, a very reputable and prestigious agency) has started his own blog. I just discovered the new blog a few months ago, and it’s one I recommend to all writers seeking an agent.

A lot of the blog is writer Q&A’s. The Q&A’s are sometimes very basic, but a lot of authors need just that: very basic advice on agents, publishing and submissions.

Make sure you check out his post titled “Anatomy of a Good Query Letter,” where he dissects a query and explains how and why it hooked him. He also explains his thoughts regarding trends in query letters, which, in fact, represent a national trend based on deals being made in the marketplace. (For example, he reasons that a large influx of vampire queries a few year’s back came after news that Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian had just sold - with a $2 million advance.) Another great idea is his “Portrait of a Client” posts, where he lets readers get to know a client he represents. He reveals in one such post what we already know - that one of the best ways (if the not the best way) to get an agent is through a referral.

Conference Sidenote: If you're a resident or frequent visitor of the Bay Area, think about attending the 2008 San Francisco Writers' Conference. It's a popular conference, with plenty of west coast agents attending (and yes, there are many). I, too, will be there, presenting sessions and meeting writers.

Curtis Brown literary agent Nathan Bransford.

The blog lives! The Guide to Literary Agents blog is officially up and running. This blog—much like the GLA newsletter—exists for one reason: to help you become a more successful and knowledgeable writer. Both the blog and newsletter feature news, tips and updates concerning literary agents, screenwriting agents, writers’ conferences, playwriting, and writing opportunities in general. To sign up for the free biweekly newsletter, visit www.guidetoliteraryagents.com and type your e-mail into the box on the upper right.

Best,

Chuck Sambuchino

Editor, Guide to Literary Agents

Assistant Editor, Writer's Market