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May/June 2012 Issue
May/June Issue

Writer's Digest Magazine
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Guide to Literary Agents Blogroll
Blogroll
- 2nd Draft Critique Service
Before you send out your work, have it edited by an established pro! - Agency Gatekeeper
A literary agent shares secrets. - Agent in the Middle
Agent Lori Perkins blogs and tells all - Ashley Grayson Agent Blog
From the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency - Ask the Agent
Literary agent Andy Ross in Oakland runs an agency blog. - Association of Authors' Representatives
- Barbara Doyen's Articles Page
Agent Barbara Doyen shares her knowledge. - Barry Goldblatt Literary
A blog from the whole agency. - BookEnds Agent Blog
Agents from Bookends Literary blog - Brenda BowenAgent Brenda Bowen's "Bunny Eat Bunny" kids writing blog.
- Cameron McClureCameron, with the Donald Maass Lit Agency, runs her "Book Cannibal" blog.
- Caren Johnson Literary Agency
The official CJLA blog - Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market Blog
This blog, run by Alice Pope, is a must-read for anyone writing in the juvenile market - Chip MacGregor's Agent Blog
A Christian agent speaks - Chuck's conference speaking schedule
See where Chuck will be presenting and when! - Colleen Lindsay's Agent Blog
A new agent at FinePrint Literary blogs - DHS Literary Blog
David Hale Smith's "Literary Show and Tell" blog. - Diana Fox's Agent Blog
A literary agent talks publishing - Dystel & Goderich Agent Blog
- Eddie Schneider
An agent from JABberwocky Literary blogs. - Elaine English Literary Agency Blog
A blog from the whole agency. - F+W Bookstore
Buy Guide to Literary Agents and a bunch of other great WD Books. - FinePrint Literary Management Blog
A blog from the whole agency. - Folio Literary Management's Blog
All the agents chime in on this new blog - Fresh Books Blog
An agency blog. - Full Circle Literary's Blog
Agents from Full Circle Literary in California blog - Girl Meets Book
Agent Jamie Brenner of Artists & Artisans blogs. - Greenhouse Literary Blog
Agent Sarah Davies shares her thoughts and wisdom - Hartline Literary Blog
A blog from the whole agency. - Janet Reid
Agent Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary gives her two cents on anything and everything - Jennifer Jackson's Agent Blog
An agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency blogs - Jenny Bent's Blog
From the founder of The Bent Agency. - Jill Corcoran
A kids agent at the Herman Agency blogs. - Joshua Bilmes Agent Blog
JABberwocky Literary Agency - Kathleen Ortiz Agent Blog
Kathleen with Lowenstein Associates - Kelly Mortimer
Agent Kelly Mortimer's "Perils of Publishing" blog. - Ken Atchity
The president of AEI, a script and literary management co., blogs. - Kid Lit
A blog by kids agent Mary Kole of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency - Kimberly Cameron & Associates
A blog from the whole agency. - Knight Agency Blog
Exactly what it sounds like - Laurie McLean's Agent Blog
The "Agent Savant" blog - Lit Soup (Jenny Rappaport's Agent Blog)
An agent at the L. Perkins Agency blogs - Lucienne Diver's Agent Blog
A blog on "Authorial, Agently and Personal Ramblings." - Lyons Literary Agent Blog
Agent Jonathan Lyons blogs - MFA Confidential Blog
This new WD blog features Kate Monahan and all things about getting an MFA - Michael Larsen's Blog
Agent Michael Larsen of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents blogs about publishing and nonfiction writing. - Miss Snark
No longer active, but this blog by anonymous agent Miss Snark still has oodles of priceless info in its archives - Nathan Bransford
A popular blog from an agent at Curtis Brown in San Francisco - Nephele Tempest's Agent Blog
An agent with the Knight Agency blogs - Poetic Asides
A poetry blog from the editor of Writer's Market - Promptly (Prompts Blog)
WD's own blog of writing prompts, run by magazine staffer Zac Petit - Pub Rants
Kristin Nelson's Agent Blog - Publishers Marketplace
- Query Shark
Janet Reid's blog where she dissects query letters - Questions and Quandaries Blog
WD staffer Brian A. Klems answers questions of all kinds - Rachelle Gardner
A blog by an agent who specializes in Christian Writing - Romantic Reads
Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt blogs romance. - Sara Crowe's Blog
An agent from Harvey Klinger blogs. - Scott Eagan's Agent Blog
The great Greyhaus agent blogs away. - Script Notes
A WD scriptwriting blog from Chad Gervich, TV producer - Steve Laube's Agent Blog
A Christian agent and former editor talks the biz. - Suzie Townsend
A new assistant agent at FinePrint Literary blogs. - Terry Burns's Blog
An agent with Hartline Literary blogs. - Terry Whalin's Blog
"The Writing Life," as told by a former editor and agent. - The Buried Editor
A blog dedicated to juvenile writing (YA, middle grade, picture books) run by an editor at CBAY Books and Blooming Tree Press - The Gail Ross Literary Agency
The agency blog. - The Inside Pitch Screenwriting Blog
A Hollywood Executive Talks About Screenwriting - The New Literary Agents
A few new literary agents share advice. - The Rejecter (Anonymous Agent)
- The Shatzkin Files
- The Sound and the Furry
WD contributor Nancy Parish talks writing. - There Are No Rules
Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest Books, talks about publishing trends and has interviews online - Tracy Marchini
An agent from Curtis Brown, Ltd. blogs - United States Copyright Office
- Upstart Crow Blog
A blog from the whole agency at Upstart Crow Literary. - Waxman Literary Agency
A blog from the whole agency. - Wendy Sherman Associates Blog
Multiple agents blog. - Writer Beware
A site dedicated to protecting writers from scams of all kinds - including unscrupulous agents - Writer Unboxed
Primarily devoted to genre fiction, this site features plenty of interviews with industry pros - Writer's Digest magazine
This big hub has tons of online articles from past issues of WD. Check out the revamped new site! - Writer's Digest University (Writers Online Workshops)
Online writing courses are taught by WD staffers and contributors - Writer's Market
This pay site is our online database of listings (magazines, book publishers, agents, and everything else). It has more than 6,000 listings. - Writing-World
A huge writing website and resource writers should check out. - Wylie Merrick Agency's Blog
- Zack Company Blog
Agent Andrew Zack blogs.
- 2nd Draft Critique Service
Website of the Week
Writing Website of the Week
Alex Carrick's blog is clean, crisp and entertaining. His stories range from humorous to thought-provoking, making it a fun read.Alex Carrick's Blog *Not affiliated with our 101 Best Writing Websites feature.
Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents Blog
Chuck Sambuchino is an editor and published book author who runs the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, one of the biggest blogs in publishing. His site has posts on agents, query letters, submissions, publishing, platform, marketing and more.
“How I Got Published” — Mary Nethery and Kirby Lawson, Authors of NUBS: THE TRUE STORY OF A MUTT, A MARINE, AND A MIRACLE
This installment is with Mary Nethery and Kirby Lawson, authors of the New York Times best-selling book NUBS: THE TRUE STORY OF A MUTT, A MARINE, AND A MIRACLE (Little Brown, 2009), a story about marine Brian Dennis and a feral dog in Iraq that found a home in America.
GIVEAWAY: Mary and Kirby are excited to give away a free copy of their book to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more
Create Your E-Book and Make Money Now — New Webinar With Jane Friedman on May 17, 2012
It seems like each month there’s another story about someone making a great deal of money off an e-book they created, whether it’s a fantasy novel or a nonfiction book on parenting. Creating your own e-book puts you in the driver’s seat — but do you know how to drive? Do you know how to maximize what you’ve created and get people to locate & purchase your work? To help you navigate the complicated road of creating and distributing your e-book, we’ve enlisted eMedia guru Jane Friedman, former publisher of Writer’s Digest. She’s teaching “Do Your E-Book Right (and Start Making Money NOW)” on Thursday, May 17, 2012. This is one of our most popular webinars because there is money to be made in the e-book arena if you do it right — and Jane can show you how. Read more
How I Got My Agent: Gretchen Berg
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. This installment is from humorous memoir writer Gretchen Berg.
GIVEAWAY: Gretchen is excited to give away a free copy of her book to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more
Writers Conference Spotlight: 2012 Crested Butte Writers Conference (Colorado, June 22-24, 2012)
I am very excited to instruct at the 2012 Crested Butte Writers Conference. It’s held in the beautiful town of Crested Butte, CO, from June 22-24, 2012. The event is described as “a small conference designed to be friendly and cozy with the caliber of a large conference.” Read more
Literary Agent Interview: Elizabeth Evans of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency
“Agent Advice” (more than 150 interviews so far!) 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 Elizabeth Evans of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Elizabeth Evans joined JVNLA in January 2010. Previously, she worked for six years in the San Francisco Bay Area with Kimberley Cameron & Associates. Elizabeth has a degree in English literature and received an MFA in writing from the University of San Francisco. She is the founder of Room to Write, a volunteer group of over forty New York City publishing professionals. Read more
Another Take On “Show, Don’t Tell” For Writers
It’s a writing rule most of us have heard before. And it’s a good one. Because no reader wants to be spoon-fed a story. Readers want to see the story for themselves, to make up their own minds. It’s more interesting and entertaining that way, and even more importantly, it lets the reader become more invested in the characters.
A student once asked me to explain the concept of “show, don’t tell,” and here’s what I told her: Pretend you’re sitting in a movie theater, eager to see the latest Shia LeBeouf action movie. You’ve got the popcorn, the Milk Duds, the Coke. The lights dim, and on the screen, LeBeouf appears, with a white background behind him. Nothing else. He tells the audience with a shrug, “This film had a low budget. I mean, really low. Because of that, I’m going to tell you the movie.” Read more
7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Katharine Quinn
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 historical fiction writer Kate Quinn, author of historical romance novels.
GIVEAWAY: Kate is excited to give away a free copy of her novel to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more
How I Got My Agent: Beatriz Williams
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we’ll talk specifics.
Beatriz Williams‘s first novel, OVERSEAS, is out May 10, 2012 from Putnam. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly said of the novel, “This is a delicious story about the ultimate romantic fantasy.” She lives in Connecticut with her husband and four children. Read more
Event Spotlight: The Homeric Writers’ Retreat and Workshop on the Isle of Ithaca (Aug. 2-8, 2012 in Greece)
If you’re considering a writing event this year, but are looking for just as much of an opportunity to sit down and write as you are to learn from presenters, then join me at the Homeric Writers’ Retreat and Workshop from Aug. 2-8, 2012. It’s held on the beautiful Greek isle of Ithaca — a perfect place to soak in the sunshine and let the creative juices flow. And in addition to the amazing scenery to help you write, there are a few daily sessions as well as several personalized critiques (manuscript pages, query, synopsis, proposal) for all attendees, taught and given by publishing pros. Read more
The Key to a Good Series is Excellent Characters
I’m a series junkie. In addition to those noted above, faves include Lew Archer, Spenser, Elvis Cole, Parker, Fletch, Jack Reacher, Harry Bosch … I could go on. And one of the things that draws me to series is that feeling of slipping into a familiar world – a place with its own logic and rules and history.
And characters.
GIVEAWAY: Steve is excited to give away a free copy of his novel to a random commenter. Comment within two weeks; winners must live in Canada/US to receive the book by mail. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more


