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May/June2013 Issue
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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
Guide to Literary Agents
Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents Blog
Chuck Sambuchino is an editor and published author who runs the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, one of the biggest blogs in publishing. His site has instruction and information on literary agents, literary agencies, query letters, submissions, publishing, author platform, book marketing, and more.
7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Sharon Short
3. Your opening is probably not your opening. My least favorite part of creative writing is drafting that opening scene. It always feels so forced, so awkward. I have to get pretty far into the story before I know how it really should begin, and to realize (for the millionth time) that ‘dumping backstory’ is not an opening that will hook readers. As I wrote what I thought was the beginning of chapter 18 for MY ONE SQUARE INCH OF ALASKA, I realized I’d just written the opening paragraphs. Fortunately, I didn’t have to toss out everything I’d written for chapters 1-17. But I did have to write that much before I discovered the real hook of my novel.
GIVEAWAY: Sharon 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
New Literary Agent Alert: Jamie Bodnar Drowley of Inklings Literary
Jamie is seeking: In Adult, New Adult and Young Adult fiction, Jamie is seeking fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, historical, contemporary, horror, light sci-fi and thrillers. In MG, she loves stories that make her laugh and are imaginative with a clear voice. She loves strong characters with distinct voices and unique story lines that stay with her long after she is finished reading. Read more
Agent Advice: Shira Hoffman of McIntosh & Otis, Inc.
This interview features Shira Hoffman of McIntosh & Otis, Inc. Shira began her career in publishing as an intern at Tor Books and has been with M&O since 2007. In 2013, she took over as Director of Subsidiary Rights. She also Tweets @ShiraSHoffman.
She is seeking: mainstream commercial fiction, mystery, literary fiction, women’s fiction, romance, urban fantasy, fantasy, science fiction, horror and dystopian. Read more
Debut Author Interview: Ryan McIlvain, Author of ELDER
This debut author interview and spotlight is with 2013 success story Ryan McIlvain, author of ELDERS (March 2013, Hogarth).
ELDERS is literary fiction. Jonathan Evison, author of West of Here, said, “Elders is a refreshingly earnest, clear-eyed, and self-assured debut by a young writer to watch. McIlvain wrestles with sturdy themes, conflicted characters, and big ideas—the stuff of classic literature.” Author Ryan McIlvain was born in Utah and raised in Massachusetts. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in many journals, including The Paris Review. A Stegner Fellow at Stanford from 2009 to 2011, he currently lives with his wife in Los Angeles. Read more
Literary Agent Kimiko Nakamura Seeks New Clients
I’m not considering this a true New Agent Alert because literary agent Kimiko Nakamura (of Dee Mura Literary) is not new. That said, this post resembles an Alert in that Kimiko did tell me recently how she is actively looking to build her client list right now — and that is something writers should be happy to know. All details below for those interested in querying her!
She is seeking: Contemporary Fiction, Thriller/Mystery, Women’s Lit, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Cookbooks, and Memoir. Read more
Subverting Adverbs and Clichés
Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace! Yada yada yada … it can become overwhelming, yes? I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there.
GIVEAWAY: Jessica is excited to give away a free copy of her book to a random commenter. Comment within 2 weeks; winners can live anywhere in the world. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. Read more
How to Write in the Face of Rejection
I wrote “unparagraphs”, I aimed for imbalance, I stayed in the moment indefinitely, I realized my maximal self on the page. Most importantly, I wrote myself on to the page. And I learned, as all writers must, how to write in the face of rejection. I received a rejection from an editor I admired, and the next day I wrote.
Guest column by Jay Ponteri, author of the 2013 memoir WEDLOCKED. Read more
7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Michele Jakubowski
7. Write everything down. I came up with the initial idea for the Sidney & Sydney series as I was falling asleep one night. I knew myself well enough to know that I had to get up immediately and write down my thoughts. I had been burned several times before when I thought I’d remember my ideas later. I never do. Now I have scraps of paper all over my house with thoughts on the book I’m currently working on or for future projects. Now if only I could work on my handwriting so I could read all of those great ideas later.
GIVEAWAY: Michele 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
Debut Author Interview: J. Michael Major, Author of the Thriller ONE MAN’S CASTLE
It’s time for another author interview with a writer celebrating the release of their first book. Today we meet J. Michael Major, author of the debut thriller ONE MAN’S CASTLE (Five Star, April 2013.)
J. Michael Major is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Horror Writers Association. His stories have appeared in the anthologies DeathGrip 3: It Came From the Cinema and New Traditions in Terror, and such magazines as Hardboiled, Bare Bone, Pirate Writings, Into the Darkness, Outer Darkness, and The Sterling Web. He lives with his family outside of Chicago. One Man’s Castle is his first novel. Visit his website at jmichaelmajor.com. Read more
Agent Nephele Tempest Teaches You How to Write an Excellent Synopsis: April 25 Webinar With Critique
Writing a synopsis is usually one of the most difficult things about pitching a novel. It’s incredibly difficult to summarize your entire book in just one page. How do you condense all that info? What gets cut? How much detail should you give? Is it worth mention elements like subplots and character arc?
These types of questions are why we have literary agent Nephele Tempest (The Knight Agency) to teach “Conquer the Dreaded Synopsis: Construct Your Ultimate Sales Tool” — a brand new live webinar at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, April 25, 2013. It lasts 90 minutes, and all attendees will get their synopses personally critiqued by Nephele following the event. Get agent eyes on your work! Don’t forget that at least 3 agents from major agencies have signed writers after seeing their work as part of a WD webinar. Read more
New Literary Agent Alert: Kathleen Zakhar of Harold Ober Associates
Kathleen is seeking: Kathleen loves all things YA and is also actively looking for adult science fiction, fantasy in all its varieties, historical fiction, and horror novels. She enjoys quirky middle grade tales with captivating adventures and original voices, and will also accept picture books. Kathleen has a special place in her heart for sweeping love stories, magical realism, inventive world-building, repurposed folklore, dark comedy, and genre-bending novels. Read more
How I Got My Agent: Christian Schoon
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, with this installment featuring Christian Schoon, author of ZENN SCARLETT. These columns are great ways for you to learn how to find a literary agent. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. (Christian’s agent is Adam Schear of DeFiore & Co.) Read more
Are Blogs The New Journals?
My novel came out in June 2012 — it’s a portrait of two women, including one revealed through her journals after her death. Shortly after it was released, I got an interesting email from a reader. The reader said she hadn’t been sure she would like a book half written in the form of journals, but had been grabbed by the point of view: the private side of a woman, in her own words, that made her public self look like a facade.
“No one hears about journals anymore, now that everything is about blogs,” the reader wrote. “Were you afraid it would seem dated?”
GIVEAWAY: Nichole 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
Debut Author Interview: Jack Gray, Author of PIGEON IN A CROSSWALK
It’s time to meet another awesome debut writer. This time it’s narrative writer Jack Gray, Emmy Award-winning producer for CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.” Born and raised in Massachusetts, he previously worked as a television producer in New Hampshire and Boston. He lives in New York City with his Labrador retriever, Sammy. Find him on Twitter.
PIGEON IN A CROSSWALK (Feb. 2013, Simon & Schuster) is a nonfiction book in which Gray observes and echoes the fixations and neuroses of his generation and our times. Publishers Weekly said “With humor and heart, Gray uses his recollections as a sentimental, sassy mirror into his own personal and professional affairs.” Entertainment Weekly called the book, “Addictive… Gray’s insight and snarky, self-effacing humor make him someone you’d want at any dinner party.” Read more
Successful Queries: Agent Barbara Poelle and “Untold Damage” (Mystery)
This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer’s literary agent as to why the letter worked.
The 60th installment in this series is with agent Barbara Poelle (Irene Goodman Literary) for Robert Lewis’s 2013 debut mystery, UNTOLD DAMAGE (Midnight Ink, April 2013). The author, Bay Area resident Robert K. Lewis, is a contributor to Macmillan’s crime fiction fansite, Criminal Element. Lewis is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the International Thriller Writers, and the Crime Writers Association. Read more
Conference Spotlight: The 2013 PennWriters Conference (May 17-19, Pittsburgh)
An upcoming conference you should check out is the 2013 Pennwriters Conference (May 17-19) in Pittsburgh, PA. Pennwriters is an awesome statewide organization for writers that has regional chapters and statewide events. Having grown up in Erie, PA, I have spoken to the Erie group several times, and I was even fortunate enough to present at the PennWriters Conference in 2011. If you live anywhere near Pittsburgh, check out this fast-approaching 2013 event. Read more
How to Get a Scene from Brain to Paper
Different writers have difficulty with different parts of the writing process. Some hate fiddling with background information. Others despise revising. Others can’t stand outlining. Me? I have the most trouble with drafting.
By “drafting,” what I mean is this whole “get the story down on paper” part of writing. It’s not that I have trouble coming up with new material, or that I don’t know where the story is going, it’s just that I have trouble getting what’s in my head down onto paper.
GIVEAWAY: Kat 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. (Update: justsaymoo won.) Read more
Maximize Your Website and Social Media: April 18, 2013 Webinar by Jane Friedman on Marketing, Analytics, SEO, Platform, and More
Nowadays, having a simple website or blog is easy — but creating these items is just a first step. Once you have a website and social media presence, you must make sure that this online presence is working for you. It’s a matter of maximizing and optimizing your work online.
Sure, you have a blog — but is the blog growing? Are people signing up to connect with you permanently through a newsletter or RSS feed? Are people leaving comments and finding you on Twitter to connect some more? If you’re selling books or services or a running any kind of writingbusiness, it’s imperative that your online efforts are not going unnoticed. Have an impact by learning about SEO and Google Analytics. Luckily for us, we’ve got social networking and eMedia guru Jane Friedman to teach about these things in a brand new webinar, “How to Understand and Improve the Performance of Your Author Website: Analytics, Platform Building, and Marketing Tactics,” at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, April 18, 2013. It lasts 90 minutes. Read more
7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Kate Southwood
5. If you let life get in the way, it will. I finished my MFA knowing that I would be moving to Oslo with my Norwegian husband right after graduation. I had allowed myself to stop writing while I was preparing for the move, rationalizing that I was busy selling or shipping all my worldly possessions. I said this to my advisor one afternoon when he called and I was knee-deep in boxes and packing tape. “I’m packing,” I said. “Why aren’t you writing?” he asked me, and I laughed and yelled, “I’m moving to Norway!” There was silence from his end for a moment, and then he simply said, “Write, Kate.” Read more
New Literary Agent Alert: Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis
Christa is seeking: She seeks young adult, middle grade and picture books. Within Children’s, Christa is interested in fantasy (urban and high) horror, thrillers/mysteries, steampunk and contemporary fiction, but is open to exploring other genres. Christa is a fan of novels with a romantic angle, and strong, quirky protagonists. Within fantasy, she is looking for something that pushes the boundaries of what’s currently on the shelves, perhaps a new take on this popular genre that has yet to be seen. As for middle grade, Christa enjoys humorous contemporary, adventure and magical realism for boys and girls. Read more
Literary Agent Interview: Marie Lamba of Jennifer De Chiara Literary
This agent interview is with Marie Lamba, Associate Literary Agent at the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in NYC. Marie is also author of the young adult novels What I Meant… (Random House), Over My Head, and Drawn. You can follow her on Twitter @marielamba, and like her Facebook page: Marie Lamba, Author. And to see her Agent Monday posts, where she offers query tips and submission insights, visit marielamba.com.
She is seeking: Middle grade, young adult, women’s and adult fiction, as well as memoir. Read more
Debut Author Interview: Aaron Hartzler, Author of the YA Memoir RAPTURE PRACTICE
It’s time for another debut author interview. I love profiling debut authors because I think their stories to publication are excellent roadmaps for other writers trying to get published. This interview is with YA memoir writer Aaron Hartzler.
Aaron Hartzler is a writer and actor who has been seen on stages across the country, and a couple of times on TV. RAPTURE PRACTICE (2013, Little, Brown) is his first book, and received a starred review from Kirkus. His writing can also be found online at BigThink, Salon, Fresh Yarn, and The Huffington Post. He lives in southern California with his boyfriend Nate and their two dogs, Charlie and Brahms. Read more
Writer’s Block: 5 Ways to Get Rid of It
2. Write something completely different. A teacher at school gave me this advice. When you’re stuck, don’t just try to think outside of the box. Try a whole other box. If you write YA, try writing a steamy scene. If you write thrillers, try writing a picture book. The change in format and tone will force you to break out of your comfort zone, to push your boundaries. You’ll discover new ways of expressing yourself, new limitations and new freedoms, and you can apply the new tricks to your existing work. If nothing else, trying to write something different might just remind you of how much you love writing your old stuff! Read more
How I Got My Agent: Erin Knightley
“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, with this installment featuring Erin Knightley, author of A TASTE FOR SCANDAL. These columns are great ways for you to learn how to find a literary agent. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.
GIVEAWAY: Erin 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. (Update: Rachel29m won.) Read more
2013 Writer’s Digest Conference: Some Pictures
The 2013 Writer’s Digest Conference in NYC was this past weekend, April 5-7, 2013, and everything was a blast. The sessions were well received, the attendees were nice, the big pitch slam was smooth, and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Here are some pictures from the event to check out. I assume we will be having our event in April again in 2014. Join us! Or if you can’t wait that long, we will be having a west coast conference, Sept. 27-29, 2013 in Hollywood. Read more
