WD’s 101 Best Sites: Agent Blogs
The new issue of Writer’s Digest has the totally awesome “101 Best Websites for Writers” feature. It should be online for free within a few weeks. Keep you eyes peeled…
The new issue of Writer's Digest has the totally awesome "101 Best Websites for Writers" feature. It should be online for free within a few weeks. Keep you eyes peeled on www.WritersDigest.com (new design!) to see when it pops up.
As usual, it's a brainbomb of good resources and information that will shut down your nervous system if you take it all in at once. Of note are the 7 agent-related blogs that made the cut. (This GLA blog is not on the list, as WD sites are not considered.) I actually did not assemble the list, but I did give some suggestions.
1. agentinthemiddle.blogspot.com
Let literary agent Lori Perkins guide you around the NYC agent scene. Plus, she has great insight into horror, social science fiction, dark fantasy, dark literary novels and erotica - her specialties.
2. arcaedia.livejournal.com
With the motto "Saving the world, one book sale at a time," literary agent Jennifer Jackson shares news, notes and opinions on the industry, including a sneak peek at her query round-up.
3. cba-ramblings.blogspot.com
Rachelle Gardner's (relatively new but still very awesome) Rants & Ramblings covers her life as a Christian literary agent and includes news, trends and advice on the publishing industry.
4. jetreidliterary.blogspot.com
Janet Reid, a literary agent with New Leaf Literary (formerly with FinePrint Literary Management) in New York City, specializes in crime fiction and shares query pitfalls to help you avoid rookie mistakes.
5. nathanbransford.blogspot.com
San Francisco agent Nathan Bransford dishes the dirt on being an agent. Also, his series, "The Essentials (Please Read Before You Query)" is, well, an essential read.
6. rejecter.blogspot.com
This assistant at an NYC literary agency rejects 95 percent of the queries that cross her desk - and blogs about them. She also answers questions about the process and offers up advice on getting your query past her desk.
7. cbaybooks.blogspot.com
I saved this one for last because blogger Madeline's Smoot is actually an editor, not an agent. Great site, regardless, but missclassified in the WD categories. Madeline's specialties are all things children's writing.

Chuck Sambuchino is a former editor with the Writer's Digest writing community and author of several books, including How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack and Create Your Writer Platform.