Guide to Literary Agents

At the recent Southeastern Writers Workshop, the agent in attendance was Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary + Media. Mollie and I hit up a lot of the conference circuit together and attendees love her cause she's so nice. It's rare that I actually get to sit in on one of her sessions. Fortunately, that's just what I did Monday night. Mollie spoke for 90 minutes on a variety of different subjects.

Below you will find the three reasons she gave concerning why having an agent is a good thing.

Why Having an Agent is a Good Thing
As Explained by Mollie Glick

1. Publishers don’t often handle unsolicited works - at least big publishers, that is. There are too many manuscripts for editors to look through every one.
In addition, it’s a copyright issue. She said Hyperion, which is owned by Disney, will not even look at an unsolicited ms because of the fear of being sued. They will only deal with agents.

2. Agents have “intense relationships” with editors—that’s their job. Agents track where editors go, take note of what they like, know where they grew up, if they have kids, etc. Agents realize that fiction is a very subjective thing so they try to get to know not only editors’ tastes, but also them as people. She has lunch three times a week with editors.

3. Agents can help negotiate a bigger deal. The contracts that publishers use are not easy to understand. This is for a reason. She also added that some publisher royalty statements are “almost incomprehensible” - again, no coincidence.
Agents are a step removed. They can play “bad cop” with an editor or house if need be. If the editor wants to change the book’s title, for example, and you (the writer) hate the decision, Mollie will step in and play bad cop. It allows you to stay removed from the argument so you can keep on good, editing-only terms with the editor.

Guest Columns

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 10:52:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Sunday, June 28, 2009

My Adventures in Jackson Hole ...
Posted by Chuck

Just got back from the Jackson Hole Writers’ Conference, and a nine-day, two-conference travel tour. The second stop was Wyoming, and I was instructing at the JHWC and also critiquing work from writers. I got to kick off the entire conference taking Q&A about magazine craft & business with People staffer Allison Adato.

On Friday night, I gave my longest speech of all time – 2.5 hours straight. It took three speeches to fill the time, but the attendees seemed pleased and I got a nice little ovation at the end. If I live to be 100 years old, I may never give a speech that long again.

Before my mega-presentation on Friday
night, I played some piano as attendees
gathered. (You can see the writers
massing and sitting down in the reflection
behind me.)

Jackson Hole is at the northwest corner of Wyoming, and is an amazingly beautiful little city that sits at the base of the Grand Teton Mountains. When not instructing, I did get out to see a good deal of the area. I hiked around Jenny Lake and Taggart Lake. I got to raft down the Snake River. Animals on display included Moose, bald eagles and elk. I talked to some people who came across bears, but I saw no bears myself (thank God). I’ve heard that bears hate to be startled, so I basically sang to myself the entire three-hour hike trip.

All presenters at the event are treated
to a spectacular treat: a hot air balloon
ride up above the city and mountains.
This picture above of two balloons was
taken by me from a third balloon while
up in the air.

The conference happens every year around the end of June and includes having 15 pages of your work read by three different presenters. Agents are present, too. It’s a pretty good deal in an amazing location, so think about heading there in 2010.

A view of the Tetons’ tallest peaks
while hiking around Taggart Lake.
(By the way, that's not me in the shirt.
I took the pic.)

Writers' Conferences

Sunday, June 28, 2009 10:33:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Saturday, June 27, 2009

How I Got My Agent: Lisa Dale
Posted by Chuck

To see the previous installments of this column, click here.

If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll talk specifics.

This installment of "How I
Got My Agent" is by
Lisa Dale, who writes fiction.

SOME SMUTTY, ILL-RESEARCHED ROMANCE

I wrote my first novel during my senior year of college, while I was working on my senior thesis, "Magical Realism and Post-Colonial Vertigo; The Narrative Strategies of Rushdie's Midnight's Children." While my thesis went on to be nominated for best in my entire graduating class, the “big” project I was working on secretly was a romance novel – a smutty, ill-researched, 500-page whopper of a romance set in Colonial America (which is, incidentally, not a great time for romance).

When I finished, I stepped back, took a look at my heaping (and heaving) doorstop of a book, and I thought, well, it’s bad—but why not try to get it published? I figured I’d learn something about the process, if nothing else. So the summer after I graduated, I began the research to find an agent. I was in up to my eyeballs in market books and Post-it Notes, and when it came time to mail queries, I wallpapered the whole city of New York with them. And that was just the first round.

Oddly enough, I had this feeling something good would happen even though I had a lackluster bio, no publishing credits, and no idea how the industry worked (I figured I’d work that trivial stuff out as I went). And lo and behold, I got an offer from a boutique agency based out of a home office. I went for it. I figured that if getting an agent was so easy, it was only a matter of time before I hit the bestseller lists.

DISAPPOINTMENT

And then … nothing. The agent wasn’t sending the book out and I was too petrified to call her—dialing her number made me feel like Dorothy sidling up to the Wizard of Oz. I agonized. When she did start sending the book out, I suspected she was sending my book along with other writers’ books at the same time, and my rejection letters from editors showed not only my name, but the names of other unlucky writers are well. I ignored my suspicions in favor of feeling optimistic (read: willfully ignorant) about my prospects. Any agent was better than no agent, right? A year later, when my agent still hadn’t sold the book (and I’d written another novel, equally as bad as the first, if not worse), we parted ways.

That’s when I started to realize four important things: 1) I was going to have to learn how to write, not just crap out bad novels as fast as I could, 2) I’d have to learn something about the business of writing, 3) I’d have to build a really impressive bio to prove to people I meant business, 4) I needed to get honest about my true writing voice (which meant soul-searching and time).

ROUND TWO: DOING IT RIGHT

Instead of writing another book, I interned at an NYC literary agency. I worked for free to learn about publishing from the business side, and I even though I kept on writing, I put it largely to the side. A year or so later, when the owner offered to let me become an acquiring agent, I said sign me up! I really liked working with authors and editors; I tried exceedingly hard on behalf of the writers I worked with. But in the end, it was sort of like I was trying to make my head fit the shape of the hat instead of the other way around. I realized I wouldn’t be able to avoid my real passion: writing.

So, I regrouped again. I went back to school for my MFA because I knew I needed to improve my technique. I volunteered for everything, read anything, wrote in all genres, worked tirelessly. I built up my credits with numerous publications in the small press/university market, and even got nominated for some cool awards like the Pushcart Prize and Best New American Voices. And, outside of the MFA program, I wrote my first women’s fiction/romance (Simple Wishes, Grand Central, 2009). The book felt more like “me” than anything else I’d written. I found a way to combine my love of culture, art, and drama with my love of, well, love.

The second time I went agent-hunting, it was a whole different scenario. I had all the ammo I needed: the bio, the technique, the experience—and the proof (in terms of the publications and awards for my poetry and short prose). I sent out some feelers to agents I had met in my travels—people who I thought might remember me from various panels and conferences, people who I thought might enjoy my work. I also sent some queries to agents I had not met but who were interesting to me, though I got more positive feedback from folks who knew me.

Ultimately, I hooked up with Kim Lionetti of Bookends, an agent who I’d sat on a panel with years ago. Kim, you might guess, is a fantastic agent—what an agent should be. She’s also a former editor, and her generosity in sharing her editing expertise with me is—I’m certain—one of the biggest reasons she scored us two different offers of publication for Simple Wishes

It was a long, very convoluted process to finding an agent and getting published—with lots of highs and lows. But I wouldn’t change a thing. The highs keep me going when the lows get the better of me, and the lows are learning processes that I do my best to be grateful for. I’m still working all the time, searching for new opportunities and inspirations. In the end it will always come back to just doing what I love: writing stories. That’s where it begins and ends—convolutions aside.

Want more on this subject?

See all the posted stories of writers finding agents.
Do you have a good story about how you found your agent? E-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll start a dialogue.
If you're interested in romance or women's fiction, agent Scott Eagan is a good man to learn about.
Looking to become a better writer? Check out our online courses at Writers Online Workshops.

Genre Writing | How I Got My Agent Columns | Romance | Women's Fiction

Saturday, June 27, 2009 3:27:08 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

To Follow Up or Not To Follow Up...
Posted by Chuck

Q. If you don't mind, I've got a quick question. You indicated in one of your talks to us that it was probably okay to re-query an agent if he or she had not responded to your initial e-mail query after about a month or so (and hadn't stated somewhere that no response meant no interest). On the other hand, I came across the following "warning" on (another) website: "Do not re-query agents if they have not responded to your initial query. Especially if it was an e-mail query." So which do you see as being the preferred protocol? Re-query or not?
       - Buzz

A. I think you mean "follow up," here, Buzz. When people use the term "re-query," they usually mean a scenario where you send a query, it's rejected, but then you resubmit the book a year later or whatever after significant overhauls.
       Now, on the subject of "following up," I say do it - but it depends on some important things. First of all, it has to be a little while after an expected time of reply. So - if an agent says they will reply within 4 weeks, maybe give them 6-8 and then send a nice follow-up. In the follow-up, you basically say (very humbly and gently) that you had queried 6-8 weeks ago and heard nothing. You say that the original query probably goty caught in a spam filter or lost in cyberspace, so you have simply pasted the original query below. And then you have some nice sign off like, "Thank you for considering my query."
       And you're correct, Buzz, in saying that some agents will only reply to queries that interest them. So keep an eye out for that little tidbit in their submission guidelines.

Queries and Synopses and Proposals

Saturday, June 27, 2009 2:54:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Friday, June 26, 2009

My Adventures in St. Simon's Island ...
Posted by Chuck

Presented at the Southeastern Writers Workshop in St. Simon's Island, GA this week. It was fun. St. Simon's is one of four islands off the coast of Georgia and there is a fun mix down there of old Southern culture and wildlife with new touristy stuff to do.

Man, it was HOT. Arrived to 102 degree weather. It got worse before we left.

This is the road to the retreat
where the conference was held.
Take note of all these insanely
big live oak trees, which are
protected on the island because
they're like 150 years old.

I ended up giving four speeches, which drained me by the end, but all went well. As usual, a nice group of writers and everyone seemed passionate about being there.

My buddy Mollie Glick, an agent with Foundry Literary + Media, was the only agent in attendance and got plenty of pitches. She gave a sprawling 90-minute speech on dealing with agents and ended up sharing a lot of good advice. I will end up composing a post or two just to share her good tips. Look for those soon.

Meanwhile, if you're in the southeast and looking for a nice place to take the family while you attend a conference, check out this event in 2010.

I did get to the beach and that
was awesome. The water felt
like it was 80 degrees - almost
like sitting down in a lukewarm bath.
Very nice. I know - rough job.
Somebody's gotta do it.

Writers' Conferences

Friday, June 26, 2009 3:16:01 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, June 22, 2009

Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Wolfson and 'Timing is Everything'
Posted by Chuck

I've meant to start this new series on the blog for a while now, but am just now getting around to it.

It's called "Successful Queries" and I'm posting actual query letters that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting the actual query letter, we will also get to hear thoughts from the agent as to why the letter worked.

The first installment of this series is with agent Michelle Wolfson, and her client, Mark Di Vincenzo, and his book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There.

Dear Ms. Wolfson,

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner? Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to send an email or ask for a raise? What about the best time of day to schedule a surgery or a haircut? What’s the best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre? What’s the best day of the month to make an offer on a house? What’s the best time of day to ask someone out on a date?

My book, Timing is Everything: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, has the answers to these questions and hundreds more.

As a long-time print journalist, I’ve been privy to readership surveys that show people can’t get enough of newspaper and magazine stories about the best time to buy or do things. This book puts several hundreds of questions and answers in one place -- a succinct, large-print reference book that readers will feel like they need to own. Why? Because it will save them time and money, and it will give them valuable information about issues related to health, education, travel, the workplace and more. In short, it will make them smarter, so they can make better decisions.

Best of all, the information in this book is relevant to anyone, whether they live in Virginia or the Virgin Islands, Portland, Oregon, or Portland, Maine. In fact, much of the book will find an audience in Europe, Australia and Latin America.

I‘ve worked as a journalist since 1984 and have made a name for myself as someone who exposes wrongs, such as rampant abuses at mental hospitals and decades of neglect by government agencies that monitor the environment. I've won numerous awards, competing against reporters from The Washington Post, The Washington Times, the Associated Press, the Richmond-Times Dispatch and The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot. In 1999, the Virginia Press Association created an award for the best news writing portfolio in the state – the closest thing Virginia had to a reporter-of-the-year award. I won it that year and then again in 2000. The next year I beat out reporters from The Charlotte Observer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to win the Southern Environmental Law Center’s first-place journalism award. I then became metro editor at a 100,000-circulation newspaper in Newport News, Va. Over the years, I’ve honed my long-form writing skills by doing magazine cover stories and writing short stories. During the summer of 2007, I left newspapering to pursue book projects and long-form journalism.

I saw your name on a list of top literary agents for self-help books, and I read on your Web site that you're interested in books that offer practical advice. Timing Is Everything offers plenty of that. Please let me know if you'd like to read my proposal.

Sincerely,
Mark Di Vincenzo

Commentary from Michelle:

This query caught my attention and I requested it less than 3 hours after I received it. I’m pleased to say that Mark became my client and his book, with the new title Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go There will be coming out from Harper Collins in October.

I loved the opening to Mark’s query. I tend to prefer it when authors jump right into the heart of their book, the exception being if we’ve met at a conference or have some other personal connection. Otherwise, it’s safe to assume I know you are looking for representation and I like to get down to business.

Mark chose clever questions for the opening of the query. All of those questions are in fact relevant to my life—with groceries, dinner, e-mail, and a raise—and yet I don’t have a definitive answer to them. Then the next paragraph he got a little more offbeat and unusual with questions regarding surgery, the Louvre, buying a house and dating. This showed a quirkier side to the book and also the range of topics it was going to cover. So I knew right away there was going to be a mix of useful and quirky information on a broad range of topics.

The next sentence was great. By starting with “As a long-time print journalist,” Mark immediately established his credibility for writing on this topic. While I needed more—which he provided later—this was great to know right away that he had experience researching topics. And the second half of that sentence helped show that there is a market for this book. This established the need for such a book.

And what do you know? Mark had the solution! A book that answers that need. And he does, in the rest of that paragraph. I think he could have shortened it a drop maybe to “…hundreds of questions and answers with valuable information about issues related to…” I would also be careful not to be too specific about how you envision the final book, and this is something I am always changing with authors in their proposals, since if editors see it differently, you may turn them off by having such a rigid format already described. Why large print? Who knows. I would not put that in a query.

Mark’s next paragraph is interesting because I like it if an author can describe his target audience. However, when most authors say their audience is everyone, as many do, I pretty much automatically reject it. And even as I type this, a query comes in for a YA vampire novel that will, “find a market in most reading ages, similar to the first couple Harry Potter books.” But Mark’s book really does have broad market appeal and he made his point based on a regional basis rather than age, although I think it cuts both ways in this particular case. But keep in mind this is a reference book—and facts are facts and they really do apply to all people.

Mark’s bio paragraph is a little on the long side but offers a lot of good information. Again, I think a journalist is the perfect background for this kind of book since being an expert on any one thing wouldn’t help; you really need to be an expert in researching information and delivering it in an entertaining readable fashion. Overall, I felt I gleaned enough information to feel confident that we could present Mark’s platform in an impressive enough manner to find a publisher.

I liked Mark’s final paragraph, of course, since it’s all about me! Seriously though, it is nice when I feel like an author has sought me out specifically and thinks we would be a good fit. Here I am saying Mark is going to be doing a research heavy book and he has taken the time to research agents as well and has personalized his query with a little flattery thrown in. Always a nice touch.

Of course, now that I’m looking at the query with an eye towards critiquing the query itself, I will comment on the little nitpicky things that I notice, but wouldn’t necessarily stop me from requesting something. Since I just mentioned personalization, I’ll say that on closer inspection, I noticed that the "Dear Ms. Wolfson," is in a different font than the rest of the query. Now I don’t expect you to send me an exclusive query; in fact, I hate them since I then feel pressured to respond right away when that’s not how I generally work if I’m not interested. But you could at least make me feel like you’ve typed it out just for me, and a different font calls attention to a writer's admirable, yet meant to be secret, time-saving methods.

Nonfiction | Pitching | Queries and Synopses and Proposals | Successful Queries

Monday, June 22, 2009 3:05:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [12]

Guest Column: Seven Things I've Learned So Far, In the Middle of My Journey, by Nancy Parish
Posted by Chuck

If you follow the blog, you probably know that I've just finished my first middle grade novel. I'm revising it now. One thing you wouldn't know is that at least once a week, I wander over to the desk of Nancy Parish, a co-worker who also writes middle grade. Nancy is querying agents for her first book, and thick into writing her second. Since she's been querying agents for a while, I asked her to write up a small column on what she's learned thus far, being thick in the agent querying process. She agreed.

In lieu of a headshot, Nancy
sent this picture of her
beloved cat, Lucky.

-----------------

7 Things I’ve Learned So Far

by Nancy Parish

1. A finished manuscript isn’t necessarily a publishable manuscript. There are manuscripts I’ve written that are simply dreadful and I’m a bit embarrassed to have submitted them back in the day. Each manuscript gets better than the last. I’ve learned a lot just going through the process.

2. Revise, Revise, Revise. Then let the manuscript sit and revise it again.

3. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but trying to get published doesn’t have to be. When there wasn’t an active local chapter of SCBWI in my area, I posted to a SCBWI listserv and started one. That was six years ago and we’re still going strong. Writing groups like this are a great way to network with other writers and get feedback on query letters, manuscripts etc. Just recently I swapped novels with two other writers in the group for a critique.

4. Don’t treat Guide to Literary Agents and Writer’s Market like they are phone books. The market guides are a great starting point to determine which literary agencies accept submissions in certain genres but the research shouldn’t end there. I learned to use sites like Google to find more information about agents I wanted to submit to. I now look for interviews the agent has done and try to find examples of books they’ve sold to determine if my manuscript is a good fit. Often times, I crossed the agent off my list because of what I learned in my research.

5. Sell the Sizzle and the Steak. Once the manuscript is the best I can make it, then I focus on the query letter. I’ve learned that for my queries to be effective, shorter is better. I try to write the pitch like it’s the jacket copy of a book.

6. Finding an agent, is like dating. Some agents “Just aren’t that into you”. I’ve found that even if an agent asks for a full manuscript, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will provide feedback. Some won’t even respond - move on!

7. Rejection sucks but keep going. Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture said it best: “The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

7 Things I've Learned So Far

Monday, June 22, 2009 2:38:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket By Writing Only One Book
Posted by Chuck

At a recent writers' conference in New York, I was asked by someone in the audience to give my best pieces of advice. Thinking fast, I ended up throwing out four tips. One of those tips was "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

In my mind, if you have written only one novel or memoir, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

At any given time, I have from 3-8 different projects going on. That includes articles due, articles turned in, book proposals to my agent, book proposals in progress, or new plays I'm trying to get produced. Something is always cooking. Besides having multiple rounds of "good news" with so many projects, it also allows me to never have writing downtime. It's not like I send out 10 queries and say, "Well ... nothing to do now but wait for agents to respond, I guess." Nope - none of that. Something is always cooking, and I enjoy the variety.

In addition, as an agent said to me recently, a lot of first novels really aren't that good. This is a hard fact of life. If you spend 6 months or a year on a book and it turns out bad, it's not the time to quit. Start the next one. Writing gets easier - and you get better at it.

Diversify! Nothing bad can come from it. If you start writing articles, for example, that means more bylines (awesome), more credibility and platform (double awesome) and more money for writing the pieces (triple awesome).

On a side note, I apologize that it took me several days to finish this darn post. I was sick and then traveled to Georgia for a writers' conference. (I'm at St. Simon's Island now. Of course, if you were my Facebook friend, you already knew that!) In the interim between the start and finish of this post, I see agent Scott Eagan posted with his own take on the subject.

Contracts and Copyrights and Money

Thursday, June 18, 2009 2:02:34 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

How I Got My Agent: Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
Posted by Chuck

This installment of "How I
Got My Agent" is by
Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, who
writes children's books.

LIFE PRE-AGENT

Though I didn't have an agent when I first began to write, I was lucky enough to get my work published. Over the course of six years, thirteen of my books - twelve children’s activity books and one middle grade novel – came to life. It wasn’t that I didn’t want an agent – I did, and had queried a half-dozen or so over the years. It’s just that other things fell into place first.

THE SCBWI CONFERENCE

In February 2008, I attended the annual SCBWI conference in New York. At a panel of agents addressing the state of the publishing industry (because there is always a panel of agents addressing the state of the publishing industry), I was very impressed with Tracey Adams of Adams Literary. Aside from the fact that she said she loved historical fiction (my favorite genre), she mentioned that the goal of Adams Literary was to produce beautiful children’s literature, and to work on building each of their client’s careers. That's music to writers' ears.

I queried her the moment I stepped off the plane back in Nashville. I was excited when she requested the full manuscript of my latest historical fiction story. But things weren't so simple.

UNDER REVIEW BY AN AGENT AND EDITOR

At that time, I was obligated to submit my book-in-progress to an editor I had worked with previously. The editor read it and requested big changes. I explained the circumstances to Adams Literary. "Would you mind waiting?" I asked, "while I made these changes?" They said they would wait. They said, in fact, “Enjoy the writing.”

Enjoy the writing! These people got it.

And thank goodness they are patient. Nearly a year later, I sent them a, “Hey! Remember me?” message. And yay – they did remember! After I sent in the revised manuscript, Josh Adams, Tracey’s husband, called a couple of weeks later to offer representation. I now feel like I can concentrate on becoming a better, stronger storyteller while they handle the rest. Adams Literary has, in just a few short months, taken my career in new and exciting directions. I thank my lucky stars that Tracey was presenting that day, and that Josh became my (fantastic! thorough! ever-patient!) agent.

As a final note, I say writers should know it’s never too late to follow up on interest. If someone likes your story, they will remember it. They will remember you. This is not to say that you should query an unfinished project. But if circumstances prevent you from following up immediately on a request, that doesn’t mean you should chuck that relationship. Finding someone who loves your story as much as you do is a treasure.

Children's Writing | How I Got My Agent Columns

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 7:57:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Cover Band Soap Opera: Biggest Show of the Year Goes Awesome, Though Lead Singer Insults Catholic Parish's Choice of Beer Provider
Posted by Chuck

My cover band had its biggest show of the year last weekend. It was one of those things where we were playing for a few thousand people and our amps were cranked to 11 and, like Alan Shepard, we were like "Please don't let us #$%& up."

Thankfully, things went very well. Our wild card lead singer did an amazing job of holding back on "sensitive" lyrics where need be at the Catholic Parish Festival. Our only low point came when the lead singer held up his bottle of Miller Lite (the beer provider for the event) and remarked that he was amazed anyone actually drank it - calling himself "a beer snob."

To just put the icing on the cake, when the set ended and we went to get drinks, he remarked that he was flat broke and needed $3 for another Miller Light. Must be pretty hard being a beer snob when you got moths in your pockets.

Pictures below for your enjoyment.

Cover Band Venting

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 10:52:37 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

What is a "Boutique" Literary Agency?
Posted by Chuck

Q. What is a "boutique" literary agency?
- Joan

A. "Boutique" is a strange word agents use when their agencies are small and/or specialized. See, there are a decent number of big agencies out there, with big-name clients, closing big-time deals. And then there are plenty of smaller agencies in pockets here and there, handling clients that sell modestly, getting medium advances, etc. The second category may call themselves a boutique.
Agents will start an agency Web site, and they want to describe their agency to the public. They can't call themselves a big powerhouse agency, but they don't want to classify themselves as a "small" agency, either. That's where the word boutique comes in. It means small, specialized, and loyal to its clients. It means, "We don't take on a whole lot of projects, and we don't get a whole lot of million-dollar advances, but we put out really good work and take pride in every project we handle."

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:08:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Agent Advice: Laura Bradford of the Bradford Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

This is a "Blast From the

Past" post. To celebrate the

GLA Blog's 2nd birthday, I am

re-posting some of the best

"older" content that writers

likely missed.

"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 literary agent Laura Bradford of the Bradford Literary Agency, who specializes in romance. She has 13 years of professional experience as a literary agent, editor, writer and bookseller. Laura began her career as a literary agent at Manus and Associates Literary Agency and is a member of the Romance Writers of America. As an editorial-focused agent Laura works closely with her clients developing proposals and manuscripts for the most appropriate markets.

Seeking: "The agency specializes in all types of romance (including category), romantica/erotica, women’s fiction, mystery, thrillers and young adult. We also represent nonfiction and other fiction genres. All queries sent to us will be considered with the exception of poetry, children’s books, screenplays and short stories."

GLA: What’s a recent thing you’ve sold?

LB: I recently sold the first three books in a new urban fantasy series by Ann Aguirre to Ace. They feature a woman cursed with the gift of psychometry who, after struggling to sever all ties with her past, is reluctantly drawn into the search for a missing woman along with her former lover (who would rather not be "former" any longer) and an empathic cop with similar romantic designs on her. The series has tons of danger and action, a little romance and bad guys who are are just as likely to hire a warlock as a hitman to even the score. And zombies.
Plus, I just received an offer on an erotic romance novel today, so by the time this interview posts, Out of the Ashes by Beth Kery will be my most recent sale. This one has heat and heart in equal measures, I'd say. Scorching. With a hero who is so Alpha, it hurts.

GLA: You specialize in romance. Aside from writing, what should beginning romance novelists be doing to help their careers?

LB: I think that the most important thing a beginning writer of any genre needs to do is educate him or herself about the market and how they should go about selling their work. This can be done lots of different ways, but romance writers are lucky that there is such a large and extensive group, RWA, where they can easily tap into the collective knowledge base. There is a wealth of information to be shared within that group. There are other online writing groups and loops that can be mined for information as well.

GLA: How exactly do you define “romantica”?

LB: It tends to get defined one of two ways depending on the person doing the defining. 1) It is a romance, with all the characteristics of being a romance, like the "happily ever after" ending and relationship-focused center of the plot, but with extra, extra spicy sexual content. More extensive sex scenes, more frequency, more kink, harder language (no sexual euphemisms here!), etc. If the sex was taken out, you would still be left with a complete, whole romance story. Or some people define romantica or erotic romance as being 2) a sex-centered romance with all the extra spicy elements I mentioned before: frequency, kink, language, etc. In this definition, the sex and the sexiness are fundamental to the plot and if the sex was removed, it would be clear that core of the book was missing. Some publishers consider the first definition to cover what they call simply a very hot (but not erotic) romance.

GLA: Romance can also be tied in with other genres—a romantic mystery, paranormal romance, etc. Is there a line where the writing ceases to be “romance” any longer and has shifted into another genre?

LB: A romance is a pretty specific type of book. At it's core, a romance is story about people falling in love and it always ends on an optimistic, emotionally satisfying note. A book can absolutely be romantic though, and not be a romance, per se. I think that there is room for romantic elements in almost every genre of commerial fiction and as someone who loves a good romance, I find those elements add an additional layer of depth to a novel. I think a novel ceases to be a romance whenever the focus of the book shifts away from the romantic relationship and starts to be more about the other plot elements (finding the serial killer, stopping the alien invation, making peace with the death of the character's father). If a book strays too far from traditional romance rules, it just isn't a romance anymore and that is fine. I think that genre-straddling books are fun and fresh and I love to read them. mixing genres, whether that mix involves romance or not, keeps publishing dynamic and continually evolving.

GLA: Romance has several sub-genres, such as historical romance. Is the genre continuing to fragment? or is it fairly set?

LB: I don't really think of romance as a genre that is fragmenting with all of its myriad sub-genres. The labeling of the sub-genres is really just a way to help romance readers find the books they most want to read by preference for setting and style. As long as the book has that romantic relationship core and heat, romance is romance whether it takes place in medieval times, present day, the Scottish Highlands, a church or the surface of Neptune. I think the fact that both the markets for erotic romance and inspirational romance are blooming is fabulous. I think that there are a few romance sub-genre classics that will be around forever, like historical, romantic suspense, paranormal, but I love the idea that there will always be room in romance for a new and fresh angle on a type of book that is so beloved.

GLA: If a man were to query you with a romance novel, will he likely be published under a pseudonym? If so, should he query you under that pseudonym? How does this work?

LB: Male romance authors traditionally sell more books when they are published under female pseudonyms ... or so we seem to think. Yes, the standard seems to be to publish male authors under the female pseudonym, but since I have no personal experience in that particular area, I'm not certain if it was the author's choice or the publisher's. An author can query me using their real name or a pseudonym, it makes no difference to me. I review the manuscript and make my decision based on the writing.

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

What Should You Write in the "Bio Paragraph" of a Query Letter.

Why Your Manuscript Can Get Rejected, by Hallie Ephron.

10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection Letters.

Google Alerts and 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!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Genre Writing | Romance

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 2:10:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Agent Terry Burns Interviewed on Novelists, Inc.
Posted by Chuck

I've met agent Terry Burns of Hartline Literary at a conference down in Texas. Good guy - and he's a writer, too, as well as an editor.

Novelists Inc. just posted a nice interview with Terry. I've pasted some of the Q&A below. To read the rest, see the full post over on Novelists, Inc.

NI: What makes a writer a good choice for you? What makes you a good choice for a writer?

TB: I need a writer that is flexible and committed, that understands the need to develop a good platform, promote and generate visibility. That understands the task of getting published is a team effort. The writer has the right to expect that each client will be treated the same and that the full resources of the whole team will be focused on making it happen for them.

NI: How much input do you expect to have on a client’s work?

TB: I don’t try to write for my clients, but I often will point out areas of concern that I believe need to be addressed to make a project more publishable. How it is addressed is up to the client, but I would hope that they take the need serious.

Want more on this subject?

See a profile of Christian agent Rachelle Gardner of Wordserve.

Read an interview with Christian agent Chip MacGregor.

Buy the memoir guide, Writing Life Stories.

Read an interview with Christian agent Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

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!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Christian Agents

Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:45:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Friday, June 12, 2009

How I Got My Agent: Jess Haines
Posted by Chuck

"How I Got My Agent" is a new recurring feature on the GLA blog. I find it fascinating to see the exact road people took that landed them with a rep. Seeing the things people did right vs. what they did wrong (highs and the lows) can help other scribes who are on the same journey. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.

If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we'll talk specifics.

This installment of "How I
Got My Agent" is by
Jess Haines, who writes
urban fantasy.

For years, I worked writing technical instructions, scripts for internal instructional videos and company policy for a private business. Though the subject matter of my day job is pretty dry and often filled with legalese, I always wanted to write fantasy, sci-fi and horror.

Once I decided to write for professional publication, I knew I had some hard work ahead of me. First thing on the agenda: Write a book! I came up with an idea, put it down on paper, and by June 2008, I had a completed urban fantasy novel ready to go. So - what to do with it?

STARTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT

Embarking on a venture to our good friend Google, I searched for literary agents. I sent off a query to the first one that came up. I was a little disheartened by his rejection (which was actually worded very kindly), but I kept going, poking around here and there, sending off a few more queries. At the time, I didn't realize that you should only query agents who rep your particular genre nor was I aware that things like scam agencies exist. Unwisely, I followed a link to a (scam) agency that came up on my next search. Of course, they accepted me, and I just about flipped my gourd when they said, “Yes! We want to represent you!” Meanwhile, I racked up three or four more rejections from other, reputable agencies.

After the initial "Holy #%^!, I have an agent!" wore off and they recommended a paid critique through a branch of their own agency, I got suspicious and started checking them out. Much to my horror, I discovered they were on a list of scam agencies and immediately cancelled my agreement with them. Okay. Big mistake there. Brush-With-Death-of-Potential-Future-Career averted, I took a step back to see what I could do to get a real agent and not be such a ditz about this process.

On the bright side, my encounter with the scam agency had me take a look at the benefits of getting a critique done. I invested in a professional critique through The Visions Group (www.thevisionsgroup.net). This was one of the best moves I made throughout the entire process as it helped me to tighten up and focus the novel. Jean Heller also gave me some invaluable advice on what to do, and what not to do to locate and land an agent.

FINDING ELLEN

Bolstered by this, I stopped querying and went through the manuscript again, taking time to clean it up. While I did that, I perused more blogs of agents and editors: yours, Nathan Bransford's, BookEnds, Query Shark, etc. I read over the recommendations and tips from various industry newsletters and organizations. I studied up on what to do, how to format the query, what to include, what not to include, etc, and continued my search for representation around the end of August 2008.

Ahoy! What's this? An article from the Writer's Digest newsletter about 28 agents who are looking for writers? Impeccable timing!

[Note from Chuck: I put together this article and it comes out every year. The 2008 list is no longer online because some of the info is outdated after about six months. The 2009 list is forthcoming. It will probably be online around September.]

I looked over the list of 28 agents and contacted Ellen Pepus (www.signaturelit.com) with an e-mail query. While I waited for a response, I got going on a second novel.

Ellen replied a few weeks later requesting a partial. (Insert happy dance here.) Shortly after that, she asked for the full manuscript. (Insert happy dance here.) In November 2008, she offered representation and sent me her contract. (Insert girlish screams of delight followed by happy dance here.)

I’m very, very happy I persisted in my search for an agent, as Ellen just closed a three-book deal with Kensington Press for me!

Children's Writing | How I Got My Agent Columns

Friday, June 12, 2009 11:12:18 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [10]

Talking Nonfiction: Word Count and Promotion
Posted by Chuck

Here are some questions that
came in recently. Both had
to do with nonfiction.

Q. For nonfiction: Once the book is published, is the author required to keep a website going about themselves & the product? Or does agent do all promoting?

A. Great question. An agent will do little to nothing in terms of promotion because that is not their job. With luck, the publishing house will help back you with marketing and promotion, but that much more often that not does not happen. It will be your job to have an electronic platform in place to promote the work. Like agent Ted Weinstein mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago, when you are going to sell a nonfiction book, you almost have to assume that you are self-publishing it - meaning that are you already have channels in place to sell it.

Q. Is there a minimum word count for nonfiction? Can a book be too short?

A. It depends on the book. My wife just picked up that gift book called Grandma’s Dead: Breaking Bad News With Baby Animals, which is filled with pictures of cute animals and only one line of terrible news every two pages. That book has maybe 400 words total.
As a nonfiction writer myself, I know this is tough. How do we approximate word count? Should a diet book be 30,000 words or 45,000? The best thing that you can do is look over comparable books and try to judge word count by their size, average words/page, and illustration content. After that, your agent will be able to help you more.

Nonfiction | Platform | Word Count

Friday, June 12, 2009 10:40:39 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Meeting Agents at Conferences - Make a Good Impression
Posted by Chuck

Here's a bit of advice you probably thought I would never say ... When you're at a writers' conference, and there are agents there, don't be afraid to not pitch them.

Wait a second. Back up. Let me explain. At conferences, there are designated "pitch times" where writers meet with agents, or perhaps there's some kind of "speed dating" thing, such as how the WD conference worked a month ago. Naturally, you want to pitch agents during this time.

What I'm talking about is those other times - when you're sitting down together for a meal, or perhaps you're giving an agent a ride somewhere. The thing is: Agents are sometimes overloaded with pitches at conferences. If you can just avoid business and strike up a normal conversation ("Hey, I love the Yankees, too!"), then you have a better chance of sticking out in her mind later. An agent is going to remember a few of the day's best pitches as well as a few of the worst. Besides that, it all could very well blend together in a haze. If you can stick out in her mind by cracking a joke or talking about some hobbies you both have, you can make a positive impression not as a writer, but just as a person.

Now, it all depends on the circumstances, of course. If you're a romance writer, and you're at a lunch table with an agent who accepts romance, you don't need to ask, "Can I pitch you later?" You already know you can! Instead, start chatting and try to get her to smile. Ask for a business card later. A few days after the conference, when she's caught up from all the madness, pitch her then, and remind her of what you were talking about before where you both had a connection. Something like, "It was so very nice to meet and talk with you at the conference, Mary. And here I was thinking that I was the only person on the planet who lived in New York yet somehow never set foot in New Jersey. You have shown we are not alone. We do have another connection, though - we both love romance."

And then you gracefully slide into your book and pitch.

Pitching | Writers' Conferences

Friday, June 12, 2009 10:00:38 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

GLA Blog Turns 2
Posted by Chuck

This week in June brings not only my real birthday around, but also the birthday of this GLA blog, which began two years ago.

Since I've posted stuff for two years, I started to realize that there is a lot of good older posts and columns on the blog that are kind of buried and hard to find. With that in mind, I will be re-posting some of the best "blast from the past" material so those writers who missed it the first time around can get a look.

Friday, June 12, 2009 9:42:45 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Sunday, June 07, 2009

How I Got My Agent: Jennifer Lawler
Posted by Chuck

This installment of "How I
Got My Agent" is by
Jennifer Lawler, who is a
nonfiction specialist.

THE REFERRAL

Earlier this year, when I was finishing up my new book proposal, I mentioned to a casual coffeehouse friend that I'd be looking for a new nonfiction agent. Marilyn, said coffeehouse friend, is a former journalism-major-turned caterer-turned-food-writer, and she asked, "Are you going to query Neil?"

I thought: Who's Neil?

It turns out she was talking about Neil Salkind, a friend of hers from a social organization, who, among other things, happened to be a literary agent. Marilyn had introduced us a few months previously when Neil was at the coffeehouse one morning - but at the time, I was working obsessively on fiction and editing a quarterly martial arts magazine. I wasn't focused on nonfiction books, so I just said hello and let them get back to their conversation. My impression of him was that he was comfortable in his own skin, interested in all kinds of people and things, genial and generous.

But no, I didn't think of querying him until Marilyn urged me to.

What I planned to do was to follow the route new writers are suppose to follow: Research agents who represent your kind of work (I write mostly self-help and how-to books, and my new proposal is in the same vein), then make a list of your top ten favorites, query them, wait a couple of weeks for feedback, make any necessary adjustments to the query letter, make another list of ten agents, query them, then repeat, until either someone makes an offer of representation or you run out of agents to query.

CONTACTING NEIL

Fully prepared for a long siege, I drafted a query letter and gave my proposal a final polish, ready to start contacting agents. Then I remembered what Marilyn had said about Neil. So I did some online research and found out who he represented, what books he'd sold recently, and came away with the belief that he could do good things for my career. So I e-mailed him, reminded him of our brief introduction and our mutual friend, and he immediately suggested we get together over coffee, talk about my new project and see what we thought of each other. (Yes, the theme is emerging: Hanging out at coffeehouses is instrumental in building your career.)

So we met. In the first few minutes of our conversation, he showed that he was squarely on the side of the author, that he knew a lot of people in publishing, and that he could sell books. Also, he liked my book proposal, and he had ideas about it - lots of ideas, which was wonderful. I was specifically looking for someone who could keep up with me because I try to write as much as I can.

He offered representation right away, we signed an agreement and now I'm looking forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship.

How I Got My Agent Columns | Nonfiction

Sunday, June 07, 2009 10:15:53 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

My Conference Adventures in Wyoming...
Posted by Chuck

Just got back from the Wyoming Writers Annual Conference in Casper, WY. Good conference! Attendance was up this year and almost all of the writers I met were very passionate about what they were doing. It's almost energizing to be among writers who just love to write.

It's the West out here, so there were some Western writers, a lot of poets, a lot of talk of open spaces - that sort of thing. Meredith Kaffel, the only literary agent in attendance, even got to see some wild buffalo cross the highway, of all things.

I gave several presentations and did one on one meetings. All went well. One thing of note with this conference is that the number of faculty is remarkably small. As opposed to, say, Muse & the Marketplace, where the faculty is about 70 people or so, this conference only had a faculty of five. There were two accomplished novelists, one literary agent, one editor (me), and the keynote speaker: Ted Kooser, former Poet Laureate of the country from 2004-2006.

I've met some big authors, but it still gave me a little chill to sit on a panel next to Ted and hear him crack a joke. And does that man ever have a way with words. I mean - I don't read poetry nor do I really enjoy it that much. But from the first line of the first poem he read aloud, I was spellbound. No wonder he was considered the greatest poet in the country. Amazing.

The conference faculty

After Saturday night, I got to let loose a little bit and gather up a group of cool people for singalong songs at the piano. We just had a great time. "Tiny Dancer," "Walkin in Memphis," "Sweet Caroline" - we jammed to it all (very loudly). Following that, we went next door to the hotel bar and sung karoake. Admittedly, I was horrible at I Love Rock and Roll. But you can't win 'em all.

If you live in the Mountain West, definitely give this conference some consideration for next year.

Poetry | Writers' Conferences

Sunday, June 07, 2009 9:32:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Talking Agent Queries With Wendy Burt-Thomas
Posted by Chuck

I was fortunate enough to talk recently with "Query Queen" Wendy Burt-Thomas, who authored the new book, The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters. To learn more about Wendy or her three books, visit
www.GuideToQueryLetters.com. Below you will find some helpful Q&A with Wendy about sending queries to agents.

GLA: Regarding queries to agents, when reviewing queries that worked and queries that didn’t, what recurring aspects were you coming across in good queries and what recurring aspects were you coming across in bad queries?

WBT: First, a disclosure: I wrote all the bad queries in the book myself because I didn’t have the heart to rip apart real writers. With that said, I can tell you that they were all based on the concepts I’ve seen in bad query letters over my years as an editor and author consultant.

The recurring aspects in the bad queries are often the following:

      1. Sending queries for novels that aren’t finished
      2. Telling ("I’m a great writer! This is a great book!") instead showing (letting your writing speak for itself)
      3. Mentioning that everyone who has read it (especially your mother) loves it
      4. Talking about money, movie deals or TV shows based on your manuscript
      5. Comparing yourself to Stephen King, Nora Roberts, etc.
      6. Pitching a general query with no hook ("I’d like to send you my romance novel.")
      7. Sending a sci-fi manuscript to an agent that represents romance (i.e., choosing the wrong agent for your genre)
      8. Not mentioning why you choose that agent/agency
      9. Not offering to take the next step ("I’d be happy to send you the complete manuscript…")
      10. Including too much irrelevant information ("It took me four years to write this book.")

As one might guess, the best queries were the ones that did the opposite of anything listed above. But to be more specific, many of the recurring aspects of the good queries included:

      1. An appropriate word count for the completed novel.
      2. A request for representation.
      3. A request to send the appropriate materials as per the agency’s guidelines (proposal, first 30 pages or completed manuscript)
      4. A referral, mention of previous books the author represented, or some acknowledgement that you chose the agent on purpose
      5. An interesting, well-written hook to draw the agent’s interest
      6. A "teaser" that left the agent wanted to know how the book ends ("What will happen when her husband learns his baby is part alien?")
      7. An interesting title
      8. Published pieces and/or relevant experience ("I lived with the Amish for a year to make sure the book was accurate.")
      9. A good platform (blog, Web site, media contacts, e-newsletter subscribers, etc.)
      10. For nonfiction especially, a clear understanding of your book’s purpose, niche and market. (You can save the details for your proposal, but the query should help the agent see where the book is going and who it’s for.

GLA: What do you think is the most common reason that good writers don't get published?

WBT: Poor marketing skills. I see so many writers that are either too afraid, too uniformed, or frankly, too lazy, to market their work. They think their job is done when the write "the end" but writing is only half of the process. I've always told people who took my class that there are tons of great writers in the world who will never get published. I'd rather be a good writer who eats lobster than a great writer who eats hot dogs. I make a living as a writer because I spend as much time marketing as I do writing.

GLA: What are some of the biggest misconceptions that writers have about getting a book deal?

WBT: That they'll be rich overnight, that they don't need to promote their book once it's published, that publishing houses will send them on world book tours, that people will recognize them at the airport. Still, you can make great money as an author if you're prepared to put in the effort. If it wasn't possible, there wouldn't be so many full-time writers.

GLA: What must-read books do you recommend to new writers?

WBT: Christina Katz (author of Writer Mama) has a new book out called Get Known Before the Book Deal - which is fabulous. Also, Stephen King's On Writing and David Morrell's Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing. Anything by Anne Lamott or my Dad, Steve Burt.

Nonfiction | Platform | Queries and Synopses and Proposals

Saturday, June 06, 2009 9:41:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Friday, June 05, 2009

Cover Band Soap Opera: Biggest Show of the Year Approaches; Bandmates Cannot Agree on a Day to Practice Beforehand
Posted by Chuck

Biggest show of the year coming up for my cover band - and coming up fast.

This Friday, we are the lead Friday night band for a huge Catholic parish festival in a Cincinnati suburb here. I had to go through the set list and remove any songs that had questionable content. And then there are some songs that have questionable content, but are older and so beloved that no one seems to notice.

ARE WE GOING TO PLAY?:

                          You Shook Me All Night Long? YES
                          Bad Bad Girlfriend? NO
                          Sex on Fire? NO
                          Pour Some Sugar on Me? YES
                          Feel Like Makin' Love? YES
                          Fat-Bottomed Girls? YES
                          American Idiot? NO
                          Stacy's Mom? NO
                          Gives You Hell? NO

Anyway, despite the fact that our biggest show of the year (more than likely) is coming up in a mere five days, we couldn't agree on a day to practice this week becuase of everyone's schedules. Geez Louise. Like that isn't a bad decision? Nonetheless, I will be working my fingers to the bone this week to be ready for the show this weekend.

Cover Band Venting

Friday, June 05, 2009 10:06:34 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Re-Query an Agent About the Same Project?
Posted by Chuck

Q. Under what conditions, if any, can a writer approach a particular agent more than once with the same project? How much of the original concept, platform, etc., has to change to warrant a second query?

A: It would have to be a substantial change in order to warrant another attempt. I see writers do this sometimes. They will give the work a serious overhaul and a new title then resubmit to agents. There's no guarantee if this will work but you are free to try.
Perhaps if the agent rejected it and gave you a very specific reason ("the ending doesn’t work" or "point of view confusion early on"), you could re-submit if the weak aspects were overhauled.
Speaking broadly, resubmitting in itself is a crap shoot because some agents will not look at anything they’ve ever rejected. Some have personally told me this. Others are more willing to give projects a second look.

Thank you to Allen Insurance for this cool photo.

Friday, June 05, 2009 9:47:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Writer's Digest Editors' Intensive Event: June 20-21
Posted by Chuck

The next Writer's Digest Editors' Intensive Event will be held here in
Cincinnati at our Writer's Digest headquarters, June 20-21, 2009.

These special intensives, held four times per year, invite writers to come in and get personal attention for both them and their manuscript. After a full day of presentations and sessions on Saturday, you get to meet with a WD editor on Sunday who gives you thoughts on the pages of a manuscript you've submitted.

Every participant will also receive a free subscription to WritersMarket.com, Writer's Digest Interviews on CD, and a list of potential markets for your work!

Learn more at our events website page!

Friday, June 05, 2009 6:08:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

What Are the BEST Writers' Conferences in the Country?
Posted by Chuck

I get this question quite often, strangely enough. I'm guessing that people decide they're "going to do this right," so they save up money to travel to one conference wherever they want, and they are just trying to make sure that they get some serious bang for their buck.

Now, to answer the question at hand, let's examine two things: 1) the different kinds of writers' conferences, and 2) what you want to get out of the event.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF
WRITERS' CONFERENCES:

1. General conferences
       These are just what you think they are - writers' conferences that are general in nature and geared toward all categories and levels of writers. There are hundreds of these nationwide every year, and most of the biggest fall under this category.

2. Conferences with a specialized focus.
       There are plenty of these, too. These gatherings have a unique focus to them - and that usually means they are all about romance writing, or Christian writing, or children's/juvenile writing, or screenwriting (& TV), or mystery/thriller writing.

3. Writing retreats
       Retreats are unique in that the focus is about craft and actually sitting down to write. There are usually no agents present, because that is not the purpose of the whole thing. You find a serene location somewhere and just try to focus and write. Lots of MFA profs, etc., teach these things, and there are even several overseas.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO
GET OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE?

This question, obviously, is key. Perhaps if you want to just sit down and write - maybe finally start that novel - then maybe an intensive retreat is just what you need.

We're circling back to the original point here. People ask me about the "best" writing conferences, but, truthfully, it doesn't work that way. It all depends. If by "best," you are talking size and number of agents in attendance, off the top of my head I'm thinking our own writers' conference in conjunction with BEA, the San Francisco Writers Conference, Willamette in Portland, the Agents and Editors conference in Austin, Muse & the Marketplace in Boston, the Honolulu Writers Conference, and the Las Vegas Writers' Conference, among others.

"Big" speciality conferences include SCBWI's two national conferences (winter in NYC, summer in LA), the Romance Writers of America national conference (this year in DC), the Screenwriting Expo in LA, and the big mystery conferences (such as Bouchercon and Thrillerfest).

But why is size such a big deal? More agents = good, yes, but you're competing against more people and paying more money. Let's say you're writing literary fiction, and there is a smallish conference nearby that has three agents coming and two of them handle your genre. That's not bad at all. It's probably cheaper and closer than "the biggies."

Are you not ready to pitch yet? Do you just want to sit in on some seminars, take notes, meet people and recharge your batteries? Well then that opens it up a lot more. Take a real close look at the conference schedule and what presentations will take place.

I know that these Writer's Digest intensive conferences we put on seem to do well because people love the critiques. We invite people to send in a decent chunk of their manuscript and get it evaluated by a WD staff editor. The writer then meets with us one-on-one to hear our thoughts.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND A
LIST OF CONFERENCES?

The three best sources are:
        1. Google. Search "writers conference" and "(month year)" or "(location)".
        2. Specialty websites. For example, look at the Mystery Writers of America website to find their regional conferences.
         3. Guide to Literary Agents, of course! You can start by signing up for my free biweekly newsletter at www.guidetoliteraryagents.com. At the end of every newsletter, I list 5-15 upcoming conferences and link to them.

Guest Columns | Pitching | Writers' Conferences

Tuesday, June 02, 2009 3:35:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Monday, June 01, 2009

Agent Advice: Jennifer Weltz of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency
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 Jennifer Weltz of the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency.

Seeking and submissions: To contact her, send an e-query with no attachments to jweltz@jvnla.com. Your query should include a short description of the work and yourself. She specializes in compelling historicals and thrillers that stand out from the crowd as well as women's fiction with a taste of the unusual and an emotional tug. She also works with middle grade and picture books where she looks for a voice that you can't resist to get to know.

Jennifer Weltz

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JW: It seemed like a good idea at the time and I do love to read a good book!

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

JW: Today the answer is By Accident by Susan Kelley - a beautifully written novel about the dramatic shifts that random accidents can render on a family; tomorrow my answer will be a middle grade historical novel about two sisters ... but I can't tell you anything more until we officially accept.

GLA: Talk to us about historical fiction. Do you seek any category? Historical romance? Historical thriller?

JW: I love romance, thriller and just a wonderful story about a great figure in history that we didn't know or know well enough. I love to learn something new and to plunge into a world and live there for a few days. If it's a thriller, it had better be tight on the facts and the resolution, because I'm pretty good at figuring it out and I am a sucker for a wonderful romance but never downplay the importance of anticipation. Check out The Last Queen by CW Gortner to see the kind of historical writing I tend to love. Also Pope Joan by Donna Cross.

GLA: You say you seek "women's fiction with a taste of the unusual and an emotional tug." To give us more perspective on this, can you give us an example (or two) of a women's fiction book you repped and what about it grabbed your attention?

JW: A wonderful example is The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb. This is a present day ghost story with a bit of a mystery and a great love story. One thing I have realized is that I love stories that verge on the fairy tale in their tone but give us a twist we didn't expect. I love to be surprised and also have a bit of a dark sense of humor. I am also a great fan of our books The Last Bridge by Terri Coyne, La Cucina by Lily Prior and Affinity by Sarah Waters.

GLA: You rep mid-grade works and picture books, but not young adult?

JW: Jessica Regel in our office has a great eye for YA's and so I leave it up to her. I do go for YA's if they are more the fun or fantastical. Angst is not my forte.

GLA: A lot of people write picture books but most of them never get published? Where are writers going wrong?

JW: Picture books are actually the hardest market to break into right now. I find myself turning down many books that have nothing wrong with them because I know there is no way I can sell them in this market.
        1. Unless you are an artist, do not send illustrations with your book.
        2. Most picture books that are selling these days have a character you can't resist with a great twist.
        3. Quiet pretty stories are not selling right now.
        4. It's all in the voice
        5. see 4

GLA: Specifically with picture books, are you looking for text-heavy work? Minimal text?

JW: Minimal. A picture book is like a poem. Every word must justify it's existence. No rhymes though please!

GLA: What, in your mind, differentiates a thriller from mystery or suspense?

JW: Great question and one I asked myself when I started agenting 14 years ago. Commonly, in the thriller, our main protagonist is directly involved in the danger and is directly affected by the outcome (they might go to jail or die if they don't resolve) whereas in a mystery the main character is solving a crime that was done to someone else. They might be in peril but the crime originates with another character.

GLA: In general, what are you looking for right now and not getting? What do you pray for when tackling the slush pile?

JW: I pray a lot when tackling the slush pile. I'm looking for something I have never seen with writing that grabs me from the first page and a character that comes to life from the moment I meet him/her. The voice, the originality of the story and a story that takes me out of the world and life I am living (i.e., don't send me a thriller around swine flu!).

GLA: In your opinion, how is the economic climate affecting writers' chances of getting published? Are you seeing smaller advances? Fewer buys?

JW: Yes, yes, yes. A writer needs to be prepared to be in it for the long haul and to give it everything they have got to succeed. And they need an agent who is passionate about their career and their writing. You don't want me unless I am excited!

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

JW: Thriller Fest in June.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven't discussed?

JW: Make sure to tell me what your book is about front and center when sending me a query, especially if it is fiction. I'll read about the other stuff later but only if the story grabs me. One last thing - I read every query with great hope and desire to find something wonderful that I can love because first and foremost I am a reader!