Our May workshop is now open! We'll take the first five Middle Grade, Young Adult, or New Adult entries that meet all guidelines and formatting requirements. Click here to get the rules. I will post when it opens and closes on Adventures in YA Publishing and on twitter (@etcashman), with the hashtag #1st5pages.
In addition to our talented permanent mentors, we have my dear friend and critique partner, author Diana Renn. Diana is the author of three fabulous international YA mysteries, TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE which will be available October 13, 2015. And we have Georgia McBride as our guest editor. In addition to being an author, Georgia is the founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. So get those pages ready!
May Guest Mentor – Diana Renn
Diana writes contemporary novels for young adults featuring globetrotting teens, international intrigue, and more than a dash of mystery. TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE are all published by Viking Children’s Books / Penguin Young Readers Group. She’s also the Fiction Editor at YARN (Young Adult Review Network), an award-winning online magazine featuring short-form writing for teens.
BLUE VOYAGE
An intricately crafted mystery set in the contemporary Middle East.
Zan is a politician’s daughter and an adrenaline junkie. Whether she’s rock climbing or shoplifting, she loves to live on the edge. But she gets more of a rush than she bargained for on a forced mother–daughter bonding trip to Turkey, where she finds herself in the crosshairs of an antiquities smuggling ring. These criminals believe that Zan can lead them to an ancient treasure that’s both priceless and cursed. Until she does so, she and her family are in grave danger. Zan’s quest to save the treasure—and the lives of people she cares about—leads her from the sparkling Mediterranean, to the bustle of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, to the eerie and crumbling caves of Cappadocia. But it seems that nowhere is safe, and there’s only so high she can climb before everything comes tumbling down.
May Guest Editor – Georgia McBride
Georgia McBride is founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. She develops content for film and TV, and is also a speculative fiction writer. Georgia founded the #YAlitchat hashtag and weekly chat on Twitter in 2009. Georgia is one of Publishers Marketplace’s most prolific publishers and has spent most of 2014 atop the editors lists in Young Adult, Digital New Adult and Digital deals. She’s completed over 120 publishing deals on behalf of three imprints in the past 24 months.
Our May workshop will open for entries today at noon, EST. We'll take the first five Middle Grade, Young Adult, or New Adult entries that meet all guidelines and formatting requirements. Click here to get the rules. I will post when it opens and closes on Adventures in YA Publishing and on twitter (@etcashman), with the hashtag #1st5pages.
In addition to our talented permanent mentors, we have my dear friend and critique partner, author Diana Renn. Diana is the author of three fabulous international YA mysteries, TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE which will be available October 13, 2015. And we have Georgia McBride as our guest editor. In addition to being an author, Georgia is the founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. So get those pages ready!
May Guest Mentor – Diana Renn
Diana writes contemporary novels for young adults featuring globetrotting teens, international intrigue, and more than a dash of mystery. TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE are all published by Viking Children’s Books / Penguin Young Readers Group. She’s also the Fiction Editor at YARN (Young Adult Review Network), an award-winning online magazine featuring short-form writing for teens.
BLUE VOYAGE
An intricately crafted mystery set in the contemporary Middle East.
Zan is a politician’s daughter and an adrenaline junkie. Whether she’s rock climbing or shoplifting, she loves to live on the edge. But she gets more of a rush than she bargained for on a forced mother–daughter bonding trip to Turkey, where she finds herself in the crosshairs of an antiquities smuggling ring. These criminals believe that Zan can lead them to an ancient treasure that’s both priceless and cursed. Until she does so, she and her family are in grave danger. Zan’s quest to save the treasure—and the lives of people she cares about—leads her from the sparkling Mediterranean, to the bustle of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, to the eerie and crumbling caves of Cappadocia. But it seems that nowhere is safe, and there’s only so high she can climb before everything comes tumbling down.
May Guest Editor – Georgia McBride
Georgia McBride is founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. She develops content for film and TV, and is also a speculative fiction writer. Georgia founded the #YAlitchat hashtag and weekly chat on Twitter in 2009. Georgia is one of Publishers Marketplace’s most prolific publishers and has spent most of 2014 atop the editors lists in Young Adult, Digital New Adult and Digital deals. She’s completed over 120 publishing deals on behalf of three imprints in the past 24 months.
Our May workshop will open for entries at noon, EST on Saturday May 2, 2015. We'll take the first five Middle Grade, Young Adult, or New Adult entries that meet all guidelines and formatting requirements. Click here to get the rules. I will post when it opens and closes on Adventures in YA Publishing and on twitter (@etcashman), with the hashtag #1st5pages.
In addition to our talented permanent mentors, we have my dear friend and critique partner, author Diana Renn. Diana is the author of three fabulous international YA mysteries, TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE which will be available October 13, 2015. And we have Georgia McBride as our guest editor. In addition to being an author, Georgia is the founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. So get those pages ready!
May Guest Mentor – Diana Renn
Diana writes contemporary novels for young adults featuring globetrotting teens, international intrigue, and more than a dash of mystery. TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE are all published by Viking Children’s Books / Penguin Young Readers Group. She’s also the Fiction Editor at YARN (Young Adult Review Network), an award-winning online magazine featuring short-form writing for teens.
BLUE VOYAGE
An intricately crafted mystery set in the contemporary Middle East.
Zan is a politician’s daughter and an adrenaline junkie. Whether she’s rock climbing or shoplifting, she loves to live on the edge. But she gets more of a rush than she bargained for on a forced mother–daughter bonding trip to Turkey, where she finds herself in the crosshairs of an antiquities smuggling ring. These criminals believe that Zan can lead them to an ancient treasure that’s both priceless and cursed. Until she does so, she and her family are in grave danger. Zan’s quest to save the treasure—and the lives of people she cares about—leads her from the sparkling Mediterranean, to the bustle of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, to the eerie and crumbling caves of Cappadocia. But it seems that nowhere is safe, and there’s only so high she can climb before everything comes tumbling down.
May Guest Editor – Georgia McBride
Georgia McBride is founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. She develops content for film and TV, and is also a speculative fiction writer. Georgia founded the #YAlitchat hashtag and weekly chat on Twitter in 2009. Georgia is one of Publishers Marketplace’s most prolific publishers and has spent most of 2014 atop the editors lists in Young Adult, Digital New Adult and Digital deals. She’s completed over 120 publishing deals on behalf of three imprints in the past 24 months.
The First Five Pages April Workshop has come to an end. The participants did a great job with their revisions and it showed! A big thanks to our guest mentor, Becca Puglisi and our guest agent mentor (and my lovely agent!) Amaryah Orenstein, both of whom provided great comments and suggestions, and of course to all of our fabulous permanent mentors! And I want to welcome our newest permanent mentor, Holly Bodger, the author of the forthcoming YA novel 5 to 1 (Knopf, May 2015). I can’t wait to read it!
Our May workshop will open for entries at noon, EST, on Saturday May 2, 2015. We'll take the first five Middle Grade, Young Adult, or New Adult entries that meet all guidelines and formatting requirements. Click here to get the rules. I will post when it opens and closes on Adventures in YA Publishing and on twitter (@etcashman), with the hashtag #1st5pages.
In addition to our talented permanent mentors, we have my dear friend and critique partner, author Diana Renn. Diana is the author of three fabulous international YA mysteries, TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE which will be available October 13, 2015. And we have Georgia McBride as our guest editor. In addition to being an author, Georgia is the founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. So get those pages ready!
May Guest Mentor – Diana Renn
Diana writes contemporary novels for young adults featuring globetrotting teens, international intrigue, and more than a dash of mystery. TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE are all published by Viking Children’s Books / Penguin Young Readers Group. She’s also the Fiction Editor at YARN (Young Adult Review Network), an award-winning online magazine featuring short-form writing for teens.
BLUE VOYAGE
An intricately crafted mystery set in the contemporary Middle East.
Zan is a politician’s daughter and an adrenaline junkie. Whether she’s rock climbing or shoplifting, she loves to live on the edge. But she gets more of a rush than she bargained for on a forced mother–daughter bonding trip to Turkey, where she finds herself in the crosshairs of an antiquities smuggling ring. These criminals believe that Zan can lead them to an ancient treasure that’s both priceless and cursed. Until she does so, she and her family are in grave danger. Zan’s quest to save the treasure—and the lives of people she cares about—leads her from the sparkling Mediterranean, to the bustle of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, to the eerie and crumbling caves of Cappadocia. But it seems that nowhere is safe, and there’s only so high she can climb before everything comes tumbling down.
May Guest Editor – Georgia McBride
Georgia McBride is founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. She develops content for film and TV, and is also a speculative fiction writer. Georgia founded the #YAlitchat hashtag and weekly chat on Twitter in 2009. Georgia is one of Publishers Marketplace’s most prolific publishers and has spent most of 2014 atop the editors lists in Young Adult, Digital New Adult and Digital deals. She’s completed over 120 publishing deals on behalf of three imprints in the past 24 months.
Last month we welcomed publisher Georgia McBride to the blog to talk about her phenomenal success with Month9Books, which she founded. Today we're pleased to host Georgia again, but this time we're exploring Georgia the author. Listen in to what goes on in the mind and world of one amazing overachiever. And then check out the giveaways below!
Interview with Georgia McBride, A WOW-Wednesday Post
What advice would you give to first-time writers?Read books in the genre and category you want to write in. Read the big books, the ones that are the mega sellers. This will help you learn the market. Take note of what books are being acquired to get a sense of what agents and publishers are interested in and or effectively selling. Know your weaknesses as a writer and read everything you can on craft and or that specific weakness. Agents and editors freely share information on social media and their own blogs and websites about the publishing business as well as their experiences and opinions. Read it. Join writers groups for in-person support, networking, and mentoring. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t assume your first draft will be THE ONE. Write as much as you can as often as you can. It does not have to be perfect. JUST WRITE. If you don’t write, you are not a writer. And if you aren’t a writer, you will never become an author!
What one thing do you feel made the most difference in getting you from aspiring author to published author?
Confidence. I doubted myself for so long. I worried too much about what people in the business would say. I needed (or so I thought), their approval. Turns out, I needed nothing of the sort.
If you could travel back in time to tell/warn newbie writer or newbie author something, what would that be?
For every 1 person who hates your book, there are sure to be 3 who love it – and that doesn’t include YOU or YOUR MOM. There will be an audience for your work. It might be a small one, niche or GIANT one. BUT, there will be one. Of course, if you never release your book, there can be no one who loves it. And yes, I am shouting in ALL CAPS.
What is your writing/revision process? Is it the same for every book, or does it change from book to book?
I like to revise as I write. I will usually write a chapter, then go back and revise it immediately after.
How do you recover from a writing slump or writer’s block?
I have found that writer’s block stems from the need to control the story, rather than letting the story develop organically. If you don’t know what to write, it could well mean you are heading down a wrong plot path – and the block is the Universe’s way of pointing you in a different direction. I see that block as a gift and hope to inspire others to feel the same. As well, writer’s block can also be caused by fear. Don’t let fear rule your writing.
Who do you most look up to in the literary world and why?
I was inspired by Stephanie Meyer when I read her story. She’s a mom, just like me, and she was able to make a career for herself. She wrote during her kids’ practices and whenever she could make time. It helped me do the same and not feel guilty about finding time for myself to do something I love. And, like me, J.K. Rowling was unemployed when she started penning her novel. If she could find the motivation to do so while living in her car and not give up, then so could I, despite family members telling me to give up. So, I have been tremendously inspired by these women, both moms, both told they couldn’t do what they were compelled to do, and both enjoying success beyond their wildest dreams. Finally – I cannot say enough about Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey and their influence on my life. Oprah showed the world that people of color do love to read. I’m grateful for that.
What are some of your worst fears when it comes to writing?
I’m always worried that I’ve missed something, or could have done something better, or that readers will hate it.
Did you ever feel like giving up on writing? How did you get past that?
I never wanted to give up, although I don’t have nearly as much time nowadays to write my own books.
What was your biggest obstacle in getting published? How did you get over it?
My biggest obstacle was finding an agent who thought the genre I write in was still viable and that readers would want to read it. It killed my confidence since fantasy, paranormal, and horror is all I care to write. So, I struck back starting my own press for works of this very kind and published my novel through that press.
What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done as a writer/author? How did you turn it around?
Hmmm. Stupid? Well, I released my book assuming it was going to sell on its own because I had such a great social media following. That was really, really, really stupid. I turned it around by doing live events, signings, podcasts, interviews, etc. I did the hard work!
What do you struggle with the most in writing and/or in real life?
I struggle with balance. I work all the time to the point where I have no time to actually read for pleasure or to read competitive titles in the market. I hope to change that this year!
Do you read your reviews? How do you deal with negative comments and how do they affect you?
I do read reviews. The bad ones really hurt. But sometimes you have to hear those things so you can possibly fix what you got wrong the first time. Sometimes, bad reviews can make a writer better – if they are willing to change and grow.
About the Author:
Georgia McBride is founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. She develops content for film and TV, and is also a speculative fiction writer. Georgia founded the #YAlitchat hashtag and weekly chat on Twitter in 2009.
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Goodreads About the Book:
Volunteers from a small town in Missouri have been searching for seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller for weeks. Police never mentioned the note she left to say she planned to run away, or her reportedly strange behavior just prior to going missing. They suspect something sinister and more terrifying may be at play.
But Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway. She's found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help, and becomes an instant media sensation.
Grace insists on Gavin's innocence, that he didn't harm her as police suspect. But the evidence is overwhelming, and Grace will need a lot more than her word to clear Gavin's name.
So Grace does the one thing she knows will save him. Despite the potential consequences, she tells police the truth: She is an angel. She didn't run away. She left to protect the people she loves.
But authorities believe that Grace is ill, suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind.
Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse that could change everything humans believe about their origins.
But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true?
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I'm not sure Georgia McBride needs an introduction, but for the few who aren't aware of her #YALITCHAT hashtag on Twitter and the great stuff she's done in the YA community, and the even fewer who haven't heard how Month9Books is exploding from a boutique publisher to a powerhouse, read below! Georgia has been kind to me from the moment I first stumbled into my first #YALITCHAT and had no clue how to chat, and she's been a constant source of inspiration. We're thrilled to have her on the site with us again! And be sure to check all her great giveaways below!
Martina
Interview with Georgia McBride, Founder and Publisher of Month9Books
Georgia is the founder of #YAlitchat on Twitter, a speculative fiction writer, and founder of Georgia McBride Media Group, home of Month9Books, Swoon Romance, and Tantrum Books. She and or her books and authors have been featured in Publishers Weekly, Publishers Marketplace, Galley Cat, USA Today, Publishing Perspectives, RT Book Reviews, Justine Magazine, Suspense Magazine, Locus Magazine, Hunger Mountain, Huffington Post, CNN, SFWA 2011 Spring Bulletin, and more! She is one of the most prolific editors on Publishers Marketplace, having completed more than 130 publishing deals since March 2012.
After a few years of consulting with publishers, freelance editing, vetting submissions for agents, and running writing contests for folks like St. Martin’s Press and Sourcebooks, I was disappointed by how many good books were getting rejected by big publishers who had grown tired of paranormal and fantasy, or wouldn’t touch science fiction for teens. So, I approached a few writer friends like Michelle Zink, Lisa Matchev, Nancy Holder and others about doing an anthology containing dark retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes. That experience left me with a taste for something more and an affirmation that readers STILL want to read this very material. It was a trial by fire of negotiations with seventeen different literary agents, editing twenty-two stories, finding distribution for the work, and getting it to market. And then, the anthology was optioned for TV, which to me, was further proof of concept. Writers and agents took notice and from that, Month9Books was born.
That was in 2012. What does Month9Books look like today?Month9Books has grown in ways I never would have imagined. We have 46 titles in print and approximately 40 more coming through 2016. Month9Books is now part of Georgia McBride Media Group, a company that is home to two other publishing brands, Swoon Romance, a digital romance line and Tantrum Books, a middle grade whimsical fantasy line. Through Georgia McBride Media Group, I originate content, package books, and develop and sell content into the film and TV markets. Month9Books titles have been optioned for TV/film, including
Dead Jed: Adventures of a Middle School Zombie,
Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes,
Nameless, and
The Undertakers. We are distributed by the oldest and second largest distributor in the country, IPG, and are represented in foreign markets by Susan Schulman Literary Agency. Our works are available in audiobook and throughout the world in the English language.
What titles are you most proud of or excited about?I am proud of all my authors and their books. But there are some titles that are highly anticipated this year, so I will mention those.
The Artisans by Julie A. Reece is an amazing, rich and emotive fantasy with all the feels and a smoking hot book boyfriend to die for. We tried something atypical with its cover and hope readers will connect with this amazing story.
The Artisans on GoodreadsHunted is the follow up to Abi Ketner and Missy Kaliciki’s bestselling book
Branded, which spent four months at Number 1 in Amazon’s Dystopian category and also in its Top 20 Teen Dystopian category, getting as high as No 9. For those four months, it was the only title in the Teen Dystopian category’s Top 20 that is not a TV show or film. Previously self-published in 2013,
Branded, which has sold more than 35,000 units to date, and is poised to continue its successful run in 2015!
Hunted on AmazonTraitor is book 3 in the bestselling
Dragonrider Chronicles series from Nicole Conway. Both
Fledging and
Avian were Amazon No 1 in Children’s Fantasy and also in Dragon Stories. The series has sold roughly 40,000 units to date.
Avian on AmazonAvian on Barnes and NobleSerpentine is a lush, evocative, and richly-drawn historical fantasy that takes place in the legendary Kingdom of Xia. Written by Cindy Pon,
Serpentine is like no fantasy I have ever read. It releases in September.
In the Beginning is our 2015 charity anthology collection of YA dark retellings of biblical stories slated for release in October. Sales of proceeds from the first 500 units will be donated to WriteGirl, who, within a community of women writers, promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls.
Where do you see your company in five years?I would like to continue expansion into foreign markets as well as continue to develop original titles for film and TV. I see Month9Books growing into a talent and content incubator. I want to be the go-to brand for teen and tween speculative fiction content across all media.
What has been your greatest achievement to date?I am proud of being able to develop content that has proven to be viable in other markets and formats such as film and TV and audio.
Do you accept unagented submissions?We work with over 40 agents. Of course, we do accept unsolicited submissions as well. What kind of YA Lit community activist would I be if we didn’t? Visit month9books.submittable.com to submit.
If you could change one thing about your journey, what would it be?I wish I had decided to start Month9Books sooner, rather than allow myself to be told not to follow my instincts by those in publishing who were supposed to have been in the know.
Where can readers and writers find you and or your books?Our books are available at indie bookstores, larger chains like Barnes and Noble and Books-a-Million, libraries across the country, and of course, online at Amazon, iBooks, etc. In April,
ENDLESS, a historical time travel novel, will be featured as in-flight reading on Southwest Airlines! Around town, you will find our authors at BEA, BookCon, ALA, Teen Author Bootcamp, Dragon Con, YALLWest, and more!
What advice to do you have for anyone who might want to start their own presses?Learn everything you can about the publishing business. You won’t know which rules to break if you don’t know the rules to begin with. Also, align yourself with people you respect and in whom you can trust. Never stop learning, adapting, and growing. Strive to obtain trade and professional memberships. Be yourself. Be fiercely competitive without making enemies. Build YOUR brand, not the recreation of someone else’s. Get a good IP attorney, business attorney, and accountant!
Today we have the AMAZING Georgia McBride here for a guest post. Georgia is a speculative fiction writer and freelance editor. She is founder of #YALITCHAT on twitter and its associated non-profit YALITCHAT.ORG. Find her. Follow her. You'll be glad you did!
The Terror Within: A Hypothetical Look at Changing Agents
PART I
by Georgia McBride
You’ve done it! You’ve finished your query, polished and sent it to several hundred of your favorite agents. You can’t sleep, you barely eat and you lie awake at night wondering if you remembered to sign the email, include your phone number and add page numbers to the manuscript. While waiting you decide on a subscription to Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Weekly with the goal of cyber-stalking the agents. You need to see what they’ve sold, for how much and note any new clients they may have signed since you subbed. Obsession forces you into checking email every other minute, even though your smart phone is set to check for email every five minutes.
Friends and family hardly recognize you. You’ve become distant, spending most of your time on the Blue Boards, YALITCHAT groups and Absolute Write. You know those people will give it to you straight. They are of course, your peeps.
And then, it happens. The moment you’ve been waiting for, actually happens. Only, it happens at the completely wrong time—in the middle of little Johnny’s soccer game or cutie pie Mila’s dance recital. You want to read the email, to read it again, to memorize it. You want to send it to your friends or post it online for expert analysis of content and context. You’re in a raw panic and can concentrate on nothing until you put Johnny and Mila down, and then go READ YOUR EMAIL. After all, this is what you’ve been waiting for. Duh.
The email is great. Cryptic, awesome and scary. It puts the ball squarely in your court. Awesome Agent wants to TALK to You. Like, a real-live conversation. Not on twitter during #askagent but IRL! And as quickly as the elation came, it fades, leaving room for terror to settle in. What will you say? How will manage to articulate like a person of above average intelligence? What if you don’t hit it off? Maybe she has me mixed up with someone else? Oh Lord. Glee is on then!
You consider jumping from the second story window. Why not? It’s a dream right? You can’t break your legs in a dream. Can you? Then you consider calling your BFF in Florida who totally gets you, except she’s not a writer and will not understand why you are so panicked about getting something you wanted. Then you realize she doesn’t know you at all. The writer you is a completely insecure, irrational crazy creative person. You promise to never let her see you this way and hug Renesme the cat for comfort.
The daze lifts and it’s time to talk to your would-be new agent. She is everything you dreamed of, and more. Angels sing in the background as she describes how your manuscript moved her. The sound takes you to a vision of your very first books-signing. The line is out the door and snaked around the corner. Of course it is. You are a New York Times bestseller. Have been for weeks. No. Months. But no! You forgot your Sharpie and the panic brings you back to the conversation with Awesome Agent. She’s silent. You’ve not been paying attention and she
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Thanks for sharing this Georgia. It's a scary situation some of us have to go through. It's good to know it could happen.
Thanks also for the giveaway. I checked out Georgia's blog.
Great post, Georgia! Can't wait to read part 2.
Unfortunately, I keep hearing about more and more stories like this. Looking forward to part 2.
Very real portrayal of an unfortunate (and unfortunately common) situation. Looking forward to reading part 2!
I have an overwhelming urge to e-hug you.
Wow. I've heard something like this more often than I should. It's scary. I hope to never find myself in this position, and I eagerly await part 2!
Thanks for sharing! Love your tweet chats.
By God yes, this was helpful. As I am sitting here on month three since The Call. Will her edits really be here "any day?"
Wow, what a ride/read. The terror within, indeed. Sounds like what every writer "nightmares" about. But I've heard similar real life stories about writers who've gotten through this, who've gone on to get GREAT agents after a bad experience with a first one.
The more I read and hear, I think it's pretty usual for an agent to take months to get back on a revision. Agents are busy people. Like editors. The world of publishing runs slowly--so we gotta distract ourselves by continuing to write. It's the only way to stay sane!
Thanks for the wonderful post! You never realize what can happen until the decision is already made. Hindsight.
left comment at georgia's blog
Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
Great post--so well written and so entertaining. Looking forward to more. :-)
hug Renesme the cat for comfort.
Bah-ha-ha!
Ok, that post was completely terrifying, but you had me in your grasp the whole time! :) Can't wait to hear the next one! :)
Talk about a hook and then all that rising action! You have it here. Super post!
And this is one reason why I didn't sign with an agent after getting The Call. I read comments from former clients that her communication dropped off once you signed with her. Not what I wanted in an agent.
Great post, although you left me hanging. Can't wait for part 2. I stopped by the blog as well and checked out, "I didn't connect with your character" as that was a comment I got from an agent who read my first 50. Good advice, I'm going to return and read it more thoroughly for tips on how to fix it--especially if I get a few more of those :)
thanks for the great advice.
Thanks for the post. Please enter me in contest. [email protected]
awesome post, Georgia. We all know ppl who have been through this. It's unfortunate, but it happens. Nothing to do except pick yourself up and start again. Quitting isn't an option if publication is your goal.
Wow, and to think there's more to worry about once you HAVE your agent. lol So many things to consider. Good point Stina brings up... do your homework on the agent.
Thanks for the reminder, Georgia!
Thanks for commenting and stopping by my blog. I had fun writing this and hope it helps to add a little humor to a very serious and heartbreaking situation for some. I look forward to Part 2 which I think is coming next month. And (wait for the shameless plug), please subscribe to my blog to be notified of PART 3! Yes, Virginia, there is a final part coming that I hope you will also enjoy! Thanks to the ladies of Adventures in Children's Publishing for asking me to do this! XO - Georgia
Oh my gosh. My palms are sweating. I have an agent. She is amazing, but I almost had a panic attack reading this!
Oh my goodness, this has me biting my nails. I don't have an agent yet, but I hope I never have to deal with this!
Very interesting post. It's a shame that we work so hard to land an agent's attention, and even when we finally do, may still have to make the important decision of hiring them. I hope we all make the right choice, but as stated in this posts, sometimes you just can't know.