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Exciting newsletter this week because I can finally announce the giveaway contest that accompanies the release of my latest book, GET A LITERARY AGENT (Writer’s Digest Books, 2015). More details below, but the gist is that the book is now out, and I’m giving away 3 copies to celebrate its release as well as to celebrate the grand possibilities of 2015, a new year with new opportunities. So head on over to the post and comment, and learn more about the new book.
I’ve been writing this newsletter now for about 6.5 years, and, as always, I appreciate you tuning in. So, being that this is a new year, I’m just opening up a line of dialogue and saying that if you have any ideas on how I can improve the newsletter (or GLA Blog), reach out and let me know what you’d like to see that is new or different. You can tweet me at @chucksambuchino, or email me at literaryagent@fwmedia.com.
And as I’ve mentioned before, I’m looking forward to meeting plenty of writers in person this year at writers’ conferences, and I’m excited to be speaking in February 2015 at events in Louisville, KY (Feb. 6), Nashville, TN (Feb. 7), Portland, OR(Feb. 20), and Seattle, WA (Feb. 21) — all of which will have agents there to meet with writers. If you live in the Midsouth or Pacific Northwest, do check out these great conferences.
Until next time, good luck writing, agent hunting, and building your writer platform! Happy Holidays!
Chuck Sambuchino
Editor, 2015 Guide to Literary Agents
Editor, 2015 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market
Author, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack
Author, Create Your Writer Platform
literaryagent@fwmedia.com
www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog
Twitter: @chucksambuchino
Chuck on Facebook
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| 2 New Agents Seeking Clients NOWClick on any name below to see the full mini-profile on the GLA Blog (with submission instructions). Good luck querying!1. Amanda Panitch of Lippincott Massie McQuilkin
She is seeking: Young adult and middle grade only. In particular, she’d love to find a high fantasy set in a non-Western inspired setting. Other concepts she’d love to see in her inbox include a dark psychological thriller, a quirky mystery, a gorgeous literary contemporary, historical fiction set in a place or time not often explored in fiction, or anything featuring food as a main element. She is also drawn to generational spaceships, unreliable narrators, magical realism, the pre-Columbian Americas, the Amazon, close sibling relationships, and slow-burning romances.
2. Kirsten Carleton of Waxman Leavell Literary Agency
Kirsten is seeking: Upmarket young adult, speculative, and literary fiction with strong characters and storytelling. She’s particularly interested in novels that bend and blur genres; literary takes on high concept worldbuilding; diverse characters in stories that are not just about diversity; antiheroes she find herself rooting for; characters with drive and passion; girls and women in STEM fields; settings outside the US/Europe; well-researched historical settings; YA noir/thriller/mystery; stories that introduces her to a new subculture and makes her feel like a native. She is not interested in horror, romance, erotica, poetry, or picture books. |
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| Agent One-on-One Boot Camp (with Critique of 10 Pages): How to Craft Query Letters & Other Submission Materials That Get Noticed — Starts Jan. 20When your submission materials – a query letter, synopsis, manuscript, or book proposal – arrive in an agent’s inbox, they land among hundreds of others. At that point, one of two things will happen. Either the agent (or the agent’s assistant) will like the submission and request more materials, or they will reply with a rejection.Authors who get rejected tend to fall in one of two categories when submitting materials: they try too hard, or not enough. This all-new Writer’s Digest Boot Camp, “How to Craft Query Letters & Submission Materials That Get Noticed,” is designed to help you streamline your submission materials to stand out in a good way. It all starts on Jan. 20, 2015.
Attendees will learn how to write a dynamite query letter, tackle a one-page synopsis (for fiction) and a book proposal (for nonfiction). The instructing literary agents will also explain the importance of author platform in addition to basic etiquette in dealing with an agent and manuscript basics.
Lastly, all attendees will have an opportunity to interact one-on-one with an agent and submit ten double-spaced pages of materials (in any combination-query, synopsis, book proposal, first pages of your manuscript) for valuable feedback provided by successful literary agents.
The exact rundown of times and dates is online here. But here is a quick list:
Tuesday, Jan. 20th: Online Tutorials
Wednesday, Jan. 21st: Agent Q&A 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PT)
Thursday, Jan. 22nd: Agent Q&A 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PT)
Friday, Jan. 23rd: Writers Submit Materials
Saturday, Feb. 7th: Agent Critiques Due
AGENT INSTRUCTORS
Kimberley Cameron resides and works from Tiburon, California and Paris, France, with many visits to New York to make the rounds of editorial offices. She is looking for exceptional writing in any field, particularly writing that touches the heart, and makes us feel something. She’s been successful with many different genres, and especially loves the thrill of securing representation for debut authors. She represents both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, with the exception of romance, children’s books and screenplays. Elizabeth Kracht represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction, and brings to the agency experience as a former acquisitions editor, freelance publicist and writer. Mary Moore started her career in publishing as a writer. She graduated from Mills College with an MFA in Creative Writing. After freelancing for two years as an editor and writer in non-literary sectors, she began an internship with Kimberley Cameron & Associates with the desire to learn more about the literary business for her own writing. During the internship she discovered a passion for helping others develop their manuscripts. Now she balances three jobs: writer, editor, and agent, and finds that the experience in each helps and supports the other. She is looking for unusual fantasy, grounded science-fiction, and atypical romance. Strong female characters and unique cultures especially catch her eye. Although she will not consider most non-fiction, stories about traditional dance or pagan culture may interest her. Above all, she is looking for writing that sweeps her away.
(Sign up for the boot camp here.) |
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| Book Giveaway Contest for My New Writing Guide, GET A LITERARY AGENTMy newest writing reference book, GET A LITERARY AGENT, is finally out from Writer’s Digest Books! As the book subtitle says. it’s a complete guide to securing representation for your books. This book has been a long time coming, and it’s a small labor of love, so I’m excited to share it with you now.Every year, I edit the Guide to Literary Agents , which is essentially a huge database of agents – who they are, what they seek, how to submit, etc. It’s got good instructional articles upfront, but it could have so many more if space would simply allow. That’s why Writer’s Digest Books came to me a while back and said, “Why not compile everything you know about getting an agent into one book? And while you’re at it, loop in advice and opinions from active literary agents – at least 100 of them.” And thus GET A LITERARY AGENT was born. I’ll explain more about the guide in a moment, but first – the giveaway!
GIVEAWAY: I am giving away 3 copies of GET A LITERARY AGENT to random commenters. Simply comment on the blog post/contest anytime before the end of Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. You can win a blog contest even if you’ve won before. |
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| How to Avoid Rookie Mistakes When Submitting to Agents — Jan. 15Webinar Taught by Agent Marisa CorvisieroRejections aren’t fun, and can be very costly in time, money, and to a writer’s confidence. There are a multitude of mistakes that authors, especially newbies, make when they submit their work to Agents and Editors. These mistakes are often silly and easy to rectify. As an author competing in a very subjective industry, none can afford to break the rules and not follow instructions. This live webinar is designed to brief you on how to submit your work, common and not so common mistakes, and how to avoid them all together. You’ve written a great book or proposal. Now it’s time to submit it to an agent. Avoid the most common mistakes and make an impression that lasts!It’s all part of the new webinar, “How to Avoid Rookie Mistakes When Submitting to Agents,” run by literary agent Marisa A. Corvisiero on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 (and lasts 90 minutes).
ABOUT THE CRITIQUE
All registrants are invited to submit a query letter and sample material (1,000 words). All submitted queries and samples will receive a written critique by Marisa Corvisiero. Marisa reserves the right to request more writing from attendees by e-mail following the event, if she deems the writing excellent.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
— The essentials on how to submit your work to an agent or editor
— About common and not so common mistakes authors make when preparing and sending their submission package
— How to avoid unnecessary mistakes that will lead to rejection
— How the process works, what agents and editors are looking for, and how to hook them without fumbling the opportunity to get their attention effectively. (Sign up for the webinar here.)
INSTRUCTOR
Marisa A. Corvisiero, Esq. is the Founder, CEO and a Sr. Literary Agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency, a New York City boutique literary management services agency representing authors around the world. Marisa is also a Corporate and Trust and Estates attorney with experience in top global firms and fortune 500 companies. She participates in and has taught several workshops and boot camps on writing and publishing for Writer’s Digest, at Conferences around the country, and various other Online Resources. |
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| 5 Ways to Take Your Readers Back in Time: The Importance of Historical Research”There is nothing that jolts a reader out of a sense of place and time more effectively than using a modern voice for a Victorian heroine, no matter how richly detailed the description of her gorgeous crinoline and pantalets. “I need my own space,” certainly informs the reader that your heroine is upset, so upset she must be alone. But any young woman from the 1800s was more likely to murmur: “I have some letters to write.” And before her startled beau has a chance to respond, has left the room back rigid with outrage. Authenticity enhances atmosphere and keeps the reader in the world you have created for them. Otherwise you are writing a costume drama set in 21st century America. Here are five ways to take your readers back in time and keep them there…”This is an excerpt from a full column on the GLA Blog by Tessa Arlen, author of the acclaimed historical debut DEATH OF A DISHONORABLE GENTLEMEN. Read the full column over on the blog, and make sure to comment for your chance to win Arlen’s book. |
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| Agent-Conference OpportunitiesThere are plenty of opportunities for writers to meet agents face to face at writers’ conferences and pitch their work in 2015. Remember: Meeting agents in person is a great way to get past the slush pile. If an agent is interested in your work and requests a sample or book proposal, you can write “Requested Material” on your submission, making sure it gets a fair read and consideration.Know that there are two types of conferences. There are general writers’ conferences, that address a variety of subjects, and then there are specialized conferences, which usually tend to focus on a single genre-such as western, romance, or mystery. You will find both kinds in this list below.
Eckerd College Writers’ Conference, Jan. 17-25, 2015, St. Petersburg, FL
Attending agents: Bill Contardi (Brandt & Hochman); Lisa Gallagher (Sanford J. Greenburger Associates).
The Kentucky Writers Conference, Feb. 6, 2015, Louisville, KY
Attending agents: Victoria Lea (Aponte Literary); Natalia Aponte (Aponte Literary); Brent Taylor (Triada US Literary); and Alice Speilburg (Speilburg Literary).
Tennessee Writers Conference, Feb. 7, 2015, Nashville, TN
Attending agents: Greg Daniel (Daniel Literary); Lauren MacLeod (Strothman Agency); Brent Taylor (Triada US Literary); Julie Gwinn (The Seymour Agency); Alice Speilburg (Speilburg Literary); and Cate Hart (Corvisiero Literary).
San Francisco Writers Conference, Feb. 12-15, 2015, San Francisco, CA
Attending agents: There are already about 20 agents confirmed. You can see them all on the conference faculty page on the site.
Portland Writers Workshop, Feb. 20, 2015, Portland, OR
Attending agents: Sandra Bishop (Transatlantic Agency); Adam O’Connor Rodriguez (editor, Hawthorne Books); Natasha Kern (Natasha Kern Literary); Mary C. Moore (Kimberley Cameron & Associates); Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary); Cait Spivey (Corvisiero Literary); and Jodi Dahlke (Fuse Literary).
The Writing Workshop of Seattle, Feb. 21, 2015, Seattle, WA
Attending agents: Kathleen Ortiz (New Leaf Literary); Kristin Vincent (D4EO Literary); Genevieve Nine (Andrea Hurst & Associates); Adria Olson (Martin Literary Management); Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Literary); Fleetwood Robbins (Waxman Leavell Literary); and Adam O’Connor Rodriguez (editor, Hawthorne Books).
The Chesapeake Writing Conferences, Baltimore (March 27) and Washington DC (March 28)
Attending agents: Jeff Kleinman (Folio Literary); Ella Kennen (Corvisiero Literary); Jamie Bodnar Drowley (Inklings Literary); Laura Strachan (The Strachan Literary Agency); Marisa Corvisiero (Corvisiero Literary); Jordy Albert (Booker Albert Literary); Lauren Sharp (Kuhn Projects); Cynthia Kane (Capital Talent Agency); and Leon Husick (L. Perkins Associates).
Carolina Writing Conferences, Columbia, SC (April 17) and Charlotte, NC (April 18)
Attending agents: Sam Morgan (Jabberwocky Literary); Melissa Jeglinski (The Knight Agency); Diana Flegal (Hartline Literary); Cherry Weiner (Cherry Weiner Literary); and Robin Mizell (Robin Mizell Literary Representation).
Milwaukee Writing Conference, May 15, 2015, Milwaukee, WI
Attending agents: Jennie Goloboy (Red Sofa Literary); Laura Crockett (Triada US Literary); Abby Saul (Browne & Miller Literary); Elizabeth Evans (Jean V. Naggar Literary); Jodell Sadler (Sadler Children’s Literary); and Dawn Frederick (Red Sofa Literary).
Chicago Writing Workshop, May 16, 2015, Chicago, IL
Attending agents: Marcy Posner (Folio Literary); Jen Karsbaek (Fuse Literary); Jennifer Mattson (Andrea Brown Literary); Tina Schwartz (The Purcell Agency); Dan Balow (Steve Laube Literary); Jodell Sadler (The Sadler Agency); and Laura Crockett (Triada US Literary).
Jackson Hole Writers Conference, June 25-27, 2015, Jackson Hole, WY
Attending agents: Sarah Levitt (Zoë Pagnamenta Agency); Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein (McIntosh & Otis); and more to be announced.
Writer’s Digest Conference East, July 31 – Aug. 2, 2015, New York, NY
The website will be updated/live soon, but this conference usually happens somewhere in late July or early August over the course of one weekend. The conference’s Pitch Slam features more than 50 literary agents to pitch. |
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