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This is a recurring column I’m calling “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,” where writers (this installment written by G.M. Malliett, mystery author of multiple novels) at any stage of their career can talk about writing advice and instruction as well as how they possibly got their book agent — by sharing seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning.

(Learn tips on how to write a query letter.)

GIVEAWAY: G.M. 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.

G.M. Malliet is the author of WICKED AUTUMN, an NBC “Today” show
Summer Reads Pick (Charlaine Harris). Her first book won the Agatha
Award for Best First Mystery, and her two most recent books were chosen
by Library Journal for their best mysteries lists of 2011 (WICKED AUTUMN)
& 2012 (A FATAL WINTER). Visit her website at http://GMMalliet.com. 

 1. Write what you love to read. Authors just starting out often misinterpret the standard advice to “write what you know.” Perhaps you know a lot about root canals or tax law, but the trick is to write the type of book you most love to read—thriller, love story, or historical novel. That way you know what’s been done before, and what you can build upon. Your insider knowledge of tax law may come into play, perhaps in a legal thriller, but a little of that will go a long way. By the same token…

2. Don’t write a Scandinavian mystery, unless you happen to be Scandanavian. Even if you read the Steig Larsson books a dozen times, trying to write a book with a setting and culture you know little about will guarantee an unhappy ending.

(Writing a thriller? Check out our list of thriller literary agents.)

3. Don’t invent a series character you wouldn’t marry. You may have to live with this character for a very long time. Agatha Christie famously wanted to throttle Hercule Poirot and his mustaches with her bare hands before she was done with him or he with her. By the same token, avoid Agatha’s mistake in inventing an elderly protagonist unless you yourself are elderly. This leads us to…

4. Plan Ahea… As the old joke goes, particularly if you are writing a book that is part of a planned series. I called my first Max Tudor novel Wicked Autumn. The second book in the series was A Fatal Winter. So far, so good. You may have spotted that I have a seasonal trend going here. I have a strong title in mind for the spring book, but a title for the summer book eludes me. I figure I’ll cross that fjord when I get there. For the fifth book I am in trouble unless they invent a new season. Or I could switch to using Swedish titles: Swedish for autumn, I am told, is “höst.”

5. Never get too attached to your book title. Getting too attached to anything you’ve written is asking for trouble, but titles can be particularly problematic. Writers tend to cling to their titles until they have to be pried from their cold dead hands. I’ve been lucky that out of five books I’ve had published (the first three were the St. Just series for Midnight Ink) only one title was rejected. Midnight Ink’s marketing department wanted to keep the third title consistent with the first two. They were probably right about this, but it led to the sort of lengthy exchange of emails that can take years off an author’s life. I still mourn that lost title, and I plan to resurrect it one day. But unless they want to call your book Boring Novel or Stupid Book or something else you just can’t live with, let it go.

(Read the guest column “What’s in a Title? Everything.”)

6. Listen to half the advice you get from those who critique your work. The question, of course, is “Which half?” But it’s your book, and you should be able to defend it before you even think of showing it to anyone: critique group partner, agent, editor—anyone. What you share should be your strongest effort, and you should have a very good reason for every decision you’ve made in writing it. Before you’ve reached the point of confidence (this is different from stubbornness, by the way), you’ll probably be quick to go on the defensive. You may cling mulishly to what is clearly not working in the book. Avoid the chance of ignoring good advice when it is given by thinking the whole thing through ahead of time.

7. The only way around Writer’s Block is to drive straight through it. Whether you’re cleaning out your garage or writing a book, the same principle applies: Never tackle a big project all at once. Approach it as a series of little projects strung together. Maybe you don’t feel like describing a character today, so work on your setting. If that plot twist isn’t working, work on something else you know you want to have in your book. Imagine the house where you protagonist lives, or where he goes for coffee every day, and describe it in one short but finely honed paragraph. That’s it. You’re done for the day. Tomorrow, tackle the next part of the story that happens to engage your attention. When you’ve stitched all these pieces together, what you’ll have is a finished novel.

GIVEAWAY: G.M. 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.

Are you a subscriber to Writer’s Digest magazine
yet? If not, get a discounted one-year sub here.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• New Literary Agent Seeking Clients: Gemma Cooper of The Bent Agency.
• Interview With Agent Helen Zimmerman, Who Seeks Fiction and Nonfiction.
• How to Publicize and Promote Your Book: 7 Tips.
• Sell More Books by Building Your Writer Platform.
• Exactly What Your Pitch Should NOT Look Like.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.

Want to build your visibility and sell more books?
Create Your Writer Platform shows you how to
promote yourself and your books through social
media, public speaking, article writing, branding,
and more. Order the book from WD at a discount.

Enjoy a little rock & roll music from time to time? Who doesn’t? Well I’m trying something fun and different (again!) today as a Tuesday pick-me-up to try and get your week going. It’s my own crazy variation of NAME THAT TUNE and I’m calling it WD’S TUNESDAY. This is Volume 2. It runs until Dec. 19, 2012. See Volume 1 here.

The rules and the gist are simple. Watch the video. I play 12 riffs on my guitar. You try to name as many of them as you can, and e-mail me your answers to literaryagent at fwmedia dot com. The person who names the most correct answers gets lots of cool prizes (see below). It’s a great excuse to call upon friends and relatives to help you ID the songs, as they are from different decades. It’s also a great excuse to blow off whatever dull work you’re doing and listen to music instead. And if you can’t name all 12 songs, feel free to enter anyway! If no one can name all 12, the closest number wins. ALSO: If you can name 8 correctly, you automatically get entered into a drawing to a win a free WD book!

You think you got what it takes? Need a little rock & roll music to liven up your day? Then listen in as I try to do these riffs justice on my guitar. Simply click on the video to play. The rules and prizes are below. Good luck! Feel free to share news of the contest with this TinyURL link: http://tinyurl.com/b6etzfw

THE PRIZES

1. A one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com (value: $50)
2. A free critique by me of any one of the following: 1) your query letter, 2) your synopsis, 3) your first 2 double-spaced manuscript pages.
3. A short, lighthearted “Winner Interview” with you posted on this blog and the WritersDigest.com homepage to get to know you and your writing projects real quick. (Receives 100,000+ page views a month. The interview, naturally, is optional.)
4. Praise from yours truly as the first awesome winner of the Tunesday challenge.

HOW TO ENTER (IMPORTANT — READ THIS!)

To enter, email your answers to literaryagent@fwmedia.com. DO NOT LEAVE OFFICIAL ENTRIES BELOW — THEY DO NOT COUNT. E-mail is the official way to enter because if you write some of the answers below, you cannot win and people will only steal your answers. I cannot shut off comments for this post, but if you leave a comment that has answers, I will delete it as quickly as I can. That said, feel free to ask questions or talk about anything else in the comments. You can also email me, if need be.

RULES FOR VOLUME 2 (AND STRATEGY)

• E-MAIL me your answers to compete. That is the only way to officially enter to get the awesome prizes below.
• Past winners cannot win again.
• E-mail your answers to literaryagent@fwmedia.com with the word “Tunes” in the subject line.
• You need to correctly identify the song title in full or at least very close. You do NOT need to correct ID the artist, but feel free to.
• If multiple people are able to guess all 12 riffs, then the first one to do so correctly is the grand-prize winner. So time does factor in. That said, it will be interesting to see if someone guesses all 12 right and how quickly. It is unclear whether speed will be of the essence or if someone will wait a while until they figure out all 12.
• You are only allowed one entry per person, so make sure you get your guesses right before submitting.
• If no one guesses all 12 correctly (quite possible), then the person who guesses the most, the soonest, will win.
• If you can guess 8 correctly, you are automatically entered into a raffle to win a free WD book. So there is value in entering even if some tunes stump you.
• The song choices vary a lot, and I tried to make this somewhat difficult. I highly encourage you to call upon relatives of different ages to help you decipher these tasty licks.
• Contest is over at EOD, Dec. 19, 2012. I will then review all submitted emails and announce winners 1) on this post, 2) in a new post, and 3) by a personal notification via email.
• Contest is open to all persons worldwide not working for F+W Media, or directly related to someone who works at F+W media. Questions? Leave them in the comments below. Good luck!

The Songwriter’s Market is the bible for unsigned
artists looking to find an artist or producer and
showcase their musical talents.

For years, I played around town in a Cincinnati
cover band and blogged about the ridiculous
soap opera on this blog. Read all the humorous stories here.

“How to Write a Query Letter” is probably one of the most important and common topics that we discuss here at Writer’s Digest. After all, a query is your all-important tool to get an agent to request more of your work, and eventually sign you as a client and sell your book. Your query letter must be short, but it must also explain what your book is about and hook the reader in. With all that in mind, we’re very excited to announce an all-new webinar called “Query Letter Intensive” taught by literary agent Michelle Wolfson (Wolfson Literary) on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. All attendees get their query critiqued. Keep reading to learn more.

Sign up for the webinar here!

The 2013 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is out and available in major bookstores! I’m super pumped about its release. It’s a great resource guide for writers of picture books and novels for kids (young adult, middle grade) as well as illustrators.

The new 2013 edition of the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is out, all updated and packed with info. Now in its 25th year, the newest edition still provides great market and submission/contact information for book publishers, international publishers, literary agents, contests, magazines, conferences and more. In addition to hundreds of markets for your kids book, this new edition has the following:

• Profiles of debut authors who broke out as well as acclaimed novelists like Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce.
• A special interview roundup featuring advice and thoughts from 30 SCBWI advisors worldwide.
• “New Agent Spotlights” that pinpoint new/newer literary reps who are actively seeking submissions and clients NOW.

Buy it here! When you order any product from our Writer’s Digest shop, you get the same deep discount you find on Amazon. Need more reason to buy? How about 5 darn good testimonials below from these very cool people.

THE GIVEAWAY!!! Comment on this post and just say anything nice about any element of Writer’s Digest you enjoy — from a blog post to a class or a book or anything else. In two weeks, I will pick 2 winners randomly to win a copy of the book! It’s that easy. 

“Whenever anyone asks for publishing advice,
I tell them to grab the latest edition of Children’s
Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market.”

- JAY ASHER, author of the #1 New York
Times bestseller 13 Reasons Why
and The Future of Us

“CWIM is a great resource for artists and writers
who are ready to share their talent with the world.”

- MEG CABOT, author of multiple #1 New York Times
bestsellers, including the Princess Diaries series

“CWIM is an invaluable resource for any aspiring
writer hoping to get published. It helped me a lot
and I recommend it to everyone.”

- JAMES DASHNER, New York Times best-selling
author of The Maze Runner series

“Children’s Writer’s & Illustartor’s Market is invaluable
for writers of children’s books. Chock-full of publishing
resources, it’s a must-have.”

- BECCA FITZPATRICK, author of Hush-Hush
and Crescendo

“If you’re serious about writing or illustrating for
young people, the information, tools and insights
within the Children’s Writer’s & Illustartor’s Market
will get you started on the right path.”

- Wendy Toliver, author of Lifted

Pick up the 2013 edition of CWIM here!

NEWS: Literary agent Erin Harris has moved from the Irene Skolnick Literary Agency to Folio Literary Management, where she will focus on growing their literary fiction list, in addition to representing book club fiction, YA, and select narrative nonfiction titles.

HOW TO SUBMIT: She is actively seeking submissions and can be reached at: eharris [at] folioliterarymanagement.com.

GLA: First off, tell us about this exciting new move.

ES: I am so thrilled to be a part of the team at Folio Literary Management!  Folio is a full-service and forward-thinking agency that’s on the cutting-edge of publishing. To learn even more about us, writers can check out the July issue of Poets & Writers and visit our website: www.foliolit.com. Folio’s roster of novelists is impressive, and this year we are looking to add to it! One of my roles at the agency will be to champion debut literary fiction. Some of Folio’s current fiction authors include New York Times bestselling author Garth Stein (The Art of Racing in the Rain) and New York Times bestselling author and Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize nominee Eowyn Ivey (The Snow Child).

Folio also has a wonderful roster of literary authors who write narrative nonfiction, among them: New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Letts (The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, The Horse That Inspired a Nation) and New York Times bestselling author Quill Award nominee Charles Shields (Mockingbird and And So It Goes).

Joining Folio’s list are some wonderful writers I’ve  worked with in the past: debut novelists Bryan Furuness, author of the forthcoming The Lost Episodes of Review Bryson (Dzanc/Black Lawrence Press) and Jennifer Laam, author of the forthcoming The Secret Daughter of the Tsar (St. Martin’s Press/Griffin); and nonfiction writers Carla Power, author of the forthcoming memoir If The Oceans Were Ink (Henry Holt/Times Books), and Executive Editor of The New Criterion David Yezzi, author of the forthcoming biography Anthony Hecht: Poet and the Age (St. Martin’s Press).

GLA: Does this mean you’ll be accepting different categories? Any changes?

ES: My focus will basically remain the same, but with a few minor changes, namely I WON’T be focusing on YA and middle grade fantasies. Literary fiction is my bailiwick. I also love book club fiction; historical fiction; literary suspense/noir/mystery/thriller; contemporary YA; and narrative nonfiction. But I can get more specific than that…

Regarding FICTION for adults, I’m especially interested in:

• Novels set against the backdrop of another time, place, or culture.  I’m someone who believes fiction has much to teach us about history, psychology, and anthropology. (I’m a huge fan of Zadie Smith, Orhan Pamuk, Nicole Krauss, Chris Cleave, Sue Monk Kidd, Donald Ray Pollock, and Salman Rushdie.)
• Novels that incorporate some kind of surreal or magical element. (I can’t get enough of novels in the vein of Karen Russell’s Swamplandia!, Téa Obrecht’s The Tiger’s Wife, and Karen Thomson Walker’s The Age of Miracles.)
• Novels with mystery and suspense in their DNA, or ones with a noir aesthetic.  (Think: Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and Lawrence Block.)

Regarding YOUNG ADULT, I’m interested in:

• Contemporary, voice-driven novels that approach the universal experience of being a teenager from a surprising or an unlikely perspective (Some favorite authors: John Green, David Levithan, and Peter Cameron).
• Though I enjoy some paranormal romances (Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed, and Lauren Oliver’s Delirium), I’m currently shying away from representing anything involving angels, chimera, Greek gods, and dystopias. I am, however, open to YA books with highly original supernatural concepts or undertones.

Regarding NONFICTION:

• I’m drawn to adventure narratives, particularly those in which physical and spiritual journeys become intertwined (Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, Cheryl Strayed’s Wild).
• I also enjoy memoirs that illuminate another culture or explore cross-cultural conflict (Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s Go To the Dogs Tonight, Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Infidel).
• I’m fascinated by “big idea” books that reveal underlying yet unexpected truths about our society (Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, Susan Cain’s Quiet).

Regardless of genre, I gravitate toward books that have both compelling concepts and impeccable, stop-you-in-your-tracks writing.  Give me a topic or an idea that I can’t wait to tell editors about – and that I can explain clearly and succinctly.  Give me prose that leaps off the page.  I’m a real sucker for sentences that demand to be read aloud. Also, I should mention that I love bad-ass female protagonists across the board.

GLA: Will your move affect how quickly you reply to queries?

ES: Due to the volume of queries I receive, I can only respond to queries in the affirmative.  If I’m interested, I will request more material.  I do read all of my queries, and I consider them carefully.  Your submission should include:

1. A brief description of your project
2. Your author bio: please let me know about any publications, awards, residencies, schooling, professional or personal contacts that may be relevant.
3. The first ten pages of your manuscript or nonfiction proposal

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming writers conferences?

ES: Indeed!  You can find me here:

1.    Hook, Line, and Sinker (October 22-24, 2012)
2.    Backspace (November 1-2, 2012)
3.    Unicorn Writers’ Conference (March 9, 2013)
4.    Wilkes University Low Residency Program  (January 10-12, 2013)
5.    Grub Street’s The Muse and the Marketplace (May 2013)

GLA: Is there anything else you’d like writers to know about you?

ES: I am a hands-on agent, and I often work with my writers in an editorial capacity.  I have an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School, a degree I pursued in order to become a more effective editor and compassionate literary advocate.  I will also help writers with publicity and platform-building.  To that end, I co-curate H.I.P. Reading Series, and I’m a member of Women’s Media Group and PEN American Center.

The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent edition online at a discount.

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 Emily Hainsworth.

Emily Hainsworth is the author of THROUGH TO YOU (Oct. 2012,
Balzar + Bray). She was raised in upstate New York and currently
resides in Denver with her husband, cat, and standard poodle.
THROUGH TO YOU is her first novel. You can visit her online
at www.emilyhainsworth.com.

1. Allow yourself to dream. Before I had a book deal or even an agent, I used to spend a significant amount of time daydreaming about becoming an author. What it might be like, how it might change my life. At the time, this felt silly and self-indulgent, but the daydreams kept me going, thirsting for a taste of true success. If I’d given them up, I might’ve given up hope, and I never would have seen those dreams finally coming true.

2. Surround yourself with people who have similar goals. As in many aspects of life, it helps to have friends working toward similar goals. I didn’t know anyone else who even wrote YA when I started out, but I quickly found supportive friends beginning their publication journeys, just like me. Almost every one of the people I met back then now either has an agent or a book deal. You can boost each other up the rungs of the ladder—you don’t need someone at the top to pull you up.

3. You’ll never understand constructive criticism until it’s been given AND received. I never appreciated the feedback people offered when critiquing my manuscripts until I was put in a position to offer the same people insight into their own work. Deconstructing flaws in someone else’s story will help you identify similar issues in your own writing. It’s amazing how perfect words can seem until you’ve had a two-way feedback exchange.

4. Writing is important, but so if your personal life! Sometimes I get fixated on my goals and it’s difficult to see anything but the brass ring I’m reaching for. Being driven is a gift, don’t get me wrong, but don’t lose sight of your support system along the way. If your spouse/family/friends are giving you space to work endless hours on that manuscript, take time to show them how much you appreciate their confidence in you. Many sacrifices are made on the road to publication, but your loved ones should not be among them.

5. Don’t let success grind your productivity to a halt. After THROUGH TO YOU sold, I became consumed by ‘what happens next.’ But the thing is, not a lot does happen immediately after your first book sale. You should simply keep writing. I spent so much time worrying about what the editing process would be like and what my next book should be that by the time I started making progress on the second book, I was very behind and wished I hadn’t let myself get side-tracked.

6. Don’t be afraid: authors, agents, editors, even filmmakers are people too. The first time I spoke on the phone with many of these people, I was petrified. I don’t even remember some of the conversations because I was so sick to my stomach with worry I’d say the wrong thing. In retrospect, I probably would’ve made a better impression if I’d remembered each of these people had to get started somewhere, just like me…and they didn’t somehow become super-human in the process.

7. If you did it once, you can do it again. This goes for everything from completing a second manuscript to selling a second book… and beyond. The first book I wrote didn’t get me an agent and will never be published. When I realized I needed to abandon it and start from scratch, I wasn’t sure I had it in me. Starting a novel is the hardest part for me, but I did it a second time, and it got me an agent and a book deal. I just repeated the process with my next published book, and will go for it again with the one after that. It doesn’t get easier, but it is possible to start from the blank page all over again.

This guest column is a supplement to the
“Breaking In” (debut authors) feature of Natalie
in Writer’s Digest magazine. Are you a subscriber
yet? If not, get a discounted one-year sub here.

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 Thao: She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Econ-Management Science and Chinese Studies. While interning at the agency during college, she realized where her true love lies — books — and joined the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency full-time in 2011.

She is seeking: Thao is currently building her list and is specifically interested in middle grade and YA, as well as adult science-fiction and fantasy. She’s particularly drawn to smart, strong and sassy characters (whether they be robots, fairies, demons or of the human variety) and twisty plots with a compelling narrative. She’s always on the lookout for the type of stories that make you stay curled up in bed, turning page after page even after the sun has come up.

Please note that Thao is specifically not interested in: biographies, business books, cookbooks, picture books, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, self-help, short stories, travel books

How to contact: thao (at) dijkstraagency.com. “We only accept electronic submissions. Any hardcopy submissions received by mail will be recycled unopened. Please send a query letter, a 1-page synopsis, a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history), and the first 10-15 pages of your manuscript. Please send all items in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment.”

The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent edition online at a discount.

The 11th (free!) “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest on the GLA blog has now formally been judged by agent Sara Sciuto. This 11th installment took place last month and was for writers of middle grade. See the winners below!

Note: The 12th contest, for writers of mystery novels, is live/open until EOD, Sept. 15, 2012.

WINNERS!

The three winners, as chosen by agent judge Sara Sciuto, are, in no order:

Stefanie Wass
THE WRITE WAY HOME

Charline Profiri
WORD NERD

Kathryn Sparks
MISS REALITY NATALIE

PRIZES!!!

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

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) AGENT JUDGE!

Sara Sciuto is a new member of Full Circle Literary. A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, Sara also completed literature coursework at NYU. Before joining Full Circle, she gained valuable experience working on film and foreign rights with the Taryn Fagerness Agency. Her great passions in life are travel and good food – and good books, of course, but that goes without saying! While she’s always cultivating new obsessions, her latest are photography and sailing. Find her on Twitter. She specializes in books for children. Below find four children’s novels that her agency, Full Circle Literary, has repped:

Learn more about Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada.

Learn more about Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez.

Learn more about The Code Busters Club 1, by Penny Warner.

Learn more about Border Town: Crossing the Line (start of a series), by Malin Alegria.

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 kids writer Kami Kinard.

GIVEAWAY: Kami 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. 

Kami Kinard is the author of THE BOY PROJECT: NOTES AND
OBSERVATIONS OF KARA MCALLISTER (Scholastic, Jan. 2012).
Her poetry, stories, articles, and essays have appeared in periodicals
for children and adults. Kami also works as a teaching artist for SC
schools, and teaches writing courses for continuing education programs.
She lives with her family in balmy, buggy, and beautiful Beaufort, SC.
Connect with her through her blog, Facebook, Twitter, or see her book trailer here.

1. Recognize that you have a lot to learn. There is a stage in every writer’s life when they think everything they write is great. There is a name for this stage: beginner. Often when we start writing we are so excited about what we produce that we fail to see how much we have to learn. My writing improved dramatically after I realized that it needed to do just that.

2. Get feedback on your work. The only way to see things clearly is through lenses other than your own. I learned so much when I finally joined a critique group. Specifically, I learned how to improve my craft. When not actively involved in a group, I have a writing partner who reads everything I write. If a critique group doesn’t appeal to you, you can pay for critiques at conferences, or hire a freelance editor. Others will be able to see problems you are blind to. Trust me.

3. Invest in your career. If you chose to be a doctor, a lawyer, or an architect, you wouldn’t be able to open shop without an education. While no one requires this of authors, if your career is important to you, make an investment in it. Travel to conferences where writers you admire will be speaking or teaching. Take classes and go to workshops. If you are willing to keep improving and keep learning, you will eventually get an agent and a publisher. I spent the first few years of my career “saving money” by not attending events. That was a very expensive mistake.

4. You need an agent, even if you think you don’t. It is still possible to sell a book without an agent, but what happens next? Contracts are complicated these days with audio rights, e-book rights, and foreign rights and more. Unless you have experience with contract negotiations, allow an agent to help you. You will most likely get a better advance, and an agent will be able act as a liaison between you and your publisher if anything goes wrong. I have sold books with and without an agent, so I speak from experience. Which of my books do you see in bookstores across the country today? The one my agent sold.

5. Don’t be afraid to outsource. You’ve heard the phrase “life happens,” right? Sometimes life happens in ways that can impede our careers. Four months before my book debuted, I ended up spending most of my time in a hospital room with a family member. I needed to be planning for my book’s release, but I didn’t have a minute. My self-designed website needed upgrading. A book trailer needed to be produced. A blog tour needed to be scheduled. I finally realized that if I wanted these things done, I was going to have to pay someone else to do them. A friend found a web designer for me, my editor gave met the name of a film student who made trailers, and I found another writer willing to research the market and target blogs for a potential tour. I also asked her to find out what other things I should be doing to promote my book. She named a price. I paid her twice that. It was worth every penny.

 6. There is strength in numbers… join a group. I am a member of The Apocalypsies, a group of 2012 debut children’s authors. Because we are a large group, bloggers and other book lovers contact us as a unit.  I’ve had many more opportunities to promote my book through the Apocalypsies than I would have had on my own. I didn’t know about this type of group until the writer I hired to do research found it for me. I was one of the last members to join. I love being part of it! But I missed a number of opportunities because I joined late.

7. Make friends. A lot of people will tell you to go to conferences to make connections, but friends I’ve made through these events are far more valuable.  It is wonderful to have friends who have similar career goals and who understand the challenges authors face. I am thankful to have shared my journey as an author with awesome friends!

GIVEAWAY: Kami 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

Writing books for kids? There are
hundreds of publishers, agents and
other markets listed in the latest
Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market.
Find it here online at a discount.

.

If you want to find success as an author — whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing — you must make an effort to connect with other people. That’s the whole point of social media like Twitter and Facebook — to connect with readers and writers. But fundamentally more important than social media is simply having a comprehensive author website. That’s why we’ve enlisted eMedia professor and guru Jane Friedman to teach the webinar “Create an Author Website in 24 Hours or Less” at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, September 20, 2012. The intensive class lasts two hours.

Speaking from an editor’s perspective, I can tell you that having a simple, neat website is absolutely essential. You must have something show up when people Google you or try to connect with you. You must have a website that clearly states who you are, what you write, and has a picture of you. Learn more about Jane’s workshop here. All attendees get to ask Jane as many questions as she wants, and no question goes unanswered.

I’ve come to realize I’m in a unique position to provide perspective on one of the hottest hot-button writing issues of the internet age: namely, the edict that (cue echo effect) The Writer Must Be Paid.

It’s such an obvious rule-of-thumb, only a fool would argue against it. Turns out, I am just that fool. ‘Cause as far as I’m concerned, sometimes (like buskers, ice-cream shops, and Anthony Kiedis) you gotta give it away.

Now, I’m no expert, and I’m not one to prescribe, preach, or proselytize; at best, all I can say is what’s worked for me. Thing is, (judiciously) giving some (short) fiction away has for-seriously worked for me.

Guest column by Chris F. Holm, who was born in Syracuse,
New York, the grandson of a cop who passed along his passion for
crime fiction. His work has appeared in such publications as
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery
Magazine, and THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2011.
He’s been an Anthony Award nominee, a Derringer Award finalist,
and a Spinetingler Award winner. His first novel, DEAD HARVEST
(Angry Robot Books, February 2012), is a supernatural thriller that
recasts the battle between heaven and hell as Golden Era crime pulp.
Its sequel, THE WRONG GOODBYE, comes out September 25.
You can visit him on the web at www.chrisfholm.com.

Confession: I started writing short stories to pad my query letter (spoiler alert: it worked; agents love reputable short story credits). That meant I had to publish the darn things, or they’d be useless to me.

The first short story I ever gave away was called “Seven Days of Rain.” To Demolition Magazine, this was. Though I was delighted they’d accepted it, I was bummed at first they weren’t a paying market. Then “Seven Days of Rain” wound up winning a Spinetingler Award for Best Short Story on the Web, raising my profile considerably, and I didn’t feel so bummed anymore.

The second story I gave away was “The Toll Collectors,” to Beat to a Pulp. That one (he says bitterly, waving a clenched fist at the cruel, uncaring world) didn’t win a bloody thing. It did, however, kick off a rewarding relationship with editor David Cranmer, which has thus far yielded four additional publishing credits (three paid) and what I suspect will be a lasting friendship.

I’m not sure you can say I gave away my short story “Eight Pounds,” since Thuglit sent me a very cool T-shirt for my trouble, but I didn’t, strictly speaking, get paid a dime. Upon publication of that one, I got a letter from a fancy-pants agent, asking if I was in need of representation. I was not (having at that point already procured an agent of sufficiently fancy pants). But when Stuart Neville got a similar letter, he wasn’t agented, and as he’s written on his blog, the whole thing worked out pretty well for him.

At 11,000 words, “The Hitter” was perhaps my most egregious violation of the pay-the-writer edict. One-seventh of a novel just given away, and before I’d ever even seen an issue of the magazine I gave it to. But I knew the guy who’d asked for it from Twitter, and I believed in the vision he and his cohorts had for Needle. Plus, when he asked for it I’d recently been laid off, so I figured why not write something for them? I had the time.

Not quite a year later, “The Hitter” was selected to appear in THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2011 (the check for which was the most I’ve ever gotten paid for one short story) and nominated for an Anthony. Which (and again I’m no expert here) I’m guessing didn’t hurt my writing career.

I’m not saying you should give work away all willy nilly. In fact, careful readers will note I’m not saying you should do anything at all. What I am saying is I’ve had good luck giving stories away. Now, I wouldn’t give a story away to just anybody; in fact, I’m far more likely to submit to a paying market than a non-paying one. But the fact is, if I’d only published at the venues that paid, I would have missed out on some great career-building opportunities – opportunities that have led directly to agents, editors, and fans discovering my book-length work.

Believe me, if you want to stick to paying markets, that’s cool with me. In a perfect world, all markets would be paying markets. But we live in an era in which anybody with access to the internet and a passion for the written word can be a publisher of short fiction, and it’s important to note most of ‘em lose money doing so even without paying for content. That doesn’t make their tastes any less refined, or the role they play as gatekeepers any less valuable. Long as you do your research beforehand to ensure they’re reputable, I say send away. I’m certainly better off for having done so.

Hook agents, editors and readers immediately.
Check out Les Edgerton’s guide, HOOKED to
learn about writing fiction to pulls readers in.

Getting an agent is hard enough. But leaving your manuscript’s fate in the hands of a stranger is sometimes harder. After spending all that time conceptualizing your story and drafting your chapters and preparing your proposal, it’s often difficult to sit back. Fortunately, you don’t have to. Here are five ways writers can stay involved after they have landed an agent but before their book has sold.

GIVEAWAY: Rachel is excited to give away a free copy of her memoir 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.

Guest column by Rachel Eddey, author of Running of the Bride:
My Frenzied Quest to Tie the Knot, Tear Up the Dance Floor, and
Figure Out Why My 15 Minutes of Fame Included Commercial Breaks (May 2012; skirt!).
The memoir spans her whirlwind wedding experience, from a proposal
on the Sex and the City movie set to appearing on two bridal reality
shows to winning a honeymoon—in four short months.
Join Rachel on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
or at any dive bar in New York City.

1. Provide a tie-in timeline. Look at all the holidays and national events scheduled for the next six months, whether government recognized or injected into the mainstream through a large corporate sponsor. For example, did you know that March 4 is national Grammar Day? Or that June 1 is National Go Barefoot Day? Chances are, your book’s themes tie in to at least a few. However silly or tenuous they might be, making these connections for your agent in advance will help her pinpoint editorial entry points. I used Will and Kate’s 2011 royal wedding to highlight how crazed the nation is over love stories, and it helped me sell my humorous memoir, Running of the Bride.

2. Gather connections. Though agents have many relationships within the publishing industry, it is impossible for them to know everyone. Any connections you can provide are extra tools with which your agent can arm herself. If you don’t think you have any connections, think again. I don’t personally know anyone who works at Simon & Schuster, yet I have immediate access to 6,241 current and former employees. This is all thanks to LinkedIn. As resistant as some of us are to social media, it really is a powerful tool.

LinkedIn is particularly useful in helping writers connect with industry professionals because it lays out not only personal connections but also the connections the user’s friends and friends of friends have. Here’s my breakdown: I recently opened my LinkedIn account and have accumulated just 38 first-degree connections. This balloons to 13,600+ second-degree connections and 1,532,700+ third-degree connections. When I type “Simon & Schuster” into my search box, I get to that 6,241 number—and all these people all in my extended network. I can then prune that list based off what is appropriate for my particular book and present these finds to an agent, who will determine next steps.

3. Research editors. Agents are busy people. While they have a lot of tools at their disposable and priceless institutional knowledge, they don’t always have time. Writers can help here by suggesting appropriate editors. There are several ways to find these. My favorite is through a site called Publishers Marketplace, a paid service that offers, among other useful tools, a “who represents” search box. Be warned, though, that writers do have to be careful about stepping on toes here. My last agent asked me for suggestions, but individual personalities prevail in the creative world. Find what works for your agent-writer relationship.

4. Ask for advice. I wrote to David Sedaris last year asking for advice on how to sell my first book. I don’t know David. But you know what? He wrote back—on a postcard from Paris, no less—with smart, helpful suggestions. I talked these suggestions over with my then-agent and we were able to move our efforts in a different direction because of it. Hearing from people you admire not only helps you think about your own work in different ways, but can also keep you inspired.

5. Build your platform. One refrain editors like to use is that first-time authors often don’t have a platform, meaning they don’t have built-in followers from previous book sales or being a television personality or serving as a world-renowned expert in their field. By building your brand, you help convince editors that you have the power to sell books—the number one attribute they’re seeking in a writer. You can build your platform in a number of ways, from starting a blog or Twitter account to building a Facebook fan page to finding speaking opportunities in your community. The more ways you can link your name to your book’s topic, the better.

There are, of course, far more than five ways a writer can help her agent to the finish line. What has worked for you?

GIVEAWAY: Rachel is excited to give away a free copy of her memoir 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.

Want to build your visibility and sell more books?
Create Your Writer Platform shows you how to
promote yourself and your books through social
media, public speaking, article writing, and more.
Pre-order it now. (Releases Nov. 2012)

“Agent Advice” (more than 160 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 Kate Garrick of DeFiore and Company Author Services, LLC. She joined the publishing world in 2000 after earning her M.A. in English & American Literature from NYU and has been with DeFiore and Company since 2002. She’s originally from Jacksonville, Florida, and is a graduate of Florida State University. She also Tweets.

She is seeking: literary fiction, women’s fiction, short stories, offbeat/quirky pieces, and nonfiction in the areas of politics, memoir, narrative, and cultural/social issues. She does not accept: children’s, young adult, genre fiction (romance, sci-fi, fantasy, westerns), poetry or prescriptive nonfiction.

Briefly, how/why did you become an agent?

It took me two years working as an assistant at an agency, a time during which I investigated the possibility of working in other areas of publishing (editorial, magazines), only to realize I actually wanted to become an agent in my own right. There’s a kind of freedom in agenting—no one’s handed me a mandate or told me to seek out books in particular areas—that, I especially love and would be very reluctant to give up.

Tell us about a recent project you’ve acquired. Title, author, anything notable? How did you know this was a had-to-have project/author?

I recently closed a deal for a novel—The Patron Saint of Ugly by Marie Manilla—that I’m beyond excited to see in print. As with most of the fiction I’ve taken on, it was one of those projects I just *had to* represent—a sure sign is when I find I can’t stop talking about a book for weeks after I’ve finished reading it.

Besides “good writing,” and “voice,” what are you looking for right now in fiction and not getting? Any particular subjects that automatically pique your interest when you see them in the slush pile?

I’m not really motivated by subject, particularly in fiction. If the writing’s great and there’s a strong voice, I can get lost in just about any story.

One of the areas you seek is literary fiction. It seems as though, typically, literary works are thought of as “important” works with beautiful writing and envelope-pushing or groundbreaking subjects. What, to you, constitutes a piece of literary fiction? Something different? Anything more specific?

Oh wow, that’s a tough question! In part, I think, because the line between literary and genre fiction is (thankfully) blurring somewhat. Writers like Gillian Flynn and Tana French come to mind: twenty years ago those books may not have been considered literary, while it seems clear now they are, to some extent at least. I suppose I think of literary fiction as fiction that’s engaged in exploring the world in a meaningful way—I’m not sure if that’s more or less specific than the definition you offered.

While we’re on the subject, what are some of your favorite literary titles? Perhaps list 2-3 you wish you’d repped, so potential queriers can get a sense of your tastes?

Of the novels that have been published since I’ve worked in publishing, I’d say Motherless Brooklyn [by Jonathan Lethem], Cloud Atlas [by David Mitchell], and Gilead [by Marilynne Robinson] would be my top three favorites.

The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent edition online at a discount.

One of the nonfiction areas you represent is politics. Can you expand on that a bit? What are you looking for here? Does the fact that it’s an election year change your tastes at all?

This actually gets me in trouble sometimes, mostly because I’m not terribly interested in representing political screeds. But I *am* interested in the ways we interact with our political system and the ways it can affect us, so something along those lines would appeal to me greatly. It hasn’t landed on my desk yet.

Where are people going wrong in their memoir submissions to you?

Memoir’s become a tough category for me—even though some of my favorite books I’ve sold (Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time [by David Goodwillie], for instance) are memoirs—because 1) it’s become more about the subject than the writing, and 2) it’s harder and harder to shock people with your life story, which is what a subject-based market necessitates.

I should say, too, though, that I’m not terribly interested in being shocked, and so that’s another problem. I’m still open to memoir submissions, but I’m looking for ones that have the same difficult-to-pinpoint quality I’m looking for in fiction—a combination of voice and story that I just can’t turn away from.

According to a profile of you I saw online, you accept short story collections. Is this accurate? If so, what’s the best way to grab your attention here, and how healthy is this market?

I do, but I do so very, very rarely, and generally only when the author is already working on a novel.

What are a few of your favorite industry blogs or Web sites (must-reads for writers)?

I admit I read fewer industry blogs than I used to, but I tend to keep up with Publishers Marketplace and Galleycat. Between the two—and the bookish types I follow on Twitter—I find I’m able to keep up with most everything that’s happening in the industry.

What do you see as the number one thing aspiring authors can do to thrive in publishing?

I’d say behaving in a professional, pleasant way with everyone you encounter on your path to publication is a pretty good start. Obviously, that’s no guarantee of financial success, but it’ll go a long way toward making sure people *want* you to succeed, which is no small part of the battle.

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

I’ve taken a hiatus from writers’ conferences for a while.

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

I have a soft spot for romantic comedies—books and movies (Breakfast at Tiffany’s—the movie—is one of my all-time favorites).

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

Read, read, read. If you’re an aspiring author, there’s no better how-to than the published works of your fellow writers. There’s also no better way to ensure there will be a publishing industry around to potentially publish your work than buying its product.

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 Michelle: As a new literary agent at Mansion Street Literary Management, Michelle Witte brings with her a wealth of experience, not only with juvenile fiction, but with the publishing industry as a whole. Michelle began her career as a journalist, first reporting and then later copy editing for the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second largest paper in the state. From there, she transitioned with her editing skills to nonfiction publisher Gibbs Smith, where she oversaw creation, editing, and production of more than thirty titles, including children’s activity, humor, gift, cookbooks, and a smattering of other topics from blacksmithing to green living. Her entire bio is online at her personal website.

In her spare time she writes on a variety of topics and genres, though her great love is young adult fiction. Her first book, The Craptastic Guide to Pseudo-Swearing, hit stores on June 26, 2012.

She is seeking: Michelle will be primarily representing young adult and middle grade works. She also reps children’s nonfiction.

How to contact: querymichelle (at) mansionstreet.com. “Send a query letter and no more than the first 10 pages of your manuscript in the body of an email. No attachments. Include “QUERY”  as well as your name and title in the subject line of the e-mail. Response time for queries is anything from a few days to six weeks.”

The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent edition online at a discount.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are some of the best options writers have to market themselves and their books. No matter if you’re trying to find a publisher, or your work is self-published/e-published, you need to gain attention for your work to sell books and make yourself a more valuable author. It’s with this in mind that we enlisted eMedia guru Jane Friedman to teach an intensive, all-new webinar on Aug. 16, 2012 called “How to Market and Promote Your Books Using Facebook and Twitter.”

DETAILS

The whole thing goes down at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. It lasts 120 minutes (2 hours). Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for one year. You do not have to attend the live event to get a recording of the presentation. In all WD webinars, no question goes unanswered. Attendees have the ability to chat with the instructor during the live event and ask questions. You will receive a copy of the webinar presentation in an e-mail that goes out one week after the live event. The answers to questions not covered in the live presentation will be included in this e-mail as well. Sign up here.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

It’s essential for today’s authors to market and promote their work, and Facebook and Twitter are often considered critical to any marketing effort because of the sheer volume of their traffic and membership, plus the known impact on word-of-mouth marketing.

But how do you use either network without wasting your time and annoying all your friends and readers? How do you meaningfully impact sales without being unfriended, unfollowed, and tuned out?

The truth is that no two authors can use Facebook and Twitter in exactly the same way. You have to customize your approach. This all-new, two-hour intensive webinar offers professional principles, strategies, and insights that will help you develop a personalized action plan for using Facebook and Twitter as part of a meaningful marketing campaign, as well as part of your long-term platform growth.

Besides receiving instruction, all attendees are invited to ask as many personalized questions as they want of instructor Jane Friedman (155,000 followers on Twitter), all of which are guaranteed an answer. Sign up here.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• The Triangle Model of social media use and strategy
• The 4 key steps to participating on any social network
• 5 ways to find your voice on Twitter and Facebook
• The biggest mistakes people make on Facebook and Twitter that hurt their effectiveness
• How to figure out whether to use your own Facebook profile or start a Facebook page
• 3 essential steps for understanding Twitter, plus different models for using it
• How to superch
  Add a Comment

Welcome to the 11th (free!) “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest on the GLA blog. This is a recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here’s the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes—meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you’re writing middle grade fiction (see exactly what this term means below) novel, this 11th contest is for you! (The contest is live through Aug. 27, 2012.)

WHY YOU SHOULD GET EXCITED

After a recent “Dear Lucky Agent” contest, the agent judge, Tamar Rydzinski (The Laura Dail Literary Agency), signed one of the three contest winners. After Tamar signed the writer, she went on to sell two of that writer’s books! How cool! That’s why these contests are not to missed if you have an eligible submission.

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to newluckyagent2@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of middle grade fiction. 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, you must do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through any social media—blogs, Twitter, Facebook; or 2) just mention this contest once through any social media and also simply “like” my newest humor book on Amazon. Please provide social media link(s) and notes with your entry so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step!

WHAT IS MIDDLE GRADE FICTION?

Middle grade fiction is fiction for kids 8-12. It is NOT young adult, which is aimed at an older audience and can deal with more mature themes.

CONTEST DETAILS

1. This contest will be live for approximately 14 days—from Aug. 13, 2012 through the end of Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, PST. Winners notified by e-mail within three weeks 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 middle grade fiction.
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 chuck.sambuchino (at) fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)

PRIZES!!!

Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 double-spaced pages of your work, by your agent judg

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 Carly: Carly began her publishing career in London, England at the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency and Bloomsbury PLC. She completed her BA in English Language and Literature at Queen’s University and her MA in Publishing Studies at City University London with a thesis on the social, political and economic impact of literary prizes on trade publishing. Now an associate agent at the P.S. Literary Agency she is actively building her list and looking for new writers. Never without a book on hand she reads across categories which is reflected in the genres she acquires. Carly has her own blog on writing, and she is also on Twitter.

She is seeking: Carly is looking for material in the following genres and styles: international literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction (upmarket, characters over 30 years of age, issue-driven), literary thrillers, memoir, pop science and pop psychology proposals, women’s nonfiction (health, nutrition, relationships), platform-based nonfiction (must have a demonstrable expertise and a quantifiable market), contemporary YA, and high-concept picture books.

She does not represent poetry or screenplays.

How to submit: Keep your query to one page. “Please do not submit a full-length manuscript/proposal unless requested. Always let us know if your manuscript/proposal is currently under consideration by other agents/publishers. Do not send attachments. Please use text within the body of your e-mail. We only accept submissions via e-mail. We do not accept or respond to phone/paper queries. Please Note: We normally respond within 4-6 weeks. However, the process may take longer depending on the volume of submissions we may be reviewing at a particular time. Please do not call to check on the status of your submission – if you have a question or concern with regard to your submission, e-mail is the best way to inquire.”

The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent edition online at a discount.

One of the most exciting things about having a new book released is sharing the exciting moment with family and friends. This past weekend, I got to do that with a low-key-yet-very-nice book release party for RED DOG / BLUE DOG that I hosted at my house. (For my last book, I organized something bigger, so this time I went simple.) Needless to say, my dog, Graham, was a huge hit at the event and was plum tuckered by the time everything ended. This is a quick picture of Graham not being very excited that the festivities were about to begin:

Another exciting moment in the life of a new book is finally seeing it in bookstores. This picture is the first time my wife saw the book in a Barnes & Noble:

Naturally, when I got to a bookstore finally, it was time to bust out the “Autographed Sticker” copies and ink a few books. (My wife loves it when I get to do this.)

Meanwhile, this photo below shows my other humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, at a cut shop in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. It’s always such a thrill to find your books sneaking into small and unusual locations.

MEDIA/REVIEW COPIES

Are you part of the media or run a large blog/newsletter of some kind? Would you like a review copy of RED DOG or GNOMES? Please just email me and let me know. chuck.sambuchino at fwmedia dot com.

Thanks!

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 Joanne Brothwell.

GIVEAWAY: Joanne 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.

Joanne Brothwell is the author of STEALING BREATH, a
paranormal romance from Crescent Moon Press (March 2012).
Find Joanne’s blog here. Also, you can find Joanne on Twitter.

1. Learn The Craft. This is advice I wish I’d listened to before diving into writing my first novel, head-first. Instead, I wrote the first draft and then started to learn about writing. Tip: this method is painful. If I’d put that time into learning the craft instead of just powering ahead, I would have saved myself innumerable hours wasted on revision. Or was it time wasted? Perhaps, it wasn’t all a waste. Learning how to write after the first draft may have its advantages. Firstly, I had more of an investment in learning the information (I had a manuscript I wanted to sell), plus I had the ability to put the learning into practice (on my manuscript). So, um, ignore this advice. Just write.

2. Revise. Be prepared to revise, rework and rewrite that manuscript. Being a writer includes a great deal of time consuming, non-creative work, and the sooner we accept that, the closer we are to having a product that might just sell. First drafts are the fast, easy part (Well, not that fast!), but the revisions go on for long after those final words are typed on the last page. Hunker down and revise.

Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to be wrong. Let go of the heart-wrenchingly difficulty scene that took us three weeks to write, remove the perfectly fleshed-out character we love, or the delete the terrifying monster we were convinced was our greatest brain-child ever. When I’ve admitted to cutting 50,000 words in one sitting, people are amazed. What? Why? It hurts, yes. It’s disheartening. But sometimes, it’s essential to making the story work. Don’t get too invested in anything, keep an impartial, detached attitude about your book. This is business. If it doesn’t work, cut it, end of story.

3. Seek out critiques. I have to admit, I hate critiques. I absolutely loathe them. When I get a critique in my Inbox, it usually sits there for a day before I can even open the document. When I read through it, I�

Here are a few points that writers of historical fiction might consider as they sit down to work:

1. Fiction = Friction. Regardless of your time period, regardless of all the in-depth research you’ve done, you must remember that you’re writing fiction first, and historical fiction second. In other words, don’t forget that it’s action and conflict that moves the book forward. The historical details enrich the work, but detail for detail’s sakes will sink you.

GIVEAWAY: David is excited to give away a free copy of his 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.

Guest column by David R. Gillham, author of CITY OF WOMEN
(Aug. 2012, Putnam), a historical novel which was named an “Amazon Best
Book of the Month” for August 2012. See his author site here.

2. Avoid history lessons. It’s hard. You know your period of history so well, but you must assume that your reader does not. So, it’s temping to fall into the habit of giving history lectures for a few paragraphs. This can sink you as well. Educating your reader may be necessary, but it works best when the history comes across as part of the action. And when some small history lessons are unavoidable, try to camouflage them.

When I was writing City of Women, I was well aware that most readers would not be scrupulously well informed about the course of the Second World War, especially from the perspective of women in Berlin. So when I did have to indulge in a few paragraphs of historical explanation, I always tried to tie it into the characters in some personal way. I made them react to the history lessons that were discreetly disguised as radio broadcasts. I inserted a line of dialogue to comment on a particular happening, and made sure that it was dialogue that also defined the character. That way readers get the information they need to understand the historical timeline, without a time-out from the action.

3. Using your research. You’ve done your homework, and compiled a mountain of historical detail concerning your time period; details about the fashion of the time, or the food, or social oddities. All very interesting stuff, but possibly more interesting to you than your reader. I, for instance, have an interest in uniforms, and was very meticulous in my description of the decorations worn by an officer on his uniform tunic. But if I had simply had him stand there while I described this medal and that medal, I would have lost most of my readers.

Don’t invite them to start skipping paragraphs. I incorporated the decorations into the action of the book by having some of the common soldiers respond to them. They do an inventory of the officer’s medals, which determines how they interact with the character. Don’t paint historical pictures without making them a part of the drama of your book.

4. Building a Setting. I’ve always found that an effective way to build a setting is not simply to d

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 Liat: Liat Justin is an associate agent with the Serendipity Literary Agency. Liat graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies. As an undergrad, Liat simultaneously enrolled in Boston University’s Certificate Program in Book Publishing and Digital Media. Liat then moved back to New York where she began her publishing career as an intern at PMA Literary and Film Management. Soon after, Liat joined the team at Serendipity. In addition to her passion for reading, Liat has a love for film, traveling, going to concerts, and doing puzzles. Liat dislikes spicy food, going to the dentist, and cooked peppers.

She is seeking: “Liat is actively seeking to represent a broad range of projects and is open to emerging authors. Her sweet spot genres include narrative non-fiction (especially ‘big idea’ books), YA, historical fiction, pop culture, humor, sports-related, and speculative fiction. While Liat is very open to a variety of genres, she is currently not interested in romance, Christian fiction, and thrillers.”

How to submit: Serendipity requires all submissions through a submission form on their agency website, no matter if you are querying for your adult works, nonfiction, or children’s books. (Look at “Author Submissions” on the upper-middle part of the webpage.)

The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent edition online at a discount.

I’ve had the pleasure of teaching alongside literary agent Gordon Warnock (Andrea Hurst Literary) several times, and let me tell you that the man knows his stuff. He’s a very smart agent in the ways of writing and publishing, and he sells a lot of books. WD is honored to have him teach the webinar, “Crafting Fiction & Memoir That Sells–An Agent’s Point of View,” on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. All attendees get a personalized critique of their work. Read on to learn more and sign up.

DETAILS

This live webinar happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, August 30, 2012, and lasts 90 minutes. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for one year. You do not have to attend the live event to get a recording of the presentation. In all WD webinars, no question goes unanswered. Attendees have the ability to chat with the instructor during the live event and ask questions. You will receive a copy of the webinar presentation in an e-mail that goes out one week after the live event. The answers to questions not covered in the live presentation Sign up here.

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

After the session, all registrants are invited to submit the first two double-spaced pages of their novel or memoir—no query letter needed! Gordon Warnock will personally read each submission and respond with a short paragraph critiquing the effectiveness of your opening pages. If he finds any of the submissions to be of excellent quality, he will request further materials from the writer. This is your foot in the door and your chance to skip the query process and get your work read by an agent.

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

If you are serious about getting published, or wondering why your manuscripts are not getting the attention you desire, let instructor and literary agent Gordon Warnock show you how to move beyond the slush pile.

Fiction and memoir writers often overlook or underestimate the importance of knowing the commercial elements necessary to succeed in writing and selling their work. In this workshop, taught from a publishing professional’s point of view, we will discuss how to polish and present your manuscript so as to stand out from the competition. Get noticed, get read, and up your chances of getting sold.

Want to find out what makes an agent keep reading and ask for more? In this webinar, Gordon will share insider’s secrets and tools to avoid rejection and secure an agent. Sign up here.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Is your title memorable? Never underestimate the power of a good title. Although titles are often changed by publishers, it is the first hook used to get an agent’s attention.
• Do your “firsts” hook the read
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Welcome to the 12th (free!) “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest on the GLA blog. This is a recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here’s the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes—meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you’re writing a mystery (either adult fiction or YA) novel, this 12th contest is for you! (The contest is live through Sept. 15, 2012.)

(** If you were wondering, the past 11th DLA Contest run by agent Sara Sciuto of Full Circle Literary (all about middle grade) in summer 2012 is now closed and is being judged. Winners will be notified by email and posted on this blog.)

WHY YOU SHOULD GET EXCITED

After a recent “Dear Lucky Agent” contest, the agent judge, Tamar Rydzinski (The Laura Dail Literary Agency), signed one of the three contest winners. After Tamar signed the writer, she went on to sell two of that writer’s books! How cool! That’s why these contests are not to missed if you have an eligible submission.

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to newluckyagent5@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of your mystery. 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, you must mention this contest once through any social media. Please provide a social media link or Twitter handle, etc. and notes with your entry so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step!

WHAT IS ELIGIBLE?

Mystery novels — either adult fiction or young adult fiction. (No middle grade works please.)

CONTEST DETAILS

1. This contest will be live for approximately 14 days—from Sept. 1, 2012 through the end of Sept. 15, 2012, PST. Winners notified by e-mail within three weeks 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 mystery.
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 chuck.sambuchino (at) fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)

PRIZES!!!

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

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) AGENT JUDGE!

Sarah LaPolla is an associate agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd. She studied creative writing at Ithaca College and has an MFA in creative nonfiction from The New School. She started working in the foreign rights department at Curtis Brown, Ltd. in 2008 and became an associate agent in 2010. Sarah represents both adult and YA fiction. For adult books, she is looking for literary fiction, urban fantasy, magical realism, dark/psychological mystery, and literary horror. On the YA side, she welcomes all genres and is drawn to unique voices and strong, complex characters.

See below for several awesome books that Sarah and her co-agents have repped!

Cracked (Simon Pulse, Jan. 2012), by K.M. Walton

Empty, by K.M. Walton

Trainwreck (find it as of now on Goodreads), by Christa Desir

The Philadelphian, by Richard Powell.

The book is out and available in major bookstores!

The new 2013 edition of the Guide to Literary Agents is out, all updated and packed with info. I realize there are other places you can turn to for information on agents, but the Guide to Literary Agents has always prided itself as being the biggest (we list almost every agent) and the most thorough (guidelines, sales, agent by agent breakdowns, etc.). That’s why it’s been around for 22 years and that’s why it’s sold more than 300,000 copies. It works—and if you keep reading, I’ll prove it to you.

Buy it here! When you order it online from our WD shop, you get the same deep discount you find on Amazon. Need more reason to buy? How about some testimonials below from these very cool people.

THE GIVEAWAY!!! Comment on this post and just say anything nice about any element of Writer’s Digest you enjoy — from a blog post to a class or a book or anything else. In two weeks, I will pick 3 winners randomly to win a copy of the book! It’s that easy.  

1. Marisha Chamberlain, author of the literary fiction novel The Rose Variations (Soho):

“Guide to Literary Agents oriented me, the lowly first-time novelist, embarking on an agent
search. The articles and the listings gave insight into the world of literary agents that allowed me to comport myself professionally and to persist. And I did find a terrific agent.”

2. Eugenia Kim, author of the literary novel The Calligrapher’s Daughter (Holt)

“After so many years working on the novel, the relative speed of creating the query package prodded the impetus to send it out. As a fail-safe measure, I bought the Guide to Literary Agents and checked who might be a good fit for my novel…”

3. Eve Brown-Waite, author of the humorous memoir First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria (Broadway)

“I bought the Guide To Literary Agents… and came across Laney Katz Becker. So I sent off a very funny query. On March 15, 2007, Laney called. ‘I love your book,’ she said. ‘I’d like to represent you.’ Three and a half months (and several proposal revisions) later, Laney sold my book—at auction—in a six-figure deal.

4. Mara Purnhagen, author of the young adult novel Tagged (Harlequin Teen)

“I trusted the Guide to Literary Agents to provide solid, up-to-date information to help me with the process. I now have a wonderful agent and a four-book deal.”

5. Richard Harvell, author of the mainstream fiction novel The Bells (Crown)

“Guide to Literary Agents contains a wealth of information and good advice, and was crucial in my successful search for an agent. I found a great agent and my book has now sold in 11 territories and counting.”

6. Patrick Lee, The Breach (Harper)

“The Guide to Literary Agents has all the info you need for narrowing down a list of agencies to query.”

7. Karen Dionne, author of the thrillers Freezing Point and Boiling Point (Jove)

“I’m smiling as I type this, because I actually got my agent via the Guide to Literary Agents. I certainly never dreamed that I’d tell my [success] story in the same publication!”

8. Heather Newton, author of the literary fiction novel Under the Mercy Trees (Harper Paperbacks)

“I’d definitely be interested in guest posting—especially since I found my literary agent through the Guide to Literary Agents!”

9. Michael Wiley, author of the crime/noir novels The Last Striptease and The Bad Kitty Lounge (Minotaur)

“The Guide to Literary Agents was very useful to me when I was getting started. I always recommend GLA to writers.”

10. Les Edgerton, Hooked and 9 more books

“Just signed with literary agent Chip MacGregor and I came upon him through the Guide to Literary Agents. If not for GLA, I’d probably still be looking.”

11. Jennifer Cervantes, author of the book for kids, Tortilla Sun (Chronicle)

“Within 10 days of initial submission, I found an energetic and amazing agent—and it’s all thanks to GLA.”

12. Carson Morton, author of the literary novel Stealing Mona Lisa (St. Martin’s / Minotaur)

“I wanted to thank you for the Guide to Literary Agents. After contacting 16 literary agencies, number 17 requested the full manuscript of my historical novel. Within a few weeks, they offered to represent me. Hard work, perseverance, and good, solid, accurate information makes all the difference. Thanks again.”

13. Darien Gee, author of Friendship Bread: A Novel (April 2011; Ballantine Books)

“The Guide to Literary Agents was an indispensable tool for me when I was querying agents. I highly recommend it for any aspiring author—in addition to a comprehensive listing of literary agents, it contains valuable information about the query and submission process.”

14. Stephanie Barden, author of the middle grade novel Cinderella Smith (April 2011; HarperCollins)

“When I felt my middle grade chapter book was finally ready for eyes other than mine to see it, I got some terrific advice: Go buy the Guide to Literary Agents. By the time I was through with it, it looked like it had gone to battle – it was battered and dog eared and highlighted and Post-It Noted. But it was victorious; I had an agent. Huge thanks, GLA – I couldn’t have done it without you!”

15. Lexi George, author of the paranormal romance Demon Hunting in Dixie (April 2011; Brava)

“I positively haunted GLA on the road to publication. The Guide to Literary Agents is an invaluable resource for writers, whether you’re published or unpublished.”

16. Bill Peschel, author of the nonfiction book Writers Gone Wild: The Feuds, Frolics, and Follies of Literature’s Great Adventurers, Drunkards, Lovers, Iconoclasts, and Misanthropes (Perigee)

“The Guide to Literary Agents gave me everything I needed to sell Writers Gone Wild. It was the personal assistant who found me the right agents to pitch, the publicist who suggested conferences to attend, and the trusted adviser who helped me negotiate the path to publication.”

17. Laura Griffin, author of Unforgivable and eight other romantic suspense novels.

“Writing the book is only the first step. Then it’s time to find a home for it. The Guide to Literary Agents is filled with practical advice about how to contact literary agents who can help you market your work.”

18. Derek Taylor Kent (a.k.a. Derek the Ghost), author of the novel for kids, Scary School

“The Guide to Literary Agents was absolutely instrumental to my getting an agent and subsequent three-book deal with HarperCollins.”

19. Tamora Pierce, best-selling author of dozens of novels for teens

“The best guide to literary agents is the Guide to Literary Agents, published by Writer’s Market Books … These listings will tell you the names and addresses of the agencies; if an agency is made up of more than one agent, they will list the different agents and what kinds of book they represent; they will include whether or not the agent will accept simultaneous submissions (submitting a manuscript to more agent than one).”

20. Wade Rouse, author of many books, including It’s All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine (A Memoir)

“And when you think you’re done writing your book? Write some more. And when you think you’re finished? Set it aside for a while, go back, redraft, edit, rewrite and redraft … Then pick up the Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents.”

21. Brent Hartinger, author of several novels, including Geography Club

“Get an agent. Having a reputable agent means you will be taken much more seriously by busy editors who are eager to find any reason to reject your book (and if you’re agented, editors will offer you more money, more than canceling out the cost of the agent’s commission!). There are hundreds of good agents out there, with all kinds of different tastes (check The Guide to Literary Agents for a complete list).”

”       

22. Jessica Brody, author of several novels (women’s fiction, YA), including The Karma Club

“To put it in perspective: It took me two years to finally find an agent to represent The Fidelity Files [my first novel] and once I did, she sold the manuscript in 10 days. That’s the difference an agent makes. I would recommend purchasing a membership for an online agent directory like WritersMarket.com. You can also use an agent directory in book form like the Guide to Literary Agents.”

23. Dianna Dorisi Winget, author of the middle grade novel A Smidgen of Sky (Harcourt, 2012)

“Guide to Literary Agents is simply the best writing reference book out there. I don’t think I would have landed an agent without it.”

24. Adam Brownlee, author of Building a Small Business That Warren Buffett Would Love (John Wiley and Sons, 2012)

“The Guide to Literary Agents was invaluable for me in many ways. Specifically, the sections on ‘Write a Killer Query Letter’ and ‘Nonfiction Book Proposals’ enabled me to put together a package that led to the publication of my book.”

25. Carole Brody Fleet, author of the self-help book Happily Even After: A Guide to Getting Through (and Beyond!) the Grief of Widowhood (Viva Editions)

“I am not overstating it when I say that Guide to Literary Agents was absolutely instrumental in my landing an agent. Moreover, I wound up with numerous agents from which to choose—how often does THAT happen to an unknown and unpublished author? Thank you again for this book. It not only changed my life forever, but it led to our being able to serve the widowed community around the world.”

26. Kelly Fiore, author of the young adult novel Food Fight (2013, Walker Books for Young Readers)

There are many web resources for writers – resources about agents, about editors, about craft, and so on. What I love most about the GLA blog is that it’s a comprehensive resource – a place to go for information that spans more than just one topic and that covers everything that today’s writers need to know.

27. Terri Lynn Merritts, writer

“I love the Guide to Literary Agents. I am admin of the Vegetarian page (over 239,000 members) at facebook.com/vegetarianpage and I used the GLA to find a literary agent to represent the vegan cookbook I am working on. The very first agent I approached loved it and now we are working together. The articles in the Guide to Literary Agents showed me how to research the perfect agent and approach her. The listings gave me all the information I needed to find that perfect agent on my very first try. I owe all of this to the help I got from the Guide To Literary Agents and the priceless information it contains. This book really works for writers who need and want to find an agent.”

28. Chana Stiefel, writer

“I am a huge fan of the 2012 Guide to Literary Agents. I queried agents for a new humor book and just signed with Laurie Fox at Linda Chester and Associates.”

Buy the 2013 Guide to Literary Agents here!

Once you get past the process of hooking an agent with your pitch and query, the next major test is hooking an agent with the manuscript itself. Creating an excellent story requires voice, great characters, a command of the language, and most certainly an excellent plot. Does your novel have a complex yet understandable structure? Does it begin well? Is the conclusion satisfying? Are there high and low points to take readers on an emotional journey? These are the crucial questions of plot and structure. And to answer these questions and many more, we’ve brought in “The Plot Whisperer” Martha Alderson to teach an all-new webinar called “Secrets of Story Structure & Plot” on Thursday, September 13, 2012. Read on to learn more…

DETAILS

This webinar happens at 1 p.m., Thursday, EST, September 13, 2012. Even if you can attend the live webinar, you are still guaranteed to get the recording of it afterward, and you can still get the free book as well as the ability to pass questions on to the presenter.

All details about the webinar and what you’ll learn can be found here.

THE ADDED BOOK

All attendees will receive a paperback edition of Martha Alderson’s book The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master.

LEARN MORE

Learn more and sign up here.