tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39620841297477910682024-02-20T21:03:22.142-05:00GumboWriters.comGumboWriters.com was set up to give passionate writers, both fiction and non-fiction, tips on how to promote their books without going broke!
The author of this blog, Jeff Rivera did so successfully working on a zero budget and was able to garner enough support for his first novel, "Forever My Lady", that it was snapped up by Warner/Grand Central Publishing.Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-33435779018191555052009-01-11T17:52:00.003-05:002009-01-22T19:21:22.689-05:00Scott Kaufman -- Kolstein Agency<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvCU959xgIx6sgmnAKwfmpdXqoo7cr4UiMXs0PkvFe9-7U_IFy_VUhb9CX1SSvqIbFM0FdEUOgy3wwcpJxwikKL04jUcXYd8ilrPgWseXzKpzsysbIBgwk8herA6V0XX5WKM4w2KKkto/s1600-h/KTA+logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294277496738433138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvCU959xgIx6sgmnAKwfmpdXqoo7cr4UiMXs0PkvFe9-7U_IFy_VUhb9CX1SSvqIbFM0FdEUOgy3wwcpJxwikKL04jUcXYd8ilrPgWseXzKpzsysbIBgwk8herA6V0XX5WKM4w2KKkto/s200/KTA+logo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><br /><tbody><br /><tr><br /><td style="font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inheritfont-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;" valign="top" ><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://gumbowriters.com/" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_3">GumboWriters.com</span></a> had an opportunity to interview <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_4" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">literary agent Scott</span> Kaufman from The Kolstein Talent Agency's new <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_5" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,102,204) 1px dashed; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">literary agency</span> division. What makes this agency unique is that their focus for many years was for actors in film, television and stage but now they're on the look out for fresh new writing talent in their boutique division.<br /><br /><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">What's your official title, Scott?</span></b> I head the literary agency division of the Kolstein Talent Agency. I've been with this agency for a year. I mainly handle film and television writers but am also on the look out for book writers as well.<br /><br /><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">How did you get started?</span></b> I started in film and television production with <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_6">independent films</span> and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_7">television specials</span> for PBS. After working in the production area, I decided that I wanted to get into the agency side of the business. I've always had a love and passion for the entertainment industry.<br /><br /><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">How many clients do you handle? </span></b>What's great is that I only handle about 20 clients whereas other <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_8" style="CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,102,204) 1px dashed">literary agents</span> may handle a much larger number. Having a smaller number of clients allows me to work one-on-one with each individual.<br /><br /><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">What are you currently looking for, Scott? </span></b>Two specific genres that I am looking out for are comedy and horror, because they provide audiences with the opportunities to laugh and escape. I'm also looking for character driven, lower to mid-level budgeted projects. As an agency, we are always looking to package our projects.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;color:navy;"><span style="color:navy;"></span></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">What are you not looking for? </span></b>Right now, I am trying to avoid high priced, tent-pole <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1231714201_9" style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial">movie scripts</span>. Another aspect that is very important to me in terms of submissions is proper formatting, because I believe it reflects a writer's level of professionalism and experience.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Why you a writer sign with you, Scott and not someone else? </span></b>I work with a select group of writers whose abilities I truly admire. Once they are signed with me, I give my clients the attention and time they deserve. I am aggressive, hungry and always working for them. By working one-on-one with each client, we are able to come up with "out-of-the box" ways to attain their goals.<br /></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-33566702643995538622009-01-10T23:19:00.001-05:002009-01-10T23:19:55.355-05:00GumboWriters -- How to Sell Books Fast<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 138px; height: 125px;" alt="http://jeffrivera.com/JEFFSMILE.jpg" src="http://jeffrivera.com/JEFFSMILE.jpg" /><br /></div> One of the fastest ways to sell books is public speaking. What's great about speaking publicly is that you see the results immediately. You speak to a small group of people, could be as few as 10 or 20 people and immediately afterward you sell your book in the back of the room. <br /><br />To begin with you must know who your target market is because generally if your book is about Biology you stand a better chance at selling books to biologist than basketball players but not necessarily because many people will buy your book because they want your autograph. They may never even read your book but they want to brag to their friends that they met "a real author". <br /><br />But how do you set up a public speaking event? I say, why waste your time setting up an event from scratch when there are many groups that are begging for speakers to speak to their people and they've already lined up the people. A great organization to start with is are Rotary Clubs. You can google them and find the local chapters in your area. They're a wonderful organization of business owners that join together to network and more importantly do charitable work in their communities. They're always looking for speakers and if you can tailor your book's message to fit their needs they would love to have you speak.<br /><br />You begin with a simple short email to them introducing yourself to them and what your message will be. They will usually respond within a few days and you find out what day(s) they have available. You arrive early, introduce yourself to the moderator who booked you, be friendly to all the people as they enter and set your stack of books up at a table that is strategically placed right next to the door so that after you speak they HAVE to pass by you in order to speak. <br /><br />You give a short speech that inspires them and keep it at about 15-20 minutes and allow for questions and answers. Then, afterward you speak.<br /><br />I suggest you let the Rotary Club members know how much you normally charge and what kind of discount you're offering them and if a portion of your proceeds are supporting a charity even better. Remember to also mention to them that your book would make " a great gift" and that you'll autograph it for them. You'll be surprised at what a positive response you'll get. In my experience at least 50% of the people I speak to end up buying the book. It's an instant way to sell more books and see the results immediately.<br />____________________________________________________________<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPmUOVuFTgnchF6vmZGPsUQysfbfvfD4mQ6Npfpjev7d3akWjjWb1b0VduHVv5tWJsk6zVY1m2fDZG1v4yX4I1sb1EPfT8hk69cTtYWsgVhOkOpTr_N2juljN4vDyYWl8TouPISgvOJM/s1600-h/JEFFSMILE.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPmUOVuFTgnchF6vmZGPsUQysfbfvfD4mQ6Npfpjev7d3akWjjWb1b0VduHVv5tWJsk6zVY1m2fDZG1v4yX4I1sb1EPfT8hk69cTtYWsgVhOkOpTr_N2juljN4vDyYWl8TouPISgvOJM/s200/JEFFSMILE.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266469152767231890" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Jeff Rivera: If you need help with your book promotion contact </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >gumbomarketing@gmail.com</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > and we'll find a way to help you within your budget.</span>Gumbo Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06603032970275275331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-47343636074644031902008-12-30T14:52:00.000-05:002008-12-30T14:52:00.808-05:00Julie Hill - Literary Agent with Julie A. Hill & Assoc.<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Julie?</span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br>15 yrs, and i started with other writer friends materials..actually becoming an agent was their idea for me. i too was writing then, but for periodicals and the internet. actually, i started with agenting not with books, but with screenplays. i went to the UC Berkeley Publishing Course after awhile, just to get my book skills honed, because i found I really loved working with book authors most of all. Since then, I have expanded to television work for my authors, or whatever other projects can be spun from their books. I also consult with authors who just need advice, or just need a contract negotiated after selling their books themselves. I really enjoy contract negotiation.</span><br style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">What makes your agency different than any others?</span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br>I'd say the above...all the work I do around books, not just the books themselves. Authors can make new generations of their material if they have the interest, and I'll consult on all phases of such projects. I have a great entertainment attorney I work with, Jason Poston, who is the late comedian Tom Poston's son. He keeps me up to date on the latest legal twists and turns, plus he used to be a book editor.</span><br style="font-weight: normal;"><br></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of? </span><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br>More materials from and about under 35's. I think this "Obama generation" is the next octave of their boomer parents. Change the World people, but in their own unique way. I think the under 35's in this country will have alot to say in the near future.</strong><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>Julie what are you tired of receiving?</span><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br>Bad novels. submissions without the right components, esp. lack of proper competitive title analysis.</strong></font> <blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid blue; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px;"><font face="Arial"><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</span><strong style="font-weight: normal;"> <br>One way is to have an MFA in writing. (I heard a statistic yesterday on NPR that over 50% of the writers being bought have MFA's, don't know if it is true, but i do notice a big difference in the quality of material from writing program grads). Know your craft, know the system, know the protocol. One huge way to help yourself to have read Jeff Herman's <u>Writers Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents </u>and put it into practice. I cannot recommend that book enough.</strong></font></blockquote> <font face="Arial"><strong><br></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</span><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br>Keep providing quality competitive work, and keep promoting yourself to the outside world. Have a very active internet presence, be willing to travel frequently to give talks and signings, and be creative about getting public attention for your work. Having a publicist is a very big plus.</span><br><br style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Julie that they don't seem to?<br></span><strong style="font-weight: normal;">I care about writers' careers as well as their books. I am a career consultant for my authors as best I can be. If I can find other work for them, I do. If I have an idea about how they can make more money, get more exposure, I tell them. Most agents just sell books and career counseling is out of the picture. I don't decry that, its one way to make a living, it's just not who I am. It's tough to make a big living as an author, and you have to be thinking all the time about what else can be done to feather your nest, pump your platform, spin your ideas into other media and markets. Writers who stay home and hope for the next big idea to dawn won't thrive in this business. </strong><br></font></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-74998557248889886702008-12-29T23:35:00.000-05:002008-12-29T23:35:00.897-05:00Felicia Eth - Literary Agent at Felicia Eth Literary<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV id=AOLMsgPart_0_2b5a1d05-fa6f-475d-a42b-ac9751bcb533><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Felicia?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've been an agent for 25 years (that makes me sound ancient). 10 in N.Y. at Writers Hosue, 15 or so here in the Bay area, with my own agency, Felicia Eth Literary Reprsentation. Initially I started working in the movie business in N.Y, in the Story Departments of Palomar Pictures and Warner Brothers, where properties get selected. I was the conduit for NY. publishers, so worked with sub rights people and agents who mostly handle movie/tv rights. I found I was much more interested in books as books, than as properties with potential for being translated to the screen. Oftentimes the best books make the lousiest movies and vice versa. But it was a great way to learn who was doing what. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>There's only so many ways to be different, and given how many agents there are, I can't speak of myself as wholly unique. I'm a New Yorker on the West Coast so I bring both sensibilities to anything I work with. I'm sort of intellectual, but came out of a movie background, so there again I've a dual perspective, I'm a one person office, but as someone who knows the business for many many years, I work with books of diverse interest - from quirky narrative nonfiction to <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278657_1 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">literary fiction</SPAN>. I try to be ahead of the curve in terms of what's hot, but not avant-garde, since no one in N.Y. wants that. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I wish I could find more literary writers who knew how to write incredibly compelling stories, ie. stories with dramatic drive and narrative and a plot that kept yo riveted, even as you are held by the writing.</DIV> <DIV>I'd love to see more narrative nonfiction that was less memoir about someone's life, and more about someone's foray into exploring something that impacts all of us.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><STRONG>Felicia what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'm tired of receiving memoirs by people who've overcome tough personal situations. I admire them for it, but don't necessarily want to read another book about it. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Be smart, be funny, show you've done your homework, have publishing credits or support from names who might ring a bell with me (and others), whether they be teachers of yours, friends of yours, other writers, etc.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>That's easy. I run a small, personal agency, where I'm always happy to talk with a writer, so long as they hear me when I say I can't talk now, and respect my personal and professional needs. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Felicia that they don't seem to?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>That our interests coincide - books that I say aren't for me, aren't and thus I'm not the best person for them. Books that I say need work, do, and not because I'm trying to make a writer's life hard, but because if I see problems the editors will too and so following my direction makes sense for both of us. That I try to get the best offer all around so that the book will be well published and the author will be happy. If I advise an author to take a deal, it's not because it serves me, but because it serves the author. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV><BR><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Email is fine for a query, but not for a proposal or partial, hardcopy is fine for a query with sample pages and proposal (not a complete ms), and phone is rarely preferable since it's great if you are articular and smart and ideally that will make publishing the book more successful, but I sell books, so how you write and present yourself in writing, is first and foremost what I need to see. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-62804649775294241712008-12-29T23:28:00.000-05:002008-12-29T23:28:01.016-05:00Paul Cirone - New Interview with Literary Agent at Friedrich Literary Agency<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Paul ?</STRONG><BR><BR>I began my publishing career as in intern for the Aaron Priest Agency. I worked my way up to assistant for Molly Friedrich and I've been with her ever since. I technically started agenting in 2000, while I was still a full time assistant. That's when I discovered <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278304_0 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Leif Enger</SPAN>'s <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278304_1>PEACE LIKE A RIVER</SPAN> and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278304_2>Edgar Award winner</SPAN>, Megan Abbott. Molly subsequently opened her own agency in 2006 where I joined her as a full fledged agent and foreign rights manger. <BR><BR><STRONG> What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG><BR><BR>While we're small in size-- we're a three person operation-- we pride ourselves in really taking care of the writers. We don't have a lot of celebrity writers, at least not those that are celebrities first. We do have a lot who were writers first, that went on to become celebrities, like <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278304_3 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Terry McMillan</SPAN>, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278304_4>Sue Grafton</SPAN> and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228278304_5 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Frank McCourt</SPAN> to name a few. Our relationship to the client really is an all-encompassing one. We're not just there at the sale, we're present for the author's entire publishing experience. But, we're the opposite of corporate–our authors don't get lost in the fray. Everyone does feel completely taken care of. <BR><BR><STRONG> What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG><BR><BR>I'd love to see more non-fiction that's funny and well-written. I really like to learn new things about topics in history, current events, pop-culture---but with a humorous slant. Though, funny is probably the hardest thing to pull off. I'm also always a sucker for well-written historical fiction. Something that takes a lesser known footnote from history and imagines a whole universe around it. <BR><BR><STRONG> Paul what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG><BR><BR>Books that are poorly written! Books about ancient societies and uncovered texts that are poorly written. <BR><BR><STRONG> How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG><BR><BR>By having some short-stories published in literary magazines or by writing for blogs. The more they're out there as writers the better. This business of writing is no longer a solitary one. Writers have to be marketing conscious and pro-active. <BR> <BR><STRONG> How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG><BR><BR>By being respectful of my weekends and by effectively communicating their needs, so that the professional relationship is always strong. <BR><BR><STRONG> What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Paul that they don't seem to?<BR></STRONG><BR>That we don't get paid for the reading and evaluating of writers before we take them on. If we take the time to write a personal response ---and our agency has a great reputation of doing that–and it's a no, they really need to respect that it was a no and leave it at that. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG><BR><BR>Email is best. I read everything on my kindle these days. My back muscles are very happy.<BR></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-34835684163529795982008-12-28T23:42:00.000-05:002008-12-28T23:42:00.535-05:00Vicky Bijur - Literary Agent at Vicky Bijur Literary Agency<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeTJ6ZFMwxFc2H8k2ingIM2ihVUs5842m_gDPH950UnH6Olh6IKanSMsiL47TNMkCRqZDZuEIuaO1FuXdq6zNND3B5l2KXogT7RZcke0FVmY01sb1AjRkusuSJvD1hJ6MakKqXA9FEQw/s1600-h/VB+photo+July+19+08-776253.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeTJ6ZFMwxFc2H8k2ingIM2ihVUs5842m_gDPH950UnH6Olh6IKanSMsiL47TNMkCRqZDZuEIuaO1FuXdq6zNND3B5l2KXogT7RZcke0FVmY01sb1AjRkusuSJvD1hJ6MakKqXA9FEQw/s320/VB+photo+July+19+08-776253.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275419750518592674" /></a></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=5> </FONT></o:p></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=5> </FONT></o:p></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">How long have you been agent and how did you get your start, Vicky ?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I have been an agent since 1986, when I started working with the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have had my own agency since 1988.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">The first client I took on in 1986 was the mystery writer Margaret Maron, and she is still my client. She won the Edgar for Best Novel in 1992.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I've sold about twenty-five of her books.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I went to work with Charlotte after nine years in the New York office of Oxford University Press, where I worked on books of history, film studies, literary criticism, architecture, musicology, and so forth.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">What makes your agency different than any others? <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Every agency operates differently. What's important to me is the long relationships I have with many of my clients.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As I mention above, my first client is still with me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have worked with many of my clients since the 1980s and 1990s.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Some agencies specialize, but I love working on a broad variety of books:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>mysteries, literary fiction, journalism, cookbooks, graphic non-fiction, health, parenting, biography, self-help, memoir, and so forth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></B></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Novels and memoirs that grip me from page one.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I still remember the first page of Laura Lippman's first book, BALTIMORE BLUES, which I read in 1995 or 1996.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Last spring I picked up a self-published book called STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova and couldn't put it down.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I sold it to Pocket Books, which is publishing it in January.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I am interested in seeing graphic fiction and non-fiction.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I represent Larry Gonick, a pioneer in graphic non-fiction (THE CARTOON HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE, THE CARTOON GUIDE TO STATISTICS, etc.), and would love to represent others in that field. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I am also interested in hearing from journalists.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I represent Steven Greenhouse, the New York Times labor reporter and author of THE BIG SQUEEZE (Knopf, 2008) and would love to see more journalism.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I am always interested in writers who work in a variety of literary forms. Laura Lippman writes novels, short stories, journalism, reviews, essays, and so forth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>James Sallis writes novels, poetry, biography (his biography of Chester Himes was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year), literary criticism.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><BR> Vicky, what are you tired of receiving?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">It would be nice not to ever again get a query letter that starts, "I've written a fictional novel."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Also, in the days before email queries, prospective clients kept their query letters to one page.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Emailed queries often go on for much too long.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If you send a query via email it should be no longer than the equivalent of a one-page letter.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><BR>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">A great cover letter.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I must admit I love it when a prospective client comes to me and says, "I'm not talking to any other agents."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I take special note when a prospective client has done some research either by going to my web page </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Grande'"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=5>(</FONT><A href="http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/vbijur/"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=5>http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/vbijur/</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=5>) or even listening to a radio interview from a few years ago:</FONT></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> <A href="http://www.barbarademarcobarrett.com/writersonwriting/audio/Vicky_Bijur_Nov-06-2003.mp3">http://www.barbarademarcobarrett.com/writersonwriting/audio/Vicky_Bijur_Nov-06-2003.mp3</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">If you want to write non-fiction, it is a great help to do a formal book proposal before approaching agents.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I often recommend HOW TO WRITE A BOOK PROPOSAL by Michael Larsen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Writers find it very helpful.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><BR>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane? <o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">All my clients are on my radar.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Perhaps my clients are a particularly charming and personable group, as I have never thought about this question.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><BR>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent, Vicky, that they don't seem to?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">I focus more on trying to understand my clients than on what I want them to understand about me. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">What's the best way for a writer to reach you?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Either email or snail mail.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not faxes or phone calls.</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=5> </FONT></o:p></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-32113009420787503772008-12-27T23:47:00.000-05:002008-12-27T23:47:00.222-05:00Harvey Klinger - Literary Agent<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Harvey?</STRONG>I started my own agency in October, 1977. I worked for an agent prior to that for a year and a half who taught me how <EM>not </EM>to be an agent, which was quite instructive.</FONT></DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><STRONG></STRONG> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG>I would say that we're a "boutique" agency. All of my associates and myself included work very closely with our clients and do a fair amount of editing and revising their material before we even start making submissions to publishers.</DIV><STRONG></STRONG> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG>Narrative non-fiction, interesting history, biography, science and I'm always looking for terrific new fiction; I'm just not seeing anything that I've liked lately.</DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>Harvey what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG>Queries from writers who keep trying to <EM>sell themselves</EM>. The material should speak for itself. I'm tired of seeing disease-of-the-week stories, people writing about donating kidneys to relatives (or strangers), people announcing they've got the next Harry Potter, and there's still too much chick lit floating out there; the genre's been glutted to extinction.</DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG>Writing something wonderful, fresh with a unique voice or a non-fiction project that's insightful and timely without trying to act like a salesperson at a WalMart.</DIV><STRONG></STRONG> <DIV><BR><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane? </STRONG>By not calling and just occasionally emailing to check-in.</DIV> <DIV><STRONG></STRONG><BR><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Harvey that they don't seem to? </STRONG>That I'm not a miracle worker, but work hard for my writers and expect them to do the same for me. Despite all the hard work though, there are no guarantees in the publishing business, particularly in the current economic climate. Even if I think a proposal (or a novel) is in perfect shape, there's still no saying that a publisher will agree and even if they do and publish it aggressively, success can be a rare and elusive thing. You give it your best shot and let the chips fall where they may...but at least it gets me out of bed every morning!<BR><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG>EMAIL!</FONT><BR></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-55681388913205443372008-12-27T14:30:00.000-05:002008-12-27T14:30:06.439-05:00Laney Katz Becker - Literary Manager with Folio Literary<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How did you get your start Laney ?</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] My background is highly unusual: Prior to becoming an agent, I was an award-winning advertising copywriter, a freelance journalist, and a published author (of both fiction and non-fiction). When I had children, I made constant *adjustments* to my writing career, in order to spend as much time at home as possible -- hence all the various hats! But when my kids got older and prepared to leave home, I decided it was time for me to do the same. (TRANSLATION: I didn't want to spend the second half of my life alone, in my basement office, writing books.) I (re)evaluated my skills, my interests, my passions -- and the rest, as they say, is history. I think my past writing and marketing experiences really helped me hit the ground running when I switched gears and started agenting, and frankly, my skills come in awfully handy when I work with my authors to get their projects ready for submission. Of course the obvious is also true: Having been "the author" I know what it's like to be in their shoes, which is not a bad thing at all!</font></span> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="218215014-23112008"></span> </div> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font></span>What makes your agency different than any others?<br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] Folio takes a very different approach to supporting our authors. We have a marketing department, a speaker's bureau and relationships with various licensing agencies. We offer these additional services to our authors in order to supplement all the outstanding work publishers do to promote authors/books. It's really exciting and incredibly successful. (<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.foliolit.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228246109_7">www.foliolit.com</span></a>) </font></span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="218215014-23112008"></span> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</span><br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] I've been reading for (many) decades. I'm not excited to read something I feel like I've read a million times already. I <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228246109_8">love things</span> that are fresh and smart. On the fiction side, I'm partial to book club fiction and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228246109_9">psychological thrillers</span>. On the non-fiction side I love memoirs. But again, I gravitate toward stories that expose me to something new. I also do a limited amount of prescriptive non-fiction and am always on the lookout for gripping narrative non-fiction. To see more about what I'm looking for, check out my bio page at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.foliolit.com/s-laney.php">http://www.foliolit.com/s-laney.php</a> </font></span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font><div><font size="2" face="Arial"><br></font><span style="font-weight: bold;">Laney what are you tired of receiving?</span><br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] Long, rambling <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228246109_10">query letters</span> for topics I don't handle. </font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"></span><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</span><br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] A concise, well-written query that follows the guidelines on my bio page. It really is that simple. No kidding. I've signed authors from the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228246109_11">slush pile</span>, and I've sold their projects for 6-figure deals. It really can work that way. Promise. </font></span></div><span class="218215014-23112008"></span> <div><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</span><br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] All my writers are on my radar because I'm very selective about the authors I sign. I intentionally keep my list small; that's the only way I can give my authors the time and attention they need/deserve. That said, the author/agent relationship is like a good marriage. Communication is key. So, if an author is doing something that's annoying, it's part of my job to let the author know that's not how I prefer to work -- and I expect them to do the same. </font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"></span> </div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">NOW, I know the question is about a "signed writer," but let me tell you what drives me INSANE about unsigned writers: </font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">* Writers who argue with me. I pass on something because it's too commercial for me (they've sent me a 3-book mystery series, for instance, and that's not something I handle). The author then sends back a rant about how commercial is what sells and don't I want something that sells? </font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">* Writers who send back a note alerting me that I've just passed on what is sure to be a huge best-seller. (The fact the author bragged like that in his original query is probably why I passed in the first place. Why would I want to work with someone who has such an over-inflated opinion of himself? Especially since he's never been published before. This author is already broadcasting that he won't be easy to handle/deal with.)</font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">* Writers who apologize. "I've never been published...you probably won't be interested in this...I know you probably won't even take time to read this..." </font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">*</font> <font face="Arial"><font size="2">Writers who tell me that they've given their project to all their family/friends/students to read and everyone loves it. (First, your family and friends should tell you it's great; they're you're family and friends! And even if you've given the book to strangers -- their taste and mine may be very different. I'm not just looking for things I love, but for things I can sell. How could your strangers know that?)</font></font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">* I could go on, but I'm sure you're catching my drift. </font></span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Laney that they don't seem to?</span><br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] This is a business. And while it's true there are a lot of emotions that get wrapped around anything as intimate as writing, it is still a business, and it is my job as an agent to sell. So there's no reason for me to sign a project I don't love, or a project I don't think I can sell. And no amount of begging/pleading will convince me otherwise. And you'll just have to trust me: You REALLY don't want an agent who is not super passionate about your project. </font></span></div> <div><span class="218215014-23112008"></span> </div> <div><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</span><br><span class="218215014-23112008"><font size="2" face="Arial">[LKB:] Email. I read and respond to every query. lkbecker (at) <a target="_blank" href="http://foliolit.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228246109_12">foliolit.com</span></a> </font></span><br></div></span></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-77277108724145303032008-12-27T01:26:00.000-05:002008-12-27T01:26:00.596-05:00Ben Barnhart - Editor at Milkweed Editions<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>How did you get your start as an editor? Why become an editor instead of say, a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_2>fighter pilot</SPAN> or computer engineer?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>I got my start the old-fashioned way, by taking out a contract on a senior editor and then being well-positioned to pick up his unfinished projects. Okay, not exactly. I started as an intern at Milkweed Editions several years back, and then hired on as the editorial assistant, then assistant editor, associate editor, and now just plain editor. This is a business ideally suited to the form of apprenticeship, and at each stage I've been fortunate to work underneath a senior editor who was able to provide advice.<BR><BR>Curiously enough, if you'd asked about my career ambitions at eight and twelve respectively, I would have said fighter pilot and computer engineer (I'm not making that up). Perhaps there's a progression here I'm not aware of. <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_3>Coming out</SPAN> of college I knew I was interested in literature and working with writing, and suspected that a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">literary editor</SPAN> might be a good track for me. It appeals to so many competing passions—a desire to work in a creative field; close, collaborative work with authors; the solitary pleasure of reading; the challenge of making an artistic expression palatable within a consumer culture.<BR><BR> <BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>What are some of the exciting books you've acquired that you're most proud of?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>I'll always think fondly about one of my first acquisitions: Gary Amdahl's <I>Visigoth,</I> which is a collection of stories so potent and visceral I can't read them without laughing and recoiling, sometimes at the same moment. More recently I'm very excited about a book by <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_5 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">David Rhodes</SPAN> called <I>Driftless.</I> I was fortunate enough to stumble across his out of print novels (originally published in the 1970s) and get in touch with him. Almost by chance he'd just finished the manuscript that became <I>Driftless,</I> and we were able to publish that along with a reintroduction of some of his older work. His is a great story of a deeply talented, but neglected author finally receiving his due attention.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>When you receive a submission what about it really grabs you and excites you to the point that you'd like to acquire it? <BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>Like almost every other literary editor, I read first and foremost for voice. A good story runs a close second to voice, but without that distinctive voice a book loses my attention quickly. I don't care how experimental or traditional a narrative is, I need to have a vivid sense for the people populating the story. <BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>What makes you decide to read a submission overnight compared to it rotting on the bottom of your <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_6 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">slush pile</SPAN>?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>Having a manuscript recommended to me by one of my authors is probably the best vote for getting something onto my desk sooner rather than later. Otherwise, a cover letter that shows familiarity with our books will accomplish the same thing. I'm deeply impressed by writers who are also good readers, and demonstrating that in the cover letter is one of the best things an author can do (to my mind).<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>What's the best way for a writer to contact you? <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_7 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Query letter</SPAN>?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>For some reason, a lot of the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_8 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">query letters</SPAN> addressed to me don't actually make it to my desk. Perhaps our interns are a little too discerning. As Milkweed Editions has an open submission policy, I often recommend simply sending along the manuscript. If that's not possible, I'm happy to hear from authors via email. Sure I'm drowning it, but I still take time to review queries that come in via email.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>Are you open to receiving submissions from self-published authors?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>Yes, we're happy to accept submissions from self-published authors. But I think the author has the added difficulty of explaining why another publisher (in essence) needs to publish this book. If it already exists in the world, there needs to be a very compelling reason to bring it out a second time.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>Are you open to receiving unagented submissions?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>Milkweed Editions is happy to accept unagented submissions. We receive just over a thousand a year and we read everything we receive. Discovering a gem in the slush pile is one of the great joys of this business.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>What are you personally doing in order to adapt to the changes in the marketplace? (Changes meaning: lower print runs, shrinking book review outlets, oversaturated market and chains stores being more selective about what books they put on their shelves)<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>There are a lot of challenges, aren't there? First, I'm dedicating as much time to editing each book as I can to make them truly remarkable. I'm a firm believer that great books stand out in crowded marketplaces. There's more to it than that, of course, but without a great book no amount of advertising or word-of-mouth will propel it in the marketplace. Beyond that, we're being very strategic about where we put our resources, but giving each book as many opportunities as we can to establish it among readers. It's rather old-fashioned, but we rely on reviews (increasingly moving to book blogs), awards, and advertising where it benefits the book (using <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_9 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Facebook</SPAN>'s targeted ads, for instance).<BR><I><BR></I></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></SPAN></FONT> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>Book Publicity Departments are often overworked and overwhelmed, how do you personally make sure the books you acquire and shepherd get the attention they need?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>It's true that publicists are overwhelmed, but we try to keep this manageable by limiting our annual list of titles, which is the right place to start. We publish between sixteen and eighteen new books a year, and that's proven to be very manageable for our publicists and marketing manager. Beyond that, I'm constantly in touch with them to make sure we're taking advantage of any opportunities the books have, and, if need be, I'm pitching in to do some of that work myself. The benefit of a small press like Milkweed Editions is that there's a lot of opportunity to play different roles in any given day, and sometimes the line between editorial work and marketing work gets a little blurred. In the end, everything is driving toward publishing the books as well as we possibly can.<BR> <BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>What about the publicity and promotion departments in houses is not working and what suggestions do you have to make them work?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer this, both because I haven't worked for another publisher, and because I'm not truly close enough to our own operation to have a cogent critique. I'll only say that I think publicists are put in a difficult position of promoting books they may or may not believe are good/worthwhile/enjoyable books. Granted, that's part of the business, but I often wonder what would happen if editors were required to run publicity for each of their titles. Editors might find that it's not quite so easy to gain attention for their own books, or perhaps would be a little more selective about which projects they acquire.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>How much of a books decision has to do with the talent and how many books similar to it have sold great numbers?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>I'm not sure I'm reading this question correctly. Are you asking whether acquisition decisions are made on the basis of talent rather than the sales performance of similar titles? If so, here the decisions weigh much more heavily on the side of the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_10 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">literary merit</SPAN>, or talent. Publishing by trend is something we're not interested in doing (it takes a massive infrastructure, for one), so we tend to overlook that information when making a decision about whether or not to publish a book. Of course, it comes into play later on when we're trying to convince our sales reps that this title has the potential to sell X number of copies and stack up against these other titles in the bookstores.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>Is it becoming necessary for fiction writers to have their own platform too? If so, if not, why?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR>Sadly, I think it is becoming necessary (or may already be considered necessary). I say sadly because at heart I'm something of a purist and believe that a good book should stand on its own merit. But, realistically speaking, we're a culture obsessed with creators, so the author is put in a difficult position: either let the work stand on its own and risk alienating a readership, or act as an advocate for the book and build a community of readers around their work. There are examples of both kinds of authors having successful careers, but more and more it's difficult for a debut author to simply publish a work and stand back while the work receives recognition.<BR><BR></SPAN></FONT> <UL> <LI><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B>If a writer came to you with their own fanbase that they built online, or verbal agreements from a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285492_11>Quick Pick</SPAN> Committee to nominate the book, or significant letters of agreement from stores that they would purchase the book once it's out, is that pretty much a slam dunk for you to walk into an acquisition meeting and convince the team?<BR></B></SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><B><BR></B></SPAN></FONT> <BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">We're probably an anomaly in the industry, but these factors would all be secondary in that acquisition meeting. Without a solid book, none of these details would amount to much for us. However, if we're weighing two manuscripts, both beautifully-written and compelling, support like this would certainly make it a more attractive project.<BR></SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face="Lucida Grande"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR></SPAN></FONT></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-46668791785594235732008-12-26T22:00:00.000-05:002008-12-26T22:00:00.215-05:00GumboWriters Interview with Literary Powerhouse Agent, Tina Wexler from ICM Talent<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="4"><span class="447103118-25112008"><font face="Garamond"><font face="Times New Roman"><strong>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start, Tina?</strong></font></font></span></font></div> <div><font size="4"><span class="447103118-25112008"><font face="Garamond">I got my start at the Ellen Levine <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_0">Literary Agency</span> in 2001, assisting agents Elizabeth Kaplan (who's since started her own agency) and Louise Quayle (who's now Director of Domestic Rights at Doubleday). I then moved to the Karpfinger Agency for a brief stint in foreign rights before landing at <span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="border-bottom: medium none; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_1">I<font face="Garamond">nternational</font> <font face="Garamond">Creative Management</font></span></span> (ICM) in 2003, where I started building my own list of clients. </font></span><span class="447103118-25112008"></span></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="4"><br></font> <font size="4" face="Garamond"><strong>What makes your agency different than any others?</strong></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="4"><font face="Garamond"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font face="Garamond">ICM is one of the world's largest talent and <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_2">literary agencies</span><span class="447103118-25112008">,</span> with offices in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_3">New York</span> , Los Angeles , and London . ICM represents creative and technical talent in the fields of motion</font> <font face="Garamond">pictures, television, books, music, live performance, branded entertainment, and new media.</font> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Garamond;"> Our clients include the only living American Nobel Prize winner – <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_4">Toni Morrison</span>, recent <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_5">National Book Award</span> and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_6">Pulitzer Prize winners</span> – <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_7">Richard Ford</span>, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_8">Cormac McCarthy</span>, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_9">E.L. Doctorow</span>, and the most lucrative writer in publishing history – <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_10">Dr. Seuss</span>.<span style=""> </span>We also represent <span class="447103118-25112008">a high portion of </span> today's consistent #1 bestsellers – <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_11">Patricia Cornwell</span>,<span class="447103118-25112008"> </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_12">John Sanford</span>, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_13">Suze Orman</span> and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_14">Carl Hia<span class="447103118-25112008">a</span>sen</span>.</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></font></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="4"><br></font> <font size="4" face="Garamond"><strong>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</strong></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="4"><span class="447103118-25112008"><font face="Garamond">I'm always looking for new ideas backed by top notch writing, but who isn't looking for that? In general, in the adult marketplace, I'm interested in up-market women's fiction, accessible <span style="border-bottom: medium none; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_15">literary fiction</span>, memoir, and other narrative nonfiction, particularly re: popular science, gender issues, pop culture, and food (not cookbooks). In children's, I'm keen to acquire middle grade and young adult fiction, with the occasional non-fiction project thrown in. I'd really like to see more action/adventure stories or mysteries with ensemble casts. I love <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_16">magical realism</span>, but am up to my neck in fantasy. I enjoy <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_17">tall tales</span> or <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_18">fairy tales</span> retold for contemporary readers, but don't know that <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_19">Cinderella</span> can handle any more re-imaginings. I love near-future dystopia stories for both markets, and would love a great gothic love story.</font></span></font></div> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="4"><br></font> <font size="4" face="Garamond"><strong>Tina, what are you tired of receiving?</strong></font></div> <div><font size="4" face="Garamond"><span class="447103118-25112008">I'm tired of receiving first drafts, manuscripts that aren't nearly as well-crafted as the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_20">query letters</span> that prompted me to ask for pages in the first place. I'm also not sure why I keep getting queries for political thrillers or screenplays, neither of which I represent. </span> </font></div> <div><font size="4" face="Garamond"><span class="447103118-25112008"></span></font><font size="4"> </font></div> <div><font size="4" face="Garamond"><strong>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</strong></font></div> <div><font size="4" face="Garamond"><span class="447103118-25112008">Take the time to do the work. Read what's being published within your genre (and outside your genre). Finish the manuscript. Revise. Revise. Revise. Take time writing the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_21">query letter</span>. Be courteous and professional while dazzling me with your ideas/story. Research agents, our interests, our clients. Realize that getting published is an undertaking, not something done on a whim. There are books and websites and conferences and graduate programs and retreats and writers groups and magazines all dedicated to the craft of writing and getting published. There's no excuse, with all the information out there, for not knowing. Educate yourself. Someone who's taken the time to learn about the business while honing his or her writing skills will always get my attention, even if the project he or she describes isn't right for me.</span></font></div> <div><font size="4"><br><strong><font face="Garamond">How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</font></strong></font> </div> <div><font size="4"><span class="447103118-25112008"><font face="Garamond">I'd hope that my clients always feel comfortable contacting me, regardless of the frequency at which they do so. Indeed, if I haven't heard from a client in a while, I'll drop him or her a "Just checking in, hope you're well" type of email, and I appreciate it when they do the same. Beyond that, I think it's common sense. No one wants to feel badgered. At the same time, no one should be so afraid of contacting his or her agent that important information or updates aren't passed on.</font></span></font></div> <div><font size="4"><br></font> <font size="4" face="Garamond"><strong>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent, Tina, that they don't seem to?</strong></font></div> <div><font size="4"><span class="447103118-25112008"></span></font><font size="4" face="Garamond">I<span class="447103118-25112008"> wish writers understood that agents aren't the enemy. I know it can feel like we're the bullies of the publishing playground, refusing to let you join our game of t-ball. But we're not. We're book lovers who are doing what we can to get the manuscripts we feel most passionately about published in today's competitive market. Trust me when I say, I want to fall in love with your manuscript. I want to get that tingly feeling in my gut when I realize I'm holding something wonderful. I want to stay up far too late reading your pages. I want to make that phone call offering you representation. </span></font></div> <div><font size="4" face="Garamond"><span class="447103118-25112008"></span></font><font size="4" face="Garamond"><span class="447103118-25112008"></span></font><font size="4"> </font></div> <div><font size="4" face="Garamond"><strong>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</strong><br> Writers may contact me by sending a query letter either by email (</font><font size="4"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:twexler@icmtalent.com" target="_blank" href="http://us.mc347.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=twexler@icmtalent.com"><font face="Garamond"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_22">twexler@icmtalent.com</span></font></a></font><font size="4" face="Garamond">) or post: ICM, <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227668339_23">825 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10019</span>. Please note: I do not open queries sent as attachments, and I do not follow links to online queries. Thank you!</font></div></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-36058284960967379692008-12-26T01:30:00.000-05:002008-12-26T01:30:01.444-05:00Peter Miller - Literary Manager<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_0 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #dceeff">PETER MILLER</SPAN>, PRESIDENT</STRONG> <TABLE height=239 cellSpacing=10 cellPadding=2 width=115 align=right border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD align=left height=218> <DIV class=smtext align=center><A href="http://www.pmalitfilm.com/whoswho.html" target=_blank rel=nofollow><IMG height=169 alt="The Literary Lion, Peter Miller" src="http://www.pmalitfilm.com/images/headshots/petermiller2.jpg" width=120 border=1></A><BR>The Literary Lion, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_1 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">Peter Miller</SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <P class=bodytext>Known as "The Literary Lion," <B>Peter Miller</B> has been an extraordinarily active literary and film manager for <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_2 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">more than thirty years</SPAN>. He is President of PMA Literary and Film Management, Inc. and <A href="http://www.pmalitfilm.com/millennium.html" target=_blank rel=nofollow><FONT color=#164e63><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_3>Millennium Lion, Inc.</SPAN></FONT></A>; he and his company have successfully managed more than 1,000 books worldwide, as well as dozens of <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_4>motion picture</SPAN> and television properties. These works include eleven <I><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_5>New York Times Bestsellers</SPAN>,</I> and eleven produced films that Miller has managed or executive produced. Three of those films have been nominated for <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_6 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Emmy Awards</SPAN>: <B><I>Goodbye, Miss <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_7>Fourth of July</SPAN></I></B> (The <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_8>Disney Channel</SPAN>, with four nominations); <B><I>A <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_9>Gift of Love</SPAN></I></B> (Showtime, two nominations); and <B><I><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_10>Helter Skelter</SPAN></I></B> (CBS, one nomination). In addition, Miller has a number of film and television projects currently in active development, with some nearing production, in association with <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_11 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Warner Bros</SPAN>. Features, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_12>Sony Pictures Television</SPAN>, Warner Bros. Television, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_13>DreamWorks</SPAN>, and many other producers and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_14 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">production companies</SPAN>.</DIV> <P class=bodytext>Peter Miller spends most of his <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_15 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">time in New York</SPAN> or <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_16>Los Angeles</SPAN>, but he also frequently tours the country to speak at writers' conferences and workshops. He regularly attends publishing gatherings such the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_17 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">BookExpo America Convention</SPAN> and the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_18>Frankfurt Book Fair</SPAN>, as well as various <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285604_19>film festivals</SPAN> including those at Cannes, East Hampton, and Sundance.</DIV> <P class=bodytext> </DIV> <P class=bodytext> </DIV> <P class=bodytext><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Peter?</STRONG></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER: I started working as a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_0 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">literary agency</SPAN> in the fall of 1972 and founded Writer's House, Inc. with Al Zuckerman and then formed The <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_1>Peter Miller Agency</SPAN> in 1974, and then The Peter Miller, Agency, Inc. in 1982 and the PMA Literary and Film Management, Inc. in 1992 when I also founded Millennium Lion, Inc. (my film production company) and I also co-own The Story Plant (<A href="http://www.thestoryplant.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_2>www.TheStoryPlant.com</SPAN></FONT></A>) with veteran author and publisher, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_3 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Lou Aronica</SPAN>.</SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER: We are a mgt. co. that specializes in long-term relationships with authors that write cutting edge fiction and non-fiction with <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_4>global marketing</SPAN> potential and well and motion picture and TV production potential. NOTE: Attached recent press releases.</SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER: WE look for authors who not only are great writers but are willing to promote their work and who also understand the enormous sea changes in the industry. It used to be 75% about how good the book was and 25% about the marketing but now it is 75% about the marketing and 25% how good to book is. I am developing a large library of Transformational information presently.</SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR><STRONG>Peter what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER:<SPAN> </SPAN>I am only taking on major clients with platforms so I am tried of seeing run of the mill novels by wanna be authors and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_5 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">non fiction book</SPAN> proposals that should be magazine article.</SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER:<SPAN> </SPAN>It always begins with a terrific pitch letter and a great idea vs. the God given talent that is necessary to get published today.</SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER:<SPAN> </SPAN>The authors that make the most money and have the most fun are the ones that let me do my job.<SPAN> </SPAN>Clients sometimes forget that if we don't place their book(s) my company doesn't earn any money.<SPAN> </SPAN>I will not allow any author to annoy my staff or me and if they do I ask them to find another representation.<SPAN> </SPAN>We are blessed with a stable of talented authors and I will only grow my companies with winners and not losers,</SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Peter that they don't seem to?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER:<SPAN> </SPAN>I am not an agent but a manager because I also produce film and television productions.<SPAN> </SPAN>We are only taking on major clients and we prefer clients to projects.<SPAN> </SPAN>However, I would not turn down the opportunity to man age <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_6>Angelina Jolie</SPAN>'s autobiography.<BR><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ANSWER:<SPAN> </SPAN>visit our website; <A href="http://www.pmalitfilm.com/" target=_blank><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_7><FONT color=#003399>www.pmalitfilm.com</FONT></SPAN></A><SPAN> </SPAN>my email address is<SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285689_8 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Peter@pmalitfilm.com</SPAN><BR><BR></SPAN></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-35819242848728682932008-12-25T17:44:00.001-05:002009-01-11T12:16:21.033-05:00GumboWriters Interview with Literary Power Agent: Donna Bagdasarian Part 2<span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mq5SUJh1gRI4re3LyJBC9UMLXfJfTlz7rCg6rYOUzxxu7vhue5YAP9TQMVgJELdWjD9aYvunXc4lBDYTjhqxEBZ6l397bhYu7M1sQrqMXFILNTJxdeheJo4pu4GIpKFHwlywfIwosyE/s1600-h/image003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mq5SUJh1gRI4re3LyJBC9UMLXfJfTlz7rCg6rYOUzxxu7vhue5YAP9TQMVgJELdWjD9aYvunXc4lBDYTjhqxEBZ6l397bhYu7M1sQrqMXFILNTJxdeheJo4pu4GIpKFHwlywfIwosyE/s200/image003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272730391208309522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Jeff Rivera: Okay .<span style=""> </span>Do you find to having a platform is more important that it was maybe five years ago and if so, why?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: Platform is crucial. To a publisher, <span style="color:navy;"><span style="color:navy;">a</span></span> platform speaks to audience. The reason why it is crucial now is that any Tom, Dick and Harry can get up there and say, "Hey, I got a great idea and I know I can make it work." For instance, an author recently pitched me who is not a doctor claiming he had figured out heart disease, why? Because he was suffering from heart disease and he devised a holistic plan on how to eat and live and now he is heart disease free. That is nothing. I mean who is going to listen to him? You know, that is like me saying if you eat two mangoes a day, you will be 120 pounds, that might work for me but I have no basis of any source that that would be for anyone else and why would anyone listen to me?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> So first, you need the credentials.<span style=""> </span>Second, you need to form some sort of grassroots following. You need people that are saying ‘Yes, this guy is right” and you need the exposure that grows from such. You start it very locally - you start it in your community, you start it first to your immediate circle, then into your community. Then, hopefully, it spreads virally and you then get print attention. From there, maybe national print attention or national radio attention then, ideally, you get television attention. At that point, the platform can start to take on a life of its own – if for instance the Today Show or some such hears about you or the New Yorker hears about something from this little town in Bussey, Iowa and they report a “Oh, there is a doctor” story, even if it’s in a small fashion, it can spread globally due to the reach of such venues. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: So, ideally somebody could actually, come up with this heart disease intervention thing and then hook up with a doctor who already has the credentials or whatever and they as a team…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: That is exactly what <span style="color:navy;"><span style="color:navy;">would</span></span> need to happen. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera Okay.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: So, let us say you would find a way the beat cancer yourself. You were terminally ill and you figured out that if you ate, you know tulips and sunflower seed four times a day<span style="color:navy;"><span style="color:navy;">,</span></span> <span class="GramE">then</span> you are cancer free. Well, what you would need to do then is go to some leading oncologist and have him get that and then, have him get on board and then both of you work together. He with his credentials and his authority in the field and the practice and you with your proven success and that would be the way to do it. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera All right. Okay, great. That is wonderful.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Donna: When publishing, an industry whose numbers are very, very tight, <span style="color:navy;"><span style="color:navy;">is</span></span> looking to see as if they can “back” a non-fiction book with a theory, they are looking to see if there is a built-in audience. If there is not, it is as that old adage goes:<span style=""> </span>if a tree falls in the woods who is going to buy it?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: Right. And would you say it like in order of priority, would you say okay, first is the concept, second is the writing quality, third is the platform; or would you say platform is number one; I mean, like what would you say…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: A) there has to be integrity to the idea, integrity to the author. B) it has to be veritable, C) it has to be supported, and D) it has to be well written and explicated in a way that everyone can access it. Meaning, I do not want diagrams and calculus equations to explain your theory or else no one will understand it. If all of that is in order, then you need to build some sort of following - a platform. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: All right.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: And then, it is up to publishing to package a book in a way that holds together without needing string and paper clips and a bunch of glue. Yes, I mean, seriously – the celebrity factor can always help further a project because celebrity itself defines a built-in audience.<span style=""> </span>That is what celebrity means.<span style=""> </span>However, if the concept is not veritable, the project inevitably fails being all frosting and no cake.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: Right. Let me ask you one more thing about… if you are a journalist because Media Bistro engages a lot with journalists, how is that an asset in terms of platform?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: Oh, that is built-in platform. A, expertise is already there. B, audience is already there. C, credentials are already there. So, if you are writing for Media Bistro and the Miami Herald, you are already credited. You already have the audiences. You already have expertise. You already have some sort of following.<span style=""> </span>So, for example, if you are a Cuban-American news reporter for the Miami Herald writing a piece on growing up in the Cuban-American community in Miami , you are de facto credible, with a built-in readership.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Now, if you are writing for Media Bistro that is one of the most <span class="GramE">well-respected</span> <span style="color:navy;"><span style="color:navy;">publishing websites</span></span> that we have. So, let us say, you want to write a book about building platforms and you are already a columnist from Media Bistro talking to authors and publishers and agents, you are already on the platform path.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: Interesting.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: Now the other aspect of platform building that is growing more and more important by the minute is via non-traditional media – electronic or internet media. Whether it is exploiting MySpace, Facebook, Goodreads, Safari, Amazon, blogs, ‘zines, and all the rest. It seems to be an answer to how to begin to build platforms or garner audiences, or even how to grow existing platforms or audiences in a viral way. Newer technology can be exploited quickly because readers, en masse, receive the information almost instantly. Authors are really trying to capitalize and harness these things as they grow and expand.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: So should they come to the table, if they come to the table and they are writing it, "Okay, it is alright," but they come to the table with I do not know, which is another thing just to talk about, but come to the table like 5000 fans from subscribers and that is a big platform you could…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: Yes, absolutely or let us say you have a blog, let us say you write about Puerto Rican vampires having sex in The City. Well if you have a website, "Puerto Rican Vampires Having Sex in The City," and you are getting 10,000 hits a day or 20,000 hits a day, and then one day it is 100,000 hits.<span style=""> </span>In addition, all of a sudden, you find yourself selling your Puerto Rican Vampire having Sex t-shirts and people are then talking about your PR Fang in the City daily update blog.<span style=""> </span>And now it is real.<span style=""> </span>And you can count it.<span style=""> </span>That is platform building. One person talking about something specific.<span style=""> </span>Then an audience starts to follow this one person blogging about something. Then bigger blogs start talking about the small blog.<span style=""> </span>Then all of a sudden it reaches some sort of critical mass and everyone on the planet knows everything there is to know about PR Fang in the City.<span style=""> </span>And from there?<span style=""> </span>Copycat projects!<span style=""> </span>Armenian Fang in the City!<span style=""> </span>Italian-Country Fang!<span style=""> </span>You get my point, I’m sure.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Jeff Rivera: What number like how if I come to you and I say, I have 200… I mean what number is it like, "Okay, that is impressive. That I could sell," or what number you are like, "Not so much,”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: Well it is not even a quantitative thing. It is more of a qualitative thing. For instance, when these blogs start to become part of the mass consciousness of a target audience and usually for electronic or online things we are talking about a youthful demographic, when it starts becoming part of mass consciousness it is at that breaking point. <i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">I Can Has Cheez Burger</span></i> is a great example.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Jeff Rivera: Which one I am sorry?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: <i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">http://icanhascheezburger.com/</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Jeff Rivera: Okay, yes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: The site where people post cute pictures of kitty cats and bunnies, right?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Jeff Rivera: Right.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: And then putting captions on them in this weird lexicon. Like this little kitty speak of some sort. For some reason, it took off and it took off so well that they started having knock-off sites, and now there is this whole movement where seemingly everyone now knows that language, “noming,” for instance. “Noming” means to eat something. How do I know that? I am old as Methuselah’s wife and I know! The second something literally becomes part of our pop culture continuum then you know it is almost too late for a book. The Cheez Burger people?<span style=""> </span>Their book is on the NYT list!<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Jeff Rivera: Wow.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> Donna: The real question is what do people actually consider a commodity? This question and how can you affect such is really the same as any other marketing or publicity technique that has ever been used. It is just a faster trajectory, if it catches on.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;">Jeff Rivera: Right, right, very cool. Thank you so much, Donna. This is great advice! </span></p><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />____________________________________________________________<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPmUOVuFTgnchF6vmZGPsUQysfbfvfD4mQ6Npfpjev7d3akWjjWb1b0VduHVv5tWJsk6zVY1m2fDZG1v4yX4I1sb1EPfT8hk69cTtYWsgVhOkOpTr_N2juljN4vDyYWl8TouPISgvOJM/s1600-h/JEFFSMILE.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPmUOVuFTgnchF6vmZGPsUQysfbfvfD4mQ6Npfpjev7d3akWjjWb1b0VduHVv5tWJsk6zVY1m2fDZG1v4yX4I1sb1EPfT8hk69cTtYWsgVhOkOpTr_N2juljN4vDyYWl8TouPISgvOJM/s200/JEFFSMILE.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266469152767231890" border="0" /></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" >Jeff Rivera: If you need help with your book promotion contact </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" >gumbomarketing@gmail.com</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;" > and we'll find a way to help you within your budget.</span>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-55460735726854560772008-12-25T04:43:00.000-05:002008-12-25T04:43:00.350-05:00Merry Christmas!<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Merry Christmas, everyone! May you have a beautiful one, take time to enjoy the moment because once it's gone it's gone. May all your dreams come true and may you do something kind for a perfect stranger to make their Christmas a special one too.<br><br><div><center> </center></div> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.jeffrivera.com/EMAIL1.htm"><img style="width: 107px; height: 92px;" src="http://www.jeffrivera.com/JEFFSMILE.jpg" border="0" width="110" height="158"></a><font color="#000000"> </font></td> <td width="5"><br></td> <td> <center><font face="Palatino Linotype"><em><font size="4"><strong><font size="3">JEFF RIVERA</font></strong></font></em></font></center> <center><font size="2" face="Palatino Linotype">author</font></center> <center><font face="Palatino Linotype"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.jeffrivera.com/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.JeffRivera.com</span></a><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></font></center><font face="Palatino Linotype"></font></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-29857226966371132242008-12-23T14:15:00.000-05:002008-12-23T14:15:00.676-05:00Cheryl Kaye Tardif - Author Interview Part 3<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;"><font size="3">What are some definite no-no's?</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Definite no-nos for booking a signing:</font></div> <ul><font size="3"><li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Showing up looking like you just crawled out of bed. If you can't make an effort to look professional for a meeting with the manager, what's to stop you from looking this way during signings.</div></li> <li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Not understanding how the industry works, in particular, expecting every store to stock your book on shelves. It just doesn't work this way. Stores don't have room.</div></li> <li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Showing the manager a book with a terrible cover, typos and spelling mistakes on the back cover and generally poor writing inside. Make sure your work has been professionally edited. Traditional publishers have their own in-house editors who are skilled. If you've self-published you'd better pay an editor if you don't want to be laughed out of the store. </div></li></font></ul> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Over the past 6 years I have organized many multi-author events and I've seen some terrible no-nos <em>at</em> book signings:</font></div> <ul><font size="3"><li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Showing up looking like you just crawled out of bed. Need I say any more? :)</div></li> <li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Shoving your book into someone's hands and telling them it'll be "the best book" they've ever read. Not only will this turn out to be a lie, it's rude. It's one thing to have confidence, another to sound egotistical. And no one likes to be force fed. Encourage them to look at your book, tell them they can read the first chapter, offer the book to them and let them know they can read the back cover. Or simply offer it to them while telling them about it. Most people will take it automatically if you hold it out. Same with handing out bookmarks.</div></li> <li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Standing with arms crossed over your chest, sitting with your head down, reading at your table (yes, I've seen authors do this!) -- these are all signs that you aren't interested in speaking to anyone, that you're unapproachable or bored. Watch the body language. Smile, greet people. You're their personal shopper--they just might not know that yet. Sit for a bit but always be handing out bookmarks. Stand, sit, stand...create excitement.</div></li> <li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">Yapping at them while they're reading the back or inside text. If they're reading it, do not interrupt. Hand bookmarks out to others as they pass. When the reader is finished, resume your conversation, ask a question. Right now one of the best questions you can ask is: "Are you looking for Christmas gift ideas or something good to read?"</div></li> <li> <div style="font-family: Arial;">The biggest no-no is having nothing to hand out to people. Bookmarks! Bookmarks! Bookmarks! They are the best investment for signings. Not only do they encourage after sales, they remind people of any other books you might have. I gave up gicing out business cards years ago. They don't work for readers. They'll just file them away or chuck them. Give them a useful bookmark with colorful cover pics and text that intrigues. And of course, have your website URL printed on it.</div></li></font></ul> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">What mistakes did you make in promotion that you would do all over again if you could?</span></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">The biggest mistake I made was when Whale Song was first up on <a target="_blank" href="http://Amazon.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_4">Amazon.com</span></a> for pre-orders. I thought it would be more beneficial to wait until the launch date to really promote it. I did let people know they could pre-order, but I could have worked that better. It's very important that a new book gets "out of the gate" right away, for Amazon rank averages and for word of mouth advertising.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">My other main mistake was that I should have found better ways to contact book clubs--ways that weren't expensive and were more effective. Whale Song is perfect as a book club pick because there are so many aspects of it that a group can discuss, from racism to bullying to death to native legends to belief in reincarnation. There is even a discussion guide available on my website for book clubs that select Whale Song. My thriller <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Cheryl-Kaye-Tardif/dp/1412062292?&camp=212361&creative=383961&linkCode=waf&tag=cherylkayetar-20"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_5">The River</span></a> is also a very good choice for a book club. It really makes readers think about where our technology and science is going, and how far <em>should</em> we go. It also explores a very wild and dangerous area of Canada's north, an area referred to as the "Bermuda Triangle of Canada", so you can just imagine book club conversations. Even my paranormal suspense thriller <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Intervention-Cheryl-Kaye-Tardif/dp/1412035910?&camp=212361&creative=383961&linkCode=waf&tag=cherylkayetar-20"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_6">Divine Intervention</span></a> makes for a good book club read. Members can talk about their own belief in psychic abilities, whether law enforcement agencies should use psychics, and so much more. I now offer book clubs free bookmarks and signed bookplates (stickers for their books) for their group if they select ANY of my novels to read. And I'll even be happy to participate by phone or email when they're ready to discuss the book. Any book club interested can simply <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:cherylktardif@shaw.ca" target="_blank" href="http://us.mc347.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=cherylktardif@shaw.ca"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_7">email me</span></a> with their request.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;"><font size="3">Do you have any other advice on how to market books?</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">The best piece of advice I can give is this: <strong>identify and really know your target audiences, and then find them!</strong> This means thinking outside of the box or doing something new. I recently decided to write a novel titled Finding Bliss, a novel that would appeal to teens and adults, especially females. That's my target audience--anyone 13 to 113, especially female. That alone isn't newsworthy. I've decided to write this novel on my new iPhone 3G and I sent out press releases locally and via the internet. News of my creative endeavor spread fast and on the first day I participated in 3 media interviews. More interviews were done on TV, radio, in newspapers and online. Even now I am still being contacted about my "iPhone novel".</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Writing Finding Bliss on my iPhone started off almost by accident, and then almost as a joke. It was my husband's idea. I'm just not sure he expected me to run with it. But run I did. I found a way to create buzz, and the book hasn't even been written. I'm doing something that no one else has ever done. Although a text novel craze started off in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_8">Japan</span>, I'm the first author to attempt to write a complete novel using the Notes application on my iPhone 3G, and now the world knows about this. I'm already getting emails from people who want to read it. :) You can learn more about Finding Bliss and how this idea came about at: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.findingblissbook.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_9">http://www.findingblissbook.com</span></a></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">News of Finding Bliss led the Founder of <a target="_blank" href="http://Textnovel.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_10">Textnovel.com</span></a>, Stan Soper, to contact me. He personally invited me to contribute a story to his readers and he wrote about my participation on his site. You can <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.textnovel.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_11">read my suspenseful novelette Remote Control or my short story OUIJA on Textnovel.com for free</span></a>.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Be daring, bold and creative, and carefully consider which marketing strategies are working for you and which aren't. Don't be afraid to try something new or different. You never know where it could lead. :)</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;"><font size="3">Do you have an agent? If so how did you land one?</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Yes, I have an awesome agent. Jack Scovil is with Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency in New York. He has been hugely supportive and encouraging and is now pitching my latest novel Children of the Fog. I already have a line up of fans waiting for this thriller, so I'm hoping Jack will have some good news for me in the new year.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">I have spent years searching for an agent and have countless rejection letters to show for it. After every completed novel, I'd resume my search, to no avail. Until I met someone who worked on my query letter with me and changed how I'd always viewed them. I always felt I had to stick to the "rules" of the game, which meant sending out one query at a time and including everything possible in that query so that the agent or publisher knew everything about me and my work. I thought I was being helpful. What I was really being was boring. :) </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">I have since learned that short query letters, ones that inspire the recipient to email back with questions, is far more effective. I used my new friend's query service and the result was truly overwhelming. I had so many requests for partial and full manuscripts that I had to answer them in a kind of "triage" order--ones I was most interested in and who seemed really interested and wanted the fulls first; then the others. I think it was only 1 or 2 weeks after I sent out my query that I signed with Jack. I selected him because he seemed to really understand what my work was about, what I wanted from my career, and he was genuinely enthusiastic about my writing. An agent is your partner, cheerleader and representative all rolled into one. That's what I wanted. I now recommend my friend's query service to authors whom I know are ready for this next step.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are the names of your books? What is your latest one about?</span></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">I've had 4 novels published. Whale Song (2003), Divine Intervention (2004), The River (2005) and Whale Song (expanded, revised edition, 2007). </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Whale Song is a story that resonates with so many people, a story of family, love, loss, grief, and forgiveness. It's the story of Sarah Richardson, a young woman who moves to Vancouver as a child, and whose life is turned upside down when a terrible tragedy occurs. The result is partial amnesia for young Sarah and haunting visions that lead her to an adult life where she has emotionally shut down. Whale Song is a story of re-discovery, of finding lost memories and truth--even if it hurts--and it is a novel that will change the way you view life...and death.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font size="3">"Whale Song is deep and true, a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart. Cheryl Kaye Tardif has written a beautiful, haunting novel." -- NY Times Bestselling novelist <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.luannerice.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_12">Luanne Rice</span></a>, author of Beach Girls</font></font></div><font size="3"> </font><div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font size="3">"Tardif again leaves a lasting mark on her readers...Moving and irresistible." --Midwest Book Review</font></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font size="3">"Cheryl Tardif is a new addition to the ranks of Margaret <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_13">Atwood</span>." --R. Kyle, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer</font></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><font size="3">And a recent <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.whalesongbook.com/reviews-whale-song/2008/11/26/reviewer-compares-whale-song-to-the-notebook-by-nicholas-spa.html"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_14">review from a 2-time war veteran compares Whale Song to The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks</span></a>.</font></font></div><font size="3"> </font><div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">How can we find your books?</span></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">Whale Song (2007), The River and Divine Intervention are available at your favorite online retailer, including <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=cheryl+kaye+tardif">Amazon.com</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://Amazon.ca"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_15">Amazon.ca</span></a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://BarnesandNoble.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_16">BarnesandNoble.com</span></a>, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search?keywords=cheryl%20kaye%20tardif&pageSize=10"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_17">Chapters.ca</span></a> and more.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">You can also ask your favorite independent or chain bookstore to order these books for you if they don't have any in stock. Please ask them also to stock Whale Song on their shelves, so that they'll have them when you recommend Whale Song to all your friends. ;-)</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;"><font size="3">Anything else you'd like to add, Cheryl?</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">I'm glad you asked, Jeff. :) You can learn more about me and my novels at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cherylktardif.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_18">http://www.cherylktardif.com</span></a>. I blog regularly at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_19">http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com</span></a>. I also have pages on the social networks mentioned above so please add me as a friend. I love chatting to people about books and writing.</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial; text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;"><font size="3"><strong>Also, a special offer just for your readers, Jeff:</strong></font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3">The first 3 people to email me at <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:cherylktardif@shaw.ca" target="_blank" href="http://us.mc347.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=cherylktardif@shaw.ca"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_20">cherylktardif@shaw.ca</span></a> and tell me they read my interview on this site will receive a free copy of Whale Song. (US and <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228244881_21">Canada</span> entries only). I will also separately send out bookmarks and signed bookplates to the winners. So, hey, don't assume someone's already emailed me! Do it now--you never know. :) P.S. You must mention where you saw my interview!</font></div> <div style="font-family: Arial;"><font size="3"> </font></div></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-50673348000551756922008-12-21T01:33:00.000-05:002008-12-21T01:33:00.579-05:00Cherry Weiner - Literary Agent<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Cherry?</STRONG> <DIV>I have been an agent for over 30 years and am still plugging away. I started when I had worked for a big NY Agent who fired me. HIS clients pushed me into opening my own agency. It took them 2 years of nagging and finally they just recommended me to authors and I came home to about 5 manuscripts sitting on my front porch. I have never looked back.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>I honestly don't think it any different from any other agency. All the agencies work at giving our authors our best and getting them sold and published in the best possible way. I am a small agency... just me, so that might be where I differ. Most agencies have at least two or three people working them. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>I don't know what I am looking for specifically. I hope I will know it when I read it. What I do know I want is good writing; a story that has me turning the pages without me stopping and something that I can sell so the author is happy and excited and already working to having more books published.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR><STRONG>Cherry what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>To start with - The basics. And believe me there are people out there all the time that do the following:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285891_2 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Query letters</SPAN> from people that do not know how to submit a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228285891_3 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">query letter</SPAN> and have done no research. People who submit and tell me they will finish the book when they get a contract. Queries and manuscripts on topics I do not handle and yet the letter says ***I know you do not...... but here is my work. I know you will make an exception*** </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Manuscripts themselves -- badly typed or printed... again not researching and following format by submitting single spaced and/or both sides of the page.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As for the writing.... that is subjective... so the topic, unless it is not something I handle, may or may not work for me. That's up to the writing.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>Right now I am pretty stable with my list, so I generally don't take on any new people unless I meet and talk to them at conferences. After talking and discussing their work, if it is something I would like to see, I will be very specific about the way to get it to me. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The only other way is if the author comes to me recommended by someone I know and who knows the way I work. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>My authors never drive me insane. Each of my authors know that when I am working on his/her work she/he is **the only author I have** When I have done all I can on his/her work, I move onto the next author who **is the only author I have**. When I have something I want them to know... I am in touch with them. If they have questions for me, they are in touch with me and I answer -- usually within 24 hours.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Cherry that they don't seem to?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>All my authors understand who I am and what I do for them. I wish that other authors, trying to get an agent, would understand that when I say *NO* I mean it. Most of the time it is because the writing is not something I can get super excited about. I understand the urgency of getting an agent, but if I have said no and not specifically said *** send me something else*** then don't continue to query me. NO IS NO. </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV>As I said earlier.... either at a conference and ask for a meeting to talk to me about your work. Or through a recommendation from someone who knows me and whose judgement I respect. Other than that... I am really not open to new authors querying me.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-84338865937127908672008-12-20T23:56:00.000-05:002008-12-20T23:56:00.999-05:00Jessica Regel -- Literary Agent with Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Jessica ?</B></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">I started as a summer intern at Jean V. Naggar <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280076_0 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Literary Agency</SPAN> (JVNLA) over six years ago. I found the internship through cold-mailing my resume to agencies I'd researched in <I>The <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280076_1 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Guide to Literary Agents</SPAN></I>. I've always been an avid reader, but before picking up the guide (I was working as a librarian at my local library in Iowa and I shelved it one day), I had no idea what a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280076_2 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">literary agent</SPAN> was. After reading the guide, I knew that I had to try for it. The idea that I could spend my time reading books, talking about books, and having a hand in building an author from the ground up sounded like a dream job for me-- and I was right! After the summer ended, I knew I wanted to be a lit agent. Lucky for me, a subsidiary rights position opened up at the agency and I jumped on it! A few years later I started acquiring my own projects. I started with young adult fiction, because it was a genre that I loved to read. It was also a very healthy genre and no one at the agency was specializing in this area, so it was a great place for me to start. I now handle adult fiction as well as non-fiction (narrative and memoir).</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR><B>What makes your agency different than any others?</B><BR><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">JVNLA takes on authors for their career, not on a book-by-book basis. We're really looking out for the long-term career of our authors. We think about the big picture. We're passionate about our authors and we stick behind them.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">We're a very close-nit group. There are five agents at the agency and we all know each other's clients and projects. </DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">We have a fantastic subsidiary rights department-- and I'm not just saying that because I still handle sub-rights! Jennifer Weltz handles the foreign rights for all of our authors and I handle the film, audio, and UK rights. We are very active in pitching and submitting our entire list of books (and we've been around for 30 years, so we have an insane back-list) when there is a viable opportunity.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</B></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR>Big concepts that are extremely well-written. That's kind of a no-brainer, isn't it? It's a tough market right now and I'm not taking on as many passion projects these days. If I'm taking on a new author, I really need to feel 110% confident that it will sell. There needs to be an obvious audience and the writing really needs to stand out.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>Jessica what are you tired of receiving?</B><BR><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">Stories that don't have a strong voice, or a plot that has been done before.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">I'm tired of seeing the "kid with powers" novels, military conspiracies, religious conspiracy, animal stories (which I've never liked), great nonfiction ideas from writers with no platform, rhyming picture books, memoirs without an original story, picture books (it's rare that I represent a picture book to begin with), any children's book writer that can't capture the kid's voice.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">I could go on, and on, but the truth of the matter is that if it's an original story, with unique characters, and a writer with a strong voice I would take on the project. I know this opens the door for <I>every</I> writer, because we all "love our babies", but that's the beauty of this job: it's SUBJECTIVE!</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">You can get a good sense of my tastes through the books that I represent: THE PATRON SAINT OF BUTTERFLIES by Cecilia Galante, 6 SICK HIPSTERS by Rayo Casablanca, THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS by Jillian Cantor, and WONDROUS STRANGE by Lesley Livingston (just to name a few).</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?<BR></B><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">This is simple, email me a well <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280076_3>written query letter</SPAN>. The letter should be two short paragraphs: one paragraph that describes your book and one paragraph the describes yourself. The description of your book should get me to want to read more. The description of yourself should detail why <I>you</I> are the person to write this specific book. </DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</B><BR><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">By sending me updates on what they are doing that is relevant to their project: magazine articles they've written, speeches they've given, and so on.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">I keep in regular touch with my authors-- they know who is reading their project, who has passed on it, and what each editor has said. My writer's won't hear from me unless there is news.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Jessica that they don't seem to?</B><BR><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">That I understand how hard it is to break into the industry. I understand that they're frustrated by rejection. Trust me, we get rejected too! </DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">That I know when I've seen a query more than once (even when you change the title).</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">That being rude gets you nowhere and, in fact, just reinforces the fact that I was right to pass on the project.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">That I read projects I request pretty quickly. If you don't hear back from me within a <I>month</I>, you should feel free to send me an email asking me where I'm at with the project. Don't email me every week.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">That even when they don't hear from me, I'm working!</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">That I don't work for free. I spend my time reading the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280076_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">query letters</SPAN> (yes, I read them all myself) because I hope to find a project that I can sell. If I've passed on your project, I'm not going to spend time explaining why I've passed or who else you should contact. It's not out of nastiness, it's because I just don't have the time. If I spent all my time dispensing free advice, I wouldn't have any left to find and sell projects. I wouldn't be able to stay in business.</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><B>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</B></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><BR></DIV> <P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in">By email: <A href="http://us.mc347.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jregel@jvnla.com" target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:jregel@jvnla.com"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280076_5><FONT color=#003399>jregel@jvnla.com</FONT></SPAN></A></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-63125173161945178842008-12-20T02:00:00.000-05:002008-12-20T02:00:01.525-05:00Glenn Yeffeth - Editor with BenBella Books<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>How did you get your start as an editor? Why become an editor instead of say, a </STRONG><SPAN class=yshortcuts><B>fighter pilot</B></SPAN><STRONG> or computer engineer?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal>I'm really a publisher first, an editor second. Leah Wilson, our lead editor, is a brilliant editor, and does the heavy lifting, editorially. I became a publisher, very simply, because I love books, love ideas, and love reading. Plus I have a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_4>short attention span</SPAN>, so the fact that there is a continual flow of new projects is perfect for me. And, while publishing is a very old business, book promotion is continually changing and new. So it's a wonderful combination of old and new.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>What are some of the exciting books you've acquired that you're most proud of?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> I'm still very proud of the first book we put together, Taking the Red Pill, which is a collection of essays by philosophers, scientists and other scholars on <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_5 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">The Matrix</SPAN>. The Matrix is old news, but the essays are still brilliantly interesting, especially the essays by Bill Joy and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_6 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Ray Kurzweil</SPAN>. We recently put out a book called The Cure for Alcoholism, which presents a real, science-based solution to an age-old problem. This book will make a real difference for many people, and I'm very proud of it. Similarly, we have book entitled <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_7 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Health at Every Size</SPAN> that reveals the myths about dieting and nutrition that have become part of our culture, but must be re-examined in light of the research.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>When you receive a submission what about it really grabs you and excites you to the point that you'd like to acquire it? </STRONG></LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> I particularly like books that can make a difference for people, and are based on substantive science or research, like our book <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_8 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">The China Study</SPAN>, which showed definitively the importance of a plant-based diet. I also like books that are particularly fun for fans, and I'm thinking in particular of our Smart Pop series of non-fiction essays on pop culture topics. A proposal should be (at least) as fun and easy to read as the book will be. If the proposal isn't an exciting read, it's unlikely the book will be.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>What makes you decide to read a submission overnight compared to it rotting on the bottom of your </STRONG><SPAN class=yshortcuts><B><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_9 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">slush pile</SPAN></B></SPAN><STRONG>?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal>Nothing rots on the bottom of our slush pile, I'm happy to say. Since we focus on non-fiction, I can usually tell from a paragraph or two whether the general topic is one that interests me. If it does, then it's a matter of the strength of the materials and the credentials of the author. I usually get back to authors within a month and often much less. </DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to contact you? </STRONG><SPAN class=yshortcuts><B><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_10 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Query letter</SPAN></B></SPAN><STRONG>?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> A short e-mail with the topic and author credentials is a fine. </DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>Are you open to receiving submissions from self-published authors?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> Yes, but I'd rather see it before it was self-published. Once the book is published, unless it's a huge success, this diminishes my interest.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>Are you open to receiving unagented submissions?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> Yes.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>What are you personally doing in order to adapt to the changes in the marketplace? (Changes meaning: lower print runs, shrinking book review outlets, oversaturated market and chains stores being more selective about what books they put on their shelves)</STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"></SPAN></STRONG> </LI></UL> <P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri', 'sans-serif'">[Glenn Yeffeth Replies] We're getting more creative and aggressive in Internet promotion. We're also looking for authors who are more willing and able to support creative promotion.</SPAN></I></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri', 'sans-serif'"></SPAN></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><EM></EM></DIV></DIV><BR><STRONG>Book Publicity Departments are often overworked and overwhelmed, how do you personally make sure the books you acquire and shepherd get the attention they need?</STRONG> <DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> </DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>What about the publicity and promotion departments in houses is not working and what suggestions do you have to make them work?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> In my view, most books that become big sellers do so on the basis of word of mouth. Ultimately, if the book gets in the right hands – the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_11>target audience</SPAN>– in sufficient quantity, then word of mouth will take off. Or it won't. This is the X-factor for every book, but if a book is unique, well-written, and meets a real need for its <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_12>target audience</SPAN>, then it has a chance of taking off based on word of mouth recommendations. I think of word of mouth as the logs, and everything else we do – reviews, publicity, on-line marketing, advertising, etc. – as the kindling. The kindling needs to be lit, but if the logs don't ignite, all kindling in the world won't sell that many books. </DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> </DIV> <P class=MsoNormal>So having said all that, the point of all our efforts is to get word about the book out to the target audience. I've found the most effective marketing we've done is focused, and this primarily means online marketing. Very few books truly are "news." When they are, it's important to go whole hog in obtaining publicity. But when they aren't, a lot of effort goes into finding and generating newsworthiness for books that really aren't really news in an effort to get general press coverage. We do this ourselves, but are focusing more and more on niche marketing, which can be incredibly effective. So I think less effort on trying to get general press for books that don't really merit it, and more emphasis on creative ways to find and get the word out to your target audience.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>How much of a books decision has to do with the talent and how many books similar to it have sold great numbers?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> If by talent you mean the quality of the book, then this is by far more important. If the book is very good, and it clearly meets a need for an audience, I'd rather there were no similar books.</DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>Is it becoming necessary for fiction writers to have their own platform too? If so, if not, why?</STRONG> </LI></UL> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal> </DIV></DIV> <UL type=disc> <LI class=MsoNormal><STRONG>If a writer came to you with their own fanbase that they built online, or verbal agreements from a </STRONG><SPAN class=yshortcuts><B><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228287462_13>Quick Pick</SPAN></B></SPAN><STRONG> Committee to nominate the book, or significant letters of agreement from stores that they would purchase the book once it's out, is that pretty much a slam dunk for you to walk into an acquisition meeting and convince the team?</STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"></SPAN></STRONG> </LI></UL> <P class=MsoNormal><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri', 'sans-serif'">[Glenn Yeffeth Replies] These help a great deal, but I still have to like the book and think it has word of mouth potential as described above.</SPAN></I></B></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-88541194314124676032008-12-20T00:02:00.000-05:002008-12-20T00:02:01.048-05:00Rita Rosenkranz -- Literary Agent with Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Rita?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I started my agency in 1990 after having worked as an editor at a number of major New York publishing houses. I began with a few unrepresented authors whom I had edited, and built up my business from there.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I think agents are expected to manage carefully many more details of an author's project as well as career. I try to package the proposal as fully as possible before submitting to editors. Since all categories are so crowded and competitive, it's important to make obvious a work's strength and market, and the author's ability to reach that audience. I work on the projects myself rather than involve freelance editors.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I call my list an omnivore's delight because it is so wide-ranging, from FORBIDDEN FRUIT: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad by Betty DeRamus to GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform by Christina Katz to THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: The Definitive Guide to the Cooperstown Experience by Bert Randolph Sugar with photographs by Bruce Curtis. I look for authors who are well paired with their subject for personal or professional reasons. I am interested in projects that help further our understanding of a subject.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> Rita what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>Many submissions are for projects that are interchangeable with others. They lack distinct characteristics to set them apart, and it's difficult to get excited about them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I can tell when an author has researched the category and understands--and argues well--how their book is different and better. The author is giving me a reason to take the submission seriously by establishing where their book will fit in the category.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I think it is easier for me to work effectively for an author when he or she uses my time well, weighing in when necessary and not excessively. With more and more details to manage, I appreciate when authors respect the basic protocols of a relationship.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG> What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Rita that they don't seem to?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> Authors should research my areas of interest before submitting to me to make sure I'm soliciting books in their category. That saves everyone time and spares a writer unnecessary rejection.<BR> <BR><STRONG> What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>My submission guidelines are noted on my Web site: <A href="http://www.ritarosenkranzliteraryagency.com">www.ritarosenkranzliteraryagency.com</A>.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-13323792600502073822008-12-19T00:04:00.000-05:002008-12-19T00:04:00.642-05:00Jennifer Graff - Literary Manager with Niad Management<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV><STRONG>How long have you been a manager and how did you get your start Jennifer?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV>I've been a manager for almost seven years. I started as an intern with the company I work for now. I did a six month internship and was promoted to an assistant. Two years later I was promoted again to manager and now I am part owner of the company. Wendi Niad, the president and founder of the company, has been an excellent mentor and helped me learn a lot when I first started. </DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What makes your management company different than any others?<BR></STRONG>We are a boutique management company. There are two managers, Wendi Niad and myself, and we take pride in the amount of time and attention we give each of our clients. In order to do this we make sure we never have more clients than the two of us can handle. Our clients are promised individual attention and we deliver on that promise. Each client can always get one of us on the phone, we read every draft of a script they're working on, watch every taped audition, discuss wardrobe for an audition, etc. Basically we really get into the details with our clients. That is what a manager is for, we guide our clients through the maze of this industry, hold their hands when necessary and help them in whatever way we can to further their careers. </DIV> <DIV>We are one of the few management companies that does lit and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280598_0>talent management</SPAN>: we rep writers, directors AND actors. Our lit connections help us know about projects for our actors before they're released in the breakdowns. We know about projects before the scripts have even been written. For our writers, we do development with them. When working on a new script we read and do notes with our writers to get their scripts ready to go out to producers. We keep abreast of what's being done around town so when our clients come up with new ideas for scripts we can let them know if that idea is being pitched already or sold as a spec. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?<BR></STRONG>I would like to read more laugh out loud comedies. I want to find a really funny broad comedy that makes laugh out loud while reading it. I think those are very difficult to find. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>Jennifer what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280598_1 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Query letters</SPAN> telling me I'm about to read the best script ever. If a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280598_2 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">query letter</SPAN> says that usually a script is not amazing. Let the writing speak for itself. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?<BR></STRONG>A writer can get my attention by sending me a query letter with a solid logline and short synopsis. A well <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280598_3>written query letter</SPAN> most likely will lead to a well written script.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG><BR>We are extremely selective when we sign clients. We want to work with people who are talented and who will be good to work with. So we don't represent people that drive us insane. We've had bad experiences in the past and have learned from them. But basically, if a client is doing their job--working on their craft constantly, and networking, then it's difficult for that person to drive us insane. They'll be too busy working to call us more than necessary.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as a manager Jennifer that they don't seem to?<BR></STRONG>I work for free until my clients get paid. All the work I do for my clients is for potential paychecks. Every draft I read, every note I give, every lunch meeting and phone call, they are all unpaid until the writer or actor gets a paid writing/acting job. </DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG><BR>I can be reached through our website, <A href="http://www.niadmanagement.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280598_4><FONT color=#003399>www.NiadManagement.com</FONT></SPAN></A> or at <A href="http://us.mc347.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jennifer@niadmanagement.com" target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:jennifer@niadmanagement.com"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280598_5><FONT color=#003399>jennifer@niadmanagement.com</FONT></SPAN></A> </DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-85425539964444961462008-12-18T23:53:00.000-05:002008-12-18T23:53:00.916-05:00Adriana Dominguez - New Interview with Freelance Editor (Former Harper Collins Childrens Executive Editor)<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A Hispanic Heritage Moment ...</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><BR>I had the opportunity to speak with one of the most well-liked and respected executive-level editors in publishing today. She is a real and true Hispanic Hero in book publishing. This interview was conducted before Ms. Dominguez left Harper Collins Children's Books to pursue new opportunities. She remains a true force in the industry to reckon with.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> Hello, Adriana, can you tell us what it is that you specialize in?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez: </B>My formal title is Executive Editor at Harper Collins Children's Books and Rayo and I specialize in children and young adult books, particularly for the Latino market. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I work on books in Spanish, English and bilingual format.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> And why young adult? Why children? Why not nonfiction? Why that group particularly?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez: </B>Why children? Well, it is my background. I have been working in the children´s market now for about 10 years. So, this is not necessarily something that is new to me. I sort of started with children's literature because <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>that happened to be where the opportunity to work in publishing came from. But after a while, I realized that I was very lucky to have landed in exactly the right place. When I arrived in the U.S., I was 12 years old and immediately put into a bilingual program at school. I did not speak a word of English at that time. I felt very alienated, and it was a real challenge for me to figure out where I was going to fit in this new culture.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A bilingual teacher helped me to feel that I belonged, and knowing that I could have books in my own language also helped tremendously.<BR><BR>So, I feel that I identify with kids who are reading the books that I help to produce. I know the feeling of being a newcomer, and I am able to encourage and help authors to write from a point of view that these kids can really identify with. In short, I feel that, beyond a career choice, my work is a reflection of my personal growth, and of what I have achieved since <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>arriving here as a child. I hope that my work will help to bring the same opportunities to new generations of Latino children.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> Well, let me ask you this: When you came to this country, you did not speak any English?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> Not at all.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> So, does it kind of surprise you when you step back and look like, "Wow!" It hasn't really been that long and clearly and obviously you speak excellent English and look at what you have accomplished!<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> Yes, thanks. It surprises some folks, but there is still a part of me that feels like an immigrant. I will always remember something that happened when I finished junior high school: I had to do a speech in front of my entire school because I had done so well and my teachers and the school's administrators wanted me to set an example for the other students.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The speech was very short, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>a poem. I still had a very thick accent at that time, and some kids in the front row made fun of my accent. I still remember that event, not necessarily because it is a hard memory, but because it inspires me to help kids who are going through similar experiences. I recently volunteered at a local school and told some fifth-graders my story about first arriving here. I mentioned that I did not speak a word of English at the beginning, and one of the kids in the classroom pointed to a girl sitting at the opposite side of the room and said, "Oh, she doesn´t speak English either." When he pointed to her I thought, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Oh, my God. He just singled her out in front of everyone else</I>! I knew what that felt like, so <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I went over and I spoke with the girl in Spanish for a while. It is very gratifying to be able to help a child that way. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>So I always had a goal to first learn English and assimilate in my own way, so that I could give back to the community that shares my native language and culture. That is what I am hoping that I have done, and what I I will continue to do.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> Do you find that, and I find this because I lived in Miami and because my stepfather is Filipino and he did not speak English too, this is my personal question, do you find that there is a little bit of distaste from some Americans that person might be a second class citizen just because they do not speak English?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> Well, that is a tough question. I think that the reality for Latinos now is so much different than it was when I arrived here over 20 years ago. With the growing list of Latino celebrities and award-winnign authors such as Oscar Hijuelos and Junot Diaz, our contributions to to mainstream culture are now more obvious, and I hope, appreciated. This was not always true, of course. I do remember being very self-conscious about speaking Spanish in public when I first got here.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now, it has become fashionable to speak Spanish, and our language and culture integral part of this country's make up. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That is something I never thought I would see some two decades ago.<BR><BR>So, I think that we are in a different place now, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and that the evolution of the publishing industry and other industries that are now catering to Latino consumers shows that. I hope that this trend will continue. We are changing the face of this country; the numbers do not lie. One in four kids under five years old in the US is of Latino heritage. So we need to look forward, and to continue to look for ways that we can contribute to this society, because we are growing.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> That´s very interesting. So, let's talk about submissions in particular.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What do you find is really, really in demand or in need from houses or the houses you used to worked with?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> Well, what I had been telling folks for as long as I was at Harper is something that to me is kind of self-explanatory for anyone who is sort of familiar with Latino literature and the way Latino literature has evolved particularly in the children´s market. There was a time when folks were writing books about what it meant to be Latino and sort of explaining who we are, and dispelling myths and stereotypes and so on.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There were also plenty of books a few years ago that were in fact, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">reinforcing</I> stereotypes in an effort to do away with them. This was done without the authors or editors realizing it, because there were so few Latinos working in the publishing industry. Those books were not being edited, acquired, or promoted by Latinos, hence there was no one on staff who could point out these problems. <BR><BR>Now we have an entirely new set of fantastic Latino editors <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>who are looking to <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">tell</I> <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">our stories</I>; rather than "explain" who we are.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What I tell my authors is that I don´t want stories that describe <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">who</I> we are. I want you to tell your stories because <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">everybody</I> has a story, and if your story happens to be a Latino story, that is fine and if it does not, that is fine too! <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">What I was mostly interested in doing during my time at Harper was to help Latino authors get published, regardless of whether their content was Latino or not (whatever that means!), because Latino children and young adults need role models, they need to know that people like them are writing books, and good ones at that! The content of the story to me, is a personal choice. The fact that you are a Latino author should not determine what type of story you write. <U>Write what you know</U>, whatever that is. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> So, your personal taste is definitely based on a great story that happens to be written by a Latino.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> Yes, right. There are other considerations as well. When I was at Harper, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I concentrated on acquiring bilingual picture books. I think that bilingual books are at least the immediate future of Latino publishing for the younger set because right now, we are in a situation where we have four or five different generations of Latinos living in the country at the same time, and bilingual books are useful to all of them; the ones who want to pass their language and culture to their own children (and who may not fully know it themselves), and the ones who just arrived and don't want their children to lose it.<BR><BR>Beyond that, there are quite a few non-Latinos interested in learning Spanish, and they use bilingual books as language learning tools. Many caretakers add them to their kids' libraries because they also want to raise their children's awareness of other cultures, especially when those cultures are quickly blending with their own, as is now the case with Latino culture in the U.S.. So, I believe that<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>bilingual books carry the potential to become all things to all people, not to mention that they are fun to read and to produce! There is a whole set of amazing authors who write them often, such as Monica Brown and Pat Mora, both of whom I have worked with. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Additionally, the 2007 Texas Bluebonnet Award went to a bilingual book, which is kind of a big deal, since the winning book is chosen by kids, some 170,000 of them! This was the first time a bilingual book won the award, and considering Texas' Latino demographics, one may say that it was about time that happened! <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was lucky enough to be there when Joe Hayes, who is not a Latino, but has been writing Latinos stories for a long time, received the award. Joe is a real trailblazer, he has been writing bilingual books for a long time. When he got up on stage he did what he does best: he told a bilingual story.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And that was really great, but the best part of the ceremony for me was when a group of kids got up on stage and began telling the audience why they had chosen Joe's book: <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>a little kid standing on <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>this huge stage in this auditorium full of librarians and publishing folk went up to the microphone and said: "What I love about this book is that I can read it with my mom." That gave me chills, but then he went on to say: "She can read it to me in Spanish, and I can read it to her in English. It is something that we can do together." "This," I thought, "is the reason I do what I do!" <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Let's not forget that literacy is a very important issue for Latinos. Latinos still have the highest school dropout index of any other group. So we need to give them books that they can use in any whatever language they need them, and we need to read to them<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>from the time they are babies. And for parents who are monolingual, bilingual books—and books in Spanish for that matter—will make a world of difference. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As parents read with their kids, and become more involved in their education, we may see a change in this sad trend. Again, from personal experience, I know that my mom could not really help me as much as she would've liked to when I was in school because she really could not navigate the system or speak the language very well. Books that parents enable parents to read to their children can bridge the tremendous gap that now exists between school and home for Latino parents, and the achievement gap for Latino students. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera: </B>What about submissions as far as what you do not like to see and that you wish that people would stop sending you?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> There are a lot of authors out there who are not familiar with the Latino market, or who think that the present Latino market is still what it was 20 years ago. It is not. What I always say to those interested in Latino publishing is "please read the literature". <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Authors need to read in order to become familiar with whatever area or genre they want to work in.<BR><BR>For instance, if you want to write young adult books, you better have read every single young adult book in the New York Times Best Sellers list, so that you know what sells, and what the large publishers want, because that list is often guiding their choices of what to acquire. And the same goes with the Latino market. There are awards like the Pura Belpré Award and the America´s Award that are given every year and have helped to launch the careers of previously unknown Latino authors. Know who those authors are, and what they did to get to where they are now.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><BR>Monica Brown is a perfect example of a rising Latina author. When I first signed her on to the Rayo list, she had not yet won the Pura Belpre Honor for her book on Celia Cruz. She won it about six months later. Now, Monica is a superstar with many more books under her belt, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>and I know that she will continue to grow. She has three books coming out with Harper, one of them better than the next. She is one of the authors that you need to know if this is what you want to do, the same goes for young adult books. For this category, I would love to see a Latino Sherman Alexie, whose book won the National Book Award in part because it appeals to all audiences, despite the fact that its author is Native American.<BR><BR>There is so much that you should learn before you even begin to write. You cannot contribute into something that you are not fully aware of. So for Latinos writing, be aware of the award winners—at the very least the Pura Belpre winners. Librarians are still some of the biggest supporters of Latino books out there, so go to your local library and ask them to recommend some<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>books to you. You'll be glad you did!<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera: </B>And as far as non-Latino stories that you might take a look at, what would you say you definitely would like to see more of?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez: </B>I would love to see another innovative graphic novel, like American Born Chinese, since I love that genre, and librarians and award committees have also embraced it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It really is great to see how award committees and librarians have begun to embrace non-traditional genres. Young adult literature is beginning to really open up. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>There are also a lot of authors who try to do things online now, create new projects that have an online component or that somehow appeals to an online audience. The Internet is becoming increasingly important in the world of publishing, particularly to children's publishing, since we know that kids spend so much time online. So, I'd love to see a project that uses this medium in a new way. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">As an author, you have to first figure out what your forte is. One of the things I find myself saying to writers over and over again is "write what you know." You want to know about the trends and be familiar with them, in part, because you want to write for the right market, but that does not mean that you should write with only the market in mind, completely disregarding what you know and what your strengths are. Trends come and go, and by the time you finish writing the "next" Harry Potter, Twilight, etc. (as if that were actually possible!), the trend will be long gone and publishers will already be looking for the next "big" thing.<BR><BR>On the other hand, if you are true to your own voice, you will write the best book you can possibly write. A good example of this is adult authors who are trying to make the transition to young adult literature. Somehow, many of them had come to the conclusion that the way to write for kids is to <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>"dumb down" the narrative. This is of course a mistake. Those authors are not really writing stories for young adults, they are writing dumber versions of adult stories!And they are not getting published, of course! Who'd want to read that? Besides, teens are more aware than adults will ever be, so they can see right through that. So again, learn as much as you can about the young adult market and read and absorb it as much as<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>possible before trying to write into it. A teen voice is not easily achieved, and the reality of it is that some people just cannot do it. This is why I applaud the adult authors who <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">have</I> made that transition successfully into young adult and middle grade literature; because doing so requires a whole new different set of skills, and finding a whole new voice within yourself. That is why Sherman Alexie's book is so brilliant: because it's <U>genuine</U>. And the fact that it came from an "adult" author, makes that so much more impressive. <BR><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> I have a few quick questions to ask you about formatting. In terms of submissions, if I want to submit a picture book, how do I do that? How many pages generally should that be? Should it be with illustrations?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez:</B> That is an excellent question and I am glad you asked it. For picture books, one of the things that you have to realize is that often times, it is the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">illustrations</I> that inspire someone to pickup a picture book at the bookstore, since they are in fact the first thing they "see," before they read the text or find out what the book is about. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I mention this because if you are an author and <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">not an illustrator</I>, you should <U>not</U> attempt to illustrate a book. However, if you are an author and illustrator and you feel that as an illustrator you have something to contribute, something that is perhaps new and exciting, by all means display your talent fully in your submission! <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera: </B>Should it be submitted in terms of almost like a self-published book or how should that be done?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez: </B>Well, generally speaking, publishers hire their own illustrators for their picture books after they have been acquired, hence if you are an author, and not an author/illustrator, you should only submit the text for your story in a word document, and not attempt to illustrate it, as mentioned above, or to make it "look" like a book. A publisher has a large pool of professional illustrators to choose from—many of them award winners— so they don't need your assistance with that portion of the project. They may consult with you during the process of looking for the right illustrator, but they will not need your help visualizing the story, since they probably have their own vision of it, and decided to sign your story to make that vision a reality. You should know that ultimately (with few exceptions that generally don't apply to first time authors), the publisher will have the last word on who illustrates your book. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">If you are an author/illustrator your forte is probably illustration. If your forte is illustration, you should know how to illustrate for children and who the best children's illustrators are, and why they are the best. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If you belong to this category, you will want to display your artwork and your idea for the story as fully as you can, as mentioned previously. This does not mean that you should attempt to submit a finished book however. What you want to do is submit your manuscript along with <U>an excellent</U> sampling of your work. Do not try to bind the book, or self publish the book; you will never achieve the level of production quality available to a mainstream publisher. You will instead make your submission look amateurish and lead the editor to think that you know nothing about children's books, or how they are produced. Whenever I saw that type of submission, my first thought was always: "This person has no idea of how the publishing industry works," and if you do not know how the publishing industry works, chances are, you probably have not done enough research, or read enough children's books and that also tells me that you are not ready to write a book for a mainstream publisher. So, be very professional and know that as an author, what is expected of you is to submit a manuscript. For the most part, a picture book is 32-pages long.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> Double-spaced pages?<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Adriana Dominguez: </B>No. A picture book, on the most part, is anywhere from 32 to 40 pages long, and they have about three lines per page. So, you are talking about an average of a thousand words or less. When I get a picture book manuscript that is single spaced, three or four pages long, I know that its author has no notion of how picture books work because I could fit four picture books into that amount of text! So submit it in a way that clearly lets the editor know that you know the standard format for picture books, and that the goal of that format is to visualize the text, hence, you probably want to divide it into pages remembering <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>that each page should have only a few lines. Doing <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>that will also help you realize what the picture book would look like and whether it will work in that format, before sending it to an editor.<BR><BR><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jeff Rivera:</B> Thank you so much, Adriana. This is very helpful information that I think writers, especially Latino writers will find very useful.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><o:p><FONT face=Calibri size=3> </FONT></o:p></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-70260126600173991102008-12-18T00:10:00.000-05:002008-12-18T00:10:00.234-05:00Marlene Kim Connor - Literary Agent with Connor Literary<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Marlene?</STRONG><BR><BR>I have been an agent since 1985. I began in <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_0>book publishing</SPAN> after attending the Radcliffe Publisher Course (which is now at Columbia University). I joined <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_1 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Random House</SPAN> in Subsidiary Rights and hated it. I heard through the grapevine about a job at S&S and joined them in editorial. I loved it and learned a great deal about <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_2>commercial book publishing</SPAN> with quality. S&S had no policy of promoting from within unless you wanted to force the issue, and then they would drive you mad. So, I took a position at the Literary Guild/Doubleday. This exposed me all the companies and was a very powerful arm of book publishing. After several years there I decided I missed working with writers directly but didn't want the self-esteem crusher of working for someone else. I was also beginning to think about one day having a family and wanted to be independent yet earn a living. That is how the Connor <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_3 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Literary Agency</SPAN> began. I sold my first book, a novel, to <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Pocket Books</SPAN> before leaving the Guild.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG><BR><BR>My agency has traditionally been very focused on commercial nonfiction. We've repped everything from astrology to cooking to books on <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_5>black hair</SPAN> and books on sewing. We've represented <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_6>Essence Magazine</SPAN> and Simplicity Pattern Company, so we're unique in bringing corporate entities to the bookstores. We have also produced books and sold finished copies to publishers. But essentially we're a traditional agency, looking for good fiction and nonfiction. With two new associate agents, our fiction capabilities have expanded.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG><BR><BR>I would like to see writers of color write nonfiction. They should be thinking about their writing skills as something other than just writing skills. In other words, if you're a great teacher, or a wonderful homemaker, or a strong psychologist -- and you know something that no one else knows -- write a book about it. People of color don't think enough about sharing their wisdoms in self-help books or books related to business or simply to share something they know better than others. Lisa Akbari, author of THE BLACK WOMAN'S GUIDE TO BEAUTIFUL HAIR knew that she knew more than the average <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_7>hair stylist</SPAN>. She uses a microscope on every client, to analyze their hair strand, before beginning work on them. She has grown hair where there was none prior because of bad practices. I convinced her to write her book. Thelma Balfour had a short excerpt about sexy astrology in an anthology. I called her and said my dream was an astrology book for African Americans. Her sales are terrific after ten years. We simply need to examine ourselves more and begin to share our thoughts. Not always fiction. Not memoirs. Books.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>Marlene what are you tired of receiving?<BR></STRONG><BR><BR>Girlfriend books.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?<BR></STRONG><BR>This may sound flippant but I mean it. A great read. A good book. A well-written, well researched, confident proposal. Confidence is worth it's weight in gold. Confidence is not, "This book will sell like crazy." Confidence is demonstrated in the way something is written.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG><BR><BR>All my writers are in my radar. I am a small agency and know all my clients.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Marlene that they don't seem to?</STRONG><BR><BR>Agents are people. We are paid for good judgement and access. We can't make an editor buy a book they don't like.<BR><BR>All of us have a job in the process of book publishing: Writers have a job and that is to write a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228280765_8>book publishers</SPAN> want. Agents have to find the right house and editor and make the deal, then negotiate a good contract and then be a great go-between and source of information for that writer. Publishers are supposed to publish the hell out a book. That's their role. Today, publishers don't publish the way they used to. They don't make you a star. You have to already be a star or just on the brink. It's an unfortunate reality. So that means writers should come with awards or having been published in magazines, or television/radio exposure, or they have a website and blog or a column or something. But while I say all of that, I'm a sucker for a great story, well told, that hasn't got a chance of being published in a big way. My downfall is that I am very focused on the major houses, so if I take on a smaller book I might not be able to find it a home. I certainly give it a try, though.</td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-27362813070185945352008-12-17T00:11:00.000-05:002008-12-17T00:11:24.705-05:00Daniel Bial - Literary Agent<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Daniel?</STRONG> <DIV> I've been an agent for 17 years. For the first 14 years of my career, I was an editor--at Holt, Harper, and Longmeadow Press (an imprint of <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281012_6 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">WaldenBooks</SPAN>). I then made the switch to being my own boss.</DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> Not sure. I've only worked at my own agency. </DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> Well, the obvious answer is big books. Publishers are less and less keen on mid-list books. They love the books they know they can sell and distinctly unexcited by books that are iffy sellers, even if the quality of those projects might be high. So the things I'm looking for especially are books by people who are acknowledged experts in their fields, and who have the wherewithal in order to promote them and get attention paid to them once the book comes out.</DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>Daniel, what are you tired of receiving?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> Books by people who have self-published unsuccessfully. If they couldn't get professionally published to begin with, and if they were only able to sell a few hundred copies, thinking that suddenly someone will come along and give the book the attention it needs is basically delusional.</DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> That's not hard. I look at everything that comes my way. It's not necessary to use day-glo color paper or send a cookie with the query. In fact, I don't think I've taken on any author who has used a gimmick in order to get noticed. </DIV> <DIV> I do appreciate people who've taken the time to learn about the business and know what a professional proposal looks like. And I'm turned off by people who boast about how little they know. </DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> I'm pretty even-keeled. And thankfully, my authors don't seem to try too hard to drive me insane.</DIV> <DIV><BR> </DIV> <DIV><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG></DIV> <DIV> I'm fine with snail mail or email queries. My email is <A href="http://us.mc347.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dbialagency@msn.com" target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto="mailto:dbialagency@msn.com"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281012_7><FONT color=#003399>dbialagency@msn.com</FONT></SPAN></A>. <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281012_8>Snail mail</SPAN> is Daniel Bial Agency, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281012_9 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">41 W. 83rd St., Suite 5C, New York, NY 10024</SPAN>. Website is <A href="http://www.danielbialagency.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281012_10><FONT color=#003399>www.danielbialagency.com</FONT></SPAN></A></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-4476051108742909642008-12-16T00:25:00.000-05:002008-12-16T00:32:02.640-05:00Kate Epstein - Epstein Literary<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Kate ?<SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></STRONG> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>I started agenting in 2005. I was an editor at Adams Media prior to that.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008></SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?<SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>I'd be glad to see more hands-on, how-to business projects. In general I'd like to see more advice and less memoir. But I like the advice to be promise specific benefits--nothing as murky as "happiness" or "self actualization"--and preferably backed up by a platform or credentials. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008></SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>Kate what are you tired of receiving?<SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>I'm most tired of receiving fiction since I don't represent it. I do represent a fair number of memoirs but not nearly so many as I receive--probably about 10 a week or so.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008></SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?<SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>The best way is to review my website and make reference to one of the books I've represented.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008></SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?<SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>I honestly don't find that "driving me insane" is much of a problem--I don't have a lot of authors over-communicating. I'd rather not get forwards of jokes and inspirational stories and whatnot, but the delete key works. I like updates on progress--more information is usually better. </FONT></SPAN></DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Kate that they don't seem to?<FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=712012121-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><SPAN class=712012121-25112008></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#000000 size=2><SPAN class=712012121-25112008>Everybody's so different! Some people don't understand that it puts them at a disadvantage to submit to me on hard copy. Some people don't understand that I really get a LOT of submissions. Some people don't understand that if I don't have feedback after reading their partial it's usually because I don't think it's something they can solve. But I hope everyone can understand that I LOVE my job and that the writers are what makes it so worthwhile.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008></SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?<SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=712012121-25112008><FONT color=#000000><FONT face=Arial size=2>Email, definitely.</FONT> </FONT></SPAN></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-35608428107420636492008-12-16T00:22:00.000-05:002008-12-16T00:22:00.781-05:00Tom Dark -- Literary Agent with Heacock Literary<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG><FONT color=#000000>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Tom & Catt?<SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></STRONG> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Hi, Jeff, it's me, Tom. Er, Tom Dark. I do adult fiction/nonfiction. Catt does young adult and kids' books. She's tied up with whom she's got, including our 80-million seller <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_0>Stephen Cosgrove</SPAN>. Catt got her start interning with her Uncle Jim Heacock, who founded the agency with his wife Rosalie 30 years ago. She worked for SONY and <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_1>Warner Bros</SPAN>. as a supervisor in the interim. I started officially last March. How I got here may be worth a book in keeping with the agency mission statement. Someday maybe. Such books aren't selling now. Otherwise, I was an editor for 10 + years before now and independently brought a few of my people to some pretty big deals. Too bad they screwed them up. This time, no screwballs. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?<SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>The mission statement. Otherwise Heacock has sold around 1100 books so far, Rosalie tells me; a few big hits and some venerable authors, like Wilferd Peterson. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Highly concentrated writers with highly concentrated personalities.<EM> Specifically</EM>. Genre doesn't matter, tho' I sure could use some people who know how to be truly funny. Don't know if I can't take you on right now, but I wanna know who you are. Maybe down the road we can do business. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Quality Caveat: I picked a <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_2>crime writer</SPAN> because he holds the record: 35 RICO convictions in a row against mafiosos. His fiction knows whereof it speaks... An action Sci-fi adventure guy for whom we'll have to change those phone numbers before we publish: they're the ones he used to call at the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_3>Pentagon</SPAN>, running their guided missile system... A Jesuit priest who researched <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_4>Francis of Assisi</SPAN> for 25 years before his totally documentable historical novel... An Indian who has photographic memory of Indian history back 3500 years to apply to his present-day novel... An MD who puts the odor of the hospital up your nose while telling what would<EM> really</EM> happen to a doctor who discovered he had natural healing powers. All my fiction writers are like this. Including the lady with the multidimensional love story. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Nonfiction: a real physicist PhD, not a creationist, reconciling the screwy beliefs between religion and science. A microbiologist smart enough to solicit the essays of everybody from the Amazin' Randi to a Nobel Laureate on the subject of consciousness, adding observed behavior in microbiology and from other documented academic papers suggesting the "brain" people are full of crap and consciousness IS independent of matter. An independent thinker whose original theory of gravity -- including experiment to prove or disprove -- got him a multimillion funding pledge from the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_5>Hudson Institute</SPAN>, and will point the way to faster than light travel if the experiment works. A 40-year ad executive chronicling major ad agencies and their jaw-dropping behavior. A travelogue by a scientist on the Gondwanaland expedition, forced to conclude that Darwin was probably nuts. People like this, who've been there and know what they saw. They can all write like crazy. I'll help, but only if you can write like crazy to start. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Because of the wording on the website, we get lots and lots of "channelers" whose Great Entities From Beyond have Instructed Them to <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_6>Save the World</SPAN> with a somewhat tedious raft of platitudes and clanky buzzwords and a "workshop" business on the side for the always-improving-but-never-quite-getting-there crowd. Real writers write because they have to, not because Bisbo from the Higher Bisbonian System told them to. One suspects a dissociated ego inflating its way to the Great Beyond, fizzling with little plagiarisms. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000><SPAN class=449062319-25112008>Amen I say unto you lot, read <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_7>Jane Roberts' work</SPAN> and read it <EM>thoroughly, <STRONG>all of it. </STRONG></EM> I don't appreciate queriers who've copped those ideas and don't mention it. </SPAN><SPAN class=449062319-25112008>Your notion about improving or capitalizing on work like that is likely 99.9999999% ignorant, and I'm pleased to offend most objectors here. </SPAN><SPAN class=449062319-25112008>Get jobs.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Same to psychics and "self-realized spiritual teachers." I don't care what <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_8 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Eckhart Tolle</SPAN> sells or which blind are praising the blinder. I've got a guy who's broken 27 world athletic records -- real ones, not hula-hoop contests -- 22 of them after age 39, using what he learned from Plato. Now there's a real mystic using genuine powers of the soul. If you can demonstrably top that in any fashion, I'm interested. Who did my grampaw used to be in the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_9>16th Century</SPAN>, and which grampaw was it? Answer that correctly and you get a contract. We need people who <EM>do,</EM> not teach mainly how quickly is parted a fool from his money. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><STRONG><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> W</SPAN>hat are you tired of receiving?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Contrived stuff from people who think all they have to do is copy some popular idea, stick it in the slot, and out comes fame, fortune and Oprah. Don't take this to mean that, now that you've been found out, all you have to do is come up with some dumb idea that's NOT like what's out there, and voila, here comes the attention and limousine you've always deserved. Still being clever? Don't strain around for ideas to write about at ALL. You're still just looking for a way to get around working for a living. Some think that worked for the Beatles, but it hasn't for writers since <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_10 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Washington Irving</SPAN> and even he wouldn't kid himself too far. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Oh. And lots of people think that since they pulled themselves out of a jam, the world should reward them with book sales. Bear in mind, especially you ex-druggies and ex-cons and ex-alcoholics and ex nut-cases, that the world AND agents also wonder how you could be so dumb to get there in the first place. And another thing: there aren't a fraction as many "secrets" to this, that, or t'other that will make everybody healthy, wealthy and wise just like you, as you keep insisting. Success is no secret to quite a few people already running loose. Not even Karl Eller's book did so well, and I liked it okay. We want real writers, not ephemeral spielers. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Vonnegut was right about real writers not making jack, even tho' they do now and again over star-distances not calculatable by marketing departments. Also, kinda sick of spam and junk mail over here. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>You'll know me and I'll know you. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Angry replies to form rejects don't bother me. Sometimes I answer them and we make friends. Sometimes not. Sometimes they're memorable.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><STRONG><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>One of my favorite people on the planet so far was an African guy named Simeon Toko. They keep calling him the Messiah 25 years after his death, and he's probably still hollering at them from wherever he is, saying, stop that, I am <EM>not.</EM> He coined the phrase "I am crazy, you are crazy, but everybody else is even crazier." Works for me. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><STRONG><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent that they don't seem to?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Not interested in what writers understand about me. Am interested in what they understand about their art, craft and the world they know. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Mind you writers, the most common rejection note I'm getting on your behalves lately is "this is not a right fit for our list." Neither were the Harry Potter stories, Kerouac, Melville and 'way back. Even <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_11>Percy Bysshe Shelley</SPAN> had to self-publish, as he didn't fit anybody's list either. <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_12 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Samuel Johnson</SPAN> cranked out his own little periodical. Also I just lately learned they were afraid of <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_13 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Dr. Seuss</SPAN>, too, except for <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_14 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Bennett Cerf</SPAN>. I so far haven't encountered any Bennett Cerfs. Nobody's wearing a cocky smile and recognizing genius. I smell polite fear ekeing stiffly out of my computer. I can loosen people up on the phone, but that odor is even stronger. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Because of the news I got when I joined here -- overall industry profits last year were .03% and the average author sold 500 books at 7% royalty (and lately, returns are unprecedented and "alarming," so says an editor friend at a Big House) -- I warn you all as much as myself, wipe those falling stars from your eyes. If you don't <EM>have</EM> to write, don't. Same as in going to the bathroom. If nothing else for those who <EM>must,</EM> fool around on the internet. Big changes are coming of necessity. Not sure what, but there are inklings here and there. Supposing you can waft your work from an ivory tower into a truck waiting to distribute it to the world is a bad idea. I'm pretty sure "demographicized garbage out, money in" isn't working. I speak to a lot of smart young men and women and learn their favorite authors have largely been dead for years, and they're not buying what's on the stands. They're reading each other, though. Literacy will always be here no matter what the "New World Order" has decreed from its sinister headquarters -- and no matter what <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228281280_15>Steve Jobs</SPAN> thinks. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008></SPAN><FONT color=#000000> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000><STRONG><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG><BR><SPAN class=449062319-25112008> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=449062319-25112008><FONT color=#000000>Dreams? Otherwise, e-mail's fine. </FONT></SPAN></DIV></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3962084129747791068.post-30694768946146369512008-12-15T01:13:00.000-05:002008-12-15T01:13:00.603-05:00Jonathan James - Literary Agent<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wbioqcVDCKeYD-xCC3q90IX7Ba45d9etD2P8_5xncWQAcL10JottBz6_I_jhrYT7VwrB972lJmVYsn4bPVwJQa8kY1EjHVWGwpVM3cmIrVabHLIdb3LOsEuuM9MX2LMcS-O0xHWkpxQ/s1600-h/james-793988.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wbioqcVDCKeYD-xCC3q90IX7Ba45d9etD2P8_5xncWQAcL10JottBz6_I_jhrYT7VwrB972lJmVYsn4bPVwJQa8kY1EjHVWGwpVM3cmIrVabHLIdb3LOsEuuM9MX2LMcS-O0xHWkpxQ/s320/james-793988.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275443022332964274" /></a></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><STRONG>How long have you been agent and how did you get your start Jonathan ?</STRONG><BR><BR>I've been in editing and publishing for over twenty years, and opened my own agency in 2002. <BR><BR><STRONG>What makes your agency different than any others?</STRONG><BR><BR>I focus on a small roster of clients who are professional writers. The books I've helped get published are above all else literary. I'm not interested in <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228284332_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">genre fiction</SPAN>, handle very little nonfiction (only CNF), and also represent poetry. These sorts of works are given shorter and shorter shrift by profit-driven agencies these days, and so I guess I'd say the projects I'm most interested in are probably those that would appeal the least to another shop.<BR><BR><STRONG>What are you looking for specifically that you wish you would see more of?</STRONG><BR><BR>Book-length MSS that have heart.<BR><BR><STRONG>Jonathan what are you tired of receiving?<BR></STRONG><BR>Form-letter queries. <BR><BR><STRONG>How can a new writer get your attention in a good way?</STRONG><BR><BR>Find out how to write a real <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1228284332_5 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">query letter</SPAN> before sending me one.<BR><BR><STRONG>How can a signed writer stay in your radar without driving you insane?</STRONG><BR><BR>I don't take on so many clients that any of them fall off my radar. <BR><BR><STRONG>What do you wish more writers understood about you as an agent Jonathan that they don't seem to?</STRONG><BR><BR>That I'm not interested in work designed to make a huge profit. For one thing, it's near-impossible to predict what would sell well anyway. <BR><BR><STRONG>What's the best way for a writer to reach you?</STRONG><BR><BR>Email.<BR></td></tr></table>Rich Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16209773759353261701noreply@blogger.com