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 Ryan Fischer-Harbage of The Fischer-Harbage Agency. Prior to editing, Ryan was an editor at Simon & Schuster.

He is seeking: quality fiction for adults and kids, memoir, narrative nonfiction, current events, health and wellness, and spirituality.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

RFH: After about ten years working in editorial at three of the big publishers, I was recruited by a high-volume, fast-paced agency. The initial change was rooted in the fact that my wife was pregnant and we had a big mortgage and I needed to increase my income. It didn’t take long for me to realize that agenting and editing rely on the same skill set but that agenting is more exciting—it can be a little more entrepreneurial, involve more time with the authors and is much less corporate. After my son was born, I’d been at the other agency for about nine months and realized that I wanted to do things differently, so I started my own firm. That was in February 2007 and we’re now a staff of four plus co-agents abroad and out West.

GLA: What’s something coming out that you’re excited about?

RFH: One of the best novels I’ve read in my adult life is The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor. It’s a sweeping novel that tells the story of America’s growing pains as it went from an agricultural to industrial dominated economy, in a wise and artful story. It is about one woman’s life, and told through her point of view, growing up around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the first half of the 20th Century. She goes from being a dirt poor, first generation Irish-American who was told she had to work—not go to school—so that her brother could afford to get an education and start a family. She teaches herself to read, becomes a nurse and ends up working for an African-American doctor who performs abortions for the well-to-do. When he stops delivering the African-American vote to the local Republican political machine, the powers that be have the doctor and the nurse arrested for “performing illegal surgeries.” The book was released in January 2010 and has already gone back to press numerous times and begun collecting honors and accolades.  I’m very lucky to represent Jackson.

GLA: You have a rich history on the editing side of things and have worked with some impressive names. How does all that background play into your skills and style as an agent?

RFH: Of course I’m biased, but I think the best agents are former editors. Having apprenticed with two of the best editors in the business, Bill Phillips and Michael Pietsch, I learned how to be an effective developmental editor. It’s not easy to help someone make their good work even better. A lot of editors bring too much of their own voice to an edit, and I am proud that I do not. As a believer in the editorial process, I am able to offer suggestions and questions to my clients before their work goes to a publisher. I’m confident that my work has helped both the authors and the publishers, both of whom increasingly rely on agents to do this work. In a more quantitative sense, I know exactly what editors go through to acquire a book—what they want to see, who they need support from, how the determine what to bid on a project. I reviewed 600-1,000 submissions a year when I worked as an editor from most every agent I the business. That experience greatly informs how I bring my clients’ work to publishers. Surely there are great agents who have never been editors, they came up entirely on that side of the business. And they do great work.  I just feel lucky to have seen exactly how things go inside the publishers’ offices.

GLA: You and your agency rep a fair share of novels – but what in fiction do you seek and not seek? Romance? Fantasy?

Monday, May 31, 2010 11:45:14 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

"Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock,
perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack
showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will
split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it,
but all that had gone before." ~Jacob A. Riis

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. Every writer at some point in their career must face rejection. Today I’m serving up 4 articles to help soften the blow.

1. You are not alone. 30 famous authors who faced rejection. 

2. Words to write by. 5 reasons your manuscript gets rejected, as told by Victoria Mixon.

3. Three levels of rejection. Austrailian writer Damien Kane shows you how you handle each one may make the difference in whether or not that manuscript gets published.

4. It happens to everyone. Agent Nathan Bransford explains why every writer will face rejection.

Want more on this topic?

• Footnotes: 5 Articles on Creating Characters. 
• Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Description. 
• 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! 
  

Sunday, May 30, 2010 11:54:48 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

Caroline Starr Rose's first book, May B., a
middle-grade historical novel-in-verse, will
be released Fall 2011 (Tricycle Press). Caroline
blogs about writing, reading, and the
publication process online. 

• 11 years of writing (10 years of subbing)
• 11 manuscripts
• 211 rejections from editors (2 fulls and 1 partial requested over the years)
• 12 contests/grants entered (1 win)
• 75 rejections from agents (12 fulls and 2 partials requested, mainly last year)
• 1 yes! (Thank you, Michelle)
  
  

Writing books for kids or teens? One resource
you need is The Everything Guide to Writing
Children's Books.

• Agent Elaine Spencer talks queries.
• What should you write in the bio paragraph of a query letter?
• How to write a query letter - the three parts.
• 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!
  

Friday, May 28, 2010 2:39:32 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [21]

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 Caleb: Immediately prior to joining WordServe Literary in May of 2009, Caleb was an acquisitions and developmental editor for NavPress. He also writes for the online arts magazine The Curator and is a regular columnist for Examiner.com as Denver's Faith and Family Examiner. He also runs a blog.

He is seeking: Caleb is "a generalist," but he will be looking for authors who speak to the 18-35 year crowd, as well as general market properties, both fiction and nonfiction.
 
How to contact: E-query admin(at)wordserveliterary(dot)com and put "Query for Caleb" in the subject line. "If your project is something we’d like to see more of, we will be in contact within 60 days. No attachments. Please paste query and first 5 pages into the e-mail.

Want more on this subject?

• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: George Bick of Doug Grad Literary.
• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: Myrsini Stephanides of Carol Mann Agency.
• 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!
  

Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:45:13 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

Guest column by Livia Blackburne, an MIT
neuroscientist by day and a YA writer by night. 
In her blog, A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing,
she studies writing from a neuroscientist's
analytical perspective.

If you need some book
marketing tips, check out
Author 101: Bestselling Book Publicity

Want more on this subject?

• How to publicize your book with courage.
• The Knight Agency talks book marketing. 
• Children's agent Sarah Davies talks book marketing.
• 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 most recent edition of Guide to Literary Agents today!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 11:00:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [3]

GLA: How did you become an agent?

RR: I’d been an editor (at Knopf) and editor-in-chief (at Macmillan) and when I went on my own, I wanted to continue working with authors and ideas. I wore two hats: agent and book packager, but I focused on packaging. After about 15 years, I decided to only be an agent for two reasons: 1) book packaging was very high risk—it required a tremendous investment of time and energy before you knew whether you had a viable project—and 2) I had been mainly creating my own book ideas and I missed the excitement that I’d known as an editor—of being bombarded with new ideas by a variety of interesting, often quirky authors. Now, as an agent, I have all of that, in spades! It’s great.

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

RR: When Johnny Comes Marching Home: What Vets Need, What They Don’t Need, and What All of Us Can Do to Help by Paula Caplan, Ph.D., MIT Press. The author, a psychologist, argues that we have not learned the lessons of the Vietnam War—that simply labeling vets as having PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] and sending them for treatment with drugs and/or therapy is not going to help solve their problems and, in fact, may be harmful because they are thus labeled as mentally ill. We, as individuals, have to get involved and help them back into society.

GLA: Are there any books coming out now that have you excited?

RR: Yes. Just out is Angel of Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer by Andrea Lyon (Kaplan Publishing). It is the inspiring story of a woman dedicated to helping everyone get justice from our system. She writes movingly about her clients, all convicted of murder, but all special human beings in her eyes and all with stories to tell. She has never had a client executed, and she explains her approach, which is a radical departure from previous practice.
     What’s Wrong with My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?) by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth is a splendid book, just out from Timber Press. It’s a gorgeous visual guide to diagnosing and curing plant problems organically by a plant pathologist and a horticulturalist. The authors (who happen to be married) are on an old-fashioned cross-country book tour, speaking to master gardener classes and at flower shows and selling hundreds of books as they go.
      Another wonderful book coming out this May is called The Thinker’s Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words by Peter Meltzer. The author is a lawyer who loves words, especially unusual words (what I think of as “50-cent” words) and spent over 10 years compiling this work. It’s a delight to read and a very useful reference.

GLA: What are you looking for right now when tackling the slush pile?

RR: I always hope for projects that will contribute to making the world a better place. At the same time, I pray for something that will astonish and enlighten me—something that hasn’t been done before, or that is done in such a clever and smart way that one feels one has to read it.

GLA: Among other areas, you have a strong interest in projects involving natural history—especially with regard to birds. What is it that draws you to our feathered friends, and what are you looking for here?

RR: Birds are so beautiful to watch, and their life histories and abilities are so amazingly interesting and surprising that I find them fascinating. I would like especially to represent books by scientists and naturalists that are serious science but that still speak to the general reader. Or, on the other hand, something by an amateur like myself that is beautifully written.

GLA: You also seek projects in the travel category. How healthy is this area at the moment, and why do you think this is so?

RR: Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s terribly healthy. But if the right project came along, I’d be delighted. Armchair travelers are always interested in something fascinating and new.

GLA: Because you only deal with nonfiction, platform must factor into the equation when you consider a project. In your opinion, what’s the best way a writer can build his platform? What impresses you?

RR: The ideal is to appear on the "Today" show as a regular, but since this is not an option for most, there are many things an author can do.
     An author should have a website up and running even before approaching me. Plus, he or she should be already using social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, to accumulate followers. He or she should also be capturing e-mail addresses too. The important thing is to be able to show a publisher (and agent) that the author can reach people—lots of them—that are interested in what he or she is writing about.
     I’m impressed when I see that an author grasps all this and is doing what it takes to build a platform. For instance, I took on an author whose work was good but not an easy sell. However, she had so many web hits and Twitter followers (she’s up to 50,000!) that I knew she would be a great promoter and could deliver an audience to the publisher. We are now negotiating with a publisher who absolutely loves her Twitter following.

GLA: Name three things that make you stop reading every time they crop up in a book proposal.

RR: 1) Clichés. 2) Bad writing that is poor in grammar or boring. 3) Memoirs written as revenge—showing how rotten someone has been to the author (what I think of as the “poor me” memoir).

GLA: What should writers to know about Regina Ryan Publishing Enterprises, Inc., that they can’t find in your online profiles or Publishers Marketplace?

RR: I’m listed on many sites such as WritersMarket.com, AAR and many others. And I’m in the process of setting up a Facebook page.

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

RR: I think we’re in a time of real flux, so it’s hard to say, except that electronic publishing—e-books and “enriched” books particularly—are going to be more important than ever before.

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

RR: Yes, I will be at the International Women’s Writing Guild’s Big Apple Conference in New York on April 18 and the American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference on the morning of April 23. As well, I will be at the American Independent Writers’ Conference in Washington DC on June 12 and at the Tappan Library in Tappan New York on Sept. 21.

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

RR: For pleasure, I only read fiction.

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

RR: 1) Say what your book project is right away on one or two sentences, without a big preamble; after that, you can explain it more fully. 2) Do a careful, thoughtful, sharp analysis of the competition. It would be good to include Amazon sales figures with your analysis. Figure out why your book is different and better than each, and articulate that fully. It’s a key to selling your proposal and book.

Want more on this subject?

• 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!
  

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 12:26:55 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

       

• How to draw an agent into your story in just a few words—whether it's your query, verbal pitch or the first page of your manuscript.
• What goes into a killer query—from making a connection to an agent, to drafting an exciting pitch that will leave agents wanting more.
• The importance of a one-sentence tagline that gets a reader excited about your book.
• What agents look for on that all-important Page 1.
• How to plan and prepare a verbal pitch of your book so you can meet with agents at writers conferences.
• What goes into a complete proposal for fiction—and how to know all the tools at your disposal.
• 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!
  

Monday, May 24, 2010 9:55:27 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

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 36th installment in this series is with agent Stephen Fraser (Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency) and his author, Bev Katz Rosenbaum, for the YA novel, I Was a Teenage Popsicle.

Dear Mr. Fraser:

Floe Ryan is a cryogenically preserved Venice Beach teen who is thawed ten years from now, and suddenly has to adjust to being the ward of her younger (now older) sister, while crushing on the boy from the vat next door, and, oh, adjusting to a whole new world. (Ashton Kutcher as vice president, anyone?)

I Was a Teenage Popsicle is a 60,000-word young adult novel. I am a former romance editor and a twice-published romance author. My latest romantic comedy, Wanted: An Interesting Life (Harlequin Flipside, 2004), was cited by Romantic Times Magazine as one of the five best Flipsides of 2004.

Aside from I Was a Teenage Popsicle and its potential sequel, I am also working on a young adult novel called Retest, about a teen who finds herself reliving a test day over and over again.

You can contact me at any time. I do hope my book premises intrigue you! I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Bev Kate Rosenbaum

Commentary from Stephen

Bev's letter jumps right in and she starts with the pitch. It’s a short, enticing summary of the book that gives us an idea of what the whole story will be about.

Mentioning the word count shows she knows appropriate length for YA books. I also liked how the book works as a standalone or in a series.

She's been published before and has impressive credentials. She has other projects in the works and is interested in working on her craft.

This query excerpted from Children's Writer's
& Illustrator's Market, an annual resource for
writers of kids books. Buy the latest edition here.

Want more on this subject?

• Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "Tagged"  
• Successful Queries: (Kids/MG) "Sway"
• Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters" 
• 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!

Sunday, May 23, 2010 8:26:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

This is a 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 writer Jane Makuch. 

Jane Makuch writes young adult, middle
grade and women's fiction. She blogs about
all of it, and is also active on Twitter.

Years ago when I decided to make a true effort as a full-time writer I felt very alone.  It took courage to stand up and say: “My name is Jane and I am an out of the closet writer.” I instantly felt overwhelmed by my complete lack of “top-secret-insider-stuff” and incredibly brash for thinking I deserved to know. Now, after years of researching, I’m happy to say, I’ve found out the really important things aren’t actually “top-secret-insider-stuff.”

1. Believe in yourself. If you don’t think you can be a success, how will you convince respected agents and editors?

2. Pros in the industry are here to help. Successful writers, editors, and agents like to help new writers who work hard, listen, and use their valuable advice. 

3. Never give up. The top writers are passionate and never stop working hard. 

4. Research what clients say about their agents. A lot of hindsight is out there on twitter, blogs, and author websites. You will find certain agents may be a better “fit” for you then others.

5. Knowing your market requires reading as well as writing. Read books in your genre. You need to know what the buyers are currently reading. 

6. Understand the business side. If you write for the sake of writing, that’s one thing. If you write with the idea of selling books, you need to be ready to talk about:
     a. Your pitch
     b. Your manuscript
     c. Your author platform

7. Make sure your work is polished before submitting. It’s been said a million times before and once again here: You only get one shot at making a first impression.

With that said, it’s important to realize there aren’t many industries where you can jump in headfirst and find dozens of powerful people willing to help. But I found that’s exactly what happened when I threw my insecurities aside and signed up for an Editor’s Intensive with Writer’s Digest. I didn’t have anyone to go with so I put my big-girl pants on and went all by myself. Afterward, I took every bit of advice handed to me, used it and am still amazed at how valuable the weekend was. 

Also, since I write young adult and middle grade books, I attended an SCBWI conference. On my own I may have thought about going, or dreamed about going, but it would have probably ended there. Yet with a prominent editor looking me in the eye at the editor’s intensive saying, “You have to go,” I knew I couldn’t just think about it, I had to actually go. The SCBWI conference made it clear there was nothing to fear, but much to celebrate. I walked away reminding myself to spend lots of time writing (you have to start with lots of writing), and later lots of rewriting. Then, good stuff will follow.

The Writer's Digest Editors Intensives Jane
speaks of happen twice a year at the WD
headquarters in Cincinnati. Everyone who attends
gets their work critiqued by an editor. The next
intensive is Sept. 11-12, 2010, so learn more and sign up here!

Want more on this subject?

Saturday, May 22, 2010 8:11:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [3]

   

Tom McAllister is the author of Bury Me in My Jersey:
A Memoir of My Father, Football, and Philly,
which was released by Villard in May 2010.
A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he
is currently a lecturer in the English Department
at Temple University. See his website here. 

• Agent Elaine Spencer talks queries.
• What should you write in the bio paragraph of a query letter?
• How to write a query letter - the three parts.
• 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!

Friday, May 21, 2010 10:31:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

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 Sarah: She began at Curtis Brown in 2008, working with Dave Barbor and Peter Ginsberg. Sarah graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Writing and English, and went on to receive her MFA in Creative Writing from The New School.

She is seeking: literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, science fiction, literary horror, and young adult fiction. She loves complex characters, coming-of-age stories, and strong narrators. 
 
How to contact: E-query: sl(at)cbltd(dot)com. Query; also, include a synopsis (for fiction), a sample chapter and brief writing history. Responds within 8 weeks.

Want more on this subject?

• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: George Bick of Doug Grad Literary.
• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: Myrsini Stephanides of Carol Mann Agency.
• 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!

Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:26:31 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

• 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? tparisi@martingunn.com
  

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 10:42:41 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [4]

• Learn the craft
• Understand your specialization
• Know your market
• Find a partner (agent) for this process
• Understand the publishing process
• Develop a head for business
• Realize your role in marketing
• Prepare for some missteps
• Be able to adapt to change
• Learn how to handle success
  

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 11:16:54 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

"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.

Janet Fox's debut YA novel, Faithful
(May 2010), is set in Yellowstone
National Park in 1904. See Janet's
website here and her kids writing blog here.

EARLY COLD DAYS

Back in the dark, cold days of 2003, I was a writer-in-waiting with lots of ideas but little to show for my dreams. I’d sold a story to Spider Magazine, but it hadn’t appeared. I’d met a few agents, but none were interested in what I had to show them. And my novel then in progress—my first novel, born out of my love for a place (Yellowstone National Park) and empathy with a tragic event (a girl who has lost her mother)—was not hitting the marks.

Then the clouds parted, briefly. I sold a nonfiction piece to Highlights Magazine. I received a contract for a short nonfiction book I then wrote for Free Spirit Publishing. And I met an agent at an SCBWI conference, and she wanted to see my novel. Oh, I sat on pins and needles, waiting for her response. I liked her (which I think is a crucial part of the author/agent relationship) and I respected her (ditto) and several of her clients were good friends of mine. Alas, she was gracious, but she said no. My novel “was missing something,” she said, in a short but detailed letter. She suggested several novels I should read to see what works, and she thought mine needed depth, a twist, a subplot—just something. Her letter was enough to make me think: I have a foundation, and I’ll rewrite with her comments in mind.

MEETING WITH AN EDITOR

I set to work, reading what she suggested, studying, critiquing, revising (over and over), attending conferences. And here comes the plot twist in my story. For it was at an SCBWI conference about six months after this agent’s rejection that my stars aligned. At the time (Fall 2006) I was the Regional Advisor (RA) for the Brazos Valley region of SCBWI in Texas. The San Antonio region had a scheduled conference in which they were offering one-on-one critiques with a number of editors, and about three weeks before the conference, as a courtesy, the RA there let me know there was room for me to attend. It was spur-of-the-moment, and I said yes—but, sadly, there were no critiques left. Ah, well.

A week before the conference, she e-mailed again. There’d been a cancellation; would I like a critique? If so, I had to e-mail her 10 pages by 6 p.m. Since it was already noon, I returned with 10 pages of my novel, not even proofread—just the pages I had ready on the spot.
At the conference, I discovered that I was to be critiqued by Alyssa Eisner Henkin, senior editor at Simon and Schuster. Just before my critique and during her presentation, she announced that she was leaving S&S before the end of 2006 to become an agent with Trident Media Group.

I was so nervous before our interview that I don’t remember much about the conference. But I do remember what happened when I walked into the room, where Alyssa was waiting for me: She was all smiles, terribly enthusiastic, truly excited about my novel. She wanted to know everything about it: what inspired the idea; whether the novel was ready; where I was in my career. She wanted to see the entire manuscript after she joined Trident in early December. I liked her at once. She was smart and upbeat, she would be hands-on with my work. She was my dream agent.

IF THE SECOND HALF IS AS GOOD AS THE FIRST, WE HAVE A DEAL

I went home from the conference both elated and in despair. I’d begun my deep revision, but was only a third of the way through. I had only a month in which to complete the novel if I were to submit it shortly after Alyssa arrived in her new office. I queried my published friends, and the consensus was clear: Submit what you have. Don’t delay; she’ll fill her roster. Seize the moment—and I did. Four days after Alyssa settled into her new job, I sent her half the novel and told her I would have the second half completed by mid-January.

Alyssa called me three days before Christmas to ask if she could represent me, based on what she’d read and the expectation that I could deliver the rest of the manuscript in January. I said yes, I delivered the novel, and I signed with her in January, 2007. It was a match made in heaven, and it grew from persistence, hard work, and a lot of lucky breaks. Dreams do come true.

Writing books for kids or teens? One resource
you need is The Everything Guide to Writing
Children's Books.

Want more on this topic?

• Agent Elaine Spencer talks queries.
• What should you write in the bio paragraph of a query letter?
• How to write a query letter - the three parts.
• 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? tparisi@martingunn.com
  

Monday, May 17, 2010 11:35:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [5]

Times are tough. Publishers are cutting back on just about everything: coop, author tours, marketing dollars—heck, their staffs. Newspapers are jettisoning their book sections. Magazines are going bankrupt, writing programs are being restructured, conferences are being cancelled. It is undeniably rough out there. So what’s an author to do in the face of all this adversity? Take advantage of the situation at hand, of course. There’s never been a better time to create your niche. The Internet is an overwhelmingly underused resource for authors who want to market themselves. And the best part? It’s free.

   
 
JT Ellison is the bestselling author of
the Taylor Jackson series, including
All The Pretty Girls, 14, Judas Kiss and
The Cold Room. Her novels have been
published in 14 countries, and she was
named "Best Mystery/Thriller Writer of
2008" by the Nashville Scene.

We’ve all seen the authors who are simply out there screaming "Me, me me!!!" They’re a big turnoff, right? So how do you go about getting your message out there, getting your book into the hands of loyal readers, without alienating possible friends and readers? Very carefully. Don't just push yourself on people; be a value-add author. Give them something back. Give them something they didn’t know they needed in the first place, and you’ve conquered what marketing is all about. Things to remember about marketing online include:

1. Respect your lists. If you send out too many notifications, people simply tune you out. My newsletter goes out quarterly. Publishing works slowly enough that you don’t need much more than that to get your news out. Everyone’s time is precious: If you treat them with respect, you’ll get respect.

2. What works for one won’t always work for others. As frustrating as this may be, it’s the truth. You can follow in every single step I took online and still not see the benefits. The trick is to be original, be open and willing, and be flexible. You never know where that next opportunity may come from.

3. Don’t compare or compete. Professional jealousy is an occupational hazard. Don’t fall into that trap. Each book, each author, is wildly different. Jealousy causes negative energy, which will trickle out in your attitude. Remember that comparing yourself to another author is like comparing apples and oranges—they don’t measure up properly.

4. Be polite. Always. Don’t engage, don’t be mean and spiteful, don’t gang up on people. Cyber-bullying isn’t just a problem in our schools. And especially don’t put your woes and frustrations online. Limit those conversations to your trusted friends. The Internet is not a giant group psychotherapy session, nor a group hug.

5. Don’t give up. When one door closes, a window opens. Things fall through. Media doesn’t get played, articles don’t get placed, short stories get bumped. Promises, sadly, do sometimes get broken, but if you can keep a healthy perspective on the industry, you’ll do fine.

6. Be open to new experiences. This is a foreign landscape for many people. If you limit yourself from the beginning, you may miss out on things. Read the writing magazines. Pay special attention to the Writer’s Digest segment on debut authors [called "Breaking In"]. Remember that this is your job, maybe even your second, or third. Things that are hard are usually worth it, you know? Very few authors can honestly say that their road to publication is easy, but there is a universal among them—they studied the market before submitting.

7. Be careful what you say online. Everything you say, everything, is recorded in perpetuity. Websites cache their material, which means even if you’ve gone back and deleted something, a version continues to live on. So be careful what you say. Think before you comment. Follow the adage your mom always taught: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. You never know what sort of impact even the most casual negative comment can have.

8. Don’t ever, ever engage a reviewer over a negative review. Yes, it sucks that you got a one-star on Amazon. That’s one person’s very subjective opinion. Unless the comments are slanderous or libelous (which is rarely the case) you need to let them go.

9. I know some authors feel that being a lightning rod gains them readers. I don’t agree. I think the way you gain a readership is by doing two things: one, writing the absolute best book you can possibly write, and two, being a value-add author.

10. Build momentum (and your platform) by joining organizations. My first manuscript didn’t sell, and my agent suggested I try writing a new book, which I did. During that time, though, I didn’t abandon my online efforts. I kept up with my group crime blog (Murderati), as well as DorothyL, and several other listserves. I continued my weekly book picks on Publishers Marketplace. I started writing short stories and placing them in e-zines, raising my profile even more. And I volunteered to be a book reviewer for an online site, which enabled me to read everything I could get my hands on, knowing that reading is the key to better writing. All of that paid off. When my agent took the second book out onto submission, I now had a solid online platform. I was a crime blogger, a reviewer, a participant. The editors at the houses knew I was plugged in to the crime fiction network, that I had built myself a base of followers even before I sold my first book. And it worked. My first deal was for three books. So was my second. And my third.
Momentum. In this industry, it means a lot.

Now go forth, and conquer!

If you need some book
marketing tips, check out
Author 101: Bestselling Book Publicity

Want more on this subject?

• How to publicize your book with courage.
• The Knight Agency talks book marketing. 
• Children's agent Sarah Davies talks book marketing.
• 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? 

Sunday, May 16, 2010 11:18:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

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 35th installment in this series is with agent Kristin Nelson (Nelson Literary) and her author, Megan Crewe, for the YA novel, Give Up the Ghost (year).

Dear Ms. Nelson:

I am seeking representation for my completed 62,000-word young adult novel, Give Up the Ghost.

Sixteen-year-old Cass McKenna would take the company of the dead over the living any day. Unlike her high school classmates, the dead don't lie or judge, and they're way less scary than Danielle, the best-bud-turned-backstabber who kicked Cass to the bottom of the social ladder in seventh grade. Since then, Cass has styled herself as an avenger. Using the secrets her ghostly friends stumble across, she exposes her fellow students' deceits and knocks the poseurs down a peg.

When Tim Reed, the student council V.P., asks Cass to chat with his recently-deceased mom, her instinct is to laugh in his face. But Tim's part of Danielle's crowd. He can give Cass dirt the dead don't know. Intent on revenge, Cass offers to trade her spirit-detecting skills for his information. She isn't counting on chasing a ghost who would rather hide than speak to her, facing the explosive intervention of an angry student, or discovering that Tim's actually an okay guy. Then Tim sinks into a suicidal depression, and Cass has to choose: run back to the safety of the dead, or risk everything to stop Tim from becoming a ghost himself.

Told in Cass' distinctive voice, at turns sarcastic and sensitive, Give Up the Ghost will appeal to fans of Scott Westerfeld and Annette Curtis Klause. My short fiction has appeared in Brutarian Quarterly and On Spec. I maintain the Toronto Speculative Fiction Writers Group, and I've worked with children and teens as a recreational programmer and behavioral therapist for several years. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Megan Crewe

Commentary from Kristin

Call me a rebel, but I love the idea of knocking down the poseurs a peg or two. Wasn’t that always the secret fantasy of any teen who was an outsider to the status quo? But the main thing that caught my attention quickly in the first pitch paragraph is the idea of using ghosts as a secret army of spies. If ghosts can be anywhere, of course they would see/hear all the dirt and be able to report it. That’s brilliant. Of course that’s how a person who can see ghosts would actually use them. Such a twist on the whole ghost story idea. This had my attention immediately. And Megan didn’t suger-coat Cass’s initial motivation. I like novels that are honest.

When she mentions other authors, it's an excellent comparison. It shows that Megan understands her novel’s place in the market. Notice she doesn’t say her novel is as good as these huge successes—just that the voice will appeal to the fans who enjoy these two other authors.

For the bio, she didn't have too much background in writing, so she keeps it short and sweet. Fiction can stand on its own; a bio is helpful, but a lack of background is not a deal breaker. However, Megan does have experience with teens and makes sure to include that. That never hurts. All in all, this is a really strong query. She uses backstory and character insight to build a great pitch around her hook.

Writing your query? Check out The Writer's
Digest Guide to Query Letters. It's a great,
up-to-date resource for query letter writing.

Want more on this subject?

• Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "Tagged"  
• Successful Queries: (Kids/MG) "Sway"
• Successful Queries: (Kids/YA) "My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters" 
• 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!
  

Friday, May 14, 2010 12:34:25 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [4]

This is a 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 UK novelist Tim Stretton. 

Tim Stretton's fantasy, The Dog of
the North, was published by TOR, prior
to which he self-published two novels. 
You can learn more about his projects
and the craft of writing on his blog.

1. Be omnivorous. This is a metaphorical omnivorousness: I'm not suggesting vegetarians will never make it into print (who better to write A Universal History of Tofu?). Regardless of what you want to write, omnivorous reading is the place to start. If you are a genre writer, read outside your field. So you want to write horror? Read crime novels—if nothing else, they'll teach you the importance of rigorous plotting. Read romances—you'll learn about character dynamics. I've argued that writers are born and not made, but the kind of writer you are depends on what you read. Why not read a bit of everything?

2. Write. There’s no getting away from this one: If you want to be a writer, you have to write. No excuses. Just keep plugging away. In my experience, persistence is a more accurate predictor than talent of whether a writer will ever be published. The only way to improve any craft is to practice.

3. There’s no “one right way.” If you’ve taken creative writing classes, or searched around the Internet, you’ll have found all kinds of advice on how to succeed in writing a novel. So far, so good. Much of that advice will be contradictory—somewhat less good. In the end, what works for you depends on the kind of writer and the kind of personality you are. I don’t like to outline in too much detail: I need to know the beginning, the end and two or three intermediate stages; I need a sense of three or four main characters. And I need to take a lot of walks. I know that approach works for me; sadly I can’t guarantee that it will do the same for you. But somewhere there is a method that fits the way your creativity works. Experiment until you find it. 

4. Don’t personalise rejection. There are a lot of writers out there in today’s marketplace, and sooner rather than later, your submission is going to be rejected. Fact. It’s important to understand what rejection means. It’s not saying you’re unworthy as a person; it’s not even saying you’re unworthy as a writer, or that your book is valueless. Rejection means that a particular publisher or agent, at a particular time, doesn’t feel that your book will make them money. It really is that simple. Take it on the chin, submit your work somewhere else, and carry on with whatever you’re writing now.

5. Don’t chase the market. Vampires are big at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you should be writing vampire stories (unless that’s what you wanted to do anyway). If you decide to start writing the Great Vampire Novel today, you’re looking at two years before you see it on the shelves—and by then the moment will have passed. In two years, everyone will be wanting to read about midget trolls, or pink dinosaurs (you heard it here first). Write what fires your imagination, not what you think will sell: If it’s good enough, the market will come to you.

6. Decide what success looks like. How will you know whether you’ve done a good job on your novel? Are you looking for sales volumes and monetary reward? To find a commercial publisher? Just to finish the damn thing? Again, there’s no right answer—it depends on your values, and what you expect to gain from writing a novel. It’s worth taking a while before you start to address the question, though.
     My advice, for what it’s worth, is not to make your idea of success dependent on anything you can’t control: whether you land an agent, or a publishing deal, for instance. I set out to write the best novel I can. I know it will never be perfect, and it’s not down to me if it gets published. But if I’ve had the best crack at the idea I can, then regardless of what happens afterwards, then I feel entitled to a bit of satisfaction.

7. Get a good accountant. As a beginning novelist, you probably won’t earn a whole lot of royalties; but what an accountant will save you in tax allowances will pay for his fees several times over. Unless you’re a person who finds tax really exciting, you’re better off paying for expert advice.

Want more on this subject?

Friday, May 14, 2010 12:12:25 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [2]

It's true. When I give my pooch, Graham, a hard time for his extreme laziness and Jell-O Jiggler body composition, I'm actually yelling at myself. I discovered it the other month. Don't believe me? Well, let's look at some things I've said to Graham.

1. "Graham, you're the flabbiest."
2. "Do something with your life, Graham."
3. "STOP EATING SO MUCH, GRAHAM!"
4. "Did you make any money today, Graham?"
5. (very sarcastic) "Looks like someone had another very big day!"
6. "Graham, you're so flabby that you jiggle."

I'm projecting my own insecurities on to the dog! It's true!! Granted, he is very flabby and lazy, but I had no idea a few months ago of this projection. Poor Graham-bo. So maybe that's why he got two chewies tonight instead of one. "That's right, Graham ... I'm sorry. Here, eat something for a change." 

Thursday, May 13, 2010 11:55:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [6]

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to fifthagentcontest@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments. 

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of fantasy or science fiction (adult fiction and/or YA fiction; no MG please). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, 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 your social media—blogs, Twitter, Facebook; 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 the judge and I can verify eligibility!

CONTEST DETAILS

      1. This contest will be live for approximately fourteen days—from May 12 through the end of Wednesday, May 26, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within 7 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 fantasy and science fiction (both YA and adult novels are accepted; no MG).
      4. You can submit as many times as you wish. You can submit even if you submitted to other contests in the past, but please note that past winners cannot win again.
      5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
      6. By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as any terms possibly added by me in the "Comments" section of this blog post. (If you have questions or concerns, write me personally at literaryagent@fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)

PRIZES!!!

Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com.

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) JUDGE!

  

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:13:31 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [15]

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.

She is seeking: compelling fiction and nonfiction, specifically books with an international focus. In nonfiction, she loves narrative nonfiction and history.
 
How to contact: E-query: submissions(at)fischerharbage(dot)com. (Editor's note: Three writers have now told me that this submissions email that I took from the website doesn't seem to work. If I find out more, I will let you know.) Paste your query and the first chapter of your book in the body of the e-mail. No attachments.

Recent sales: Among others, Shortcut Man and The Case of Pussy Grace, by p.g. sturges (Scribner); and She's Got Game: The Woman's Guide to Loving Sports (or Just How to Fake It!), by Melissa Malamut (St. Martins).

Want more on this subject?

• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: George Bick of Doug Grad Literary.
• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: Myrsini Stephanides of Carol Mann Agency.
• 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!
  

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:59:23 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

• How to find article ideas and analyze the topics of expertise you already possess
• How to identify appropriate markets for your ideas
• How to compose a query that hooks editors
• How to repackage and resell articles
• How payment works, what warning signs to watch out for, and how to get assignments coming your way from editors.
  

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:30:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [3]

WINNERS (IN NO ORDER)

Katherine Higgs-Coulthard: "Chicken Soup for the Social Outcast"

Katharina Gerlach: "Thicker Than Water"

Buffy Andrews: "Dance"

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) JUDGE!

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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!
  

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:04:42 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [3]

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

This installment features Jennifer Mattson of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Jennifer came to the agency after nearly five years of reviewing children's literature as part of the Books for Youth staff of Booklist magazine. A native of California now based in Chicago, Jennifer has a degree in English from Amherst College.

She is seeking: picture books, middle grade and young adult. For the older set, she is drawn to richly imagined fantasies that depart from old-hat heroic quests (alternate realities, magical realism, and steampunk are all styles/premises to have recently caught her notice). She has a special interest in dystopian fiction for middle graders and in sprawling, atmospheric tales with Dickensian twists and satisfying puzzles.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

JM: After working as a children’s bookseller in New York, and then as an editor at Dutton Children’s Books, I moved to Chicago. Chicago’s not known as a big center for children’s-book publishing, but lucky for me, it is the home base of the American Library Association. I joined the staff of the ALA’s Booklist magazine and reviewed children’s books for nearly five years, but I missed working with authors and participating in the bookmaking process. I knew that agenting could be done from home bases other than New York, and was very fortunate that Andrea Brown Literary was open to expansion at that time. I’ve been agenting with ABLA for nearly two years now.  

GLA: What’s something coming out, or recently came out, that you’re excited about?

JM: Kimberly Norman’s picture book, Ten on the Sled, illustrated by Liza Woodruff, will be coming out from Sterling this Fall—it’s a rollicking winter celebration set in the Arctic. On the YA side this summer, watch for Emily Horner’s debut, A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend, about a group of friends who band together to stage a crazy ninja musical after the show’s author dies in a car accident; and Jenny Meyerhoff’s Queen of Secrets, about a contemporary conflict between peer and family loyalty that was subtly inspired by the Old Testament story of Queen Esther. I should note that the two previous books were sold by my predecessor Michelle Andelman, but they’re both novels that I’m thrilled to be associated with as the authors’ new agent. 

GLA: Let’s talk picture books. Besides rhyming, where are writers going wrong with these submissions?

JM: I wish I could see more picture book authors showing an awareness of that all-important “turn”—the picture-book raison d’etre that leaves readers feeling surprised and satisfied. So many picture books have a nice premise, concept, or tone, but seem to lack critical mass when it comes to the story’s end. Also, voice. Talk about voice is huge among writers of fiction, but less so when it comes to picture books. I really sit up and take notice when a picture book author seems to have a considered, well-developed voice. For instance, I love Kate McMullen’s I Stink, and others in that series, for their great, in-your-face approach.

GLA: Is it true that so many picture book submissions focus on tired subjects, such as going to bed or monsters in the closet? If so, does the foundation of a good picture book come with a unique idea as a foundation?

JM: I’ve heard a lot of editors say they’re looking for “high-concept” picture books, which I take to mean a picture book with some sort of succinctly stated, unusual premise. A vegetarian vampire, or something like that. So, certainly a fresh idea is a big part of what would excite an agent’s interest, but for me it’s also sensibility—a sense of the kind of varied language and sentence structure that works for young children, a keen awareness of the powers of the pageturn, and a respect for the future illustrator’s contribution.

GLA: If the normal length of a picture book is 32 pages, should submissions not actually be that long to leave room for covers and title pages?

JM: Word counts are more important than page counts at the manuscript stage. Most editors will want to figure out how and where the text will break from page to page themselves, so it’s useful for authors to paginate their manuscripts, but not necessary (and in some cases, not advisable) to submit them that way. By knowing the range of word counts that can work for the picture book audience, you’ll be taking covers, title pages, and other frontmatter into account by default. A lot of writers I know use what’s called “mentor texts” to get a sense for appropriate word counts; these are the texts of published picture books typed out into a Word document, allowing you to really get a sense for what a functional picture book manuscript looks like on the computer screen.

GLA: Concerning MG and YA, it seems like so many agents these days are searching for the next dystopian hit, after the success of Hunger Games. Are you seeing a lot of dystopian come in through the slush?

JM: Yep.

GLA: In your bio, you talk a little bit about what kinds of fantasy you want to see vs. those you don’t. Can you delve into this a little more, in terms of what catches your eye and what doesn’t work for you?

JM: I’m not a big fan of sword-and-sorcery, witch-and-wizardry fantasies, especially those in which characters from our own world open a portal into another world (and often discover that they’re some kind of descendent of that world, and/or some kind of prophesied savior).  Having said all of that, I do like Suzanne Collins’ pre-Hunger Games hit, the Gregor the Overlander series, which does involve a kind of portal!  (I never promise to be consistent.) Some of my favorite fantasies feature alternate realities that are just slightly tilted from our own:  Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, Elizabeth Knox’s Dreamhunter Duet. I also relish fantasies that explore culture quasi- anthropologically: Ursula K. LeGuin’s Earthsea was a huge touchstone for me growing up, and I love Shannon Hale’s romantic, folksy fantasies, as well as Sharon Shinn’s books.

GLA: You say you will always look for good stories that take great voice over a high–concept hook. Is this what drew you to Tom Leveen’s Party? What did he do right and what can other writers learn from him?

JM: Tom was originally signed to Andrea Brown Literary by our former agent Michelle Andelman. When Michelle left to become a scout, each of the remaining agents were given the opportunity to “adopt” her clients, and I jumped at the chance to work with Tom. As you say, his voice just stood out—his interstitial narrative has a relaxed, authentic feel, and the dialogue between his characters really pops. Tom has a background in theater, and I think his experience reading scripts and performing on stage proved an exceptional training ground for writing dialogue and communicating the volumes spoken through body language.

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

JM: I’m attending Big Sur in the Rockies, a conference run jointly by Andrea Brown, and SCBWI-Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Chapter, May 14-16, 2010, in Boulder, Colo. And I’ll be at the SCBWI-Illinois Prairie Writer’s Day, Nov. 13, 2010. 

GLA: Something about you writers may be surprised to know?

JM: I love to take dance classes, any kind of dance, but lately especially ones choreographed to really corny top-40s music. Right now I’m taking a class with the amusing title “Cardio Strip,” which always makes me laugh. I’m definitely a great prospect for writers whose characters dance. 

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

JM: The best piece of advice I ever received, from Anita Silvey, who met me for an informational interview back when I was trying to break into children’s publishing, was “work in a bookstore.” I was lucky to have an indie children’s store to train at—Books of Wonder in NYC. But I’ve also worked in children’s sections of chain stores. It’s fantastic advice for writers, too. You can’t get more valuable, direct experience of what goes on the bookstore shelves and what leaves them, and the conversations with customers are useful, too. Plus: You can often cadge galleys from the buyers.   

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!
  

Sunday, May 09, 2010 12:59:59 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    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.

      

PUBLISHED AUTHOR SEEKING AGENT

I tend do to things backwards. First I got my book sold, then, I got an agent. I was at this conference and met the president of Cumberland House Publishing, who sent word that they wanted to publish my debut novel. Soon after, I received in the mail a document requesting my notarized signature. Cool! Then I realized I knew nothing about the ins and outs of a publisher’s contract and immediately got out my copy of Guide to Literary Agents.

I stumbled across an agency that listed James Patterson as one of their clients. I was clueless to the fact that they no longer represented him. In truth, it was his earlier books that they’d sold. Even so, had I known I would have been duly impressed. They also listed the words "no solicitation." Now why would they include themselves in Guide to Literary Agents if they didn’t want to have inquiries? My thoughts exactly.

I promptly called them up. A very pleasant voice greeted me on the phone. I explained that I was a newbody-nobody, but had sold my book and needed representation. Did they have an agent there that might be interested in me? She told me to hold on and eventually connected with me one of their agents who said she would not represent me, even though I had sold my novel, unless she truly liked it. That sounded reasonable. I asked her if I could send it to her. I went on to explain that I needed her answer yesterday. She laughed and said to overnight it and she’d take a look. I did. She called me the next evening and told me that it had probably happened to her before, but she couldn’t remember when, that she’d sat down to read a manuscript and didn’t get up until she’d finished it. I said, “Does this mean you’ll represent me?” She laughed again (I liked her immensely already), and assured me she would.

SHORT-LIVED HAPPINESS

Her name was Sarah Piel and she was with Arthur Pine Associates, now known as Inkwell Management. Sarah did a good job for me negotiating my contract and I got busy with my second novel. By the time that I’d finished it, Sarah was no long with Arthur Pine. She’d left the industry to birth children and didn’t bother to tell me. Worse, Arthur Pine no longer existed. By now, they’d merged with the two other agencies to form Inkwell Management and no one at Arthur Pine, not even Sarah, had made mention of me to any of the agents there. I would have to start querying.

I got busy and composed what I felt was a strong query letter and started sending it off. Eventually I sent it to 25 agents in NYC and managed to hear back from 23 of them to either send the first chapters or in many cases the entire manuscript. I was tap-dancing on the clouds. I figured I only had to get an acceptance from one of them and it had to be a numbers game. Surely one of the twenty-three would want me. After all, I was already published and now touring with the Dixie Darlin’s, four nationally published authors with a passion for promotion that had managed to make 100 appearances. Piece of cake!

But I quickly learned: Never slice your cake until someone’s ready to eat it. One by one, all 23 agencies wrote back, with several saying some pretty nice things. Regardless, they also added the word "but" at the end of their last sentence. But it didn’t fit into their list; but they couldn’t determine where to place it; but they had just purchased something similar. You name it - there was a but at the end of each letter. So much for it being a numbers game.

I was too discouraged to send out another host of queries. The first batch had cost me a small fortune, considering they had all asked for hard copies and I’d sent each of them a fresh one. I was more miserable than ever.

THIRD BOOK'S THE CHARM

Soon after, I happened to be in Nashville touring with the Dixie Darlin’s and decided to drop the twenty-three-times-rejected manuscript off for my publisher to read. I hadn’t previously approached him because I was so sure I could secure representation. Huh! Well, he loved it and called me to tell me he was bringing it out in hardcover that September. I was overjoyed and promptly threw out all the letters that had the word but in them. What did they know?

On to my next novel. When I finished, I queried Rachelle Gardner with WordServe Literary. (She has a great blog! Check it out.) She called to tell me she loved the novel and would very much like to represent me, if I was willing to do some work on an edit. Was I? I’d climb Mount Everest to do so if it meant representation with her. We sealed the deal. She would be my agent. And to think I hadn’t even had to send it off to any of those places that sent back letters with the word but in them. Cool!


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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!
  

Sunday, May 09, 2010 12:39:36 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [4]

DETAILS

It's a one-day conference, Saturday, June 12, 2010, at the George Washington University Cafritz Conference Center in Washington, DC. It's sponsored by American Independent Writers (formerly the Washington Independent Writers). This year's theme is "New Realities: The Revolution of Writing and Publishing." See the registration form here. I've been told all names and sessions will be listed online soon, but I've seen the rough draft of speakers and presentations, and it will be an amazing conference.

WHO WILL BE THERE?

The big draw here is the amazing number of literary agents, who attend. Agents attend the breakfast, take pitches from writers, and sit on panels for open Q&As. In attendance will be:

• Linn Prentis (Linn Pretis Literary)
• Regina Ryan (Regina Ryan Publishing Enterprises)
• Hannah Brown Gordon (Foundry Literary + Media)
• Shannon O’Neill (The Sagalyn Agency)
• Suzie Townsend (FinePrint Literary Management)
• Paul S. Levine (Paul S. Levine Literary)
• Gordon Warnock (Andrea Hurst Literary)
• Paige Wheeler (Folio Literary Management)
• Gary Heidt (Signature Literary Agency)
• Kate McKean (Howard Morhaim Literary Agency)
• David Patterson (Foundry Literary + Media)
• Jessica Sinsheimer (Sarah Jane Freyman Literary)

OTHER COOL TIDBITS

I'll be giving the morning plenary speech on "How to Get Published." There's a panel on book promotion and platform. There's a panel on how technology is affecting the publishing industry. There's a panel on getting published in magazines, newspapers and literary journals. There's a session on writing about war. There are other sessions on craft, self-publishing, small presses, self-editing, and more.

The whole day is packed with panels and pros. It attracts a lot of agents because of the quality of the event. I suggest coming if you're anywhere in the DC area.

Want more on this subject?

• 5 articles on making the most of a writers conference.
• How to pitch an agent at a conference.
• The next Writer's Digest Editors Intensive event is Sept. 11-12, 2010. All attendees receive a critique of 50 pages of their 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!
  

Saturday, May 08, 2010 2:52:50 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

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 Wrestler (2008), which would probably be called either literary or mainstream fiction. I had to leave a lot out concerning Pam/Cassidy and Stephanie, because the story really is about Randy and his experiences.

RANDY "THE RAM" ROBINSON is a professional wrestler who gained celebrity in the 1980s. Now twenty years past his prime, he wrestles at various independent matches in the New Jersey area for meager paydays. After a show, a promoter proposes an anniversary rematch of his most notable wrestling match, which sold out Madison Square Garden twenty years ago. Randy agrees.

Randy goes home and is locked out of his trailer for not paying the rent. His daily routine involves steroid usage, bleaching his hair, tanning, and loading boxes at a supermarket for extra cash. He also frequents a strip club, where he has befriended a faded stripper named PAM (stage name Cassidy). Following a wrestling match against a brutal "hardcore" opponent, Randy is backstage when he suffers a heart attack and collapses. He receives a coronary artery bypass and is warned that his weakened heart cannot stand the stresses of steroids or wrestling. Randy cancels his upcoming matches and starts to make changes in his life.

He begins working as a deli counter operator to get more work. He tells Pam about his heart attack and tries to woo her while out for a drink. She declines his advances, but does offer Randy advice on reconnecting with his estranged daughter, STEPHANIE, whom he had left years before. His first visit to Stephanie's house goes poorly, and she curses him out. Randy later returns with a gift and apologizes for being a bad father. The two bond over a visit to an abandoned beachfront boardwalk, and agree to meet for a dinner.

After Pam rejects his advances once more, Randy attends a wrestling match as a spectator and receives attention from his fans and fellow athletes. After the match, Randy gets drunk, snorts cocaine, and has sex with a younger woman—sleeping the entire next day and missing his dinner date with Stephanie. He tries to apologize, but Stephanie instructs him to get out of her sight and never return. At work, after a fan recognizes him and causes a scene, Randy purposefully cuts himself in the deli meat slicer and quits. He reschedules the previously-canceled anniversary match and sets out for the venue, despite his doctor's warnings.

Moments before the match starts, Pam unexpectedly arrives, having quit the strip club to come see him. She apologizes for being cold, and tells him that he is no longer alone. This time, Randy rebuffs her; he says that the fans are his true family and the only place he belongs is in the ring. Randy enters the ring to applause and gives an emotional speech to the large crowd before the fight begins. As the match progresses, his chest pain worsens. Randy painfully climbs the ropes to deliver his signature finishing move as the crowd cheers. Brought to tears, he salutes his fans and leaps from the ropes with the last of his strength, leaving his fate uncertain.

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!
  

Saturday, May 08, 2010 1:25:29 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

OK. So you’ve sent out your e-mails, had a few responses, and now it’s down to two or more agents who’ve made you offers. You’ve politely but firmly told them that you have to speak with everyone before making a decision. Now what? E-mail them, say there are several agents interested, and that you’d like to set up a phone meeting. I know, I know, it’s scary. But you will (one hopes) be calling up your agent for years to come—it’s worth it to know what that will be like. And even if you’re a hot mess (or, more likely, an overcaffeinated one) on the phone, they’ll still want your book.

This column by agent Jessica Sinsheimer of
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary is an excerpt
from GET AN AGENT, a 128-page magazine
all about finding an agent. The publication
is in bookstores now, and has info on
queries, synopses, Chapter 1 tips,
proposals, copyright, and much more.

Don’t be nervous; they’ll do most of the talking—they are, after all, auditioning for you. Don’t be afraid to spend a moment on pleasantries—if anything, it’ll calm you down and make you sound more professional and less scared. Try something like: "Hi, how are you, did you have a good holiday? Great, so I was calling to get a better sense of each interested agent …" Prepare a list of questions for each. Here’s a jumping-off point:

What editorial comments do you have? What would you like me to change/expand/cut out?
• What do you like about my work? (If they don’t answer this themselves, it’s unusual, but keep asking until you have a good sense as to why.)
• What have you sold recently? In this genre? (We’ll assume you’ve done some research before querying this agent, but it’s all right to ask.)
• Do you have an idea of the editors you’d send this to?
• How soon could you send this out (after the edits are completed)?
• What kind of feedback do you give your writers? How much communication would there be? Would I hear about everything as it happens, or would you call and tell me when the deal is done?

Be wary of agents who say, “Your work is perfect! I wouldn’t dare change a comma!” (Some agents minimize the work involved to tempt you.) Or, “This is going to be the biggest bestseller, like, ever!” (No one knows in this market.) Or, “I can promise you’ll have a gold-plated private jet for your international book tour!” (Unrealistic—plus, wouldn’t it be too heavy to fly?) Or, “I’m the only one who can sell this." (Unprofessional on many levels.) They should care about making the work the best it can be—just for the sake of it reaching its full potential. Also, see if they seem like a nice person. You’ll be entrusting them with your work, after all, and will want to feel comfortable seeking their advice in all that’s about to happen. 

(See the rest of the article and
so much more inside GET AN AGENT.)

Want more on this subject?

• Read the GLA interview with Jessica Sinsheimer here.
• 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Friday, May 07, 2010 10:55:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [2]

I passed 1,000 posts yesterday. Rock on. This blog is approaching its three-year anniversary and keeps growing. After a record-setting March in terms of page views, April's final number was 10,000 higher. Thank you to my regulars, and my commenters, and my many amazing guest bloggers. And to celebrate (at the suggestion of a wonderful commenter), I will give away 5 year-long subscriptions to WritersMarket.com (value: $50 a pop). All you have to do is comment on this post and say something nice about any book or product you've used from WD. It can be a book or webinar or magazine issue or article or whatever. Simply point out something that helped you and say one nice thing about it. I'll pick 5 winners at random one week from today.

And if you're new to this blog, let me give you four good reasons why you should add it to your usual reading. Here are four people who recently contacted me to say they signed with agents because of my blogging and links:

1. Writer Gwen Hayes, who says: "I found Jessica (Sinsheimer) through your GLA interview last August. She signed me in September and we sold Falling Under, in December. Quite the whirlwind!"

2. Writer Jess Haines, who says: "I found my agent through a GLA article. My first book, Hunted by the Others, came out in May 2010." 

3. Writer Jen Corkill Hunt, who says: "After you posted Kimberley Shumate as a new agent, I contacted her and was signed. You're awesome and I send as many authors to you as I can. Thanks!"

4. Writer Joanna Haugen, who says: "I've been reading your blog for awhile, and when this post about Bree Ogden came through my RSS feed, I decided to try querying her with my picture book. Within a week I had signed on as a new client with Martin Literary Management. Thank you for featuring new agents ~ I never would have found Bree without this column!"

That's my version of "Show, don't tell." Hope you like it!

Friday, May 07, 2010 10:42:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [37]

This is a 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 novelist and freelancer Kate Rockland.

Kate Rockland is the author of Falling is Like This,
her debut novel. She is a frequent contributor
to the New York Times Style section and has
also written for Playboy, Rolling Stone, Us Weekly,
Time Out New York, and Spin. She now lives in
Hoboken, NJ, with a ridiculously large CD
collection. See her website here.

1. A quick laugh goes a long way. If you’re going to bug your agent by e-mail, be sure to include a funny story along with it. Such as, “Hey, have you heard from publishers? Now, let me tell you this great story about when I tried to potty train my cat...” They like that.

2. Skip the small accolades. When sending out query letters for potential placement of your book in the press, don’t mention that first place medal you won in second grade for spelling “serendipitous” correctly. That way you won’t be crushed when they say they don’t care.

3. Wear a funny T-shirt when you do a book reading. It gets people talking, and perhaps even pointing at you. My favorite is “I don’t like Bon Jovi: I love him.”

4. Read your working manuscript only to your cats. I made the mistake of asking my father to read it, and he asked if I really had to keep in the sex scenes. Yes, Dad, I do. Also the scenes where the character gets drunk and then has sex. When reading to your cats, notice the look of complete rapture and bliss on their furry faces, until you realize it's because you have a kibble treat stuck in your hair.

5. Do not include “Walking in Times Square in a bathing suit, handing out flyers” as a publicity idea to your publisher. I did, and received some strange looks at the board meeting.

6. You never know who's going to help you. Do not be afraid to ask your great aunt Shelly for her next-door neighbor’s cousin’s phone number. You know, the one who works at Vogue as a mail clerk?  I was afraid of sounding annoying when asking for help or publicity, until I realized I’m annoying anyway, so I sent e-mails to everyone I’ve ever known remotely related to publishing, even if they got laid off from their magazine job and now they can tuna in Alaska. I repeat: When trying to get PR for your book, contact everyone. You just never know.

7. Get your hair professionally done for your author photo. It's worth the money. I did mine after running across town to catch a bus and ended up looking like a ferret.

Want more on this subject?

Thursday, May 06, 2010 10:45:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [7]

"The human voice is the organ of the soul."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Footnotes is a recurring series on the GLA blog where I pick a subject and provide several interesting articles on said topic. Today I’m serving up 5 articles to help you develop your writing voice.

1. In your own words. Missy Frye discusses how to find your writing voice.

2. Your voice is your fingerprint. Finding your voice as a children’s writer.

3. Put yourself on the page. Holly Lisle lists 10 steps to finding your voice.

4. Make your characters come alive. The Writer’s toolkit: A voice journal for character development.

5. Get into the groove. Jesaka Long presents tips to developing your writing voice. 

Want more on this topic?

• Footnotes: 5 Articles on Creating Characters. 
• Footnotes: 5 Articles on Writing Description. 
• 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!
  

Thursday, May 06, 2010 10:27:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

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 Suzie: She is an agent and an assistant to the CEO at FinePrint Literary Management. She was a high school English teacher for six years before changing careers and joining FinePrint as an intern. Suzie runs the Confessions of a Wandering Heart blog.
 
She is seeking: everything from children’s books (chapter books to YA, both fiction and nonfiction) to adult fiction (speculative, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, and romance, especially paranormal). She gravitates toward strong female protagonists, complex plot lines with underlying political, moral, or philosophical issues, and stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genre, like Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series. She likes select narrative nonfiction (with special interest in food, memoir, pets, pop culture, and teaching). She's not interested in screenplays, poetry, or picture books.
 
How to contact: suzie(at)fineprintlit(dot)com. Send no unsolicited attachments. For fiction and memoir, query and include the word count and full contact information. In addition to the query, please include the first 5-10 pages (pasted into the body of the e-mail). For nonfiction, query only.

Want more on this subject?

• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: George Bick of Doug Grad Literary.
• New agent seeking fiction and nonfiction: Myrsini Stephanides of Carol Mann Agency.
• 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!
  

Wednesday, May 05, 2010 10:42:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

• 5 essential elements of every query, and how to order them
• 3 components of a compelling novel hook
• Common mistakes and red flags that appear in typical queries
• Why a shorter letter is more likely to succeed
• What to put in your bio even if you have no credits
  

• Writers who are actively querying agents and publishers
• Writers whose query letters always get rejected (or never get a response)
• Writers who will be pitching their concept at a conference
  

Wednesday, May 05, 2010 9:58:06 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

• 5 articles on making the most of a writers conference.
  
• How to pitch an agent at a conference.
  
• The next Writer's Digest Editors Intensive event is Sept. 11-12, 2010. All attendees receive a critique of 50 pages of their 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!
  

Tuesday, May 04, 2010 9:48:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [4]

1. Write down questions to ask the agent. Some debut authors are nervous about taking up an agent’s time so they will not communicate concerns or questions upon an offer on representation. After the initial rush and excitement of the offer, there will most definitely be questions, but oftentimes, the mind will go blank when you are actually on the phone. Make sure you take some time to mull over any questions you may have at this step in the process, so that you are prepared when the offer comes in!

2. Make sure the agent has all your info. Make sure, after signing, that the agent has all of your contact information, and also ask what promotional materials they might need for their website (a jpeg of an author photo, the link to your website, etc). And please communicate when you will be traveling, whether professionally or personally, and how to reach you, as you never know when that fabulous offer may come in!

3. Ask and ye shall be informed! Unfortunately, it’s not called the Publishing Are-Everyone’s-Feelings-Okay?, it's called the Publishing Industry. When one goes from a creative endeavor into the actual publishing process, it's a bit daunting and disorienting. Where once you were quietly tapping away on your laptop, now you have a lot of cooks in your kitchen needing you to play the most bizarre game of red-light/green-light in the world. With that in mind, make sure that you feel comfortable asking at each new stage of your career, “What comes next?” for we, as agents, are involved in the belly of the beast daily and will oftentimes forget that new experiences can be unsettling. There is never a worse feeling than when a client is under informed and becomes upset! As a debut author you don’t even know what you don’t know, so make sure you're comfortable asking.

And remember: If you're looking to bid on an awesome manuscript critique with proceeds going to charity, go to irenegoodman.com for more details.



Want more on this subject?

• Read an interview with Irene Goodman. 
• Advice on writing memoir.
• 20 Tips on Query Letters.
• 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!
  

Monday, May 03, 2010 9:28:42 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [3]

"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.

• 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Sunday, May 02, 2010 9:05:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0]

BOBBY SCOTT is a former Marine Recon Master Gunnery Sergeant who now trains soldiers for American covert operations. He is sent to Boston for an emergency operation: LAURA NEWTON, a Harvard student and daughter of the President, is missing. Scott and other members of his unit are enlisted to find Laura before the media learn of her disappearance.

Scott discovers that Laura went to a bar to possibly prostitute herself, but she was drugged, taken to a brothel, then moved to a beach house. Along with CURTIS, a young trainee, Scott enters the beach house. The two men inside become violent and Scott quickly kills them in self defense. Scott and his unit believe Laura was abducted by a white slavery ring, a group of international sex traffickers unaware of her identity. A local convict named TARIQ is connected to the slavery ring. While in transport for medical attention, Tariq's police escorts are "killed" by a shotgun-wielding criminal (actually Scott, who is orchestrating the whole ruse). Tariq thanks Scott for freeing him, and promises him a flight to a Dubai safe haven and "many girls in Mascala." Scott's plan to infiltrate the slavery ring is working, but Tariq soon notices other cops nearby, and must be killed after he opens fire. The media announces that Laura's body was discovered off Martha's Vineyard, apparently the result of drowning. The rescue operation is called off and Scott returns home, where his neighbors believe he is a salesman who is often absent on business trips.

Months later, Scott is approached by the trainee Curtis, who makes a case that Laura is alive. Upon inspecting the beach house again, Curtis is killed by a sniper. Scott escapes, and realizes Laura is indeed overseas, and that the government as well as some of his own men lied to cover up the truth. Scott meets a female secret service agent who raised Laura like a daughter. The agent begs Scott to find Laura.

Deprived of the support of his unit, Scott turns to independent contacts for help and supplies. He flies to Dubai and meets an Australian contact. They inspect Mascala that night and, upon seeing Laura outside a house, move in immediately. There is a brief firefight; the Australian is killed, but Scott grabs Laura and gets away. Distraught at the way she has been treated by her father and his people, she at first objects to returning home, but eventually yields.

Scott takes her to his cargo container at the airport so she can fly safely to Geneva. Suddenly, operatives from Scott's unit arrive, seeking to apprehend them. Scott's own men confirm Laura's death was faked, and that she must now be killed the ensure the cover-up is secure. Scott is shot, but he manages to kill the operatives and buy time for Laura, who runs into the open by an airplane hangar and is rescued by Swedish journalists. Laura escapes on their plane. Some time later, Scott, now recuperating in London in secret, watches Laura's reunion with her father on TV. The media reports that, as a result of what happened, the U.S. government is now committed to end the international traffic in prostitutes. 

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!
  

Sunday, May 02, 2010 8:37:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1]

    

• 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 2011 Guide to Literary Agents today!
  

Saturday, May 01, 2010 10:45:18 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [4]