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 Marlene Stringer of The Stringer Literary Agency. 

She is seeking: Fiction interests include mystery, thrillers, contemporary and urban fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, women’s fiction, romance, and YA/teen. Nonfiction interests include history, military history, parenting, music, sports, and science.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

Marlene represented Alex Bledsoe's
urban fantasy, Blood Groove

• Word Count Guidelines for Novels and Children's Books.
  
• Check out agent Don Maass's popular book, The Fire in Fiction.  
• 20 Tips on Writing a Query Letter
  
• How Money Works: Book Royalties, Advances and Flat Fees.
  
• 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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 9:06:05 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0]

Guest blogger Angela Ackerman is a kidlit writer
represented by Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency.
Her blog, The Bookshelf Muse, is home to several
Descriptive Thesaurus Collections for writers,
including an Emotion Thesaurus, which lists the
physical actions for over 40 different emotions.

• Literary agents talk blogging, Twitter, and more.
  
• How to create a simple writer blog.
  
• So you've set up a blog - now what?
  
• 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!

Monday, March 29, 2010 9:51:52 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [16]

"How I Got My Agent" is a 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.

Marianne Elliott is the author of the
blog Zen and the Art of Peacekeeping.
(She has written a memoir of the same name.)
Marianne loves to connect with other writers
on Twitter (@zenpeacekeeper).

"QUERY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE"

While I was still writing Zen Under Fire: Learning to Sit Still in Afghanistan, a memoir about my life and work as a UN peacekeeper and human rights advocate in Afghanistan, I started reading agent advice blogs. I started filling a new notebook with information about agents and the query process and began making a list of agents who seemed like a great match for my book. On many agent blogs I read that, unlike other forms of nonfiction, you generally need a completed manuscript before you can query agents for representation for a memoir. So I diligently set about completing my manuscript.

When I was close to finishing the manuscript, I shared my synopsis and first three chapters with some beta readers. One of them is a published author who thought the synopsis was fantastic and asked whether I had started approaching agents. I explained why I was waiting. She wasn’t convinced and offered to ask her agent for advice.

Her agent’s advice was this: Because the subject matter of my memoir (i.e. Afghanistan) is so newsworthy at the moment, I should query as soon as possible. She wanted to see my first three chapters. I decided that if I was going to send the chapters to her, I would also take a risk and query the five agents who were at the top of my wish list.

UH-OH. TOO QUICK?

So I queried six agents. Two of them were agents to whom I had personal referrals from their clients (including the one who encouraged me to query early). Three were agents with whom I had no connection. The sixth agent had approached me after she read my blog, which she loved, and saw that I was working on a memoir.

I had my first response the next morning—a request for a full manuscript. I had to explain that I didn’t have a complete manuscript. She still wanted to see whatever I had written. So I took another risk. I sent her ten more chapters despite the fact that they had not been through the purifying fire of my beta readers’ insightful critiques. She eventually passed on the manuscript.

The first agent contacted me again, asking to see more. I sent her the additional chapters. She came back saying that it was a fascinating and well-written story but that the market at the moment demanded more grit in its war stories. She would be interested in seeing another, grittier, draft. I got two more requests for full manuscripts. I was beginning to doubt the wisdom of querying early but I decided to give the draft chapters two last outings before I regrouped.

TWO OFFERS!

A few weeks later, I awoke to my first offer of representation. I was stunned. It was such a surprise after the first two rejections that I almost accepted the offer on the spot. Instead, I asked for a little time and wrote to the one remaining agent who had my partial manuscript. She wrote back almost immediately, also offering me representation. Now I was spinning. Two New York literary agents wanted to represent my book!

I set up phone interviews with both of the agents. I got in touch with all the published authors I knew and asked them for advice. I prepared my questions. Each of the agents did a fantastic job of answering them. Both gave me referrals to clients who gave them rave reviews. I knew that I couldn’t go wrong with either of them.

In the end, the deciding factor was that when Laura (Laura Nolan of DeFiore and Company) talked about my manuscript it was as though she had been inside my head as I wrote it. She got to the heart not only what I had written but also of what I was trying to write but hadn’t quite pulled off.

I broke one of the cardinal rules of querying, which is: Never query until your manuscript is complete, beautifully polished and the best that it can possibly be. In this instance, it paid off. I was fortunate to find two agents who were willing to work with me on a promising manuscript that still needed work. Not all agents do that. Not all writers need that. Maybe it worked for me because of the timeliness of my subject matter. Maybe it was because I found the right champions for my project. In either case, I’m grateful.

Want more on this subject? 

• Should you mention your age in a book query? 
• 20 tips on query letters, from agent Janet Reid
• Check out the Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters
• What should you write in the bio of your query?
• 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!

Sunday, March 28, 2010 2:56:10 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [3]

She is seeking: Anne has an eclectic list, ranging from thrillers to literary fiction to serious nonfiction. She has particular interests in science, history, public policy, medicine and women’s issues. She is not looking to represent self-help, new age, erotica, how-to, advice/relationship, horror, Westerns, category romance, action/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, or juvenile.

GLA: Why did you become an agent?

AH: My brother-in-law John Hawkins recruited me for several reasons. He knew that I was a great lover of books and had, in fact, taught English in the past. Also, he had seen me negotiate in an entirely different field, and that gave him confidence that I could handle the business aspects of the job.

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

AH: I've cut deals for any number of my established authors, and it's always a thrill to see their careers grow and flourish. Your readers, however, might want to hear about the sale of a first novel. It started with a cold-call e-mail query that intrigued me. I asked for a synopsis and sample pages, and I was simply blown away by the quality and originality.  fter reading the full manuscript, I immediately offered representation. This book, The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens, sold to Sarah Knight of Shaye Areheart Books and will be a lead hardcover title in Winter 2011. So far, it has sold in six foreign language markets, and CAA [Creative Artists Agency] is currently marketing it to film interests.
 
GLA: Are there any books coming out now that have you excited?
 
AH: I have two wildly different books coming out in April—Kristy Kiernan's third novel, Between Friends (high-concept women's fiction), and Michael Pewtherer's Wilderness Survival Handbook, a guide to outdoor survival with minimal manufactured equipment. One of the great things about my job is the variety!
 
GLA: What are you looking for right now when tackling the slush pile?
 
AH: I'm always on the lookout for "reading group" books, whether fiction or nonfiction. These are books that, while entertaining, also have ideas and content worth discussing. 
     I also love historical fiction, but it is so difficult to find one that hits on all cylinders. Writing good historical fiction is challenging because, in addition to the hurdles that all novelists face, historical authors also have to do massive research, incorporate historical detail in an interesting way, and craft a convincing voice that is suitable to the period.
 
GLA: You don’t work with much genre fiction, other than thrillers and mystery/suspense. With particular regard to thrillers, do you prefer any subgenres, such as legal, psychological, or supernatural thrillers, etc.? Anything you tend to stay away from?
 
AH: In thrillers, I'm looking for strong characters, outstanding storytelling, and an original concept. Too many queries give me that "been there, done that" sort of feeling, so I don't pursue them. Truth to be told, I like thrillers that don't fit neatly into any subgenre. The Informationist, mentioned above, is one of those. Both the editor who acquired it and I remarked that we hadn't seen anything quite like it before. That said, I find legal thrillers a tough sell in today's market, and I just don't care for any sort of fiction with supernatural elements.
 
GLA: One of the nonfiction areas you represent is biography. What is essential to a solid biography proposal?
 
AH: That's a really tough question. "Serious" biography most often requires serious author credentials. Think of Robert Caro's multivolume biography of Lyndon Johnson or David McCullough's biography of John Adams. "Lighter" biography, such as Seabiscuit or Longitude, often categorized as "niche history," requires only a compelling voice and exacting research. 
     Of course, the proposed book cannot treat an individual whose life has been documented many times already. And the subject has to be of interest to a substantial readership.
 
GLA: Is there anyone in particular about whom you’d love to see a biography written?
 
AH: I can't think of anyone specific offhand, but as Justice Potter Stewart said: "I know it when I see it."
 
GLA: I read in an interview you did last year that you take on a number of “cold queries.” Agents seem to differ across the board in terms of whether or not they think authors should personalize these types of queries (i.e., “I see you rep Author X, so I hope you will be interested in Manuscript Y”). How do you feel about this?  Do you prefer cold queriers jump right into the pitch, or does a little personalization go a long way?
 
AH: By all means, personalization goes a long way. If a query letter begins with something like, "I'm a huge fan of your author Tasha Alexander... ," I'm predisposed to read on.
 
GLA: How can writers maximize their success in this changing industry?

AH: It goes without saying that a writer must hone his craft to the highest level possible. Once that's accomplished, however, a writer needs to put on his business hat and devise a smart strategy for gaining representation and eventual publication.     
     If I could give unpublished authors one piece of advice, it would be this: Learn as much as you can about the publishing industry, how it works, and who the players are before beginning the query process. Publishing is a quirky business, and things often happen in a nonlinear fashion. The author who adopts a learn-as-you-go philosophy runs the risk of making costly, even disastrous mistakes.
 
GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers’ conferences where writers can meet and pitch you?

AH: DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) Writers Conference, April 10-11, 2010; American Independent Writers Conference (Washington, D.C.) June 12, 2010; Anhinga Writers Conference (Gainesville, Fla.) July 28-31.
 
GLA: What is something about you writers would be surprised to hear?

AH: I played the bassoon professionally for many years.
 
GLA: Best piece(s) of advice we haven’t talked about yet?

AH: Don't assume that everything you read online is true. Some writer-friendly websites do offer accurate, up-to-date information. Others perpetuate wild untruths. As a case in point, I Googled myself and discovered, among other curious things, that: 1) I am a top agent for horror fiction (I have never represented a single horror novel), and 2) I am one of the top ten agents for YA fiction (In my entire career, I have represented only one young adult novel). Get the picture?

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?

• 7 reasons agents stop reading your first chapter.
• Should you start with plot or character?
• Word count for novels and children's books.
• Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.
• Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.
• Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews)

Sunday, March 28, 2010 2:29:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0]

You know National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? It's where you just sit down for one month and crank out a novel. It doesn't have to be awesome. It just forces you to sit down and work through that painful first draft. Well now imagine the same thing, but for movie scripts. It's coming in April, and it's called Script Frenzy. I, for one, will be participating and trying to write a script. Come join the fun!

Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants take on the challenge of writing 100 pages of scripted material in the month of April. As part of a donation-funded nonprofit, Script Frenzy charges no fee to participate.

      Who: You and everyone you know. No experience required.

      What: 100 pages of original scripted material in 30 days. (Screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, and graphic novels are all welcome.)

      When: April 1-30.

      Where: Online and in person (if you want!). Hang out in the forums, join your fellow participants at write-ins, and make friends by adding writing buddies online.

      Why: Because you have a story to tell. Because you want a creative challenge. Because you’ll be disappointed if you missed out on the adventure. Because you need to make time for you.

      How: Sign up. Tell everyone that you are in the Frenzy. Clear your calendar. (US participants: Get your taxes done now!) Start some wrist exercises. Have fun! The official Script Frenzy site has more rules and FAQ. Check it out.

Saturday, March 27, 2010 2:12:21 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [3]

• Successful Queries: (Romance) "Proof by Seduction" 
• Successful Queries: (Mainstream/Literary Fiction) "The Art of Racing in the Rain" 
• Successful Queries: (Upmarket/Women's Fiction) "Simply from Scratch"
  
• 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!

Friday, March 26, 2010 8:56:24 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [1]

Note from Chuck (4-28-2010):
Soon after posting this new agent alert, Marissa
contacted me and said she is joining the crew at
FinePrint Literary Management. All her bio
info remains the same.

---------

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.

Want more on this subject?

• Examine great high-concept hooks for kids books.
• New agent seeking kids stuff: Adriana Dominguez.
• New agent seeking kids stuff: Mary Kole.
• 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!

Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:12:16 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0]

• The basics of marketing in the new economy
• What an author "brand" is, and how to establish and use it
• Five things you can do to become your publisher's favorite author
• What to expect your publisher to do (and what not to expect)
• The keys to great marketing copy
• How to get maximum impact out of social media
  

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 3:01:36 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [1]

• New York Times columnist Gail Collins
• "Fox & Friends" co-anchor and author Steve Doocy
• 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter author W. Bruce Cameron
• "Late Show With David Letterman" Emmy-nominated writer Bill Scheft.
• Christian Lander, author of Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste Of Millions
• Donna Gephart, author of As If Being 12 ¾ Isn’t Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President!, winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award for the best humorous children's book of the year

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 9:45:56 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [1]

Pieces of Sky, by Kaki Warner. This award-winning, Romantic Times Top Pick debut novel is the first book in Warner's Blood Rose trilogy (Berkley, January 2010)

Haunting Emma, Book One: Deception by Lee Nichols (Bloomsbury Children's, June 2010)

The Town that Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food by Ben Hewitt (Rodale, March 2010)

Want more information?

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

Monday, March 22, 2010 11:42:35 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [3]

"How I Got My Agent" is a 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.

Dom Testa is a radio host in Denver and
an award-winning young adult author
The paperback of The Comet's Curse,
the first book in his sci-fi series, is available
now. See his series website here.

NOT LOOKING FOR LOVE

Relationship experts say that the key to finding true love is to not look for it. Although it might seem counter-intuitive, the anecdotal evidence appears to back them up. How many couples have you known who either met through total chance, or met when one or neither was even interested in a relationship? They weren’t cruising the bars, or active in an online dating service; it just happened. That’s essentially my story when it came to landing an agent and a book deal. But before you roll your eyes and/or curse me, consider this: the road to representation is often much easier when your focus isn’t on the actual hunt itself, but rather on the product that fires your passion.

My publishing journey began in the early 90s when I participated in the annual Dr. Seuss birthday celebration at a Denver-area school. As a morning radio show host, I’m often asked to either emcee an event, or to be a celebrity this-or-that for a charity. But this was different, and—surprise, surprise!—I had a great time. I began reading at schools on a regular basis. Plus, because I’d been writing as a hobby since high school, the kids’ enthusiasm inspired me to devote more and more time to polishing my skills.

By the late 90s I had segued from reading at elementary schools to actively working with older students. I began hosting writing assemblies and workshops at middle schools (something I still frequently do today), while scribbling out ideas for a YA book. My radio career took up much of my time, but all writers know that you carve out whatever time possible to get it done. By 2003 I had finished the first few drafts of what would become The Comet’s Curse.

FORMING MY OWN PUBLISHING COMPANY

But I never considered finding an agent, or, for that matter, landing a traditional publishing deal. I wanted control of the release, the cover, the marketing, and the planned sequels, so I opted to form my own publishing company and put in even more time. This was truly a labor of love, and I felt that if I believed in it that much, I could do anything with my book.

The Comet’s Curse was published in January of 2005. In the fall of that year I was cruising down I-25 in Denver when my cell phone rang. On the other end was Chuck Sambuchino, calling from Writer’s Digest magazine. “Pull over,” he said to me. “You don’t want to be driving when I tell you this.” What he told me was that I had won the grand prize in the annual Writer’s Digest Best Self-Published Book contest, beating out 1500 entries from around the world. Yes! (pumps fist in air)

In the next two years I published two more volumes in the Galahad series: The Web of Titan, and The Cassini Code. By this point I was overwhelmed with radio, speaking, running a small independent press, and finding time to write. One evening I sat on my deck, drinking beers with my friend Judith Briles, who has published more than twenty books. I told her that the time might have come to find a traditional publisher. She recommended I contact a former agent of hers, Jacques de Spoelbergh.

TOR BOOKS

Jacques was quite pleasant, but unsure that he would represent me. Instead he suggested that I directly contact Tom Doherty of Tor Books, the worldwide leader in sf/fantasy. My first thought was, “Really? Write to the man who FOUNDED Tor? Isn’t that...presumptuous?” But I did indeed send off the package, with a one-page letter to Tom and copies of the first two Galahad books that I’d published.

Five days later—yes, five—Kathleen Doherty, the publisher of Tor’s YA division, called. Her first words to me were memorable: “We love your books, and want to sign you to a six-book deal.” After I picked myself off the floor, I got back in touch with Jacques, and, after a few in-depth conversations, agreed that he would represent me with this series. He’s a true gentleman, and a savvy industry vet.

So my story is quite different than most. I funneled my energies into creating a tangible—and credible—body of work. While some might say, “wow, it only took you five days,” I’m quick to point out that the entire process began fifteen years earlier. That’s fifteen years of writing, visiting schools, hosting workshops, building a one-man independent publishing imprint, and staying focused on the end result: the book itself. The key is gravity; I created gravitational pull that attracted people to my book. And then, like true love, it “just happened.”

Want more on this subject?

• 7 reasons agents stop reading your first chapter.
• Should you start with plot or character?
• Word count for novels and children's books.
• 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!

Sunday, March 21, 2010 5:18:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [2]

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 and polished that query letter until it’s nice and shiny; now it’s time to submit to agents. But before you send that query, check out this list of articles regarding agent pet peeves.

1. A professional e-mail. If you’re using that cute nickname your boyfriend gave you as your e-mail address, you may want to change it.
     
2. Resubmit? What’s the protocol for contacting the agents you’ve submitted to once you receive an offer? Agent Elana Roth discusses her thoughts on the subject.
           
3. A big list. Here’s a “cornucopia” of agent pet peeves for you to check out.

4. Pass on phone calls. If you you’re thinking about pitching an agent over the phone, please think twice.      

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!

Sunday, March 21, 2010 4:36:35 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0]

Guest columnist Pamala Knight, a perennial
writing contest bridesmaid, is busy helping
Chicago North RWA plan Spring Fling 2010,
their upcoming writing conference. Attending
agents include Diana Fox, Laurie McLean,
Joanna Stampfel-Volpe and Paige Wheeler.
Dates are April 23-24.

• Writer's Digest has contests all year round. The annual contest, for example, takes the winner to NYC for agent meetings and also gives them $3,000.
  
• Should you start with plot or character?
• Ten tips for a successful agent-author relationship.
  
• 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!

Friday, March 19, 2010 12:50:57 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [5]

This new 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 29th installment in this series is with agent Jessica Faust (Bookends, Inc.) and her author, Karen MacInerney, for the book Murder on the Rocks, the first of Karen's Gray Whale Inn mystery series.

Friday, March 19, 2010 9:36:45 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [3]

• "Three middle-aged men defeat their midlife crises by starting a college fraternity." (Old School)
• "When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an evil prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge." (Gladiator)
• "In a future where criminals are arrested before the crime occurs, a cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed." (Minority Report)
  

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:12:40 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [63]

Guest column by Audra Krell, published
freelance writer. Audra is also a vocalist,
and she and her son lead worship in
churches and at conferences across the country.

• Interview with Steve Laube, agent who seeks Christian works.
  
• Tips from Cecil Murphey, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven.
  
• Interview with Rachelle Gardner, agent who seeks Christian works.
  
• 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!

Saturday, March 13, 2010 5:03:58 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [1]

Note from Chuck: It's March 15, 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.  

Friday, March 12, 2010 11:13:41 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [0]

• Peta's first guest post: How to start a blog.
  
• How royalties and advances (money) work. 
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket with just one book.
• You have a contract but no literary agent - what to do.
  
• 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!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:34:36 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [6]

• How to capture your book in a compelling hook that will draw the attention of agents and editors.
• How to determine if your rejections are less about your project and more about the marketplace.
• What is meant by the "competitive advantage" and how to know if you have it.
• How to make your writing shine—taking an idea and fleshing it out with voice, narrative, point-of-view, and structure.
• How to develop an attractive writer platform—connecting with other writers and individuals while making yourself a visible authority on a subject.
• How agents and editors quickly look over a project and decide if it has the necessary elements to make them request more.
• How to get your book published!

• Sign up for Rachelle's webinar.
  
• 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!

Sunday, March 07, 2010 11:26:12 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [2]

Looking through all the pictures of my cover band shows, you start to see the same things over and over again. In other words, a lot of people who come to our shows fall under a certain grouping, and these posts will help show you some of the characters we see over and over again. Here is Volume 2 (see Volume 1 here). Note: These are all real photos from my cover band shows. (I even know some of these people.)

4. THE CREEPY STARING GUY

Creepy Staring Guy (homo sapien crisis midlifis) is a harmless nuisance, but an unnerving one nonetheless. He oftens stands awkwardly close to the band, usually staring at the guitarist or bassist, sometimes without blinking for long periods of time. He's either a musician, examining the band's skill at close range, or just a very strange guy.

5. STAGE GIRLS

When that fourth drink has kicked in, these are girls who want to one thing: Dance! And dance they will. When one decides to cross the audience-band border, the floodgates are open, and more follow. Never mind the smiles and friendly demeanor of Stage Girls (homo sapien dancus babus); the truth is: They're very dangerous. Stage Girls result in the most amount of accidents per capita for cover bands worldwide. They spill drinks on surge protectors; they bump your mic; they try to play the instruments. It's all very crazy.

6. THE UNINVITED SINGER DUDE

Who cares that he wasn't invited onstage? This man is so sure of himself that he's coming up anyway. Drink in hand, he's a wild dude (homo sapien drunkus annoyus). There's no rhyme or reason as to when he'll suddenly grab the lead singer's mic and belt out a lyric. It's all random (fun!) and he likes it that way. Sure, you can ask him to leave the stage, but he'll be back, and he'll be drunker next time.

Saturday, March 06, 2010 6:08:42 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [2]

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 nonfiction writer F. Gerard Jefferson, who edits The Weekly Vista blog. 

1. It’s not me; it’s the revision. (Or sometimes, it’s the shoes.) Yeah, you’ve heard about this revision thing before, and you’ve probably also heard that anyone—yes, even you!—can become a better writer. But I don’t necessarily agree with this world view. Here’s what I think. I think I’m the same writer I was seven years ago. I’m a better writer not because of anything I’ve written, but because of everything I’ve erased. You can become a better writer, too, but it’ll take some time, maybe even years, to become a better self-editor. The good thing about it is, as a wannabe writer, time is on your side.

2. That egg you see? It’s yours, and it’s all over your face. You’re going to make mistakes. Know that from the beginning. In your manuscript. In your formal requests for a prom date. In response to all the “Ewww!  I’m not going with you!” rejections you’re going to get. Some mistakes will be minor. Others might get you reported to your Internet service provider, or ridiculed on the blog of some famously anonymous literary agent/editor. But it’s okay. You can survive. Take that egg and whip yourself up an omelet, and while you’re at it, fix me some, too. Hunger is the perfect equalizer for embarrassment.   

3. Continuing with the prom theme, while you’re at home working on your moves, don’t forget the writer’s anthem: Back that thang up!  I’ll be the first to admit it: Redundant, as a word, sounds suspiciously close to dunce. But how do you think I felt when my Quantex computer died in 2004 and I didn’t have redundant copies of all my work? Now I’m somewhat of a Napoleon about backup systems with three tiers of tyrannical protection, but I sleep easy at night. Or, at least, I try to. 

4. Writing your book is just the beginning. I remember when I finished my first novel a few years ago. I thought the majority of the work was done. If I could go back in time, I’d slap myself. Hard.

5. Short stories are harder to write than novels. If you’ve been paying attention, you know airplane pilots have been all over the news lately, not for well they take-off, but how well they land. As a writer, your job is to land that big, hulking idea you’ve got, and make sure as few people as possible get injured in the process, or that your name doesn’t get associated with negligence. As one pilot to another: Just know it’s easier to do this when there’s a lot of runway to play with. 

6. However long you think it’s going to take, add five years. There are two things in life you never do: Never ask a woman her age; and never ask a writer how long they’ve been unpublished. If you decide to break this rule, and the woman/writer asks you to guess, always underestimate.

7. Temper your expectations. It’s okay to dream, but that deadline for finding a perfect New York agent that I’m sure you have? In my humble opinion, you should throw it out the window.

Want more on this subject?

Friday, March 05, 2010 7:44:22 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [2]

GLA: How did you become an agent?

TR: In college, I didn't know what to do with myself one summer and a friend of my mother, who happens to be an author, said, "I think you would love being an agent."  She got me an internship with her agency and she was right, I loved it!  So in a way, agenting fell in my lap and I am eternally grateful for it.

GLA: What’s the most recent thing you’ve sold? What’s something you represented that recently came out?

TR: The most recent thing I sold is called Blood on the Moon and it's a paranormal YA series about a college freshman who learns the true meaning of sacrifice and the dangers of falling in love, especially when werewolves and vampires are involved.  
      A couple of books of mine that have recently come out are Shadow Magic by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, the second book in a wonderful fantasy series and The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James, which fictionalizes the love story between Charlotte Bronte and the man who eventually became her husband.

GLA: One of your favorite categories is women’s fiction. What draws you to this category? Why the love?

TR: I love women's fiction because I'm a sucker for relationships of all types--romantic relationships, friendships, relationships with your surroundings; I love when the setting takes on a life of its own and becomes a character in its own right. And I think that often, women's fiction does that best.

GLA: How can writers make their submission break out of the pack?

TR: In general, the way to make a submission stand out is to do your research--if you mention that you read such and such book represented by our agency and your book is reminiscent of it, then I am more likely to take notice. And, of course, writing is key. Query letters are hard, but they are the first thing I see so take your time, days if necessary, and make sure that it is well written and there are no typos.

GLA: You look for kids writing. Can you be more specific about what you do and do not want to see?

TR: I look for middle-grade and above, so no picture books and no chapter books.  I do love fantasy of all types, though I think there is a lot of room for realistic books as well. And I am a big fan of dystopian, though I generally don't like apocalyptic fiction. And series are generally more intriguing than stand-alones, though I definitely have stand-alones, too. I know this doesn't truly narrow it down too much, but that's because I love almost everything!

"Shadow Magic" is a book Tamar repped

GLA: On the subject of young adult fantasy, this is a category I don’t read too much. Can you help me (and other readers) understand some of the basic subgenres of the category?  For example, what classifies something as “high fantasy”? Etc.

TR: Well, the way I classify them (which isn't scientific and not necessarily even correct) is that in high fantasy, an entire world is created; it doesn't take place on what we recognize as the world as we currently know it.  It usually has magic or magical creatures of some sort, though there are some exceptions.
      Low fantasy takes place in what is recognizably our world, but has traditional magical creatures.
      Paranormal fantasy also takes place in what is recognizably our world and has vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, etc.  Characters that are human, or were once human, but have evolved into something else.

GLA: You take a lot of nonfiction subjects. Is it as simple as “Give me a good idea and a good platform and we’re golden”?

TR: It is! Platform is key, though our agency has had success with Skinny Bitch, where the authors had no platform! So if your voice or idea is incredible, then there are ways to get around the platform issue.

GLA: What’s the best way for writers to contact/submit to you?

TR: I prefer e-mail queries: queries[at]ldlainc.com. The guidelines for submission are on our website. Of course, I accept hard copies of queries as well.

GLA: What’s something personal about you writers may be surprised to know?

TR: One thing about me that people in general are surprised to know is that I actually grew up right here in Manhattan, where I live to this day.

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

TR: Make as many connections as you can in as many different places as you can.  If an author was referred to me by another client, or someone I know, their query and material go to the top of the pile. And once your book is sold, it's helpful to know lots of people to help get the word out there.

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 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Thursday, March 04, 2010 11:36:28 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [4]

"You have to write whichever book it
is that wants to be written." ~ Madeleine L'Engle

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 picture books.

1. Ten Myths about writing for kids. Do you know what they are? Check out the list on the Hogwarts Professor blog.

2. Picturebooks vs. Novels. Agent Michael Stearns discusses the uniqueness of representing picture books versus other genres.

3. Saying a lot with a little. Thus is the fine art of writing a picture book.

4. Three times a charm. Author Pam Calvert discusses the Law of Three and other tips for writing humorous picture books on her blog Woven with Pixie Dust.
 
5. Writing a picture book? Check out these 20 Do’s and Don’ts from Author Mem Fox.

• 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!

Wednesday, March 03, 2010 11:15:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [1]

Want more information?

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

Monday, March 01, 2010 10:13:03 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Comments [6]