Guide to Literary Agents

"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.

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 mystery and thriller writer April Henry.
She has published eight books, and will have
two more out this year. The paperback of
Face of Betrayal comes out tomorrow (Feb. 1).
Learn more at her website and also see her blog.

I STILL HAVE MY EARLY REJECTIONS

I started trying to get in 1991—before there was a World Wide Interweb. I had a literary agent guide with a green cover that I poured over religiously. I think it was called Literary Agents of North America, as if it were a guide to infrequent sightings of a rare species. I got over a hundred rejections total for my first novel and then my second. Some agents rejected a book as soon as they read my query; others after they read part or all of the book.

I still have the file of those rejections, which I called Submissions & Rejections. And it still fills me with a mix of anxiety, shame, and self-pity to page through them. “I’m afraid I can’t provide the necessary enthusiasm,” wrote Anita Diamant about my second novel. (Anita ended up becoming an author herself and writing the bestselling book The Red Tent.) Sterling Lord, who at that point had been an agent for 40 years and whose clients included Jack Keroac and Ken Kesey, also “did not feel enthusiastic enough.”

Another agency offered to look at my manuscript—if I would pay $400 first. Some gave thoughtful responses, like the agent who found my writing “effective,” but then added that the structure was “unwieldy.” One sent me two pages of comments about characters and plot. Even the mixed messages, like the agent who said I had “real talent” but then added she hadn’t felt compelled to keep reading, gave me hope. I got typewritten responses, handwritten notes, letters from dot-matrix printers, form rejection letters addressed to “Dear Author” that had clearly been photocopied dozens of times, and one memorable “No!” scrawled on the top of my query and sent back in my self-addressed stamped envelope.

A DEAD END

I tried reaching out to a few authors: Marge Piercy, Beth Gutcheon, and Elinor Lipman (who was just starting out, but I had met her cousin at a business seminar). Again, since this was before the Internet and author websites, my letters first had to find their way to the publisher and then to the writer. All tried to offer advice, but they weren’t agents and often their own agents weren’t taking on new clients.

I brought Elinor’s letter with me to a signing of hers a few years ago. While she didn’t remember writing it, she marveled at the fact that it was handwritten.

FINDING "THE ONE"

I read this article, which appeared 18 years ago. I read it a couple of months after it came out, because my officemate used to bring me her old New York Times. After reading the article, I looked up Harold Ober in my green book. That was it. There was no other way to figure out more about them. (Sometimes I try to recreate how I used to learn about things before the Internet, and it gives me a headache.) I typed up a letter (no e-mail, remember?) to an agent there, Wendy, and got ready to send it off. At the last minute, I double-checked the spelling on her name. I had to re-type the letter and envelope when I realized there was no T on Schmalz.

Wendy replied (by letter) and asked for a full manuscript. Then she contacted me (by landline phone) and offered to represent me. Now, years later, we’ve been together longer than some couples have been married. I’ve had eight books published, with five more on the way. During that time, I also wrote two books that did not find a publisher. Both were books I loved. I could have been crushed. But by then I was hooked, too stubborn to stop. Instead, I kept writing.

And what if I had given up years ago, after my hundredth rejection from a literary agent? Around the same time, I took a writing class. At least two of the folks in that class—T. and J.—were far better writers than I was. They both gave up after getting a few rejections from agents. As far as I know, they haven't been published. So don't you give up, too. Keep going!

No matter what kind of agent you're aiming
for, the best all-around database is
Guide to Literary Agents. Buy it here.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

See all posted stories of writers finding their agents.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Genre Writing | How I Got My Agent Columns

Sunday, January 31, 2010 7:23:32 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Robert Lewis
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Robert Lewis, who writes crime fiction.

Robert Lewis writes crime fiction
and runs the NeedleCity blog.

Right now, I have the good fortune to be represented by the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, and my book, Unseen Damage, is being shopped to editors this very moment. I wanted to write a column from my unique situation - from the vantage point of a writer who has an agent and is now trying to 1) build a platform and 2) sell the book. Here are seven things I now know that I hope can help you:

1. Getting an agent is only the beginning. When we start out writing and dreaming of finding an agent and getting published, we, of course, focus on getting the agent. This is natural. It makes sense. In reality, however, it’s only the end of the first phase. The next phase, getting published, is where even more work awaits.

2. Every writer/agent relationship is different. This is probably one of the hardest things an aspiring writer has to learn. It was certainly hard for me. I’ve spoken with many writers who jump at the first agent who offers representation. This may not be the best move. The writer/agent relationship is first and foremost a business relationship, and in business people succeed best when they are well-suited to work together. Ask a lot of questions when you’re on the phone with this prospective agent. See if you can work together. Do you “click”? Always remember: If one agent wants to sign you, there will be others.

3. Landing a rep does not necessarily lead to publication of your book. Sad but true. Just “mind the gap” and keep working on the next project while your agent sends out your manuscript. Let your agent do his or her job while you keep churning out the golden prose.

4. It’s going to take time. No way around this. It took 4-5 months from the time I signed with my agent to the time she began to send my novel out to publishers. I’ve heard of it taking eight to twelve months or even longer before an agent felt a manuscript was ready to go out into the world. And once it goes out, it will take even more time. Again, just keep your head down, and always remember to breathe.

5. Building your author platform will be one of the most vital parts of the process. Once my book began to go out, my agent felt it was a good time to begin building my platform. Twitter, Facebook, blogging, Myspace, website, etc. This takes a lot of time and energy. Your platform is one of the major ways that people will hear about you and your book. I imagined myself at my desk, writing furiously, sending out my manuscripts to my editor for publication while my publicist did all the advertising. Ha! I was so naïve! These days it’s up to the author to sell his or her self, and their work.

6. It isn’t really done until the book is in print. One of the first things you’ll probably do after you sign with your agent is go back and rewrite your book. Maybe a little, maybe a lot. The revising I did on my novel took three months. Fairly deep revision it was, too, as I had to take a character that had been killed and bring them back to life. It was an incredible learning experience.

7. Just relax. Writing to land an agent can take years. It took me about four years of intense writing and two manuscripts to finally sign with a reputable agency. I took off about two weeks after I signed the agency agreement to read some novels my agent suggested I read before I tackled the rewrite. After all the work to get to where I am today, I’m beginning to realize just how important it is to not write. To regroup, reassess, and recharge. Writing will hopefully be your career for many, many years. You need to arrive at the gates with enough strength to walk through.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

Free tips on writing book-length memoirs.

A great resource for memoir writing is Writing Life Stories.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far

Sunday, January 31, 2010 7:01:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Cover Band Soap Opera: Lead Singer Leaves the Stage; I am Forced to Sing, Practically at Gunpoint
Posted by Chuck

A while back, I blogged about a time when our lead singer was sick and his voice just gave out about 10 minutes into a four-hour show. Well, this past Saturday gave me flashbacks to then. My cover band was playing a show on Saturday night in Cincinnati and the lead singer was/is battling a "toothache from hell." So our gig was supposed to last until 2 a.m., but at 1:30, our singer simply declared he was "done." The announcement was made in the microphone and that was that.

The final song ends (and, yes, it was "Zombie," as always) and the lead singer up and leaves the bar. Our bassist tells the drummer and I everything is going to be OK and that we'll just tell the bar owner to take $100 off our price for the night in exchange for this hassle. Uh ... well that plan didn't work.

I wanna rock right now
I'm Chuck and I came to get down

The plan seemed good until the bar owner walked up and whispered some words into the bassist's ears. The bassist turns to me, spooked, and says "Chuck, you have to sing right now. I'm not kidding, dude, you need to sing like right now or we're all dead men."

OK ... but what about the lyrics? And what about how I can't really sing? Taking a quick look over the set list, I pick out a few songs that I can barely pull off: "Alive," "Margaritaville," "Johnny B Goode," "I Want to Be Sedated." So off we go. I make an explanation to the crowd and then set off into some Pearl Jam.

And what happens? The crowd digs it. They seem to realize instantly that our bus no longer has a driver, and they're singing along with me, dancing more than before, trying to show some enthusiasm and keep the party going. In fact, when 2 a.m. finally rolled around (Thank you Jesus), the dance floor was packed. My bandmates thanked me afterward for saving the show, but the truth is the crowd saved the show. They could have thrown rotten tomatoes and little packets of Splenda at us. But no. They were kind, and that's a nice memory to have.

Cover Band Venting

Sunday, January 31, 2010 6:38:11 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [6]

Friday, January 29, 2010

Agent Advice: BJ Robbins of BJ Robbins Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Agent Interview by

contributor Ricki Schultz.

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 BJ Robbins of the Los Angeles-based BJ Robbins Literary Agency. She started in publicity at Simon & Schuster, was later Marketing Director and then Senior Editor at Harcourt, and opened her own agency in 1992.

She is seeking: quality fiction—both literary and commercial—and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, biography, narrative history, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine and health. (Please send all children’s and young adult queries to Amy Maldonado.)

GLA: How did you become an agent?

BR: Becoming an agent seemed a logical step after spending nearly 15 years in publishing in NY. I started in publicity (first at S&S, then at M. Evans and Harcourt), then moved up to Marketing Director at Harcourt. A few years later, I jumped the editorial/marketing divide and became a Senior Editor at Harcourt.
       When I found myself living in Los Angeles in 1991—much against my will, I might add (though I've gotten over it)—I decided the way to remain in the book business and utilize all of my publishing experience was to start my agency.

GLA: Tell us about a recent project you’ve sold.

BR: I recently sold Nafisa Haji's second novel, tentatively titled The Sweetness of Tears, to Morrow. Her first novel, The Writing on My Forehead, came out last March, with the paperback edition out this March 2010. I'm also looking forward to the paperback edition of John Hough, Jr.’s Seen the Glory, which S&S will publish in July. It's a brilliant Civil War novel about two young brothers from Martha's Vineyard who join the Union Army and fight at Gettysburg.

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

BR: I look for something that stays with me, that's not only engaging but teaches me something. It could be a novel about a 15-year-old runaway in Seattle, or nonfiction about a particularly dramatic moment in history. I want to be moved, entertained, enlightened. What I pray for is a writer who comes to me with something that doesn't need one bit of editing. Since that doesn't happen often—or ever—I look for writing that pops off the page, doesn't bore me, and has something to say.

GLA: Among other areas, you seek projects in the area of medicine. What are you looking for here?

BR: I like the occasional gory tale, like Dr. Pamela Nagami's The Woman with a Worm in Her Head, which is about her experiences in the field of infectious disease. I don't have a big medical list, although I would certainly welcome more of it, especially insightful and/or groundbreaking medical stories.

GLA: In your profile on Publishers Marketplace, among a list of other things, it says you do not represent “anything with ‘unicorn’ in the title.” Should all fantasy writers think twice before querying you, or is it just that particular mythological creature that rubs you the wrong way?

BR: To be honest, I added that line for my own amusement. I think I had recently received a whole slew of unsolicited submissions with unicorns in them and found it irritating. However, I don't handle fantasy or science fiction or most genre fiction, so I do hope that those writers think twice before submitting to me. (I have nothing against unicorns, by the way, in case there's a Save the Unicorns group out there who might come after me.)

GLA: Because you deal with so much nonfiction, platform must be important to you. In your opinion, what’s the best way a writer can build platform?

BR: Start locally; get yourself in front of groups of people, get published wherever you can, and build from there. Develop a web presence via a website and social networking sites. Befriend famous people, star in your own TV show, write a nationally syndicated newspaper column, or host a program on NPR.
       No seriously—platform is very important, but having something to say and having the writing skills to present your ideas in an informative and engaging manner is important, too. But still try to befriend some famous people, especially if they have national TV shows or a gig on NPR.

GLA: How do you prefer to be queried?

BR: I accept e-mail queries, but I also like getting queries and submissions through old-fashioned snail mail. I just changed my e-mail address for queries, so please use this one: robbinsliterary[at]gmail[dot]com. A Web site is in the works, but in the meantime, the best source of info is my Publishers Marketplace page. I would like to reiterate that it is impossible for me to send a response to every person who sends a query. I wish I could, but it's just too time-consuming. If I'm interested, you will hear from me—I promise.

GLA: What changes do you think 2010 has in store for the publishing industry?

BR: I'm hoping that no more divisions will be consolidated and that the big layoffs are behind us. I do believe that e-book sales will steadily increase but not dominate as much as people think, and that advances will continue to decrease for all but the most successful authors. And I'm hoping that publishers deal with the problem of e-book piracy, which I believe will be a big issue in coming years.

GLA: What is something about you writers would be surprised to hear?

BR: I play basketball in the North Weddington Mom's League. I've been their power forward for the past nine years, having discovered my inner jock in adulthood.

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

BR: The two I go to consistently are the SDSU conference in January and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Workshop in August.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t talked about yet?

BR: Three things:
       1) Make sure you've done all the necessary homework before submitting to an agent.
       2) Get as much feedback from as many people as you can—professional feedback, I mean—before sending your work out. Much of what I see might have potential, but it isn't there yet.
       3) Write a great query letter, one that's written with confidence and passion and doesn't exceed more than three or four paragraphs.

This agent interview by Ricki Schultz,
freelance writer and coordinator of
Shenandoah Writers in VA. Visit her blog
or follow her on Twitter.

Want more on this subject?

Read an interview with agent Jessica Regel (Jean V. Naggar Lit)

Read an interview with agent Meredith Kaffel (Charlotte Sheedy Lit)

Read an interview with agent Lucienne Diver (The Knight Agency)

What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

What Agents Hate: Even More Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews)

Friday, January 29, 2010 10:23:11 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, January 28, 2010

''Dear Lucky Agent'' Contest: Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction
Posted by Chuck

Note from Chuck: It's Feb. 1, 2010, which means this contest
is now closed. Thank you for entering. Winners
should be announced within 7 days or so.
Meanwhile, our next contest should start
within a week or two, as well. It's for writers
of kids books!

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

"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest:

Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction

Welcome to the first "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest on the GLA blog. This will be a recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here's the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes - meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you're writing book-length memoir or narrative nonfiction, this first contest is for you!

HOW TO SUBMIT

You can leave your entry in the Comments section of this post, or just e-mail it. Send e-mailed entries to januaryagentcontest@gmail.com. (If using e-mail, paste everything. No attachments.)

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of memoir, femoir or narrative nonfiction (also called creative nonfiction). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Though not mandatory, feel free to submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, I ask that you do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through any social media - blogs, Twitter, Facebook, forums, message boards, comments on other blog sites; or 2) just mention this contest once and also add Guide to Literary Agents Blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) to your blogroll. Please provide link(s) so I can verify eligibility.

CONTEST DETAILS

      1. This contest will be live for approximately twelve days - from Jan. 19 through the end of Sunday, Jan. 31, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within seven days of end of contest. Winners announced on the blog thereafter.
      2. To enter, submit the first 150-200 words of your book. Shorter or longer entries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
      3. This contest is solely for completed book-length works of memoir (life stories), femoir, narrative nonfiction or creative nonfiction. Stories, naturally, must be true - not simply fiction based on truth.
      4. You can submit as many times as you wish.
      5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
      6. There are more rules (most of them dealing with legal stuff) that you can find in the comments section of this post.
      7. By commenting on this post or e-mailing your story, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as the terms added by me at the beginning of the "Comments" section of this blog post.

PRIZES!!!

First place: 1) A critique of 25 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) Two free books from Writer's Digest Books (I will give you several choices and you pick the books your want).

Runner-ups - second and third place: 1) A critique of 10 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) One free book from Writer's Digest Books (I will give you several choices and you pick the book your want).

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) JUDGE!

Katharine Sands is an agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She is the agent provocateur for Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye. Books she's repped include:

SAT Word Slam, by Jodi Fodor

Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers and Moods, by Shawn Tassone and Kathryn Landherr

The Complete Book of International Adoption: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Child, by Dawn Davenport

Taxpertise: The Complete Book of Dirty Little Secrets and Tax Deductions for Small Businesses the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know, by Bonnie Lee

Contests | Memoir

Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:40:15 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [27]

New Agent Alert: Chris Kepner at Victoria Sanders & Associates
Posted by Chuck

Reminder: Newer agents 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.

About Chris:He is a native of Buffalo, New York and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Starting as an intern for Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, Kepner joined Victoria Sanders & Associates thereafter. According to his mother, Chris has had a book with him ever since he could hold one. From the Hardy Boys Mysteries and Goosebumps, to Kurt Vonnegut and Ernest Hemingway, Chris’s passion for literature has always been strong. Chris maintains a blog and welcomes your questions and comments.

He is seeking: At the moment, he is especially on the lookout for quality nonfiction and top-quality literary fiction. With very eclectic interests, he is open to all types of books as long as the writing is exceptional. Please include the first three chapters in the body of the e-mail. The only thing he does not want to see right now are YA or other kids books.

How to contact: "If you’d like to send me a query letter, e-mail it to thewritersadvocate(at)gmail(dot)com. I prefer writers include the first three chapters pasted into the body of the e-mail. Please don’t send your query to more than one agent within our agency." No snail mail queries. Query letters should describe the project and the author in the body of a single, one-page e-mail that does not contain any attachments or attached files. He responds to queries in one to four weeks.

Want more on this subject?

Interview with agent Jeffrey McGraw (The August Agency).

Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management.

What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

What Agents Hate: Even More Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

New Agency Alerts

Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:36:44 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Mysteries
Posted by Chuck

“What I like in a good author is not
what he says, but what he whispers."
~ Logan Pearsall Smith

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. This week, I’m serving up five articles on writing mysteries.

1. What a girl wants. In an interview on the GLA blog, Agent Stacia Decker discusses what she’s looking for in a mystery, as well as some ins and outs of the genre.

2. Hook ‘em Dano. On the working writers blog, they list 3 ways to make your mystery stand out.

3. Follow the rules. On the About.com fiction writing site, they list 10 rules for writing mysteries.

4. Look at all the angles. On her mystery writing site, Elizabeth Craig discusses how writers can improve an idea.

5. It begins on Page 1. On his blog, mystery writer, Bill Cameron debates the use of a Prologue.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Footnotes | Genre Writing

Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:14:34 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Writing Erotica (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Posted by Chuck

As an erotica author, I’ve found that many people have preconceived notions about the art of writing erotica and erotic romance. Before I became well versed in writing the genre, I had misconceptions of my own, and that led to much trial and error as I worked to refine my craft and learn how better to please my audience. Following are 10 tips I’ve accrued for those curious about writing erotica:

Lisa Lane is an eclectic writer who works in
multiple genres and formats; she writes
novels, original screenplays, short stories
and essays. Four of her erotica novels and
six erotic romance short stories are published
through Ravenous Romance. She also has one
“sweet” romance published. See her website here.

1. It’s not all about the sex—really. While sex does play a key role in erotica, the sex itself is secondary to the development of the characters and plot. A good erotica writer knows that, no matter how great the sex is, there still needs to be a good, solid story if one wants to hold a reader’s interest.

2. Dynamics sell. Flat characters never go far, but in erotica, you really do have your work cut out for you when it comes to creating believable and entertaining character dynamics. Dashing heroes make for great romance and passionate love-making, but they won’t keep the story going. Think about the characteristics that you find most entertaining, and then brainstorm: Readers like characters who use fun dialog, have a good sense of humor, and make interesting choices. What types of hobbies, beliefs or interests might help to develop your characters--and give them something in common? The hero must be worth pursuing, and the heroine must be worthy of her hero.

3. Perspective is pivotal. Most readers prefer erotica shown from the female perspective, unless the work is written specifically for readers of M/M (man on man). If you have an idea for a heterosexual erotic story with the hero taking full lead, consider ways you might revise it to focus more on the female’s point of view. Some (very limited) authors have found success in shifting through both points of view, and it works well in some circumstances, but many editors will frown on the “head hopping” of internal dialog.

4. Mixed-genre erotica and erotic romance are all the rage. While many readers still enjoy straight erotica, mixed-genre erotica is a great avenue to take for writers looking for their niche. Use your literary interests to your advantage and write what you like, letting the erotic aspects work as an added feature to your work. You’ll have more fun writing, and that will shine through to your readers.

5. Know your target audience and make sure you brand your work accordingly. Are you writing for fans of erotic romance or other subgenres? Make sure that romance is a strong part of your plot if you’re planning on marketing to erotic romance readers, and make sure you’re clear about your subgenres. Let your audience know what they’re in for before they read your work: if you are including kinky or gay/lesbian aspects to your story, or if you are incorporating audience-specific subgenres such as horror, steampunk, or hard science fiction, be clear about those aspects in your marketing. Readers do not respond well to these types of surprises.

Buy "Love in Space" Buy "Lust in Space"

6. Don’t be afraid to take chances. One point that I cannot stress enough is the importance to be innovative and unique in your erotica. There are only so many ways to write a traditional sex scene, and they can become repetitive and boring. Use your subgenres to your advantage. What is it about your characters or their circumstances that you can use to make your erotica different? What limits can you break, without crossing the line?

7. Don’t be too quick to relieve your audience of the romantic and/or sexual tension. Let it build, let it fall, let a heart or two break, and then give the readers what they’ve been waiting for.

8. Great sex doesn’t always have to include love. While erotic romance is a hot market right now, don’t underestimate the power of pure, raw, primal sex. It can be fun and interesting to develop characters that make their moves based on pure attraction, the love/hate dichotomy, and revenge or rebound.

9. Don’t forget the foreplay. Just as it is important to build sexual tension, it is also important to make sure your characters don’t jump into the act of lovemaking too quickly. Foreplay helps to add to the sexual tension you’ve already built between your characters, and it makes that final “climactic” release all the more satisfying.

10. Be tactful about your ending. Like romance, erotica and erotic romance readers tend to expect a “happily ever after” or “happy for now” ending. Don’t let your audience down by offering them a great story, only to leave them hanging or disappointed by the characters’ outcomes. Even cliffhangers in series need to give the readers hope that all is well, if at least for the time being. If the main couple does not end up together, make sure there is a good reason for it, and that they are better off going their separate ways.

Writing erotica can be a fun and rewarding venture, but as with any genre there are rules to which the author must adhere. While rules can sometimes be stretched or even broken, knowing your audience and your market will go a long way in helping you to promote your work. Have fun, write what you like, but make sure that you’re also writing with your target audience in mind. Good luck!

Want more on this topic?

5 Articles on Romance Writing.
Agent Scott Eagan explains the difference between women's fiction and romance.
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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guest Columns | Romance

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:34:26 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Alexis Grant
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Alexis Grant, journalist and memoir writer.

Alexis Grant is a journalist writing her
first book, a travel memoir about backpacking
solo through Africa. See her website here.

1. No story’s about the author. A memoir revolves around the author’s experiences and ideas—and so can fiction and nonfiction. But the story is never really about the author. It’s about something larger than one person, a theme readers can relate to, one that makes them reflect on their own life. My memoir, for example, is my story of backpacking through French-speaking Africa. What’s it really about? Why each of us should take a leap in life, and the value of traveling solo. I’m an important piece of that. But the story’s not solely about me.

2. Artist’s colonies are worth jumping into. I consider myself a journalist, not an artist. But during my first artist’s residency this year, when I spent five weeks in the woods of northern Georgia, I learned that I really do write more and better in a quiet setting with no distractions. I also met other creative types who opened my eyes to new ideas and fed my writing fire. Finding the time—and sometimes the money—to go to a colony can be difficult, but you’ll be glad you did.

3. Writing a memoir is a lot like writing fiction. It’s nonfiction, of course. All my stories are true. But they have to be told with dialogue, description, scene-setting, pace, characters—the same tools I’d use to write a novel. (These skills do not come naturally to someone who has used direct quotes and right-to-the-point leads for most of her writing career.) Writing this way takes practice. It helps sometimes to remind myself that my true story should read like a novel.

4. Exercise has more than physical benefits. Stuck on a scene? Sick of a chapter? Taking a break to go for a run or walk the dog isn’t wasted time. It’s a chance to think about the story without the pressure of having to put words on paper. Your brain is still working but in a different way, which may benefit you and your story in the long run (pun intended). I do my best thinking when I don’t mean to—while running.

5. A problem can be solved by writing through it. Not sure where the story’s going or whether there’s a bigger lesson behind a scene? You’ll never know if you don’t start writing. Put words to paper—any words—and sometimes the muse works her magic, bringing the story to a place you didn’t expect. Other times that scene should go right into the trash. But even knowing where the story’s not going can help. And often the best way to figure that out is to write through it.

6. My favorite parts aren’t necessarily important to the story. I loved watching the sun set over the Niger River—but that memory, however important to me, might not help my book. For every scene, we must ask ourselves: What’s the reason for including it? Does it propel the story forward? How does it benefit the reader? When it comes to your favorite parts, ask yourself these questions twice. Just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean it’s good for the story.

7. If it’s embarrassing, it’s probably a keeper. Details that feel the most revealing tend to be the ones that let the reader into my head and help them understand me as a person—and that’s what memoir is all about. Whenever I’m tempted to cut an embarrassing paragraph,* I remind myself that those are usually the parts my readers enjoy most. Of course, this rule of thumb can be taken too far—a memoir is not, after all, a diary. But most of our face-reddening habits or thoughts serve a vital purpose in our stories: they make us more human. If it helps the reader relate to you, it’s worth keeping.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

Free tips on writing book-length memoirs.

A great resource for memoir writing is Writing Life Stories.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far | Guest Columns | Memoir

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:08:31 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Agent Advice: Steve Laube of The Steve Laube 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 Steve Laube, founder of The Steve Laube Agency. Steve has been a bookseller for Berean Christian Stores, and an editor for Bethany House Publishers.

He is looking for: quality Christian fiction in all genres. For nonfiction, he is seeking fresh, new Christian ideas in all areas of material for adults. Please not do send any poetry, personal biographies, personal stories, end-times literature, or children’s picture books.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

SL: In January 2003 I was approached by Frank Weimann of The Literary Group to join his NY agency. His timing was impeccable as the publisher for whom I was an editorial director was being sold. I had been assured of an unchanged job under the new company, but when Frank's offer came I saw it as an opportunity to try something new and exciting and I would not have to move. A little more than a year later, in 2004, I decided to branch out on my own and form my own literary agency.

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

SL: Tough question since we are averaging a new contract every 10 business days. The most recent announced deals would include two nonfiction books by America's Cheapest Family, Steve and Annette Economides, to Thomas Nelson. The first on saving money while grocery shopping and the other on teaching your kids about money.
The other major deal was the next two novels by Michael Phillips to FaithWords, a division of Hachette. Michael has over seven million books in print and is one of the icons of Christian fiction.

GLA: You have an extensive background with booksellers and the publishing industry and Christian books. How does it all add to your style as an agent?

SL: I value that background in that it keeps me grounded by keeping the ultimate reader (the customer) in mind. I can still picture those people coming into the store asking for help with their book purchases. With that first in mind, it is further accentuated by having worked as an acquisitions editor and editorial director. It became evident at the publishing house that the marketing and sales directors are key to the success of a book. Therefore I always keep them in mind when creating a proposal for a client. First, will it ultimately work in the market?, and second, will it get past the marketing/sales team?

GLA: You seek Christian fiction in "all genres" except for kids. What subgenres of Christian writing are relatively new/exciting and still have room to grow?

SL: A tough question because the market can shift rather suddenly. I think the entire general book industry was caught by surprise when chick-lit lost all momentum as a subgenre in a year's time. A lot of publishers were caught holding and publishing books that no one wanted. Also the industry was surprised by surge in supernatural stories (i.e. vampires).
In the Christian market it was the acceleration of interest in Amish fiction that came, seemingly, out of nowhere. I have the privilege of working with Cindy Woodsmall (whose Amish stories have been on the NY Times bestseller list and she was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal last Fall). When we signed her, I was taken by the quality of her writing and the marvelous characters and settings she created. The "Amish" aspect made it unique, but at the time it wasn't a "craze" yet. It is one of those times where we were ahead of the curve. And kudos to Waterbrook and editor Shannon Marchese for recognizing the value of the books and working hard to packaging them so perfectly.

GLA: On this subject, is Amish fiction considered Christian fiction? Do they go together?

SL: Since the Amish fiction craze really started within the Christian market, yes, they go together. Bev Lewis wrote The Shunning back in 1997 and it was a huge bestseller. In many ways she pioneered the genre. Later Wanda Brunstetter became a force in the genre. Then in 2006 Cindy Woodsmall became part of this trio of top sellers and suddenly we had traction in the marketplace with three authors all selling significant numbers. Other publishers saw this have joined in the fray.

Check out "The Hope of Refuge" by
Steve's author Cindy Woodsmall.

GLA: A Christian agent once told me that Christian fiction does not have to be "over-the-top, hit-you-on-the-head" Christian writing, but can be a lot more subtle. Do you agree?

SL: Your source is absolutely correct. In fact, it is a myth that Christian fiction is simply a sermon in story form. That may have been true 40 years
ago but no more. There are some amazing writers whose literary acumen is as good as anything else found in the general market. I can easily recommend authors like Jamie Langston Turner (Some Wildflower in My Heart), Lisa Samson (Embrace Me), Tosca Lee (Demon: A Memoir), and Susan Meissner (The Shape of Mercy). I almost dare anyone to read these four books and then declare all Christian fiction weak and poorly written. Anyone who says that has not read the right books.
     Few remember that Jan Karon's Mitford series was originally published and distributed in the Christian market. The same with the incredible fantasy writer Stephen Lawhead. A more recent example would be Ted Dekker. His Spring release last year Boneman's Daughter was on the NY Times list and that story is, in essence, a serial killer thriller.

GLA: Let's talk nonfiction quickly. It would seem that a subject like "restoring your faith" or "connecting with the Lord" has been done many different ways before. Is the key to getting your attention simply a fresh spin on an old topic?

SL: The nonfiction world is driven by the visibility (platform) of the author. There are exceptions of course, but today's publishers are increasingly concerned with a built-in audience. For example, I had very little trouble selling Antony Flew's There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. He was very well known in philosophical circles and his textbook God & Philosophy has been in print since 1968. In that case we had actually sold the manuscript before Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens created was Wired magazine called the New Atheism. So when Flew's book hit the market in Fall 2007 it was perceived as a response when in actuality the book had been written before the topic was so popular.
     An example of finding a niche without a prior platform would be Allison Bottke's Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children (Harvest House). This book is selling more now than it did when it first came out two years ago. She found a topic that effects innumerable families: the "problem child" who is now an adult. Allison is a great marketer and created seminars, videos, and a S.A.N.I.T.Y. curriculum to go along with the book.

GLA: You say you don't want any personal stories, but do you accept memoir?

SL: Good question. I've yet to see a memoir cross my desk that I think has the literary quality or the story to make it commercially viable. When I say "personal story," I mean the "God saved me from Cancer" type of books which are legion. That isn't to say that there are not quality memoirs in our market, that would be inaccurate. I'm only saying that I have not found one proposed to our agency.
     I have a theory (and it is only a theory): In the Christian market, the memoir has struggled to find success. Why? I posit the reason is that everyone who has found vitality in their Christian faith is a miracle. I like to say that, in a group of Christians, if everyone were to tell their "story," that group would end up have a worship service. The miracle of changed lives is extraordinarily compelling. But, why would you ever want to pay 15 bucks for my story? Who cares? The person on the pew next to me has a story that is just as compelling, if not more.
     But in the general market, the memoir is usually a incredibly well-written story that dives into the depths of the angst of life and its sufferings. Unfortunately there is only a measure of redemption found ... and if found, usually comes from within ... some strength of character or circumstance that helps with their "redemption." In many cases, this is very different from the journey of faith that a Christian would tell.
     Like I said, this is a theory and if full of massive generalizations that are probably unfair. But I think you get the point I'm trying to make.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers' conferences where people can meet/pitch you?

SL: I will be the Writing for the Soul conference (Denver) in February 2010. The Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference (near Santa Cruz, CA) in March 2010. And the Desert Dreams Conference (Scottsdale, AZ) in April 2010.

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

SL: Please review our guidelines on our website. I spell it all out in exhausting detail on the site.

GLA: What's something writers would be surprised to learn about you personally?

SL: I lived the first 14 years of my life in Anchorage, Alaska (I was born there ... before Alaska was a state). I experienced the famous Alaska earthquake (9.2 on the Richter scale) in 1963. Later we moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where I went to high school. Then I moved to Phoenix to attend college and have never left. From the Arctic to the Tropic to the Desert. From the 49th to the 50th to the 48th state (New Mexico is #47 and I have no plans to relocate...).

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

SL: Become a student of the industry. It will help every writer to understand the process and make the entire experience more tolerable. Read my blog for occasional insight. Other greater and better blogs include those by Rachelle Gardner, Chip MacGregor, Victoria Strauss, etc.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Christian Agents

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:52:07 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, January 25, 2010

How I Got My Agent: Kiersten White
Posted by Chuck

This installment by Kiersten White, author
of PARANORMALCY (HarperTeen; Sept. 2010)
Check out her blog: Kiersten Writes.

THE SLUSH PILE WORKS

I’ve seen a lot of articles lately on how it’s impossible to get published unless you are somebody, or you know somebody, or you know somebody who knows somebody. Agents filter ruthlessly. Publishers won’t take risks on unknowns. No one wants to spend time and money on something with no guarantee of success. In short: give up. It’s not going to happen. You can have all of the talent in the world, but if you aren’t someone, you’re no one. The system is broken and you will never, ever be able to crack it.

I am proof the system works. I am a no-name, nobody stay-at-home mom - just another woman with a useless English degree, two babies, and a desperate need to do something, anything, to prove that my brain isn’t leaking out while I spend years of my changing diapers and chasing toddlers. I’d always wanted to be a writer, but a couple of years ago it became more than a romantic idea. I picked my genre, wrote the best book I could, and queried. And queried. And queried...

AGENT: YES ... SALE: NOT YET

Fifty letters. Most agents never responded. I spent my afternoons mulling over online databases, Googling agents, doing whatever I could to increase my chances. I had no connections, no author friends to give me a leg up, nothing to set me apart but my writing.

It worked. Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary wasn’t my first choice, mostly because I didn’t know she existed when I started my search, but when Michelle and I talked, we connected. From the very first call I knew that she was passionate about my writing. Her other clients loved her, and my gut instinct was to go for it. So I said yes.

And editors? Well, they said no. Despite Michelle’s work, we couldn’t find a home for that novel. It was too commercial, not commercial enough, too slow, too fast, too old for the market, too much not enough something. Those few months were brutal. But I had something I didn’t have while querying—a professional, someone on my side who believed in my writing for no other reason than that she liked it. And so while I waited, I wrote. Three books. When it was time to pick a new manuscript to send out, I spent the next four months polishing my choice. I workshopped it with critique partners. I cut ten thousand words. I pulled it apart and pieced it back together and combed those lines until they shined.

FRUITION WITH PARANORMALCY

When I couldn’t make it better, I was more than a little nervous to send it to Michelle. I knew she didn’t like “creature” books, and this was so different than the book she signed me for I wasn’t sure what she’d think. Where my first book was third-person, moody and intense, this book was first-person, showcasing a very chatty, sarcastic narrator who was unwillingly immersed in the world of the paranormal—and regularly interacted with vampires, werewolves, hags, and even a mermaid best friend. Totally not Michelle’s thing.

When she loved it, we knew we had something special. The thought of going on submission again made me want to cry, but I wanted this, I had Michelle on my side, and another sub round couldn’t kill me. (Pack five stress pounds onto my body, sure, but definitely not kill me.) Less than a month after it went out, Paranormalcy sold in a three-book deal, in a pre-empt, to HarperTeen. My dreams of publishing were going to come true, with my dream house, no less. All from my agent’s slush, without a single celebrity acquaintance to my name.

I’m currently finishing up edits on the sequel, celebrating four foreign market sales, looking forward to my release, and enjoying being represented by such a savvy, dedicated agent, who signed me not for a book but for a career. I’m still a stay-at-home mom, just a little busier and with quite a bit more random, ecstatic dancing on a regular basis. I’m also proof that good writing and hard work trumps all. The system works. You just have to work harder than it does, is all.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

See all posted stories of writers finding their agents.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent Columns

Monday, January 25, 2010 9:33:38 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [13]

10 Questions About the Query Process...
Posted by Chuck

I recently did a guest post on the blog of Hartline Literary (called "From the Heart" - talking about "10 Smart Questions About the Query Process." You can see the entire post on the Hartline blog and see a quick excerpt below.

1. Can you re-query an agent after she rejects you?

You can, though I’d say you have about a 50/50 shot of getting your work read. Some agents seem to be more than open to reviewing a work if it’s been overhauled or undergone serious edits. Other agents, meanwhile, believe that a no is a no—period. So, in other words, you really don’t know, so you might as well just query away and hope for the best.

2. Should I mention that my work is copyrighted or has had professional editing?

No. All work is copyrighted the moment you write it down in any medium, so saying something that’s obvious only comes off as amateurish. On the same note, all work should be edited, so saying that the work is edited (even by a professional editor) also comes off as amateurish.

See the entire column on the Hartline blog.

Want more tips and posts?

Query letter tips.

Five signs a literary is a good match for you.

What are the BEST writers' conferences in the country?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guest Columns | Queries and Synopses and Proposals

Monday, January 25, 2010 9:02:21 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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The 'Fearless' Synopsis
Posted by Chuck

I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel synopsis
should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written; but some are good, and you will get a sense of how they work. Or—you could just let find good ones for you and edit them a bit.

This time it's Fearless (1993). I chose this movie for several reasons. A commenter asked me to compose another literary fiction synopsis; Jeff Bridges is the man and discovers his forthcoming Oscar; and I just watched this movie recently. You can see all posted synopsis examples by clicking on the "Synopsis Writing" category on the left-hand side of this page.

MAX KLEIN survives a horrible airliner crash in a California cornfield. Many aboard the plane died just moments ago, including his business partner. Walking away from the crash site wreckage, he enters an altered consciousness—a heightened state of reality—rethinking life, death, God and the afterlife. He believes himself invulnerable, and to prove it, he walks across dangerous highways and even eats several strawberries though he is deathly allergic to them.

Upon returning home, Max is unable to reconnect with his young son, job, or wife, LAURA. He feels disconnected from the world, yet "in the moment" and invigorated. The media hounds him because he saved several people on the plane before leaving. He refuses to elaborate about the crash, though survivors explain that Max calmly guided them outside "to the light." Encouraged by an airline-contracted psychiatrist, Max visits another plane crash survivor, CARLA RODRIGO, who lost her baby son during the crash. Though Max does not break her depression, Carla is fascinated by him, while he feels an inexplicable swell of "love" for her; the two begin to see each other.

Meanwhile, a lawyer, BRILLSTEIN, is fighting on behalf of Carla's family as well as Max and Max's dead partner's wife to sue the airlines and collect large settlements. The legal battles draw wedges between relationships, and Max hesitantly agrees to exaggerate a deposition so his partner's widow can collect more money. He "cleanses" himself of the lie by standing precariously on a rooftop edge high above the city and releasing the last of his worldly fears.

Max and Laura's relationship detiorates; when she reaches out to him, he explains that his behavior is making no sense because he likes it that way. Max moves out. He sees Carla again and the pair spend a happy afternoon together before she breaks down. She reveals she could have held her baby tighter on the plane, and her child would be alive if she did more—thus explaining the true foundation of her chronic depression. To prove she could not have done anything more, Max has Carla hold a fake baby as tight as she can, then he runs his car into a brick wall to recreate the crash. The fake baby goes through the windshield, and Max and Carla are rushed to the hospital.

The experience changes Carla, and she is now ready to forgive herself and move on (or "live on Planet Earth for a while"). This decision saddens Max, who had hoped they may disappear together. Max is suddenly alone, and for the first time in many months, scared. He returns home a vulnerable man and asks Laura to "save him." Minutes later, Brillstein appears with a gift basket to celebrate a huge settlement, and Max gulps down another strawberry—but this time, his throat closes up. As Laura frantically tries to save him, Max actually does die for a moment, and finally relives the minutes after the crash when he leads several people to safety. Max then breathes again, coming back to life, and holds him wife tight as they both laugh and cry.

Want more on this subject?

Read another great synopsis: Starman.

How to write a novel synopsis.

One story? You need 5 versions.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Literary Fiction | Synopsis Writing

Monday, January 25, 2010 8:53:50 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Best of the Quest: One Author's Tale of How His Memoir of Movie-watching Came to Be
Posted by Chuck

It came like a bolt from the blue. I wasn’t looking for it. Didn’t need it. But there it was. Shocking, electric—the question that wouldn’t go away. “What is the worst movie ever made?”

Buy Michael Adams's book "Showgirls,
Teen Wolves & Astro Zombies: A Film Critic's
Year-Long Quest to Find the Worst Movie Ever Made"

LIGHT BULB! ... THEN ACTION

When the “Eureka!” moment happened I was supposed to be concentrating on a lot of other things: getting an American agent interested in my screenplays; working as a full-time film critic and doing freelance on the side to help pay the rent; being a good partner to Clare and a dad to our 14-month-old daughter Ava. But once I saw an egregious little tween comedy called Material Girls and then discovered it was at that very moment the user-voted “worst movie ever” on the Internet Movie Database, the question wouldn’t let me be: What really was the worst movie ever made?

Material Girls sucked, definitely, but I’d seen worse—hell, I’d sat through Santa With Muscles starring Hulk Hogan just in the course of doing my day job. The question then that spurred my quest felt right. It was something I had some experience in and was passionate about but one I couldn’t readily answer. Above all, it was an answer I had to have. No doubt you have a bunch of such questions that relate to where you’ve been and what you’ve done, or what you’ve read and thought and wondered. Imagine one of ‘em grabbing you and not letting go.

But you have to rise to the call. Here’s the thing: rather than just think on it, I acted. I jumped in the deep end—buying hundreds of bad movies on DVD and VHS so I could spend a year watching one really terrible film a day until I found the worst one. Financially committed, I couldn’t back out. I don’t suggest you need to go as far or spend as much, much less on crappy videos, but making it real to yourself—committing—means you can’t then dismiss it as a flight of fancy and back out. I’m thankful I didn’t. Setting a date and doing it pegs the mind, heart and soul on something external. It becomes a narrative, a spine to which you attach experiences and recollections.

CRAFTING THE ONE-YEAR MEMOIR STORY

It’s a segmented memoir—you don’t need to trace your grandparents’ hometown—and a prism through which you view and record events as the quest continues. This memoir form bridges the disciplines of journalism, investigation and analysis while allowing you to present a portrait of yourself in a specific time. In our post-modern culture, it also allows for a lot of jokes and references and subversive asides as you traipse your merry way to quest fulfillment.

Happily, it’ll never be a field of pretenders because you have to be genuinely passionate and curious about your question, but also realistic for yourself and your readers. Can you really become a brain surgeon? Is your struggle not to eat chocolate for a week really that harrowing? But if you decide to build a house with your bare hands or volunteer at the local thrift shop or climb the fourth-highest mountain on each continent, then you might have a bit of fun.

As you progress, take notes. You’re not going to remember all of this stuff and the beauty of such a memoir is in the details. The passengers on the bus, the song on the radio, the color of the sky, the comment your other half made last night and how you feel about this in relation to your quest: this is what will make your memoir vivid. You’ll be writing this backwards to some extent later but you’ll be surprised how much of the first-draft thoughts matter. And make it to the printed page.
The thing is, and I can’t emphasize this enough: Get started.

IS YOUR IDEA/QUEST BOOK-WORTHY?

The ultimate test of whether what you want to do is worthy of a quest memoir is this: Is it something you really want to do and, moreover, something you’d read about? If the answer to both of those is yes, then do it. Once you’ve done it, of course, comes the really tough bit—writing your quest into book form, finding an agent and getting published. If you think your quest is hard, whether it’s hugging 100 dolphins or becoming the world champion at rock-paper-scissors, be prepared for a secondary slog that’s equally challenging.

I was lucky enough to get a recommendation from an Australian friend which landed me with Hannah Brown Gordon of Foundry Literary + Media in New York City. She loved my idea, liked the two rambling chapters I’d written and saw something in the similarly discursive pitch I’d cobbled together. She and the Foundry team helped me hone those chapters and craft a proposal that was also a chapter-by-chapter plan.

Your quest will be your own journey. But just as you’ll need family and friends as your support team along the way, you’ll need a terrific agent and editor to help you turn your experiences into a book. But that’s for down the road. Maybe four weeks from now. Maybe four months. Of four years.
For now, getting started is where you begin. As my novelist friend Mic Looby told me twenty years ago: “Don’t agonize.” It’s possibly the best writing advice I’ve ever heard. Think about it, talk about it but most of all, get on with it. Get on with your wonderful, tiring, frustrating, rewarding and illuminating journey. All else will follow from that first step.

This is guest blogger Michael Adams on set
of George A. Romero’s Survival Of The Dead,
"playing"—what else?—a zombie. Besides
writing a book on finding the worst movie
ever made, Michael is a magazine contributor
to publications such as Empire and Rolling
Stone. And, for a brief shining moment, he
was co-host of The Movie Show.

Want more on this subject?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com

Writing memoir? Check out tips on writing and selling the book-length memoir.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guest Columns | Memoir

Thursday, January 21, 2010 11:09:12 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [6]

7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Bonnie Trenga
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Bonnie Trenga, nonfiction author and grammar expert.

Bonnie Trenga is the author of
The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier.
She is also a freelance writer,
copy editor, and blogger.

I collect Criminal Sentences, real sentences where something is amiss. Laugh at some of the best ones of 2009 and improve your writing at the same time.

1. Remember to use Spell Checker, but don’t rely on it to find every mistake. Avoid something like Criminal Sentence 235: “That releaves a lot of stress.” Use Spell Checker, but don’t expect it to catch word-usage errors, like these—Criminal Sentence 164: “a raised medium” (is Whoopi Goldberg from “Ghost” floating around?); and Criminal Sentence 215: “If the infection builds up, the eardrum may rupture to allow the puss to flow out” (how did a kitty get into the eardrum?).

2. Learn what misplaced modifiers are and then avoid writing them. Misplaced modifiers often make writers—even New York Times-bestselling authors—look ridiculous. Category A: misplaced modifiers at the beginning of a sentence—Criminal Sentence 243: “As First Lady, the agents acted as my protectors” (the agents cannot be the First Lady). Category B: misplaced modifiers involving a “that” or “who” clause—Criminal Sentence 150: “Soon after, he grew a swelling in his foot and in his groin that had to be lanced” (ouch; the swelling, not the groin area, had to be lanced). Category C: misplaced modifiers involving prepositional phrases—Criminal Sentence 225: “The man watched him and the girl with slow eyes” (the man watched the girl slowly; the girl does not have slow eyes).

3. Try not to be so wordy. Don’t follow the example of Criminal Sentence 312: “Several actions have been taken with great success including (but not limited to)...” This blather is vague, repetitive (“include” means you’re giving a partial list), and passive (why not say who did what exactly?). You can do better.

4. Become familiar with the kinds of mistakes you tend to make and then check for them. Some writers have problems with apostrophes. Others confuse similar-sounding words. Figure out what you need to work on and then do so. These three Criminal Sentences illustrate common problems—Criminal Sentence 195: “hand’s down” (careful with your apostrophe’s!); Criminal Sentence 248: “I hear lots of people complaining about the economy and how it’s effecting them” (watch your “affect” and “effect”); and Criminal Sentence 255: “All parents must make sure there kids are taking the right shoes” (“there,” “they’re,” and “their” sound alike but mean different things).

5. Be precise. Your thoughts swim around in your head, and it’s your job to make sure those thoughts come out onto the page in the way you intended. Criminal Sentence 156 misfired: “My goal is to tell anglers where to start fishing and how to catch them.” The writer seems to want to catch anglers, not fish, since “anglers” is the only plural noun that could go with “them.” Make sure your pronouns refer back to nouns as intended! (And if you state you have one goal, be sure to list only one; this sentence lists two goals.) Criminal Sentence 256 displays an alarming amount of imprecision. A reporter told us, “The missing fetus was discovered during an autopsy.” This is ridiculous. The sentence was supposed to say that during the autopsy, the medical examiner discovered there had been a fetus and it was now missing. The baby was found unharmed, but one reporter was harmed during the explanation of this sentence.

6. Remember your basic grammar. Problems with parallelism and subject-verb agreement crop up often. Check out Criminal Sentence 201: “He was smart, decisive and had sound judgment.” The parts don’t fit together correctly: adjective (“smart”), adjective (“decisive”), verb (“had”). As a copy editor, I can understand how this mistake occurs; it’s just carelessness. Avoid this problem by reviewing your sentence and making sure all parts go together smoothly. On the other hand, I cannot excuse Criminal Sentence 158: “The meaning of these words aren’t known.” Apparently, the meaning of grammar aren’t known either. Omit the prepositional phrase and you’ll see the mistake: “The meaning ... aren’t….” Pesky prepositional phrases often get in the way of stellar subject-verb agreement, so be vigilant.

7. Your first draft shouldn’t be your final draft. Sadly, what first comes out of our heads isn’t always brilliant, and we all make mistakes. Of course, you don’t want important thoughts to evaporate, so scribble away while your ideas are fresh; you’ll shape your sentences during subsequent drafts. Once you’ve been away from your piece for a while, you can catch your own Criminal Sentences—or maybe I will. Become more suspicious of yourself (assume you’re imperfect), and don’t become attached to any particular sentence. You can probably make it better.

Buy "The Curious Case of
The Misplaced Modifier"

Want more on this subject?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com

See a successful nonfiction query here.

Nonfiction words of wisdom from agent Ted Weinstein.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far

Thursday, January 21, 2010 10:24:17 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Agent Advice: Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency
Posted by Chuck

Agent Interview by

contributor Kerrie Flanagan

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 Kristin Nelson with Nelson Literary Agency, LLC. Kristin writes one of the most popular and well-respected agent blogs around: PubRants. She has her B.A. from the University of Missouri at Columbia and is a graduate of the nationally respected University of Denver Publishing Institute. As for her previous work history, Kristin has been a college English teacher, a freelance writer, and a corporate trainer for business communication topics before embracing her true passion of agenting.

She is looking for: literary and commercial fiction for adults; young adult and middle grade books for kids. Concerning nonfiction, she is only interested in memoir.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

KN: The simple story is that I worked for another agent by the name of Jody Rein before starting my own agency in 2002. I actually opened my own company because the previous agency did nonfiction almost exclusively and I wanted to do fiction—all kinds, including genre stuff like romance and SF&F. That definitely would not have fit at that agency. Most agents would say that selling fiction is more difficult than nonfiction so to make it work, you really have to love a broad range of genres. For me, I’m not a reading snob. I love a good sexy romance as much as I love a beautifully written and complex literary novel. Luckily I can do both at Nelson Literary Agency. I do have to say that finding strong literary fiction is tough. More commercial fiction pays most of the bills.

GLA: What misperceptions do people have about agents who don’t live in New York?

KN: Ah, good question. I think the greatest misperception writers hold about New York Agents is that they are always going to lunch or popping by the Publisher’s office to be “in touch and in the know.” That you have to be there to throw your weight around. The reality is that I network with editors almost about the same amount of time as any NYC agent, and any New York Editor will tell you that an agent’s location matters less than his/her reputation in terms of how serious a project is considered, how fast a project is read, how much money will be negotiated for it.
There are some wonderful powerhouse agents in New York and there are some wonderful powerhouse agents outside of the city. In general, I’d weigh an agent’s rep over location any day. That’s what the editors do.

GLA: What do you do to stay in contact with editors/publishers when you are back home in Colorado?

KN: I use the telephone. Grin. Sorry, that was probably sarcastic and guess what? Most NYC agents use the telephone to stay in contact and they all live in the same city.

GLA: Are there any advantages from not living in New York?

KN: Absolutely. My clients are not paying for the high overhead it would take to have an office location in the priciest city in the United States. We can spend our money on having such things like our marketing director Lindsay Mergens—who by the way is based in New York.

GLA: Do you have any exciting news to share about current clients?

KN: How much room do you have in your article? Big grin here. We’ve had a ton of good news as of late. Earlier this year, Ally Carter hit the New York Times Series bestseller list (along with Twilight and Diary of A Wimpy Kid) with her wonderful Gallagher Girls series. Jamie Ford hit the NYT bestseller list twice. For nine weeks with the hardcover of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet and now for the trade paperback edition of this novel. He’s been on for four weeks, hitting as high as #13 and I have hopes for staying on for a while and breaking the top ten.
     Then Gail Carriger’s debut steampunk fantasy Soulless was named one of the top 100 books of 2009 by Publishers Weekly. So exciting and unexpected. This is the second time an NLA book has been chosen by PW for a top book pick of the year. In 2008 it was Sherry Thomas’s debut historical romance Private Arrangements. We’ve been incredibly blessed.

GLA: What are you looking for right now and not getting?

KN: I’d love to see more literary fiction with that strong commercial bent—like Jamie Ford. Great storytelling, lovely writing, and a dynamic plot to really drive the story.
     I see a lot of literary fiction with superb writing but there’s no solid plot to keep the pace strong. I certainly see the value in beautifully written and introspective literary fiction such as Prague—but it’s not right for me.
I want literary fiction with a genre plot—if that makes any sense.

GLA: What are you tired of seeing?

KN: Paranormal - elements. We are still looking at titles in the adult or young adult realm with paranormal elements, but it’s crowded. It would really have to be extraordinary for us to take it on. Although, I’d love something literary that has that touch—kind of like The Thirteenth Tale, which I loved. I would represent a book like that in a heartbeat.

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

KN: Sadly I’ve been limiting my appearances at writers’ conferences. As much as I enjoy them, it’s a lot of travel to be at the London Book Fair, BEA in New York, RWA, Worldcon or World Fantasy, ALA, and also in Bologna for the Children’s Book Fair. My associate Sara Megibow is planning to attend quite a few next year. Readers can find out about her on Publishers Marketplace page.
     I do plan to be at the Missouri’s Writers Guild conference in St. Louis in the spring. I still have family in the area so it’s a good excuse to visit.

GLA: What is something about yourself writers would be surprised to know?

KN: That I’m in my forties and I still play Ultimate Frisbee for fun. My husband and I met while playing the sport years ago. It’s a great, caring community so we still like to play. I’m so the old lady on my team now. If I get matched up against a twenty-something, I know I can’t keep up so I have to play smarter. Sometimes that works. Lots of time that doesn’t. It’s still fun though. I imagine that if I get one more major injury, I’ll hang up my cleats.

GLA: When writers first contact you, what do you want them to send and how?

KN: We make it easy; all our submission guidelines are clearly outlined on our website. In short, send us a query letter by e-mail first. If we want to see sample pages, we’ll request them and have you upload to our electronic database. We do everything electronically and have done so since the start of my agency in 2002. Save the trees!

This agent interview by Kerrie Flanagan,
director of Northern Colorado Writers. Register
now for the 5th annual Northern Colorado
Writers Conference, featuring literary agents
as well as author and producer Stephen Cannell.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 1:14:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Romance Writing
Posted by Chuck

"You write to communicate to the hearts and
minds of others what's burning inside you.
And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke."
~Arthur Polotnik

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. This week I’m serving up five articles that focus on writing romance.

1. Before the loving, bring on the fighting. Heather Massey explores physical fight scenes between characters on Romancing the Blog. Even though the keepers of this blog are on hiatus, you can still mine the archives for great information.

2. No shortcuts here. On her blog, Brenda Coulter de-mystifies the writing life.

3. Molly Blake’s writing tips. On her website, Liz Fielding lists eight writing tips from her popular heroine Molly Blake.

4. She’s not watching television, she’s doing research. Jennifer Crusie lists five things she’s learned about writing romance from watching television.

5. They’re just not that observant. Over at the Free The Princess blog, writer Matthew Delman serves up his opinion on writing romance from the guy’s perspective.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Footnotes | Romance

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:53:56 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, January 18, 2010

Tips for Writing and Selling the Book-Length Memoir (Part 2 of 2)
Posted by Chuck

"Is my life fascinating enough?" That's the question raised today in a special guest column by journalist and memoir writer Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. (This column is Part 2 of 2. See Part 1 here.) If you're interested in writing life stories and memoir, check out Ethan's Boston-based, eight-week intensive memoir class (next class begins Jan 26, 2010).

Ethan Gilsdorf is a memoir writer, journalist, critic,
editor and teacher. He has contributed to The New
York Times, Boston Globe, National Geographic
Traveler, Psychology Today and more. Win a copy of
his book online, see check out his personal website.

2. Start small -- master the essay, the article, the chapter before you take on the entire book. Think of chapters as potential articles first. Strategize to turn a series of related articles into a full-fledged book idea.

3. Publish widely to establish a track record as proven writer and prove you have the writing chops. Agents are more likely to take chance on you if you’ve already published on topic in magazines, newspapers. If you haven’t published short pieces yet, get to work!

4. Document as you experience – make a record of dialogue and thoughts (and keep receipts for tax purposes). If you can’t remember your life or experiences, is it OK to make stuff up? Remember to be truthful to the spirit of the scene in any recreations. In addition to memory, use your reporting skills: interviewing, researching, field work.

5. Pitching the proposal: Take classes, read books, seek expertise on writing a book proposal. Understand what a nonfiction book proposal contains: synopsis; methodology, style and approach; target audiences; promotion and marketing strategies; similar books;
format and delivery; chapter outline; author bio.

6. Network, go to conferences, to gauge interest in your idea, meet editors and agents.

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.
Check out my tips on writing memoir: Part I, and also Part II.

Guest Columns | Memoir

Monday, January 18, 2010 9:51:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Conference Spotlight: VOICE Writers Conference
Posted by Chuck

DETAILS

A one-day conference, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, at the Pullman Plaza Hotel, Huntington, WV. Register before Feb. 1, 2010 and get early VIP status. The conference is "a day filled with good food, good books and the finest creative minds in the Appalachian region."

WHO WILL BE THERE?

Literary agent Miriam Kriss of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency will be in attendance taking pitches. The second agent in attendance is Cherry Weiner of Cherry Weiner Literary. I've met both women in person before and can tell you they are great and very knowledgeable. Also, I will be there instructing on publishing, queries, playwriting, and more!

REASONS TO ATTEND

Classes on how to get published
Classes on finding markets for your work
Classes on novel writing
A spotlight on playwriting

A portion of all registration proceeds will be donated to the Freedom Writer's Foundation.

In the words of conference organizer Doug Brooks: "The main thing we are offering at the conference is an exploration into the options available to writers looking for a career in the field. My personal goal is to help guests take their writing to the next level, whether it's a first-time author or a veteran trying to get a better contract with a new or current publisher."

Want more on this subject?

It's not too late to sign up for WD's conference in NYC called Digital Book World (Jan. 26-27, 2010).

Check out this guest column by Han Vance on Networking at Writers Conferences.

Read more about the dos and don'ts of pitching agents at conferences.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Writers' Conferences

Monday, January 18, 2010 9:41:17 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Friday, January 15, 2010

New Agent Alert: Lauren MacLeod of the Strothman Agency
Posted by Chuck

Reminder: Newer agents 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.

About Lauren: She joined the Strothman Agency after graduating cum laude from Emerson College with a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing.

She is seeking: middle grade novels, young adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as highly polished literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. Some of her favorite (non-client) YA authors are Meg Rosoff, Maureen Johnson and John Green. Specifically, she's looking for contemporary YA & MG, narrative nonfiction for young adults, graphic novels, YA Dystopian with strong world-building, and adult trade nonfiction on quirky subjects or people. She is currently especially drawn to YA & MG projects with humorous situations or funny characters.

Flooded with: "Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Historical Fiction, Tragedy Memoirs."

How to contact: Do not send entire manuscripts unless requested. E-queries accepted, strothmanagency (at) gmail (dot) com. Include a query, synopsis, and (for fiction) 2-10 pages. No attachments please. "If we have not replied to your query within six weeks, we do not feel that it is right for us." Snail submissions accepted, too: The Strothman Agency, LLC, 6 Beacon Street, Suite 810, Boston MA 02108 and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Want more on children's writing?

Examine Great High-Concept Hooks for Children's Books.

New children's agent seeking submissions.

How to write picture books for kids.

Buy the kids writers' bible: the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

Interview with kids agent Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Read a successful young adult query: "Wake" by Lisa McMann.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Children's Writing

Friday, January 15, 2010 10:50:11 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Donna Gambale
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Donna Gambale, nonfiction book author and aspiring YA writer.

Donna Gambale blogs at the First Novels
Club and is the author of a mini kit,
Magnetic Kama Sutra. She’s currently
revising her young adult novel, Multiple Choice.

1. Writing is like acting. Always be yourself? I don’t think so. In 2008, when Running Press asked me to write a book for their upcoming mini kit, Magnetic Kama Sutra, I couldn’t refuse a publishing credit to my name … despite the topic! Writing about sex—even in a playful manner—intimidated me. But the somewhat hilarious process made me grow as a writer, and I’m much less afraid to take those risks in my fiction and write the unfamiliar.

2. You, too, can become addicted to blogging. I once had zero interest in blogging. In April 2009, my critique group and I wanted to chronicle our writing journey, and the First Novels Club blog was born. By September, I was hooked. I became passionate about creating unique content that readers would find useful and entertaining—and the blog grew. I love the instant gratification of comments. And I “follow” a long list of other bloggers whom I’ve come to know, respect, and banter with on a daily basis. The sense of community and knowledge I’ve gained are invaluable.

3. Surround yourself with people who speak your language. Face it, no matter how supportive family and friends may be, they usually don’t “get it.” And on the rough side, more than a few people will be patronizing or discouraging when you tell them you’re writing a book. That’s why it’s so important to connect with people who have interests and goals similar to yours. If I didn’t have my critique group, I can say for certain that I wouldn’t have gotten past chapter five in my novel, and sharing in the struggles and successes of other bloggers has inspired me to accomplish even more.

4. Challenge yourself. The beginning’s the easy part. Your shiny new idea keeps you up at night with its untold glory, begging to be written. So you write with fervor … for about a week. And then you find the plot holes. And the weak characters. And the contrived dialogue. Oops. No novel is easy! Set manageable goals, tackle one issue at a time, and push yourself to write better/faster/smarter than you ever thought you could.

5. But work at your own pace. Every writer works differently. Sure, you hear stories about people who wrote and revised their debut novel in six months, got an agent three weeks later, and a “very nice” deal listed in Publishers Marketplace two months down the road. Ignore them. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else, but make sure you’re always moving forward.

6. Talk to strangers. Readers, authors, agents, editors, booksellers, aspiring writers, bloggers, librarians. Meet them. Put yourself out there. If you attend book signings and conferences and read fifty blogs but don’t talk to people, participate, or comment, you’re missing valuable opportunities to network and learn from people firsthand. But be warned: no one wants to talk to someone whose primary goal is self-promotion.

7. Don’t underestimate yourself. If you told me three years ago I would have a novel written and ready for agents before my twenty-fourth birthday, I would’ve laughed at you. If you’d told me about Magnetic Kama Sutra, I would’ve fallen off my chair. You never know what you can achieve. Call yourself an author. Treat your writing goals seriously. Trust yourself. Embrace the learning process. You’ll get there!

Want more on this subject?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com

See a successful nonfiction query here.

Nonfiction words of wisdom from agent Ted Weinstein.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far

Friday, January 15, 2010 10:36:47 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Successful Queries: Agent Jeff Kleinman and 'The Art of Racing in the Rain'
Posted by Chuck

This series is 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 25th installment in this series is with agent Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary) and his author, Garth Stein, for his book, The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Buy "The Art of Racing in the Rain"

From: Garth Stein
To: Jeff Kleinman
Re: Query: “The Art of Racing in the Rain”

Dear Mr. Kleinman:

Saturday night I was participating in a fundraiser for the King County Library System out here in the Pacific Northwest, and I met your client, Layne Maheu. He spoke very highly of you and suggested that I contact you...

I am a Seattle writer with two published novels. I have recently completed my third novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and I find myself in a difficult situation: my new book is narrated by a dog, and my current agent told me that he cannot (or will not) sell it for that very reason. Thus, I am seeking new representation.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of Denny Swift, a race car driver who faces profound obstacles in his life, and ultimately overcomes them by applying the same techniques that have made him successful on the track. His story is narrated by his "philosopher dog," Enzo, who, having a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), believes he will return as a man in his next lifetime.

My last novel, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and since the award ceremony a year ago, I have given many readings, workshops, and lectures promoting the book When time has permitted, I've read the first chapter from The Art of Racing in the Rain. Audience members have been universally enthusiastic and vocal in their response, and the first question asked is always: "When can I buy the book about the dog?" Also very positive.

I'm inserting, below, a short synopsis of The Art of Racing in the Rain, and my biography. Please let me know if the novel interests you; I would be happy to send you the manuscript.

Sincerely,

Garth Stein

Commentary from Jeff

Let's start from the beginning. First of all, putting both the words “Query” and the title of the book on the subject line of an e-mail makes it clear why you’re writing—and it often keeps your e-mail from falling into the spam folder.

One of the best ways of starting out correspondence is figuring out your connection to the agent. It’s always best to have a referral, but if you don’t know a lot of writers, try to determine if the agent represents any authors you like. Similarly, find first novels you really love, and look in the acknowledgments section—it’s where most authors thank their agent.

The author has some kind of track record. Who’s the publisher, though? Were these both self-published novels, or were there reputable publishers involved? (I’ll read on, and hope I find out.) Then it hits—a-ha—so he had an agent. This seems promising, but also know this kind of approach can backfire, because we agents tend to be like sheep—what one doesn’t like, the rest of us are wary of, too (or, conversely, what one likes, we all like). But in this case getting in the “two published novels” early is definitely helpful. Also, there’s something in the “Thus” that, to me, spoke of the author’s determination not to give up just because one agent didn’t like it.

The third paragraph is the key pitch paragraph and Garth gives a great description of the book—he sums it up, gives us a feel for what we’re going to get. It’s short and gets the job done. This is the most important part of your letter.

Obviously it's nice to see the author’s winning awards. Also good—the author’s not afraid of promoting the book himself. By now I’m salivating, wanting to see this. The end is simple and easy—it doesn’t speak of desperation, or doubt, or anything other than polite willingness to help. And all the punctuation was in the right spot. That’s it. He’s done. Mission accomplished.

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "Wake"

Successful Queries: (Nonfiction) "Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon"

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Literary Fiction | Successful Queries

Thursday, January 14, 2010 10:21:02 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Agent Advice: Stacia Decker of Donald Maass Literary
Posted by Chuck

Agent Advice is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Stacia Decker, an agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency, which she joined in 2009 after agenting at Firebrand Literary. A former editor at Harcourt and Otto Penzler Books, Stacia began her career at Farrar, Straus & Giroux after earning an MFA in nonfiction writing at Columbia University.

She is looking for: mystery, suspense, noir, and crime fiction and is looking for a strong voice, dark humor, fast-paced plotting, and unpredictable violence.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

SD: After I was laid off in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt merger, I decided I wouldn’t be happy without the flexibility to purse the writers and projects I believed in, and that meant agenting. I started at Firebrand Literary, and when that agency closed a few months later, I called Don Maass and we started talking about me joining the agency. Needless to say, my authors were thrilled when I announced we had a new home with Don. I cannot say enough about Don’s editorial insight, ethical judgment, and professionalism.

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

SD: Joelle Charbonneau’s Skating Around the Law will be published by St. Martin’s Minotaur in Fall 2010. This is the first book in the Rebecca Robbins series, which features a spunky Chicago heroine trying to sell her mother’s small-town roller rink, her combative romance with a hunky large-animal vet, and her inevitable foray into crime-solving with the help of her oversexed grandfather, Pop, and a retired circus camel, Elwood. You can learn more about Joelle at www.joellecharbonneau.net and hear her podcast with the editors of Tyrus Books.

GLA: Just so writers understand—you used to look for nonfiction but aren’t currently? Is that correct?

SD: Yes. I started my career as a nonfiction editor, and as an agent I was originally accepting nonfiction queries. I soon decided to concentrate on mystery and crime fiction, however, and made it official when I moved to the Maass agency, which represents primarily fiction.

GLA: What falls under the umbrella that of “crime fiction”?

SD: Crime fiction can include a detective or cop character—he’s just usually not the hero. I would say that crime fiction is less about the whodunit than about the protagonist’s dilemma in a criminal milieu. The protagonist may not have all the information—so there is a mystery in that he is trying to find something out—but the story is really about how he solves his problems, which are often as much about his lifestyle as about the particular crime that spurs the plot. For instance, in Ray Banks’ brilliant Saturday's Child, Cal Innes is forced by a local mob boss to find a former employee and the money he stole, but in many ways the story is about Cal trying to find a place for himself and form an adult life within a socioeconomic stratum that offers very few options.

GLA: Does “Suspense” really exist as a category? For me, the classic Suspense book is Silence of the Lambs, yet you still see a lot of blurbs in that book calling it a thriller.

SD: I believe that psychological suspense very much exists as a subgenre—and one that crosses genres as varied as literary, women’s fiction, and horror. For example, over the years I’ve seen quite a few nervy novels (particularly from the UK) featuring a female protagonist, sexual obsession, and the building threat of madness and violence rather than an initial crime that must be solved. These, to me, are best labeled Suspense.
     Not that that’s what I’m looking for. Yeah, sorry. When I say I’m looking for suspense, I’m deliberately being a bit vague because I never know when a thriller will catch my fancy—thriller being another famously ill-defined term. The properties I represent are typically more male-oriented and action-packed than strictly psychological. As for Silence of the Lambs, I would classify it as a leader in the serial killer subgenre.

GLA: Speaking of Silence of the Lambs, I remember how that book did not start out very fast. It was interesting but lacked some kind of super-interesting jump-start that you offer see in genre novels these days. What do you like to see at the beginning of a book you’re considering?

SD: A super-interesting jump-start. My books typically start with a broken nose, a dead dog, a hold-up, a body falling through a windshield, or the protagonist on his way to breaking someone’s arm.
     Because I read to live vicariously though another person’s worldview, I want a very strong voice. I want to hear someone speaking to me from the start—which is incompatible with a boring first sentence. Most of the time, I expect to start in medias res with the story unfolding with very little exposition. I should be able to pick up what I need to know from the storytelling itself. Good writing is all about what isn’t said, about what the reader infers or interprets. If something needs to be said, say it quickly and simply in the character’s voice rather than dragging me through a long scene to prove a basic point.
     A lesson I’ve learned from Don is that writers should also be aware of giving the reader a reason to care about the protagonist from the start. I’m partial to dark humor and antiheroes, but there must be something fundamentally human in the protagonist that allows the reader to care about him—and the reader has to see it early in order to keep reading.
     So, as a writer, don’t count on your reader getting to the good part. Frontload and keep on loading. You’ve got to bring your A Game from line one.

GLA: You seek these big categories—crime, suspense, mystery. But within the categories, what do you like to see?

SD: I have a real soft spot for neo-noir and crime—subgenres that typically feature protagonists who are, existentially speaking, screwed from page one, who break rules or make the wrong choices (as we’d all like to), who allow us to play out our dark fantasies and fears, who exhibit dark humor and self-deprecation, who give voice to a lower or working class existence that is under-represented in our news and art. These characters, to me, give us a window onto contemporary society and the human condition. Plus they’re fun to read.
     I’m charmed by any author who captures the nuances of human interaction and dialogue. My client Steve Weddle nailed my in-laws without even knowing it. My client Frank Wheeler recreates an Arkansas Ozark dialect that immediately puts the reader into the head of his sociopath protagonist. My client David Thayer illustrates, through his detective’s elocution, the social constraints of the mid-twentieth century. I really value this attention to language, this ability to capture a person’s history and location through his speech. The absence of this—through cliché, through generic language, though pastiche—is deadly.
     I am not often interested in characters who are extraordinarily attractive, wealthy, intelligent, accomplished, well-dressed, and confident. These characters are wish-fulfillment constructs; they’re not relatable and they’re boring. Many serial killers in fiction are also boring. Their motivations and unreliable narratives feel overly familiar, and their obvious evil requires no work on the part of the reader. Most of us understand traditional definitions of right and wrong, good and bad, success and failure. I’m more interested in stories and characters that blur those distinctions and force us to think about those categories.
     I’m also interested in issues of masculinity and male identity and the way that these issues play out in these stories. While the male experience has disproportionately dominated the historical record, I feel that the vulnerability of that identity has been unfairly underrepresented. It’s an important subject and it’s one organically addressed in genre fiction. Didacticism is a turn-off, but I notice symbolism and motifs and appreciate a genuine portrayal of the dilemmas inherent in the male gender construct.
     I want the story to keep moving—in this genre, that often means violence. And if you’re going to have violence, it—as with any plot element—had better be unpredictable. Much of what I represent is unabashedly violent, but I feel it’s organic to the plot, realistic to the characters, and relevant to the reader’s interest in what the human experience can contain. That said, I’m not particularly interested in stories that highlight violence against women or children; rape and molestation are, to me, the stuff of news rather than entertainment. In the end, this is entertainment. I want to live vicariously through a physically damaged yet resilient, less morally constrained character who experiences drama uncommon to my daily life. And it helps if he’s funny. Dark humor keeps a story surprising.

GLA: Top three mistakes you see in a query letters?

SD: The number one mistake is not telling me what the book is about. This includes being so vague that after a paragraph of description I still can’t identify basic plot elements. It includes pasting the first fives pages of the novel into the body of an email with absolutely no cover letter. It includes sending me an email informing me that your cover letter and synopsis are in the attached documents. It includes letting me know that you’re writing a novel but, in place of a pitch, you would like to send me a short story featuring the same protagonist. It includes telling me all about you and your reasons for writing the novel but nothing about the book itself. These are all query letters that do not function as query letters.
     Most other “mistakes” are forgivable or let me in on legitimate reasons why I am not the right agent for you. For instance, querying me for genres I don’t represent (YA, fantasy, science fiction) is a waste of your time, but there’s probably nothing wrong with the query letter itself. Letting slip personality characteristics or sales expectations that clash with my own—again, only a mistake if you want to embark on a professional relationship destined for failure.
     A good query letter should mimic the hardcover flap copy or paperback cover copy you would expect to see on your book should it be published. That’s because, ideally, your query letter becomes your agent’s pitch letter, which becomes your editor’s catalogue copy, which becomes your book’s flap copy. Agents and editors are overworked and nobody likes to reinvent the wheel. Make it easier on them by giving them what they need to sell your book. Go look at some copy—it includes a snappy description of the plot (the hook and one significant twist that ups the drama, not a blow by blow synopsis), relevant information about the author, and maybe blurbs. That’s it. If you happen to dog-sit for Stephen King and he promised to blurb your book, let me know. Otherwise—and, really, even then—keep it short, pithy, and professional.
     That said, I’ve signed plenty of clients whose query letters were flawed or contained outright pet peeves of mine. Do your research and do a halfway decent job on your query letter and the strength of your writing and your personality will shine through and matter most.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers’ conferences where people can meet/pitch you?

SD: I will be at Bloody Words in Toronto and at Bouchercon in San Francisco, but writers are better off pitching over e-mail.

GLA: Do you realize you share the same last name as the protagonist in Blade Runner, a fantastically awesome noir movie? How does this make you feel?

SD: Actually, it’s Rick Deckard. A fact that I find horribly, horribly disappointing, as I am a huge Blade Runner fan and misheard his name as Decker when I first saw the movie at a young age. (I also thought Billy Idol played Roy Batty—or Roy Baty, as in the novel.) I must now go on record as saying that I prefer the original theater release version (complete with voiceover and full eye-gouge) to the director’s cut and that my father has the perfect action hero name: Jack Decker. That is all.

GLA: (I feel stupid about the Decker-Deckard thing considering I love that movie.) Moving on, what's something about you readers would be surprised to know?

SD: I like the Sylvester Stallone version of Get Carter—a controversial position, but one I’ll take. Other than that, if you follow me on Twitter, you know all there is to know.

GLA: Best way for writers to contact you?

SD: E-mail me at sdecker(at)maassagency(dot)com with the query letter and first 5 pages pasted into the body of the e-mail.

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

SD: Wear sunscreen, take care of your teeth, and don’t go to MFA school.

Want more on this subject?

Interview with agent Jeffrey McGraw (The August Agency).

Agent interview: Michelle Brower of Folio Literary Management.

What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

What Agents Hate: Even More Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Genre Writing

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 10:46:14 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Everything You Would’ve Asked About Steampunk, Had You Known It Existed
Posted by Chuck

Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that, as the name suggests, comes from the idea that technology never developed beyond steampunk. The science can deviate a bit from there, but that’s generally where it all starts. It’s a look into what could have happened had science and industry taken a different turn, but didn’t.

Guest column by Matt Betts, spec fiction
writer and poet. He runs a critique group
and has a website here.

It can take place in the “modern” year or back when steam power was, in fact, the most important source of energy at the time. Many early steampunk stories were set in Victorian England, which may be the reason for the lasting use of Victorian sensibilities in the stories. More and more of the tales are now set in other countries and even other worlds, with the style of the late 19th century remaining, right down the bowlers, brass fittings and waistcoats.

Author Cherie Priest, whose steampunk novel Boneshaker made it on Publishers Weekly’s best of 2009 list, suggests that one of the tough parts about writing steampunk is keeping that world straight for both yourself and the reader. “Steampunk is almost by necessity (but not exclusively so) an exercise in alternate history, so the question becomes one of which events to tweak, how to present them, and how to extrapolate their consequences," she says. "It's a fine line to walk—you want to change history in a credible way that makes sense; but you can't be afraid to break the timeline and really make a mess of things.”

WHERE DID STEAMPUNK COME FROM?

At its core, steampunk uses steam power as the jumping off point to attempt to create some of the advances we have today through various means. Computers, rocket ships and robots have made appearances in their steam-driven or alternative-technology forms at various times and there’s always room for more inspired adaptations.

Some of the literary inspiration for steampunk comes from early authors like Jules Verne and his fabulous tales of the submarine Nautilus, the Time Machine from H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Alan Moore would later take these ideas (and some of the characters) and use them in his graphic novels about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

DO AGENTS SEEK STEAMPUNK?

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation says she enjoys steampunk for the ideas it presents: “It's not just magic with things just appearing out of thin air, but it's people inventing things—even if these steam-powered/clockwork run machines are ultimately too fantastical to ever actually exist in real life, it feels like...well maybe they really can. That's probably the kid in me wishing for that, but who cares, right? Stories are supposed to make you feel like anything's possible!” Having said that, Stampfel-Volpe says not a lot of the subgenre comes her way.

Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown Ltd. is one agent who doesn't expressly seek out steampunk novels or make a huge announcement for submissions, but he's willing to consider the category. "If it’s good it’s good!" he says. "I’m sure some publishers want it at the moment and some don’t, but I’m always on the lookout for a great story, and that includes steampunk."

Stampfel-Volpe agrees that the quality of the story is what matters most, even when delving into the world of steampunk. "I don't feel it's any harder or easier to sell than regular fantasy," she says. "As long as the voice and plot are captivating, it doesn't really make a difference that it's considered steampunk."

GLOSSARY OF COMMON STEAMPUNK TERMS

     Analog Computer: A common example of the “What if” or alternate nature of things that happen in steampunk.
     Automotan: Steampunk term for a robot or mechanical man. The word construct can also refer to an automotan.
     Clockpunk: A similar subgenre based on the technology that runs watches: springs, gears, cogs, etc.
     Corset: Item of clothing that makes frequent appearances in steampunk stories. Usually worn by women.
     Cyberpunk: Another subgenre that deals more with the super high-tech world, as opposed to the more low-tech one in steampunk.
     Goggles: You’d think they would fog up, what with all the steam, but people wear goggles quite a bit in steampunk stories.
     Victorian Era: Common setting and source for steampunk stories.
     Zeppelins: These airships are a staple of steampunk travel. Also referred to as airships or dirigibles.

Want more on this subject?

If fantasy writing is your thing, check out The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference.

If you want to write sci-fi or fantasy and are looking for some guidance, check out WD's online course on writing for these genres.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Definitions | Guest Columns | Science Fiction and Fantasy

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 10:19:54 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [10]

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Footnotes: 8 Articles on Query Letter Writing
Posted by Chuck

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. You’ve revised your manuscript to the point where you can’t stand to look at it anymore and now you are ready to tackle the dreaded query letter. Today I’m serving up 8 articles to help you on your way to writing that first-class query letter.

1. Check out a tank of queries - some good, some not. Before you do anything, check out Query Shark. Agent Janet Reid slices and dices query letters. Dive into the shark tank if you dare.

2. See the real deal. If you're looking for query letters that were successful in snagging reps, look no further than the site you're on. Chuck collects "Successful Queries" and agents chime in on why they worked.

3. Less is more. Literary Agent Nathan Bransford suggests writing more about your plot and less about you.

4. Voice is in the eye of the beholder. Good writing is often subjective even when it comes to query letters. Author Allison Brennan’s post proves that.

5. Notes form a published author. Author Therese Walsh dissects the query letter that landed her an agent.

6. Twenty great query tips. At a recent writer’s conference, Literary Agent, Janet Reid dispensed her advice on writing queries. GLA contributor Ricki Schultz shares that advice.

7. Anatomy of a query. More great advice from agent, Nathan Bransford. This time, he looks at the anatomy of a query letter.

8. Need help drafting your pitch? Literary Agent Kristin Nelson has the workshop for you.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Footnotes | Queries and Synopses and Proposals

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:18:31 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

How I Got My Agent: Heather McCorkle
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.

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.

Heather McCorkle is a writer of all things
fantasy/sci-fi, be it adult, YA, dark or otherwise.
She runs a blog, Heather's Odyssey, where she
talks about the journey of writing.

TWO AGENTS WANTED IT

I didn’t get it right the first time. I met Ken Atchity at the Hawaii Writer’s Conference in 2008 and pitched a book to him. He loved the idea and asked me to send it to him. But, when I got home I received an offer of representation from another agent. With an apology to Ken, I accepted the other agent’s offer. Mind you this was after a year of submitting and over fifty submissions.

Unfortunately I had submitted a manuscript that wasn’t ready and was picked up by an agent who wasn’t prepared for all the work it would take to get it there. After a year of unsuccessful submissions to editors, we parted ways. I always thought you got an agent and they got you a publisher, end of story. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is little more discouraging than getting an agent and having it not work out. It’s the kind of thing that can make a writer re-think their path and maybe even give up. But not me. I didn’t know if anyone ever went through what I did and got back in the saddle for a second run, but I was determined to try.

IMPROVING MY CRAFT

The entire time we’d been submitting to editors I had kept writing and improving my craft. I finished the series I was working on and moved onto a new one. After parting ways with my first agent I saw how badly that manuscript needed a total overhaul. I set it aside and focused on my young adult urban fantasy. Once it was edited and polished to my liking, I decided to start looking for an agent again.

Right away I decided this round of submissions would be very different from my first attempt to find an agent. Now I knew to read agents' blogs, websites, and anywhere else they networked. I knew I had to get to know them and what they wanted and submit thoughtfully rather than blanket the entire literary world. I remembered Ken and his enthusiasm for my work. I still had his card. I carefully picked about fifteen agents—Ken included—and sent my query letters out.

TRYING KEN AGAIN

Within a month I received a request for my full manuscript. That agent eventually passed on it. Ken got back to me and asked for a full as well. While I waited for his response yet another agent asked for it. The pressure was on and I hadn’t heard from Ken in over a month. After almost another month I e-mailed him and let him know I’d have to end his exclusive look due to other interest. Since he didn’t respond I went ahead and sent it out to the other agent. A week later he called and offered to represent me. Now I had a decision to make.

I didn’t want to get it wrong this time. After seeking the advice of several of my published friends, I finally went with my gut. I’d met Ken in person, we clicked immediately, I loved his online presence, and the way he supported and promoted his authors was astounding. The decision was easy when I considered all that. My experience the second time around has been completely different and well worth it. I’m glad I didn’t stray from my path.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

See all posted stories of writers finding their agents.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

How I Got My Agent Columns

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 10:54:01 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Monday, January 11, 2010

Tips for Writing and Selling the Book-Length Memoir (Part 1 of 2)
Posted by Chuck

"Is my life fascinating enough?" That's the question raised today in a special guest column by journalist and memoir writer Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. (This column is Part 1 of 2. See Part II here.) If you're interested in writing life stories and memoir, check out Ethan's Boston-based, eight-week intensive memoir class (next class begins Jan 26, 2010).

Many memoirs plumb the depths of childhood, coming of age, trauma and family. But what if your life story alone doesn't seem all that memorable? You can still write a book-length "not all me" memoir (or series of connected essays) that combines the personal with travel, pop culture, some quirky interest, passion or quest. Here are some considerations the tips that will help you adapt your personal history and life experiences in memoir, establish your expertise and turn articles into a full-fledged book idea, and shape a raw idea into a real story and find a structure for telling the story. (And by the way, a thank you to Emily Franklin for her contributions to these lists.)

1. Think of what kind of memoir yours might be -- triumph over personal tragedy? Cool thing I did for a year? Once you know, see how it fits in with current memoirs being published today. Does it aim for the Bill Bryson or David Sedaris target audience? Is yours Eat Pray Love for men? Liar's Club meets Running with Scissors? Is it sincere, funny, harrowing or inspirational? Try to encapsulate the idea in a thirty-second elevator pitch.

2. Is my life fascinating enough? How do I find the heart of an interesting story? A memoir is a story -- you have to tell a story. You need to find the narrative and your unique voice. It can’t be just be the random and disorganized (or chronologically-arranged) events of an interesting life. The book needs a focus, a theme and an angle.

3. You need a framework for your idea, even if you are an expert. This could be a timeframe (one month of projects, two years in the Deep South, etc) or it could be project-related (my time in the Peace Corps).

(Note: Some memoirs cross genres. For example, one can be overcoming a Crystal Meth addiction and also be an expert in that field. You can even write a memoir of someone else’s problems! But you have to make them your own in some way. If it's memoir, it has to be about you.)

4. What sets you apart from others who do what you do? (For example, "I’m a mom who cooks." So what? Lots of parents cook. What makes you different?) Get to know the competition; research how your book differs from others similar to it on the market. Make sure yours brings a new angle/twist to the subject area.

5. Be an expert in your field or legitimize your experiences. Create a platform (articles, blogs, speaking engagements, etc) to establish expertise in your area: New Zealand backpacking, parenting autistic children, Tuscan cuisine. A platform and established audience are also attractive to agents and publishers.

6. Strike a chord! Think of a group who would be your built-in book-buying audience (dog lovers, gamers, foodies, Italy-groupies, parents who had drug-addicted kids, parents who are glad they didn’t have drug-addicted kids, slutty girls, girls slutty who weren’t slutty but wished they were, moms who pray their daughters won’t be, etc.).

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.
Check out my tips on writing memoir: Part I, and also Part II.

Guest Columns | Memoir

Monday, January 11, 2010 1:28:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Sunday, January 10, 2010

My Dog Loves Kids Books
Posted by Chuck

Oh my God this picture is just off-the-charts cuteness. My mother-in-law just started a new job as a kids librarian (with storytime and the whole deal), and my wife sent her this picture to get her psyched up. It's my pup, Graham, complete with book and glasses as props. He's like Professor Graham!

Dog Stuff

Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:33:57 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

New Agent Alert: Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency
Posted by Chuck

Reminder: Newer agents 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.

About Jennifer: Jennifer is a literary agent and founder of The Unter Agency, LLC. She began her book publishing career in the editorial department at Henry Holt & Co. She later worked at the Karpfinger Agency while she attended law school. She then became an sssociate at the entertainment firm of Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP where she practiced primarily in the areas of publishing and copyright law. In 2008, she started her own agency.

Seeking: quality fiction and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, food/cooking, nature/environment, biography, pop culture, travel/adventure, true crime, politics and health/fitness. She also represents all types of children's literature (picture books, middle grade, and young adult).

How to submit: (Editor's update 1-11-10: Someone just wrote and said that Jennifer got a flood of queries - probably thanks to this post - and is no longer accepting queries because of it. I would wait a month or two before trying her again. This is her website.)

Want more on children's writing?

Examine Great High-Concept Hooks for Children's Books.

New children's agent seeking submissions.

How to write picture books for kids.

Buy the kids writers' bible: the Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

Interview with kids agent Joe Monti of Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Read a successful young adult query: "Wake" by Lisa McMann.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Children's Writing | New Agency Alerts | Nonfiction

Sunday, January 10, 2010 2:14:02 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

'The Rock' Synopsis
Posted by Chuck

I always tell people that if they're confused as to how a novel synopsis
should look, simply go to Wikipedia. Search any movie made in the last five years and the first thing on the page is the long "Plot" section, which is essentially a front-to-back synopsis. A lot of them are too long; a lot of them are poorly written; but some are good, and you will get a sense of how they work. Or—you could just let find good ones for you and edit them a bit.

This time it's The Rock, my second attempt at a thriller. The story is high-concept, but I didn't want to glance over the three lead characters, as they are all pretty cool. A lot of the story takes place on the island, so I had to do plenty of summarizing there.

Besides this synopsis, I've also posted examples of a young adult story (Bill & Ted), a middle-grade adventure (Flight of the Navigator), a thriller (Proof of Life), women's fiction (Peggy Sue Got Married), science fiction (Starman), fantasy (Dragonslayer), mainstream fiction (Witness), literary fiction (Punch-Drunk Love) and historical/epic (Gladiator). You can see all posted synopsis examples by clicking on the "Synopsis Writing" category on the left-hand side of this page.

STANLEY GOODSPEED is an FBI biological weapons expert and self-declared "chemical super-nerd." After diffusing a chemical bomb at the San Francisco FBI office and nearly dying as a result, he returns home to decompress only to learn that his long-time girlfriend is pregnant. She asks him to get married; frazzled, he hesitates, but soon says yes.

Meanwhile, a group of rogue Marines led by disenchanted Brigadier General HUMMEL, capture a stockpile of rockets armed with a VX nerve agent. The Marines seize Alcatraz Island during a guided tour and take 81 tourists hostage. Hummel threatens the Pentagon with launching VX rockets against the population of the Bay Area unless the government pays reparations to fallen soldiers, including compensation to the families of Marines who died on illegal, clandestine missions.

The Pentagon decides to deploy a Navy SEAL team to retake the island and free Hummel's hostages by stealth. Goodspeed is (unwillingly) brought along to neutralize the chemical threat, though he's basically never set foot outside an office. The team still lacks first-hand knowledge of Alcatraz, though, and turns to 60-year-old convict JOHN MASON, the only inmate of Alcatraz who ever successfully escaped. The SEAL team is deployed at night, via helicopter, and successfully infiltrates Alcatraz by following Mason's instructions through a maze of tunnels. Before they can carry out their mission, however, the SEAL team is ambushed by the Marines and all SEALs are killed, though Mason and Goodspeed survive. Mason wants to walk, but realizes his only living relative - his daughter - could be killed if Hummel launches the gas. Mason also explains why he has been in jail for almost three decades: He stole American intelligence microfilm and hid it, and has been held without trial ever since.

Mason and Goodspeed move through Alcatraz looking for VX weapons. Mason's past as a British operative comes in handy when he skillfully dispatches of some Marines. Goodspeed, meanwhile, renders several rockets useless. A frustrated General Hummel threatens hostages, forcing Mason and Goodspeed into revealing their position and being taken captive. As dawn breaks, they escape their captors and continue disarming rockets.

Hummel's ransom deadline passes, and the general reveals he was never prepared to kill innocent people. The whole thing was a bluff. A firefight ensues between soldiers loyal to Hummel and not. An injured Hummel is rescued by Goodspeed and reveals the location of the final rocket before dying. Goodspeed disarms the final rocket. With the deadline gone and fearing an imminent attack, the Pentagon OK's a "last resort option" - blanketing Alcatraz with thermite-plasma weapons to destroy everything and everyone, in order to prevent a larger catastrophe. An exhausted Goodspeed uses flares to signal success, and the bomber planes pull up at the last moment. Mason thanks Goodspeed and leaves to experience the freedom he's always wanted, enigmatically urging Goodspeed to visit a church in Kansas for his honeymoon. Goodspeed tells the Pentagon that Mason was "vaporized," covering his tracks.

A few months later, Goodspeed and his pregnant bride run out of a Kansas church with the microfilm Mason stole, and Goodspeed asks his new wife if she wants to know who really killed JFK.

Want more on this subject?

Read another great synopsis: Starman.

How to write a novel synopsis.

One story? You need 5 versions.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Synopsis Writing

Sunday, January 10, 2010 2:03:05 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Saturday, January 09, 2010

Never Giving Up: My Tale of One Novel, Two Agents and Three Continents
Posted by Chuck

There’s no greater fun than being born excitable. That’s me. You can never get me down. I get excited even with failure and I try, and I try, even at the cost of being laughed at. No worries; jump around, I say, and time will come when you will see yourself out of that godforsaken slushpit.

Guest blog by Abhijit Dasgupta, executive editor
of India Today magazine, the subcontinent's
biggest English weekly. See his blog here.
He is repped by Patricia Moosbrugger.

To begin with (how many times do you have to say this to make your opening line work, I wonder), I have, I think, a good tale to tell you about agent hunting. I wrote my two-book 110,000-word Indian reincarnation-romance-historical novel, Three, in 2006 and went shopping for a literary agent in London. I found a big-time rep almost immediately. She was enthusiastic; nay, ecstatic with the ms. I felt like an author and started behaving like one. Even when I was signing sundry cheques, I was looking around for a copy of my published book to hand over along with them.

"HANG IN THERE, MATE"

She submitted to editors and I carried on being an author, smug in the confidence that she couldn’t fail. Middle 2008: I had finished Book 2 and she wanted revisions on Book 1. No worries; they all wanted revisions, said Google. But spirits were high - she was still most enthused (not ecstatic any longer, though). Months went by, and from ecstatic, she had slowly moved to being enthusiastic and finally, she was clearly egg-on-the-face. E-mails remained unanswered and it was obvious: She could not sell my book.

No, I did not press the panic button. I merely jumped. This was jumping done bad, jumping slowly going berserk. Eyesight blurred. Getting glasses changed and stuff like that. My peers told me that with what was happening in the West, India and China were soon to be world publishing powers. I found a few literary agents who had, I guess, upon similar foresight, opened shop. I mailed. They replied. Out went the attachments. I still haven’t heard from them. I thought again about how my London agent had been entranced, so I shot her e-mail after e-mail, asking what to do. There was just one reply to all of them, “Hang in there, mate … we are in bad times." I was upside down without a clue to what would happen next, so I decided to sack her. In retrospect, I feel sad; traumatized is the word, that I could have acted in the way I did. She was the One who had believed in the ms turning from frog to prince. But why wasn’t she replying to my emails and how long would I have to wait?

STARTING ALL OVER

I Googled three words: historical, multicultural, romance. And sent the same query letter at random to agents whose names were thrown up by Google first and the various other online databases later. If there was one agent who matched even one of the criteria, she or he would be queried. That was a promise I made to myself and I delivered spot on. Between October and November, I do not remember anything else. Things became so hectic that even when I was supposed to be enjoying the next best thing to the sheer pleasure of living itself, I was hunting for the Send button to let go.

33 of them requested partials and fulls. I was overwhelmed! These were big names in the US and UK. Some had rejected me years before; others remembered me from previously submitting. Why the new interest? The revisions, I told myself; all of them wanted to see what London had suggested and whether it was any better this time. And something else dawned on me. This talk of the Downturn in the West was exaggerated. Agents were, as they came, happy to read.

THE MIDNIGHT KNOCK ON THE DOOR

Then one night (always late, very late night, or early morning … I live in India, you see), there was a knock at the computer door. The midnight knock, as we call it . You guessed it right. It was an offer of representation. Date? December 15. Time when it hit my computer? 3:32 am, Indian time. Sent from? London. Me doing what at that precise moment in history? Sending.

Following that mail, I got three more offers, two from the US and one more from the UK. There was so much of the sun at the top of the well now. I actually hummed Lennon. Finally, I fell for Patricia - Patricia Moosbrugger from Colorado. Someone who allows me to jump as much as I want to. Best, she loves historicals, my genre. Also, Google and all those trackers tell you she does not accept e-mail queries. She does. She accepted mine and is now “thrilled” to represent my magnum so-many-times-rejected opus.

So let me tell you: Yes, make querying an addiction. Break the goddamned rules. Send a lot of queries. One will stick. Or at least, if you are pretty unlucky with a problem of plenty, four will.

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

See all posted stories of writers finding their agents.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Guest Columns | How I Got My Agent Columns

Saturday, January 09, 2010 12:22:06 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Jody M. Roy
Posted by Chuck

This is a new recurring column I'm calling "7 Things I've Learned So Far," where writers at any stage of their career can talk about seven things they've learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning. This installment is from Jody M. Roy, academic writer and book writer.

Jody's most recent book is Autobiography
of a Recovering Skinhead, the story of Frank
Meeink, a white supremacist who changed his
ways and now speaks on diversity.

1. It’s about your writing, not you! It’s very easy to take editors’ and reviewers’ comments personally; in fact, it’s natural. But if you allow yourself to bog down in emotional reactions to the comments, you won’t grow as a writer. I give myself a set time-frame: no more than 24 hours to fume. Then I set my emotions aside and get to work.

2. Editorial notes are both an immediate to-do list and a long-term lesson plan. I first transform editorial notes into a very specific checklist for my work in the coming hours or, as the case may be, weeks. Then I dive into the work, one tiny to-do at a time, until every single item has been completed. If I stop there, I make my editor happy. However, if I take the process one step farther, I grow as a writer. Once I’ve completed a round of revisions, I cull any editing notes that are not completely unique to the work at hand and rewrite them into guidelines that will inform my future projects. Over time, I internalize the lessons and develop new skills.

3. I am the expert on the content, which means I cannot be the expert on the clarity. Whether I’m writing scholarly arguments or developing characters in creative nonfiction, I know my content intimately. As a result, I know what I mean, and that means at a certain point I am incapable of assessing the clarity of the piece, of knowing what critical information I’m leaving out, of judging the work’s accessibility for my target audience. After years spent inside a topic area or storyline, an author loses the ability to do a “clean” read of their own work because they fill in the gaps automatically. I find that the more experience I gain as a writer, the farther into the revision process I can take myself, but there always comes a point past which I need other people’s feedback, in particular to gauge the clarity issue.

4. If a cut doesn’t hurt, it’s not deep enough. I wish this weren’t true, but it is. A piece is always stronger after a good pruning. If an argument, character, scene, or individual word isn’t necessary, if it doesn’t contribute in some way to the overall purpose of the piece, it needs to go. In revising Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead: The Frank Meeink Story, 180 pages were sliced (yes, you read that right: pages, not words!) from the original draft. It about killed me, but those cuts streamlined the narrative, focused the characters, and, ultimately, made the book accessible to a wider audience.

5. Save your creativity for the manuscript; the query letter and proposal must conform to industry norms. An agent once commented that a proposal of mine was “fantastic.” I shared with her my “secret”: I bought a copy of Writers’ Market and followed the directions for how to write a proposal. Writing a book is a creative enterprise; presenting a book to agents and publishers is not. Do your homework to learn the conventions for proposals and queries, then submit only what an agent or publisher requests, not one word more.

6. Schedule writing time. Some people work best in short, daily increments. Others need long blocks of time. Know what works for you and then schedule your life around that pattern. If publishing is your goal, writing must become both your priority and your routine. Of course, some days the words simply won’t flow, but that’s no excuse not to work.

7. Create rituals. Some writers are as superstitious as major-league pitchers. I am one of them. I don’t believe my rituals work magical mojo on publishers (I wish!), but I know they help me focus and persevere, so I keep doing them. I have a particular pattern of laying out pages-in-progress while brewing coffee before I get to work in the evenings; that routine signals my brain to switch gears into writing mode. It’s not so much mystical as habitual. Another ritual I swear by is this: When I begin the submission process, I tape a note card to my computer screen that says, “No doesn’t hurt.” Whether I’m trying to place an article or sell a book, that note card does not come down until I sign a contract.

Jody M. Roy, Ph.D., (pictured with Frank Meeink)
serves on the Board of Directors for the National
Association of Students Against Violence
Everywhere. Her publications include Autobiography of a
Recovering Skinhead: The Frank Meeink Story as
well as Love to Hate: America’s Obsession with
Hatred and Violence.

Want more on this subject?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com

See a successful nonfiction query here.

Nonfiction words of wisdom from agent Ted Weinstein.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

7 Things I've Learned So Far | Memoir | Nonfiction

Saturday, January 09, 2010 10:40:59 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Friday, January 08, 2010

Agent Advice: Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary
Posted by Chuck

Agent Interview by

contributor Kerrie Flanagan

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 Rachelle Gardner, an agent with Wordserve Literary and host of a very popular blog on publishing. Rachelle works with both fiction and nonfiction authors. She has been in the publishing business for thirteen years, working in various positions encompassing marketing, sales, international rights, acquisitions and editorial. She lives in Colorado with her firefighter husband, two daughters, and lovable yellow lab. Also, know that Rachelle is featured "Ask the Pro" guest for the Feb. 2010 issue of Writer's Digest. (Subscribe here.)

She is looking for: full-length fiction (75,000 to 110,000 words) in all genres except fantasy and sci-fi. She is looking for books that don't contradict a Christian worldview. In nonfiction, she represents books that would fit in the general market or the Christian market (or both).

GLA: How did you become an agent?

RG: I’d been working in publishing, in various roles, for more than a decade. During that time, a surprising number of people told me I should be an agent, and a few agents asked me if I wanted to join their agencies. I wasn’t ready for that; I loved editing and working closely with authors on their books. A couple of years ago, I’d left an in-house editor job and was freelance editing and writing. My agent, Greg Johnson, was looking to bring in another agent. I finally realized that as an agent, I could still do what I loved—work with authors and help them with their books. I decided to make the switch, and it turned out to be perfect for me.

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

RG: Snow Day, a novel by Billy Coffey, to Faithwords (a Hachette imprint). He’s an incredible writer with a popular blog and the book will be released in Fall 2010.

GLA: You have recently branched out from only representing Christian books to now representing general fiction as well. What made you come to that decision?

RG: I’ve always read heavily in commercial women’s fiction. I can’t get enough of authors like Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Elizabeth Berg, Anne Tyler and Sue Miller. I’d love to represent authors like that if I can.

GLA: What is the biggest mistake people make with their submissions for the Christian market?

RG: First, I try not to think of writers making “mistakes” because each writer has to go through a learning curve, and often the submission process and resulting rejection is very instructive to them. Also, I don’t think there are any mistakes that are specific to the Christian market—we see similar things from all kinds of writers. I think most writers query before they’re ready to be published. They haven’t been writing long enough to be producing work that large numbers of people would want to read. I used to call this a “mistake,” but now I believe it’s a necessary part of the process for each writer. The rejections give them valuable feedback so they can continue writing and getting better.

GLA: What misperceptions do people have about agents who don’t live in New York?

RG: They might think that agents outside of New York can’t sell books as effectively, or maintain strong relationships with editors. That’s a misperception because these days, most day-to-day business is done electronically whether you live across the street from the publisher or half a continent away. There are plenty of opportunities to meet face-to-face with editors at various times throughout the year.
Even though New York still has the largest concentration of agents, I know agents in almost every state these days. Technology has allowed us to be able to do our jobs effectively from just about anywhere. I think being outside of New York is no longer a disadvantage.

GLA: How often do you visit New York and how long do you usually stay?

RG: Since I’ve been focusing on the Christian market, New York hasn’t been all that important to my business. Christian publishers are primarily located in Colorado (where I live), Nashville and the Chicago area. I meet with them several times a year, either at their offices or at conferences. This year I’ll be going to New York for a week and will schedule five days of meetings with editors there.

GLA: Are there any advantages to living in the same state as one of your clients?

RG: My clients that live near me don’t have advantages over my other clients in a business sense, but I love being able to meet face-to-face and talk with them. It definitely helps us to have a stronger relationship. I get to meet many of my other clients at conferences, but I still have some clients I’ve never met in person!

GLA: How important is platform when submitting a nonfiction book proposal?

RG: We all know that platform is very important. But this isn’t easy for agents and editors. We love great ideas. We love fantastic writing. So when we receive a wonderful proposal from an author who doesn’t have a platform, we struggle with it. Everything in us says, “This is a terrific book. I’ve got to have it!” But market realities tell us it could be a bad business decision.
I’ve got a proposal out to several houses right now. Every one of them has said they love the book and the author is a terrific writer. But they’re all struggling with his lack of platform. They’re debating it in their pub board meetings. As of now, I still don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s a perfect example of the primary importance of platform. It is just too hard to sell a book without one.

GLA: What are you looking for right now and not getting?

RG: High quality women’s fiction that I can’t put down. Female-oriented suspense for the Christian market, similar to Sue Grafton & Janet Evanovich.

GLA: What are you tired of seeing?

RG: Memoirs written by people who haven’t studied the craft of memoir writing, but simply sat down to tell their tale. Memoir is a genre that’s all about the writing. It’s got to be fabulously written, well-organized, and have that can’t-put-down quality.

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

RG: The Northern Colorado Writers Conference in March of 2010.

GLA: What is something about yourself writers would be surprised to know?

RG: I like to crochet but I’m terrible at it! I’m trying to get better but meanwhile my kids are stuck with quite an array of badly-made winter scarves. Some might also be surprised that my vices are People magazine and a nice glass of Merlot.

GLA: When writers first contact you, what do you want them to send and how?

RG: I ask for a query that includes a pitch for the book and any other information that’s relevant. For fiction, the pitch is the most important part. Nonfiction authors need to give me a brief (one paragraph) overview of their platform in the query.
Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, I ask writers to paste 3 to 5 pages of their manuscript into the email. This allows me to make a more accurate assessment of the project. With queries, I don’t open attachments or click on links, so all the necessary information needs to be in the email.

GLA: What advice do you have for new writers?

RG: Spend as little time as possible cruising the Internet and watching TV. Spend as much time as possible reading and writing. It’s crucial for writers to be readers. Read whatever interests you. Read books of the genre in which you’re writing. Read books about the craft of writing. And read some things that are completely outside of what you’d normally pick up. Read, read, read.

This agent interview by Kerrie Flanagan,
director of Northern Colorado Writers and
a freelance writer. Visit her blog, The Writing Bug.

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

Agent interview: Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen-Pomada 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Christian Agents

Friday, January 08, 2010 10:16:43 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Agent Kate Epstein Now Accepting Young Adult
Posted by Chuck

I saw a note on Nancy Parish's Sound and Furry blog about how agent Kate Epstein of Epstein Literary is now taking young adult fiction and nonfiction. Below you will find the gist from Kate. For submission guidelines, head to the Epstein Lit website.

Kate says: "I’m so excited about this. YA books are fantastic these days. In YA, serious literature has accessible writing and impressive pace. Speculative novels are astonishingly creative without neglecting character and plot. Even romance novels that I might find a little trashy are damned fun in this area—they’re not jaded and depressing. Humor is wry and wet and honest—I don’t just titter, but really get to LAUGH. My favorite books in this area all have great pace and plot. I want to be a part of working on these novels, and serving this passionate, exacting audience. I’ve been doing a fair amount of research over the past few months in this area, and coupling that with the experience of four years representing nonfiction, I know I can do well by these authors. Nor do I plan to neglect nonfiction. The pleasures and rewards in that area have not faded by comparison. Memoir, narrative, and exposition for adults is truly entertaining and enlightening, and representing practical nonfiction gives the rich reward of feeling it directly improves people’s lives."

Children's Writing

Friday, January 08, 2010 9:40:34 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, January 07, 2010

Save Money With The Writer's Digest VIP Program
Posted by Chuck

Writer's Digest has started something cool recently: a new VIP program. It's kind of discount all-in-one package where you get tons of stuff for one price. It's a great offer so check it out!

Subscribers get:

       1) One-year U.S. subscription to Writer's Digest magazine (retail value: $47.92).
       2) One-year of online access to WritersMarket.com, with updated listings for more than 8,000 book publishers, magazines, literary agents, contests, scriptwriting markets, and more (retail value: $39.99).
       3) Access to our most important webinar: The Essentials of Online Marketing & Promotion — a 1-hour tutorial on how to promote yourself as a writer, and get the attention of editors and agents (retail value: $99.00).
       4) 10% off Writer's Online Workshops course registrations: get one-on-one attention and professional, personalized critiques of your writing, all on your schedule and at home!
       5) Plus 10% off all purchases made at the Writer's Digest Shop throughout the year.

This is a total retail value of $198.80. However, when you sign up today to become a VIP, you receive everything for less than 50 clams. Not too shabby.

(The Writer's Digest VIP program is open to residents of the United States only. We still love you though, Canada.)

My Writing Life

Thursday, January 07, 2010 1:29:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

New Adult: What Is It?
Posted by Chuck

“Home” is such a simple word, at least on the surface. But where is home to a modern 24 year old? Is it the tiny apartment that she lovingly decorated with IKEA furniture and inexpensive trinkets from Target? Is it the two-story Victorian that he grew up in, where his parents still welcome him with open arms (and wallets)? Or is it that fuzzy future house he and she keep thinking about? The one they’re going to buy together a few years from now, with a big backyard for the Beagle they recently adopted and the little boy they both want someday.

Guest column by Kristan Hoffman,
freelance writer and designer. She's a
published columnist and aspiring YA
novelist. See her website here.

These are the kinds of questions my friends and I are wrestling with as we transition out of school and into the Real World. It’s a strange time, because we’re technically adults, but most of us feel more like overgrown kids.

And that’s exactly the unique life period that New Adult fiction is intended to address.

“New Adult” is a term coined by Dan Weiss and his editorial assistant S. Jae-Jones (known as JJ). They are on a mission to discover and develop New Adult voices for St. Martin’s Press. To that end, they recently ran a contest for writers of New Adult fiction and ended up selecting 18 winners. Now they are reading partials of those 18 manuscripts, and one of them, happily, is mine.

While I calmly (hah!) sit and wait to find out if the St. Martin’s team is interested in reading more of my work, I find myself searching for the best way to explain New Adults and our fiction. It’s more difficult than I would have expected. In the end, I decided that the clearest explanation might be a composite. Here are a few quotes about the nuances of “New Adult,” accompanied by my thoughts as a New Adult person writing New Adult fiction.

THE CONCEPT

In the words of JJ at St. Martin’s, “New Adult is about young adulthood, when you are an adult but have not established your life as one (career, family, what-have-you).”

So, it’s about transition. The transformation from child to adult doesn’t happen overnight—just ask as anyone who is or has been (or is a parent to) a teenager. But the transition from teen to adult doesn’t happen overnight either. There’s a period of time where adulthood feels like a new pair of shoes. The expectations of independence and self-sufficiency are still new, still being broken in. New Adults are the people who have just begun to walk in those shoes; New Adult fiction is about their blisters and aches.

THE PROTAGONISTS

Writer and actress Adrienne Kress describes New Adult as “work that isn't quite adult and isn't really YA”—i.e., “college-age stories, or stories with individuals just out of high school.”

That puts New Adult protagonists in the range of 18 to 26 years old. (Earlier in history, adulthood may have started as early as 15 or 16, but I think you get the idea.) College, first jobs, first relationships, or marriage… There’s a lot that can happen when you’re 18-26, but the fact is, those same events feel very different at that age than they do at 12 or at 40. Because kids and teens focus on the present, while adults draw on their past experience to inform their present and future decisions. New Adults are somewhere in between. As the saying goes: old enough to know better, but still too young to care. That distinction might seem subtle, but it comes through loud and clear in the voice of New Adult fiction.

Now, obviously there have been protagonists aged 18-26 before. New Adult as a concept is not new, but recognizing and promoting it as a separate category is.

THE READERS

Agent Kristin Nelson explains that New Adult stories “will speak to older teens and twenty-somethings.” But then “where [do we] put these books so they can be found by the target audience. Does it go in the teen section or in the general fiction?”

The answer is that there is no answer yet. In an ideal world, New Adult fiction would go on a New Adult shelf, but that doesn’t exist in mainstream bookstores yet. Part of St. Martin’s mission is to help interested readers find these books, regardless of where they end up. The fact that these interested readers might hail from all different age groups makes the task more challenging, but perhaps also more rewarding.

St. Martin’s Weiss is an industry veteran, responsible for successful ventures such as the Sweet Valley High series and SparkNotes. He’s got a knack for understanding what niches are not being filled, which consumers aren’t being satisfied. If he believes New Adult fiction will have an audience, then I’m inclined to agree.

Especially since New Adult could offer a variety of “flavors.” Sci-fi, fantasy, romance, historical, thriller, literary … Just like the Young Adult umbrella, New Adult can (and probably will) cover all these genres and more.

THE BIG PICTURE

Finally, and my personal favorite, St. Martin’s Press VP Matthew Shear sums up New Adults—both its readers and protagonists—as “emerging adults who are navigating career, love and family in a 24/7 connected world.”

Exactly. In fact, that’s what I had in mind while writing Twenty-Somewhere, my New Adult manuscript currently under consideration by St. Martin’s. In Twenty-Somewhere, three best friends (Sophie, MJ, and Claudia) graduate from college, scatter across the globe, and begin their own careers and relationships. Despite their great differences and even greater distances, all three struggle through similar issues, and they struggle through them together. Because in this day and age, being close doesn’t require being nearby.

That brings us back to my original question: Where is home? For New Adults like me, I think the answer is again a composite. Home is the new apartment, the childhood residence, and the future house. For New Adult fiction, the only home right now is St. Martin’s Press. But if Weiss and JJ are successful, it’s only a matter of time before other publishing houses follow their lead. And when they do, I have no doubt that New Adult will find a home on a bookshelf of its very own.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Definitions | Guest Columns

Thursday, January 07, 2010 10:15:35 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [10]

Two Contests for Kids Writers
Posted by Chuck

If anyone prides themselves on having a beat on ongoing writing contests hosted by editors, agents and other professionals, they should contact me. I would love to have a recurring contests update on here. Recently, I got wind of two different contests happening now/soon. Check them out:

1. Kids agent Mary Kole, who I recently interviewed, is hosting a contest on her KidLit blog, inviting writers to submit the first 500 words of their finished young adult or middle grade novel. Deadline: Jan. 31, 2010. See all details here.

2. Sourcebooks is launching a new young adult imprint called Sourcebooks Fire and is hosting a contest for YA writers. You're invited to submit your pitch, a bio and the title. Contest runs from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28, 2010. See all details here.

Want more on this subject?

Buy the 2010 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market.

See a great example of a young adult query that snagged an agent.

New agent seeking kids books: Gwendolyn Heasley of Artists & Artisans.

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!

Children's Writing | Contests

Thursday, January 07, 2010 9:39:09 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

How I Got My Agent: Matt Mikalatos
Posted by Chuck

This installment of "How I Got My Agent"
is by Matt Mikalatos, freelancer,
and author of the novel "Imaginary Jesus"
(BarnaBooks, April 2010). See his website here.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL

I wanted to write fiction, but couldn’t seem to sell it. I found, however, that I was selling short satirical magazine articles with astonishing regularity, and soon I sold a couple of “how to” articles on spiritual topics to the Christian market. When it came to magazines, I just had more success with nonfiction than fiction. I decided to write a proposal for a book of humorous essays called Imaginary Jesus, and started looking for an agent so I could submit it to the publisher who printed my magazine. I started through Writer’s Market, trying to cut the pile of agents down to a top ten list. I mentioned that I hoped to have an agent soon to one of the magazine editors, and they told me that they preferred un-agented submissions when they had worked with an author before, so why didn’t I send a proposal over and abandon my agent search? I immediately sent my proposal to the publisher, who said we would probably strike a deal with no advance and see where the book could go.

Excited and a little overwhelmed, I contacted an author friend named Gary Thomas. Gary had taught a seminary class at Western Seminary a few years previously and had graciously agreed to an interview for a class project of mine at the time. Now he agreed to meet me and my wife and give advice about the writing life. In the course of our conversation he told me that I really did need an agent and referred me to two of them, giving permission for me to use his name when I sent my queries. Both agents were out of my league without Gary’s referral and, in fact, I had crossed them both off my agent search list a month earlier simply because I didn’t think they would represent someone like me.

Learn more about "Imaginary Jesus"

HE LOVES MY QUERY BUT HATES MY BOOK

I sent a query to these guys within about 24 hours of talking with Gary, and the man who was about to become my agent, Wes Yoder of Ambassador Literary, sent me a note the next day saying he wanted to talk. During our conversation, Wes said he read my partial, hated it and told me he didn't want to represent me. I believe he said, "This is bad," as well as, "You're not delivering what you promised in the proposal." He told me that he suspected I was writing what I thought agents and publishers would want to see rather than what I really wanted to write ... that I wasn't being weird enough or honest enough, and wasn't embracing my desire to write a story instead of essays. He did say, though, that he would be willing to take a second look if I reworked it.

That weekend I radically altered the book from essays into a novel, and started writing the story of a guy named Matt Mikalatos who discovers while sitting in a coffee shop that the Jesus sitting across from him is not the real Jesus at all, but an imposter, which leads to encounters with the apostle Peter, a talking donkey, and a giant chase through space, time and Portland, Oregon. I sent five chapters off to Wes, and within a few hours he was sending me e-mails and leaving voice messages not to talk to any other agents. He said he wanted to be the "real agent" for Imaginary Jesus.

SUCCESS WITH WES

Now that it was fiction, I needed to finish the book! I wrote it in the evenings and the holiday breaks over Thanksgiving and Christmas ... the first draft was finished in just under six weeks, which was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I have a lot of memories of turkey cooking in the kitchen while I was hunched over the laptop by the fire.

So, my agent search lasted about two weeks from start to finish. About two months later the book was finished, and within a few months more we had two offers from great publishers on the table. And Imaginary Jesus hits the shelves this April! Looking back, I know Wes was right - I was successful when I wrote what I wanted to write, not what I thought would sell.

This guest column by Matt is an exclusive online
supplement to a feature on him in the Feb. 2010
issue of Writer's Digest (the "Breaking In" section).
If you haven't subscribed to WD yet, what are you
waiting for? Get a sub now!

Want more on this topic?

Want to pen a guest column? Write me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.

See all posted stories of writers finding their agents.

Agent Janet Reid provides 20 Query Letter Tips.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Breaking In (Writer's Digest) | Christian Agents | How I Got My Agent Columns

Wednesday, January 06, 2010 2:12:55 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Feeling Crazy? Me Too. Oscar Predictions for 2009 ...
Posted by Chuck

Predict the Oscar winners? NOW? Before the nominees have even been announced? Are you crazy? Luckily, today, I am. And if you're feeling crazy, feel free to agree or disagree with me on this crazy, somewhat-pointless-yet-immensely-fun exercise.

Please keep in mind I'm talking about who WILL win, not who SHOULD win—two totally different things here. If I had to bet money, today, this is what I would bet. I suppose I've just seen way too many movies recently.

BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker

All the other movies seem to have something going against them. Up in the Air and Invictus were good, not great. Avatar was good but flawed. A Serious Man was too under the radar, and the Coens just won the best picture two years ago. The Hurt Locker is that movie that got rave reviews in the summer and those haven't stopped.

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

A woman has never won best director and I think Academy members have been looking for a great film they can honor, and that's The Hurt Locker. There's no clear frontrunner here, so I feel like she has the edge. It doesn't feel like Jason Reitman's time yet for Up in the Air. The only real competition is James Cameron for Avatar, but I think she wins.

BEST ACTOR: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

First of all, I think it will not be Morgan Freeman nor George Clooney because they've won before. So at this point it boils down to Colin Firth for A Single Man, and Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart. Firth is a Brit (the Academy loves Brits) and a gay-themed drama is ripe for an Oscar. But Bridges is older, always great, and has never won. Robert Duvall previously won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic washed-up country singer (Tender Mercies, 1983) and I think Bridges wins—less because this was the greatest performance of his career, and more an honoring for a career of great work.

BEST ACTRESS: Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Toughest category of the year. I really have no idea here so let's say Meryl Streep, who is nominated like eight times a year but hasn't won since Sophie's Choice (1982). She's overdue for Win #2, and there is absolutely no frontrunner here. With 10 best picture nominees this year, the Academy seems to realize their show is dying and they are trying to reach out and please more people. That's why Bridges and Streep will win - people want them to win. I think that if this weren't a turning-point year for he Academy, indie standout Carey Mulligan (An Education) takes it home.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

This is a tough field here, and the dark horse is Christopher Plummer if he gets a nod for The Last Station. The Academy tends to favor older nominees, British nominees, and actors who have done lots of great work but haven't been recognized. Plummer is all those! But like Heath Ledger last year, it's just impossible to ignore Waltz in Inglourious Basterds. He made that movie. I don't see Basterds winning anything else, so that gives Waltz an edge.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo'Nique (Precious)

This one seems like a done deal. Precious got a lot of buzz, but I don't see it winning in any other categories, which gives Mo'Nique a great shot here.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE NOMINATE: Sharlto Copley (District 9)

I just saw this movie recently because I couldn't pay my wife to go with me in the summer. Have you seen it? It's fantastic, and the best thing about it is the lead actor, Sharlto, this unknown South African guy who never acted in a major film before. He carries the whole thing on his shoulders and that's just amazing. He doesn't have to win; just nominate him ... please.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010 1:55:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Successful Queries: Agent Ted Malawer and 'My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters'
Posted by Chuck

This series is 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 24th installment in this series is with agent Ted Malawer (Upstart Crow Literary) and his author, Sydney Salter, for her book, My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters, a young adult novel. Besides Big Nose, Sydney also has written a nonfiction kids book, Jungle Crossing, and has a second YA novel coming out in 2010 called Swoon At Your Own Risk (Harcourt/Graphia).

Buy "My Big Nose and
Other Natural Disasters"

Dear Mr. Malawer,

I would like you to represent my 65,000-word contemporary teen novel My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters.

Seventeen-year-old Jory Michaels wakes up on the first day of summer vacation with her same old big nose, no passion in her life (in the creative sense of the word), and all signs still pointing to her dying a virgin. Plus, her mother is busy roasting a chicken for Day #6 of the Dinner For Breakfast Diet.

In spite of her driving record (it was an accident!), Jory gets a job delivering flowers and cakes to Reno’s casinos and wedding chapels. She also comes up with a new summer goal: saving for a life-altering nose job. She and her new nose will attract a fabulous boyfriend. Nothing like the shameless flirt Tyler Briggs, or Tom who’s always nice but never calls. Maybe she’ll find someone kind of like Gideon at the Jewel Café, except better looking and not quite so different. Jory survives various summer disasters like doing yoga after sampling Mom’s Cabbage Soup Diet, Enforced Mother Bonding With Crazy Nose Obsessed Daughter Night, and discovering Tyler’s big secret. But will she learn to accept herself and maybe even find her passion, in the creative (AND romantic!) sense of the word?

I have written for APPLESEEDS, Children’s Playmate, Confetti, FACES, Hopscotch, Story Friends, Wee Ones Magazine, the Deseret News, and Blooming Tree Press’ Summer Shorts anthology. I won the Utah Arts Council prize for Not-A-Dr. Logan’s Divorce Book. My novels Jungle Crossing and Going Native! each won first prize in the League of Utah Writers contest. I am currently serving as a Regional Advisor for SCBWI.

I submitted My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters to Krista Marino at Delacorte because she requested it during our critique at the summer SCBWI conference (no response yet).

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sydney Salter Husseman
Enclosures: Sample Chapters of My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters, synopsis, biography & SASE

Commentary from Ted:

When I first started agenting, I was working as an assistant at Firebrand Literary, going through the slush—which, in our case, was electronic. With hundreds and hundreds of queries, it’s tough to stand out. Sydney, however, did just that. First, she had a great title that totally made me laugh. Second, she sets up her main character’s dilemma in a succinct and interesting way. In one simple paragraph, I had a great idea of who Jory was and what her life was about—the interesting tidbit about her mother help show the novel’s sense of humor, too.

Sydney’s largest paragraph sets up the plot, the conflict, and introduces some exciting potential love interests and misadventures that I was excited to read about. Again, Sydney really showed off her fantastic sense of humor, and she left me hanging with a question that I needed an answer to. I already knew I would request this manuscript and hope that her writing lived up to the potential of her query. (Luckily, Sydney not only met my expectations—she exceeded them!)

Her fourth paragraph demonstrated she has writing and experience and has completed other manuscripts that were prize-worthy. Her SCBWI membership—while not a necessity—showed me that she had an understanding of and an interest in the children’s publishing world. Lastly, the fact that an editor requested the manuscript is always a good sign. Because I knew Krista personally and highly valued her opinion was, as Sydney’s main character Jory would say, “The icing on the cake.” The book came out in April 2009.

Writer Sydney Salter is based in Utah
and writes kids fiction and nonfiction.
See her fun website here.

Want more on this subject?

How to Write a Query Letter.

Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "Wake"

Successful Queries: (Nonfiction) "Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon"

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Children's Writing | Successful Queries

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 8:17:06 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

Monday, January 04, 2010

Agent Scott Eagan on Romance vs. Women's Fiction
Posted by Chuck

When I first opened Greyhaus Literary Agency in 2003, I decided to focus simply on romance and women’s fiction. Since that time, I honestly don’t know how many times I have been asked “What is the difference between romance and women’s fiction?” It seems that, in my humble opinion, the line has really been blurred between these two genres. There is fiction with romantic elements. There is literary fiction told from a female perspective … the list goes on and on. Considering Greyhaus focuses exclusively on romance and women’s fiction, I felt it was necessary to really define the two genres and make it clear to both myself, as I looked at new proposals, and to the readers that submit to me.

This guest column by agent
Scott Eagan of Greyhaus Literary

I do have to say, however, that I have received a lot of criticism from writers that claim you really can’t categorize writing. Often, I am electronically screamed at by writers who claim writing can’t be categorized like this. I laugh at this comment. My undergraduate work was in Literature and anyone who remembers anything from any literature class they took will remember that we do indeed divide writing into stylistic differences. There is a huge difference between the writings of Coleridge and Wordsworth and the writings of Locke and Jefferson. One is from the romantic period and one is from the Age of Reason. In both cases, the writing met certain criteria, other than simply being written during a time period. There are stylistic elements.

For those of you that might not be on board with literature, let’s try music? Baroque, Classical, Romantic? Get the idea. I could go on an on with this but I think you understand where I am coming from. Writing is going to do the same thing.

LET'S BEGIN WITH ROMANCE

At Greyhaus, I really like to stick to a traditional definition of the romance genre. In this genre, the writing will have two key traditional elements.

• The relationship is the central plot arc of the story.
• There is a happily-ever-after.

In romance, a writer needs to see the growing relationship of the hero and the heroine. There may be other elements going on in the story but the romance is still the central focus of the story. We want to see the two characters come together through whatever adventures they may be dealing with. Romance, of course, can be written in a variety of sub-genres (paranormal, historical, suspense and mystery) but the relationship has to be the central focus of the story. This is easy to spot. If you tell someone what your story is about, and the focus is only on the characters and their growing attraction toward one another, then you are likely in that romance. Please understand that if your story doesn’t revolve around that, it does not necessarily mean that you have women’s fiction. We will get to that later. This genre also has a second element. There is a happily-ever-after. And yes, the same rule applies here as did with the prior point. If a story doesn’t have that happily-ever-after, it does not mean it's suddenly women’s fiction.

Remember that the goal of romance is to show a growing and developing relationship. We want that “fantasy” world. While the real world may have pain and hardship, we want to escape to that “better” world every now and then. We can have tears, anger and pain along the way, but the readers want to know, that when they close the book in the end, we know the characters are going on with their lives, happy and content.

I do get a lot of writers that say their story is really set during a romantic period, or they have added a romance to the story, but I think you can see that doesn’t quite meet the genre. Yes, it is a fine line, but there is still a line.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WOMEN'S FICTION?

In women's fiction, is there no happily-ever-after? Does this mean there is no romance? No. Women’s fiction is about something much more. I have always tried to define this genre as a story that shows the female journey. The goal and the intent of this genre is to be able to relate to the character and understand her own life. We want to know what it is to be a woman. Like romance, this can occur in any time period, but the goal is still the same – to understand the female psyche. The story can be multicultural, like Amy Tan, or historical, like Philippa Gregory. It really doesn’t matter other than making the heroine the central focus of the story. It may be contemporary. One of my favorite stories that I believe fits this the best is A Summer All Her Own by Rosanne Keller.

I often think about these stories as the type women will sit around and talk about. The stories that allow women to say, “Hey, I’ve gone through that.” Readers are learning they are not alone, and hopefully, through that story, they can learn new ways to cope with struggles that seep to be daunting at the present time.

For those of you submitting to Greyhaus, you can now see where I am coming from when dealing with submissions. I'm accepting queries again, so check my website for exact submission guidelines.

Want more on this subject?

Previously I interviewed Scott on the blog.

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Interested in romance? Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt gace a great interview on this blog. See Part I and Part II.

Guest Columns | Romance | Women's Fiction

Monday, January 04, 2010 7:52:38 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [5]

Conference Spotlight: Digital Book World
Posted by Chuck

A new exciting conference from Writer's Digest, Publishers Lunch and other groups is coming up fast. It's Digital Book World, and it's the first conference dedicated to assessing challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age, and how to best develop actionable strategies to leverage new tools.

DETAILS

It all goes down Jan. 26-27 in New York.

WHO WILL BE THERE?

There are a lot of great speakers and presentations lined up! For just a taste, look at these speakers and their topics:

Peter Balls (John Wiley and Sons) on "Getting On the Virtual Shelves: Untangling and Understanding the eBook Supply Chain"
Ginger Clark (agent, Curtis, Brown) on "eBook Pricing: What They Should Cost, and Why"
Maja Thomas (Hachette Book Group) on "Optimizing Ebooks: Cost-Effective Enhancements, Updates, and Multimedia Options"
Shiv Singh (Razorfish) with a keynote speech

FOUR REASONS TO ATTEND

     1. Mike Shatzkin. He's the founder & CEO of The Idea Logical Company, and has been a leading industry spokesman and commentator on digital change for 20 years. The man knows his stuff.
     2. Addressing concerns of the times. The event is focused specifically on addressing the challenges and opportunities facing consumer book publishers.
     3. Strategies, not theories. Speakers will focus on presenting strategies that can be implemented immediately for an impact in 2010, not 2015 or beyond.
     4. The DBW Network. Digital Book World’s speakers and attendees represent a cross-section of the publishing industry, from Random House and HarperCollins, to Tor, Chelsea Green, National Geographic and Ellora’s Cave.

Sign up today!

Writers' Conferences

Monday, January 04, 2010 1:06:28 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Agent Advice: Lori Perkins of L. Perkins Agency
Posted by Chuck

Agent Interview by

contributor Ricki Schultz.

"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 Lori Perkins, founder of the L. Perkins Agency (no website). Lori graduated from NYU with a B.A. in art history and journalism.

She seeks: horror, social science fiction, dark fantasy, dark literary novels and erotica. In nonfiction, she handles books about pop culture (music, art, film, TV, etc) and she is also interested in architecture and design. She does not want to receive straight romance, Westerns, non-quirky mysteries, children's books, plays, screenplays, articles or short stories.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

LP: I was the publisher of a newspaper in Manhattan, and my editor left to become an agent. He told me that I was like an agent, giving my reporters ideas for stories and then telling them where to send them and how to pitch them. The agent he worked for wanted someone to run his office while he was on the west coast, and I took the job. I worked for him for six months, and then trained with another agent for three years before I went out on my own.

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

LP: Hungry for Your Love: An Anthology of Zombie Romance to St. Martin's Press for Ravenousromance.com. I am currently selling Jenna Jameson's second nonfiction book about her transformation from porn star to mother. She was just on "Oprah."

GLA: I read an interview where you said you were looking for the Latino Gone with the Wind. Would that still jump to the top of your slush pile? Other than that, what are you looking for right now and not getting?

LP: I'd love a Gone with the Wind that's about Scarlett's battle for self in a paternalistic society undergoing sweeping change, not Rhett or Ashley's adventures. I can't tell you the number of books that have come in with male protagonists. The only things that are selling right now are paranormal romance and young adult fiction. I personally love vampires, zombies, the vampire zombie Apocalypse, and kick-ass female characters. Female-centered erotica and erotic romance are always considered as well.
I take on very few new clients, as I have 80 existing clients and am the Editorial Director of ravenousromance.com, which publishes 120 books a year, but I have two junior agents who specialize in mysteries, thrillers, literary fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy/paranormal romance, YA, pop culture, dystopian past and future, and horror.

GLA: I know ravenousromance.com is a new digital epublishing company? What else can you tell us about it?

LP: Well, we started the company in July 2008, and launched Dec. 1, 2008. I've been working two jobs for a year and a half, but I love what I'm doing and believe that I am getting more writers published this way, and am on the cutting edge of a revolution in publishing. As an agent, digital publishing is all about getting writers read, so any way that can happen, I encourage.
The three principals of the company—myself, Holly Schmidt and Allan Penn—are a formidable publishing trio with over 55 years of book experience. Allan does our covers and coordinates the audio program. He is an amazing photographer who trained under Cosmo's Francesco Scavullo, which is why we have such award-winning covers. Holly was the publisher of Quirk and Marketing guru at Rodale, so she knows how to get our books in places you can't imagine. That's how we launched the Ravenous Romance Home Shopping network program. And the fact that I am an agent, and know so many writers, has helped us bring more than 300 authors to Ravenous Romance. We've also sold sub-rights to about a third of the 150 titles we've published this year, which is unheard of for epublshers.

GLA: What are you looking for at Ravenousromance.com?

LP: Our best-selling titles are paranormal romance, the kinkier stuff, and our Male/Male titles, but we are looking for everything in erotic romance. We pay advance for both short stores and novels, unlike most epublishers. We buy about 300 short stories a year (between 2000 and 5000 words), so go to our blog, to look for calls for stories in our in-house anthologies. Our novels run between 50,000 and 60,000 words. Send submissions to submissions@ravenousromance.com.

GLA: Can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in social science fiction? Perhaps give some examples of books you repped that fit into this category so writers can get a sense of what you’re looking for here.

LP: Soft science that deals with changes in society. Things like 1984, Gattica, Jennifer Government.

GLA: With most of the fiction you seek, you’re looking for "dark dark dark." What draws you to the dark side?

LP: I don't like happy endings. I like twists and twisted stories. I especially like revenge stories.

GLA: You do not handle romance—you’re looking for what you call “feminist smut” and “very sexy” chick lit. Is there a difference between this and straight-up erotica? In your mind, how can one give erotic romance a feminist spin?

LP: Straight up erotica has been based on years and years of male sexual fantasy—what I call the Spank Me Baby books. Feminist smut is women-centered erotica that focuses on both the sexual and self-esteem journey. It makes you feel good and feel good about yourself, and even makes you feel good about feeling good, if you know what I mean.

GLA: Where are new writers most commonly going wrong in chapter one?
LP: They have not reviewed The Elements of Style by Strunk & White; that, and they and overwrite.

GLA: What topics would you classify as overdone in the nonfiction area of pop culture?

LP: It's almost impossible to sell an unauthorized biography today because biographies go on the Internet.

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

LP: E-mail and e-mail only. lperkinsagency(at)yahoo(dot)com.

GLA: You mentioned other agents at the agency. How many other agents do you have at L. Perkins Agency?

LP: Three other agents and two interns.

GLA: Do they have different tastes readers need to know about?

LP: Sandy Lu is actively looking for thrillers, mysteries, literary fiction, and urban fantasy/paranormal romance. Max Ximenez will be handling comic books and graphic novels as well as gaming-related titles.

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

LP: I attend Necon and KillerCon every year, as well as Writer's Digest Pitch Slam at BEA, Romantic Times, and RWA. I usually attend World Fantasy.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t talked about yet?

LP: Finish the book. Keep it to 80,000 words.

This agent interview by Ricki Schultz,
freelance writer and coordinator of
Shenandoah Writers in VA. Visit her blog
or follow her on Twitter.

Want more on this subject?

How can you improve your query letter?

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Romance

Sunday, January 03, 2010 1:32:22 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Footnotes: 8 Articles on Synopsis Writing
Posted by Chuck

"We write to taste life twice, in the moment
and in retrospection." ~Anais Nin

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. Writing a good synopsis for your novel or memoir can be one of the hardest and most frustrating things we have to do as writers. Today I’m serving up 8 articles to help de-mystify the process.

1. A synopsis can sell your story. Agent Caren Estesen discusses why you need a good summary.

2. The advice "show, don't tell," doesn’t apply to a synopsis. Author Diana Peterfreund explains why.

3. Here's how to write one. Agent Nathan Bransford shares his guidelines on writing the synopsis.

4. Ask yourself five questions. Writer Beth Anderson asks five questions in order to write a tight synopsis. Find out what they are.

5. Keep it simple. Romance novelist Brenda Coulter suggests dropping the pretense and just tell your story.

6. A writer answers common questions. Writer Sally Hanan answers commonly asked questions about the synopsis.

7. Grab readers, even with a synopsis. Romance Author Meredith Bond believes you have to “grab them by their eyeballs and don’t let go” and that’s just the first paragraph.

8. See examples of fiction synopses. On this very GLA blog, you can see many posts related to synopsis writing - including several actual examples of synopses in all genres.

This guest series by writer
Nancy Parish, who runs her
blog, The Sound and Furry.

Want more on this topic?

Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing First Pages.
Footnotes: 8 Articles on Revising Your Work.
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!

Footnotes | Synopsis Writing

Sunday, January 03, 2010 1:00:02 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Friday, January 01, 2010

New Agent Alert: Nettie Hartsock of Max & Co.
Posted by Chuck

Editor's note: Nettie contacted me
in May 2010 and said she was
no longer agenting. Please do
not query her.

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

About Nettie: Nettie is a recovering technology journalist. She has been employed via the Web for over a decade, and is a proud member of the Internet Press Guild and Online News Association. She is also a published essayist and writer, currently adding the finishing touches to her one-woman show titled, "Drunko Bunko" which will be staged in Austin, TX in 2010. She recently started with Max & Co., a Literary Agency and Social Club.

Seeking: literary & commercial fiction. business books & popular nonfiction, and the occasional Southern fiction book.

How to submit: (Contact info removed because Nettie is no longer agenting.) E-query, and include a brief synopsis and biography stating what the book is and who you are. "Ideally both will point to a very large collection of people willing to drop $24.95 to read your work. We appreciate direct & cogent proposals (well...at least in others). Then include sample chapters as attachments, one of which must be your opening (we like to see how you take the stage). If more than four weeks have passed without a response, write again or call. E-mail was never intended to carry the burden we all now place upon it. Stuff gets lost in the ether."