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."

After speaking in Maine last week, I flew directly to Tennessee for the mystery writers' conference, Killer Nashville (see post about losing luggage below to get a sense of my Friday).

Missing luggage aside, the conference was great. There was a great variety of speakers, including agent Donna Bagdasarian, as well as mystery authors Hallie Ephron, Chris Roerden, P.J. Parrish and Don Bruns. All these great writers were in attendance, not to mention, the man himself, Michael Connelly, who spoke as well. At one point, during author signings, I was sitting next to Michael at a table. He had a line about a bazillion people long waiting for autographs. I sat there, tapping my pen, looking at his line, and thinking "I'm nothing!"

Those in attendance at the Saturday night dinner were privy to Don Bruns picking up the guitar and singing. The man can sing - and I can prove it. See this link to watch him play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVcNFtN5N1c

Conference coordinator Clay Stafford (left) presents
keynote speaker Michael Connelly with his gift: a
sweet six-string.

Me, on the breakfast panel, listening to Oceanview
editor Maryglenn McCombs.

If writing thrillers, mysteries, suspense, etc. is your bag, try and make it next year. The dates are already set: Aug. 15-17, 2008. Word on the street is that the coordinators are planning on getting more agents and editors in attendance for writers to pitch, and making the conference a little longer.

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."