Jennifer Chan, who formerly ran her own agency called Penumbra Literary LLC, just became part of Fuse Literary. With that in mind, please get to know a little more about Jennifer and see if she’s a good fit for your query. (Find her on Twitter.)

Jennifer obtained her Juris Doctor from Northeastern School of Law in Boston, MA, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, with a minor in Legal Studies. Originally a visual arts major turned English major, Jennifer appreciates creativity in all its incarnations. She was also Managing Editor of Student Life, Washington University’s Independent Student Paper and studied comparative literature with Emma Kafalenos while she was an undergraduate.

How did you become an agent?

I have a legal background and graduated from law school in 2008. It was an interesting time to enter the legal market and I tried to become a government attorney. Although there weren’t positions available to me, I always had an interest in publishing and was an English Major in college. I was able to secure a one-year fellowship with The New Press where I learned the ins-and-outs of publishing contracts, permissions etc. From there, I interned at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth literary agency and learned more about the role of a literary agent. I opened my own literary agency, Penumbra Literary in mid-2012 and haven’t looked back. As an entrepreneurial person, I wanted to start my own company and also leaned on a few more seasoned agents for advice. Now I’ve made the transition to Fuse Literary and couldn’t be happier.

Tell us about something you’ve sold that was released recently.

I was very excited to sell Broken Homes and Gardens by Rebecca Kelley last year. It was just released by Blank Slate Press in late April of this year. The book is a fresh take on relationships and love. We’re calling it When Harry Met Sally for the millennial generation. It is set in Portland, Oregon, which is also the home of the author, and charts the course of the friendship and romantic ups-and-downs between Joanna and Malcolm, both twenty-somethings trying to navigate where friendship mixes with love and lust. The book has generated some buzz and I’m working with a film agent to sell dramatic rights. I’m very excited about it and hope you put it on your summer reading list!

You just made a move to Fuse Literary. Tell us about the move.

For some time now I’ve been wanting to join another literary agency to better take advantage of opportunities available to my authors, such as subsidiary rights and dramatic rights. As much as I consider myself a hard-working and pro-active agent, I realized that working with a team would truly benefit my clients. I had my eye on Fuse Literary and was impressed by their hybrid, smart outlook on publishing in today’s landscape. When another agent at Fuse stepped down from her agenting role, I reached out to Laurie and Gordon. Things happened rather quickly behind the scenes and we just officially announced my move on Monday, May 27th. The timing was perfect both professionally and personally and I am so happy to find a new home at Fuse.

(What should you do after rejection?)

Help writers understand what kind of fiction and nonfiction projects you take queries for. Any you open to subs right now?

I’m open to submissions right now, so please feel free to query me at queryjennifer [at] fuseliterary.com  For both fiction and nonfiction, I request a query letter. For fiction, please send the first 20 pages copied and pasted into the body of the e-mail. I’m looking to acquire literary fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, contemporary romance, mature Young Adult, New Adult, suspense/ thriller and select graphic novels (adult, YA or MG). As a second-generation Taiwanese-American, I am particularly interested in voices from underrepresented and marginalized communities, strong and conflicted female characters, war and post-war fiction, and writers who are adept at creating a developed sense of place. I also admire writers who have an ear for dialogue and who are not afraid to take emotional risks.

For nonfiction please copy and paste the sales proposal into the body of the e-mail. In non-fiction, I’m looking to acquire memoir (but you must have a sizable platform), narrative non-fiction in the areas of adventure, biography, business, current affairs, medical, history, how-to, pop-culture, psychology, social entrepreneurism, social justice, travel, and lifestyle books (home, design, fashion, food). I believe in creating books that will have a positive impact on the world, and that inform and entertain.

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

In the Fall, I’ll be at the Seventh Annual San Francisco Writing for Change Conference on September 12, 2015 and Tahoe WordWave a Festival of Story on October 9 through 11, 2015. You can keep up to date on any future events that I’ll be attending on the Fuse Literary website under the tab “Conferences” or visit my individual agent website at http://agentjen.co and click under “Events.”

(Which writers’ conference is the BEST to attend?)

Any final pieces of advice for writers seeking an agent?

Make sure your query letter sings, is in the proper format (i.e. don’t send me a query letter in iambic pentameter, please), and explains how you would position and market the book. Typos matter in terms of making an initial impression, so make sure you proofread. Also, don’t query an agent in areas that he or she doesn’t represent. That will get you an automatic pass. On the more encouraging end, don’t give up and always continue to work on improving your craft. Having a social media presence is almost always a must, so make sure I can find good things about you on the internet, whether that be essays you may have published or even your witty Twitter account. Remember that this is a business, like anything else, professionalism, courtesy, and respect will serve you well.

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

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• 6 Rules For Writing A Medical Thriller.
• Agent Spotlight: Holly Lorincz (MacGregor Literary Agency) seeks Historical Romance, Westerns and Fiction.
• How I Got My Literary Agent: Maria Mutch (Memoir).
• How I Sold My Supernatural Thriller By Matt Manochio.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

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

The post Get to Know Literary Agent Jennifer Chan, Who Just Moved to Fuse Literary appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Eric Smith of P.S. Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Eric: Eric Smith is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary, with a love for young adult books, sci-fi, fantasy, and literary fiction. He began his publishing career at Quirk Books in Philadelphia, working social media and marketing on numerous books he absolutely adored. Eric completed his BA in English at Kean University, and his MA in English at Arcadia University.
A frequent blogger, his ramblings about books appear on BookRiot, The Huffington Post, Barnes & Noble’s Teen Reads blog, Paste Magazine’s Books section, and more. A published author with Quirk Books and Bloomsbury, he seeks to give his authors the same amount of love his writing has received. Follow him on Twitter: @ericsmithrocks

(Adapt your book into a movie script — here’s how.)

Eric is seeking: Eric is eagerly acquiring fiction and nonfiction projects. He’s actively seeking out new, diverse voices in Young Adult (particularly sci-fi and fantasy), New Adult, and Literary and Commercial Fiction (again, loves sci-fi and fantasy, but also thrillers and mysteries). In terms of nonfiction, he’s interested in Cookbooks, Pop Culture, Humor, essay collections, and blog to book ideas. You can view his detailed manuscript wish list at http://ericsmithrocks.com/mswl/

How to submit: Eric is currently accepting queries through PS Literary’s Submissions page. Limit your submission to a query letter and do not send attachments (use text within the body of your e-mail). All queries to him should be directed to query[at]psliterary.com

(Query letter FAQs answered.)

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

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• An exclusive interview with agent Jill Grosjean.
• New agent seeks clients NOW: MacKenzie Fraser-Bub of Trident Lit.
• Writing Memoir? Meet a debut success story.
• 4 Ways to Build Healthy Relationships With Your Readers.
• Sell More Books by Building Your Writer Platform.
• Writing a picture book? Hear writing advice from debut author You Byun.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Eric Smith of P.S. Literary appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Laura Mamelok of Susanna Lea Associates) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Laura: Laura Mamelok is a literary agent at Susanna Lea Associates, where she also sells foreign rights. SLA, which has offices in New York, London, and Paris, represents a range of fiction and nonfiction, both commercial and literary. Laura is French-American and has lived in both Paris and New York. She obtained her BA in comparative literature at Barnard College and her MA in comparative literature and film at Columbia University and the University of Paris 7. Prior to joining SLA in 2009, she worked as a literary scout for Maria B. Campbell Associates. She lives in Brooklyn.

(Writing a synopsis for your novel? Here are 5 tips.)

She is seeking: Laura is primarily interested in literary fiction, high-end commercial fiction, women’s fiction, literary crime/thrillers, and young adult fiction with crossover appeal. On the nonfiction side, she is looking for narrative nonfiction, current affairs/journalism, memoir, and humor. She’s drawn to international stories and settings, in both fiction and nonfiction. Above all, she is on the lookout for fresh voices, strong storytelling, and original ideas.

Submission guidelines: Queries by email only to lmamelok [at] susannalea.com. Please send a concise query letter, including email address, phone number, and any relevant information (previous publications, etc.), a brief synopsis, and the first three chapters and/or proposal. Please include the word “Query” in the subject of your email. She considers all queries received, but will respond only if interested.

(Before you send out your query, look over a submission checklist.)

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

I (Chuck) Will Instruct At These Great Writing Events Soon:

• June 25-28, 2015: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson Hole, WY)
• July 31- Aug. 2, 2015: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)
• Sept. 12, 2015: Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI)
• Oct 9: San Diego Writers’ Conference (San Diego, CA)
• Oct 10: The Writing Conference of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
• Oct. 17, 2015: Books by the Banks Book Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
• Oct. 24, 2015: Indiana Writers’ Conference (Indianapolis, IN)
• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• The Writer’s Journey:How Much Can Someone Possibly Stand?
• What Is Steampunk?
• Agent Spotlight: Mark Gottlieb (Trident Media) seeks Fiction, YA, MG, NA and Science Fiction.
• How I Got My Book Deal: Mary Weber (YA Fantasy).
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Laura Mamelok of Susanna Lea Associates appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

This is an interview with Alec Shane of Writers House. Before he became an agent, he was a professional stunt man in Los Angeles who earned a degree in English from Brown University. Realizing he preferred books to breakaway glass, he moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue a career in publishing and quickly found a home at Writers House Literary Agency.

He is looking for nonfiction reads in humor, biography, history (particularly military history), true crime, “guy” reads, and all things sports. And in fiction: mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, historical fiction, literary fiction, and books geared toward young male readers (both YA and MG).

How and why did you become an agent?

I wish I had better advice for people looking to get into publishing. I basically cold called a bunch of publishing houses and agencies based on a Google search of “book jobs.” The only place that didn’t hang up on me after laughing when I asked if they were hiring was Writers House; I was invited to interview for an internship here, and I ended up getting it. Jodi Reamer happened to be looking for a new assistant as I was finishing up my internship, and the rest is history.

What’s something you’ve sold that comes out now/soon that you’re excited about?

I recently sold the SEAL memoir of a good friend of mine from high school turned badass turned actor. He was featured in the American Sniper movie and will be recounting his experience during his 2006 deployment in Ramadi. It’s a pretty cool story, and it comes out in 2016. I also have a sports book about the New England Patriots I just sold that I’m also looking forward to getting out there.

(Hate writing synopses? Here are nuts & bolts pointers for you.)

Besides “good writing,” what are you looking for right now and not getting? What do you pray for when tackling the slush pile?

I’m seeing a lot of everything right now, which is nice…but as for what I’m not getting: a) thrillers that don’t feature CIA/FBI/Special Forces/police/PI/some kind of agent trying to track down some kind of terrorist and b) horror that doesn’t feature zombies/vampires/demons/werepeople. So while I love both genres, I haven’t seen anything that’s stood out to me for quite a while. I’m hoping that changes extremely soon. On the nonfiction side, I’m really hoping somebody sends me the definitive book on what went down in that New York jailbreak that just ended. I’m infatuated with that entire story.

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

You have said you enjoy “bad-ass protagonists with a chip on their shoulders.” Who are your favorite protagonists?

I’ll always love Jack Reacher—he’s kind of the original badass. The problem is now everyone is trying to emulate Jack Reacher in their thrillers, and I want to scream “Jack Reacher already exists! We already have that guy!” I also love [Michael Connelly’s] Harry Bosch—kind of gruff, unapologetic, and gets the job done. If have my way and the submissions process plays out the way I’m hoping, people will hear the name Duck Darley very soon. He’s the protagonist in a new crime novel I’m out with right now.

You’re an agent who offers writers advice on Twitter. Can you tell us about your inspiration for your #TenQueries posts?

I completely ripped that off from another agent. I’d love to give him/her credit for it, but I don’t remember who it is. But doing stuff like that is helpful for me as well, as authors learn how to do it right and not waste anybody’s time.

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

I’ll be at the Unicorn Writers Conference on August 15, 2015, and then at the Slice Magazine Conference on September 12, 2015. I’m doing the Rutgers One-on-One Conference on October 17, 2015, and then Killer Nashville the last weekend in October. There might be another one or two in there, I can’t remember. I really need to keep better track of these things.

(What are the BEST writers’ conferences to attend?)

Any suggestions for writers at conferences when it comes to interacting with agents?

First and foremost, remember agents WANT to be there and they WANT to hear about your book; it’s the entire reason we go to these things! So as long as you follow the proper etiquette (ie not sliding manuscripts under the bathroom stall or dressing up as housekeeping and sneaking into our room), we’ll always be willing to take your pitch. At the same time, it’s important to do your research, know what each agent is/isn’t looking for, and plan your time accordingly. Going up to your pitch session and saying “I have a YA, a thriller, and a nonfiction proposal—which one do you want to hear about?” isn’t doing your job as a writer; your main goal at a pitch session/agent interaction is to get that agent as excited about your work as you are. If you walk away from me and I’m thinking, “Can’t wait to see that!,” then you win. Let your enthusiasm shine through.

What’s something about you that writers would be surprised to hear?

Ummm… I have never taken a selfie, nor have I ever taken a picture of my food. I’m not sure if that comes as a surprise in this day and age or not. But in case it doesn’t, I have also never seen any of the Star Wars movies and thought “Breaking Bad” was just OK. (I’m almost scared to admit that last one, because people have gotten legitimately angry with me and completely discredited every opinion I have ever had after hearing it.)

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

I really wish there was some kind of magic formula or great untold secret I could share with writers looking to get published—but there isn’t. You just need to write a great book. Every rule, every do and don’t, every cliché, every everything—all of that goes away in the face of a great book. At the end of the day, nobody has any clue what’s going to hit and what isn’t, so find a story that you’re completely in love with and work your ass off to share it with the world in the best way possible. If you do that, everything else will fall into place. Trust me.

——-

This interview conducted by Gail Werner, a freelance writer
and committee member of the Midwest Writers Workshop.
You can visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

——-

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• How a Critique and Accountability Partner Can Help Your Writing Career.
• Agent Spotlight: Rachael Dillon Fried/Greenburger Associates.
• Writing Across Gender: How I Learned to Write From a Female POV.
• Character Development: Finding a Friend for Life.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

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

The post Literary Agent Interview: Alec Shane of Writers House appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Welcome to the 18th (free!) “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest on the GLA blog. This is a FREE recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. Here’s the deal: With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes—meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you’re writing mystery or thriller or suspense, this 18th contest is for you! (The contest is live through EOD, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015.)

WHY YOU SHOULD GET EXCITED

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

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to dearluckyagent18@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.

WHAT TO SUBMIT (AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA REQUIREMENTS)

The first 150-250 words (i.e., your first double-spaced page) of your unpublished, completed book-length work of thriller / mystery / suspense fiction. You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with each entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, you must mention this contest twice through any any social-media. Please provide a social-media link or Twitter handle or screenshot or blog post URL, etc., with your official e-mailed entry so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step! Simply spread the word twice through any means and give us a way to verify you did; a tinyURL for this link/contest for you to easily use is http://tinyurl.com/nk2pk9e. An easy way to notify me of your sharing is to include my Twitter handle @chucksambuchino at the end of your mention(s) if using Twitter. If we’re friends on FB, tag me in the mention. And if you are going to solely use Twitter as your 2 times, please wait 1 day between mentions to spread out the notices, rather than simply tweeting twice back to back. Thanks. (Please note that simply tweeting me does not count. You have to include the contest URL with your mention; that’s the point. And if you use Twitter, put my handle @chucksambuchino at the middle or the end, not at the very beginning of the tweet, or else the tweet will be invisible to others.)

Here is a sample TWEET you can use (feel free to tweak): New FREE contest for writers of thriller / mystery / suspense http://tinyurl.com/nk2pk9e Judged by agent @michrichter1, via @chucksambuchino

WHAT IS ELIGIBLE?

1. Completed adult thriller novels.
2. Completed adult mystery novels.
3. Completed adult suspense books.

Please note that these are all adult genre categories. So if your book is fundamentally a romance or sci-fi or literary fiction but happens to have some thrills in it, it would not qualify for this contest. Sorry.

Please note that YA fiction is not eligible for this (i.e., no teen/kid protagonists).

CONTEST DETAILS

1. This contest will be live through the end of Sept. 17, 2015, PST. Winners notified by e-mail within three weeks of end of contest. Winners announced at the top of this blog post thereafter.
2. To enter, submit the first 150-250 words of your book (i.e., your first double-spaced page). Shorter or longer entries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
3. You can submit as many times as you wish. You can submit even if you submitted to other contests in the past, but please note that past winners cannot win again. All that said, you are urged to only submit your best work.
4. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA’s publisher, F+W: A Content and E-Commerce Company, Inc.
5. By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as any terms possibly added by me in the “Comments” section of this blog post. (If you have questions or concerns, write me personally at chuck.sambuchino (at) fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)

PRIZES!!!

Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 double-spaced pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com ($50 value)! 3) A copy of my 2015 book, Get a Literary Agent.

MEET YOUR (AWESOME) AGENT JUDGE!

Michelle Richter joined Fuse Literary after eight years at St. Martin’s Press. While there, she edited nonfiction including MELISSA EXPLAINS IT ALL by Melissa Joan Hart and RENEWABLE by Jeremy Shere, and worked on women’s fiction, memoir/ biography, pop culture, cookbooks, and diet/health books. She has a M.S. in Publishing from Pace University, and a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Russian from UMass Boston. Michelle is primarily seeking fiction, especially book club reads, women’s fiction, literary fiction, and mystery/suspense/thrillers. Her favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Emma Straub, Laura Lippman, Richard Russo, Tom Perrotta, and Gillian Flynn. For nonfiction, she’s interested in fashion, pop culture, science/medicine, sociology/social trends, and economics. You can follow Michelle on Twitter at @michrichter1.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF FUSE LITERARY’S SALES

YOU’RE AS GOOD AS DEAD
By E.A. Aymar

RIP TIDES
By Toby Neal

BROKEN HOMES & GARDENS
By Rebecca Kelley

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• June 25-28, 2015: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson Hole, WY)
• July 31- Aug. 2, 2015: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)
• Sept. 12, 2015: Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI)
• Oct 9, 2015: San Diego Writers’ Conference (San Diego, CA)
• Oct 10, 2015: The Writing Conference of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
• Oct. 17, 2015: Books by the Banks Book Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
• Oct. 24, 2015: Indiana Writers’ Conference (Indianapolis, IN)
• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 5, 2016: Toronto’s “How to Get Published” Conference (Toronto, CA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)

The post 18th Free “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest: Thriller / Mystery / Suspense appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Although Julie is not a new literary agent, this post is similar to a New Agent Alert because Julie reached out to me in an effort to get more submissions. That brings us to this call-out. Read on below to see if she is a good fit for your query. Good luck!

About Julie: Julie Stevenson is an agent at Waxman Leavell Literary. “I hold a B.A. in English from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Before joining Waxman Leavell, I worked at Sobel Weber Associates and in the editorial departments of Tin House and Publishers Weekly. As an agent, I enjoy being on the writer’s side every step of the way—from providing feedback on early drafts, to matching the work with the right editor, to acting as a guide through the complicated and changing world of publishing. The writing life can be a solitary experience, and I love being the writer’s connection to a wide world of readers. I enjoy thinking about fiction in terms of craft. You’ll find well-worn copies of books by Anne Lamott and Charles Baxter on my bookshelf.” Connect with Julie on Twitter here.

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

She is seeking: While she represents different categories, Julie’s call-out right now is for the following:

• upmarket fiction
• literary fiction
• adult thriller/suspense
• memoir
• young adult
• middle grade
• picture books

(Submission Checklist: Double-Check These 16 Things Before Sending Your Book Out.)

Some of Julie’s recent books/clients include:

1. THE SASQUATCH HUNTER’S ALMANAC by Sharma Shields (Holt) – literary fiction
2. GIRL IN PIECES by Kathleen Glasgow (forthcoming from Delacorte, Fall 2016) – young adult/ crossover
3. SPEED DREAMING by Nicole Haroutunian (Little A) – literary fiction/story collection
4. I DO NOT LIKE AL’S HAT by Erin McGill (forthcoming Spring 2017, Greenwillow) – children’s picture book
5. THE SYMPATHIZER by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Grove) – literary fiction

How to contact: juliesubmit [at] waxmanleavell.com. To submit a project, please send a query letter ONLY. Do not send attachments, though for fiction you may include 5-10 pages of your manuscript in the body of your email. Please do not query more than one agent at this agency simultaneously. Due to the high volume of submissions, agents will reach out to you directly if interested. The typical time range for consideration is 6-8 weeks.

(How to create an effective synopsis for your novel or memoir.)

————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• June 25-28, 2015: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson Hole, WY)
• July 31- Aug. 2, 2015: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)
• Sept. 12, 2015: Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI)
• Oct 9, 2015: San Diego Writers’ Conference (San Diego, CA)
• Oct 10, 2015: The Writing Conference of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
• Oct. 17, 2015: Books by the Banks Book Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
• Oct. 24, 2015: Indiana Writers’ Conference (Indianapolis, IN)
• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 5, 2016: Toronto’s “How to Get Published” Conference (Toronto, CA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• How I Got My Literary Agent: Kirstin Chen (Fiction).
• Pros and Cons of Getting a Creative Writing MFA.
• Agent Spotlight: Lara Perkins (Andrea Brown Literary Agency) seeks YA, MG and Picture Books.
• Good Stories Have The Same Bone Structure.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

The post Literary Agent Julie Stevenson of Waxman Leavell Seeks Queries NOW appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Sandy Harding of Spencerhill Associates) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Sandy: Prior to joining Spencerhill in September 2015, Sandy Harding spent fifteen years at Penguin Random House and Penguin Group USA, most recently as a senior editor at NAL. In earlier days she earned an MA in American Literature at NYU and taught expository writing. As an editor she was fortunate to work with New York Times bestselling authors, but she also loved discovering new writers in unexpected places and nurturing both their manuscripts and their careers. She’s excited to bring this passion to agenting as she works to build her client list.

(The Do’s and Don’ts of Attending a Writers’ Conference.)

She is seeking: Sandy is seeking mainly upmarket commercial and literary fiction for the adult market. She enjoys women’s fiction for book clubs, smart page-turning thrillers, works of suspense with complex protagonists, mysteries of all sorts (cozies, historical, traditional), and romance. Most of all she’s seeking writing with a voice so penetrating and a story so captivating the reader simply must keep reading.

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

How to contact: “Please send us a query letter in the body of an email, pitch us your project and tell us about yourself: Do you have prior publishing credits? Attach the first three chapters and synopsis preferably in .doc, rtf or txt format to your email. Send all queries to: submission [at] spencerhillassociates.com. Put ‘Query for Sandy: [TITLE]” in your subject line. We do not have a preference for exclusive submissions, but do appreciate knowing if the submission is simultaneous. If we are interested in your work, we will contact you within 12 weeks.”

(What does a literary agent want to see when they Google you?)

——————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• June 25-28, 2015: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson Hole, WY)
• July 31- Aug. 2, 2015: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)
• Sept. 12, 2015: Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI)
• Oct 9, 2015: San Diego Writers’ Conference (San Diego, CA)
• Oct 10, 2015: The Writing Conference of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
• Oct. 17, 2015: Books by the Banks Book Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
• Oct. 24, 2015: Indiana Writers’ Conference (Indianapolis, IN)
• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 5, 2016: Toronto’s “How to Get Published” Conference (Toronto, CA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Sandy Harding of Spencerhill Associates appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Anjali Singh of Ayesha Pande Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Anjali: Before joining Ayesha Pande Literary, Anjali Singh started her career in publishing in 1996 as a literary scout. Most recently Editorial Director at Other Press, she has also worked as an editor at Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Vintage Books. She is is best known for having championed Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis after stumbling across it on a visit to Paris. She has always been drawn to the thrill of discovering new writers, and among the literary novelists whose careers she helped launch are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Samantha Hunt, Preeta Samarasan, Zoe Ferraris, Victoria Patterson, Natalie Bakopoulos, Enid Shomer and Brigid Pasulka. She is a member of the International Committee of the Brooklyn Book Festival.

(What does a literary agent want to see when they Google you?)

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

She is seeking: As a literary agent, she is looking for new voices, character-driven fiction or nonfiction works that reflect an engagement with the world around us, literary thrillers, memoirs, YA literature and graphic novels.

How to submit: Use the agency’s online submissions form here: http://pandeliterary.com/queries/

(Wait a moment before you send out that query. Look over submission dos and don’ts.)

——————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• June 25-28, 2015: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson Hole, WY)
• July 31- Aug. 2, 2015: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)
• Sept. 12, 2015: Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI)
• Oct 9, 2015: San Diego Writers’ Conference (San Diego, CA)
• Oct 10, 2015: The Writing Conference of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
• Oct. 17, 2015: Books by the Banks Book Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
• Oct. 24, 2015: Indiana Writers’ Conference (Indianapolis, IN)
• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 5, 2016: Toronto’s “How to Get Published” Conference (Toronto, CA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• Writing is More Passion Than Talent.
• Agent Spotlight: Laura Zats (Red Sofa Literary) seeks YA, MG, Romance and Fiction.
• Introvert’s Guide to Attending Conferences.
• Selling A Manuscript Is Like Falling In Love.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Anjali Singh of Ayesha Pande Literary appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Apologies. I (Chuck) met Kara, a new agent, at a recent writers’ conference
in Sept. 2015 and made a note to profile her on here. But a keen reader just alerted me that
in the past few weeks Kara abruptly stopped agenting. She has a note about it here.
The point is 1) do not query Kara, though do examine the many cool agents at Corvisiero Lit,
and 2) apologies from me that this post had to be altered so quickly.

———–

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Kara Leigh Miller of Corvisiero Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Kara: Kara Leigh Miller is a new agent at Corvisiero Literary. Find her on Twitter, and see her official website here. She began her venture into the publishing world as a wet behind the ears author back in 2010. She started as an intern for a small press and worked her way up to Senior Editor within months. From there, she moved on to become the Editorial Direct at Anaiah Press, LLC. Now, as a well versed author and editor, she’s excited to switch sides to become an agent.

(Querying? Read advice on how to find the most target agents to query.)

She is seeking:

— romance for adults or teens or new adult (contemporaries and romantic suspense are her forte, but she’s willing to consider just about anything as long as it’s well written [except things comparable to 50 Shades of Grey], including paranormal and urban fantasy
— mystery (teens and adults)
— thrillers (teens and adults)
— horror (teens and adults)
— inspirational fiction (open to all forms of inspirational fiction, not just those that are focused around the Christian faith, for teens and adults).

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

She is not interested in: Picture books, Children’s books, Middle Grade, Comic books / Graphic Novels, Non-fiction, Memoirs, Biographies, Creative non-fiction, Devotionals, Historical fiction, Adult Fantasy or Science Fiction that can be classified as epic. (i.e. Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, etc.), Short Story Collections / Anthologies / Poetry, Scripts / Screenplays.

How to submit: [Apologies. Kara abruptly stopped agenting in the past few weeks. Do not query her. Explanation at the top of this post.]

(What if an agent requests an exclusive submission?)

———

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Kara Leigh Miller of Corvisiero Literary appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Rachel Burkot of Holloway Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Rachel: Rachel Burkot of Holloway Literary has been in the publishing industry since 2009. After completing an internship with two literary agencies, reading mostly young adult and thrillers, she then worked as an editor for Harlequin, acquiring category romance, contemporary romance, multicultural romance and women’s fiction. She has decided to transition her skills to the agenting world in order to be an advocate and champion for her authors because she loves finding new talent and helping authors’ dreams of publication come true. Rachel’s career highlights include helping her authors achieve prestigious romance book nominations and two selective awards, including the National Readers Choice Award, and several top reviews in Romantic Times magazine for her books. Follow Rachel on Twitter at @Rachel_Burkot.

(Classifying Your Book: How to Research & Target Literary Agents.)

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

She is seeking: Rachel is drawn to voice-driven fiction, particularly in young adult; quirky, three-dimensional, flawed characters, including and especially secondary characters; beautiful writing; books that explore good people in morally complicated situations; and complex, detailed plots. Rachel is interested in representing:

• Women’s fiction
• Upmarket/book club fiction, i.e., Emily Giffin, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain
• Young adult (no fantasy or paranormal unless it’s very light)
• Contemporary romance, i.e., Kristan Higgins
• Category romance with unique, memorable plots, i.e., Natalie Charles
• Southern fiction
• “Dark” women’s fiction/thrillers, i.e., Gillian Flynn or Mary Kubica
• Urban fiction
• Literary fiction

How to submit: Send your one-page query to submissions [at] hollowayliteraryagency.com. Email a brief query and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted in the body of your email. In the email subject header, write “Query: [Title/Genre].” If Rachel is interested, she’ll respond with a request for more material. If she’s not interested in your query but thinks it will be a good fit for others at the agency, she’ll share your submission. Due to the number of emails the agency receives, Rachel will only respond if she’s interested.

————–

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)

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

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Rachel Burkot of Holloway Literary appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Mitch Hoffman of Aaron Priest Literary Agency) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Mitch: Mitch Hoffman joined the Aaron Priest Literary Agency as a Senior Agent in 2015. A 20-year veteran of the publishing industry, he was most recently Vice-President, Executive Editor at Grand Central Publishing. As an editor, Mitch published over 200 books, more than 60 of which were New York Times bestsellers. He has nurtured the careers of debut novelists as well as global #1 bestselling authors, and has worked with journalists, memoirists, scientists, historians, and members of the military and intelligence services. His list of authors included David Baldacci, Sara Blaedel, Harlan Coben, Jeffery Deaver, Roger Ebert, Senator Al Franken, Linda Grant, Dr. David Grinspoon, Raymond Khoury, John Lescroart, Brad Meltzer, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Tom Rob Smith, Daniel Stashower, and Don Winslow. Their books have won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, ITW’s Thriller Award, The Barnes & Noble Discover Award, and have been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, among many other honors.

(When will an agent want to be the ONLY one reading your work?)

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

He is seeking: Mitch is actively building a client list of authors writing across the spectrum of fiction and nonfiction, including thrillers, suspense, crime fiction, and literary fiction, as well as narrative nonfiction, politics, popular science, history, memoir, current events, and pop culture.

(Once you sign with a literary agent, can you get out of the deal?)

How to submit: “Please submit a one page query to queryhoffman [at] aaronpriest.com. The query letter should describe your work as well as your background. Please do not send attachments. However a first chapter pasted into the body of an e-mail query is acceptable. Please do not submit to more than one agent at this agency. Due to the tremendous number of queries we receive, we are not able to respond to everyone. We will get back to you within four weeks, but only if interested.”

—————-

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• Nov. 13, 2015: Connecticut Writing Workshop (Hartford, CT)
• Nov 14, 2015: Boston Writing Conference (Boston, MA)
• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)

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

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Mitch Hoffman of Aaron Priest Literary Agency appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

This is not a typical New Agent Alert, because Eric Myers of Dystel & Goderich is not new. However, he did just join D&G from The Speiler Agency, so now that he’s found a new agency home, give him a look and see if you should query him.)

About Eric: Eric Myers joined Dystel and Goderich Literary Management in 2015 after thirteen years at The Spieler Agency. A graduate of UCLA and the Sorbonne, Eric entered publishing as a journalist and author. His books include Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood, Forties Screen Style: A Celebration of High Pastiche in Hollywood, and Uncle Mame: The Life of Patrick Dennis, all published by St. Martin’s Press. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine and Arts and Leisure sections, as well as Time Out, Variety, Opera News, and Art and Auction.

(What if an agent requests an exclusive submission?)

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

He is seeking: As an agent, Eric has a strong affinity for young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as adult nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, biography, psychology, health and wellness, mind/body/spirit, and pop culture. He also loves a good thriller, and is open to memoir from authors with strong platforms.

(4 ways besides query letters you can contact literary agents.)

How to submit: E-query emyers [at] dystel.com. “We prefer email queries, as most do nowadays, so please make sure your cover letter is in the body of the email. Synopses, outlines or sample chapters (say, one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) should either be included below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email, by the way. Please do double space your samples for reading that’s easy on the eyes! We will respond to most query letters within a six to eight week period. If you don’t hear from us within that time frame, chances are we did not receive yours. Feel free to resend it.”

————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)

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

The post Literary Agent Spotlight: Eric Myers of Dystel & Goderich appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Stephanie Meyer’s journey to publication goes something like this: She woke one morning with memories of a vivid dream about star-crossed lovers. Later in the day, she typed their story onto her computer. Three months later, Twilight was finished. Within a couple months she landed an agent who secured a $750,000 offer for her debut. Fast, sweet, and inspirational. Great motivation for aspiring writers. Just remember, it’s typically a little harder than this. My journey, I know, was more convoluted. And much longer.

Column by Charlie Donlea, author of debut novel, SUMMIT LAKE
(Jan. 26. 2016, Kensington). Donlea was born and raised in Chicago.
He now lives in the suburbs with his wife and two young children.
Readers can find him online at charliedonlea.com.

I started my first manuscript in 2001. Back then, I manually marked my word count each day and still have that tattered page of numbers that grew to 180,000—far too long for a debut novel unless your name is Garth Risk Hallberg. That first manuscript got me exactly nowhere. I queried close to one hundred agents and received nothing but form letters. After a year of rejection, I got up the courage to ask a friend of a friend for a recommendation to their literary agency. He agreed, and weeks later an agent called to tell me a few frank things about my manuscript. First, it wasn’t very good, and certainly not of the caliber needed to compete in the crowded genre of suspense. Second, it was too long. Shoot for 80,000 words, he told me, if you hope to reach readers whose dockets are already filled by bestselling authors. A short book is easier to squeeze in. Finally, this agent told me that although the story didn’t work, the writing wasn’t bad. Stick with it, he said. But try a different genre.

(Tips on how to find more agents who seek your genre/category.)

So I did. I researched what was selling well in commercial fiction and wrote a second manuscript, this time about a husband and wife torn apart by tragedy. It came in at a scant 80K words. I queried it around and, amazingly, began receiving requests for partials. The talented Marlene Stringer of The Stringer Literary Agency asked for the full manuscript and ultimately took me under her wing. With a proven agent and a story I loved, I was on my way…sort of. I didn’t know at the time that it would take another two manuscripts before I made it.

The manuscript that landed me an agent got me close with several publishing houses. Bringing-it-to-the-editorial-meeting, keep-your-phone-on close. In the end, though, everyone passed and I learned the tough lesson that landing an agent doesn’t guarantee a book deal. So Marlene did what agents do. She told me to write another book. I gave myself time to sulk before getting back to it. A year or so later we were at it again with a different manuscript. Editors were on second reads and passing my story up the chain of command. One editor in particular loved it, championed it and fought for it. I had all my hopes pinned to this lone, young editor. But after a long month on the edge, and without the support of her peers, she finally passed. After a year on submission, the email came from Marlene. There’s not much more we can do. I’ll keep looking, but for now start another book.

Here was my gut check. This would be my fourth manuscript. I was unmotivated, less than hopeful, and completely uninspired. I wasn’t sure I had another story in me. But subtle emails from Marlene asking how my manuscript was coming kept me writing. I read voraciously during this time to get a sense of what was selling. I went back to suspense because it was my first love and was wildly popular. I woke early—sometimes at three or four in the morning—to get my work done. In 2014, more than two years after my last rejection, I finished my fourth book, SUMMIT LAKE. We sent it to New York in the spring. Soon, we were getting feedback. A few editors loved the writing and the story, but weren’t sure about the ending. Hearing the same comment from multiple editors, Marlene suggested we pull the submissions until I came up with a new ending. Here I was again, one foot in the door but unable to push through.

Determined not to let this opportunity pass me by, I took a couple of months to rework my manuscript based on these editors’ feedback. I revised the ending multiple times, took feedback from my first readers, and found many dead ends along the way until I eventually created a new version much stronger than the original. We sent it back out, and those same editors who were interested initially became interested again. I was on the edge, where I’d been before, hoping and waiting. In September 2014, more than a decade after that first agent told me my original manuscript was no good but my writing was okay, The Call finally came for a two-book deal.

(Classifying Your Book: How to Research & Target Literary Agents.)

Today, my debut will be released on January 26, 2016. My second will be out in 2017. German rights have sold for each, as have audio rights. SUMMIT LAKE will be featured in the Reader’s Digest Select Editions publication in May 2016 alongside Lee Child’s latest. Not bad company.

I didn’t wake with a dream that turned into a book. I just never gave up on mine.

Hook agents, editors and readers immediately.
Check out Les Edgerton’s guide, HOOKED, to
learn about how your fiction can pull readers in.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• Agent Spotlight: John Weber (Serendipity Literary) seeks Young Adult and Middle Grade. 
• 5 Opportunities to Increase Your Writing Productivity (Without Actually Writing).
• Never Let An Idea Get Away.
• How I Got My Literary Agent: Robert Owens (Fiction).
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more 
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying, 
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post From Dream to Manuscript: One Writer’s Rocky Road to Publication appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

I love featuring interviews with debut authors on the blog, because it gives aspiring or new authors the opportunity to learn from others who have had success on their journeys. This interview is with author TJ Turner, author of LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD, released in April 2015 by Oceanview Publishing. Publisher’s Weekly says that “The plot twists of this imaginative what-if will keep readers guessing.”

Author TJ Turner is a novelist, research scientist, and a Federal Agent. He graduated from Cornell University, where his love of writing was almost snuffed out by a 350 page doctoral dissertation. After rekindling his passion for the writing life he has written three novels, the most recent (and the first to be published) is LINCOLN’s BODYGUARD. Outside of writing he enjoys time with his wife, Nancy, their three children, a huge white dog, a crazy collie, and a pair of cats. Connect with him on Twitter.

What is the book’s genre/category?

LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD is a thriller. It’s a work of historical fiction, but at the heart of it, the story is all thriller. I also tend to describe the novel as historical fiction, which is important to note because it also fits into the genre of revisionist historical fiction—a reimagining of history.

Please describe what the story/book is about in one sentence.

Imagine if President Lincoln had lived—the America that might have been!

Where do you write from?

I’m from Yellow Springs, Ohio—smack dab in the middle of the Midwest, and of course, in the middle of all the political fury that’s about to unleash itself in this election year as Ohio will once more be a swing state. Is it bad to admit that despite a book about a president, that I’m already sick of Presidential politics and we’re still a year from election day?!

(Querying? Read advice on how to find the most target agents to query.)

Briefly, what led up to this book? 

I had finished a couple of earlier novels, both of which will likely remain buried in my proverbial bottom desk drawer. I had come close with the second novel, one set in Afghanistan very loosely based on one of my deployments there. But ultimately I just couldn’t find representation for it, and after a long talk with a freelance editor who had taken me under his wing and looked at my work pro-bono, he suggested that I move along and write my next project. I left work early that day, quite depressed. Driving home, I happened upon Fresh Air with Teri Gross. She had a guest on the program that was discussing some aspect of Lincoln’s presidency, and she said something to the effect of: “Wouldn’t it had been great if Lincoln had a real bodyguard that night in the theater.” Immediately that title—LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD—stuck in my head, and the story evolved from there.

What was the time frame for writing this book? 

The first draft of LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD took me just about 6 months to complete. That’s light speed for me! My other two attempts at a novel had each taken several years, but this story just wanted to be told and came out almost faster than I could write it. I’ve heard authors talk about characters that led them down the path, and this was the first time I experienced something similar. Joseph Foster kept driving me back to the keyboard until I had it all down on paper…or in the computer.

How did you find your agent? 

After my fist experiences of trying to land an agent, I fine-tuned my approach. By that I mean that I really researched who might be best for the project—cyber stalking! I looked at recent projects sold, what other authors each agent represented, and listened or read every interview I could find from those I narrowed down in my search. From there I wrote very specific queries to the three agents I thought would be the very best fit, and I was so lucky to land in Liz Kracht’s (Kimberly Cameron & Associates) slush pile. Liz’s assistant, Mary Moore, pulled me from the pile and passed my query along to Liz. I remember receiving a request from her for the first 50 pages the day before I deployed on my third tour to Afghanistan. I sent them out, and then promptly forgot all about it! I know that sounds crazy, but I had bigger things to worry about. About half-way through my deployment, I received an e-mail from Liz saying she wanted to talk! So our first conversation was over a phone, connected by satellites with an annoying 2-second delay, while I sat in Parwan Province, Afghanistan. I remember telling her I might have to hang up and run in case we took incoming fire, which we did most nights—I’m not sure she actually believed I was in Afghanistan! For whatever reason, the Taliban left us alone that night, and by the end of our conversation Liz sent a contract my way!

Do you have an idea for a great novel? Are you at a loss
for where to start? Look no further. You Can Write a 
Novel, 2nd Edition, gives you concrete, proven
techniques to get from idea to manuscript to bookstore.

What were your 1-2 biggest learning experience(s) or surprise(s) throughout the publishing process?

How much editing I had left to do! And how much Liz would help guide me through it all. A good agent is amazing, and Liz is an amazing agent! She’s so well read, and sees the trends in the marketplace, that she could zoom into the exact spots in the manuscript that needed work. I couldn’t have done it without her. After Liz helped me polish, the rest was really smooth. She handled everything, and the waiting was the worst part. I can’t over-stress how important a literary agent is.

Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?

I made my manuscript as polished as I could, then with all the research, I approached the right people looking for that next step. A careful study of who to query—what they represent, who they are, what they like, really helped me hone and craft personal queries. I’m convinced that was what made me stand out, and then the story took me to the next level. It’s a process, and you have to prepare as best you can at every step.

On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again?

Honestly…I don’t think anything. It’s been a magical ride, from signing with Liz, to finding a publisher, to seeing the cover art come out, to getting a box of advanced reading copies, to seeing the final book out, and to signing that very first edition. Amazing. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything—I would have loved if it happened 10 years earlier, but other than that, it’s been amazing.

Did you have a platform in place?  On this topic, what are you doing the build a platform and gain readership?

Almost all of it is through social media. I have a blog that I post to (and am in bad need of updating!), but mostly I reach out through social media. I’m fascinated by historical fiction, specifically American history, and at least in the near-term I see myself developing more historical fiction works and getting known as a historical thriller writer!

Website(s)?

www.tjturnerauthor.com

Favorite movie?

Man, that’s tough. There are so many…but if you’re making me choose just one, then I’d have to go with Shawshank Redemption. Or maybe Forrest Gump, or The Unforgiven…see, I can’t choose just one!

(Classifying Your Book: How to Research & Target Literary Agents.)

Best piece(s) of writing advice we haven’t discussed?

Find someone who doesn’t love you to read your manuscript! That’s the only way to get some honest feedback.

Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?

I don’t like to be bored, so I get myself into all sorts of trouble. In my free time when I’m not getting myself deployed with my reserve military job, I like building acoustic guitars. I dream of a day when I can quit my day job and just write, build guitars, and occasionally still get mobilized to chase after the bad guys.

What’s next?

Oceanview Publishing has just purchased the sequel to LINCOLN’S BODYGUARD. So I’m writing under a deadline and loving every minute of it! Then I have a standalone historical thriller set in New York City during the American Revolution. And somewhere in there I have a guitar to build for someone I deployed with. Never a dull moment…

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• Agent Spotlight: Whitley Abell (Inklings Literary Agency) seeks YA, MG and select Upmarket Women’s Fiction.
• The Thrifty Person’s Guide To A Successful Book Launch Party.
• Self-editing Advice: Tackling Character Consistency.
• 11 Steps To Finding The Agent Who’ll Love Your Book.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more 
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying, 
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post Author Interview: TJ Turner—Federal Agent by Day, Writer by Night appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Paul Stevens of Donald Maass Literary Agency) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Paul: Paul Stevens joined the Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2016. He has worked as an editor for 15 years, primarily at Tor Books, where he edited science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. Paul has worked with authors such as Alex Bledsoe (The Hum and the Shiver), Marie Brennan (A Natural History of Dragons), Robert Brockway (The Unnoticeables), Tobias S. Buckell (Crystal Rain), Adam Christopher (Made to Kill), Hilary Davidson (The Damage Done), David Edison (The Waking Engine), Michael Livingston (The Shards of Heaven), A. Lee Martinez (Gil’s All Fright Diner), and Patrick Taylor (An Irish Country Doctor). During his time at Tor he also managed Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time and Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive. Paul is an Ohio native and a graduate of the Ohio State University. He spent a year in Chile as a high school exchange student.

(How do you get people to read your blog posts? Here are 2 tips.)

He is seeking: Paul is looking for science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and humor (both fiction and nonfiction). He’s looking for strong stories with interesting characters. Well-rounded LGBT characters and characters of color are a plus.

Concerning Science Fiction and Fantasy: Paul would love to see stories that take tried-and-true genre tropes and turn them on their heads in an inventive way. Epic fantasy should stretch the boundaries and shake things up. For example, if your book is about a group of characters going on a quest, be sure you have an inventive take on the quest fantasy subgenre. Show us something that we’ve never seen before.

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

Concerning Mystery and Suspense: Ideally your book should have an intriguing concept that makes the reader think, “Oh, that’s a cool idea.” Paul is interested in historical mysteries (set in both the past and the future), mysteries with a speculative element (ghosts, magic, monsters), and mysteries with an unusual setting. Again, strong, memorable characters are key.

Concerning Humor: Paul is interested in humorous fiction, nonfiction, and “other.” Humor is very subjective, but if he’s inspired to rush into a coworker’s office to show them a funny passage, that’s a very good sign. Humorous fiction: Think Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, and A. Lee Martinez. Humorous nonfiction: Think David Sedaris. Humorous other: Think along the lines of The Book of Bunny Suicides by Andy Riley, It’s Happy Bunny by Jim Benton, or Bent Objects by Terry Border.

Paul is not looking for poetry, memoirs, screenplays, picture books, or chapter books.

(Exclusive Requests From Literary Agents—What Are They and How Do They Work?)

How to submit: Paul only accepts email queries. Please query at query.pstevens [at] maassagency.com. Include a cover letter and a synopsis pasted in the body of the email. (If your book has a twist at the end, please don’t reveal the twist in the synopsis. Paul needs to judge how well a twist works in the actual manuscript, and it’s better to read the ending cold without spoilers.) Please also include the first 5 pages of your manuscript pasted into the email. No attachments. For humor books that include images, please send a cover letter and synopsis pasted in the body of the email and attach one or two representative images. Please make sure that the image files are low resolution so the files are of reasonable size. Response times: Query letters – up to 3 weeks; Partial manuscripts – up to 6 weeks; Full manuscripts – up to 2 months.

———————-

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)
• Nov. 19, 2016: Las Vegas Writing Workshop (Las Vegas, NV)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Paul Stevens of Donald Maass Literary Agency appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

When I was a child, my mother worked as a librarian, and on some of those long summer days that contained neither school nor camp nor babysitters, she took me to work with her, where I was given the instruction to go forth and read. For many children, this would be punishment. For me, it was dreamy. I took books outside and sat beneath the shade of a tree, forgetting the heat of the day, the bother of the ants.

Column by Beth Hahn, author of debut novel THE SINGING BONE
(March 1, 2016, Regan Arts). Beth studied art and writing at The University
of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and earned
an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Her short stories have appeared in
Necessary Fiction, The Hawai’i Review, The South Carolina Review, and
The Emrys Journal. Beth lives in New Castle, New York, with her husband.
Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. 

Some of my favorite books were about monsters. The best books contained grainy black and white photos: Nessie’s serpent-shaped head peeking just above the loch, the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall hovering possessively above her staircase. I absolutely knew there were monsters in the world. I didn’t need proof.

And I was right. There are monsters—or people who are capable of extreme monstrous acts. They don’t have serpent heads and they can’t pass through walls unseen. We call them violent sociopaths, and they look exactly like the rest of us.

(Book Genres Explained: Insights, Tips and Definitions From Literary Agents.)

A sociopath sits at the center of my novel THE SINGING BONE, and to write him—to write Mr. Wyck—I had to do research. I read about Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and Joseph Di Mambro. I downloaded articles, watched documentaries, and talked to therapist friends. I wanted to understand not just the sociopath, but what allowed an individual to follow one into such complete darkness.

The more I researched, the more frightened I became. At night, I woke my sympathetic husband to tell him we should really consider a better alarm system. I decided to keep a hammer under the bed until then—just in case.  I checked my rearview mirror when leaving stores to make sure no one was following me. I disliked going out after dark. I regularly logged on to Websleuths to make sure there were no unusual crimes in my area.

THE SINGING BONE is a scary book. I put as much of my own fear into the novel as I could, infusing each scene with the sense of menace that had become so familiar. After I finished writing the second draft, I stopped researching, and gradually, the rhythm of the days returned. I forgot about my hammer until I needed it one day to hang a picture.

When I began my new book, I knew I was about to enter a similarly dark terrain, but that this time, I would create rules for myself. Even if I’m deep into the writing, I take time away from my work. I have lunch with a friend. I do yard work or take a walk, lingering in the beauty of the natural world. I know that I can’t look at photos of murder victims, and that watching interviews with killers leads nowhere. Nothing a proven perpetrator says can bring clarity to such an act of madness.

The monsters I loved in my childhood library books were contained, far off, and let’s face it: fake. They gave me a delightful scare, but there is no delight in reading about the violent sociopath. His victims exist and the time is the present. Many are behind bars, but some are not. They remain faceless, nameless, and uncontained. Research for thrillers is somber, macabre work that will almost certainly leave one distraught and with a precautionary hammer under her bed.

(Have questions about what genre/category you’re writing in? Here are some tips.)

If you are writing your first thriller, I have a piece of advice for you: There are days better spent without the company of monsters. In THE SINGING BONE, one of my characters says that some of us are drawn to wells. We want to peer over the edge to see the bottom, and if we can’t see the bottom from where we are, we might climb down to have a better look.

The trick, he notes, is to come back up.

————————————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)
• Nov. 19, 2016: Las Vegas Writing Workshop (Las Vegas, NV)

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

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• Writing is More Passion Than Talent.
• Agent Spotlight: Laura Zats (Red Sofa Literary) seeks YA, MG, Romance and Fiction.
• Introvert’s Guide to Attending Conferences.
• Selling A Manuscript Is Like Falling In Love.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more 
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying, 
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post Up Late With Sociopaths: Surviving Thriller Research appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Mike Hoogland of Dystel & Goderich Literary) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Mike: Michael Hoogland joined Dystel & Goderich after completing a foreign rights internship at Sterling Lord Literistic. Before pursuing a career in publishing, Mike studied at Colgate University and graduated with a degree in political science and the intention to work in government. He interned with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, but soon realized his interests and passions were better suited to a career in the publishing industry. After Colgate, Mike went on to gain a valuable education at the Columbia Publishing Course and discovered his passion for the agenting side of the business.

(Exclusive Requests From Literary Agents—What Are They and How Do They Work?)

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

He is seeking: sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, upmarket women’s fiction, and some children’s books (picture books, MG, and YA), as well as a wide variety of narrative nonfiction, including science, history, and politics. He is particularly interested in seeing thought-provoking, realistic speculative fiction.

How to contact: E-query mhoogland [at] dystel.com. “Synopses, outlines or sample chapters (say, one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) should either be included below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email, by the way. We will respond to most query letters within a six to eight week period. If you don’t hear from us within that time frame, chances are we did not receive yours. Feel free to resend it.”

(16 things to do prior to sending your work out to agents & editors.)

——————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• Feb. 6, 2016: Writing Conference of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Feb. 19, 2016: Alabama Writing Workshop (Birmingham, AL)
• Feb. 20, 2016: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)

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

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Mike Hoogland of Dystel & Goderich Literary appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Elise Erickson of Harold Ober Associates) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Elise Erickson: Elise of Harold Ober Associates graduated from St. Olaf College and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute in 2014, and spent several months interning at Penguin’s New American Library imprint, Folio Literary Management, and Susanna Lea Associates before taking on her current position at Harold Ober Associates. She grew up in both Florida and Minnesota, but is quickly learning to love city life in NYC. Elise is passionate about the role and responsibility of the literary agent, especially being an advocate for authors. In addition to working with books, she currently assists in selling Harold Ober’s TV, film, and subsidiary rights, and is actively building a client list of her own.

(Literary agents explain and define book genres.)

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

Currently Looking For: Romance and all of its subgenres, women’s fiction, paranormal, mystery including clever cozy mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, commercial literary fiction, and some YA. She is particularly drawn to stories that contain a strong sense of place, and female protagonists with unique, compelling voices.

Not Looking For: Poetry, Screenplays, Picture Books, Horror, Self-help.

How to Query: Please email the first 15-20 pages of your manuscript, a concise query letter, and a detailed synopsis to elise [at] haroldober.com.

(What writing credentials will impress an agent or editor?)

———————-

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• March 25, 2016: Tampa Writers Conference (Tampa, FL)
• March 26, 2016: Fort Lauderdale Conference for Writers (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: Chicago Writing Workshop (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• July 23, 2016: “Get Published” Conference of Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
• July 30, 2016: Colorado Writing Workshop (Denver, CO)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)
• Sept. 9, 2016: Sacramento Writers Conference (Sacramento, CA)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Writing Workshop of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)
• Nov. 19, 2016: Las Vegas Writing Workshop (Las Vegas, NV)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying,
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Elise Erickson of Harold Ober Associates appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

“How I Got My Agent” is a recurring feature on the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, with this installment featuring Andrew Roe, author of THE MIRACLE GIRL. These columns are great ways for you to learn how to find a literary agent. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings. If you have a literary agent and would be interested in writing a short guest column for this GLA blog, e-mail me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com and we’ll talk specifics.

Column by Andrew Roe, author of debut novel THE MIRACLE GIRL
(April 2015, Algonquin Books). His book was recently named a Los
Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for the Art Seidenbaum Award for
First Fiction. His work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco
Chronicle, Tin House, The Sun, One Story, Writer’s Digest, and elsewhere.
He lives in Oceanside, California. You can find him online at andrewroeauthor.com. 

A lucky beginning
I got lucky, twice—both literary agents I’ve had reached out to me after reading one of my short stories in a literary magazine. As a writer, that’s a great position to be in: having the agent and the interest come to you vs. being the one doing the approaching. And it doesn’t have to be The New Yorker to catch someone’s eye, and it certainly doesn’t have to be print, not anymore at least.

(Should you sign with a new literary agent? Know the pros and cons.)

Young, up-and-coming agents are out there trying to make a name for themselves, and they’ll often seek out clients by reading lit mags. The tricky part, though, is getting a short story published, which can be extremely competitive. For instance, the editors of Glimmer Train, Linda Swanson-Davies and Susan Burmeister-Brown, estimate that they receive 40,000 manuscripts per year. Someone once quipped that it’s easier to get into Harvard than Glimmer Train; however, it doesn’t have to be a high-profile publishing credit that lands you an agent.

Goodbye and Hello
After my first agent and I parted ways (a story for another time), I was in a fairly dark place, writing-wise as well as life-wise. My novel hadn’t sold. My father had been diagnosed with cancer and suffered two strokes, along with a series of other ailments. And for a couple of years after that, I didn’t write much. Then, in 2007, I published a short story in the online literary journal Failbetter. Not long after that, I got an email from an agent named Michelle Brower. Did I currently have literary representation? No, I did not.

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

Michelle also said she loved my short story and asked, as agents often do, if I was working on a novel. At the time I was still a bit wary of agents because of my previous experience, but I told Michelle that yes, I had a novel, and that someone else had represented it, and it had failed to sell. I sent the manuscript to her and she responded a few weeks later, saying she liked it but didn’t think it was something she could sell, especially since it had already made the rounds to publishers. Did I have anything else?

I did: a novel I’d started and then stopped to write the “easier” novel that didn’t sell. Not wanting to lose this opportunity, I spent some more time polishing the first 50 pages and emailed them to her. Again, she got back to me very quickly, and she was very encouraging and enthusiastic about the novel (then called THE BELIEVERS, but eventually published as THE MIRACLE GIRL).

The perfect fit
Thus began our relationship and a multi-year journey toward publication. I kept writing, periodically sending more pages to Michelle and getting her feedback. We met in person at a writer’s conference and I liked her even more. Life-wise, there was a day job and now three children, including twins. But she was always patient, never rushing or pressuring me to finish. Early on I knew I had the right agent when, during one of our first conversations, she said, “We need to be thinking about your long-term writing career.”

(The skinny on why to sign with a new/newer literary agent.)

It’s hard to imagine publishing a book without Michelle—and I do sometimes wonder if I would have kept going if she hadn’t contacted me. When we first connected, she worked for Wendy Sherman and Associates, before then moving on to Folio Literary Management, where she became a senior vice president. She currently works at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary/Kuhn Projects.

Even if you’re someone who also ends up getting lucky and doesn’t have to go through the laborious and time-consuming process of querying dozens of agents, you’ll still want to research and vet any agents that directly contact you. As Michelle told me so wisely all those years ago, you need to be thinking of your long-term writing career, and landing the right agent—and the right advocate—is oh-so-very important.

——————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• April 9, 2016: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
• May 14, 2016: The Writing Workshop of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
• June 4, 2016: The Writers’ Conference of Cleveland (Cleveland, OH)
• July 23, 2016: “Get Published” Conference of Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
• July 30, 2016: Colorado Writing Workshop (Denver, CO)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)
• Sept. 9, 2016: Sacramento Writers Conference (Sacramento, CA)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Writing Workshop of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)
• Nov. 19, 2016: Las Vegas Writing Workshop (Las Vegas, NV)

Your new complete and updated instructional guide
to finding an agent is finally here: The 2015 book
GET A LITERARY AGENT shares advice from more 
than 110 literary agents who share advice on querying, 
craft, the submission process, researching agents, and
much more. Filled with all the advice you’ll ever need to
find an agent, this resource makes a great partner book to
the agent database, Guide to Literary Agents.

Other writing/publishing articles & links for you:

• Agent Adam Muhlig of McIntosh & Otis seeks queries.
• If you get your short fiction published in journals, literary agents will come to YOU.
• “7 things I’ve learned so far from writing and researching novels.”
• Agent Carole Jelen is looking for nonfiction authors & queries.
• Don’t be hamstrung by the admonition to “write what you know.” 
• 5 Easy Ways to Publicize & Promote Your Books.
• Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and writing a query letter.

The post How I Got My Literary Agent: Andrew Roe appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

Reminder: New literary agents (with this spotlight featuring Louise Buckley of Zeno Literary Agency) are golden opportunities for new writers because each one is a literary agent who is likely building his or her client list.

About Louise: Before joining the Zeno Agency (a London-based agency) in early 2016, Louise spent six years working as an editor for Pan Macmillan and Dorling Kindersley Publishers. Find her on Twitter: @LouiseMBuckley.

(Writer’s Digest asked literary agents for their best pieces of advice. Here are their responses.)

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

She is seeking: In fiction, Louise is looking for compelling protagonists, protagonists that know what they want. She is also looking for novels that ask important questions in a bold and imaginative way. She loves reading all genres, from action-packed thrillers and cozy crime novels, to high-concept science fiction or emotionally powerful young adult. She loves reading epic historical fiction and anything with magic. (See a list of her favorite books online.)

She is not looking for children’s picture books, poetry, or nonfiction.

How to submit: [UPDATED A SECOND TIME] After this post went live, Louise got a flood of submissions, and thus opted to close to submissions today (Tuesday, May 31) to deal with her already-huge slush pile. Do not query her until the agency submission guidelines say the agency is back open. Keep her on your Master List of agents to query, because she will reopen sometime.

(Everything you need to know about signing with a new/newer literary agent.)

——————

Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers’ Conferences:

• July 23, 2016: “Get Published” Conference of Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
• July 30, 2016: Colorado Writing Workshop (Denver, CO)
• Aug. 12-14, 2016: Writer’s Digest Conference East (New York, NY)
• August 20, 2016: Toronto Writing Workshop (Toronto, Canada)
• Sept. 9, 2016: Sacramento Writers Conference (Sacramento, CA)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Writing Workshop of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
• Sept. 10, 2016: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)
• Oct. 28-30, 2016: Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Conference (Los Angeles, CA)
• Nov. 5-6, 2016: ShowMe Writers Masterclass (Columbia, MO)
• Nov. 19, 2016: Las Vegas Writing Workshop (Las Vegas, NV)
• Feb. 26 – March 3, 2017: Writers Winter Escape Cruise (conference/cruise departing Miami)

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

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Louise Buckley of Zeno Literary Agency appeared first on WritersDigest.com.