Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 28
January 17, 2017
Sun versus Snow Chat
We will be having a chat with the mentors on Thursday, January 19th at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm EST. This is your chance to visit the twitter hashtag #SVSChat and talk to writers a little further along in their journey about writing, querying, what it's like to have an agent, how publishing works, or whatever is on your mind.
Hope to see you there!
January 16, 2017
Getting the Call with Valerie Bodden
There's no better way to start the week then a success story that lifts your heart. Even better when the call story comes from one of our contests! A big thanks to everyone who makes those contests a success. Now here's Valerie:
You know how there are always things you want to do someday? For me, that was writing a novel. I got my start in publishing in 2006 when I landed my dream job as an editor for a school and library publisher. The next year, my first child was born, and I transitioned to a freelance role as an author for the school and library market. For the past decade or so, my day job (ha! try the job I squeeze in during naptime, bedtime, sports practice time) has been as an author of children’s nonfiction.
And though I love nonfiction, I knew something was missing. I’d started out writing stories in fourth grade (for the record, my first book was called “Enemies Are Friends,” and I still have it—thanks, mom, for keeping everything!), and I wanted to get back to that. But between raising four children and writing 200+ books, I was a little short on time.
I figured I’d get back to fiction someday—someday when I had more time (still waiting for that one), someday when my youngest was in school full time (she isn’t yet), someday when the stars aligned and the words came pouring out of me with no effort (that’s how it’s supposed to happen, isn’t it?). Fortunately, someday came out of nowhere and smacked me on the head.
I don’t even know how or why it happened, really, but one day in 2013, when my youngest was only a year old, the stories in my head and in my heart couldn’t wait a moment longer. So I started writing them down. I didn’t really think much about it at first, just opened a file and started throwing words onto the page. Though my first story ultimately stalled out and so did the next couple, they were a start, and I couldn’t go back to waiting for someday.
So when in 2014, I heard of this little thing called NaNoWriMo, I thought, I can do that. 50,000 words in a month is totally doable. No sweat. I may have been slightly delusional. Turns out it was a lot of sweat, but I did it. And when the month ended, I kept working on that story and revising it until in early 2016, I felt ready to query. I sent out a small batch of queries and then promptly got swallowed by nonfiction deadlines. By the time I emerged in the summer of 2016, I realized the novel needed another revision, so I set to it.
In the fall, I was ready to query again. I entered a few contests with agent rounds but didn’t get chosen. I debated entering Nightmare on Query Street because I felt a little contested-out, but I decided I didn’t have anything to lose by going for it. If I wasn’t chosen, I could still cold query, and if I was, I’d have the best of both worlds: a chance to be mentored by an experienced author and a chance to get in front of agents.
So I sent in my entry and didn’t forget about it, exactly, but the mentees were announced on my son’s birthday, so by the time I got done wishing him happy birthday and shipping the kids off to school, the results had already been up for a couple of hours. After going through the first two lists, I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I hadn’t made it into the contest. Then I flipped to the list for Mike’s Monsters. I had to read it three times—but every time, my manuscript, DROWNING IN AIR, appeared there. There was no one home to celebrate with. Except the dog. Fortunately, she’s a party animal.
I was paired with C.B. Catalano as my mentor. Guys, she was awesome. She really pushed me to laser-focus the stakes in my query and to end my 250 in a way that would make agents cry for more. Finally, we were both happy with my entry, and I submitted it, then settled in to wait for the agent round. This time, I didn’t forget. There may have been a lot of refreshing of my browser involved. Ultimately, I ended up with one NoQS request. But I also knew I had ended up with a much stronger query and a team of cheerleaders behind me. With Cassandra’s encouragement, I began to send out more cold queries. Then things got real.
My NoQS-perfected query led to several full requests. One that came in very quickly was from Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. I sent the full manuscript off and settled in for the long wait. But within a few days, I received another email—Jane’s partner had loved it, and Jane was reading it. When I received an email from Jane two days later, I thought, That can’t be a good sign. She must have given up on it. But it turns out she had flown through the manuscript and wanted to call to discuss representation.
We spoke on the phone the next day, and she was so enthusiastic about representing the book and my career. The next few days were a flurry of emailing agents who still had queries and fielding more full requests and agent responses. A week later, I called Jane to accept her offer. It still hardly seems real, and I can’t wait for the next stages.
So, I guess the moral of the story is, if you’re passionate about writing (or any other pursuit), don’t wait until someday. Make today your someday.
Oh, and moral number two: the writing community is the best place in the world to be. Do you know how many people out there are pulling for you? Writers like NoQS hosts Michelle Hauck, Laura Heffernan, and Michael Anthony, along with C.B. and all the mentors, have their own lives and their own deadlines, but they freely give their time because they want to see other writers succeed—that means you. So my huge thanks to them, and my encouragement to you: if you’re considering entering a contest like this, do it!
Valerie Bodden is a YA writer and the author of more than 200 children’s nonfiction books. Her books have received critical acclaim from Booklist, Children’s Literature, Foreword Magazine, Horn Book Guide, VOYA, and School Library Journal. Valerie lives in Wisconsin with her husband, four children, one dog, two cats, a growing collection of fish, and miscellaneous bugs that her children have “rescued” from the outdoors. She spends most of her time writing or wrangling children and animals. Valerie is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
Find her online: www.valeriebodden.comTwitter: @ValBodden (enter to win a query and 10-page critique)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerie.bodden.54
Instagram: @ValBoddenBooks
You know how there are always things you want to do someday? For me, that was writing a novel. I got my start in publishing in 2006 when I landed my dream job as an editor for a school and library publisher. The next year, my first child was born, and I transitioned to a freelance role as an author for the school and library market. For the past decade or so, my day job (ha! try the job I squeeze in during naptime, bedtime, sports practice time) has been as an author of children’s nonfiction.
And though I love nonfiction, I knew something was missing. I’d started out writing stories in fourth grade (for the record, my first book was called “Enemies Are Friends,” and I still have it—thanks, mom, for keeping everything!), and I wanted to get back to that. But between raising four children and writing 200+ books, I was a little short on time.
I figured I’d get back to fiction someday—someday when I had more time (still waiting for that one), someday when my youngest was in school full time (she isn’t yet), someday when the stars aligned and the words came pouring out of me with no effort (that’s how it’s supposed to happen, isn’t it?). Fortunately, someday came out of nowhere and smacked me on the head.
I don’t even know how or why it happened, really, but one day in 2013, when my youngest was only a year old, the stories in my head and in my heart couldn’t wait a moment longer. So I started writing them down. I didn’t really think much about it at first, just opened a file and started throwing words onto the page. Though my first story ultimately stalled out and so did the next couple, they were a start, and I couldn’t go back to waiting for someday.
So when in 2014, I heard of this little thing called NaNoWriMo, I thought, I can do that. 50,000 words in a month is totally doable. No sweat. I may have been slightly delusional. Turns out it was a lot of sweat, but I did it. And when the month ended, I kept working on that story and revising it until in early 2016, I felt ready to query. I sent out a small batch of queries and then promptly got swallowed by nonfiction deadlines. By the time I emerged in the summer of 2016, I realized the novel needed another revision, so I set to it.
In the fall, I was ready to query again. I entered a few contests with agent rounds but didn’t get chosen. I debated entering Nightmare on Query Street because I felt a little contested-out, but I decided I didn’t have anything to lose by going for it. If I wasn’t chosen, I could still cold query, and if I was, I’d have the best of both worlds: a chance to be mentored by an experienced author and a chance to get in front of agents.
So I sent in my entry and didn’t forget about it, exactly, but the mentees were announced on my son’s birthday, so by the time I got done wishing him happy birthday and shipping the kids off to school, the results had already been up for a couple of hours. After going through the first two lists, I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I hadn’t made it into the contest. Then I flipped to the list for Mike’s Monsters. I had to read it three times—but every time, my manuscript, DROWNING IN AIR, appeared there. There was no one home to celebrate with. Except the dog. Fortunately, she’s a party animal.
I was paired with C.B. Catalano as my mentor. Guys, she was awesome. She really pushed me to laser-focus the stakes in my query and to end my 250 in a way that would make agents cry for more. Finally, we were both happy with my entry, and I submitted it, then settled in to wait for the agent round. This time, I didn’t forget. There may have been a lot of refreshing of my browser involved. Ultimately, I ended up with one NoQS request. But I also knew I had ended up with a much stronger query and a team of cheerleaders behind me. With Cassandra’s encouragement, I began to send out more cold queries. Then things got real.
My NoQS-perfected query led to several full requests. One that came in very quickly was from Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. I sent the full manuscript off and settled in for the long wait. But within a few days, I received another email—Jane’s partner had loved it, and Jane was reading it. When I received an email from Jane two days later, I thought, That can’t be a good sign. She must have given up on it. But it turns out she had flown through the manuscript and wanted to call to discuss representation.
We spoke on the phone the next day, and she was so enthusiastic about representing the book and my career. The next few days were a flurry of emailing agents who still had queries and fielding more full requests and agent responses. A week later, I called Jane to accept her offer. It still hardly seems real, and I can’t wait for the next stages.
So, I guess the moral of the story is, if you’re passionate about writing (or any other pursuit), don’t wait until someday. Make today your someday.
Oh, and moral number two: the writing community is the best place in the world to be. Do you know how many people out there are pulling for you? Writers like NoQS hosts Michelle Hauck, Laura Heffernan, and Michael Anthony, along with C.B. and all the mentors, have their own lives and their own deadlines, but they freely give their time because they want to see other writers succeed—that means you. So my huge thanks to them, and my encouragement to you: if you’re considering entering a contest like this, do it!
Valerie Bodden is a YA writer and the author of more than 200 children’s nonfiction books. Her books have received critical acclaim from Booklist, Children’s Literature, Foreword Magazine, Horn Book Guide, VOYA, and School Library Journal. Valerie lives in Wisconsin with her husband, four children, one dog, two cats, a growing collection of fish, and miscellaneous bugs that her children have “rescued” from the outdoors. She spends most of her time writing or wrangling children and animals. Valerie is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
Find her online: www.valeriebodden.comTwitter: @ValBodden (enter to win a query and 10-page critique)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerie.bodden.54
Instagram: @ValBoddenBooks
January 14, 2017
I Didn't Get the Call ... and I Feel Better Than Fine!
I'm glad to have Leslie Miller here to share that sometimes a success story leads to a branch in your path because there are many types of success.
Some of you might remember The Ivory Needle as the Query Kombat YA winner from 2015. The idea for the book came from an article I stumbled across online, which explained that before the use of metal, sewing needles were made of bone or ivory. It went on to say that a 30,000-year-old ivory needle had been found in an archaeological dig somewhere in Russia.
The Ivory Needle—what a great name for a novel, I thought. What could it be about? Immediately, I had my answer. What if a teen finds a 30,000-year-old ivory needle, and is somehow connected to the spirit of the elephant who was murdered for its tusks? What could that elephant spirit possibly want after all those millennia?
I broke out in goosebumps and knew this idea was something I had to pursue.
Within moments, ideas started gushing in. At one point, I had the eerie feeling that different parts of the story were adrift in the ethers all around me, just out of my reach, waiting for me to pull them into reality and set them down on the page.
I’ve never had an experience quite like that one before or since.
Having only written one previous novel, this new story seemed almost too large for me to tackle. I was terrified I could never do it justice or execute it the way I imagined it. Plus which, as the story developed, I realized it had to be set in Africa. But how could I possibly write a story about a place I hadn’t been? (Actually, I did spend two weeks in Zimbabwe many years ago, but that was hardly enough to give me a foundation for writing about Africa.)
Library books and DVDs about Africa cluttered my coffee table. Endless YouTube videos and documentaries about elephants and the problem of poaching took over my evenings. A year of constant research and writing later, the book was finished. I found a volunteer in the local Kenyan community who agreed to beta-read it and make sure I hadn’t written anything embarrassingly inaccurate, culturally insensitive, or completely offensive. Getting the green light, I started on a search for an agent.
After months of searching, endless query revisions, and even paying two query experts for their help, I entered Query Kombat and finally landed a highly enthusiastic agent.
(I want to thank Michelle once again for all her support and the unending hard work she and the other hosts put in with these incredible competitions!)
I settled in to make the insightful revisions my agent suggested. I wound up writing a new beginning, a new ending, and adding 12,000 words to the book. Confident the story was even better than before, I watched and waited with great excitement as it went out on submission. I was delighted with the list of publishers my agent submitted it to, and spent way too many hours imagining it would be immediately snatched up by Scholastic—leaving me in the rarefied company of J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins. Hmm, seeing that we had the same publisher, maybe one of them might even write me an endorsement!
Meanwhile, back at the computer, I wrote my next novel, The Nectar, while the rejections slowly trickled in. This might sound ridiculous or naïve or maybe even arrogant *shudders*, but I couldn’t understand why Big 5 editors weren’t jumping at the chance to pick up the book. After all, my beta readers LOVED it. My agent and her intern LOVED it. Why didn’t editors see the same things that we did? Didn’t they realize that regular readers would also LOVE it?
Sometimes months went by and we heard from no one. It was all so slooooooowwwwww. I joked that I’d be dead before I ever saw the novel in print. But the worst part was that little by little, rejection by rejection, I lost all faith in the book.
What a horrid, awful feeling.
I really started chomping at the bit by the time my new novel was finished. I’d started its sequel and was even making notes for another idea I was jazzed about. Even if The Ivory Needle got picked up, how many years would it be before my other novels got published?
I began to wonder if traditional publishing and I might not be a good fit after all.
A year after sending the book out on sub—and many disheartening rejections later—my agent and I took stock of the situation. She suggested changes to the story that I just didn’t want to make, after thinking long and hard about them. We agreed to end our partnership.
I spent a few minutes bemoaning two lost years, then leapt into action. By the end of that same day, I’d decided on a date for The Ivory Needle’s publication. I went through the book one last time, putting back my original beginning, tweaking and tightening, enjoying it all over again, and restoring my confidence that the story was as magical and engaging as I’d hoped.
What a great feeling to be proud of your work, whether traditional publishers “get it” or not!
I hired a proofreader and chatted with a marketing consultant. At one point, my publishing to-do list was daunting, but with each item ticked off, I got more and more excited. I loved researching and implementing the book launch plan, designing the cover (oh yes I did), doing the ebook formatting.
Who knew?
I feel completely energized to be able to publish on my schedule, doing things the way I feel is right for me. I plan to launch three novels in 2017. I don’t know what will happen with any of them, but I’m truly enjoying the whole creative/entrepreneurial process, the feeling of forward motion, and yes, the control you have as an indie author.
The Ivory Needle is a contemporary YA adventure with a hefty dose of magic, laughs, and tears. It hit Amazon on New Year’s Day. If you’d like, you can pick up a copy for free from now until January 17th.
Find me at LeslieMillerAuthor.com or www.twitter.com/lesliemillernow
Some of you might remember The Ivory Needle as the Query Kombat YA winner from 2015. The idea for the book came from an article I stumbled across online, which explained that before the use of metal, sewing needles were made of bone or ivory. It went on to say that a 30,000-year-old ivory needle had been found in an archaeological dig somewhere in Russia.
The Ivory Needle—what a great name for a novel, I thought. What could it be about? Immediately, I had my answer. What if a teen finds a 30,000-year-old ivory needle, and is somehow connected to the spirit of the elephant who was murdered for its tusks? What could that elephant spirit possibly want after all those millennia?
I broke out in goosebumps and knew this idea was something I had to pursue.
Within moments, ideas started gushing in. At one point, I had the eerie feeling that different parts of the story were adrift in the ethers all around me, just out of my reach, waiting for me to pull them into reality and set them down on the page.
I’ve never had an experience quite like that one before or since.
Having only written one previous novel, this new story seemed almost too large for me to tackle. I was terrified I could never do it justice or execute it the way I imagined it. Plus which, as the story developed, I realized it had to be set in Africa. But how could I possibly write a story about a place I hadn’t been? (Actually, I did spend two weeks in Zimbabwe many years ago, but that was hardly enough to give me a foundation for writing about Africa.)
Library books and DVDs about Africa cluttered my coffee table. Endless YouTube videos and documentaries about elephants and the problem of poaching took over my evenings. A year of constant research and writing later, the book was finished. I found a volunteer in the local Kenyan community who agreed to beta-read it and make sure I hadn’t written anything embarrassingly inaccurate, culturally insensitive, or completely offensive. Getting the green light, I started on a search for an agent.
After months of searching, endless query revisions, and even paying two query experts for their help, I entered Query Kombat and finally landed a highly enthusiastic agent.
(I want to thank Michelle once again for all her support and the unending hard work she and the other hosts put in with these incredible competitions!)
I settled in to make the insightful revisions my agent suggested. I wound up writing a new beginning, a new ending, and adding 12,000 words to the book. Confident the story was even better than before, I watched and waited with great excitement as it went out on submission. I was delighted with the list of publishers my agent submitted it to, and spent way too many hours imagining it would be immediately snatched up by Scholastic—leaving me in the rarefied company of J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins. Hmm, seeing that we had the same publisher, maybe one of them might even write me an endorsement!
Meanwhile, back at the computer, I wrote my next novel, The Nectar, while the rejections slowly trickled in. This might sound ridiculous or naïve or maybe even arrogant *shudders*, but I couldn’t understand why Big 5 editors weren’t jumping at the chance to pick up the book. After all, my beta readers LOVED it. My agent and her intern LOVED it. Why didn’t editors see the same things that we did? Didn’t they realize that regular readers would also LOVE it?
Sometimes months went by and we heard from no one. It was all so slooooooowwwwww. I joked that I’d be dead before I ever saw the novel in print. But the worst part was that little by little, rejection by rejection, I lost all faith in the book.
What a horrid, awful feeling.
I really started chomping at the bit by the time my new novel was finished. I’d started its sequel and was even making notes for another idea I was jazzed about. Even if The Ivory Needle got picked up, how many years would it be before my other novels got published?
I began to wonder if traditional publishing and I might not be a good fit after all.
A year after sending the book out on sub—and many disheartening rejections later—my agent and I took stock of the situation. She suggested changes to the story that I just didn’t want to make, after thinking long and hard about them. We agreed to end our partnership.
I spent a few minutes bemoaning two lost years, then leapt into action. By the end of that same day, I’d decided on a date for The Ivory Needle’s publication. I went through the book one last time, putting back my original beginning, tweaking and tightening, enjoying it all over again, and restoring my confidence that the story was as magical and engaging as I’d hoped.
What a great feeling to be proud of your work, whether traditional publishers “get it” or not!
I hired a proofreader and chatted with a marketing consultant. At one point, my publishing to-do list was daunting, but with each item ticked off, I got more and more excited. I loved researching and implementing the book launch plan, designing the cover (oh yes I did), doing the ebook formatting.
Who knew?
I feel completely energized to be able to publish on my schedule, doing things the way I feel is right for me. I plan to launch three novels in 2017. I don’t know what will happen with any of them, but I’m truly enjoying the whole creative/entrepreneurial process, the feeling of forward motion, and yes, the control you have as an indie author.
The Ivory Needle is a contemporary YA adventure with a hefty dose of magic, laughs, and tears. It hit Amazon on New Year’s Day. If you’d like, you can pick up a copy for free from now until January 17th.
Find me at LeslieMillerAuthor.com or www.twitter.com/lesliemillernow
January 13, 2017
Sun versus Snow Agents 2017
Contests just wouldn't be the same without the agents! Sure we could mentor and polish entries, but immediate results from the true experts and the success stories that result is what it is all about.
So a huge thanks to the 20 21 agents who agreed to help us out!
Remember that submission is on January 23rd at 4:00 pm EST. Go here to see the rules and how to format and here to see the mentors. And check out my Free Pass to Team Snow here.
Part of the list of agents is on my blog. But listing all of them would be a huge post. So go to my co-host Amy's blog to see the rest.
Jennifer Soloway of Andrea Brown Literary
Jennifer Soloway works closely with Executive Agent Laura Rennert. She enjoys all genres and categories, such as laugh-out-loud picture books and middle-grade adventures, but her sweet spot is young adult.Jennifer is a suspense junkie. She adores action-packed thrillers and mysteries, full of unexpected twists. Throw in a dash of romance, and she’s hooked! She’s a sucker for conspiracy plots where anyone might be a double agent, even the kid next door. She is a huge fan of psychological horror that blurs the lines between the real and the imagined. But as much as she loves a good thriller, she finds her favorite novels are literary stories about ordinary teens, especially those focused on family, relationships, sexuality, mental illness, or addiction. In such stories, she is particularly drawn to a close, confiding first-person narrative.
Prior to joining ABLA, Jennifer worked in marketing and public relations in a variety of industries, including financial services, health care, and toys. She has an MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College, and was a fellow at the San Francisco Writer’s Grotto in 2012. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, their two sons, and an English bulldog.
Twitter|Website
Mallory Brown of TriadaUS
Literary Agent Assistant Mallory C. Brown is seeking young adult, women’s fiction, adult, and non-fiction. She is especially drawn to pieces with strong character-driven plots and witty humor. She loves contemporary fiction, fantasy, magical realism, and romance. Mallory also appreciates a well-placed comma and hopes you do, too.Some of Mallory’s favorites at the moment are: A Study in Charlotte, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Leave Me, and Bringing up Bébé.
Twitter|Website
Alec Shane of Writers House
I began my career at Writers House as an intern in September of 2008 and simply refused to leave, so I was given the wonderful job of Assistant to Jodi Reamer. I am now also in the process of actively building my own list and currently represent a fairly eclectic mix of Children's and Adult fiction and nonfiction. I'm eagerly looking for both.On the fiction side, I love mysteries, thrillers (although I'm experiencing a bit of terrorist fatigue at the moment), bad-ass protagonists with a chip on their shoulders, beautifully told historical fiction (The Vietnam War, the Maccabees, and The American Revolution fascinate me in particular),well-researched adventure stories, and great horror - I haven't been scared to turn off the light in far too long and something needs to be done about it. In terms of children's books, getting boys to read again is especially important to me, and thus I'm particularly on the lookout for a fun middle-grade adventure series, ghost story, or anything else geared toward younger male readers.
On the nonfiction side, I'm attracted to odd, quirky histories, military history, biographies of people I didn't even know existed (but definitely should have), "guy" reads, humor, narrative nonfiction that sheds light on under-the-radar events and lifestyles, and all things sports. I'm also currently up in the air as to whether or not I believe in ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural, so if you have something that can convince me one way or the other, I'd love to see it.
Twitter|Website
Whitley Abell of Inklings Literary
Whitley Abell is an editorial agent, supporting her authors through all stages of the writing and publication process. Her publishing career began as an intern with Carol Mann Agency and P.S. Literary Agency, and she also interned at Inklings Literary Agency before working her way up to agent. She holds a BA in English Literature, and a MAT in Secondary English Education, which means she can tell you everything there is to know about feminist literary theory and the Common Core Standards. When she’s not agenting or daylighting as a content manager, she can typically be found slipping down rabbit holes of the literary and fandom varieties.Whitley is currently building her client list and is actively seeking young adult, middle grade, and select commercial fiction. Strong female voices are near and dear to her heart, and she is particularly drawn to fresh retellings, diverse voices, flawed but (usually) well-meaning characters, and parts of the world she’ll likely never see.
In commercial fiction, she is drawn to female-centric stories, whether contemporary or historical. She’s looking for psychological thrillers
In young adult and middle grade, her interests are quite broad. She welcomes queries for speculative/sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, romance, historical, thrillers, and horror, and is particularly interested in light-hearted and high-concept contemporary, magical realism that borders on psychological thriller, and dark historical fantasies set at the dawn of the modern age. Number one on her wish list is a best friend break-up story—specifically, a contemporary YA told in the style of The Last 5 Years, or a humorous, heart-filled MG spin on Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She has a soft spot for trips abroad, mischief, boy humor, and the goofy guys and devout fangirls of the world.
She is not interested in angels, zombies, werewolves, vampires, dystopian societies, or steampunk.
Please NO picture books, poetry, screenplays, non-fiction, or genre romance, crime, mysteries, sci-fi, or epic fantasy for the adult market.
Twitter|Website
Shannon Powers of McIntosh and Otis
SHANNON POWERS is a graduate of New York University. She began her career in publishing at McIntosh and Otis as an intern in 2011, and then went on to intern at The Book Report Network and W.W. Norton & Company. She has also worked as a bookseller. She returned to M&O in 2014, where she assists Shira Hoffman and Christa Heschke and is also looking to build her own list as a junior agent.Shannon is interested in representing middle grade, YA, and select adult titles. Above all, she looks for projects with a strong hook, smart plotting, and an addictive voice. She loves projects with a darker edge but is also open to lighter projects. For adult, her reading interests include literary fiction, mystery/thriller, and nonfiction (pop history, DIY, pop culture). In YA and MG, she is searching for mysteries, projects with romantic elements (whether fun or angsty), horror, light sci-fi or fantasy, and contemporary and historical with a unique premise.
Twitter|Website
Kristy Hunter of The Knight Agency
Kristy Hunter joined The Knight Agency in April 2014. With a degree in Women & Gender Studies and English Literature from Vanderbilt University, Kristy moved to New York City immediately after graduation to try her hand at publishing. She completed the Columbia Publishing Course and worked in the city for several years—first at Grove/Atlantic and then at Random House Children’s Books—before deciding it was time to make the move back down south. She now takes advantage of her new surroundings by being outside as much as possible with her French bulldog, Gummi.Kristy is currently accepting submissions from a wide variety of genres, including women’s fiction, mystery, historical romance, romance, young adult, and middle grade. Having spent significant time in the south and New York City, she particularly likes books set in these regions. She also enjoys books that feature horses, boarding schools, sisters, and sororities—to name just a few. Her favorite books include THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett, RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles, THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger, THE HUSBAND’S SECRET by Liane Moriarty, I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, and WONDER by R.J. Palacio.
Twitter|Website
Caitlen Rubino-Bradway of LKG Agency
I joined the LKG Agency in 2008, thereby disproving the theory that no English major ever does anything with their degree. Before that I worked at another literary agency, Don Congdon Associates, where I had the behind-the-scenes thrill of seeing Kathryn Stockett’s The Help first come in (and getting one of the first reads). And before that I was getting my Masters in English and Publishing from Rosemont College. I have enjoyed my apprenticeship under Lauren very much, and I am now actively looking to build my own list, which includes (after a surprisingly minimal amount of begging and pleading on my part), securing Lauren’s agreement to open the agency to considering middle grade and young adult fiction.In my spare time, I am an author in my own right (or is that write?). My first book, Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, which I co-wrote with my mother, was released by Crown in 2009. We also contributed to Jane Austen Made Me Do It, published by Ballantine in 2011. My first middle grade novel, Ordinary Magic, was published by Bloomsbury Children’s in 2012.
Twitter|Website
Nicole Payne of Golden Wheat Literary
Nicole Payne is a new literary agent at Golden Wheat Literary. She has a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Forensic Genetics. Maybe that’s why she now uses her background to investigate for new books. It must be in her DNA. She’s particularly interested in YA, NA, and Adult in Speculative Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Mysteries, Contemporary, Suspense, and Thriller. However, if the writing and story are amazing, she’s quick to snatch up exceptions, so if you think you’re a good fit, send her a query and see if you can convince her likewise.
Twitter|Website
Danielle Burby of To Be Announced
I can't report on this yet as it's not announced, but it's exciting!
Twitter|
Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger
A literary agent for over fifteen years, Andrea Somberg represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects for adult, young adult and middle grade audiences. Previously an agent at the Donald Maass Agency and Vigliano Associates, she joined Harvey Klinger Inc. in the spring of 2005. Her clients' books have been NYTimes and USABestsellers, as well as nominated for The Governor General's Award, the Lambda Award, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and the VCU Campbell First Novelist Award. Andrea also teaches courses for MediaBistro and Writers Digest on topics such as nonfiction, memoir, mystery and thrillers, fantasy and sf. Her client list is quite full, however she is always actively looking to take on new authors who write in the following categories: Fiction: literary, commercial, book club fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, new adult, middle grade. Nonfiction: memoir, narrative, popular science, pop-culture, humor, how-to, parenting, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, cookbooks, business, sports, diet, health & fitness.Harvey Klinger Inc. began as a one-man, one office literary agency in October, 1977. Over the years, it has grown and expanded, and is widely recognized among the top boutique literary agencies in the publishing industry today. It actively markets film/tv international, and other subsidiary rights, working with a vast network of co-agents in L.A. and around the globe.
Twitter|Website
Dr. Uwe Stender of TriadaUS
Literary Agent Dr. Uwe Stender is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives). He is interested in all kinds of commercial fiction, especially Young Adult, Middle Grade, Mysteries, and Women's Fiction. He is also interested in all kinds of non-fiction projects. But surprise him, his tastes are eclectic, and he may just love what you wrote!His favorite five novels right now are: Eleanor And Park, How It Went Down, Code Name Verity, High Fidelity, and The Big Sleep.
Twitter|Website
January 9, 2017
Winners of the Flash Fiction Contest
That was just as fun as I expected! I loved all the flash fiction examples. You all let your imagination cut loose and came up with some fantastic creations that were all different and unique. Congrats to all for some brilliant work!
Keeping in mind that this is subjective, my winner is:
“As you know Bob, the world is coming to an end tomorrow.”
“Yes,” said Bob. “Yes.”
“And as you know Bob, it's my fault entirely.”
Bob slowly nodded.
“Similarly... similarly? I always have trouble pronouncing that word. Well, likewise, as you know Bob-”
“Are you going to begin everything you say to me with as you know Bob?” Bob asked.
I cleared my throat and continued. “As you know Bob... oh for heaven's sake, Bob, hand me a mirror.”
Bob pulled a door off a nearby car, reached inside and broke off the rear view mirror. This, he handed to me.
“Thank you,” I said. “Couldn't have found something a little bigger? I can hardly see myself in this.”
Just my eyes, which were bloodshot from lack of sleep but otherwise a beautiful solid yellow. I had to pan the little mirror up and down. My teeth were growing back in nicely.
“As you know Bob, I'm going to need you to take this bandage off my cheek. Yow! I didn't mean now!”
“Well what was I to think?”
“I meant at some point! Argh! It burns!”
“Merry Christmas,” Bob muttered.
I rubbed my stinging cheek.
“As you know Bob,” I whimpered. “There’s only one person who can stop me.”
“Indeed,” said Bob.
“And he’s dead now.”
Bob reached down and picked up the limp and fully lifeless body of Anderson Cooper. “Who knew?” said Bob with a sigh.
“It was the hair, Bob. Always was. Always will be. The hair.”
“What now, then?” asked Bob.
“Bob. You don’t ask me questions. Just…”
“I’m only…”
“No. Not now. You don’t. As I was saying. As you know Bob, there is only one other planet left worth annihilating. Taking into account the time value of money with compound interest. And that’s Pluto.”
“Pluto’s not a planet,” said Bob.
“You’re testing me.”
“Just saying.”
“No, you’re really testing me Bob. Bob. Put down that candy cane. You’re getting sticky colors all over you face like a buffoon.”
Bob angrily tosses the candy cane away. And now we are in present tense.
Amidst the rubble that as recently as yesterday was Jacksonville, a tapping calls for my attention. Less than fifty yards away from where Bob and I stand. Fascinating, since all life on this planet is comatose, I, having inhaled it all.
“As you know Bob, if by some miracle I were to die, all the life that I inhaled would return to the trillions of life forms from whence it came. Or is it they came?”
“Singular, I believe,” says Bob. “Life. So whence it came.”
“Yes but, the life forms are plural… oh for heaven’s sakes, Bob! See what it is.”
Bob kicks a car out of his way. It flips and smashes into a building. He swings his fist, breaking off the back of a pickup truck.
“Well, well,” he says, squatting down.
“Who is it, Bob?” I call. “Who was able to resist?”
“Not a who,” he says.
Bob rises, holding what looks like a pink rope in his hand. A snarling ball of gray fur bounces around at the end of it.
“For heaven’s sake! What is that?” I shout, taking a step back.
“I believe it is known as a possum,” Bob muses.
“How vile! Rid us of it, Bob!”
Bob shrugs, loads back his arm and launches the creature into space.
“How strange that a small, pointless beast like that had the power to resist,” I think aloud. “At any rate, as you know – yow!”
Something like two small daggers pierce my calf. I look down in horror. A ferocious, gray ball of tailless fury is gnawing my kneecap off!
“Bob, you fiend! You have failed! You swung to hard and only tore off and threw away the tail!”
I grab at the thing. It rushes up my arms. Heavens! Its eyes are yellower than mine! Dagger teeth slit my throat and off the thing scampers. Blood and life ooze out my throat. Anderson Cooper jumps up.
“Reporting live from the apocalypse,” he says.
“It was the hair, Bob,” I wheeze. “Gray.”
Bob puts his hands in his pockets and looks down. “Oops,” he says.
I liked the humor in this piece. It spoke to me and my tastes as I'm a big fan of Anderson Cooper--it's the hair. I got an immediate sense of personality from the characters in spite of the lack of description of their physical features. There were a few typos, but this sample created an entire story in just 700 words. Good triumphed over evil and Anderson Cooper lives another day. Fantastic!
And Laura's pick for her winner is:
I prefer my first meeting with a client to take place in my conference room with the fantastic view of both ocean and mountain. I pay an obscene amount of money for the space, and it pays me back by distracting people long enough for me to pitch them before they can tell me exactly what they want. The convolutions and permutations that cause people to desire something simply because they saw it presented a particular way, at a particular time, or in a particular place is like alchemy, and if I can prevent my clients from giving me the formula for lead, I can usually turn their products to gold.
Unfortunately, Gloriana Llewellyn (her real name; I checked) had insisted our introduction take place at a coffee shop in a rundown part of the city. I’d have passed on the invitation, but I couldn’t let such a big – and interesting – fish get away. Whether she hired me or not, meeting her would be a win in my book. For someone who had rocked the fashion and business worlds simultaneously, she was incredibly reclusive. No one outside of her staff had ever met her in person.
The scent of perfectly roasted coffee reminded me that my own complex brew system had sputtered and failed. The aroma of cinnamon and sugar made me crave whatever contained them, though I’m not usually a sweets guy. My twin desires pulled me to the counter before I even looked around for my potential client.
“Happy Yule!” The barista had her back to me, red and white ribbons turning her curlicue braid into a candy cane. She pulled shots with glee, gestured to the lucky recipients, then approached me with a smile that would have made a younger man’s knees weak.
Oh, who am I kidding? Despite the reindeer antler headband and Christmas moose sweater, she was a knockout. I was instantly smitten. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Seemed like a gift in and of itself, albeit one she would never realize she’d given.
“What do you want today?” she asked.
For some reason, everything I truly wanted tried to escape my mouth at once, resulting in me stammering the way I had as a kid. She didn’t rush me, and her smile never wavered.
I took a breath, smiled back at her, and said “Espresso, please.” I glanced at her nametag and burst out laughing, certain her name was not really Possum.
“Find a table. I’ll bring it over to you.” Her voice was smooth and dark, the way melted chocolate felt.
I shook my head, wondering when my inner poet had escaped, and turned to find a spot that would be relatively quiet so I could go over my notes on the mysterious Ms. Llewellyn. In an age of instant fame and digital surveillance, it seemed impossible that she could have remained anonymous. It was also the best marketing gimmick imaginable.
Possum brought me coffee and the cinnamon roll I’d forgotten to order. She put a tiny candy cane on the edge of the saucer. “That’s for later, for memories and dreams.”
Her words opened a flood in my mind – all the dreams I’d set aside to climb to the top of my career, all the memories of loves who had left because my focus was elsewhere. I choked on my coffee.
Possum patted my back, soothing my turmoil.
What have you done to me? I blushed when I realized I’d spoken aloud.
She sat down across from me.
“I’m expecting someone. A business meeting.”
“I know. As for what I’ve done, I must apologize. I needed to see what sort of man you were before I decided whether your words would be worth hearing.”
I blinked owlishly. “You’re Gloriana Llewellyn.”
She inclined her head as a queen might. “Indeed. I was only playing Possum.”
I groaned at the pun, causing her to laugh – like tiny bells ringing – which caused me to laugh, too.
When we managed to get ahold of ourselves, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said, “I think you’ll do nicely, Mr. Farenthold.”
For the first time in ages, I wanted to be nice, as well.
In her words "The voice pulled me in instantly. I liked the crime noir feel, and I felt like I was sitting in the coffee shop with the characters (I like coffee). Bonus points for creative interpretation of the prompt and the twist at the end.
We'll be in touch with the winners for their prizes and hope to hold another contest in a few weeks! Maybe this time with an agent as judge!
Keeping in mind that this is subjective, my winner is:
“As you know Bob, the world is coming to an end tomorrow.”
“Yes,” said Bob. “Yes.”
“And as you know Bob, it's my fault entirely.”
Bob slowly nodded.
“Similarly... similarly? I always have trouble pronouncing that word. Well, likewise, as you know Bob-”
“Are you going to begin everything you say to me with as you know Bob?” Bob asked.
I cleared my throat and continued. “As you know Bob... oh for heaven's sake, Bob, hand me a mirror.”
Bob pulled a door off a nearby car, reached inside and broke off the rear view mirror. This, he handed to me.
“Thank you,” I said. “Couldn't have found something a little bigger? I can hardly see myself in this.”
Just my eyes, which were bloodshot from lack of sleep but otherwise a beautiful solid yellow. I had to pan the little mirror up and down. My teeth were growing back in nicely.
“As you know Bob, I'm going to need you to take this bandage off my cheek. Yow! I didn't mean now!”
“Well what was I to think?”
“I meant at some point! Argh! It burns!”
“Merry Christmas,” Bob muttered.
I rubbed my stinging cheek.
“As you know Bob,” I whimpered. “There’s only one person who can stop me.”
“Indeed,” said Bob.
“And he’s dead now.”
Bob reached down and picked up the limp and fully lifeless body of Anderson Cooper. “Who knew?” said Bob with a sigh.
“It was the hair, Bob. Always was. Always will be. The hair.”
“What now, then?” asked Bob.
“Bob. You don’t ask me questions. Just…”
“I’m only…”
“No. Not now. You don’t. As I was saying. As you know Bob, there is only one other planet left worth annihilating. Taking into account the time value of money with compound interest. And that’s Pluto.”
“Pluto’s not a planet,” said Bob.
“You’re testing me.”
“Just saying.”
“No, you’re really testing me Bob. Bob. Put down that candy cane. You’re getting sticky colors all over you face like a buffoon.”
Bob angrily tosses the candy cane away. And now we are in present tense.
Amidst the rubble that as recently as yesterday was Jacksonville, a tapping calls for my attention. Less than fifty yards away from where Bob and I stand. Fascinating, since all life on this planet is comatose, I, having inhaled it all.
“As you know Bob, if by some miracle I were to die, all the life that I inhaled would return to the trillions of life forms from whence it came. Or is it they came?”
“Singular, I believe,” says Bob. “Life. So whence it came.”
“Yes but, the life forms are plural… oh for heaven’s sakes, Bob! See what it is.”
Bob kicks a car out of his way. It flips and smashes into a building. He swings his fist, breaking off the back of a pickup truck.
“Well, well,” he says, squatting down.
“Who is it, Bob?” I call. “Who was able to resist?”
“Not a who,” he says.
Bob rises, holding what looks like a pink rope in his hand. A snarling ball of gray fur bounces around at the end of it.
“For heaven’s sake! What is that?” I shout, taking a step back.
“I believe it is known as a possum,” Bob muses.
“How vile! Rid us of it, Bob!”
Bob shrugs, loads back his arm and launches the creature into space.
“How strange that a small, pointless beast like that had the power to resist,” I think aloud. “At any rate, as you know – yow!”
Something like two small daggers pierce my calf. I look down in horror. A ferocious, gray ball of tailless fury is gnawing my kneecap off!
“Bob, you fiend! You have failed! You swung to hard and only tore off and threw away the tail!”
I grab at the thing. It rushes up my arms. Heavens! Its eyes are yellower than mine! Dagger teeth slit my throat and off the thing scampers. Blood and life ooze out my throat. Anderson Cooper jumps up.
“Reporting live from the apocalypse,” he says.
“It was the hair, Bob,” I wheeze. “Gray.”
Bob puts his hands in his pockets and looks down. “Oops,” he says.
I liked the humor in this piece. It spoke to me and my tastes as I'm a big fan of Anderson Cooper--it's the hair. I got an immediate sense of personality from the characters in spite of the lack of description of their physical features. There were a few typos, but this sample created an entire story in just 700 words. Good triumphed over evil and Anderson Cooper lives another day. Fantastic!
And Laura's pick for her winner is:
I prefer my first meeting with a client to take place in my conference room with the fantastic view of both ocean and mountain. I pay an obscene amount of money for the space, and it pays me back by distracting people long enough for me to pitch them before they can tell me exactly what they want. The convolutions and permutations that cause people to desire something simply because they saw it presented a particular way, at a particular time, or in a particular place is like alchemy, and if I can prevent my clients from giving me the formula for lead, I can usually turn their products to gold.
Unfortunately, Gloriana Llewellyn (her real name; I checked) had insisted our introduction take place at a coffee shop in a rundown part of the city. I’d have passed on the invitation, but I couldn’t let such a big – and interesting – fish get away. Whether she hired me or not, meeting her would be a win in my book. For someone who had rocked the fashion and business worlds simultaneously, she was incredibly reclusive. No one outside of her staff had ever met her in person.
The scent of perfectly roasted coffee reminded me that my own complex brew system had sputtered and failed. The aroma of cinnamon and sugar made me crave whatever contained them, though I’m not usually a sweets guy. My twin desires pulled me to the counter before I even looked around for my potential client.
“Happy Yule!” The barista had her back to me, red and white ribbons turning her curlicue braid into a candy cane. She pulled shots with glee, gestured to the lucky recipients, then approached me with a smile that would have made a younger man’s knees weak.
Oh, who am I kidding? Despite the reindeer antler headband and Christmas moose sweater, she was a knockout. I was instantly smitten. That hadn’t happened in a long time. Seemed like a gift in and of itself, albeit one she would never realize she’d given.
“What do you want today?” she asked.
For some reason, everything I truly wanted tried to escape my mouth at once, resulting in me stammering the way I had as a kid. She didn’t rush me, and her smile never wavered.
I took a breath, smiled back at her, and said “Espresso, please.” I glanced at her nametag and burst out laughing, certain her name was not really Possum.
“Find a table. I’ll bring it over to you.” Her voice was smooth and dark, the way melted chocolate felt.
I shook my head, wondering when my inner poet had escaped, and turned to find a spot that would be relatively quiet so I could go over my notes on the mysterious Ms. Llewellyn. In an age of instant fame and digital surveillance, it seemed impossible that she could have remained anonymous. It was also the best marketing gimmick imaginable.
Possum brought me coffee and the cinnamon roll I’d forgotten to order. She put a tiny candy cane on the edge of the saucer. “That’s for later, for memories and dreams.”
Her words opened a flood in my mind – all the dreams I’d set aside to climb to the top of my career, all the memories of loves who had left because my focus was elsewhere. I choked on my coffee.
Possum patted my back, soothing my turmoil.
What have you done to me? I blushed when I realized I’d spoken aloud.
She sat down across from me.
“I’m expecting someone. A business meeting.”
“I know. As for what I’ve done, I must apologize. I needed to see what sort of man you were before I decided whether your words would be worth hearing.”
I blinked owlishly. “You’re Gloriana Llewellyn.”
She inclined her head as a queen might. “Indeed. I was only playing Possum.”
I groaned at the pun, causing her to laugh – like tiny bells ringing – which caused me to laugh, too.
When we managed to get ahold of ourselves, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said, “I think you’ll do nicely, Mr. Farenthold.”
For the first time in ages, I wanted to be nice, as well.
In her words "The voice pulled me in instantly. I liked the crime noir feel, and I felt like I was sitting in the coffee shop with the characters (I like coffee). Bonus points for creative interpretation of the prompt and the twist at the end.
We'll be in touch with the winners for their prizes and hope to hold another contest in a few weeks! Maybe this time with an agent as judge!
January 6, 2017
2107 Sun versus Snow Mentors
Here they are! The mentors for Team Snow. We'll plow down the competition and bury them under bulldozers of snow, leaving them unable to get up!
The mentors will be helping the picks polish up their query letters and first pages. Here's a little something about the mentors. Please do follow them on twitter and buy their books. They work hard to help writers and deserve your thanks. Do read down to the bottom of the post for details about our mentor chat on twitter!
And visit Amy's blog to see the Sun mentors.
Mentors of Women's Fiction, Contemporary, and Romance:
Laura Heffernan is living proof that watching too much TV can pay off: AMERICA'S NEXT REALITY STAR, the first book in the REALITY STAR series, is coming from Kensington’s Lyrical Press March 7, 2017, with SWEET REALITY to follow September 5. When not watching total strangers get married, drag racing queens, or cooking competitions, Laura enjoys travel, baking, board games, helping with writing contests, and seeking new experiences. She lives in the northeast with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts.Some of Laura's favorite things include goat cheese, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, the Oxford comma, and ice cream. Not all together. The best place to find her is usually on Twitter, where she spends far too much time tweeting about writing, Canadian chocolate, and reality TV. Follow her @LH_Writes. Laura is represented by Michelle Richter at Fuse Literary.
Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | Apple iBooks
Marty Mayberry writes young adult and adult stories, and infuses them with romance. When she’s not dreaming up ways to mess with her character’s lives, she works as an RN/Clinical Documentation Specialist. She has a BA in International Affairs in German and an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. She lives in Maine with her husband, children, and three neurotic cats. She’s a member of SCBWI, YARWA, and a PRO member of RWA, and is also a PitchWars Mentor. Give her a long walk on a powdery beach, an ancient ruin to explore, or a good book, and her life’s complete.Her young adult sci-fi thriller, PHOENIX RISING, won the ‘15 YARWA’s Rosemary Award for speculative fiction.She’s represented by Jessica Watterson of the Sandra Dijkstra Agency.
Twitter: @marty_mayberryWebsite: http://martymayberry.com/
Kimberly Ito writes contemporary fiction for teenagers and teenagers-at-heart. When she isn't writing, she also works as an editor, proofreader, and Japanese-to-English translator. Kimberly is repped by Brooks Sherman at the Bent Agency, and can be found at her website, kimberlyito.com. Also follow her on twitter.
____________________________________________________________________
Mentors of SFF:
Vicki L. Weavil turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Her debut novel, the YA fantasy, CROWN OF ICE, was published in 2014, and her YA scifi, FACSIMILE, in 2016. Vicki will release a revised, second edition of CROWN OF ICE, and its sequel, SCEPTER OF FIRE, via Snowy Wings Publishing in May 2017. She also writes adult science fiction as V.E. Lemp. The first two books of her THE OTHERS trilogy – THE LIGHT FROM OTHER SUNS and THE DARK OF OTHER SKIES – will release from White Tulip Press in March and April of 2017.
She writes cozy mysteries under the penname, Victoria Gilbert.
An avid reader who appreciates good writing in all genres, Vicki’s been known to read seven books in as many days. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, listening to music, gardening, or traveling. Vicki is represented by Frances Black of Literary Counsel, NY, NY.
My website/blog (Vicki L. Weavil & V. E. Lemp): http://vickilweavil.com/Website/blog (Victoria Gilbert): http://victoriagilbertaut.wixsite.com/mysiteFollow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiLWeaviland https://twitter.com/VGilbertauthorGoodreads Author Pages: https://www.goodreads.com/VickiLempWeaviland https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15507408.V_E_LempAuthor Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickiLWeavil/Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickilweavil/
Michael Mammay is a Soldier and a Science Fiction writer. A lot of his stories are about soldiers. Go figure. He’s represented by Lisa Rodgers of Jabberwocky Literary. He would be very useful in a zombie apocalypse. You know…in case you’re making plans.
He's a well-known Pitchwars success story and mentor in 2016 and also helps runs #SFFpit.
Twitter|Blog
______________________________________________________________
Mentor of Middle Grade:
Wade hails from Nova Scotia, Canada, land of wild blueberries and Duck Tolling Retrievers. He teaches part-time, dabbles in animation, and spends the rest of his time as a stay-at-home dad. It is also possible he has set a new record as the slowest 10K runner. Ever. He owns one pretend cat and one real one, and they get along fabulously.Wade’s first book, THE ADVENTURER’S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES, was a BEA 2016 Middle Grade Buzz Book, a Fall 2016 Indies Introduce pick, and also a 2016 ABC Best Books for Young Readers selection. The sequel, THE ADVENTURER’S GUIDE TO DRAGONS (AND WHY THEY KEEP BITING ME), is due out in September 2017.
Website: wadealbertwhite.comTwitter: @wadealbertwhite
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316305280Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adventurers-Guide-Successful-Escapes/dp/0316305286/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456536451&sr=8-1&keywords=the+adventurer%27s+guide+to+successfulB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-adventurers-guide-to-successful-escapes-wade-albert-white/1123199403?ean=9780316305280
____________________________________________________________________
Mentor of Thriller and Mystery:
Max Wiretone lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his husband, his son, a very old dog, and more books than a reasonable person should own. His first book, THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS was published by Orbit last year, and is coming out in paperback in February. His second book, THE ASTONISHING MISTAKES OF DAHLIA MOSS is coming out in March.
Learn more about Max at maxwirestone.com and twitter.
____________________________________________________________________
Aren't they the tops!
Now for the mentor chat!
We will be having a Mentor Chat with two sessions on January 19th at 4:00 pm EST and 8:00 pm EST. You can visit the Mentor Chat on twitter and pick the brains of these experienced writers along with the hosts. Feel free to ask questions about genre and word count or writing in general. Ask about their experience on submission or once they were published. See what they think makes for an enticing first page or what belongs in a query.
We will be using the hashtag #svschat. Can't wait to see you all there. And the agent post will be coming soon! Until then immerse yourself in snow!
January 2, 2017
Free Pass into Sun versus Snow 2017
I know this is a busy time of year so right to it!
Sun versus Snow is coming! As of right now we have close to twenty agents. (Agents announced in a few weeks.) You can see the rules here. My last couple of contests averaged three success stories from my picks alone. Free Pass winners have ended up with agents in past years.
This is an opportunity you don't want to miss. A free pass allows you to skip the slush and become an instant pick. You will get to work with a mentor to improve your query and first page. Your entry will be seen by our agents and any ninja agents. And you'll be the first member of Team Snow!
You must do two things to enter: leave a blog comment on this post and use the rafflecopter to record that you commented. If you aren't in the rafflecopter, it can't pick you as the winner. This ensures the winner is random and no bias slips in.
In the blog comment I want a short paragraph on your writing goals for 2017. Be creative. The goal can be big or small. It should be fun and imaginative. There's no need to post something long. Try and stay under 200 words.
For example: My short term goal is to finish a synopsis for a new epic fantasy series to pitch to my editor without going stark-raving bonkers. My longer term goal is be happy and feel no pressure as I complete my last Birth of Saints book to end the trilogy in a way that surprises and entertains my readers. In 2017 that last book will come out in the fall and I hope (and pray) to sell a new series.
Use the rafflecopter for additional optional entries and to help spread the word. Please tweet about this mini contest and pass it along to your friends! The more the merrier!
The free pass will stay open until January 19th. Good luck and I hope to see you on Team Snow!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sun versus Snow is coming! As of right now we have close to twenty agents. (Agents announced in a few weeks.) You can see the rules here. My last couple of contests averaged three success stories from my picks alone. Free Pass winners have ended up with agents in past years.
This is an opportunity you don't want to miss. A free pass allows you to skip the slush and become an instant pick. You will get to work with a mentor to improve your query and first page. Your entry will be seen by our agents and any ninja agents. And you'll be the first member of Team Snow!
You must do two things to enter: leave a blog comment on this post and use the rafflecopter to record that you commented. If you aren't in the rafflecopter, it can't pick you as the winner. This ensures the winner is random and no bias slips in.
In the blog comment I want a short paragraph on your writing goals for 2017. Be creative. The goal can be big or small. It should be fun and imaginative. There's no need to post something long. Try and stay under 200 words.
For example: My short term goal is to finish a synopsis for a new epic fantasy series to pitch to my editor without going stark-raving bonkers. My longer term goal is be happy and feel no pressure as I complete my last Birth of Saints book to end the trilogy in a way that surprises and entertains my readers. In 2017 that last book will come out in the fall and I hope (and pray) to sell a new series.
Use the rafflecopter for additional optional entries and to help spread the word. Please tweet about this mini contest and pass it along to your friends! The more the merrier!
The free pass will stay open until January 19th. Good luck and I hope to see you on Team Snow!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
December 28, 2016
Getting the Call with KD Proctor
i'm happy to share with you today a success story from last year's Sun versus Snow. If this doesn't get you in the mood to enter next month, nothing will!
Remember when you were a senior in high school and you did those questionnaires talking about "Where I'll be in 10 years"? Here's what I put down (photo is from my high school's newspaper ALL those years ago--we won't get into the fact they spelled my name wrong...)
If you can't read it, it says: In 10 years I hope to be working for NASA as an astronaut, hopefully Commander. I wouldn't be living in (hometown). I would live in Houston, TX. It's closer to my job. I wouldn't be married or have children. It's too soon out of college.
Nowhere on that little blurb does it say anything about being a published author. I was so determined to be an astronaut that I attended a school with a top notch aviation and aerospace program. But in college, you learn a lot about yourself. For me, I discovered that quick recall and split second decision making was NOT my jam. Which kind of makes being in a space shuttle a little unrealistic. I changed my major so many times my advisor was sick of seeing me and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences knew me by my first name. When I took my first English Literature class and got to express myself through writing, I was hooked and English is what I finally declared as my major.
My mom's response: So...what are you going to do for a job?
As always, mom knew best. Unlike my fellow English majors I had no desire to write a novel or be an editor or anything related to English at all. I was drawn to student leadership and ultimately I went into Student Affairs and College Student Personnel—working full time on a college campus, where I still work today (yes, my mom is happy I'm using my Master's degree).
In my full time job, I work a lot with online learning. I was looking over tools faculty could use in online courses when I came across Wattpad. I had no idea this platform existed. It was incredible! And that led to an evening where I fell down the Wattpad rabbit hole reading stories by amazingly talented people. A spark was lit. I wondered what I would write if I had the chance? And that's when the ball got rolling. Two years, four manuscripts, and countless CP and beta reads later, I had a manuscript that was query ready and I got the nerve to enter Sun vs. Snow in January 2016. I went into it with a completely open mind. When I hit “send” and got confirmation I made the first 200, I remember telling my husband that night at dinner, “Whatever happens, happens.”
It happened.I got in.
When the list was announced on Super Bowl Sunday, I remember screaming so loud I freaked out the dog. I had also entered a football pool at work, so my husband thought I had won money (side note: I did win that, too! Ha!). I said, “NO! I got into the pitch contest!” and I made him read the website to make sure my book was listed. I couldn’t believe it!
I hit the mentor jackpot with Laura Heffernan. She was so encouraging and positive. So much so that a few days before our pitches went live for Sun vs. Snow, another pitch contest was happening on Twitter—PitMatch. The idea was authors and editors were going to do what they could to “match” pitching authors with agents and editors to generate interest in our manuscripts. She encouraged me to enter PitMatch.
Between PitMatch and Sun vs. Snow I was approached by several editors and agents. After researching each, I sent the requested material to those I felt comfortable with and waited for the results to come back. Within a few days, most had asked for more chapters or full manuscripts—which was incredibly encouraging.
It sounds very "fairy tale" like, doesn't it? First contest you enter, you get picked and it's generating a good buzz!
Needless to say, the clock struck midnight and my carriage turned back into a pumpkin because the rejections started rolling in. Surprisingly, I wasn't upset. At all. I looked at every rejection as a way to improve. Thankfully the agents were all so incredibly nice and very encouraging. But there was a reoccurring theme popping up in almost every single rejection: your voice/plot/character development/writing skills are fantastic….but selling New Adult manuscripts is really hard.
Many of the agents shared that they were looking to see if my manuscript could be voiced “up” (to adult/women’s fiction) or “down” (to young adult). And every agent said doing so would hurt the story because my voice was so strong. But I still continued to query, entering another twitter pitch contest and again, the response was high.
With queries circling about, I was surprised to see an offer in my box publish my manuscript with a small, independent publisher.
I panicked.I had forgotten that I submitted to an editor, too.
I sent Laura (my Sun vs Snow mentor) an e-mail telling her what happened because I realized that I “double queried” which is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED. The rule of thumb is that you should query editors or agents—not both at the same time. I was horrified that I made such a rookie mistake! She talked me through the pros and cons and said not to worry because it happens. She also encouraged me to reach out to agents who did still have my manuscript and tell them of the offer. The publisher, Bookfish Books, was more than accommodating to give me the time I needed to check in with agents before accepting their offer.
Agents were kind enough to move me up in their queue, but in the end, they passed on representation.
With the agent decisions now off the table, I actually felt like Lady Justice with her scales, weighing the pros and cons. On one side,I loved this age category. I loved my story and felt it in my heart that it was THE story that would get me published. On the other side, agents are telling me that the category is hard to sell and when you make a living off selling books, that can make representation hard. Same was true with writer friends who were also querying or were out on submission as they, too, were being told the same thing about New Adult books. But then you see small publishers like Bookfish Books, Entangled and Carina accepting the challenge, publishing New Adult books and doing well with it.
I had to ask myself, "Do you trust your gut that bypassing an agent and going with an editor is a good idea? Or did you jump the gun and are taking the first offer because it's there?"
In the end I knew the answer...I was trusting my gut. I wouldn't have queried to Bookfish Books if I didn't believe in what they did. In the end, with all of the knowledge I gained, and the support of those around me, I was excited to accept the offer from Bookfish Books. Many raise an eyebrow to small publishers—we've heard the horror stories. All I can say to that is do your research and dig DEEP, not being afraid to ask questions. Everyone I talked to at Bookfish Books has been incredibly pleased with their experience. And to date, so am I. The support I’ve gotten has been well above expectations and I couldn't be happier.
My debut novel, MEET ME UNDER THE STARS (formerly titled IF YOU'RE EVER IN TOWN), is a New Adult Contemporary romance and comes out in July 2017. In July 2016 it was selected as the winner for the 2016 YARWA Rosemary Award in the New Adult category.
You can find me here: http://www.kdproctor.comAs well as on social media: www.twitter.com/kdpwriteswww.instagram.com/kd_proctorwww.facebook.com/kdpwrites
Remember when you were a senior in high school and you did those questionnaires talking about "Where I'll be in 10 years"? Here's what I put down (photo is from my high school's newspaper ALL those years ago--we won't get into the fact they spelled my name wrong...)
If you can't read it, it says: In 10 years I hope to be working for NASA as an astronaut, hopefully Commander. I wouldn't be living in (hometown). I would live in Houston, TX. It's closer to my job. I wouldn't be married or have children. It's too soon out of college.
Nowhere on that little blurb does it say anything about being a published author. I was so determined to be an astronaut that I attended a school with a top notch aviation and aerospace program. But in college, you learn a lot about yourself. For me, I discovered that quick recall and split second decision making was NOT my jam. Which kind of makes being in a space shuttle a little unrealistic. I changed my major so many times my advisor was sick of seeing me and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences knew me by my first name. When I took my first English Literature class and got to express myself through writing, I was hooked and English is what I finally declared as my major.
My mom's response: So...what are you going to do for a job?
As always, mom knew best. Unlike my fellow English majors I had no desire to write a novel or be an editor or anything related to English at all. I was drawn to student leadership and ultimately I went into Student Affairs and College Student Personnel—working full time on a college campus, where I still work today (yes, my mom is happy I'm using my Master's degree).
In my full time job, I work a lot with online learning. I was looking over tools faculty could use in online courses when I came across Wattpad. I had no idea this platform existed. It was incredible! And that led to an evening where I fell down the Wattpad rabbit hole reading stories by amazingly talented people. A spark was lit. I wondered what I would write if I had the chance? And that's when the ball got rolling. Two years, four manuscripts, and countless CP and beta reads later, I had a manuscript that was query ready and I got the nerve to enter Sun vs. Snow in January 2016. I went into it with a completely open mind. When I hit “send” and got confirmation I made the first 200, I remember telling my husband that night at dinner, “Whatever happens, happens.”
It happened.I got in.
When the list was announced on Super Bowl Sunday, I remember screaming so loud I freaked out the dog. I had also entered a football pool at work, so my husband thought I had won money (side note: I did win that, too! Ha!). I said, “NO! I got into the pitch contest!” and I made him read the website to make sure my book was listed. I couldn’t believe it!
I hit the mentor jackpot with Laura Heffernan. She was so encouraging and positive. So much so that a few days before our pitches went live for Sun vs. Snow, another pitch contest was happening on Twitter—PitMatch. The idea was authors and editors were going to do what they could to “match” pitching authors with agents and editors to generate interest in our manuscripts. She encouraged me to enter PitMatch.
Between PitMatch and Sun vs. Snow I was approached by several editors and agents. After researching each, I sent the requested material to those I felt comfortable with and waited for the results to come back. Within a few days, most had asked for more chapters or full manuscripts—which was incredibly encouraging.
It sounds very "fairy tale" like, doesn't it? First contest you enter, you get picked and it's generating a good buzz!
Needless to say, the clock struck midnight and my carriage turned back into a pumpkin because the rejections started rolling in. Surprisingly, I wasn't upset. At all. I looked at every rejection as a way to improve. Thankfully the agents were all so incredibly nice and very encouraging. But there was a reoccurring theme popping up in almost every single rejection: your voice/plot/character development/writing skills are fantastic….but selling New Adult manuscripts is really hard.
Many of the agents shared that they were looking to see if my manuscript could be voiced “up” (to adult/women’s fiction) or “down” (to young adult). And every agent said doing so would hurt the story because my voice was so strong. But I still continued to query, entering another twitter pitch contest and again, the response was high.
With queries circling about, I was surprised to see an offer in my box publish my manuscript with a small, independent publisher.
I panicked.I had forgotten that I submitted to an editor, too.
I sent Laura (my Sun vs Snow mentor) an e-mail telling her what happened because I realized that I “double queried” which is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED. The rule of thumb is that you should query editors or agents—not both at the same time. I was horrified that I made such a rookie mistake! She talked me through the pros and cons and said not to worry because it happens. She also encouraged me to reach out to agents who did still have my manuscript and tell them of the offer. The publisher, Bookfish Books, was more than accommodating to give me the time I needed to check in with agents before accepting their offer.
Agents were kind enough to move me up in their queue, but in the end, they passed on representation.
With the agent decisions now off the table, I actually felt like Lady Justice with her scales, weighing the pros and cons. On one side,I loved this age category. I loved my story and felt it in my heart that it was THE story that would get me published. On the other side, agents are telling me that the category is hard to sell and when you make a living off selling books, that can make representation hard. Same was true with writer friends who were also querying or were out on submission as they, too, were being told the same thing about New Adult books. But then you see small publishers like Bookfish Books, Entangled and Carina accepting the challenge, publishing New Adult books and doing well with it.
I had to ask myself, "Do you trust your gut that bypassing an agent and going with an editor is a good idea? Or did you jump the gun and are taking the first offer because it's there?"
In the end I knew the answer...I was trusting my gut. I wouldn't have queried to Bookfish Books if I didn't believe in what they did. In the end, with all of the knowledge I gained, and the support of those around me, I was excited to accept the offer from Bookfish Books. Many raise an eyebrow to small publishers—we've heard the horror stories. All I can say to that is do your research and dig DEEP, not being afraid to ask questions. Everyone I talked to at Bookfish Books has been incredibly pleased with their experience. And to date, so am I. The support I’ve gotten has been well above expectations and I couldn't be happier.
My debut novel, MEET ME UNDER THE STARS (formerly titled IF YOU'RE EVER IN TOWN), is a New Adult Contemporary romance and comes out in July 2017. In July 2016 it was selected as the winner for the 2016 YARWA Rosemary Award in the New Adult category. You can find me here: http://www.kdproctor.comAs well as on social media: www.twitter.com/kdpwriteswww.instagram.com/kd_proctorwww.facebook.com/kdpwrites
December 20, 2016
Flash Fiction and Querying Contest!
Back in the day when I first starting writing--somewhere between six and seven years ago--I was looking for help and stumbled across a place called WEbook. Apparently it's still around, I do know it underwent new management, but it's a place were you can post chapters of your work and other writers can come in and feedback for you. It was a give to get kind of situation.
At that time, I didn't know any other writers, had no idea about twitter or critique groups, was pretty much clueless. Anyway, long story short that's where I learned some of the basic rules of writing from some very kind people willing to prod along a newcomer. But Webook had another aspect in that it hosted monthly contests to write flash fiction.
They would throw out a topic and give a word count limit of between 400 and maybe 800 words. At the end of the month, they'd pick a winner to receive some sort of prize. At the high point of my time there, dozens of writers would enter. People could comment on the entries, and I just found it plain fun and rather challenging. I made honorable mention and placed a few times, once I even won.
Here's the sample that I won with. The instructions were to write a scene that used no dialogue.
Non-Dialogue Writing Challenge
Jorge raised his toothbrush with a wink at his reflection in the mirror. Brooks and Dunn blared on the radio as he slid in socks and not much else across the tile, his toothbrush flying.Marguerite came in and wet her toothbrush. After applying paste, she raised the tube toward Jorge and deliberately shut the lid before putting it in the drawer and closing that with one hip. She leaned against the counter to spin the dial on the radio, passing Lady Gaga, and stopped at a Nickleback classic. A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and absorbed the love song.Jorge frowned before reaching around her and returning the station to country twang.Marguerite’s eyes popped open, toothpaste running down her chin. She twitched the dial back, and then blocked the radio with her body. Jorge released his toothbrush to attack the ticklish spot along her ribs.White paste sprayed as Marguerite ducked wildly away from him, giggling, and spat in the sink. He caught her in a hug from behind, bending to place a wet kiss on one bare shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror. Jorge raised an eyebrow suggestively.
Her eyes sparkled as she switched off the radio. They broke into a run down the hallway, elbowing each other to reach the bedroom first.
I think a lot of the skills need for flash fiction are also necessary for writing a query letter that conveys personality and interest.
Flash fiction involves telling a story in a limited number of words. You have to be able to make every word count. It's important to use verbs with lots of punch. You have to be able to convey character personality and motivation with just a sketch.
All those are skills needed to enhance a query letter. Especially the last one. Making your characters come to life with just a few words is critical in flash fiction and query letters. If you're good at flash fiction, you have a head start on writing a query.
I imagine practicing flash fiction would also lead to better query letters. So how about a game?
For this first game, I will be the judge and the winner will receive a query critique from me. Laura Heffernan has generously volunteered to play too and will give away a second query critique. Note that the manuscript does not have to be finished for the critique. If you want to enter just for the challenge and don't have a query letter--go ahead! If there is enough interest, I'll see about getting celebrity judges (agents) for future contests.
As your part of giving back, you need to reply to at least two other entries and leave encouraging/thoughtful feedback down in the comment section. I believe critiquing others' work makes for better writers. Also for those who want to give back to me, I would appreciate adding Faithful on Goodreads and America's Next Reality Star for Laura and spreading the word about the flash fiction contest on social media.
For this first contest, I'll be generous and the word count is 700. That is 700 words based on a count by Microsoft Word. Don't go over or your entry is out.
And the topic: Use a December holiday (Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Boxing Day) a candy cane and a possum in your flash fiction. Mention all three at least once. The rest is up to you. I'll be looking for energy, personality, strength of story, writing skill, and other subjective aspects.
I forgot to add that you need to leave an email address or twitter handle so I can find you.
You have until January 5th at midnight EST to add your entry in the comments below. I'll choose a winner by January 9th.
Take your time and put a little effort into your sketch. Don't just rush it together, but actually write, let it sit, then edit. Maybe get some other eyes on it. Most of all have fun and challenge yourself!
December 19, 2016
Getting the Call with Sarah Janian
Many authors frame their origin story in childhood. They describe epic novels scrawled in notebooks, or a sense of knowing they were predestined for the glorious (cough) work of authoring.
Not so for me. I was an avid reader, but I avoided creative writing at all costs, until I became an elementary school teacher and had to teach it. At first, I felt like a fool and a charlatan, but eventually, this work of helping children find their own voices helped me to find my own.
A science fiction premise came to me one day, one I thought had a strong enough hook to be worth the toil of turning it into a novel. So I sat down to write it six years ago, thinking I would have it agented and sold in a year.
In a turn of events that will shock no one, I struggled with the logistics of an 80ish k novel, since the longest thing I had written post-grad school was a short story for my class. So after a couple years of writing and rewriting, I decided to hold off on the SF and try my hand at a middle grade fantasy.
That manuscript wrote itself in a few months, and I enthusiastically pitched it at several SCBWI conferences over the next couple of years. In each case, agents gave me the same feedback: “There’s a lot to love here, but this book isn’t publishable.”
I was devastated.
I complained, I cried, and I sulked, but then I tried again, this time writing a contemporary MG about a girl struggling with her parents’ bitter divorce. Although the subject matter is realistically dark, I infused it with humor and lighter moments too. I was really excited about it.
Then I got pregnant, and I became very, very sick for almost a year.
Then I had a colicky baby and became very, very sleep-deprived for another year.
Writing went out the window during these years. One day I realized that the vague depression and gnawing angst I was feeling, in part, was because I hadn’t made it a priority. Armed with the MG partial-manuscript, I started setting my alarm to 4:30 (am) and writing in the mornings. It was liberating! It was intoxicating! Sometimes it was excruciating.
But I did it. I finished the manuscript when my daughter was about a year-and-a-half, even though my husband was working long hours and we didn’t have any babysitting help at the time.
Just as I finished the book, now tentatively titled THE SIXTH GRADER’S GUIDE TO DIVORCE, I happened upon an announcement about a contest called Query Kombat. It looked brutal—each query is pitted against another and judged publicly—but it seemed like a great opportunity if I could make a team.
I should admit something here. In hindsight, I probably wasn’t ready to enter. Unbeknownst to me, my manuscript had some issues, because back then I didn’t know about critique partners or beta readers. It was just me and my screaming toddler and my computer.
And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
I wrote a query right before the deadline, sent it to Michelle, and stalked Twitter. Oh yes, I also joined Twitter. Even though I’m a borderline Millenial, I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable with social media, but QK convinced me to take the plunge.
I remember reading over the team announcements with my husband, not even breathing.
Making Laura Heffernan’s team was the first real writing victory I experienced in almost six years. It was amazing.
The contest proved even more brutal than I had realized. I pored over the blogs as the votes rolled in for and against me. In the end, I advanced through the first round to the agent round, but I was crushed in the second round. The good news: during the agent round I got a bunch of agent requests, another first for me! I also used the feedback from the QK judges to strengthen my query.Then s**t got real.
I frantically revised while new QK friends beta read my manuscript. I also made the very savvy decision to hire Laura outside of QK to do a developmental read of my MS and give me her feedback.
After sending out the full and partials to the QK agents, I began sending small batches to other agents as well. I sent out a query to Andrea Somberg very early in my querying because her longtime client, Sarah Beth Durst, is one of my favorite authors, and I had remembered Sara mentioning her in various interviews.
Then I waited.
Andrea responded within a few days. (She is a master of her inbox, which is not always the case with agents.) She said she enjoyed my pasted pages and asked for a full.
My hands literally shook as they read the message on my phone.
At the same time, Laura got back to me with her thoughts, and another agent approached me with some revision ideas. Just as I sat down to rework, Andrea finished reading the manuscript and loved it.
SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO SCHEDULE A TALK BY PHONE.
I had been reading the blogs enough to know that this is often, but not always, a signal that AN AGENT WILL OFFER.
Guys, she did. J
It was one of the most wonderful and surreal conversations in my life. Andrea convinced me that she loved my manuscript as much as I did, her editing vision gelled with mine, and her submission plan sounded fantastic. I also got to speak with Sarah Beth Durst by phone, who proved lovely and gracious and very tolerant of my fangirling.
After that came an insane week of notifying the other agents with my partials and fulls that I had been offered rep. Not much is written about this because it’s all very hush hush, which is too bad, because you learn a lot about how agents handle things like deadlines and communication. In the end I had multiple offers and had to make a difficult choice, however one that I have not regretted for a second since signing with Andrea.
Although I did not get my agent through the QK agent requests, I am SO grateful to QK and to the hosts Michelle Hauck, Laura Heffernan, and Michael Anthony. Because of their generous work making the competition happen, I improved my query, built up the confidence to try again after “failure,” and made some wonderful writing friends. I want to thank Laura, in particular, for being a wise, funny, and inspiring friend and mentor. Words cannot express my gratitude to her for her many, many kindnesses.
Sarah Janian is a teacher-turned-sahm who earned her B.S. from Swarthmore ('05) and her M.Ed. from Bank Street ('09). Currently she lives in Philadelphia with her family. Follow her on Twitter @see_sahm_write to win one of her query and MS critique giveaways. Sarah is represented by Andrea Somberg at the Harvey Klinger Agency.p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #292f33; -webkit-text-stroke: #292f33} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073786111 1 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:8.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:107%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style><br />-->
Not so for me. I was an avid reader, but I avoided creative writing at all costs, until I became an elementary school teacher and had to teach it. At first, I felt like a fool and a charlatan, but eventually, this work of helping children find their own voices helped me to find my own.
A science fiction premise came to me one day, one I thought had a strong enough hook to be worth the toil of turning it into a novel. So I sat down to write it six years ago, thinking I would have it agented and sold in a year.
In a turn of events that will shock no one, I struggled with the logistics of an 80ish k novel, since the longest thing I had written post-grad school was a short story for my class. So after a couple years of writing and rewriting, I decided to hold off on the SF and try my hand at a middle grade fantasy.
That manuscript wrote itself in a few months, and I enthusiastically pitched it at several SCBWI conferences over the next couple of years. In each case, agents gave me the same feedback: “There’s a lot to love here, but this book isn’t publishable.”
I was devastated.
I complained, I cried, and I sulked, but then I tried again, this time writing a contemporary MG about a girl struggling with her parents’ bitter divorce. Although the subject matter is realistically dark, I infused it with humor and lighter moments too. I was really excited about it.
Then I got pregnant, and I became very, very sick for almost a year.
Then I had a colicky baby and became very, very sleep-deprived for another year.
Writing went out the window during these years. One day I realized that the vague depression and gnawing angst I was feeling, in part, was because I hadn’t made it a priority. Armed with the MG partial-manuscript, I started setting my alarm to 4:30 (am) and writing in the mornings. It was liberating! It was intoxicating! Sometimes it was excruciating.
But I did it. I finished the manuscript when my daughter was about a year-and-a-half, even though my husband was working long hours and we didn’t have any babysitting help at the time.
Just as I finished the book, now tentatively titled THE SIXTH GRADER’S GUIDE TO DIVORCE, I happened upon an announcement about a contest called Query Kombat. It looked brutal—each query is pitted against another and judged publicly—but it seemed like a great opportunity if I could make a team.
I should admit something here. In hindsight, I probably wasn’t ready to enter. Unbeknownst to me, my manuscript had some issues, because back then I didn’t know about critique partners or beta readers. It was just me and my screaming toddler and my computer.
And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.
I wrote a query right before the deadline, sent it to Michelle, and stalked Twitter. Oh yes, I also joined Twitter. Even though I’m a borderline Millenial, I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable with social media, but QK convinced me to take the plunge.
I remember reading over the team announcements with my husband, not even breathing.
Making Laura Heffernan’s team was the first real writing victory I experienced in almost six years. It was amazing.
The contest proved even more brutal than I had realized. I pored over the blogs as the votes rolled in for and against me. In the end, I advanced through the first round to the agent round, but I was crushed in the second round. The good news: during the agent round I got a bunch of agent requests, another first for me! I also used the feedback from the QK judges to strengthen my query.Then s**t got real.
I frantically revised while new QK friends beta read my manuscript. I also made the very savvy decision to hire Laura outside of QK to do a developmental read of my MS and give me her feedback.
After sending out the full and partials to the QK agents, I began sending small batches to other agents as well. I sent out a query to Andrea Somberg very early in my querying because her longtime client, Sarah Beth Durst, is one of my favorite authors, and I had remembered Sara mentioning her in various interviews.
Then I waited.
Andrea responded within a few days. (She is a master of her inbox, which is not always the case with agents.) She said she enjoyed my pasted pages and asked for a full.
My hands literally shook as they read the message on my phone.
At the same time, Laura got back to me with her thoughts, and another agent approached me with some revision ideas. Just as I sat down to rework, Andrea finished reading the manuscript and loved it.
SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO SCHEDULE A TALK BY PHONE.
I had been reading the blogs enough to know that this is often, but not always, a signal that AN AGENT WILL OFFER.
Guys, she did. J
It was one of the most wonderful and surreal conversations in my life. Andrea convinced me that she loved my manuscript as much as I did, her editing vision gelled with mine, and her submission plan sounded fantastic. I also got to speak with Sarah Beth Durst by phone, who proved lovely and gracious and very tolerant of my fangirling.
After that came an insane week of notifying the other agents with my partials and fulls that I had been offered rep. Not much is written about this because it’s all very hush hush, which is too bad, because you learn a lot about how agents handle things like deadlines and communication. In the end I had multiple offers and had to make a difficult choice, however one that I have not regretted for a second since signing with Andrea.
Although I did not get my agent through the QK agent requests, I am SO grateful to QK and to the hosts Michelle Hauck, Laura Heffernan, and Michael Anthony. Because of their generous work making the competition happen, I improved my query, built up the confidence to try again after “failure,” and made some wonderful writing friends. I want to thank Laura, in particular, for being a wise, funny, and inspiring friend and mentor. Words cannot express my gratitude to her for her many, many kindnesses.
Sarah Janian is a teacher-turned-sahm who earned her B.S. from Swarthmore ('05) and her M.Ed. from Bank Street ('09). Currently she lives in Philadelphia with her family. Follow her on Twitter @see_sahm_write to win one of her query and MS critique giveaways. Sarah is represented by Andrea Somberg at the Harvey Klinger Agency.p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #292f33; -webkit-text-stroke: #292f33} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073786111 1 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:8.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:107%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style><br />-->
