Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 93
October 7, 2014
Query Questions with Andrea Somberg
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.
Here's a hint of Nightmare on Query Street. Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger tells us a little about her query slush procedure.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
The week between Christmas and New Years isn't great. But all that means is that it might take me longer to respond.....
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
No, not for me! I put much more weight on the concept and on the strength of the writing.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
It depends, but oftentimes I find that it's hard to judge the merits of a project based on a query letter alone. I like to get a sense of the author's narrative voice.......
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?
I usually find it more helpful to see pages from the first chapter, however I've certainly requested manuscripts after only reading the prologue....
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?
I definitely encourage authors to simultaneously query multiple agents - but only if those agents are with different firms. If I do think that a project is a better fit for another agent at my agency, I will most certainly pass it on to them.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
Time is short - straight to the point is usually the best way to go!
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?
I wouldn't say that it's a red flag per se - but it's definitely helpful to have that information clearly spelled out.
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?
There are two things I want to know from your plot description in your query letter: 1) Who is your protagonist, and what makes them sympathetic and compelling, and 2) What is the primary conflict? If including multiple character names helps you get that information across, great! But oftentimes it can just be extraneous and confusing.....
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?
It's almost always changed by the publisher. That being said, a good title can definitely help sell a project, so it does make sense to take time to get it right.
How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?
I get about 250 queries a week. Of those I request maybe one or two projects.
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?
For novels, I almost always make a decision based on the strength of the manuscript itself. But once a client does sign with me, I certainly encourage them to become active online, and I also provide my clients with information about ways they can help promote themselves and their book.
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 think it's great to include the links - whether in the email signature, or in the query itself!
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
This is really a case-by-case basis. Oftentimes if I am interested in seeing a revision I will mention that to the author.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
Oftentimes people will include information about where they live, their age, their schooling, their family.... all of this information is great, but I would definitely limit it to a sentence or two.
What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you?
Usually there's just something about the manuscript that doesn't completely resonate with me - it can be a highly subjective reaction!
What themes are you sick of seeing?
Dystopian can be really tough to sell these days, but other than that I'm open to a wide variety of themes and subject matter!
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
Yes.
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
Picking favorites is so difficult! Plus, my tastes are incredibly varied. However some movies and books I've recently read/watched and enjoyed....
Movies/TV shows: Chef, Trolls 2, Twin Peaks, United States of Tara
Books: Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, Eric Kahn Gale's The Bully Book, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, Lily Tuck's I Married You For Happiness
-----------------------------------------------
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A literary agent for over ten years, Andrea Somberg represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects aimed at a young adult and middle grade audience. Previously an agent at the Donald Maass Agency and Vigliano Associates, she joined Harvey Klinger Inc. in the spring of 2005. 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, womens fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, middle grade. Nonfiction: memoir, narrative, popular science, pop-culture, humor, how-to, parenting, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, cookbooks, health & fitness, business, and sports.
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.
Here's a hint of Nightmare on Query Street. Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger tells us a little about her query slush procedure.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?
The week between Christmas and New Years isn't great. But all that means is that it might take me longer to respond.....
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?
No, not for me! I put much more weight on the concept and on the strength of the writing.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?
It depends, but oftentimes I find that it's hard to judge the merits of a project based on a query letter alone. I like to get a sense of the author's narrative voice.......
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?
I usually find it more helpful to see pages from the first chapter, however I've certainly requested manuscripts after only reading the prologue....
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?
I definitely encourage authors to simultaneously query multiple agents - but only if those agents are with different firms. If I do think that a project is a better fit for another agent at my agency, I will most certainly pass it on to them.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?
Time is short - straight to the point is usually the best way to go!
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?
I wouldn't say that it's a red flag per se - but it's definitely helpful to have that information clearly spelled out.
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?
There are two things I want to know from your plot description in your query letter: 1) Who is your protagonist, and what makes them sympathetic and compelling, and 2) What is the primary conflict? If including multiple character names helps you get that information across, great! But oftentimes it can just be extraneous and confusing.....
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?
It's almost always changed by the publisher. That being said, a good title can definitely help sell a project, so it does make sense to take time to get it right.
How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?
I get about 250 queries a week. Of those I request maybe one or two projects.
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?
For novels, I almost always make a decision based on the strength of the manuscript itself. But once a client does sign with me, I certainly encourage them to become active online, and I also provide my clients with information about ways they can help promote themselves and their book.
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 think it's great to include the links - whether in the email signature, or in the query itself!
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?
This is really a case-by-case basis. Oftentimes if I am interested in seeing a revision I will mention that to the author.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?
Oftentimes people will include information about where they live, their age, their schooling, their family.... all of this information is great, but I would definitely limit it to a sentence or two.
What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you?
Usually there's just something about the manuscript that doesn't completely resonate with me - it can be a highly subjective reaction!
What themes are you sick of seeing?
Dystopian can be really tough to sell these days, but other than that I'm open to a wide variety of themes and subject matter!
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?
Yes.
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?
Picking favorites is so difficult! Plus, my tastes are incredibly varied. However some movies and books I've recently read/watched and enjoyed....
Movies/TV shows: Chef, Trolls 2, Twin Peaks, United States of Tara
Books: Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, Eric Kahn Gale's The Bully Book, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, Lily Tuck's I Married You For Happiness
-----------------------------------------------
[image error]
A literary agent for over ten years, Andrea Somberg represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects aimed at a young adult and middle grade audience. Previously an agent at the Donald Maass Agency and Vigliano Associates, she joined Harvey Klinger Inc. in the spring of 2005. 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, womens fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, middle grade. Nonfiction: memoir, narrative, popular science, pop-culture, humor, how-to, parenting, self-help, lifestyle, travel, interior design, crafts, cookbooks, health & fitness, business, and sports.
October 6, 2014
Nightmare on Query Street 2014 AGENTS
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The big day is fast approaching. The submission window is October 15th-17th, and the awesome agents will request from the 28th-30th. Click here to find out all about the contest. Don't forget to enter to win my free pass.
And, so, SPEAKING ABOUT AGENTS....
I'm very excited. Because we've got amazing agents lined up for you, and a diverse selection of them. New agents, established agents, agents new to contests, agents experienced with contests. Agents with genre preferences ranging all over the spectrum!
Have I hyped it up enough for you all?
Ok. Good.
Without further ado, here come the agents :) (And these aren't necessarily the only agents - more might be coming!)
Carrie Howland
Carrie Howland joined Donadio and Olson in 2005. In addition to her own clients, she handles both first serial and audio rights for the agency, as well as working with foreign rights and permissions. She also oversees the internship program at Donadio and Olson. Carrie represents literary fiction and non-fiction as well as young adult fiction.
Uwe Stender
Uwe was a guest speaker at several major conferences including the SCWC in San Diego, the Crimebake (Mystery Writers of America New England Chapter), CAPA-U in Hartford, Connecticut, the Writers' League of Texas in Austin, Penn Writers, and he spoke on a panel at the Book Expo America in New York City.
They are always open to any strong fiction (our current focus in fiction is YA, middle grade, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction and Mysteries) and all non-fiction projects.
Taylor Haggerty
I am drawn to novels with a compelling voice and grounded, relatable characters that pull me into their world from the start. My favorite books have strong emotional elements that stay with me long after I finish reading.My current interests include young adult fiction, historical fiction, and historical romance.
I'm actively seeking middle grade and young adult novels of all genres, historical fiction, women's fiction, and romance—contemporary, historical, and new adult. I do not represent screenplays.
I am a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and received a master’s degree from Emerson College’s Publishing and Writing program. Prior to joining Waxman Leavell in 2013, I worked at the Gersh Agency.
Christa Heskche
Christa graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children's Literature Department since 2009 where she is actively looking for picture books, middle grade, and young adult projects. She is a fan of young adult novels with a romantic angle, and strong, quirky protagonists. Within YA, Christa is especially interested in contemporary fiction, horror and thrillers/mysteries. As for middle grade, Christa enjoys contemporary, humor, adventure, mystery and magical realism for boys and girls. For picture books, she’s drawn to cute, funny, character driven stories within fiction and is open to non-fiction with a unique hook.
Christa is not looking for any Adult fiction or non-fiction, paranormal or dystopian at this time.
Blog: Neverending Stories
Clelia Gore
It was when Clelia first read Charlotte's Web in the first grade that she got hooked by the magic of books. Her love of children's books carried through adulthood and she is delighted to dedicate her life to bringing quality books and stories to young (and whimsical adult!) readers.
Clelia is originally from New Jersey. She currently divides her time between Seattle and New York. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Boston College. She received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and practiced law as a corporate litigator in New York City.
In 2011, she decided to dedicate her career to books and reentered graduate school at Emerson College. In 2013, she received her master's degree in Publishing and Writing. While she was studying publishing and taking creative writing courses at Emerson, Clelia worked as a managing editorial intern in the children's book division at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Clelia also honed her editorial skills as an editorial intern at Oxford University Press. She also taught academic writing and research courses to freshman students at Emerson College.
Clelia acquires middle grade and young adult books. In young adult, she is currently seeking strong voice-driven novels. Right now she is particularly looking for contemporary, realistic novels, as well as books with fantastical elements ("light" fantasies). She is very interested in young adult memoirs featuring unique stories about extraordinary youths.
In middle grade, Clelia's interests run very wide, but a strong, unique and contemporary voice is always important. Humorous middle grade is her favorite. She is currently on the hunt for middle grade books that have interplay between the illustrations and text.
** With apologies, Clelia is no longer accepting unsolicited picture book or New Adult fiction queries ***
Jen Karsbaek
Jen Karsbaek joined first Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, then Foreword Literary Agency in 2013.
Jen is aggressively looking to build her list with women’s fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, historical fiction, and literary fiction. She looks for books with particularly well-developed characters and strong authorial voice. In historical in particular she is interested in books that bring the setting to life and maintain balance between historical accuracy and strong plot choices. She is also interested in mystery, fantasy, and occasionally romance approaches to any of the genres listed above. She is not looking for YA or anything that is primarily fantasy, romance, or science fiction.
Leon Husock
Prior to joining the L. Perkins Agency, Leon was an associate agent at Anderson Literary Management. He has a BA in Literature from Bard College and attended the Columbia Publishing Course.
Leon is actively building his client list.
He has a particular interest in science fiction & fantasy, young adult and middle-grade novels filled with strong characters and original premises, but keeps an open mind for anything that catches his eye.
He is also looking for historical fiction set in the 20th century, particularly the 1980s or earlier.
He is not interested in non-fiction at this time.
Diana Finch
While I love to represent a wide variety of books, I do have a particular enthusiasm for narrative nonfiction, memoir and journalists who are writing about current events. I opened my own agency in 2003 after nearly 18 years with the Ellen Levine Literary Agency.
Brent Taylor
My tastes are eclectic, but all of my favorite novels are similar in that they have big commercial hooks and fantastic writing. I am seeking smart, fun, and exciting books for readers of middle grade, young adult, new adult, and select mystery/crime and women’s fiction.
Middle Grade: for younger readers I am on the hunt for a humorous, intelligent fantasy; a scare-the-pants-off-me ghost or haunting story; fast-paced literary writing similar in style to Jerry Spinelli and Cynthia Lord. I have soft spots for larger-than-life characters and atmospheric setting (creepy and/or quirky).
Young Adult: I’m always looking for genre-bending books that can be an exciting puzzlement when thinking about how precisely to market; specifically mystery and crime for teens, the grittier the better; high-concept contemporary stories with addicting romantic tension. I’m a sucker for themes of finding your place in the world, new beginnings, and summer-before-college stories.
New Adult: my tastes in New Adult tend to be more darkly skewed but I would love a well-executed story that shares the same excitement, wonder, and invigoration of books like LOSING IT. Although I appreciate any story that’s told well in great language, in New Adult I’m more concerned with being entertained and gripped by the edge of my seat than in being stimulated.
Adult: I would love a psychological suspense based on actual events, i.e. CARTWHEEL by Jennifer Dubois which fictionalized the Amanda Knox trial and hooked me from beginning to end. Alternatively, I’d love high-concept women’s fiction; either an exquisitely told story huge in size and scope, or a less ambitious novel that simply warms my heart.
From Writer's Digest
Mark Gottlieb
Trident has had great success at "home growing" talented individuals from entry level positions into leading agents in the publishing industry. With Mark Gottlieb, the term "home grown" agent is literally true.
From an early age, Mark showed a passionate interest in his father's work, his founding of Trident with Dan Strone, and the growth of the company. And his father Robert took great pleasure in being "grilled" regularly by Mark.
This focus on publishing continued at Emerson College, where Mark was a founding member of the Publishing Club, then its President, subsequently overseeing its first publication under the Wilde Press imprint.
After graduating Emerson with a degree in writing, literature and publishing, Mark began his career as an assistant to the Vice President of the Berkley imprint at Penguin, working with leading editors at the firm.
Mark's first position at Trident was in the foreign rights department, assisting the department's agents in selling the books of clients around the world.
From there, Mark went to Trident's "boot camp," working as Executive Assistant to Robert, the Chairman of the firm, with responsibility for organizing and helping to manage diverse authors and their complex business transactions.
Mark continued to follow the customary Trident development process by next assuming the position of audio rights agent. Since Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has doubled (for more information on audio books, please see the Audio Books page under our Services tab).
While at Trident, Mark has shown great initiative and insight in identifying talented writers for the firm's agents. Now while continuing to head up audio rights, Mark is building his own client list of writers. "I am excited to work directly with authors that I bring to Trident, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available to me at Trident."
Andrea Somberg
A literary agent for close to fifteen years, Andrea Somberg represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects aimed at a young adult and middle grade audience. Previously an agent at the Donald Maass Agency and Vigliano Associates, she joined Harvey Klinger Inc. in the spring of 2005. 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, womens 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, health & fitness. Andrea has also been a MediaBistro instructor, teaching courses on writing nonfiction and memoir book proposals.
Patricia Nelson
Patricia Nelson joined the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency as assistant to Kevan Lyon in March 2014, and became an agent in September 2014. Previously, she interned at The Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency and in the children’s division at Running Press.
Patricia represents adult and young adult fiction, and is actively looking to build her list. On the adult side, she is interested in literary fiction and commercial fiction in the New Adult, women’s fiction, and romance genres. For YA, she is looking for contemporary/realistic fiction as well YA mystery/thriller, horror, magical realism, science fiction and fantasy. She is also interested in finding exciting multicultural and LGBTQ fiction, both YA and adult. In general, Patricia loves stories with complex characters that jump off the page and thoughtfully drawn, believable relationships – along with writing that makes her feel completely pulled into these characters’ lives and worlds.
Patricia received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008, and also holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the world of publishing, she spent four years as a university-level instructor of literature and writing.
Rachel Brooks
Before joining the L Perkins Agency, Rachel worked as an agent apprentice to Louise Fury. In addition to her industry training, Rachel has a business degree and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from Texas A&M University-CC.Rachel is actively building her client list.She is excited about representing all genres of young adult and new adult fiction, as well as adult romance. While she is looking for all sub-genres of romance, she is especially interested in romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She is also on the lookout for fun picture books.
She’s a fan of dual POVs, loves both print and ebooks, and has a soft spot for marketing savvy writers.
This is going to be a FUN contest. So get your manuscripts and pitches polished and ready to go for the scariest, spookiest writerly contest this side of the Internet!
And check the Query Questions interviews in my blog sidebar to learn more about the agents. Plus, new interviews coming this week!
October 3, 2014
Pitchslam Begins!
I'm really excited to be a team leader for Pitchslam. I'll be making picks for #TeamMutantCharm along with my right hand mutant, Carla Rehse. (Be sure and follow her at @CRehse.)
All the information to format and submit your entry is here. You'll send your pitch on October 4th, your first 250 words on October 6th, and your revised entry on October 9th.
Gambit and the X-men
Here's a rerun of a post I did last year about making a super query. The same sort of tactics apply to creating a super pitch and maybe it will be helpful.
I won't claim to be an expert, despite hosting many query contests (Query Kombat, New Agent, Sun versus Snow, PitchSlam and Nightmare on Query Street), but I have read a fair share of queries. I've also written my share and critiqued dozens. So these are some tips from a quasi-amateur on what works in a query and first page.
Much of querying is going to be subjective. Happening to have that concept an agent is on the lookout for. Using the name of an agent's pet cat without knowing it. Setting your story in an agent's favorite vacation spot. Matching the sense of humor of an agent or their love of a dark tale.
Beyond creating a top notch concept which is super marketable, those are things that are serendipity. Entirely based upon luck and for which you can't plan. (Though you can research. Getting to know something about agents will help you gear your query toward an agent.) These are not always things you can write into your query letter and first page. But there are things you can do to make your query stronger.
The Foundations of a Good Query:
Much has been said about the benefit of a strong beginning hook. A hook is important, but the query will fall apart if the rest of the paragraphs let it down. Here are some other things that matter.
Be Clean: First off, the simplest advice. You want to catch those typos and missing words. You want to be sure your have commas where they belong. Which means get some unbiased eyes to examine your query for mistakes. Mistakes in a query and first page will hurt your chances. (More on first pages in another post.)
Motivation: The reader needs to be able to determine what makes your main character tick. There should be something in the query to show why your character needs to react. What is propelling them forward, instead of sitting at home? Maybe their family is in danger. Maybe they want to regain their memory. Maybe they'll do anything to find love. But there has to be a reason, because that reason tells us something about your character. It's what will make us care about them, or on the other side, hit delete if the motivation is not there.
Stakes: It's not enough to tell us why a character has to accomplish something. You have to tell us what happens if they fail and what happens if they succeed. In other words, nail the worst case scenario and the best. And, the difficult part, you have to be specific when you do this. No generic cliche is going to catch someone's attention among the hundreds of queries out there.
Avoid side plots: Stay away from venturing too far from the main plot/concept. A good book is going to be full of other things that the main character desires and complications that arise. Those should definitely be in the story, but they only make the query confusing. Avoid confusion. Focus on your main problem. The only exception being to include any romance that might be blossoming. That can usually be done in a query without being distracting.
Limit Named Characters: Another way to keep the query on track is to only name a very few characters. Keep it simple with identifying characters. The last thing you want is an agent going who is this guy again? They have enough to remember.
Three is a good number of names to stick to. Too many names and places slow down a query and make it difficult to follow. That's not to say you can't use general identifiers like: her parents, work friends, humpbacked lab assistant. That fixes the relationship with the main character without bogging the query with a lot of names.
Creating a Super Query:
Beyond the basics what can you do to make your query stand out above the hundreds that are out there? These are the sort of things that make the difference between a strong query and a super query that gets you into contests.
Voice: The best and most effective way to make your query stand out is to fill it with voice. Let the attitude of your character shine. The query should almost seem to be coming out of their mouth. (Of course you need to stay in third person, which is why this is hard.)
And why is that good? Because it shows us what your main character is like. You know the saying, 'that's a man I'd like to have a beer with.' That's what you're going for with voice. Convincing us this character is someone we want to spend time with. You are putting your character's personality on display by the words and slang you use in your query.
Details: I touched on this in the stakes section, but I can't stress it enough. Be specific in your details. There's nothing more boring than a bunch of cliche lines. She has to save the day. He must rise to the challenge. Save what? Rise to what? Don't be cagey, tell us.
And the details should go beyond the stakes. Why? Because details show about a character. I remember one entry (first page) in Query Kombat that I picked specifically because of a mention of a pink flipflop and the noise being something her mom hated. That shows me something about the main character!
Make sure you use the right sort of details that make your character interesting, that bring out something about them. The wrong sort of details just make a query confusing as mentioned under avoiding side plots and extra names.
Set the tone: This might relate more to me, a subjective thing, but I like a query and/or first page with humor. If you book is humorous then that should be on display in your query. Conversely, if your story is dark, your query should reflect that.
Use the query to set the mood. In a query, the rules about avoiding adjectives don't apply so strictly. A query is short. You need to use the space you have and that means resorting to adjectives at times. They can be useful both for setting the tone and for creating voice.
Unique: Most of the information in this bottom section has been about establishing the personality of your main character and carrying that into the query. Focus on what makes your book unique. Being sure to detail what is unique about your story is another way to enlarge our knowledge about the character, but it can also go beyond characters.
If you story is set in a unique location, make sure you include that. If there is something different about your plot, make sure we know.
And warning: Don't hide things as a 'surprise' for the reader by keeping them from your query. (Except for endings and big twists.) If your query doesn't hook, there's not going to be a second chance to awe us.
I heard from lots of people that didn't want to give too much away in a query. If the query doesn't hook us, it's not doing it's job. Like using specific details, unique qualities in your story are too important to save for later.
A super query goes beyond the motivation, plot, and stakes of a story. A super query gives us a sense of personality, mood, and uniqueness. A super query makes us want to know more, makes us care.
So there you have it. An incomplete--I'm sure--list of ways to make your query stronger. I hope it helps make creating your query a little easier and gives you more confidence.
What's the best advice you've every had on a query?
All the information to format and submit your entry is here. You'll send your pitch on October 4th, your first 250 words on October 6th, and your revised entry on October 9th.
Gambit and the X-menHere's a rerun of a post I did last year about making a super query. The same sort of tactics apply to creating a super pitch and maybe it will be helpful.
I won't claim to be an expert, despite hosting many query contests (Query Kombat, New Agent, Sun versus Snow, PitchSlam and Nightmare on Query Street), but I have read a fair share of queries. I've also written my share and critiqued dozens. So these are some tips from a quasi-amateur on what works in a query and first page.
Much of querying is going to be subjective. Happening to have that concept an agent is on the lookout for. Using the name of an agent's pet cat without knowing it. Setting your story in an agent's favorite vacation spot. Matching the sense of humor of an agent or their love of a dark tale.
Beyond creating a top notch concept which is super marketable, those are things that are serendipity. Entirely based upon luck and for which you can't plan. (Though you can research. Getting to know something about agents will help you gear your query toward an agent.) These are not always things you can write into your query letter and first page. But there are things you can do to make your query stronger.
.jpg)
The Foundations of a Good Query:
Much has been said about the benefit of a strong beginning hook. A hook is important, but the query will fall apart if the rest of the paragraphs let it down. Here are some other things that matter.
Be Clean: First off, the simplest advice. You want to catch those typos and missing words. You want to be sure your have commas where they belong. Which means get some unbiased eyes to examine your query for mistakes. Mistakes in a query and first page will hurt your chances. (More on first pages in another post.)
Motivation: The reader needs to be able to determine what makes your main character tick. There should be something in the query to show why your character needs to react. What is propelling them forward, instead of sitting at home? Maybe their family is in danger. Maybe they want to regain their memory. Maybe they'll do anything to find love. But there has to be a reason, because that reason tells us something about your character. It's what will make us care about them, or on the other side, hit delete if the motivation is not there.
Stakes: It's not enough to tell us why a character has to accomplish something. You have to tell us what happens if they fail and what happens if they succeed. In other words, nail the worst case scenario and the best. And, the difficult part, you have to be specific when you do this. No generic cliche is going to catch someone's attention among the hundreds of queries out there.
Avoid side plots: Stay away from venturing too far from the main plot/concept. A good book is going to be full of other things that the main character desires and complications that arise. Those should definitely be in the story, but they only make the query confusing. Avoid confusion. Focus on your main problem. The only exception being to include any romance that might be blossoming. That can usually be done in a query without being distracting.
Limit Named Characters: Another way to keep the query on track is to only name a very few characters. Keep it simple with identifying characters. The last thing you want is an agent going who is this guy again? They have enough to remember.
Three is a good number of names to stick to. Too many names and places slow down a query and make it difficult to follow. That's not to say you can't use general identifiers like: her parents, work friends, humpbacked lab assistant. That fixes the relationship with the main character without bogging the query with a lot of names.
Creating a Super Query:
Beyond the basics what can you do to make your query stand out above the hundreds that are out there? These are the sort of things that make the difference between a strong query and a super query that gets you into contests.
Voice: The best and most effective way to make your query stand out is to fill it with voice. Let the attitude of your character shine. The query should almost seem to be coming out of their mouth. (Of course you need to stay in third person, which is why this is hard.)
And why is that good? Because it shows us what your main character is like. You know the saying, 'that's a man I'd like to have a beer with.' That's what you're going for with voice. Convincing us this character is someone we want to spend time with. You are putting your character's personality on display by the words and slang you use in your query.
Details: I touched on this in the stakes section, but I can't stress it enough. Be specific in your details. There's nothing more boring than a bunch of cliche lines. She has to save the day. He must rise to the challenge. Save what? Rise to what? Don't be cagey, tell us.
And the details should go beyond the stakes. Why? Because details show about a character. I remember one entry (first page) in Query Kombat that I picked specifically because of a mention of a pink flipflop and the noise being something her mom hated. That shows me something about the main character!
Make sure you use the right sort of details that make your character interesting, that bring out something about them. The wrong sort of details just make a query confusing as mentioned under avoiding side plots and extra names.
Set the tone: This might relate more to me, a subjective thing, but I like a query and/or first page with humor. If you book is humorous then that should be on display in your query. Conversely, if your story is dark, your query should reflect that.
Use the query to set the mood. In a query, the rules about avoiding adjectives don't apply so strictly. A query is short. You need to use the space you have and that means resorting to adjectives at times. They can be useful both for setting the tone and for creating voice.
Unique: Most of the information in this bottom section has been about establishing the personality of your main character and carrying that into the query. Focus on what makes your book unique. Being sure to detail what is unique about your story is another way to enlarge our knowledge about the character, but it can also go beyond characters.
If you story is set in a unique location, make sure you include that. If there is something different about your plot, make sure we know.
And warning: Don't hide things as a 'surprise' for the reader by keeping them from your query. (Except for endings and big twists.) If your query doesn't hook, there's not going to be a second chance to awe us.
I heard from lots of people that didn't want to give too much away in a query. If the query doesn't hook us, it's not doing it's job. Like using specific details, unique qualities in your story are too important to save for later.
A super query goes beyond the motivation, plot, and stakes of a story. A super query gives us a sense of personality, mood, and uniqueness. A super query makes us want to know more, makes us care.
So there you have it. An incomplete--I'm sure--list of ways to make your query stronger. I hope it helps make creating your query a little easier and gives you more confidence.
What's the best advice you've every had on a query?
Getting the Call with Nicole Byers
I hope nobody is getting tired of these contest success stories. I'm sure not! Let the good news continue! Here is another one for Nicole Byers and her adult horror WEEL from Query Kombat! You can find the entry for WEEL here.
Congrats to Nicole! Let's hope Nightmare on Query Street has as many happy outcomes.
It was a few months into 2014 and one of my friends linked me to a contest on Twitter called Pitch Slam. This pretty much told me I needed to stop sitting on my butt and actually get my manuscript (titled WHO’S EATING ERIC LYNCH?) out there if I wanted to make anything of myself. Now, keep in mind I’d never used Twitter before, nor have I sent any part of my manuscript to an agent or a contest. “I’ll take this nice and slow,” I told myself. I didn’t want to get too excited, because I knew how discouraged I get when something I crave that hard doesn’t work out.
Well, there I sat, nose inches from the monitor for a good solid week while this contest came and went. Hopes high but expecting disaster, I actually made it into the contest as what the judges called a “Rebel Roadie”: an entry they didn’t think would get agent requests because it was a bit “out there,” but they liked it so much they had to include it in the contest. Long story short, I ended up with 2 partials. Nothing came of those requests but it was nice knowing people enjoyed my story, especially agents. It was maybe even a bit intoxicating.
That same friend sent me a link for Query Kombat. I’d never written a query before, have only read about them and took a few peeks at some example successful queries. I wrote one for the requests from Pitch Slam, but I had no idea how good mine was. So I thought I might as well send it in to Query Kombat. Perfect chance for some query feedback, right? Just had to hope I’d make it in.
Well, out of all those Query Kombat entries, my query and first 250 words made it into the contest! YUS! Being a horror writer, I felt a little out of my element when surrounded by all the YA, fantasy, and contemporary stories, but that was fine…I was in! My Query Kombat run took me to round 3, and I ended up with a partial request from the one agent I had my eyes on throughout the contest.
Unfortunately, much like Pitch Slam, nothing much came of that request. However, the suggestions and feedback I received for my query were invaluable. Seeing how many people loved my narrator’s voice made me feel even more confident to start querying on my own. Time to take this newly polished query and see just how many agents I could woo, you know?
I compiled a list of about 30 agents who accepted horror and urban fantasy. During Query Kombat I received feedback of people telling me my genre would be a hard sell, but I didn’t let that deter me. After all, it might be about angels and demons, but that’s not really the selling point—it’s in the quirky, goofy, schizophrenic, deadbeat human narrator. I just needed to find an agent who saw that.
After sending the query and sample chapters to 8 agents, I ended up with a few partials. One of the agents passed but said she’d send it to another agent in the agency who might be interested. As rejections started to trickle in, I received a partial request (first 50 pages) from the agent who was passed my query. Three days later, she asked for a full. After a short conversation through a couple emails, a few days later she said she’d like to talk about my manuscript over the phone and wanted to know when I’d be available for “the call.”
Pretty much freaking out by this point (I was terrified I’d say something stupid or act like an idiot on the phone), later that night I spoke to Jo Schaffer of the Gandolfo Literary Management team. Most of my anxiety came from all the research I’d done on Jo ever since I sent her my partial. (I mean, c’mon, she’s a blackbelt. How cool is that?!) I’ll admit, I can be a total wreck on the phone. But after a few minutes of talking to Jo and hearing how nice and awesome she was, that anxiety gradually subsided and I realized I could just be myself. There aren’t many people who give off that type of vibe, so I could tell right away there was a connection. When she offered me representation, there were a couple explosions inside my head of “YES” and “OMIGOSH.”
Luckily I kept myself composed until I was off the phone. After that? I kinda walked around like a zombie before I realized what had happened.
So now, a few months into this writer/agent relationship, and after a couple rounds of edits where I rewrote a portion of my novel, my manuscript is in the submission process. I’m already so thankful for Jo and how she’s helped me punch and roundhouse kick my word-baby into shape. Can’t wait to one day cradle it in my arms as a fully realized dream. When that happens, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of screaming and cheering. Maybe even some more zombie-fied walking, too.
--------------------------------------------------
Nicole Byers is an adult horror writer. You can often find her on popular
writing forums trading feedback and goofing off with her fellow writing
nerds. She also enjoys video games, unwinding behind a good book, and
watching cat videos on YouTube (because she’s convinced funny cat videos
are the reason the internet was made). Her short fiction appears in both *Under
the Bed* and *eFiction Magazine* under the pseudonym of Dr. Self Destruct.
While she now writes horror, her first love is and always will be high
fantasy. Dragons, man. Dragons.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDByers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Byers/1451498518442782
Congrats to Nicole! Let's hope Nightmare on Query Street has as many happy outcomes.
It was a few months into 2014 and one of my friends linked me to a contest on Twitter called Pitch Slam. This pretty much told me I needed to stop sitting on my butt and actually get my manuscript (titled WHO’S EATING ERIC LYNCH?) out there if I wanted to make anything of myself. Now, keep in mind I’d never used Twitter before, nor have I sent any part of my manuscript to an agent or a contest. “I’ll take this nice and slow,” I told myself. I didn’t want to get too excited, because I knew how discouraged I get when something I crave that hard doesn’t work out.
Well, there I sat, nose inches from the monitor for a good solid week while this contest came and went. Hopes high but expecting disaster, I actually made it into the contest as what the judges called a “Rebel Roadie”: an entry they didn’t think would get agent requests because it was a bit “out there,” but they liked it so much they had to include it in the contest. Long story short, I ended up with 2 partials. Nothing came of those requests but it was nice knowing people enjoyed my story, especially agents. It was maybe even a bit intoxicating.
That same friend sent me a link for Query Kombat. I’d never written a query before, have only read about them and took a few peeks at some example successful queries. I wrote one for the requests from Pitch Slam, but I had no idea how good mine was. So I thought I might as well send it in to Query Kombat. Perfect chance for some query feedback, right? Just had to hope I’d make it in.
Well, out of all those Query Kombat entries, my query and first 250 words made it into the contest! YUS! Being a horror writer, I felt a little out of my element when surrounded by all the YA, fantasy, and contemporary stories, but that was fine…I was in! My Query Kombat run took me to round 3, and I ended up with a partial request from the one agent I had my eyes on throughout the contest.
Unfortunately, much like Pitch Slam, nothing much came of that request. However, the suggestions and feedback I received for my query were invaluable. Seeing how many people loved my narrator’s voice made me feel even more confident to start querying on my own. Time to take this newly polished query and see just how many agents I could woo, you know?
I compiled a list of about 30 agents who accepted horror and urban fantasy. During Query Kombat I received feedback of people telling me my genre would be a hard sell, but I didn’t let that deter me. After all, it might be about angels and demons, but that’s not really the selling point—it’s in the quirky, goofy, schizophrenic, deadbeat human narrator. I just needed to find an agent who saw that.
After sending the query and sample chapters to 8 agents, I ended up with a few partials. One of the agents passed but said she’d send it to another agent in the agency who might be interested. As rejections started to trickle in, I received a partial request (first 50 pages) from the agent who was passed my query. Three days later, she asked for a full. After a short conversation through a couple emails, a few days later she said she’d like to talk about my manuscript over the phone and wanted to know when I’d be available for “the call.”
Pretty much freaking out by this point (I was terrified I’d say something stupid or act like an idiot on the phone), later that night I spoke to Jo Schaffer of the Gandolfo Literary Management team. Most of my anxiety came from all the research I’d done on Jo ever since I sent her my partial. (I mean, c’mon, she’s a blackbelt. How cool is that?!) I’ll admit, I can be a total wreck on the phone. But after a few minutes of talking to Jo and hearing how nice and awesome she was, that anxiety gradually subsided and I realized I could just be myself. There aren’t many people who give off that type of vibe, so I could tell right away there was a connection. When she offered me representation, there were a couple explosions inside my head of “YES” and “OMIGOSH.”
Luckily I kept myself composed until I was off the phone. After that? I kinda walked around like a zombie before I realized what had happened.
So now, a few months into this writer/agent relationship, and after a couple rounds of edits where I rewrote a portion of my novel, my manuscript is in the submission process. I’m already so thankful for Jo and how she’s helped me punch and roundhouse kick my word-baby into shape. Can’t wait to one day cradle it in my arms as a fully realized dream. When that happens, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of screaming and cheering. Maybe even some more zombie-fied walking, too.
--------------------------------------------------
Nicole Byers is an adult horror writer. You can often find her on popular
writing forums trading feedback and goofing off with her fellow writing
nerds. She also enjoys video games, unwinding behind a good book, and
watching cat videos on YouTube (because she’s convinced funny cat videos
are the reason the internet was made). Her short fiction appears in both *Under
the Bed* and *eFiction Magazine* under the pseudonym of Dr. Self Destruct.
While she now writes horror, her first love is and always will be high
fantasy. Dragons, man. Dragons.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDByers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Byers/1451498518442782
October 2, 2014
Query Questions with Mark Gottlieb
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.
It's always nice to see a love of books running in the family. Welcome to new agent Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group.
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? No but it is still considered poor form.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong? Only if the query letter is strong. An author must know how to speak of the self and their work. A poorly-written letter demonstrates that an author can do neither and may not be a good writer, even.
Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? I personally check all of them as I trust my own opinion most. It is much easier for an assistant to say no to something than to give it the time it needs.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? The selection of sample pages is up to the author but I usually request a manuscript in-full.
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested? Some agents pass stuff along to another agent if it isn't for them, but only when it is good. Usually when it is a pass, it is a pass on behalf of the entire agency. If an author wants to query us again, we ask that they wait 30 days. That will afford them time to revise their letter manuscript.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript? I am not one for idle chatter and small talk.
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? Not a red flag since upon receiving the manuscript, the agent can determine the page length and word count. Upon receiving the query, they can determine the genre. It helps to know these two things, though. A manuscript should not exceed 120,000 words.
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? Only the primary characters should be mentioned, or just the protagonist and antagonist.
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers? It is often changed so authors shouldn't dwell on it.
How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those? On a slow week I might receive 125 queries in a given week.
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? An author needs an online presence as marketing is key. At the very least theory should have an author website, blog, or a social media page.
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? Links in email are OK if relevant.
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested? Only of requested. It is frustrating to read a manuscript while the author is secretly revising it again into a different iteration.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include? As much relevant information to their interest in writing as possible.
What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you? A pass.
What themes are you sick of seeing? Nothing, honestly. There's sometimes a fresh new take on something familiar.
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? Yes, depending on how much work a manuscript needs, but I often feel that less is more, editorially.
What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query? Honestly there has been a lot but parody and tongue-n'-cheek humor usually leaves me in stitches.
What three things are at the top of your submission wish list? A comedic detective novel, or a sweeping space opera. Perhaps even a medieval fantasy or a dystopian novel.
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Many of the classics as much of everything written today is owed to what has already been spun. My Goodreads page lists my favorite books as well as the books I have read.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Trident has had great success at "home growing" talented individuals from entry level positions into leading agents in the publishing industry. With Mark Gottlieb, the term "home grown" agent is literally true.
From an early age, Mark showed a passionate interest in his father's work, his founding of Trident with Dan Strone, and the growth of the company. And his father Robert took great pleasure in being "grilled" regularly by Mark.
This focus on publishing continued at Emerson College, where Mark was a founding member of the Publishing Club, then its President, subsequently overseeing its first publication under the Wilde Press imprint.
After graduating Emerson with a degree in writing, literature and publishing, Mark began his career as an assistant to the Vice President of the Berkley imprint at Penguin, working with leading editors at the firm.
Mark's first position at Trident was in the foreign rights department, assisting the department's agents in selling the books of clients around the world.
From there, Mark went to Trident's "boot camp," working as Executive Assistant to Robert, the Chairman of the firm, with responsibility for organizing and helping to manage diverse authors and their complex business transactions.
Mark continued to follow the customary Trident development process by next assuming the position of audio rights agent. Since Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has doubled (for more information on audio books, please see the Audio Books page under our Services tab).
While at Trident, Mark has shown great initiative and insight in identifying talented writers for the firm's agents. Now while continuing to head up audio rights, Mark is building his own client list of writers. "I am excited to work directly with authors that I bring to Trident, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available to me at Trident."
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.
It's always nice to see a love of books running in the family. Welcome to new agent Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group.
Is there a better or worse time of year to query? The best time is the Spring or Summer as things start to slow down in publishing during that season. A bad time would be the Fall as everyone is just getting back from their summer vacations and settling in. A lot of professors on sabbatical and summer break are getting back in the Fall and flooding us with queries.
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? No but it is still considered poor form.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong? Only if the query letter is strong. An author must know how to speak of the self and their work. A poorly-written letter demonstrates that an author can do neither and may not be a good writer, even.
Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? I personally check all of them as I trust my own opinion most. It is much easier for an assistant to say no to something than to give it the time it needs.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? The selection of sample pages is up to the author but I usually request a manuscript in-full.
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested? Some agents pass stuff along to another agent if it isn't for them, but only when it is good. Usually when it is a pass, it is a pass on behalf of the entire agency. If an author wants to query us again, we ask that they wait 30 days. That will afford them time to revise their letter manuscript.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript? I am not one for idle chatter and small talk.
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? Not a red flag since upon receiving the manuscript, the agent can determine the page length and word count. Upon receiving the query, they can determine the genre. It helps to know these two things, though. A manuscript should not exceed 120,000 words.
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? Only the primary characters should be mentioned, or just the protagonist and antagonist.
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers? It is often changed so authors shouldn't dwell on it.
How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those? On a slow week I might receive 125 queries in a given week.
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? An author needs an online presence as marketing is key. At the very least theory should have an author website, blog, or a social media page.
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? Links in email are OK if relevant.
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested? Only of requested. It is frustrating to read a manuscript while the author is secretly revising it again into a different iteration.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include? As much relevant information to their interest in writing as possible.
What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you? A pass.
What themes are you sick of seeing? Nothing, honestly. There's sometimes a fresh new take on something familiar.
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? Yes, depending on how much work a manuscript needs, but I often feel that less is more, editorially.
What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query? Honestly there has been a lot but parody and tongue-n'-cheek humor usually leaves me in stitches.
What three things are at the top of your submission wish list? A comedic detective novel, or a sweeping space opera. Perhaps even a medieval fantasy or a dystopian novel.
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Many of the classics as much of everything written today is owed to what has already been spun. My Goodreads page lists my favorite books as well as the books I have read.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Trident has had great success at "home growing" talented individuals from entry level positions into leading agents in the publishing industry. With Mark Gottlieb, the term "home grown" agent is literally true.From an early age, Mark showed a passionate interest in his father's work, his founding of Trident with Dan Strone, and the growth of the company. And his father Robert took great pleasure in being "grilled" regularly by Mark.
This focus on publishing continued at Emerson College, where Mark was a founding member of the Publishing Club, then its President, subsequently overseeing its first publication under the Wilde Press imprint.
After graduating Emerson with a degree in writing, literature and publishing, Mark began his career as an assistant to the Vice President of the Berkley imprint at Penguin, working with leading editors at the firm.
Mark's first position at Trident was in the foreign rights department, assisting the department's agents in selling the books of clients around the world.
From there, Mark went to Trident's "boot camp," working as Executive Assistant to Robert, the Chairman of the firm, with responsibility for organizing and helping to manage diverse authors and their complex business transactions.
Mark continued to follow the customary Trident development process by next assuming the position of audio rights agent. Since Mark has managed the audio rights business, the annual sales volume has doubled (for more information on audio books, please see the Audio Books page under our Services tab).
While at Trident, Mark has shown great initiative and insight in identifying talented writers for the firm's agents. Now while continuing to head up audio rights, Mark is building his own client list of writers. "I am excited to work directly with authors that I bring to Trident, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available to me at Trident."
September 30, 2014
Query Questions with Laura Crockett
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.
Good things come in pairs. Welcome to Laura Crockett, another new agent from Triada US!
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?It's more like days and times that'll be better or worse. It's best to query Monday through Friday. It gives me an opportunity in the evening to sift through them, and time on the weekends to devote to any manuscripts I may have requested.
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?Not necessarily, though if I find two or more errors I begin to lose faith and interest. The query should reflect your manuscript.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?Only if the query is strong. It's like shopping at a bookstore -- if you like the jacket summary, you open the book and read it, right? That's what I do with a query. Grab my attention and I'll look at the sample pages.
Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?I check all of them!
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?Yes. Many times the prologue provides some insight/intrigue.
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?Query only one agent, period. If I receive a query I think Brent or Uwe might like more (and vice versa), I'll pass it along.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?I would rather hear about the manuscript. That said, if the manuscript has some sort of connection to a book you know I've read and enjoyed, by all means mention that! It shows me that you've done your research!
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?Definitely a red flag, especially if the genre sentence isn't included. I prefer to know what sort of mindset I should prepare for (historical fiction, fantasy, romance) when reading the query.
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?The more named characters in a query makes the query overwhelming. The fewer characters mentioned, the clearer the query and purpose of the manuscript. Find the core of the story and pitch it.
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?Oh, believe me, titles will be changed by publishers. They know markets! That being said, your title should still be able to catch my attention. Character names are occasionally changed, so prepare for some discussion on that when the time comes.
How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?Thus far I'm averaging 50 queries, but I'm new in the industry -- this'll change as time goes on and word spreads. As for requests, it will definitely fluctuate, but it looks like at least 2 of the 50 I'll ask to see a manuscript.
Update: Since the interview this has gone up to 200 per week.
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 definitely care. This was something stressed over and over in my graduate program, at AWP, at BEA, and many writer conferences: that an author has an online presence, that they have an active twitter or blog or public Facebook page. It tips the scales slightly in getting an offer, and it really helps (I cannot emphasize just how much this helps!) the marketing team at the publishing house. I would highly suggest a writer starts creating an online presence immediately. Create a following, start conversations with other writers and published authors, make your name known. The publishers can better promote and sell your book if you join them in the process.
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?Links in the email signature are perfectly fine.
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?Only if the material was requested.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?Any information the writer thinks improves their work and credibility. Tell me your educational background, activities or organizations you're involved in, an event or experience that shows you understand the material you worked with to create the manuscript (ex: historical fiction set on a farm --> you worked at a farm for a summer or studied agriculture for a project, etc).
What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you?Simply that nothing grabbed my attention or stuck out to me personally -- just like when you're reading a book jacket. I can't help you make your book the best thing out there if I cannot muster up enough enthusiasm for it from the very beginning. If I can't think of editors and imprints who would also snatch up the manuscript, then it's not the right manuscript for me to read, enjoy, and share with others.
What themes are you sick of seeing?Catty female friendships, female friendships where the only conversations are about males, insta-love, love triangles, protagonists hell-bent on revenge, and...well, dystopian. (What's happening to the rest of the world? Why is it always in the US?)
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?Oh, yes. I love editing. I love writing/typing all over a manuscript, offering my reactions and insight and comments and suggestions. I'm very detailed.
What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?I have yet to find something incredibly strange or funny. A part of me wants to challenge you to make that happen...but maybe it's best not to!
What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?(In no particular order) Contemporary YA that portrays anxiety or abuse, WWI and WWII adult and YA historical fiction, and YA and adult gothic/Victorian horror (there's gore and there's mood/atmosphere. I'm in the mood/atmosphere camp).
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Books: Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte), Harry Potter (Prisoner of Azkaban specifically), The Likeness (Tana French), One Day (David Nicholls), Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell), Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern), Between Shades of Gray (Ruta Sepetys), The Hallowed Ones (Laura Bickle), Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson), Outlander (Diana Gabaldon), Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen) Movies: 2004 BBC North and South, 2013 Belle, 2013 About Time, 2003 Love Actually, 2009 Bright StarTV Shows: Outlander, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Bomb Girls, New Girl, Once Upon a Time, BBC Merlin, BBC Sherlock
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My name is Laura, and I have my M.A. in Publishing and B.S. in Psychology. When I'm not working as an agent or bookseller, I'm reading, researching, and staying up-to-date on a variety of my passions (Victorian culture, Gothic literature, publishing, neuroscience, autism, stress and anxiety, music, books books books). I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, and I’m obsessed with British and Canadian television dramas.
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.
Good things come in pairs. Welcome to Laura Crockett, another new agent from Triada US!
Is there a better or worse time of year to query?It's more like days and times that'll be better or worse. It's best to query Monday through Friday. It gives me an opportunity in the evening to sift through them, and time on the weekends to devote to any manuscripts I may have requested.
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?Not necessarily, though if I find two or more errors I begin to lose faith and interest. The query should reflect your manuscript.
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?Only if the query is strong. It's like shopping at a bookstore -- if you like the jacket summary, you open the book and read it, right? That's what I do with a query. Grab my attention and I'll look at the sample pages.
Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?I check all of them!
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?Yes. Many times the prologue provides some insight/intrigue.
Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested?Query only one agent, period. If I receive a query I think Brent or Uwe might like more (and vice versa), I'll pass it along.
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?I would rather hear about the manuscript. That said, if the manuscript has some sort of connection to a book you know I've read and enjoyed, by all means mention that! It shows me that you've done your research!
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?Definitely a red flag, especially if the genre sentence isn't included. I prefer to know what sort of mindset I should prepare for (historical fiction, fantasy, romance) when reading the query.
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?The more named characters in a query makes the query overwhelming. The fewer characters mentioned, the clearer the query and purpose of the manuscript. Find the core of the story and pitch it.
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?Oh, believe me, titles will be changed by publishers. They know markets! That being said, your title should still be able to catch my attention. Character names are occasionally changed, so prepare for some discussion on that when the time comes.
How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?Thus far I'm averaging 50 queries, but I'm new in the industry -- this'll change as time goes on and word spreads. As for requests, it will definitely fluctuate, but it looks like at least 2 of the 50 I'll ask to see a manuscript.
Update: Since the interview this has gone up to 200 per week.
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 definitely care. This was something stressed over and over in my graduate program, at AWP, at BEA, and many writer conferences: that an author has an online presence, that they have an active twitter or blog or public Facebook page. It tips the scales slightly in getting an offer, and it really helps (I cannot emphasize just how much this helps!) the marketing team at the publishing house. I would highly suggest a writer starts creating an online presence immediately. Create a following, start conversations with other writers and published authors, make your name known. The publishers can better promote and sell your book if you join them in the process.
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?Links in the email signature are perfectly fine.
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?Only if the material was requested.
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?Any information the writer thinks improves their work and credibility. Tell me your educational background, activities or organizations you're involved in, an event or experience that shows you understand the material you worked with to create the manuscript (ex: historical fiction set on a farm --> you worked at a farm for a summer or studied agriculture for a project, etc).
What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you?Simply that nothing grabbed my attention or stuck out to me personally -- just like when you're reading a book jacket. I can't help you make your book the best thing out there if I cannot muster up enough enthusiasm for it from the very beginning. If I can't think of editors and imprints who would also snatch up the manuscript, then it's not the right manuscript for me to read, enjoy, and share with others.
What themes are you sick of seeing?Catty female friendships, female friendships where the only conversations are about males, insta-love, love triangles, protagonists hell-bent on revenge, and...well, dystopian. (What's happening to the rest of the world? Why is it always in the US?)
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?Oh, yes. I love editing. I love writing/typing all over a manuscript, offering my reactions and insight and comments and suggestions. I'm very detailed.
What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?I have yet to find something incredibly strange or funny. A part of me wants to challenge you to make that happen...but maybe it's best not to!
What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?(In no particular order) Contemporary YA that portrays anxiety or abuse, WWI and WWII adult and YA historical fiction, and YA and adult gothic/Victorian horror (there's gore and there's mood/atmosphere. I'm in the mood/atmosphere camp).
What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Books: Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte), Harry Potter (Prisoner of Azkaban specifically), The Likeness (Tana French), One Day (David Nicholls), Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell), Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern), Between Shades of Gray (Ruta Sepetys), The Hallowed Ones (Laura Bickle), Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson), Outlander (Diana Gabaldon), Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen) Movies: 2004 BBC North and South, 2013 Belle, 2013 About Time, 2003 Love Actually, 2009 Bright StarTV Shows: Outlander, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, Bomb Girls, New Girl, Once Upon a Time, BBC Merlin, BBC Sherlock
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My name is Laura, and I have my M.A. in Publishing and B.S. in Psychology. When I'm not working as an agent or bookseller, I'm reading, researching, and staying up-to-date on a variety of my passions (Victorian culture, Gothic literature, publishing, neuroscience, autism, stress and anxiety, music, books books books). I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, and I’m obsessed with British and Canadian television dramas.
September 29, 2014
Getting the Call with Tracy Townsend
Patience. This crazy occupation of writing takes plenty of patience. I know that can be in short supply sometimes. Tracy Townsend shares a story that took from the last Nightmare on Query Street nearly a year ago to come to fruition. Congrats, Tracy. Mike, SC and I are so glad to have you as one of our mentors for this year's contest!
In the fall of 2012, I accepted a dare from a colleague in the English department where I teach: to join him and a group of our students in NaNoWriMo. Since I’m one of the principle teachers of creative writing at our school (this haven for intellectual oddballs and the gifted, sometimes called “Hogwarts for Hackers”), it made sense. I’d had a loose idea for a world and a story in me for years but never made my own writing – or, really, myself – enough of a priority to write it down. But I knew my characters already, and I knew what was facing them, and the thought of finally getting it out was so appealing.
I could never have predicted how that one, agreeable shrug of my shoulders would lead to such a complicated future.
When Nightmare on Query Street 2013 came around almost a year later, I was a first-time novelist with a complete ms and a fistful of loyal CPs found through the hope and happenstance of AgentQuery Connect (I’m looking at you, Michelle and Pete). I had a query letter they’d kicked up and down cyberspace for weeks, a synopsis, some spiffy first chapters, and … A word count problem. Like, to the tune of an adult fantasy manuscript 134K strong. By the time Michelle, Mike, and S.C. made the all-call NOQS entries, I’d already racked up a month’s worth of rejections and some detailed CP notes, all chorusing “cut this thing down, and maybe it’ll go somewhere.” Encouraged by my writer-friends to give the contest a go, I wrote my “MC’s greatest fear” paragraph, squinted fussily at my query, spit-shined page one, and sent it all off. Then I sat down to make good on my submission’s claim that the project was actually 125K.
I know what you’re thinking: “You … lied about your word count?”
Well, sort of. No. Not “sort of.” Yes, I did. (Not-so-subliminal message: DO NOT do this!) I had a strategy planned out: I would submit with that word count, dive into my CP notes, and start editing down. By the time I knew if I’d made the contest, the ms would be the promised length, and really, that tightening needed to happen either way. I had been reluctant to cut for months, insisting I had already taken out as much as could go (it had been 146K, once upon a time – STOP LAUGHING AT ME). Creating this sense of urgency would make me do the job at last. (Do not do this… Do not do this… Play with fire and you get burned… Look both ways before you cross the street… DO NOT DO THIS. Please.) Poking about the NOQS forum on AQC, I saw Mike tease about dropping his final pick for another spotted at the last minute – a really interesting adult fantasy he couldn’t pass up. And then, a day or so later, lo and behold: I – or, my manuscript, THE NINE, rather – was a Monster. The actual manuscript was only down to 130K at this point, not the advertised 125K, and so, even as I gabbled on Twitter with the other contestants and our growing, cheerful fan bases, I worked furiously behind the scenes to cut, cut, cut.
By the end, I had one ten page, three fifty page, and one full request. Twenty-four hours after the contest closed, I was down to 122k and sent my beastie off, praying after its electron trail.
Time passed. By December, two of those partials became fulls. The original contest full lingered out there, unanswered.
In February 2014, still haunting the Twitter pages of two agents from NOQS who hadn’t yet decided on the full, I discovered #MSWL. There, I found a request tweeted by Agent Overwhelming: a funny, charming, unfailingly polite personage with an impressive sales streak. I had long since decided that querying there was out of my league, but the #MSWL message sounded just enoughlike my work…
I gave it a shot.
Three hours after I sent the query, it turned into a request for a full. Nine days later, I was talking to Agent Overwhelming on the phone, going over ideas and details for an R&R. I babbled. Lord knows how I must have sounded. Agent Overwhelming, though, was completely clear: these kinds of phone calls are rare, and serious, but not a guarantee. No promises from Overwhelming that writing the revision meant representation – and so, no expectation that the revised ms would be an exclusive, either.
That, as it turned out, would prove as important to my eventually getting an agent as NOQS itself.
It was just six months after I’d started querying, and I had an R&R. I planned it down to the finest detail and set aside my entire upcoming summer break to tackle the job. In early June, it dawned on me that I really shouldtake advantage of the non-exclusive agreement offered. I contacted all the agents who had read the previous full or had it in hand then (including a small press who had offered on a prior version) and let them know a new copy would be available soon, if they wanted it.
One of the first agents to respond to that offer was Agent October, the agent whose request – even though it wasn’t a full – had had me the most excited during NOQS. I’d had a stack of raggedy post-it notes in my desk drawer for months prior to actually beginning querying, written in more or less my fantasyland order of “agents I wish would sign me.” (These were, naturally, also the agents I was most afraid of querying.) Agent Overwhelming and Agent October’s names were written side by side, with slashes separating them, top of the list. Imagine my surprise when Agent October responded to the revision offer, confirming that she actually had just recently finished reading my ms. She’d had some misgivings about it and thought a re-read was in order. I described the changes I’d discussed with Agent Overwhelming, and she felt they largely addressed her concerns. She added two points of her own, which I quickly included in my to-do list. Then I powered on, completing a first draft, CP rounds and notes, and a final draft all by the first week of August 2014.
I sent the revision – practically a speed-skater at 114K (STOP LAUGHING) – to several interested agents, the small press, and (of course) Agents Overwhelming and October.
I waited, but not for very long. When the small press editor came back with yet another offer, I sent the word around and found myself on the phone with Agent Overwhelming again. Not wanting to endanger the small press as an option by making them wait overlong, Overwhelming vowed to finish reading by the following Monday and get back to me. Other agents followed suit. Mercifully, the school year was starting again. I threw myself into the distraction of class prep.
Monday came, bringing no news with it. By lunchtime Tuesday, I felt the small press deadline closing in and nudged Agent Overwhelming for a status report.
The response came less than one minute later.
Agent Overwhelming had not been overwhelmed. The email was polite, professional, encouraging. Sympathetic. It ended with an invitation to share future work, and best wishes. None of that stopped me from sitting slack-jawed at my desk, staring at the screen as if I could will the message away. It wasn’t that I assumed I was already in. I am extraordinarily good, actually, at not getting my hopes up. I had written the revision, telling myself all the while that the reason to do it was because I believed the advice given would make a better book. Everything beyond that was hope – less than hope, it was a guess, a stab in the dark. It was that dream-list on a raggedy post-it note. That well-ordered, rational thinking didn’t console me much.
I wondered how I could have fooled myself into thinking I was in anybody’s league. Anything other than bush-league. I was a first-time novelist, a lifelong writer with a career of putting my own ideas aside in favor of teaching others how to excel. I was a living embodiment of that horrible adage about how those who can do, and those who can’t, teach. I remembered the small press offer, but now, as I researched the costs associated with a good publishing attorney to review documents, it seemed the billable hours would equal or exceed my probable earnings. Whatever THE NINE earned would be almost entirely through my own marketing, something I knew nothing about. I was in over my head and had been from the start. I was finally getting my cosmic punishment for my word-count gamble. I had dared, and gotten close, and it was just that I should get my smack-down now. Simple as that.
My sadness gave way to a dull sense of foreboding – an absolute conviction that the next 24 hours would be parade of “no”s from the remaining agents. Instead, at 3:30 that same afternoon, my email winked with a message from Bridget Smith. Agent October, the first agent to ever request my full manuscript based on reading a partial. The first agent to want more of my work, knowing what it was really like. The first name, side-by-side with Agent Overwhelming’s, to have made my dream list.
She was glad to have read the revision, because she really liked it. She felt more confident about it, reading it slowly, carefully, taking time to “admire [my] skillful writing”! Could we talk tonight?
Yes. Let’s talk now.
A half hour later, my phone rang, and the whole world changed. I told myself not to listen with rebound-ears. There was a chance this might not be a fit. I shouldn’t jump at acceptance because I was still stinging from rejection.
But it was a fit – a perfect fit. Bridget had noticed things about the manuscript, details of character and world-building that I had put in almost as Easter eggs. I’d never counted on a reader finding them, but she had and she gotthem. She had insights into the culture of my world, daring suggestions about shoring up storyline, and authentic curiosity. She was the perfect blend of enthusiastic and genuine – never gushing or putting on a show. And she didn’t shrink from my toughest questions. She had some editors in mind for submission and felt that the book could go bigger than the small press who had offered to me. She was ready to really work her experience in the sf/f market. As the conversation wound to a close, I told her I needed to let the other agents know of the offer – and she asked about Agent Overwhelming. Was it just my imagination that she didn’t sound terribly disappointed about Overwhelming’s decision to pass? When my cursor hovered over “send” on my first query backPeople tell you patience is key to querying, and they’re right. October 2013 to August 2014 kind of patience. Luck is part of it, too. The luck of finding amazing CPs, for one: Michelle, and Pete, and eventually Maura. The luck that opens the doors to opportunity: Mike’s taking a second look at my entry and swapping it in. There’s an absolute, full-frontal nudity of the ego when querying, and entering contests, and being rejected. You can’t know when you start if or how you’ll reach your goal, or how many expectations will be broken along the way. You can’t predict which gambles will pay off and what paths will cross, or how they’ll all suddenly come together, as if it were meant to be. As if you’d written the end of the story on a scrap of paper before you even began.
You can’t know. That’s why we try.
-----------------------------------------
Tracy Townsend lives in Bolingbrook, Illinois and teaches English at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She has studied at DePauw University, the National University of Ireland (Galway), and DePaul University, where she obtained degrees in English, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric. She is a member of the Science Fiction Research Association and other academic organizations, which has allowed her to write very long things and read them aloud to people who are obliged to behave politely. Her background as a lapsed Catholic, an assistant martial arts instructor, a comic book fangirl (Make Mine Marvel!), a tabletop role-player, and an obsessive hound for obscure mythologies inspired her writing of The Nine. Inexplicably, other uses for that resume have yet to present themselves. She is represented by the strikingly elegant and classy Bridget Smith of Dunham Lit.
Tracy devotes time she doesn’t have to cooking, gardening, writing, and seriously pondering the treadmill in her basement. She is married to her high school sweetheart, with whom she shares two remarkable children. They are – naturally – named after characters from books.
You can find Tracy on Twitter (@TheStorymatic) more often than she really ought to be.
https://twitter.com/TheStorymatic
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26540446-tracy-townsend
In the fall of 2012, I accepted a dare from a colleague in the English department where I teach: to join him and a group of our students in NaNoWriMo. Since I’m one of the principle teachers of creative writing at our school (this haven for intellectual oddballs and the gifted, sometimes called “Hogwarts for Hackers”), it made sense. I’d had a loose idea for a world and a story in me for years but never made my own writing – or, really, myself – enough of a priority to write it down. But I knew my characters already, and I knew what was facing them, and the thought of finally getting it out was so appealing.
I could never have predicted how that one, agreeable shrug of my shoulders would lead to such a complicated future.
When Nightmare on Query Street 2013 came around almost a year later, I was a first-time novelist with a complete ms and a fistful of loyal CPs found through the hope and happenstance of AgentQuery Connect (I’m looking at you, Michelle and Pete). I had a query letter they’d kicked up and down cyberspace for weeks, a synopsis, some spiffy first chapters, and … A word count problem. Like, to the tune of an adult fantasy manuscript 134K strong. By the time Michelle, Mike, and S.C. made the all-call NOQS entries, I’d already racked up a month’s worth of rejections and some detailed CP notes, all chorusing “cut this thing down, and maybe it’ll go somewhere.” Encouraged by my writer-friends to give the contest a go, I wrote my “MC’s greatest fear” paragraph, squinted fussily at my query, spit-shined page one, and sent it all off. Then I sat down to make good on my submission’s claim that the project was actually 125K.
I know what you’re thinking: “You … lied about your word count?”
Well, sort of. No. Not “sort of.” Yes, I did. (Not-so-subliminal message: DO NOT do this!) I had a strategy planned out: I would submit with that word count, dive into my CP notes, and start editing down. By the time I knew if I’d made the contest, the ms would be the promised length, and really, that tightening needed to happen either way. I had been reluctant to cut for months, insisting I had already taken out as much as could go (it had been 146K, once upon a time – STOP LAUGHING AT ME). Creating this sense of urgency would make me do the job at last. (Do not do this… Do not do this… Play with fire and you get burned… Look both ways before you cross the street… DO NOT DO THIS. Please.) Poking about the NOQS forum on AQC, I saw Mike tease about dropping his final pick for another spotted at the last minute – a really interesting adult fantasy he couldn’t pass up. And then, a day or so later, lo and behold: I – or, my manuscript, THE NINE, rather – was a Monster. The actual manuscript was only down to 130K at this point, not the advertised 125K, and so, even as I gabbled on Twitter with the other contestants and our growing, cheerful fan bases, I worked furiously behind the scenes to cut, cut, cut.
By the end, I had one ten page, three fifty page, and one full request. Twenty-four hours after the contest closed, I was down to 122k and sent my beastie off, praying after its electron trail.
Time passed. By December, two of those partials became fulls. The original contest full lingered out there, unanswered.
In February 2014, still haunting the Twitter pages of two agents from NOQS who hadn’t yet decided on the full, I discovered #MSWL. There, I found a request tweeted by Agent Overwhelming: a funny, charming, unfailingly polite personage with an impressive sales streak. I had long since decided that querying there was out of my league, but the #MSWL message sounded just enoughlike my work…
I gave it a shot.
Three hours after I sent the query, it turned into a request for a full. Nine days later, I was talking to Agent Overwhelming on the phone, going over ideas and details for an R&R. I babbled. Lord knows how I must have sounded. Agent Overwhelming, though, was completely clear: these kinds of phone calls are rare, and serious, but not a guarantee. No promises from Overwhelming that writing the revision meant representation – and so, no expectation that the revised ms would be an exclusive, either.
That, as it turned out, would prove as important to my eventually getting an agent as NOQS itself.
It was just six months after I’d started querying, and I had an R&R. I planned it down to the finest detail and set aside my entire upcoming summer break to tackle the job. In early June, it dawned on me that I really shouldtake advantage of the non-exclusive agreement offered. I contacted all the agents who had read the previous full or had it in hand then (including a small press who had offered on a prior version) and let them know a new copy would be available soon, if they wanted it.
One of the first agents to respond to that offer was Agent October, the agent whose request – even though it wasn’t a full – had had me the most excited during NOQS. I’d had a stack of raggedy post-it notes in my desk drawer for months prior to actually beginning querying, written in more or less my fantasyland order of “agents I wish would sign me.” (These were, naturally, also the agents I was most afraid of querying.) Agent Overwhelming and Agent October’s names were written side by side, with slashes separating them, top of the list. Imagine my surprise when Agent October responded to the revision offer, confirming that she actually had just recently finished reading my ms. She’d had some misgivings about it and thought a re-read was in order. I described the changes I’d discussed with Agent Overwhelming, and she felt they largely addressed her concerns. She added two points of her own, which I quickly included in my to-do list. Then I powered on, completing a first draft, CP rounds and notes, and a final draft all by the first week of August 2014.
I sent the revision – practically a speed-skater at 114K (STOP LAUGHING) – to several interested agents, the small press, and (of course) Agents Overwhelming and October.
I waited, but not for very long. When the small press editor came back with yet another offer, I sent the word around and found myself on the phone with Agent Overwhelming again. Not wanting to endanger the small press as an option by making them wait overlong, Overwhelming vowed to finish reading by the following Monday and get back to me. Other agents followed suit. Mercifully, the school year was starting again. I threw myself into the distraction of class prep.
Monday came, bringing no news with it. By lunchtime Tuesday, I felt the small press deadline closing in and nudged Agent Overwhelming for a status report.
The response came less than one minute later.
Agent Overwhelming had not been overwhelmed. The email was polite, professional, encouraging. Sympathetic. It ended with an invitation to share future work, and best wishes. None of that stopped me from sitting slack-jawed at my desk, staring at the screen as if I could will the message away. It wasn’t that I assumed I was already in. I am extraordinarily good, actually, at not getting my hopes up. I had written the revision, telling myself all the while that the reason to do it was because I believed the advice given would make a better book. Everything beyond that was hope – less than hope, it was a guess, a stab in the dark. It was that dream-list on a raggedy post-it note. That well-ordered, rational thinking didn’t console me much.
I wondered how I could have fooled myself into thinking I was in anybody’s league. Anything other than bush-league. I was a first-time novelist, a lifelong writer with a career of putting my own ideas aside in favor of teaching others how to excel. I was a living embodiment of that horrible adage about how those who can do, and those who can’t, teach. I remembered the small press offer, but now, as I researched the costs associated with a good publishing attorney to review documents, it seemed the billable hours would equal or exceed my probable earnings. Whatever THE NINE earned would be almost entirely through my own marketing, something I knew nothing about. I was in over my head and had been from the start. I was finally getting my cosmic punishment for my word-count gamble. I had dared, and gotten close, and it was just that I should get my smack-down now. Simple as that.
My sadness gave way to a dull sense of foreboding – an absolute conviction that the next 24 hours would be parade of “no”s from the remaining agents. Instead, at 3:30 that same afternoon, my email winked with a message from Bridget Smith. Agent October, the first agent to ever request my full manuscript based on reading a partial. The first agent to want more of my work, knowing what it was really like. The first name, side-by-side with Agent Overwhelming’s, to have made my dream list.
She was glad to have read the revision, because she really liked it. She felt more confident about it, reading it slowly, carefully, taking time to “admire [my] skillful writing”! Could we talk tonight?
Yes. Let’s talk now.
A half hour later, my phone rang, and the whole world changed. I told myself not to listen with rebound-ears. There was a chance this might not be a fit. I shouldn’t jump at acceptance because I was still stinging from rejection.
But it was a fit – a perfect fit. Bridget had noticed things about the manuscript, details of character and world-building that I had put in almost as Easter eggs. I’d never counted on a reader finding them, but she had and she gotthem. She had insights into the culture of my world, daring suggestions about shoring up storyline, and authentic curiosity. She was the perfect blend of enthusiastic and genuine – never gushing or putting on a show. And she didn’t shrink from my toughest questions. She had some editors in mind for submission and felt that the book could go bigger than the small press who had offered to me. She was ready to really work her experience in the sf/f market. As the conversation wound to a close, I told her I needed to let the other agents know of the offer – and she asked about Agent Overwhelming. Was it just my imagination that she didn’t sound terribly disappointed about Overwhelming’s decision to pass? When my cursor hovered over “send” on my first query backPeople tell you patience is key to querying, and they’re right. October 2013 to August 2014 kind of patience. Luck is part of it, too. The luck of finding amazing CPs, for one: Michelle, and Pete, and eventually Maura. The luck that opens the doors to opportunity: Mike’s taking a second look at my entry and swapping it in. There’s an absolute, full-frontal nudity of the ego when querying, and entering contests, and being rejected. You can’t know when you start if or how you’ll reach your goal, or how many expectations will be broken along the way. You can’t predict which gambles will pay off and what paths will cross, or how they’ll all suddenly come together, as if it were meant to be. As if you’d written the end of the story on a scrap of paper before you even began.
You can’t know. That’s why we try.
-----------------------------------------
Tracy Townsend lives in Bolingbrook, Illinois and teaches English at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She has studied at DePauw University, the National University of Ireland (Galway), and DePaul University, where she obtained degrees in English, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric. She is a member of the Science Fiction Research Association and other academic organizations, which has allowed her to write very long things and read them aloud to people who are obliged to behave politely. Her background as a lapsed Catholic, an assistant martial arts instructor, a comic book fangirl (Make Mine Marvel!), a tabletop role-player, and an obsessive hound for obscure mythologies inspired her writing of The Nine. Inexplicably, other uses for that resume have yet to present themselves. She is represented by the strikingly elegant and classy Bridget Smith of Dunham Lit.
Tracy devotes time she doesn’t have to cooking, gardening, writing, and seriously pondering the treadmill in her basement. She is married to her high school sweetheart, with whom she shares two remarkable children. They are – naturally – named after characters from books.
You can find Tracy on Twitter (@TheStorymatic) more often than she really ought to be.
https://twitter.com/TheStorymatic
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26540446-tracy-townsend
September 26, 2014
Getting the Call with Leatrice McKinney
Sometimes things don't work out the way you plan. Sometimes you think you've reached the happy ending, only to have to start over. I shared Leatrice's happy ending some time back. Then through no one's fault, life sent a knock out blow and she was back in the query trenches. (See that post here.)
When things get tough ... the tough keep writing. Congrats, El, on your comeback!
And she is also the creator and host of the pitch contest Pitchslam, coming in early October.
It’s somewhat surreal, writing this post a second time. Okay, here goes...
If anyone claims to know me at all, they know I love pitch/writing contests. I love entering them, I love judging them, I love hosting them, I love absolutely every aspect of the online contest circuit (sounds so official doesn’t it). Some would say I have a problem. I like to say I’m enthusiastic. But even with my love of contests—and my luck in a handful—it was my query that won over my agent.
There’s a website called Query Drill that simulates the querying process while offering feedback on submitted letters. It’s kinda of neat. You submit a query and get a yes or a no as to if a request would be made. The person offering the critique is the one who says yes or no, so subjectivity still plays a part. You also get a reason for why or why not said request was or wasn’t made. And feedback. Mustn’t forget the feedback.
This one time, the website hosted an event where an actual agent perused the queries as well. It wasn’t exactly a contest, but the agent was from an agency that specializes in what I write (YA), so I entered. A couple of weeks later, I received a request for a full and happily replied. The agent sounded excited about what she’d read so far. While I basked in the possibility of “what if,” I tried not to get my hopes too high. Like many writers I’ve had plenty of requests for fulls end in some of the nicest, most heartfelt rejections based on subjectivity, but a no is still a no. I sent out my story and turned my attention to drafting my current WIP. Oh, and entering more contests.
Told you, enthusiasm.
Fast-forward another few weeks to my return from lunch one Tuesday afternoon to find an email waiting in my inbox. I try not to open my writing email at work—especially responses to queries or submissions—since I can’t exercise my prescribed remedy for rejection of binging on chocolate and Supernatural episodes as needed. But something made me pull up this email.
I stared at the brief paragraph where the agent said they’d finished reading my manuscript minutes before, loved it, wanted to represent me, and we needed to set up a time to chat. I gave some excited noise that was more than a squeal but not quite a scream. The looks my coworkers gave me: priceless.
Barely containing myself, I quickly responded that I would be thrilled to set up a time to discuss things further. I spent the rest of the workday in a giddy haze. It was hard to concentrate on anything but that email. After work I rushed home to send out emails to other agents who had my work, letting them know I’d received an offer of representation.
One almost immediate response was another agent throwing her hat into the ring. She loved my story and wanted to set up a meeting as well. Two agents. Two calls. I couldn’t tell you what was going through my mind other than random snatches of “phone…story good…dial phone? Yes call…story good?” That, that right there, was how my brain handled this. Way to go me…
Once I managed to calm the frick’n’frack down, I prepared for for The Call and The Call Reloaded. I did my research, laid out questions I should ask, so on and so forth. Then the phone rang.
And I panicked.
Mind you’ve I’ve done The Call before, but for some reason, this time, my brain said eff it and abandoned me completely. I forgot my notes, all of my research, I even forgot how to speak a couple of times during BOTH calls! Needless to say, I felt like a spaz. Both agents were awesome and very easy to talk to. I walked away with all the feels about everything, and a very hard decision looming on the horizon.
Like I said, both were amaze-sauce, but there was this feeling I got while speaking with one agent in particular or while looking over the notes I’d taken during our conversations. In the end the feeling won. It was a gut reaction I had to follow, even when another interested party asked about setting up a call.
That’s when I freaked right on out, but that’s a story for another time. I made a fool of myself. In public. It was grand.
I’d made up my mind and had said yes to the brilliant Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer Content!Melissa adored my manuscript and we connected in a major way. She’s rooting for my heroin, fangurling over the love interest, and cannot wait to see where the story goes. She’s well prepared to deal with my enthusiasm by matching it with her own. When she received my email about receiving an offer of rep, her reaction had people asking if she was okay or if someone had died. That, that right there? I’ll take it.
----------------------------------------------------------------Leatrice McKinney (writing as L. L. McKinney) is a freelance writer, a published poet, and a core member of Novel Clique. She’s also the creator and host of the bi-annual Pitch Slam contest via her blog. Living the single life in Kansas City, surrounded by more nieces and nephews than she knows what to do with, she writes for the joy of it and knows when it’s time for her voice to be heard, God will provide the means. He always has.
WebsiteBlogTwitter
When things get tough ... the tough keep writing. Congrats, El, on your comeback!
And she is also the creator and host of the pitch contest Pitchslam, coming in early October.
It’s somewhat surreal, writing this post a second time. Okay, here goes...
If anyone claims to know me at all, they know I love pitch/writing contests. I love entering them, I love judging them, I love hosting them, I love absolutely every aspect of the online contest circuit (sounds so official doesn’t it). Some would say I have a problem. I like to say I’m enthusiastic. But even with my love of contests—and my luck in a handful—it was my query that won over my agent.
There’s a website called Query Drill that simulates the querying process while offering feedback on submitted letters. It’s kinda of neat. You submit a query and get a yes or a no as to if a request would be made. The person offering the critique is the one who says yes or no, so subjectivity still plays a part. You also get a reason for why or why not said request was or wasn’t made. And feedback. Mustn’t forget the feedback.
This one time, the website hosted an event where an actual agent perused the queries as well. It wasn’t exactly a contest, but the agent was from an agency that specializes in what I write (YA), so I entered. A couple of weeks later, I received a request for a full and happily replied. The agent sounded excited about what she’d read so far. While I basked in the possibility of “what if,” I tried not to get my hopes too high. Like many writers I’ve had plenty of requests for fulls end in some of the nicest, most heartfelt rejections based on subjectivity, but a no is still a no. I sent out my story and turned my attention to drafting my current WIP. Oh, and entering more contests.
Told you, enthusiasm.
Fast-forward another few weeks to my return from lunch one Tuesday afternoon to find an email waiting in my inbox. I try not to open my writing email at work—especially responses to queries or submissions—since I can’t exercise my prescribed remedy for rejection of binging on chocolate and Supernatural episodes as needed. But something made me pull up this email.
I stared at the brief paragraph where the agent said they’d finished reading my manuscript minutes before, loved it, wanted to represent me, and we needed to set up a time to chat. I gave some excited noise that was more than a squeal but not quite a scream. The looks my coworkers gave me: priceless.
Barely containing myself, I quickly responded that I would be thrilled to set up a time to discuss things further. I spent the rest of the workday in a giddy haze. It was hard to concentrate on anything but that email. After work I rushed home to send out emails to other agents who had my work, letting them know I’d received an offer of representation.
One almost immediate response was another agent throwing her hat into the ring. She loved my story and wanted to set up a meeting as well. Two agents. Two calls. I couldn’t tell you what was going through my mind other than random snatches of “phone…story good…dial phone? Yes call…story good?” That, that right there, was how my brain handled this. Way to go me…
Once I managed to calm the frick’n’frack down, I prepared for for The Call and The Call Reloaded. I did my research, laid out questions I should ask, so on and so forth. Then the phone rang.
And I panicked.
Mind you’ve I’ve done The Call before, but for some reason, this time, my brain said eff it and abandoned me completely. I forgot my notes, all of my research, I even forgot how to speak a couple of times during BOTH calls! Needless to say, I felt like a spaz. Both agents were awesome and very easy to talk to. I walked away with all the feels about everything, and a very hard decision looming on the horizon.
Like I said, both were amaze-sauce, but there was this feeling I got while speaking with one agent in particular or while looking over the notes I’d taken during our conversations. In the end the feeling won. It was a gut reaction I had to follow, even when another interested party asked about setting up a call.
That’s when I freaked right on out, but that’s a story for another time. I made a fool of myself. In public. It was grand.
I’d made up my mind and had said yes to the brilliant Melissa Nasson of Rubin Pfeffer Content!Melissa adored my manuscript and we connected in a major way. She’s rooting for my heroin, fangurling over the love interest, and cannot wait to see where the story goes. She’s well prepared to deal with my enthusiasm by matching it with her own. When she received my email about receiving an offer of rep, her reaction had people asking if she was okay or if someone had died. That, that right there? I’ll take it.
----------------------------------------------------------------Leatrice McKinney (writing as L. L. McKinney) is a freelance writer, a published poet, and a core member of Novel Clique. She’s also the creator and host of the bi-annual Pitch Slam contest via her blog. Living the single life in Kansas City, surrounded by more nieces and nephews than she knows what to do with, she writes for the joy of it and knows when it’s time for her voice to be heard, God will provide the means. He always has.
WebsiteBlogTwitter
September 24, 2014
Cover Reveal for REBELLION, book 3 of Elysium Chronicles
REBELLION HTML Today J.A. Souders and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for REBELLION, book 3 in the Elysium Chronicles releasing in June 9, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win the books!
On to the reveal!
Title: REBELLIONAuthor: J.A. SoudersPublisher: TOR TeenPub. Date: June 9, 2015Find it: Goodreads
RENEGADE-https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468074-renegade?ac=1REVELATIONS-https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332261-revelations
About J.A. Souders J.A. SOUDERS is the author of the Elysium Chronicles and lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and two children where she spends her time writing about the monsters under the bed, day dreaming about living in an underwater colony, and failing miserably at playing video games.Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Pinterest
Giveaway Details:1 winner will receive physical copies of RENEGADE AND REVELATIONS plus the eNovellas. And ASK AGAIN LATER by Liz Czukas. If you have J.A.s books already, she will do an amazon or book depository gift card of the same value. International.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
On to the reveal!
Title: REBELLIONAuthor: J.A. SoudersPublisher: TOR TeenPub. Date: June 9, 2015Find it: Goodreads
RENEGADE-https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468074-renegade?ac=1REVELATIONS-https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332261-revelations
About J.A. Souders J.A. SOUDERS is the author of the Elysium Chronicles and lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and two children where she spends her time writing about the monsters under the bed, day dreaming about living in an underwater colony, and failing miserably at playing video games.Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads/Pinterest
Giveaway Details:1 winner will receive physical copies of RENEGADE AND REVELATIONS plus the eNovellas. And ASK AGAIN LATER by Liz Czukas. If you have J.A.s books already, she will do an amazon or book depository gift card of the same value. International.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Free Pass into Nightmare on Query Street
Last year I had you name the frogs living on my deck to win a free pass. They were awfully cute. But sadly the frogs are not like swallows. They didn't come back this year. That means a whole new contest!
This year we finally got visitors to our hummingbird feeder. My cousins in Iowa had feeders on their porch and they were swarming with the little birdies. Like dozens at a time, waiting in line. We are not quite so lucky, or maybe as beginners we haven't earned such a flock.
This is our second feeder this year. The first one got stolen by raccoons.
We have a single Mr. and Mrs. Hummingbird, but they need names before they leave for the winter! So name the hummingbirds and try to win a spot in Nightmare on Query Street.
My free pass allows you to bypass the slush and go directly to a spot on Team Minion in Nightmare on Query Street. At this time we have a total of TEN agents signed up!
Nothing could be simpler. Comment with your hummingbird name and fill out the rafflecopter. You have until October 10th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This year we finally got visitors to our hummingbird feeder. My cousins in Iowa had feeders on their porch and they were swarming with the little birdies. Like dozens at a time, waiting in line. We are not quite so lucky, or maybe as beginners we haven't earned such a flock.
This is our second feeder this year. The first one got stolen by raccoons.
We have a single Mr. and Mrs. Hummingbird, but they need names before they leave for the winter! So name the hummingbirds and try to win a spot in Nightmare on Query Street.
My free pass allows you to bypass the slush and go directly to a spot on Team Minion in Nightmare on Query Street. At this time we have a total of TEN agents signed up!
Nothing could be simpler. Comment with your hummingbird name and fill out the rafflecopter. You have until October 10th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
