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Leprechauns Never Lie

Madison's Patriotic Project

Humbug Rabbit

Visit www.starbrightbooks.com to see our holiday books.

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Pat Walsh is one of my tip-top favourite writers. I relish her beautiful prose, I admire her sparkling story-telling and her characterisation is warm and real. I wanted to know about Pat, her life, her work, her address ...no, the restraining order is an effective deterrent. So read on, for all about Pat and her TOP TEN TIPS for writers. Pat Walsh was born in Kent, and spent her early years in

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Hello again, slush fans. As anyone who's seen my Museum of Me series will attest, I like to keep hold of stuff from my past and inflict it upon share it with my loyal readers. Now that I've been writing seriously for a decade (actually slightly more, but 10 & 3/4 years didn't sound as good) it felt like time to take stock of my journey so far. And what a journey it hasn't been. Well, not in

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By  Candy Gourlay Here's a report from the AFCC's first retreat for writers and illustrators on Bintan Island in Indonesia, which I attended as a mentor. 'I hope this retreat will help you to get to the truth within the lie,' Sarah Odedina told a roomful of writers and illustrators at a retreat in Indonesia last week. 'I think all good literature has message and meaning. But the

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By Candy Gourlay Last week, my friend Nick Cross waxed nostalgic over on the SCBWI Blog Network, looking up the early days of long time bloggers like me. It was fun checking out those early versions of ourselves that we presented to the outside world. For example: Sarah McIntyre, then an art student, posted just four times in May 2004 with brief captions like this: Today, of course, Sarah

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It’s good to be back! I have taken time off from writing this blog to concentrate on writing children’s books. It takes a while to create meaningful, exciting and engaging characters who jump off the page, climb up your nose and playfully mess about with your brain. I shall be posting soon about some exciting new […]

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I had a dear friend who had a gift for telling stories about her day. She’d launch into one, and suddenly everyone around her would hush up and lean in, knowing that whatever followed would be pure entertainment. A story of encountering a deer on the highway would involve interludes from the deer’s point of view. Strangers who factored into her tales would get nicknames and imagined backstories of their own. She could make even the most mundane parts of her day—and everyone else’s—seem interesting. She didn’t aspire to be a writer, but she was a born storyteller.

Why All Nonfiction Should Be Creative Nonfiction

The term creative nonfiction often brings to mind essays that read like poems, memoirs that read like novels, a lyrical way of interpreting the world around us. But the truth is that writing nonfiction—from blog posts to routine news reports to business guides—can (and should) be creative work. And the more creativity you bring to any piece, the better it’s likely to be received, whether your target reader is a friend, a website visitor, an editor or agent, or the public at large.

The March/April 2015 Writer’s Digest goes on sale today—and this issue delves into the creative sides of many types of nonfiction.

• Learn seven ways to take a creative approach to any nonfiction book—whether you wish to write a self-help title, a historical retelling, a how-to guide, or something else entirely.

• Get tips for finding the right voice for your essays, memoirs and other true-to-life works—and see how it’s that voice above all else that can make or break your writing.

• Delve into our introduction to the nonfiction children’s market—where writers can earn a steady income by opening kids’ eyes to the world around them.

• And find out what today’s literary agents and publishers are looking for in the increasingly popular narrative nonfiction genre—where books ranging from Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist to Susan Cain’s Quiet have been reinvigorating the bestseller lists.

Why Readers Love True Stories

“Narrative nonfiction has become more in-demand because it provides additional value; it’s entertaining and educational,” explains agent Laurie Abkemeier in our narrative nonfiction roundtable. “There are many forms of entertainment vying for our attention, and the ones that give us the highest return for our time and money investment are the ones that we gravitate toward.”

So give your readers that amazing return. The articles packed into this informative, diverse and boundary-pushing issue will show you how. Download the complete issue right now, order a print copy, or find it on your favorite newsstand through mid-April.

Jessica Strawser
Editor, Writer’s Digest Magazine
Follow me on Twitter @jessicastrawser

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How do you hook an agent right away, keep them hooked, and make the most of your new publishing relationship? In this Boot Camp starting March 23, 2015, “How to Find and Keep a Literary Agent,” you’ll learn how to get a literary agent’s attention through a great submission, and also how to navigate the process of working successfully with an agent. You’ll also work with an agent online (the instructing agents are from Sandra Dijkstra Literary) to review and refine your all-important query letter and the first 5 pages of your novel. As always, seats in the boot camp are limited, and many WD camps sell out — so consider signing up sooner rather than later. The March 23 camp is a great opportunity to get professional feedback on your writing.

 

This Boot Camp will cover a range of important questions:

— What keeps an agent reading? What makes writing jump off the page?
— What are the most common Chapter 1 mistakes that make them stop reviewing your submission?
— What are the steps you need to give your query and manuscript the best possible shot?
— What are the turn-on’s and turn-offs when it comes to queries?
— How do agents make judgment calls?
— And much more.

With real-life examples of queries that do and don’t work, you will learn how you can refine your own query letter and get an agent to request your novel.The world of literary agencies can be an intimidating place. You’ll be lead through the inner-workings of finding the perfect literary agent, working with an agent and how to get the most out of your relationship. See what a day in the life of an agent looks like, and get tips about how to find your perfect author-agent match that will result in a successful partnership.

The best part is that you’ll be working directly with a knowledgeable and experienced agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

Here’s how it works:

On March 23, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by agents at the Dijkstra Literary Agency. It will explain the submission process of submitting to an agent, what they find appealing in a query letter and what an author-agent relationship looks like from the inside. You will also be notified by email which agent you’ll be working with Monday afternoon.

From 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (PT) on both March 24 and March 25, instructors will be available to answer questions and provide additional feedback via the Writer’s Digest University message boards. Only registered students can access these boards. You’ll also be able to ask question of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers.

After listening to the presentation and participating in the discussion sessions, you’ll be able to revise your query & first 5 double-spaced pages as necessary. Then, you’ll email those pages directly to Jill Marr, Elise Capron, Thao Le, Jessica Watterson, or Roz Foster, by the end of the day on Thursday, March 26. They will spend 15 days reviewing their assigned critiques and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t.

Please note that any one of the instructing agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

In addition to feedback from instructing agents, attendees will also receive:

— Download of “An Agent’s Tips on Story Structures that Sell,” an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst
1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

PLEASE NOTE: No Additional discounts are available. All sales are final. If you have a preferred agent you would like to work with, please notify WDU after registering.

RECAP ON DATES:

Monday, March 23 – Access to Tutorial
March 24 and March 25 – Blackboard Discussion 11 am to 1 pm (PT)
Thursday, March 26 – Materials due to agents
April 9 – All critiqued materials due back to attendees

About the Instructors:

ELISE CAPRON is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She also manages the SDLA office and works closely with Sandra Dijkstra on author development and management. She is most interested in serious, character-driven literary fiction and well-written narrative non-fiction (particularly serious history with a good story).

A graduate of Emerson College, Elise holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing, and served on the editorial staff of the Emerson Review for several years. She interned at Harcourt and the Dijkstra Agency before joining the agency full-time in late 2003.

Elise is interested in fiction that has unforgettable writing, a terrific narrative voice/tone, and memorable characters. She loves novels with an unusual or eccentric edge and is drawn to stories she has never heard before. She aims to work with writers who are getting their work published regularly in magazines and who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience. Some of Elise’s recent and soon-to-be-published fiction titles include Tiphanie Yanique’s Land of Love and Drowning (Riverhead) andHow to Escape from a Leper Colony (Graywolf); Courtney Brkic’s The First Rule of Swimming(Little, Brown); Rachel Toor’s On The Road to Find Out (FSG); Jonathon Keats’ The Book of the Unknown (Random House); Rikki Ducornet’s Netsuke (Coffee House Press); Maureen McHugh’sAfter the Apocalypse(Small Beer Press), which was picked as a “Top 10 Best of the Year” byPublishers Weekly; Ali Liebegott’s The IHOP Papers (Carroll & Graf); Peter Plate’sSoon the Rest Will Fall (Seven Stories Press); and more.

On the non-fiction front, Elise is looking for fascinating true stories told in a compelling way. Currently, Elise is especially interested in working with up-and-coming scholars (particularly historians) who are looking to transition from the academic market to a trade readership. Some of Elise’s recent and soon-to-be-published non-fiction titles include Jack Shuler’s The Thirteenth Turn: A History of the Noose (Public Affairs) andBlood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town (University of South Carolina Press); Leo Braudy’s Haunted; Jane Vandenburgh’s The Wrong Dog Dream: A True Romance (Counterpoint); Jonathon Keats’ Forged: Why Fakes Are the Great Art of Our Age (Oxford University Press); Cynthia Barnett’s Blue Is the New Green: An American Water Ethic(Beacon); Billy Smith’s Ship of Death: The Voyage That Changed the Atlantic World (Yale); and more.

Please note that Elise is specifically not interested in: fantasy, young-adult/middle-grade, picture books, romance, sci-fi, business books, cookbooks, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, or self-help. And while she is interested in narrative non-fiction, please note that she takes on very little memoir.

JILL MARR is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

She graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and a minor in History. She has a strong Internet and media background and nearly 15 years of publishing experience. She wrote features and ads forPages, the literary magazine for people who love books, and continues to write book ads for publishing houses, magazine pieces, and promotional features for television.

After writing ad copy and features for published books for years, she knows how to find the “hook” and sell it.

Jill is interested in commercial fiction, with an emphasis on mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense and horror, women’s commercial fiction and historical fiction. She is also looking for non-fiction by authors who are getting their work published regularly and who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience. Jill is looking for non-fiction projects in the areas of history, sports, politics, current events, self-help, cookbooks, memoir, health & nutrition, pop culture, humor and music.

Some of Jill’s recent and soon-to-be-published non-fiction includes the Travel Channel’s Nick Groff’s Chasing Spirits (NAL); Maybe We’ll Have You Back (Skyhorse) by actor Fred Stoller; Get Over It (Seal Press) by Christina Pesoli; Doulas A. Wissing’s Funding Our Enemy(Prometheus Books); Why We Love Serial Killers (Skyhorse) by Scott Bonn;America’s Greatest “Failing” School(Nation Books) by journalist Kristina Rizga; Don’t Lick the Minivan (Skyhorse) by Leanne Shirtliffe; William Jones’More Than the Dream: The Untold Story of the March on Washington (Norton);Rocking the Pink(Seal Press) by singer-songwriter Laura Roppé; Stop Reading Baby Books (Skyhorse) by JJ Keith;Drunks: America’s Search for Sobriety by Christopher Finan; andArgyle Armada: Life with America’s Top Pro Cycling Team (VeloPress) by Mark Johnson.

Some of Jill’s new and upcoming fiction includes Bloodman and American Woman (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Pobi; Reckless Disregard(Seven Stories Press) by Robert Rotstein; Three Souls (HarperCollins) by Janie Chang;Madam(Plume) by Cari Lynne and Kellie Martin; The Cordell Logan thriller series (The Permanent Press) by David Freed; Benefit of the Doubt (Tor/Forge) by Neal Griffin; Garbo’s Last Stand (Entranced) by Jon Miller; The Crossroads thriller series (Thomas & Mercer) by Eyre Price; The Dog Year (Berkley) by Ann Garvin; The Change Your Name Store (Sky Pony Press) by Leanne Shirliffe; and the Jaden Terrell series that includes the Shamus Award nomineeRacing the Devil and A Cup Full of Midnight (The Permanent Press).

Please note that Jill is specificallynot interested in:YA, children’s books, sci-fi, romance or anything involving unicorns.

ROZ FOSTER is an acquiring agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She works from New York.

She has a B.A. in English Literature from UC San Diego, studied philosophy for a year at the University of Sheffield, U.K., and earned her M.A. in English, with an emphasis in composition & rhetoric and creative writing, from Portland State University. At PSU, she taught writing in exchange for tuition. She’s been learning French since 2009.

Roz spent over five years as a qualitative researcher in high-tech consumer products marketing. In 2008, she co-founded a web design company for which she provided non-profit organizations with audience-focused market research, project planning, and digital design. She joined SDLA in 2013.

Roz is interested in non-fiction in the areas of cultural studies, sociology, business, history, politics, current affairs, science and design. She looks for driven, narrative storytelling and sharp concepts that have the potential to transcend their primary audience. She’s also interested in literary and commercial fiction, literary YA with crossover potential for the adult market, and literary sci-fi. In fiction, she looks for a resonant, lively voice; rich, irresistible language; characters with compelling development arcs; and a mastery of dramatic structure. Across the board, she’s looking for books that make her feel like the author is tuned into a rising revolution — cultural, political, literary, or what not — that’s about to burst on the scene.

Please note that Roz is specifically not interested in: sports, cookbooks, screenplays, poetry, romance, fantasy, or children’s books.

THAO LE joined the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in 2011. She handles finances and select contracts and is also an agent.

Thao is looking for adult sci-fi/fantasy/horror, NA (new adult), YA (young adult), and MG (middle grade). She enjoys both gritty, dark narratives and fantastically quirky stories. She is also looking for light-hearted, funny, and moving contemporary YAs with a raw, authentic teen voice. She’s particularly drawn to memorable characters, smart-mouthed dialogue, strong plots, and tight writing. Her favorite books are ones that reimagine familiar tales and tropes in a completely fresh new way and she has a soft spot for multicultural stories and lush settings.

Recent sales include: Katherine Harbour’s fantasy THORN JACK (Harper Voyager), Lisa Freeman’s surf YA novel HONEY GIRL (Sky Pony Press), IPPY Award-winning S.K. Falls’ new adult novel ONE LAST SONG (Forever Yours), James Kendley’s paranormal thriller THE DROWNING GOD (Harper Voyager Impulse), Wendy Spinale’s steampunk Peter Pan retelling EVERLAND (Scholastic), and Kathryn Tanquary’s middle grade fantasy THE NIGHT PARADE (Sourcebooks).

Thao is not looking for: biographies, business books, cookbooks, memoirs, picture books, poetry, religious/spiritual books, screenplays, self-help, short stories, or travel books.

JESSICA WATTERSON graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in Sociocultural Anthropology and English. Jessica has made books a serious part of her life for many years. Jessica is most interested in all subgenres of adult and new adult romance, and women’s fiction. She is looking for heartfelt and unique romance that will instantly draw a reader in and keep them hooked.

 

(Sign up for the boot camp here.)

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As many writers know, agents and editors won’t give your work more than ten pages or so to make an impact. If you haven’t got them hooked by then, it’s a safe bet you won’t be asked for more material. Make sure you’ve got the kind of opening they’re looking for! In this invaluable weekend event, you’ll get to work with an agent online to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You’ll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you’ll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work.

It’s all part of the recurring popular Agent One-on-One Boot Camp called “Your First 10 Pages.” Sign up by the end of the day, Feb. 20, 2015. It’s taught by the agents at Talcott Notch Literary.

Here’s how it works:

On Friday morning, Feb. 20, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by agent and editor Paula Munier. It will help you clarify what you should be looking for in your work. You will also be notified by email which agent you’ll be working with on Friday. (All times noted are Eastern Time).

After listening to the presentation, you’ll spend Friday evening revising your first ten pages as necessary, given the guidelines provided in the presentation, and you’ll email those pages directly to Paula or one of four additional agents from Talcott Notch Literary, including Gina Panettieri, Rachael Dugas, and Jessica Negron, by Saturday morning at 10:00 AM (ET). They will spend all day Saturday reviewing their assigned pages and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

All pages with notes will be returned to participants by the next Saturday (Feb 28). Throughout the next 36 hours, you’ll work to revise your pages based on the agent’s specific feedback. From 1:00 to 4:00 PM on March 1st, Paula, Gina, Rachael, and Saba will be available to answer questions and provide additional feedback via the Writer’s Digest University message boards. Only registered students can access these boards. You’ll also be able to ask question of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers.

By 10:00 PM (ET) Sunday night on March 1st, you’ll return your final revised pages to your assigned agent for review. They will spend the next week reading the revised submissions assigned to them, and will provide a final brief one-or-two sentence critique of your progress no later than March 8th. Please note that any one of them may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

*Please note that all attendees should have the first 10 pages of their novel finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

In addition to feedback from Paula, Gina, Rachael, or Saba, attendees will also receive:

— A download of “An Agent’s Tips on Story Structures that Sell,” an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst
— 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

All sales are final. No additional discounts can be applied.

About the Agents:

Gina Panettieri is President of Talcott Notch Literary Services, and has worked as an agent for more than 20 years. She currently represents a full range of adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis in fiction on YA, MG, mystery, fantasy, women’s fiction, horror and paranormal. In nonfiction, she is particularly seeking memoir, business, cooking, health and fitness, pop science, medicine, true crime and current events. Some of her clients include Nancy Holzner, author of the new Deadtown urban fantasy series from Berkley/Ace Science Fiction, Annabella Bloom, author of the Wild and Wanton edition romance hybrid classics Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights (Adams Media), Dr. Karyn Purvis, author of the bestselling and multi-award winning adoption book, The Connected Child (McGraw-Hill), and author and media personality, Dr. Seth Meyers. She currently represents an eclectic range of writers, encompassing everyone from a former head of Security and Intelligence for NATO Europe, to CEOs of major corporations and Deans of major medical schools, to stay-at-home writer moms and amazingly talented teens. Gina speaks at many conferences and writing events throughout the country on the subjects of securing an agent and getting published. Her agency website is talcottnotch.net

Paula Munier, Senior Literary Agent & Content Strategist at Talcott Notch Literary, has broad experience creating and marketing exceptional content in all formats across all markets for such media giants as Disney, Gannett, Greenspun Media Group, and Quayside. She began her career as a journalist, and along the way added editor, acquisitions specialist, digital content manager, and publishing executive to her repertoire. Before joining Talcott Notch, she served as the Director of Innovation and Acquisitions for Adams Media, a division of F&W Media, where she headed up the acquisitions team responsible for creating, curating, and producing both fiction and nonfiction for print, ebook, eshort, and direct-to-ebook formats. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

Although she represents all kinds of projects, right now she’s looking for crime fiction, women’s fiction, romance, New Adult, YA, and middle grade fiction, as well as nonfiction in the areas of pop culture, health & wellness, cooking, self-help, pop psych, New Age, inspirational, technology, science, and writing. As a new agent she’s making her first deals now, including the New Adult trilogy, The Registry by Shannon Stoker, which sold for six figures to HarperCollins. She’s also just sold mystery, thriller, and self-help. Paula is very involved with the mystery community, having served four terms as President of the New England chapter of Mystery Writers of America as well as on the MWA board. (She’s currently VP of that organization.) She’s also served as both co-chair and Agents and Editors chair on the New England Crime Bake committee for seven years and counting. And she’s an active member of Sisters in Crime.

Saba Sulaiman is the newest member of Talcott Notch Literary Services. She joined the team after working as an editorial intern at Sourcebooks, where she worked primarily on their romance line. She holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MA from the University of Chicago, where she studied modern Persian literature. She’s looking primarily to build her Middle Grade and Young Adult lists, and is particularly interested in contemporary realistic stories. She’s also actively seeking category romance (all subgenres except paranormal), literary, upmarket, and commercial fiction, tightly plotted, character-driven psychological thrillers, and cozy mysteries à la Agatha Christie.

Rachael Dugas joined Talcott Notch Literary in 2011. During her tenure as associate agent, Rachael has judged contests and attended conferences in New York and beyond, working with groups such as Writer’s Digest, ASJA, YA Lit Chat, the National Publicity Summit, and the Hampton Roads Writers. Recent sales include titles in young adult and romance to imprints at Hachette, Perseus, and Month 9 Books. Rachael is a former Sourcebooks editorial intern and a proud Ithaca College graduate. She welcomes fiction submissions in the following categories: YA, MG, women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romance, historical fiction, and general commercial fiction. Her non-fiction wishlist includes memoir with an amazing voice and cookbooks or performing arts-related books with outstanding platforms.

Sign up for the boot camp here.

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Middle Grade books are generally defined as being books for children aged 8-12…. and at the moment, these books are hot-hot-hot. From the commercial successes of titles like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and Rick Riordan’s LIGHTNING THIEF saga, to more “literary” award-winning fare, it seems most publishers are seeking the next great Middle Grade success story. But middle grade is also a tough category to write for. Much of what appears in the slush pile is cheesy or derivative, or just lacks “spark.” So what makes a great Middle Grade novel? What is selling? What are agents and editors looking for? And how can you make your book stand out and shine?

In this live webinar, “Writing and Selling Middle Grade Fiction,” instructor and literary agent Jennifer Laughran (of Andrea Brown Literary) will talk about what’s happening in the exciting Middle Grade market, as well as examine some recently published titles to see what they got right. She’ll also talk revision tips and tricks to help you take your work-in-progress to the next level. It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes.

 

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit EITHER the query letter OR the first 500 words of their complete / work-in-progress middle grade novel for critique. All submissions are guaranteed a written critique by literary agent Jennifer Laughran. Jennifer reserves the right to request more writing from attendees by e-mail following the event, if she deems the writing excellent.

Please Note: Even if you can’t attend the live webinar, registering for this live version will enable you to receive the On Demand webinar and a personal critique of your material. Purchasing the On Demand version after the live event will not include a critique.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

— What’s selling in Middle Grade… and what just isn’t.
— The all-important “Hook”, and what “High Concept” looks like
— Finding the elusive Middle Grade Voice
— Common mistakes of Middle Grade submissions
— Overused beginnings and clichés that can drag down a work
— How to polish your work and stand out from the slush pile
— What “core curriculum” guidelines for schools might mean for your book. Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Jennifer Laughran is a senior agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, the oldest children’s-only agency in the US. Before she joined the agency in 2008, she spent about a decade as a children’s book buyer and event coordinator for various successful bookstores. Her many years of experience in the children’s book field have made her one of the top kid’s book agents working today. She reps picture books through YA, but has a particular love for Middle Grade novels — the warmer and funnier the better. Clients include Daniel Pinkwater, Kate Messner, Jo Whittemore, Linda Urban, and many debut authors whose names you’ll know soon!

Sign up for the Jan 22 webinar here.

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My newest writing reference book, GET A LITERARY AGENT, is finally out from Writer’s Digest Books! As the book subtitle says. it’s a complete guide to securing representation for your books. This book has been a long time coming, and it’s a small labor of love, so I’m excited to share it with you now.

Every year, I edit the Guide to Literary Agents, which is essentially a huge database of agents — who they are, what they seek, how to submit, etc. It’s got good instructional articles upfront, but it could have so many more if space would simply allow. That’s why Writer’s Digest Books came to me a while back and said, “Why not compile everything you know about getting an agent into one book? And while you’re at it, loop in advice and opinions from active literary agents — at least 100 of them.” And thus GET A LITERARY AGENT was born. I’ll explain more about the guide in a moment, but first — the giveaway!

GIVEAWAY: I am giving away 3 copies of GET A LITERARY AGENT to random commenters. Simply comment on this blog post anytime before the end of Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. If you want to be entered 3 times instead of once in the contest, simply share this tweet about this giveaway: There’s a Book Giveaway going on at @WritersDigest for the new guide, GET A LITERARY AGENT: http://tinyurl.com/qyfm65r via @chucksambuchino. Make sure you leave my handle in there so I can see you tweeted it. And include your own Twitter handle below in your comment if you tweeted it.

 

TWO BIG REASONS TO BUY THE BOOK:

1. More than 100 literary agents offer advice and guidance in its pages. For this book, I wanted to create something that brought together tips and instruction from as many places as possible. That meant getting tons of literary agents to chime in on all topics. It’s their advice that drives this book. It’s them chiming in on query letter pet peeves. It’s them chiming in on the difference between romance and women’s fiction. It’s them chiming in on why agents reject your work after reading the first chapter. They’re offering advice through every section of the book.

2. The book truly is a one-stop resource. I try to cover everything that you’d possibly need to know when seeking a literary agent. If you’re just starting out on your writing journey, the book is an ideal for you because it addresses the entire process of submitting your book to agents for consideration. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing — nonfiction, fiction, books for adults, books by kids, self-published books — GET A LITERARY AGENT addresses your concerns.

THIS BOOK WILL TEACH YOU THE FOLLOWING:

• What literary agents do on a daily basis, and what they can do for you
• How to polish/revise your own writing and understand when you can stop rewriting your work and finally submit with confidence
• How to find the most agents to query through researching both books and the Internet
• What word count guidelines (low and high) may make some agents balk at your submission
• How to write a compelling query letter that gets attention
• How to write an effective synopsis that conveys your plot
• How to write a thorough nonfiction book proposal that makes your title seem timely and interesting
• Several ways to contact literary agents that don’t involve a query letter
• The pros and cons of signing with a new literary agent
• How many agents to submit to at one time
• How to prepare a complete Submission Checklist to consult before sending out your work
• How to write an interesting Chapter 1 that pulls agents (and readers) in quickly
• The basics of writer platform and marketing yourself
• How requests for an exclusive submission work
• What questions to ask an interested agent when they call you
• How to work well with an agent and foster a long-term, multi-book relationship
• How to tell what genre you’re writing in
• How to get a literary agent interested in a self-published book
• And much more! Buy the book here!

 

GIVEAWAY: I am giving away 3 copies of GET A LITERARY AGENT to random commenters. Simply comment on this blog post anytime before the end of Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. If you want to be entered 3 times instead of once in the contest, simply share this tweet about this giveaway: There’s a Book Giveaway going on at @WritersDigest for the new guide, GET A LITERARY AGENT: http://tinyurl.com/qyfm65r via @chucksambuchino. Make sure you leave my handle in there so I can see you tweeted it. And include your own Twitter handle below in your comment if you tweeted it.

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Now more than ever before, there are so many things we can do to promote our books, articles, stories, essays, services, and other creative works and skills—regardless of whether we’re self-published, traditionally published, or even not-yet-published. Bookstore and library events remain staples, of course, as do reviews, mentions and bylines in prominent media. But add to the mix blog tours, home pages, social networking sites, free promos, cheap promos, paid placements, Web ads, print ads, Goodreads giveaways, email lists, indie author coalitions, and the myriad services claiming to increase “discoverability,” and one thing becomes clear:

You can’t do them all.

And even if you could, who would want to? Just reading that list is enough to make even a savvy marketer’s head spin.

What you need is a strategy—one that’s developed through a solid understanding of what makes the best sense for you and your work, while allowing flexibility to bend with the changing winds.

I don’t need to tell you that self-promotion and platform building are important. In a reader survey we conducted in 2014, 61 percent of respondents listed “to learn how to promote myself and my work” as one of the primary reasons they read Writer’s Digest magazine, and 45 percent of readers requested even more coverage of the topic.

The February 2015 Writer’s Digest delivers. It’s our best and most up-to-date resource on how to promote your work—and it’s hot off the press and on newsstands now. Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at what’s inside.

Keys to a Successful Promotional Strategy

In creating this issue, first, we identified two key areas worth focusing on: your author website (essential for scribes of all stripes, from freelancer to novelist, from beginner to multi-published author) and Goodreads (a must for book authors in particular). We enlisted experts to deconstruct what you need to know to make the most of each medium. Digital media pro Jane Friedman’s “Your Author Website 101” and bestselling hybrid author Michael J. Sullivan’s “Get in Good With Goodreads” are comprehensive guides ripe for earmarking, highlighting, and referencing again and again. Whether you’re just starting to investigate how to promote a book or you are looking to create a Web presence that will be the foundation of your career, these articles are a great place to start.

Then, we put a call out to the writing community asking for “Success Stories in Self-Promotion”—and we got them, in droves. Learn through the real-life trial and error of writers whose promotional efforts ultimately yielded impressive sales, further opportunities, and, in some cases, even agents and book deals.

Best of all, as those authors share their secrets and tips, you’ll notice one key takeaway that comes up again and again:

If they can do it, so can you.

Doing What Works for You

That underscores the point that in working to improve both our craft and our career, it can help for us writers to stick together—to use one another as the valuable resources we are. The February issue also features a WD Interview with Garth Stein, best known for his runaway bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain and his latest novel, A Sudden Light. Stein had more great insights than we had space to print, so in our online exclusive outtakes from the interview, he talks about how he came to co-found the literacy outreach group Seattle7Writers, and why every writer should have a writing friend.

The February 2015 Writer’s Digest is already getting some great buzz on Twitter, Facebook and blogs from other writers who likely share in the same platform and promotional challenges that you do. If you’re looking for fresh tips on how to promote your work—plus the usual doses of writing inspiration and craft advice we put into every issue of WD—you won’t want to miss it!

Happy Writing,
Jessica Strawser
Editor, Writer’s Digest Magazine
Follow me on Twitter @jessicastrawser.

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For this live webinar, “Slush Pile Showdown: How to Make Your Submission Stand Out,” literary agents Barbara Poelle and Holly Root are pulling back the curtain and showing you exactly what goes on when an agent reads your query. In their simulated slush pile, they will critique submitted queries live and give insights into which ones stand out and why, how queries could be improved, and common pitfalls to avoid. You’ll get a peek into what it’s like to be an agent sitting down, hoping to strike gold in the slush pile, and learn how to make your submission stand out. Your query is your first introduction to the world, so join us for a fun, kind-spirited but honest look at how to get noticed, get requested, and get signed!

It all happens at 1 p.m., EST, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, and lasts 90 minutes. All registrants are guaranteed a query critique, whether you choose to have it evaluated live or after the event. Learn more about the webinar here. (Note that agent Barbara Poelle has signed several writers after meeting them through WD webinars.)

ABOUT THE CRITIQUE

All registrants are invited to submit a one-page query letter, plus the first page of the manuscript (300 words or less) for critique. If you would like your materials to be critiqued LIVE during the webinar, they must be received before 5pm EST Tuesday, December 16th. All submitted materials are guaranteed a written critique by Root and Poelle, and we’ll cover as many query + page submissions as possible in live critique during the webinar.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

— How to craft a query that will get attention
— Why querying isn’t a useless evil exercise in torture
— Common missteps and how to avoid them
— What agents are looking for when they read
— Which “rules” really matter and which ones are matters of opinion
— What it’s like to be an agent reading through submissions
— If your query is ready for prime time
— What to do if your query isn’t ready. Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTORS

Holly Root is a literary agent at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency who represents adult fiction, select nonfiction, and novels for children and teens; she is not seeking picture book clients or screenwriting clients. She heads up a Los Angeles office for the New York City-based Waxman Leavell Agency. Visit her online at www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/hroot, www.waxmanleavell.com, and www.twitter.com/hroot.

Barbara Poelle is Vice President at Irene Goodman Literary Agency representing fiction for teens and adults. Her roster trends toward thriller and suspenseful women’s fiction as well as mystery, young adult and horror. Barbara also writes a monthly Q&A column for Writer’s Digest magazine and has previously signed three clients from attendees of her Writer’s Digest webinars. Visit www.irenegoodman.com to learn more.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

— Anyone interested in how the query process works
— Writers who want a professional opinion on their query’s strengths and weaknesses
— Writers whose queries aren’t getting the responses they want
— Writers wondering if their query is ready to go
— Writers who want a professional critique by a literary agent
— Anyone with questions about writing queries or the process of querying literary agents

HOW DOES THE CRITIQUE WORK?

All registrants are invited to submit a one-page query letter, plus the first page of the manuscript (300 words or less) for critique. If you would like your materials to be critiqued LIVE during the webinar, they must be received before 5pm EST Tuesday, December 16th. All submitted materials are guaranteed a written critique by Root and Poelle, and we’ll cover as many query + page submissions as possible in live critique during the webinar. Instructions on how to submit your work are sent after you have purchased the webinar and officially register in Go-to-Webinar. When you have registered in GTW, you will receive a confirmation email from [email protected], which contains the information you need to access the live webinar AND the Critique Submission Instructions.

Sign up for the Dec. 18 webinar here!

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Romance Writers of America (RWA) has just opened up its 2015 Golden Heart contest, the most prestigious writing contest for romance writers (including YA) in the country—some say worldwide, as entries are accepted internationally.

It’s a little sad for me this year, because now that I’m published, I’m no longer eligible to enter, and I know what I’ll be missing. I was fortunate enough to have been selected as a finalist in the Young Adult division in 2013 and 2014, and it was an experience that changed my life.

Can you imagine entering that contest—any contest—or does the thought cause your belly to bottom out? Putting your work out there to be judged by other authors, by agents and editors, is a scary prospect. A few years ago, I couldn’t even imagine doing such a thing.

I started writing my first Golden Heart finalist novel, HIDDEN DEEP, in 2010… and told no one. Not even my husband, who works nights. My kids would go to bed at nine, hubby would be at work anchoring the news, and I’d bang away at the keyboard until midnight. He’d come home and ask what I’d been doing with my evening, and I’d give some non-committal answer—“Oh, not too much.” I was passionate to the point of obsession about what I was doing, but terrified for another human being, even one who’d sworn before God and man to love me forever no matter what, to see what I’d written.

But after six months of nightly writing, I wanted that completed novel to go beyond me. I wanted to share it with others, and yes, to see it published someday and share it with the world. So I finally outed myself to my husband (who didn’t laugh at me, even once) and began researching the business of publishing.

I discovered author blogs with helpful posts for new writers and began to learn how much I had still to learn about the craft of writing. I also discovered the opportunity to share my first page for public critique on the Dear Author blog. http://dearauthor.com/first-page-entry-form/

Putting that first page up for public scrutiny was exactly like starting out as a rookie TV news anchor/reporter when I was twenty years old. I had to run to the ladies room (or nearest trashcan, bush, etc.) and throw up before going on the air live. Every. Single. Time. For weeks. I threw up in front of the governor of Mississippi one minute before interviewing him for a noon live shot.
Governor Mabus was very understanding, and I lived through the first page critique as well. I may have needed an adult beverage before reading through the feedback, but I survived. And then I wanted more. Because as much as I loved my manuscript, I knew that I wasn’t the most objective judge of its quality, and I’d need a heck of a lot more than a good first page to get an agent.

So I started researching writing contests and discovered RWA Chapter contests. Author Stephie Smith has a detailed and continually updated listing of them (and other contests) on her site. http://www.stephiesmith.com/contests.html

I didn’t know any other writers at the time, so entering these contests was a way to get feedback on my first 30 to 50 pages and synopsis from knowledgeable judges as well as get my writing in front of agents and editors if I was lucky enough to be a finalist. That book did end up finaling in several contests in 2012, which led me to attend my first writing conference and then another, where I had a chance to pitch my work to agents and met my amazing critique partner and so many other writer friends.

I’ve realized that writing for publication is a series of baby steps toward putting yourself out there. At each step you subject your writing to the judgment of others, which is not always pleasant—sometimes you have to run for the ladies room—but just like any other new thing we try, it gets easier and easier with practice. And with each new step, we grow.

Those chapter contest successes gave me the courage to enter HIDDEN DEEP in the 2013 Golden Heart contest. Getting to know my amazing fellow finalists and attending the national conference was the most valuable thing that’s ever happened in my writing life. Now I’m a member of an incredibly supportive community and have many people to turn to for feedback. They helped me improve my writing to the point that I signed with an agent this year, and my 2014 GH finalist young adult book is now out on submission. One of the best parts—my critique partner McCall Hoyle and I finaled together this year, and she won the 2014 Golden Heart!

Now that I’m published (under my pen name) in contemporary romance, there’s a whole new level of being “out there.” Nothing feels more vulnerable than having your hard work judged by readers—they may love it or hate it—and you have absolutely control over their opinions and how and where they share them.

If I hadn’t taken the baby steps all along the way—if I’d just put the first draft of that first beloved book out there—it might have done me in. One bad review would have probably made me quit writing altogether. But through practice and gradually increasing levels of exposure, I’ve come to trust my own writing and my ability to handle others’ evaluations of it. And I haven’t made a dash for the ladies room in years.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Still Beautiful
by Amy Patrick
Oxford South Press
Released 12/2/2014

Fall in Love Like a 20 Something…

20 year old double-engineering major Cinda Moran is the smart one. Her older sister Kenley… is the pretty one. Their nightmare match-making mom has always made their roles pretty clear, and it’s no mystery which daughter she prefers. So while Kenley played the passive dress-up doll, Cinda did the opposite, refusing any attempts to prettify her and make her into “billionaire bait”. Instead, she’s fiercely focused on academics and her internship at an Atlanta TV station.

And as far as romance goes—please—she’s not even sure true love is a “thing”. As she does for everything else in her life, Trekkie-girl Cinda’s got a logical plan: select a sensible mate, come to a mutually satisfactory agreement, and decide to stick it out for better or worse.

Then she meets Blake Branham. He makes no sense for her at all. He’s a reporter at the station, years older, and has ambitions to work at the network someday while she intends to stay put in Atlanta. Even worse—he’s a total alpha. With her own Mr. Spock personality, the last thing she needs in her life is a swaggering Captain Kirk taking stupid risks and tempting her to do the same.

And he is tempting. When she’s forced to work closely with Blake on live shots and gets to know him outside the station as well, Cinda feels things she’s never felt for another guy and starts to wonder… should she boldly go where she’s never gone before? Should she give love a chance… even if it’s not logical?

Purchase Still Beautiful at Amazon

View Still Beautiful on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy is a two-time Golden Heart finalist (2013 and 2014) who writes Young Adult fiction as Amy DeLuca and Contemporary and Fantasy romance as Amy Patrick. Her books have won and finaled in many RWA chapter contests, and she is the author of the 20 SOMETHING series. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons and actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She's been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for a Boston TV station.

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As many writers know, agents and editors won’t give your work more than ten pages or so to make an impact. If you haven’t got them hooked by then, it’s a safe bet you won’t be asked for more material. Make sure you’ve got the kind of opening they’re looking for! In this invaluable weekend event called “Agent One-on-One Boot Camp: Your First 10 Pages,” you’ll get to work with an agent online (from Talcott Notch Literary) to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel. You’ll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you’ll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work. (There are a limited number of seats for any WD boot camp, and this “10 Pages” camp has sold out many times in the past. Please sign up earlier rather than later to guarantee your spot.)

Here’s how it works:

On Friday morning, November 21, you will gain access to a special 60-minute online tutorial presented by agent and editor Paula Munier. It will help you clarify what you should be looking for in your work. You will also be notified by email which agent you’ll be working with on Friday. (All times noted are Eastern Time).

After listening to the presentation, you’ll spend Friday evening revising your first ten pages as necessary, given the guidelines provided in the presentation, and you’ll email those pages directly to Paula or one of four additional agents from Talcott Notch Literary, including Gina Panettieri, Rachael Dugas, and Jessica Negron, by Saturday morning at 10:00 AM (ET). They will spend all day Saturday reviewing their assigned pages and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t.

Sign up for the boot camp here.

All pages with notes will be returned to participants by 11:00 AM (ET) Sunday morning. Throughout the day on Sunday, you’ll work to revise your pages based on the agent’s specific feedback. From 1:00 to 4:00 PM, Paula, Gina, Rachael, and Jessica will be available to answer questions and provide additional feedback via the Writer’s Digest University message boards. Only registered students can access these boards. You’ll also be able to ask question of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers.

By 10:00 PM (ET) Sunday night, you’ll return your final revised pages to your assigned agent for review. They will spend the next week reading the revised submissions assigned to them, and will provide a final brief one-or-two sentence critique of your progress no later than December 1. Please note that any one of them may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

*Please note: All attendees should have the first 10 pages of their novel finished and ready to submit to the agent prior to the beginning of the event.

In addition to feedback from Paula, Gina, Rachael, or Jessica, attendees will also receive:

— A download of “An Agent’s Tips on Story Structures that Sell,” an on-demand webinar by Andrea Hurst
— 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

Join the Boot Camp Today!

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The nonfiction book proposal is a unique creature. It’s an essential package that you must create to attract the attention of publishers and “sell” them on your book, but most writers balk at the thought of spending weeks and even months developing and honing it.

But what if you could accelerate the process of creating your nonfiction book proposal? What if you could write a powerful proposal both quickly and professionally? Ryan G. Van Cleave shows you how with The Weekend Book Proposal, a practical, step-by-step guide to the nuts and bolts of faster, better proposal writing.

Here, Ryan shares three questions you should ask yourself as you start planning your proposal.

1. WHO ARE MY READERS?

Start with your mom, dad, spouse, and immediate family. Then expand this list to any aunts, uncles, and cousins who you can guilt-trip into buying a copy. Great—you’ve sold maybe a dozen copies to people who are buying it merely because they know you. Now the real work starts. Who else is going to be persuaded to buy the book?

Determine the Primary and Secondary Markets

Your primary audience is the ideal group of people who’d love to read your book. If your book is a Florida orchid-growing how-to, the primary audience is Floridians who grow orchids. If your book is a memoir about a forty-something using her renewed Catholic faith and positive thinking to create weight loss and overall health improvement, then the primary audience is health aficionados. But it might also be Catholic women’s groups. And perhaps priests. Most books have a clear primary audience, though books that cover a lot of ground (like the latter example) might have more.

Your secondary audiences are the groups of people beyond the obvious primary audience. For that orchid book? Secondary audiences might be gardeners in Florida or the entire Southeast. Landscapers. Organic farmers. Member groups of the American Orchid Society. Botanical garden gift shops. For that memoir? Any Catholic church. Catholic parenting groups. Fitness clubs. Fans of The Secret and The Law of Attraction. Active forty-somethings and senior citizens. And so on.

Books should always have quite a few reasonable secondary markets. Make sure to mention them, even if they seem fairly small. The primary market should be doing the heavy lifting, yet secondary markets that bring in a couple dozen or a few hundred sales add up quickly.

2. WHAT MAKES MY BOOK SPECIAL?

How are you going to convince a publisher that your book is special? Different? Noteworthy? Reader-friendly?

It comes down to being clear about your book’s features and benefits. But the way to do that is in the context of seeing what’s already available in print—your competitors.

Determine the Existing Titles That Compete with Yours

It’s best to start by gathering the information already out there, so early on in your proposal, include a list of the top four to six books that in some way compete with yours. Don’t be scared to admit that similar books already exist. Editors expect that. In fact, if you can’t find any books that are similar to yours, editors will be leery of taking your book on. The assumption is, if it’s a viable market, someone would’ve already tapped into it. So find and name your main competitors.

Determine Your Book’s Features and Benefits

Here’s the tricky part. Now it’s on you to think through what features or benefits your book has that the competing books don’t (or at least the ones they haven’t done as effectively as you will). Here are a few possible ideas:

• Thoroughness: If your book is the most comprehensive, authoritative book on a certain topic, you’re in great shape.
• Timeliness: Think about all the Y2K books or 2012 Mayan prophecy books that flooded the shelves before a specific calendar date. Dealing with the context of your book—the place and time—can help persuade your audience.
• Access: If your book provides special access to something or someone people want to know more about, that’s a real value.
• Skills: Are you teaching something useful, like how to safely shed two pounds a week by doing yoga in your office chair at work? I wouldn’t know how to do that without reading your book (and perhaps getting more flexible—ouch!).
• Knowledge: Are you making readers more knowledgeable? Are you promising to raise their IQ? Despite having no evidence to support the idea that they raised the intelligence level of children, the Baby Einstein DVDs sold like crazy when they came out. Why? Every parent wanted their kids to be as smart as Albert Einstein.

3. WHO AM I TO WRITE THIS BOOK?

Even if you have an amazing idea and a dynamite book proposal, you might still lose the deal if you don’t present yourself as the single best candidate to do the job. You’ll need to discuss the following in your proposal:

Your Writing Background

If you have previous training in writing or some of your writing has been published somewhere—anywhere—awesome! That’s terrific information to include. Having something you wrote that’s been published says a few things:

• You can complete a written piece.
• You can edit/proofread it to a professional standard.
• You understand how to submit work to a publisher.
• You have worked successfully with a publisher in the past.
• You take yourself seriously as a writer.
• You’re building a writing career.

All of these seem like valuable things to communicate to a prospective publishing partner, no?

If you don’t have professional writing credentials, you might decide to take a bit of time to generate some. Considering how many print and online opportunities there are these days, it’s easier than ever to get something accepted for publication. Begin with local publication opportunities to start racking up credentials.

Your Education

Here’s where you say you went to Stanford (unless, like me, you didn’t!). If you went to a number of different colleges and universities, don’t give the entire laundry list. Give the last one and/or the most prominent. If your education stopped at high school or before, leave that out entirely. Now calm down—I’m not saying you’re a dud because you didn’t go to college. People like John D. Rockefeller, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Dave Thomas, and Henry Ford all did quite well without college, I realize. But it’s just too easy for an editor who’s never met you to have a negative reaction to your not having what’s considered to be the bare minimum of education. (If your book is about succeeding without a college degree, however, by all means, lead with that fact.)

A word of warning: Academic writers are trained to write stuffy, dense, reader-unfriendly works. So if you have advanced degrees, make sure that your entire proposal reads like you’re writing for actual people versus Socrates. Keep the massive, convoluted sentences and exotic vocabulary to a minimum. You’re writing for the twenty-first-century audience, not William Shakespeare.

Education, though, is more than just degree programs. Consider beefing up this area of your bio by taking classes at the local community college. You can find first-rate online classes through Writer’s Digest University (www.writersonlineworkshops.com), Stanford University Continuing Studies (continuingstudies.stanford.edu/courses/onlinewriters.php), and the Gotham Writers’ Workshop (www.writingclasses.com). If you go any of these routes, they’re worth mentioning.

Relevant Background Information

You might be inclined to add that you raise Yorkshire terriers or that you hold three Guinness Book of World Records records relating to bubble gum blowing. Good for you. Just don’t put it in your author bio because it’s not relevant (unless, of course, your book is on raising/hoarding dogs or bubble gum blowing, or if it’s a memoir on your life quest to get as many world records as humanly possible).

If you truly think something is interesting albeit a bit off the topic of your book, fine; just include no more than one of those factoids to give your life a little color. Such an addition might make you stand out from a slew of other authors’ proposals. It also might make sense if you don’t have much to say by way of education or writing background. You have to say something, right? I get that. Just don’t go overboard with hobbies, interests, and skills. This isn’t a job résumé or dating profile, after all.

If you choose to add a nice detail for flavor, see if it can also—on some level—suggest something that might help your cause as a writer. For instance, if you’re a freelance web designer, then you must be pretty creative and industrious. You also probably know how to use the Internet to promote yourself and your book. And if you say you get in at least three rounds of golf a week at the best country club in San Jose (Silicon Valley), it’s reasonable to assume you might have an in with high-tech innovators and dot-com entrepreneurs. If you’re writing a book about the dot-com bubble bursting, then this is crucial information to share.

–

Looking for more ways to boost your proposal-writing skills and increase your chances of publication? The Weekend Book Proposal is jam-packed with proven strategies, sample queries and proposals, interviews with publishing experts, and “Hit the Gas” tips for speeding up the proposal process. Whether you’re proposing a nonfiction book, memoir, anthology, textbook, or novel, you’ll learn how to succeed and prosper as a writer—and sell your books before you’ve even written them!

---

Rachel Randall is the managing editor of Writer’s Digest Books.

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There has never been a better time to be a Sci-Fi / Fantasy author. With television shows like Battlestar Galactica, Game of Thrones and Outlander each in turn becoming massive pop culture phenomena, and Marvel’s superhero films dominating the box office, SF/F has gone mainstream like never before. The SF/F literary marketplace has also become more open to a variety of stories and points of view.

The SF/F agents of Fuse Literary (formerly Foreword Literary) will help you perfect your new Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Horror masterpiece in this online boot camp titled “How to Write and Sell Your Fantasy & Science Fiction.” It starts on Nov. 10, and all registrants will get individualized agent critiques as well as have the chance to ask the agent instructors any questions they wish.

Among the topics that will be discussed:

• How to build a unique and memorable fictional world that will entice an agent
• How to craft a compelling, high-stakes plot that keeps the reader engaged
• How to create refreshing and dynamic characters
• How to find agents seeking SF/F manuscripts
• How to avoid common pitfalls in your query letter and sample pages
• How to rein in an out-of-control word count
• How to lay the groundwork for an epic series in your first book. Sign up for the boot camp here.

After the seminar lecture, we will be available to answer any questions you may have about the SF/F market or the publishing process. Then the agents from Fuse Literary will critique the query letter and first five double-spaced pages from all registrants. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the inside scoop on genre publishing!

 

PLEASE NOTE: A few works discussed as examples in our presentation will include A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey, Dune by Frank Herbert, and Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor. It’s not necessary to have read any or all of these books, but a passing familiarity with at least a few of them will be helpful.

Only registered students can access the discussion sessions. You’ll also be able to ask questions of your fellow students. Feel free to share your work and gain support from your peers

Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise.

In addition to feedback from agents, attendees will also receive:

— Download of “An Agent’s Tips on Story Structures that Sell,” an on-demand webinar by literary agent Andrea Hurst
— 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com literary agent database

About Fuse Literary:

Fuse Literary is a full-service, hybrid literary agency based in the Silicon Valley with offices in New York City, Chicago, San Diego, and Vancouver. We blend the tried-and-true methods of traditional publishing with the brash new opportunities engendered by digital publishing, emerging technologies, and an evolving author-agent relationship. Sign up for the boot camp here.

Fuse manages a wide variety of clients, from bestsellers to debut authors, working with fiction and non-fiction for children and adults worldwide. We combine technical efficiency with outside-the-covers creative thinking so that each individual client’s career is specifically fine-tuned for them.

Agent Laurie McLean is a partner at Fuse Literary. She spent 20 years as the CEO of a publicity agency and 8 years as an agent and senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents in San Francisco. At Fuse, Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction plus middle-grade and young adult children’s books. Her SF/F clients include the New York Times and USA Today bestselling YA author Julie Kagawa, bestselling fantasy and science fiction author Michael J. Sullivan, and award-winning steampunk and fantasy authors Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris.http://www.writersdigest.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

Agent Connor Goldsmith is an associate agent at Fuse Literary, part of the firm’s New York office. He began his career in publishing as an associate agent at Lowenstein Associates. At Fuse, Connor specializes in adult genre and commercial fiction, in addition to select literary fiction and nonfiction titles. His SF/F clients include award-winning romantic fantasy author Jeffe Kennedy and upcoming debut SF/F authors Claire Humphrey, Alex White, and Cass Morris.

Please note: Both Laurie McLean and Connor Goldsmith will be participating in the online discussion sessions together on the same boards. There is no need to request to ask questions to one or the other beforehand. If you ask a question, both Laurie and Connor will be able to reply to you based on their expertise. However, only Connor Goldsmith will be critiquing submissions.

Sign up for the boot camp here.

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The 2015 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is out and available in major bookstores! What better way to celebrate its release than a giveaway contest? The CWIM a great resource guide for writers of picture books and novels for kids (young adult, middle grade) as well as illustrators.

The new 2015 edition of the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is updated and packed with info. Now in its 27th year, the newest edition still provides great market and submission/contact information for book publishers, art reps, 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:

• Interviews with some of today’s most amazing writers and illustrators, such as Lauren DeStefano (Wither series), illustrator Loren Long (Of Thee I Sing with Barack Obama), and Kathy Appelt (The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp), among many others.
• Interviews with 13 debut authors, explaining how they came to get their picture books, middle grade, board books, and young adult books published. Hear their stories and learn from them.
• Interviews with 9 debut book illustrators, explaining how they came to see their work come to life. Hear from their stories and learn from them.
• Instructional articles on Writing For Boys (and Other “Reluctant Readers”), How to Write a Query Letter, Your Presence on the Web (Connecting With Readers), How to Write & Sell Nonfiction, Middle Grade vs. Young Adult, Tips on Selling Your First Children’s Picture Book, and more.
• “New Agent Spotlights” that pinpoint new/newer literary reps who are actively seeking submissions and clients NOW.
• A supplemental webinar all about how to revise & self-edit your own work to make it amazing before you submit. The webinar was recorded by contributing editor Harold Underdown, who runs The Purple Crayon website.
• And much more.

Buy it here! (It is available wherever books are sold, including Barnes & Noble or on Amazon, but know that when you order any product from our Writer’s Digest shop, you get the same deep discount you find on Amazon.) Need more reasons to buy? How about 8 darn good testimonials below from these very cool people, many of which are bestsellers, and some of which have even had movies made out of their books.

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. Note: If you share news of the contest on Twitter, you’re entered into the contest twice instead of once. To do this, simply share this tweet — The 2015 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is out now! Giveaway contest: http://tinyurl.com/lj72wx9 – via @chucksambuchino — and then comment on this post and leave your Twitter handle in your blog comment.

 

 

        

“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, the first book of which
is soon to be a major motion picture.

 

 

       

“Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’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 & Illustrator’s Market
will get you started on the right path.”

- WENDY TOLIVER, author of Lifted

        

“Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market has all the things
a new writer needs to know about the business, like who’s
who and how to submit to agents and publishers, but it also
has all the intangibles, like advice and encouragement.
Buy it for the information, keep it for the inspiration.”

- JOSEPHINE ANGELINI, international
bestselling author of Starcrossed.

 

       

“Chuck Sambuchino’s Children’s Writer’s and
Illustrator’s Market has all you need to
master the publishing process.”

- JULIE CANTRELL, New York Times and
USA Today bestselling author of Into the Free

 

          

“In my pre-published days (and there were many), purchasing
and perusing the new edition of the Children’s Writer’s &
Illustrator’s Market guide was such a hopeful time of year
for me.  I really got my optimistic juices flowing while reading
the articles and highlighting names of editors and agents.
You’re part of a great publication!”

- CLARE VANDERPOOL author of the
young adult novel, NAVIGATING EARLY
(Delacorte, 2013)

 

 

Pick up the 2015 edition of CWIM here!

 

 

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. Note: If you share news of the contest on Twitter, you’re entered into the contest twice instead of once. To do this, simply share this tweet — The 2015 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is out now! Giveaway contest: x — via @chucksambuchino — and then comment on this post and leave your Twitter handle in your blog comment.

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Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, memoir, stage play, or screenplay, this boot camp will show you how to craft a great narrative scene-by-scene. It’s a hands-on event that provides personalized feedback on your story structure and plot.

The agents of Talcott Notch Literary Services share the secrets of creating a story structure that works – no matter what your genre – in this entertaining and informative online event. It’s all part of the 2014 “Plot Perfect” Agent One-on-One Boot Camp starting Oct. 24. In addition to the tutelage and instruction, every attendee gets a critique of their plot framework from the agent instructors. Seats for the event are limited, and WD boot camps frequently sell out, so consider signing up sooner rather than later.

Following are the details of what happens during the event:

 

 

 

How it works:

On Friday, October 24, you will receive access to a special online tutorial created by author and senior literary agent Paula Munier. During this presentation, Paula will detail how your work’s theme and variations on that theme determine your main plot as well as your sub-plots. You’ll learn how to break your story down accordingly, scene by scene, forming a blueprint by which you can devise the most compelling version of the story you want to tell. In addition to the tutorial, you’ll also receive two special templates designed to help you quickly develop the theme-based three-act structure you need to engage and entertain your readers.

The critique:

After watching the tutorial, you’ll sketch out a story structure for your own project using the template and submit it to your assigned Talcott Notch agent for review. The deadline for submission is 10:00 AM ET, Saturday, October 25.

The submission will then be reviewed by the agent, who will provide a personalized critique of your work by noon, Sunday, October 26. This critique will give you insights into what’s working in your story, what’s not, and how you can improve it. Informed by these comments, you’ll revise the story structure throughout the day on Sunday. You’ll have the opportunity to ask the agents questions via a live message board (open from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET), then finalize your revision and resubmit it for one last review no later than 10:00 PM ET Sunday night.

The Talcott Notch agents will spend the next few days reviewing the revised submissions. Once finished, they will send a final note assessing your revision efforts by no later than 10:00 PM, October 31. Please note that these comments are brief, and not meant to act as a second critique.

By the time you finish this one-of-a-kind plotting primer, you’ll be armed with the blueprint you need to help craft an effective first draft from page one to The End.

BONUS: For attending this Boot Camp, you will receive a free copy of Paula Munier’s just-published book Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene. Here is a bit about the book:

“Plot is one of the most important aspects to your novel or short story. To write a successful fiction piece, you need a story rich in theme, character and nuance. These stories stand out from the rest and attract readers. Creating a story with a multilayered plot does not come naturally, but takes thoughtfulness and dedication. Plot Perfect will teach you all about writing compelling plots that keep readers wanting more. Explore the intricacies of plot by mastering the three act structure using real world examples.”

Books will begin being shipped to attendees in the beginning of November. (Sign up for the boot camp here.)

PLEASE NOTE: To illustrate superior examples of plot and structure, Paula will reference The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett throughout her webinar. Although it’s not necessary to be familiar with the story, she recommends that attendees either read the novel or watch the movie prior to the boot camp in order to get the most out of the event.

Paula also recommends that you have 60 blank index cards on hand. Though they aren’t required, you’ll find them a great help for brainstorming ideas and writing down scene details. You can then use these cards to keep track of your scenes and easily reorder them to work out the best possible structure for your story.

About Talcott Notch Literary Agency:

Founded in 2003, Talcott Notch Literary is a rapidly-growing mid-size literary and screen rights agency representing the freshest new voices in both fiction and nonfiction.

Senior Associate Agent and Content Strategist Paula Munier brings a wealth of publishing industry knowledge to the agency. With a stellar background holding executive positions in both publishing houses and writers’ organizations (simultaneously), she’s intimately-versed in the dynamics and inner workings of publishing houses, as well as the expectations of and demands placed upon writers.

Associate Agent Rachael Dugas completed a six-month internship with Sourcebooks before joining Talcott Notch, and is now seeking fiction, particularly YA and middle-grade fiction, along with women’s fiction, romance, paranormal and mysteries. She’ll also consider nonfiction, with a strong interest in the arts, and cooking. Her first sales hit the shelves this Spring, including Bethany Crandall’s SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS, published by Running Press Kids, and Elle Daniel’s HE’S NO PRINCE CHARMING, published by Hachette, debuting this Fall.

NOTE: No special requests to work with specific agents will be available for this boot camp.

Sign up for the boot camp here.

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Are you ready to get your book on the shelves? Whether you’re just starting to write your novel or have dozens of submissions under your belt, this new “Find an Agent and Get Published” collection includes everything you need to successfully get your work into the market. Learn how the publishing industry has changed and how you need to format and submit your proposal in order to build a solid reputation. Get insight from experienced agents on common mistakes writers make and how to craft an irresistible query letter. If you’re serious about having a long-term, prosperous career as a writer, you need to develop the business-savvy skills necessary to land an agent and get published. And the 11-item kit is yours for 80% off. (Not too shabby!)

Buy it here. Here are the 11 items in this month’s kit:

 

Buy the kit here.

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The book is out and available everywhere books or sold — in major bookstores and online!

The new 2015 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 24 years and that’s why it’s sold more than 320,000 copies. It works—and if you keep reading, I’ll prove it to you below with proof from 47 people.

Buy it here at an amazing 50% discount! (It’s only $14.99 in our shop as of me writing this post — I don’t know how long the deal will last!) When you order it online from our WD shop, you get the same deep discount you find on Amazon and other websites. Need more reasons 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 (Sept. 25, 2014), I will pick 3 winners randomly to win a copy of the book! It’s that easy.

 

 

 

 

1. Lee Kelly, author of the debut novel CITY OF SAVAGES (Saga Press, 2015), which she sold in a two-book deal:

“The Guide to Literary Agents has been on my nightstand for years and I swear by it. GLA is an invaluable guide to navigating the publishing world. I used it on my road to finding my agent, and would recommend it to any writer at the beginning of her own journey.”

2. Lindsay Cummings, author of the YA thriller THE MURDER COMPLEX (Greenwillow, 2014) and several other novels:

“I got my agent, Louise Fury of The Bent Agency by using Guide to Literary Agents.”

3. Caroline Carlson, author of THE VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES: MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT (HarperCollins, 2013) and its sequels:

“I used the Guide to Literary Agents in my agent search!”

4. Renee Adhieh, author of the THE WRATH AND THE DAWN (Penguin/Putnam 2015) and 2 more books:

“The first book I ever bought when I began my publishing journey was the Guide to Literary Agents. And it’s one of the first things I recommend to any aspiring writer.”

5. Annie England Noblin, represented by Lotus Lane Literary:

“Anytime anyone asks me where to find a list of agents, I always direct them to the Guide to Literary Agents. It has been an invaluable resource. Thank you so much.”

 

 

6. Kim Baker, author of the middle grade debut, PICKLE: THE (FORMERLY) ANONYMOUS PRANK CLUB OF FOUNTAIN POINT MIDDLE SCHOOL (Roaring Brook, 2012)

“I read the Guide to Literary Agents religiously when I was planning submissions”

7. Kate Maddison, author of debut THE INCREDIBLE CHARLOTTE SYCAMORE (Holiday House, 2013)

“The Guide to Literary Agents was the very first book I bought on the business of writing, several years ago. I remember the bookstore, the time of day, and what the young cashier looked like who sold it to me because she struck up a conversation, as she too hoped to get published one day. I read that thing from cover to cover!”

8. Jeri Westerson, author of the fantasy BLOOD LANCE: A MEDIEVAL NOIR and several other novels

“The whole writing industry is so confusing. Where to start? I started with the Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents, where I not only created my list of agents and game plan, I received all sorts of excellent information in crafting my winning query letter. I recommend it to anyone starting out. And yes, I did get an agent through the Guide.”

 

9. Gennifer Albin, author of young adult novels CREWEL and ALTERED (FSG, 2013/2014)

“I’m a big fan of the Guide to Literary Agents. I got a lot of mileage out of mine, when I was looking for an agent, and I frequently recommend it.”

10. Sharon Gilchrest O’Neill, author of A Short Guide to a Happy Marriage: The Essentials For Long-lasting Togetherness (Cider Mill Press)

“For some time I had been working on queries to publishers that would accept manuscripts directly from authors, with moments of hope, but no contract. I read the Guide to Literary Agents and thought, maybe it’s time to consider an agent! I immediately sent out several queries and later that same day my manuscript was requested by Jackie Meyer of Whimsy Literary Agency in New York. The following day Jackie asked for my okay to send the manuscript on to a publisher she had in mind, and within 24 hours she had sold my book!”

11. Lynne Raimondo, author of the mystery debut, DANTE’S WOOD (Seventh Street Books, 2013)

“The Guide to Literary Agents is how I found my agent [Brooks Sherman of FinePrint Literary].”

 

           

12. 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 [Stephany Evans of FinePrint Literary].”

13. 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…”

14. 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.

15. 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 [Tina Wexler of ICM] and a four-book deal.”

16. 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 [Daniel Lazar of Writers House] and my book has now sold in 11 territories and counting.”

17. 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.”

 

18. 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!”

19. 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!”

20. 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.”

   

 

21. 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.”

22. 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.”

23. 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.”

 

24. 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.”

25. 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!”

26. 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.”

 

          

 

27. 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.”

28. 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.”

29. 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.”

 

 

       

 

30. 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).”

31. 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.”

32. 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).”

 

”       

 

33. 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.”

34. 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.”

35. 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.”

 

   

 

36. 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.”

37. Guinevere Durham, author of Teaching Test-Taking Skills: Proven Techniques to Boost Your Student’s Scores (R&L Education).

“I was looking for an agent for my book. I had been trying for 7 years to find a publisher. I have enough rejection letters to wallpaper my office. Finally, I researched the Guide to Literary Agents. Three months later I had a contract with Rowman & Littlefield Educational Publishers. My agency is Educational Design Services, Inc.”

38. Kelly Fiore, author of the young adult debut Taste Test (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 Guide to Literary Agents 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.”

39. 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.”

40. Chana Stiefel, writer

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

41. Nicole Steinhaus, writer

“Let’s just say this: when I first jumped into the query process, I was clueless. I bought the Guide to Literary Agents, and scoured for hours through the pages. Two weeks after sending [agent Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary] my full manuscript, I received an email saying she wanted to offer representation.”

42. John A. (Buddy) Howard, writer

“As a first time author, I found the Guide to Literary Agents invaluable, particularly with the ability to screen for agents and publishers by area of specialty. I signed with Whimsy Literary Agency. Getting an agent would not have been possible without your invaluable website, book and support. Keep up your great work and thanks for your past and ongoing help to me and so many other authors out there.”

 

43. Frank Giampaolo, author of multiple nonfiction sports guides, including CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS

“I followed the formatting and submitting advice given by Chuck and the Guide to Literary Agents. Within a month I was signed to the Quicksilver Books Literary Agency. My agent, Bob Silverstein, negotiated a wonderful publishing deal for me. My second book, Championship Tennis, is scheduled for release worldwide with hard copies, e-books and phone apps in April 2013. The Guide to Literary Agents is a must have resource!”

44. Emily Saso, writer

“Chuck’s is the reason I landed my thoughtful, supportive agent, Linda Epstein of The Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. I didn’t just discover Linda through the Guide to Literary Agents, his blog also taught me how to write a quality query that would catch her eye. Thanks, Chuck! Keep up the great work!”

45. Tim Bullard, author of the nonfiction book Haunted Watauga County (History Press of Charleston, 2011)

“Buying the Guide to Literary Agents paid off last year with publication of my book. Fighting the urge to quit and admit total failure, I pressed on until all the advice I had received through your books stuck. Now I am about to publish my second book. God bless you!”

46. Noelle Sterne, author of TRUST YOUR LIFE: FORGIVE YOURSELF AND GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS

“Your Guide to Literary Agents and the features from authors on the often-hard lessons learned from the dream of publishing have helped me immensely to keep my feet on the ground, butt in the chair, and fingers on the keyboard. Thank you, Chuck, for taking all the time and effort and for caring!”

47. Jessica Lidh, author of the YA debut THE NUMBER 7 (Merit Press, 2014):

“I found Dee Mura Literary in the Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents. Kimiko Nakamura is my agent. She’s honestly an endless supply of support, encouragement, and hard work. I was so lucky to find her. The GLA was the best $25 investment I ever made.”

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 (Sept. 25, 2014), I will pick 3 winners randomly to win a copy of the book! It’s that easy.

Buy the 2015 Guide to Literary Agents here!

 

Add a Comment

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 sites like Twitter and Facebook — to connect with readers and writers. But fundamentally more important than social media is simply having a (free) 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 11, 2014. 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. All webinar attendees get to ask Jane as many questions as she wants, and no question goes unanswered.

 

 

 

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

It’s indisputable: All authors must have their own website. It’s critical for effective marketing (online AND offline), as well as long-term career growth. Even unpublished authors can benefit greatly from establishing a starter site. Why? You work through the learning curve, you build online awareness, you make contacts in the writing and media world, and more opportunities open up to you.

This intensive webinar focuses on the simplest, most robust, and FREE tools to get a site up and running in a day or less—often in one evening! You don’t have to know any code, understand any technical jargon, or have previous experience with websites or blogs. You also don’t need to own your own domain or have hosting, although advice will be given on those issues.

While several different site-building options will be discussed, this session offers a step-by-step tutorial on setting up a site using WordPress—a best-in-class system that underpins 1 one of every 6 websites on the internet. WordPress is free to use, open source, and continually improving. Sign up for the webinar here.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• 5 simple services that help you create a codeless website, for free, in an hour or less (plus what services to avoid)
• Absolute must-have elements for every author site, even if you’re unpublished
• The difference between a blog and a website, and whether or not you need a blog
• How to get started with WordPress, either at WordPress.com or on your own domain
• What WordPress themes are best to use, plus what premium themes you might consider investing in
• Basic and free WordPress plug-ins that you need, plus how to extend the functionality of your site with more advanced plug-ins
• How to add multimedia to your site (audio, video, photos, etc)
• How to integrate social media sharing tools onto your site
• What site upgrades or additional features you might want that necessitate further investment
• An easy-to-understand explanation of domains and hosting (but you don¹t need to own a domain or have hosting to get started!)
• Common mistakes and pitfalls of websites and blogs
• When you should hire a professional designer or site developer, and how much you can expect to spend
• All these points and more will be answered in this nuts-and-bolts webinar about creating a model author website.  Sign up for the webinar here.

INSTRUCTOR

Jane Friedman is the former web editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review, where she oversees all online content, website development, and technical maintenance. She is also the sole developer and designer of her own website, JaneFriedman.com, which has won numerous awards and enjoys 50,000 unique visitors per month. Jane’s expertise on technology and publishing has been featured on NPR, PBS, and Publishers Weekly, and her social media presence is often cited as a model to follow in the writing community. Before joining VQR, Jane was the publisher of Writer’s Digest and spent two years as a full-time professor of e-media at the University of Cincinnati.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

1. Writers who want to establish a new website from scratch.
2. Writers who want to learn how to use WordPress to build a new website.
3. Writers who have tried to use WordPress but need a tutorial.
4. Writers who want to transition from a blog-only site, such as Blogspot or Tumblr, to a full-featured, long-term site on WordPress

 Sign up for the webinar here.

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(Kate Wilson of the wonderful Nosy Crow asked me to write a guest post for her on my experiences of self-publishing as a published author. For your info, she didn't know what those experiences were, so there was no direction or expectation. I have re-posted it here, with permission. Note that this is personal experience, not advice.)

Many writers, previously published or not, talk excitedly about why they enjoy self-publishing. Let me tell you why I don’t.

I’ve self-published (only as ebooks) three of my previously published YA novels and three adult non-fiction titles which hadn’t been published before. From these books I make a welcome income of around £250 a month – a figure that is remarkably constant. So, why have I not enjoyed it and why won’t I do it again?

It’s damned hard to sell fiction! (Over 90% of that £250 is from the non-fiction titles.) Publishers know this. They also know that high sales are not always about “quality”, which is precisely why very good novels can be rejected over and over. Non-fiction is easier because it’s easy to find your readers and for them to find your book. Take my book about writing a synopsis, for example; anyone looking for a book on writing a synopsis will Google “books on writing a synopsis” and, hey presto, Write a Great Synopsis appears. But if someone wants a novel, the chances of finding mine out of the available eleventy million are slim. This despite the fact that they had fab reviews and a few awards from their former lives.

But some novels do sell well. So why don’t mine? Because I do absolutely nothing to sell them. Why not? Well, this is the point. Several points.

First, time. I am too busy with other writing and public-speaking but, even if I weren’t, the necessary marketing takes far too long (for me) and goes on for too long after publication: the very time when I want to be writing another one. This is precisely why publishers tend only to work on publicity for a short while after publication: they have other books to work on. We may moan but it has to be like that – unless a book does phenomenally well at first, you have to keep working at selling it.

Second, I dislike the stuff I’d have to do to sell more books. Now, this is where you start leaping up and down saying, “But published authors have to do that, too!” Yes, and I do, but it’s different. When a publisher has invested money because they believe in your book, you obviously want to help them sell it. But when the only person who has actually committed any money is you, the selling part feels different. It’s a case of “I love my book so much that I published it – now you need to believe in me enough to buy it.” I can’t do it. Maybe I don’t believe in myself enough. Fine. I think books need more than the author believing in them. The author might be right and the book be fabulous, but I tend to be distrustful of strangers telling me they are wonderful so why should I expect others to believe me if I say I am? And I don’t want to spend time on forums just to sell more books.

Third, I love being part of a team. Yes, I’ve had my share of frustrating experiences in the course of 100 or so published books, but I enjoy the teamwork – even though I’m an introvert who loves working alone in a shed; I love the fact that other people put money and time and passion into selling my book. It gives me confidence and support. They won’t make money if they don’t sell my book and I still like and trust that model.

And I especially love that once I’ve written it and done my bit for the publicity machine and done the best I can for my book, I can let it go and write another.

See, I’m a writer, not a publisher. I may love control – the usual reason given for self-publishing – but I mostly want control over my words, not the rest. (That control, by the way, is never lost to a good editor, and I’ve been lucky with genius editors.) So, yes, I am pleased with the money I’ve earned from self-publishing and I love what I’ve learnt about the whole process, but now I’m going back to where I am happy to do battle for real control: my keyboard.

It’s all I want to do.

Nicola Morgan has written about 100 books, with half a dozen "traditional" publishers of various sizes from tiny to huge. She is a former chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland and advises hard-working writers on becoming and staying published, and on the marketing/publicity/events/behaviour that goes along with that.

She has also just created BRAIN STICKS™, an original and huuuuuuge set of teaching resources about the brain and mental health.

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Howdy, Campers!

Woo-woo!  The winner of Joan Bransfield Graham's new book, The Poem that Will Not End is Rosi Hollenbeck, who happens to be the SCBWI critique group coordinator for Northern and Central California. Congratulations, Rosi!  You'll find Joan's Wednesday Writing Workout here and my interview with her here.

Today we conclude our series on Writing What We Want to Write versus Writing What is Marketable (or, as I like to call it, WWWWWWWM). Each of us is taking turns thinking aloud about Marion Dane Bauer's terrific post, The Creative Mind, in which she writes convincingly about WWWWWWWM.

It's also Poetry Friday at Buffy's AND it's the start of TeachingAuthors' Summer Blogging Break--woo-woo!

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WD’s July 2014 Agent One-on-One Boot Camp is shaping up to be an awesome opportunity for writers of children’s books. The new topic is “How to Write and Sell Great Children’s Books: From Toddler to Teen,” and this boot camp is for writers of picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult novels.

It all starts on July 15, 2014, and features the amazing agents at Full Circle Literary offering instruction and critiques to all attendees. Picture book writers get their entire book critiqued while MG & YA writers get a query critique and five-page critique. This is a great opportunity to get a professional’s thoughts on your work, and possibly attract the attention of an agent at the same time. There is a limited number of seats for this event (75, and it reached capacity last time it was done), and WD Boot Camps frequently sell out, so sign up quickly.

 

 

DESCRIPTION

The world of children’s books has seen more growth in the last ten years than any other category in the publishing industry. Countless articles and op-eds have analyzed the booming success of now-iconic series like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Fancy Nancy. But while critics are debating the triumph of a particular series, readers – both children and adults – are clamoring for more books that will enchant and entertain them.

But in such a competitive market, how do you make your book stand out as a quality submission? How do you walk the fine line between capturing the attention (and purchasing power) of both child and adult reader? In this Writer’s Digest Boot Camp, the agents of Full Circle Literary will teach you:

• The key elements to writing a successful children’s book, be that a picture book, young adult novel, or middle grade story
• The pitfalls to avoid when writing for kids – whether toddlers or teens
• What agents and publishers look for in submissions
• How to make your opening pages shine

You are the new generation of authors, creating that next iconic book as we speak. Let’s get to work.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here.

Here’s how it works:

On Tuesday, July 15, 2014, you will gain access to one of the following online tutorials presented by the agents at Full Circle Literary. It’s your choice.

1. How to Write Successful Picture Books (45 minutes)

2. How to Write Successful Middle Grade and Young Adult (45 minutes)

These webinars will focus on the particular challenges and lessons for each category of children’s books. While there will be some overlapping information, please choose the webinar that speaks to your chosen genre. After listening to the presentation, you’ll spend Tuesday evening revising the opening of your project as necessary.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here.

CRITIQUE

You are then invited to submit one of the following for review:

1. For picture book authors: Query letter and up to 1,000 words (i.e. recommended length of full text) of your picture book
2. For middle grade/young adult authors: Query letter and your first 5 double-spaced pages

Also on July 15, you will be notified about your assigned agent. You will submit your pages for review by EOD, July 18, attached as a Word document. The agents reading and critiquing submissions are Stefanie von Borstel, Adriana Dominguez, and Taylor Martindale.

They will spend the next few days reviewing their assigned pages and providing feedback as to what works and what doesn’t.The agents will return your pages with their critiques within 10 days. Please note that any one of the agents may ask for additional pages if the initial submission shows serious promise. (Several agents have signed writers after seeing their work through boot camps and webinars.)

In addition to feedback from agents, attendees will also receive: A 1-year subscription to the WritersMarket.com Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Database.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here.

About the Agents:

Stefanie von Borstel is co-founder of Full Circle Literary. Prior to agenting, she worked in editorial and marketing with Penguin and Harcourt. Stefanie represents children’s books from baby to teen, as well as select adult books. On the adult side, her focus is on family-interest, craft/design/lifestyle, and creative nonfiction. Representative clients include: Meg Mateo Ilasco, Barb Blair, Justina Blakeney, Betz White, and Kelly McCants of Modern June, among others. On the children’s side, she is especially seeking middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and is excited about the latest books from her clients Diana Lopez’s Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel, Karen Benke’s Leap Write In!, and Sarah Burningham’s Girl to Girl. For picture books/chapter books: author/illustrators, character-driven stories, unique nonfiction, stories that keep her turning the pages, and books that inspire imagination of the young and young-at-heart. Clients include: Monica Brown, Jennifer Ward, Toni Buzzeo, Carmen Tafolla, Rafael Lopez, Cindy Jenson-Elliott, and SCBWI Grand Prize Portfolio Award Winner Juana Martinez-Neal, to name a few. Stefanie is thrilled to work with clients that have a distinct style or expertise that can crossover to both the children’s and adult markets. Most of all, she loves authentic voices and viewpoints that make us look at the world and ourselves in new ways. When not reading, Stefanie is probably searching for green fig beetles or exploring tidepools with her son.

Adriana Dominguez has 15 years of experience in publishing, most recently as Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she managed the children’s division of the Latino imprint, Rayo. Prior to that, she was Children’s Reviews Editor at Criticas magazine, published by Library Journal. She has performed editorial work for many children’s and adult publishers, both on a full time basis and as a freelance consultant, on English and Spanish language books. Adriana is also a professional translator who has worked on a number of translations of award-winning and best-selling children’s books. She is a member of the Brooklyn Literary Council that organizes the Brooklyn Book Festival, and one of the founders of the Comadres and Compadres Writers Conference in New York City. Adriana joined Full Circle in 2009, and is based on the East Coast. She is interested in children’s picture books, middle grade novels, and literary young adult novels. On the adult side, she is looking for literary and women’s works of fiction that feature characters with unique voices telling unforgettable stories. In the area of non-fiction, she seeks pop culture, and how-to titles geared toward women of all ages, written by authors with rock-solid platforms. Adriana has a long trajectory of publishing underrepresented authors and illustrators, and welcomes submissions that offer diverse points of view. Her client list includes seasoned authors such as Reyna Grande, Las Comadres Para Las Americas, Tim Z. Hernandez, Lorena Siminovich, George Ancona, and Rafael Lopez, as well as newcomers such as Angela Cervantes, Michaela & Elaine DePrince, Katheryn Russell-Brown, and Lila Quintero-Weaver, among others.

Taylor Martindale is a literary agent with Full Circle Literary, actively acquiring fiction and non-fiction projects. She began agenting with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and is a graduate of The College of William and Mary, where she studied English and Hispanic Studies. Taylor is looking for young adult fiction, literary middle grade fiction, women’s fiction, and select non-fiction projects. She is interested in finding unique and unforgettable voices in contemporary, historical and/or multicultural novels. She is looking for books that demand to be read whether the stories are light-hearted or address important issues (she adores both). More than anything, Taylor is looking for character-driven stories that bring the world vividly to life and voices that refuse to be ignored. When considering non-fiction projects, Taylor uses much the same approach, and hopes to find authors with fresh ideas and perspectives, with writing that is accessible, entertaining, and compelling. When not working, Taylor can be found traveling, cooking, spending time with loved ones, or (surprise!) lost in a good book.

Sign up for the July 2014 WD Agent One-on-One Boot Camp here!

 

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