Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 65
July 17, 2015
Release Tour for DARK EMBRACE
So happy to have the latest release from my CP Angie Sandro from Grand Central Publishing as part of the Hachette Group! This is one addictive series!
Rescued from the brink of death by her cousin Mala, Dena Acker returns to the land of the living with a terrifying gift. Still connected to the darkness that almost claimed her, she can tell when someone's about to die--but there's nothing she can do to save them. Desperate to rid herself of this cursed ability, Dena has only one chance at peace . . . and two very different men willing to rescue her.
For centuries, Ashmael has seen more souls than he can count but he's never been drawn to anyone the way he is to fragile, beautiful Dena. She fills the dark void of his days with light, and he would sacrifice anything - even his immortality - to cross over to her world and ease her suffering. But he can't afford to be discovered by police detective Michael Anders, who is investigating the deaths that surround Dena. While Michael fights his growing attraction to her, the evidence still points to Dena as the killer. Both men have the ability to save Dena from her horrible fate, but which one can she trust with her darkest secrets?
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eHa2By
B&N: http://bit.ly/1FVYxmf
iTunes: http://apple.co/1PWMZ6P
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UBS5oX
Excerpt:
The touch on my outstretched hand is so light that it takes me a moment to notice. By then the cold, gel-like substance coats my fingers. When I try to pull back, the sticky goop sucks in my hand, which tingles as it cuts off my circulation. It reminds me of quicksand—of how my father’s body looked when they pulled his mummified remains free. His wide-open mouth filled with sand when he gasped his last breath. I never should’ve stayed when they retrieved him from his sandy tomb. The image is seared into my memory.
Now I’m being sucked to my death too.
My scream bursts out and echoes against the stone walls, taunting me. I jerk my arm, but like quicksand, the more I struggle, the more I’m drawn in. My chest presses against the membranous barrier. Instinctively, I hold my breath as I fall forward.
My thoughts grow fuzzy from lack of oxygen. The need for air grows more desperate. If I don’t breathe, I’ll die. If I breathe, I’ll die faster.
I gasp… then choke, but I don’t die.
I can breathe. How? Why?
Who cares?I fall to my knees, drinking in air. My eyes are open, but I can’t see anything. As in a dream, my emotions are magnified. I’m trapped and devoid of all hope of escape. Loneliness overwhelms me. I wrap my arms around my legs, needing the connection of touch, since my other senses are deprived. I don’t know how long I sit here rocking before I hear a sob.
The broken sound cuts through my apathy. No longer alone in this hell, I crawl forward, listening for another sound. Silence falls around me like a heavy cloak, and I begin to doubt that I heard anything except my own cries. My hands continue to search in the darkness, movements becoming more and more frantic. When I touch the warmth of a body, I cry out in relief so powerful that I tremble in reaction.
I press closer. I can’t believe what my senses scream out to me, but I inhale his deep, earthy scent. I run my hands up his arms, feeling his taut muscles beneath my fingers. His skin has the soft, fine smoothness of a newborn. My hands travel upward over broad shoulders to tangle in silky hair. I trace the hard angles of his cheekbones down to the indentation on his chin, and then, up to his lips. I remember this face as it hovered above mine and how his tongue felt on my body.
“I found you,” I whisper, leaning forward. My mouth finds his to initiate a kiss so light it’s more of a mingling of breaths.
His hands tremble as his fingers explore my skin with butterfly wing-like caresses, and I shiver. He moves hesitantly. Our chests press together. His heartbeat quickens, and my own beats in an adjoining rhythm, perfectly synchronized with his.
His head dips until it’s pressed into the hollow between my shoulder and neck. He inhales, breathing in my scent. His tongue swirls over my collarbone. I press against him and cup the back of his head, my fingers twining through his hair. My other hand wraps around his waist, clenching tightly as his teeth rasp against my skin.
A distant, barely coherent part of my mind wonders now what? Only his lips answer my question, traversing my neck in soft nibbles with intermingled flicks from his tongue, dissolving all rational thought from my brain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Angie Sandro was born at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Within six weeks, she began the first of eleven relocations throughout the United States, Spain, and Guam before the age of eighteen.
Friends were left behind. The only constants in her life were her family and the books she shipped wherever she went. Traveling the world inspired her imagination and allowed her to create her own imaginary friends. Visits to her father's family in Louisiana inspired this story.
Angie now lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and an overweight Labrador.http://anjeasandro.blogspot.com/https://twitter.com/AngieSandrohttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Sandro/253044268078356
Rescued from the brink of death by her cousin Mala, Dena Acker returns to the land of the living with a terrifying gift. Still connected to the darkness that almost claimed her, she can tell when someone's about to die--but there's nothing she can do to save them. Desperate to rid herself of this cursed ability, Dena has only one chance at peace . . . and two very different men willing to rescue her.
For centuries, Ashmael has seen more souls than he can count but he's never been drawn to anyone the way he is to fragile, beautiful Dena. She fills the dark void of his days with light, and he would sacrifice anything - even his immortality - to cross over to her world and ease her suffering. But he can't afford to be discovered by police detective Michael Anders, who is investigating the deaths that surround Dena. While Michael fights his growing attraction to her, the evidence still points to Dena as the killer. Both men have the ability to save Dena from her horrible fate, but which one can she trust with her darkest secrets?
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eHa2By
B&N: http://bit.ly/1FVYxmf
iTunes: http://apple.co/1PWMZ6P
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UBS5oX
Excerpt:
The touch on my outstretched hand is so light that it takes me a moment to notice. By then the cold, gel-like substance coats my fingers. When I try to pull back, the sticky goop sucks in my hand, which tingles as it cuts off my circulation. It reminds me of quicksand—of how my father’s body looked when they pulled his mummified remains free. His wide-open mouth filled with sand when he gasped his last breath. I never should’ve stayed when they retrieved him from his sandy tomb. The image is seared into my memory.
Now I’m being sucked to my death too.
My scream bursts out and echoes against the stone walls, taunting me. I jerk my arm, but like quicksand, the more I struggle, the more I’m drawn in. My chest presses against the membranous barrier. Instinctively, I hold my breath as I fall forward.
My thoughts grow fuzzy from lack of oxygen. The need for air grows more desperate. If I don’t breathe, I’ll die. If I breathe, I’ll die faster.
I gasp… then choke, but I don’t die.
I can breathe. How? Why?
Who cares?I fall to my knees, drinking in air. My eyes are open, but I can’t see anything. As in a dream, my emotions are magnified. I’m trapped and devoid of all hope of escape. Loneliness overwhelms me. I wrap my arms around my legs, needing the connection of touch, since my other senses are deprived. I don’t know how long I sit here rocking before I hear a sob.
The broken sound cuts through my apathy. No longer alone in this hell, I crawl forward, listening for another sound. Silence falls around me like a heavy cloak, and I begin to doubt that I heard anything except my own cries. My hands continue to search in the darkness, movements becoming more and more frantic. When I touch the warmth of a body, I cry out in relief so powerful that I tremble in reaction.
I press closer. I can’t believe what my senses scream out to me, but I inhale his deep, earthy scent. I run my hands up his arms, feeling his taut muscles beneath my fingers. His skin has the soft, fine smoothness of a newborn. My hands travel upward over broad shoulders to tangle in silky hair. I trace the hard angles of his cheekbones down to the indentation on his chin, and then, up to his lips. I remember this face as it hovered above mine and how his tongue felt on my body.
“I found you,” I whisper, leaning forward. My mouth finds his to initiate a kiss so light it’s more of a mingling of breaths.
His hands tremble as his fingers explore my skin with butterfly wing-like caresses, and I shiver. He moves hesitantly. Our chests press together. His heartbeat quickens, and my own beats in an adjoining rhythm, perfectly synchronized with his.
His head dips until it’s pressed into the hollow between my shoulder and neck. He inhales, breathing in my scent. His tongue swirls over my collarbone. I press against him and cup the back of his head, my fingers twining through his hair. My other hand wraps around his waist, clenching tightly as his teeth rasp against my skin.
A distant, barely coherent part of my mind wonders now what? Only his lips answer my question, traversing my neck in soft nibbles with intermingled flicks from his tongue, dissolving all rational thought from my brain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Angie Sandro was born at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Within six weeks, she began the first of eleven relocations throughout the United States, Spain, and Guam before the age of eighteen.
Friends were left behind. The only constants in her life were her family and the books she shipped wherever she went. Traveling the world inspired her imagination and allowed her to create her own imaginary friends. Visits to her father's family in Louisiana inspired this story.
Angie now lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and an overweight Labrador.http://anjeasandro.blogspot.com/https://twitter.com/AngieSandrohttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Sandro/253044268078356
July 16, 2015
Query Questions with Moe Ferrara
Writers have copious amounts of imagination. It's what makes their stories so fantastic. But there's a darker side to so much out of the box thinking. When a writer is in the query trenches, their worries go into overdrive. They start pulling out their hair and imagine every possible disaster.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Today's Query Questions comes from Moe Ferrara of Bookends, LLC. Moe will also be taking part in New Agent! Here's what she had to say about her query slush.
*Hint: it’s the second one.
2. YA-wise, I have a soft spot for the fae and would love a fae-centric Urban Fantasy. Something with a new twist on the Tuatha Dé Danann. Really, any new twist on the paranormals would be great—just no vampires please! It has to be something really special and new. (and squeezing in an extra want here… I’m surprised there haven’t been more assassins in my inbox given my love of Assassin’s Creed!)
3. MG-wise, I’d love to find an adventure-esque series with puzzles. A MG Indiana Jones!
----------------------------------
Becoming a literary agent was fitting for the girl who, as a small child, begged her dad to buy her a book simply because "it has a hard cover." Growing up, she had a hard time finding YA books outside of Christopher Pike and R. L. Stine, and instead tackled Tom Clancy or her mom's romance novels. Though her career path zigzagged a bit—she attended college as a music major, earned a JD from Pace Law School, then worked various jobs throughout the publishing industry—Moe was thrilled to join the BookEnds team in May of 2015 as a literary agent and the foreign rights manager.
A Pennsylvania native, she is the proud owner of one rambunctious guinea pig who is a master at stealing extra treats. When not reading, she is an avid gamer and always awaiting the next Assassin's Creed release.
Moe is interested in science fiction and fantasy for all age groups (no picture books). She loves a bit (or a lot!) of romance in her fiction, so the right contemporary or historical romance will spark her interest. She's LGBTQ friendly, so send her that male/male erotic romance in your back pocket! At this time she's not looking for nonfiction, women's fiction, or cozy mysteries.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Today's Query Questions comes from Moe Ferrara of Bookends, LLC. Moe will also be taking part in New Agent! Here's what she had to say about her query slush.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?Nope, no better or worse time of year in my eyes! Though I will say, be careful if you’re querying in December—especially if you just finished your NaNo novel. Please, please do not query a just finished novel (at any time of the year but I know the high authors get when they’ve just finished a NaNo project and want to get it out into the world ASAP). Take the time to revise before you start sending it around!
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?One or two small mistakes won’t shoot down an entire query in my eyes. However, when there are multiple spelling and grammatical errors (or one egregious error), I’m more likely to give it a pass. Queries are much shorter and if an author hasn’t taken the time to proof a query to make it the best that it can be, it makes me wonder at the state of the manuscript itself. You always want to be sending your absolute best work to an agent—it’s your first foot in the door! Queries are your first impression with agents, make sure you’re putting your best foot forward!
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?Our agency doesn’t request pages with the query, just the query only. Of course, some people do include sample pages. If I’m on the fence about a query, sometimes I’ll look at the first few pages to see if the author has a strong voice but struggles with queries. (It happens, queries are hard!) If the query is strong, I know I’m going to be requesting pages regardless if they’re pasted below the query or not.
Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?I look at everything! (Which, right now, there’s quite a pile but keep ‘em coming. For the record, our agency tries to respond within six weeks to queries and I, personally, will reply to everyone. I was a querying author once, and I remember how frustrating it was wondering if the agent was a non-responder or if my query got caught in a spam filter!)
Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look?I do keep a maybe pile… for any number of reasons. Sometimes it’s because I just requested something similar or perhaps because the query wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped, but the hook is something special. So I’ll set it aside and read it with fresh eyes the following day or so. Another reason for my maybe pile is if a previously published author or an author who has parted ways amicably with their agent queries, I’ll take a look to see if there were sales, other books the author has written, etc. Sometimes I know I’m starting to get tired and want to take a look when I’m not exhausted. I love my maybe pile, even if it sometimes extends my response time!
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?Going to answer this when it comes to requested pages — but the same is true with sample pages, too! A prologue is part of the book and if you can send your pages along without the prologue included, I’d say that’s a red flag that your prologue isn’t necessary. I’m not in the camp who inherently dislikes prologues (I’ve used them!) but if you’re going to have one, do make sure that it serves a purpose beyond a backstory dump or where you flesh out characters. Economy of words is a big thing and I want to know that every word in your manuscript is there for a reason and isn’t superfluous.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?I like having a bit of chit-chat, so long as it’s genuine! And yes, there’s a difference between personalizing with “I saw you like these genres” and “OMG as a gamer, you should try x game if you haven’t”. Guess which one reads as more genuine*. It means a lot to me when an author takes the time to mention something I said in an interview or on Twitter. It tells me they took that little extra bit of time to personalize it for me rather than being one of 30 nameless agents who got a blast all at once. Personalization isn’t necessary; it’s not an auto-reject if someone doesn’t. It’s more… like getting two prizes in the bottom of the cracker jack box!
*Hint: it’s the second one.
Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included?They’re both red flags, but one is less serious than the other. For me, the bigger red flag is not seeing a word-count listed. I prefer seeing a genre listed as well, because if it’s not something I represent (like picture books or mysteries), it’s easier for me to reject. Listing a genre also tells me how well you know what you’re writing and where it should be on the shelves. However, even if that isn’t listed, it can be fairly easy to tell what genre something is in—it’s harder when it comes to word count. I’m not someone who is going to reject a book based on word count alone if it’s a little on the high or low side. However, a 300k middle grade or a 20k epic fantasy…that’s another story! Often if the word count isn’t listed, the author doesn’t want me to know just how high the word count is.
Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query?It takes a lot of skill to be able to have a fair number of characters in a query because you are limited in space. Often times when writers mention too many characters in a query, it’s to their detriment because I’m left confused as to who is doing what and how everyone fits into a plot line. It’s understood that you’re going to have more than a couple of characters and will have multiple plots running through your book. My advice is to go with your hook; the plot you tell people when you’re pitching it to friends and family. And if you have to have a lot of characters, read it with an objective eye. If you knew nothing about your book, would you be able to follow along?
Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one?I’m definitely in the ambivalent camp where twitter or other social media is concerned. Twitter is a fantastic resource for talking to other writers and for building an online presence. I’ll never demand that a client participate in one form of social media or another, but we’ll discuss if certain platforms are a better for interacting with readers. Before I sign someone, I do check over their social media platforms to see how they interact with others, clues to next works, etc. Online presence (or lack thereof) isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s a great insight into peoples’ personalities and if we’ll mesh beyond what I’ve read in your pages!
Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive?I’d prefer those links (particularly to a blog, a manuscript playlist, or related artwork) to be in the email signature as opposed to in the query itself. That way if I want to follow links, I can do so at my own discretion as opposed to making the query more about supporting materials than about the book itself. A lot of writers use playlists and I think it’s a fun thing to share with readers later on—but I want to see your book and judge it on its own merits and not if I think “Call Me Maybe” is totally your main character’s anthem.
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?If your query is in my inbox and I haven’t replied, please don’t nudge me on something like this. Because it’s hard to keep track of which version of a query belongs to someone when there are thousands upon thousands of queries in your inbox. I’ll judge on your query and if I request pages, you happily get to send me a revised MS and I’m none the wiser. If I’ve already requested material and you’re planning on doing changes, let me know ASAP and I’ll hold off reading! (Though I’ll only do this once. If you continually poke me, about this, it makes me wonder if you really revised before sending it out.) If I’ve rejected and you’ve made huge sweeping changes? Then I don’t mind seeing a re-query. All I ask is that you tell me in your query that I’ve seen this before / rejected and that you’ve made substantial changes to the manuscript based on x-feedback. If there’s ever a question if I want to see something again or not, you’re welcome to give me a poke on twitter (@inthesestones).
What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you?The hard part about this industry is that it’s so subjective. Just not right for me is my way of saying “I like this, I think it’s a great hook and great writing, but for any number of reasons I just didn’t connect to it.” It’s so important to remember that other Agents will feel differently. Hell, other agents at BookEnds may feel differently! Just not right or just didn’t connect or any other stock phrase agents use in rejections aren’t meant to be demeaning. We know we’ll pass on what will be huge books. It happens. But wouldn’t you want to have an agent who finds your book EXACTLY right for them as opposed to just-kinda-sorta?
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?Most definitely! If you’re looking for the agent to tell you when commas are in the wrong place or use an en dash rather than an em dash, I’m not the person for you. I am much more the “help me omg my plot just got stuck and I don’t know where to go” sort of agent. The one who can look at the big picture and see character issues or plot holes. Who can track pacing, etc. So if you’re looking for a hands-on agent, I’m your gal.
What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?1. Adult-wise, I have a huge weakness for erotic romance of the m/m variety and I’d love to sign a couple authors who write those! I love things set on college campuses (not necessarily college students though!) or people with unusual jobs. The dynamic between an out man and his closeted lover is also one I adore. I prefer my m/m to not focus on a coming out story. Just a great romance between two men who happen to be gay / bisexual.
2. YA-wise, I have a soft spot for the fae and would love a fae-centric Urban Fantasy. Something with a new twist on the Tuatha Dé Danann. Really, any new twist on the paranormals would be great—just no vampires please! It has to be something really special and new. (and squeezing in an extra want here… I’m surprised there haven’t been more assassins in my inbox given my love of Assassin’s Creed!)
3. MG-wise, I’d love to find an adventure-esque series with puzzles. A MG Indiana Jones!
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?Whenever I’m asked about my favorite book, I always give the same answer: the FEVER series by Karen Marie Moning. It’s a wonderful mix of romance + urban fantasy + fae. I love all things Arthurian and fairy tales as well as Greek and Roman mythology, so I’m always drawn to either retellings of both of these things or new twists on the old legends. Favorite movies / TV shows right now include: Jupiter Ascending, all things Marvel (I have a real weakness for Bruce Banner…), Once Upon a Time (my poor, poor Rumple), Star Trek (the original series, as well as the more recent films), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (see above for new twists on old legends / Arthurian).
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Becoming a literary agent was fitting for the girl who, as a small child, begged her dad to buy her a book simply because "it has a hard cover." Growing up, she had a hard time finding YA books outside of Christopher Pike and R. L. Stine, and instead tackled Tom Clancy or her mom's romance novels. Though her career path zigzagged a bit—she attended college as a music major, earned a JD from Pace Law School, then worked various jobs throughout the publishing industry—Moe was thrilled to join the BookEnds team in May of 2015 as a literary agent and the foreign rights manager.A Pennsylvania native, she is the proud owner of one rambunctious guinea pig who is a master at stealing extra treats. When not reading, she is an avid gamer and always awaiting the next Assassin's Creed release.
Moe is interested in science fiction and fantasy for all age groups (no picture books). She loves a bit (or a lot!) of romance in her fiction, so the right contemporary or historical romance will spark her interest. She's LGBTQ friendly, so send her that male/male erotic romance in your back pocket! At this time she's not looking for nonfiction, women's fiction, or cozy mysteries.
July 15, 2015
New Agent Submission Time
SUBMISSION IS CLOSED!
The submission window opens today at noon Eastern time and stays open until 8:00 PM!
Please if you’ve made an agent round in another contest in the last six months, such as Query Kombat, refrain from entering and give others a chance. Though if you have a new, fresh manuscript, that’s absolutely fine to enter. Or if you were picked for Query Kombat but did not make the agent round, you are good also.
One entry per person only.
This contest will take MG, YA, NA, and Adult of all genres. No non-fiction or picture books.
There will be email confirmation. If you don't receive one, check with me on twitter before resending.
Selected picks will be revealed as soon as we are ready, and a short revision period will be allowed with the Team Experts. The agent round will be July 27th-29th.
To follow the Team Experts on twitter go here. To see the agents taking part go here.
In order to enter the contest you MUST follow formatting guidelines, and submit during the contest window. All entries that follow those guidelines will be considered.
Entries will be sent to: NewAgentContestJuly (at) gmail (dot) com
Formatting guidelines:
Font: Times New Roman, 12pt, single-spaced with spaces between each paragraph. No indents. (If you can’t get Times New Roman in your email, use whatever is closest. Formatting problems will not eliminate you from contention but missing pieces of an entry will.)
Subject line of the Email: Title: Age Category and Genre. Do not skip this step or your entry will be deleted. (ex. Pygmy Hazards: MG Humor) You need both an age category and a genre.
Inside the body of the email (with examples):
Name: Michelle Hauck
Email address: MichelleHauck@loveher.com
Title: Pygmy Hazards
Word count: 34,000
Genre: MG Humor
Query:
Tom, the classroom hamster, wants to escape from the h-e double hockey sticks otherwise known as school. His old military pet shop days didn't include playing house or being sentenced to a boot camp of never-ending show ‘n tell, math facts rap, and story time. But he’s learned a lot behind the bars of his cage. For example, if you want to keep breathing, never trust a pygmy who has earned the nickname Squeezer. Somehow he has to get away before the pygmies dress him as Strawberry Shortcake again or worse.
When a “subspatoot” fills in, Tom sees his chance to put Operation Escape the Pygmies into action. He makes a run for the border, hamster style. Bad news. The principal says Tom is a distraction to learning and better off flushed. The way out is turned into a battlefield of snapping mousetraps, sticky snares, and poisoned pellets.
Tom seems doomed until the friendless Squeezer lends an over-excited hand. She quickly goes from supervillain to super sidekick. Now, the greatest obstacle to his freedom may be Tom’s soft spot for this lonely pygmy.
(Only include the meat of your query. No bio. No Comps. No Dear, and No sincerely. Just the good stuff. Queries may be up to 350 words, but 250 is preferred.)
Please, please, please enter the spaces between paragraphs manually after you copy and paste. Those suckers tend to get lost and then we get a big blob of text.
First 250 words:
Put your first 250 words here.
Don't include the chapter title, they eat up words. And please, don't stop in the middle of a sentence. 255 words are fine. 260 are too much!
Also, no indentations. Indentations are evil. Put line spaces between paragraphs please!
All queries submitted are FINAL. There will be no chance to revise unless the entry is chosen. Please read, reread, and rereread your submission before you hit send. You have time to polish your work. Get someone else to read for typos. Competition will be fierce.
In order to enter the contest, you MUST follow all five Team Experts and the contest host (@Michelle4Laughs) on twitter. (If you're not on twiter, then you should be. You're missing out.)
And you must follow the host’s blog. That means clicking on the "join this site" button in my sidebar. Also signing up for my newsletter counts.
Now about the twitter party! It will take place under the hashtag #NewAgent.
July 15: Shout out what age category and genre you are entering. After the window opens shouts out when you submit.
July 16: It's about the new. Tell us when you were new to writing. In other words, how long have you been at it? Is this your first manuscript or your 20th? What keeps you writing? Do you love story telling or surprising others with your twists?
July 17: Time to be honest. What embarrassing mistakes did you make as a new writer with your first manuscript or while querying. Did you have a book of 246K word count like me? Confession time.
July 18: What favorite new book are you looking forward to getting in your hands in 2015 or 2016?
July 19: What new way have you devised for your villain to torture your main character? Give us an example from a great scene in your ms.
July 20: What's helping you through the wait? Is it a food treat? Keeping busy? Writing?
July 21: What's your newest project? The story that isn't finished yet. Have you completely switched age categories or genres.
July 22: What's the first thing you'll do when you sign with a new agent? Indulge in daydreaming a little and imagine how you'll react.
The submission window opens today at noon Eastern time and stays open until 8:00 PM!
Please if you’ve made an agent round in another contest in the last six months, such as Query Kombat, refrain from entering and give others a chance. Though if you have a new, fresh manuscript, that’s absolutely fine to enter. Or if you were picked for Query Kombat but did not make the agent round, you are good also.
One entry per person only.
This contest will take MG, YA, NA, and Adult of all genres. No non-fiction or picture books.
There will be email confirmation. If you don't receive one, check with me on twitter before resending.
Selected picks will be revealed as soon as we are ready, and a short revision period will be allowed with the Team Experts. The agent round will be July 27th-29th.
To follow the Team Experts on twitter go here. To see the agents taking part go here.
In order to enter the contest you MUST follow formatting guidelines, and submit during the contest window. All entries that follow those guidelines will be considered.
Entries will be sent to: NewAgentContestJuly (at) gmail (dot) com
Formatting guidelines:
Font: Times New Roman, 12pt, single-spaced with spaces between each paragraph. No indents. (If you can’t get Times New Roman in your email, use whatever is closest. Formatting problems will not eliminate you from contention but missing pieces of an entry will.)
Subject line of the Email: Title: Age Category and Genre. Do not skip this step or your entry will be deleted. (ex. Pygmy Hazards: MG Humor) You need both an age category and a genre.
Inside the body of the email (with examples):
Name: Michelle Hauck
Email address: MichelleHauck@loveher.com
Title: Pygmy Hazards
Word count: 34,000
Genre: MG Humor
Query:
Tom, the classroom hamster, wants to escape from the h-e double hockey sticks otherwise known as school. His old military pet shop days didn't include playing house or being sentenced to a boot camp of never-ending show ‘n tell, math facts rap, and story time. But he’s learned a lot behind the bars of his cage. For example, if you want to keep breathing, never trust a pygmy who has earned the nickname Squeezer. Somehow he has to get away before the pygmies dress him as Strawberry Shortcake again or worse.
When a “subspatoot” fills in, Tom sees his chance to put Operation Escape the Pygmies into action. He makes a run for the border, hamster style. Bad news. The principal says Tom is a distraction to learning and better off flushed. The way out is turned into a battlefield of snapping mousetraps, sticky snares, and poisoned pellets.
Tom seems doomed until the friendless Squeezer lends an over-excited hand. She quickly goes from supervillain to super sidekick. Now, the greatest obstacle to his freedom may be Tom’s soft spot for this lonely pygmy.
(Only include the meat of your query. No bio. No Comps. No Dear, and No sincerely. Just the good stuff. Queries may be up to 350 words, but 250 is preferred.)
Please, please, please enter the spaces between paragraphs manually after you copy and paste. Those suckers tend to get lost and then we get a big blob of text.
First 250 words:
Put your first 250 words here.
Don't include the chapter title, they eat up words. And please, don't stop in the middle of a sentence. 255 words are fine. 260 are too much!
Also, no indentations. Indentations are evil. Put line spaces between paragraphs please!
All queries submitted are FINAL. There will be no chance to revise unless the entry is chosen. Please read, reread, and rereread your submission before you hit send. You have time to polish your work. Get someone else to read for typos. Competition will be fierce.
In order to enter the contest, you MUST follow all five Team Experts and the contest host (@Michelle4Laughs) on twitter. (If you're not on twiter, then you should be. You're missing out.)
And you must follow the host’s blog. That means clicking on the "join this site" button in my sidebar. Also signing up for my newsletter counts.
Now about the twitter party! It will take place under the hashtag #NewAgent.
July 15: Shout out what age category and genre you are entering. After the window opens shouts out when you submit.
July 16: It's about the new. Tell us when you were new to writing. In other words, how long have you been at it? Is this your first manuscript or your 20th? What keeps you writing? Do you love story telling or surprising others with your twists?
July 17: Time to be honest. What embarrassing mistakes did you make as a new writer with your first manuscript or while querying. Did you have a book of 246K word count like me? Confession time.
July 18: What favorite new book are you looking forward to getting in your hands in 2015 or 2016?
July 19: What new way have you devised for your villain to torture your main character? Give us an example from a great scene in your ms.
July 20: What's helping you through the wait? Is it a food treat? Keeping busy? Writing?
July 21: What's your newest project? The story that isn't finished yet. Have you completely switched age categories or genres.
July 22: What's the first thing you'll do when you sign with a new agent? Indulge in daydreaming a little and imagine how you'll react.
July 14, 2015
Cover Reveal for THE MACHINERY
For ten millennia, the leaders of the Overland have been Selected by the Machinery, an omnipotent machine gifted to their world in darker days.
The city has thrived in arts, science and war, crushing all enemies and expanding to encompass the entire Plateau.
But the Overland is not at ease, for the Machinery came with a prophecy: it will break in the 10,000th year, Selecting just one leader who will bring ruin to the world. And with the death of Strategist Kane, a Selection is set to occur…
For Apprentice Watcher Katrina Paprissi, the date has special significance. Life hasn’t been the same since she witnessed the kidnapping of her brother Alexander, the only person on the Plateau who knew the meaning of the prophecy.
When the opportunity arises to find her brother, Katrina must travel into the depths of the Underland, the home of the Machinery, to confront the Operator himself and discover just what makes the world work…
Amazon (US)|Amazon (UK)
Publisher: Harper Voyager (September 10, 2015)Publication Date: September 10, 2015Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
-------------------------------
Gerrard Cowan hails from Derry, in the North West of Ireland, and works as a News Editor at The Wall Street Journal. His first known work was a collection of poems on monsters, written for Halloween when he was eight; it is sadly lost to civilisation. He lives in South East London with his wife Sarah, son Finn and daughter Evie. He can be found on Twitter @
GerrardCowan
Blog|Twitter|Facebook
Getting the Call with Diane McIntire Rose
The best part of my week is sharing these stories of inspiration. They are all the more special when it's someone I know from twitter! Tears of joy for this one! Congrats, Diane!
Michelle asked me for a description of my long and winding road to representation. Well, specifically my story – I doubt she understood the “long and winding” aspect. But too late now, girl.
I didn’t set out to be a writer, unless you consider legal argument as writing. Becoming an attorney was my focus from fourth grade on. Okay, I loved studying mythology in high school and won a contest on the subject at a national convention for the Junior Classical League. But, you know, what can you do with an extensive knowledge of mythology?
So I became a lawyer and did lawyerly things that would be of interest only to other lawyers, and probably not even then. (Public utility regulation if you’re curious. Anyone want to know what that entails? I thought not.)
The life I’d so carefully planned changed when I gave birth to two children with special educational needs. My focus turned to taking care of them and trying to see they received the best I could extract from the local school system. My time was spent with researching, observing, explaining, and arguing. And sitting in meetings – many, many meetings. I did some advocacy for special education generally, my old career now an ex-career pining for the fjords, as John Cleese would put it.
My son caught up to his peers in a few years. For my daughter, it took much longer than that. When everything educational fell apart for her in middle school, I pulled her out to homeschool through high school. After they both left for college, I spent some years on the internet explaining my experiences and hearing back that I should write a book. I mean, my daughter was first assessed in the lowest percentile in intelligence and language and claimed to have an incurably dysfunctional brain, but she ended up at Brown University! (Notice the subtle way I got that bit of bragging in there…)
And a book I did write – a long, researched, lawyerly book, complete with footnotes but lacking in a precise genre. I didn’t have any real writers look at it, and it flopped with agents. The best advice I received from them was to turn it into a memoir. I tried to do this but didn’t study writing and, again, didn’t seek out writers to beta read. Not surprisingly, Version 2.0 didn’t do any better with agents.
However, my experience with special education made me stubborn. I wouldn’t let this project die; I would study writing, damn it. I read books, blogs, and discussions on Absolute Write. An idea for a real novel came to me, so I thought I’d play around with that and then return to the memoir. But then I got so absorbed in the story and the characters that it turned into a trilogy. No representation came out of the first, standalone book. I’d purposefully decided on a slow buildup of tension, not the greatest way to capture an agent’s attention for a debut work. I also didn’t have a clear genre, which confused agents. I had a number tell me I wrote well but they just weren’t sure what this thing was that I’d sent them. Mystery? Romance? Comedy? Adventure? Suspense? Literary? I would have known I was setting myself up to fail if I’d only sought out feedback from other writers.
Then an idea for another book hit me – an Adult retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone, one that followed the mythology but added to it and twisted it so she became a heroine and a funny one at that. I shot off a draft during NaNoWriMo in 2013 and the experience was exhilarating. I had so much fun writing the book because I’d never gotten over my love of myth. This wasn’t a book people told me I needed to write or the mystery I thought I should write merely because I love reading mysteries. Somehow, this new book seemed more me. After revising on my own, this time I secured the help of some great betas who were writers. I rewrote and repeated the process until I ended up with a polished MS.
I was enthused when I entered my new shiny manuscript in PitchWars 2014 but devastated when it wasn’t selected. Deciding to give it another shot, I entered Nightmare on Query Street – and I was thrilled to be selected for SC’s team. Holly Jennings helped me polish my query and first 250 words. The request I received didn’t go any further than the ones I’d received from a bit of sporadic querying. But my experience in the contest gave me the self-assurance to continue.
Convinced that Michelle-run contests were my path to writing glory, I entered Sun vs. Snow. I made it on to Michelle’s team this time. Dan Koboldt gave me excellent advice about making the stakes clearer in my query and coming up with a snappier title, which became I, PERSEPHONE. My request from this contest didn’t go the distance, either, but confidence from an improved query inspired me to begin to approach agents in earnest.
In March, 2015, I sent out a flurry of queries. There were some requests, including one for a full by Cameron McClure of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. I felt a little strange submitting to such an accomplished agent at such a major firm, but she did ask. I told myself not to get my hopes up. Two week later, though, I received her response telling me she liked many aspects of the book but thought it could benefit from some changes. It took me a day to realize she was absolutely right. We had a flurry of emails about these modifications, and I went to work.
At the beginning of June, I submitted my revised manuscript, unsure when I’d hear back because Cameron was now on maternity leave. But two week later, she emailed, saying she wanted to represent me. Once I reread the message several times to determine if I could conceivably be misinterpreting her unambiguous words, I began to worry about The Call. Surely, I would mess it up somehow. But I didn’t. We talked comfortably for over an hour and a half, the awkwardness I thought I’d feel having evaporated within the first half-minute. After looking at all the other agents yet to be heard from, I realized I wouldn’t accept any of the others if they offered – I’d found my dream agent. I didn’t bother to nudge but rather withdrew my manuscript.
I’ve yet to get over the high of signing the contract a few days ago. After all these years, with hundreds of rejections for different books behind me… success.
Or at least the first step to success. Soon enough I’ll begin to worry about going on submission.
---------------------------------
Diane McIntire Rose, when she isn’t writing, reading, or bragging about how well her children turned out, attempts to play the piano, rushes outside to chase deer away from her allegedly deer-resistant plants, drags her husband to Washington Nationals games (having given up on opera long ago), and enjoys trying out different hot sauces and chili-powder blends. Being somewhat of an old fart, she hasn’t gotten into the entire social media thing yet, but she is on Twitter (@sistrum42) to the consternation of her children who are not. She also continues to search for a picture of herself that makes her look younger than she is. Given the absence of a picture here, she’s yet to come close.
July 13, 2015
NAME THAT JUDGE #6
This judge has been named! Check the comments to see who it is.
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? Let's see if this one goes as quickly. There are 34 Query Kombat judges and are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was Scott Pilgrim. And they have provided a few hints:
1. I made it past Round 1 of QK last year.2. I have something in common with the author of the Scott Pilgrim series.3. I like the number 70 in Roman Numerals.4. We freeze a lot of blueberries at our house.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a first chapter and query critique! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? Let's see if this one goes as quickly. There are 34 Query Kombat judges and are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was Scott Pilgrim. And they have provided a few hints:
1. I made it past Round 1 of QK last year.2. I have something in common with the author of the Scott Pilgrim series.3. I like the number 70 in Roman Numerals.4. We freeze a lot of blueberries at our house.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a first chapter and query critique! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
New Agent--Agents!
Time to roll out the red carpet and give a big welcome to these newer agents. They'll be making request on July 27-29th! Be sure and follow them on twitter!
Submission is July 15th starting at noon Eastern. You can find all the formatting instructions here.
Jennifer Johnson-Blalock joined Liza Dawson Associates as an associate agent in 2015, having previously interned at LDA in 2013 before working as an agent's assistant at Trident Media Group. Jennifer graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in English and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Before interning at LDA, she practiced entertainment law and taught high school English and debate.
Jennifer is focusing on nonfiction. She is looking for seasoned writers with strong platforms and is excited by narrative nonfiction and memoirs that use a unique story to explore a larger issue. Particular areas of interest include current events, social sciences, women's issues, law, business, history, the arts and pop culture, lifestyle, sports, and food, including cookbooks and health/wellness.
Jennifer is also seeking upmarket commercial fiction, especially thrillers, and is pleased to work with clients who write both fiction and nonfiction.Website|Twitter
Arielle Datz started as an intern at Dunow, Carlson, & Lerner in 2011. She then worked in the foreign rights department at WME, followed by 2 years at the Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency. She returned to DCLA in 2015. She is looking for fiction (adult, YA, or middle-grade), especially speculative fantasy or literary sci-fi. In nonfiction, she is looking for essays, unconventional memoir, pop culture, and sociology.
Wishlist: literary fiction (I like things that are whimsical and/or dark), magical realism, middle-grade/YA fantasy and sci-fi (preferably subtle), essays, narrative non-fiction, pop culture.Website|Twitter
Julie Crisp
Having recently set up as a literary agent, Julie was previously an editor and has over fifteen years’ experience working for three major houses across a broad spectrum of commercial titles within fiction, non-fiction and children’s. This also included three years spent working in the Australian publishing industry. Most recently she was an Editorial Director for fiction at Pan Macmillan running the Tor UK imprint and publishing bestselling and award-winning authors such as Ann Cleeves, Peter F. Hamilton, China Miéville, Neal Asher, Amanda Hocking, Naomi Novik and TV/Game partnerships including Halo, The Returned, The Walking Dead and Twin Peaks.
She is actively looking to build her client list and is looking for science fiction and fantasy, crime and thrillers, historicals, book club reads, YA and middle grade children's fiction. Website|Twitter
Literary Agent Assistant Mallory C. Brown of TriadaUS is seeking young adult, new adult, women’s fiction, and non-fiction. She is especially drawn to pieces with strong character-driven plots and witty humor. She loves contemporary fiction, low fantasy, and romance. Mallory also appreciates a well-placed comma and hopes you do, too.
Some of Mallory’s favorites at the moment are: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Gone Girl,Outlander, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Website|Twitter
With a strong background in business ownership, Victoria A. Selvaggio comes to The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Agent with over 6 years of actively working as a volunteer and Regional Advisor for SCBWI Northern Ohio. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author writing all genres, with her most recent publication in the 2015 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency. Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done.
I am currently looking for lyrical picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction, new adult, mysteries, suspense, thrillers, paranormal, fantasy, narrative nonfiction, adult fiction but find I’m especially drawn to Middle Grade and Young Adult. I especially love thrillers and all elements of weird, creepy stuff. If it’s out of the box, and it will make me think and think, long after I’m done reading, send it to me! On the flip side, I yearn for books that make me laugh, cry and wonder about the world.Website|Twitter
Moe Ferrara
Becoming a literary agent was fitting for the girl who, as a small child, begged her dad to buy her a book simply because "it has a hard cover." Growing up, she had a hard time finding YA books outside of Christopher Pike and R. L. Stine, and instead tackled Tom Clancy or her mom's romance novels. Though her career path zigzagged a bit—she attended college as a music major, earned a JD from Pace Law School, then worked various jobs throughout the publishing industry—Moe was thrilled to join the BookEnds team in May of 2015 as a literary agent and the foreign rights manager.A Pennsylvania native, she is the proud owner of one rambunctious guinea pig who is a master at stealing extra treats. When not reading, she is an avid gamer and always awaiting the next Assassin's Creed release.
Moe is interested in science fiction and fantasy for all age groups (no picture books). She loves a bit (or a lot!) of romance in her fiction, so the right contemporary or historical romance will spark her interest. She's LGBTQ friendly, so send her that male/male erotic romance in your back pocket! At this time she's not looking for nonfiction, women's fiction, or cozy mysteries.
Website|Twitter
Caitie Flum joined Liza Dawson Associates in July 2014 as assistant and audio rights manager. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2009 with a BA in English with a concentration in publishing studies. Caitie interned at Hachette Book Group and Writers House. She was an Editorial Assistant then Coordinator for Bookspan, where she worked on several clubs including the Book-of-the-Month Club, The Good Cook, and the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club.
Caitie grew up in Ohio where she developed her love of reading everything she could get her hands on.
Caitie is looking for commercial and upmarket fiction with great characters and superb writing, especially historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers of all kinds, magical realism, and book club fiction.Caitie is also looking for Young Adult and New Adult projects, particularly romance, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, and contemporary books with diverse characters.Website|Twitter
Penelope Burns is the newest member of Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners. She came to the agency as an intern after graduating from Colgate University in 2012. Currently, as an agency assistant, Penelope is looking to a build a list of her own. She is interested in Literary and Commercial fiction and non-fiction, as well as a variety of Young Adult and Middle Grade.
I'm actively looking for YA/MG novels with a unique voice or an unreliable narrator, or an interesting and unique premise. I'd also love to see a YA contemporary romance, or a clever MG with a lot of humor. I am not seeking adult thrillers. Website|Twitter
Jennifer Azantian began her agenting career in 2011, first as an intern and then as an assistant and associate, at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. In 2014, after working with senior agent and entertainment lawyer Paul Levine, Jennifer opened the Azantian Literary Agency specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and smart-psychological horror novels for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers. Of particular interest are stories that explore meaningful human interactions against fantastic backdrops, underrepresented voices, literary science fiction, historical fantasy, creepy stories (especially for MG and YA), humorous space operas, well-crafted and hopeful futures, internally consistent epic fantasy, obscure retold fairy tales, modernized mythologies, and eccentric middle-grade.
Website|Twitter
Alex Barba is an agent and the foreign rights contact at Inklings Literary Agency.
Alex has a background in publishing and entertainment. She came to Inklings after a stint as a literary consultant in New York City, having scouted the U.S. book market for film and TV clients and foreign publishers. Prior to that, she spent time in Los Angeles as an editor at a digital magazine, and doing story development on scripts with a literary management company.
In her own words, what she wants:
I represent YA fiction (because I am still a 16-year-old girl at heart). I'm looking for grounded contemporary YA, but an extremely well-done contemporary with fantasy or sci-fi elements will occasionally grab me. And a clever retelling/re-spin of an old classic is always thrilling (think Ella Enchanted, one of my favorite books ever). Cinematic elements draw my eye, but ultimately I believe truly great stories are built on the backs of multi-faceted, compelling characters. Some other things I particularly love: stories about self-discovery, awesome action sequences, interesting friendships, smart girls making bad choices, a good love story, and darkly humorous writing with wacky plot twists.
Website|Twitter
Lisa Abellera joined Kimberley Cameron and Associates in 2013 with a background in management, marketing, and finance. She has studied creative writing, design and business, earning her B.A. in Strategic Management from Dominican University of CA and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from University of San Francisco.Lisa had a successful career in the corporate world before joining the world of publishing. After editorial internships with an independent press and Kimberley Cameron & Associates, she now follows her true passion for books and writing. She leverages her business and marketing expertise to help authors navigate the complexities of publishing. She is excited to develop talented authors and help advance their careers.She is actively building her client list with both debut and established authors. She is looking to form long-term, collaborative relationships with writers who are committed to putting forth their best work.Lisa responds to well-crafted prose with strong hooks and high personal stakes, to idiosyncratic, sympathetic characters, to a tangible sense of place, to multicultural aspects and international settings, to page-turning twists, and to emotionally driven fiction that explores the human condition, especially within family and close relationships.She is seeking to represent upmarket fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery/suspense, speculative or medical science thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, YA and middle grade.Website|Twitter
July 12, 2015
NAME THAT JUDGE #5
This judge has been correctly named! Please see the comments for the answer and watch for a fresh game.
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? Let's see if this one goes as quickly. There are 34 Query Kombat judges and are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was Mrs. Pollifax. And they have provided a few hints:
Grew up on a hobby farm where we raised sheep and rabbits.Have my motorcycle license.Am a Mennonite (not Amish!).Cancer survivor.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a two chapter critique! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? Let's see if this one goes as quickly. There are 34 Query Kombat judges and are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was Mrs. Pollifax. And they have provided a few hints:
Grew up on a hobby farm where we raised sheep and rabbits.Have my motorcycle license.Am a Mennonite (not Amish!).Cancer survivor.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a two chapter critique! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
July 11, 2015
Name THAT JUDGE #4
The judge has been named! Check the comments for the answer and keeping watching for fresh chances.
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? Let's see if this one goes as quickly. There are 34 Query Kombat judges and are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was Felicity Porter. And they have provided a few hints:
1. Writes about fictional young adults and nonfictional young adults almost equally in a calendar year.2. Posts an inordinate amount of pictures of donuts and cupcakes.3. Is swayed by voice--especially snarky ones--and marketability. Bonus points for kissing.4. Will call you out for inaccuracies about what happens in a school.
First one to correctly name this judge gets an ebook of a charity anthology which includes a story by Felicity Porter! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? Let's see if this one goes as quickly. There are 34 Query Kombat judges and are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was Felicity Porter. And they have provided a few hints:
1. Writes about fictional young adults and nonfictional young adults almost equally in a calendar year.2. Posts an inordinate amount of pictures of donuts and cupcakes.3. Is swayed by voice--especially snarky ones--and marketability. Bonus points for kissing.4. Will call you out for inaccuracies about what happens in a school.
First one to correctly name this judge gets an ebook of a charity anthology which includes a story by Felicity Porter! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Age Category AND Genre
I just wanted to take a moment to talk about classifying your manuscript. In Query Kombat submissions back in May, we got a larger number than ever of entries that only had an age category on them. Meaning their genre line only said Young Adult or only said Middle Grade. That's not really the best way, whether you're entering a contest or sending a query letter.
There should be two parts to classifying your finished and polished manuscript: the age category and the genre. Now it's not so much a problem to get them wrong as it is to put nothing. So let's talk a little about why you need both.
First off, the age category. That tells an agent what manner of voice and style you used to write your manuscript. There are very different expectations for a middle grade story than for an adult one. Obviously you aren't going to have sex in a middle grade, while the story may take longer to get started in an adult book.
The age category describes what age level of audience you are attempting to reach. It's the more broad of the two types of classifications as there are fewer choices--adult, new adult, young adult, middle grade, chapter book or picture book.
As Captain Obvious would say Adult is aimed to adult readers. New adult goes out to the college age or young twenties to 18 crowd. Young adult features main characters from 13 to 17. Middle grade hits at anywhere from 8 to 12 years old. And chapter book and picture book are focused on the very young.
That's the first part of the information you want to label in your query letter or contest entry. Now we need to talk about what type of story you wrote--the genre. Here's where things can get really complicated, because so many manuscripts can fall into multiple genres. But it's important you attempt to find the right label for your story and use it. Genre tells the agent about what smaller audience you're trying to reach within the age category.
Are you attempting to hit the teenager who likes romance or the middle grade reader who prefers adventure? Will this story best suit adults who like mystery or adults looking for a feel good read?
Some of the main genres include--fantasy, science fiction, horror, contemporary, historical fiction, romance, mystery, literary, thriller, western, women's fiction and on and on. Within each main genre are dozens of subgenres, making for an ever more difficult choice to pin down your manuscript.
For instance within fantasy are contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal fantasy, my favorite epic fantasy, high fantasy, sword and sorcery, dark fantasy, medieval fantasy, superhero fantasy, Arthurian fantasy and more. The list is practically endless.
I know it can be difficult to find the right genre and confusing, but that's what twitter is for. Talk to other writers. Get help from your critique partners. But this post is not really about helping figure out your genre. There are better posts for that. It's a reminder to newer writers to put an age category and genre.
So for instance you would have something that looks like this: YA thriller or MG Adventure or Adult Urban Fantasy or NA Romance when you enter New Agent. We want to see your YA Space Opera or your MG low fantasy. Adult dark thrillers. New Adult cozy mystery. Those are just examples; we want to see age categories and genres of all sorts.
So keep in mind the Experts don't want to see something that just says YA or adult.
YA what? Adult hmmm? It's your job to find that out, though it can be difficult for even the most experienced writers. I have a story with magic that is set after an apocalypse that eventually reaches a dystopian government. I went with YA dystopian on it, but it could have been YA fantasy or YA post apocalypse. It's very difficult to decide sometimes.
Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and I'll help as best I can. You can also use the #NewAgent hashtag to get suggestions from more folks.
There should be two parts to classifying your finished and polished manuscript: the age category and the genre. Now it's not so much a problem to get them wrong as it is to put nothing. So let's talk a little about why you need both.
First off, the age category. That tells an agent what manner of voice and style you used to write your manuscript. There are very different expectations for a middle grade story than for an adult one. Obviously you aren't going to have sex in a middle grade, while the story may take longer to get started in an adult book.
The age category describes what age level of audience you are attempting to reach. It's the more broad of the two types of classifications as there are fewer choices--adult, new adult, young adult, middle grade, chapter book or picture book.
As Captain Obvious would say Adult is aimed to adult readers. New adult goes out to the college age or young twenties to 18 crowd. Young adult features main characters from 13 to 17. Middle grade hits at anywhere from 8 to 12 years old. And chapter book and picture book are focused on the very young.
That's the first part of the information you want to label in your query letter or contest entry. Now we need to talk about what type of story you wrote--the genre. Here's where things can get really complicated, because so many manuscripts can fall into multiple genres. But it's important you attempt to find the right label for your story and use it. Genre tells the agent about what smaller audience you're trying to reach within the age category.
Are you attempting to hit the teenager who likes romance or the middle grade reader who prefers adventure? Will this story best suit adults who like mystery or adults looking for a feel good read?
Some of the main genres include--fantasy, science fiction, horror, contemporary, historical fiction, romance, mystery, literary, thriller, western, women's fiction and on and on. Within each main genre are dozens of subgenres, making for an ever more difficult choice to pin down your manuscript.
For instance within fantasy are contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal fantasy, my favorite epic fantasy, high fantasy, sword and sorcery, dark fantasy, medieval fantasy, superhero fantasy, Arthurian fantasy and more. The list is practically endless.
I know it can be difficult to find the right genre and confusing, but that's what twitter is for. Talk to other writers. Get help from your critique partners. But this post is not really about helping figure out your genre. There are better posts for that. It's a reminder to newer writers to put an age category and genre.
So for instance you would have something that looks like this: YA thriller or MG Adventure or Adult Urban Fantasy or NA Romance when you enter New Agent. We want to see your YA Space Opera or your MG low fantasy. Adult dark thrillers. New Adult cozy mystery. Those are just examples; we want to see age categories and genres of all sorts.
So keep in mind the Experts don't want to see something that just says YA or adult.
YA what? Adult hmmm? It's your job to find that out, though it can be difficult for even the most experienced writers. I have a story with magic that is set after an apocalypse that eventually reaches a dystopian government. I went with YA dystopian on it, but it could have been YA fantasy or YA post apocalypse. It's very difficult to decide sometimes.
Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and I'll help as best I can. You can also use the #NewAgent hashtag to get suggestions from more folks.
