The Manuscript Academy: Recent Episodes
#MSWL
The Manuscript Academy brings you conversations with agents, editors, and writers who can help you on your publishing journey.
Also on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/QaWwJ8O5NFAIn this episode of the Manuscript Academy Podcast, hosts Julie Kingsley and Jessica Sinsheimer introduce new tools and features for writers, including a comp title finder, an advanced agent search, and a writer group creator. They discuss the development of a virtual interactive space for writers to connect globally and announce improvements in sorting through their extensive content library. Additionally, the hosts share updates on their Manuscript Academy Agent Choice Awards and upcoming classes, aimed at helping writers enhance their craft. Tune in to learn about these resources and how they can support your writing journey.00:00 Introduction to the Manuscript Academy Podcast00:31 Listener Feedback and Updates00:57 New Tools for Writers01:57 Writer Group Creator03:04 Virtual Space for Writers04:26 Organizing Classes and Resources05:02 Manuscript Academy Agent Choice Awards06:05 Upcoming Events and Classes07:16 Conclusion and How to Get Involved
Have you ever wondered why Publishing seems to take so much longer than any other industry? We posed this question to agent Stefanie Molina, Ladderbird Literary--and discuss what it means for agents, editors, and - most of all - writers. Want to talk about your work with Stefanie? Schedule a time here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/stefanie-molinaWe discuss: Current Trends in Publishing (00:03:57) What Makes A work “Fresh”? (00:05:01) The Importance of BIPOC Voices in Literature (00:06:32)Communication Challenges in Publishing (00:08:33) Literary Agents of Change (00:10:52)Advice for Writers in the Querying Process (00:15:48)Agents’ Constant Thoughts on Clients (00:28:56) Hope for Industry Change (00:39:31)Scholarship Opportunities (00:44:47)
We are so happy to welcome Liv Ivanov, agent at Creative Media Agency, to the podcast!In this episode, we talk about making your work more addictive (we can all dream of the "I read it in one sitting" agent response!) through: Effective pacingStructureTensionSymmetry *The MICE Quotient And more! Liv shares her insights on avoiding excessive exposition, the balance between tension and pacing, and the importance of character development. She also highlights techniques like reverse outlining and reading aloud to improve manuscripts. We also learn what Liv would like to have in her inbox. Meet Liv here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/liv-ivanov
How do you make your work more commercial--and why is commercial the trend right now? Join agent Alyssa Jennette (Stonesong Literary) as we talk about: 1) Why is commercial trending right now? 2) What can ALL genres (including literary) do to appeal to readers in this moment? 3) Why you should focus revision efforts on stakes, character, payoff and more to make your commercial and literary works more 4) Why literary and upmarket writers don't need to panic.This is part of a larger podcast episode (15 minutes) coming soon. Meet Alyssa here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/alyssa-jennetteVideo clip of this episode here: https://youtu.be/F8wl9mwyc9k?si=Tg-lfxW2dBC6CpxRLearn more at https://manuscriptacademy.com/
Is there a formula for success? What do you do when "A new twist on something familiar" starts to feel overly simplistic? Enter editor Ivan Taurisano, editor at Abrams, who works from the opposite direction of most editors: he can think of a concept that's marketable, then put together the team to make it happen. We discuss: Collaborating with Licensing Partners: Ivan works closely with major brands like Disney, Netflix, and others to create books that resonate with current market trends.Data-Driven Decision Making: Unlike traditional editors who wait for manuscripts, Ivan actively seeks out market trends and creates content that meets those demands.Monitoring Bestseller Lists: Checking Amazon and New York Times bestseller lists to identify common themes and outliers.Examining BISAC Codes: Understanding how books are categorized to spot market trends.Creating Engaging and Humorous Content: Books should be fun and engaging for children, encouraging a love of reading.Finding the Sweet Spot: Balancing humor and content that resonates with children while being appropriate for parents.Ivan Taurisano was born in Rome, Italy, and moved to the United States almost ten years ago to pursue a children’s book publishing career. The guiding principle of his work is that a child whose life is changed by a book will always be a step closer to becoming an adult who will change the world. Ivan’s all-time favorite book is James and the Giant Peach, and his best friend is a chihuahua named Bilbo.Ivan has a BA in English and Creative Writing, an MA in Children’s Literature, and an MFA in Writing for Children. He started his career at Sourcebooks as an Editorial Assistant, then moved on to become an Assistant Editor. His responsibilities included developing children’s board books, picture books, and graphic novels, as well as acquiring board books and picture books. Ivan has worked with many successful series and brands, including How to Catch, Little Heroes Big Hearts, Sesame Street, Disney, Tokidoki, and Pokémon.Currently, Ivan lives in New York and works at Abrams as an Associate Editor on the Children’s Entertainment Publishing and Content Development team. In this role, he focuses novelty books, board books, graphic novels, and select MG and YA titles. He is especially interested in stories with a strong commercial hook, crave-able content, compelling characters, and series potential.Board books and picture books: Ivan is interested in children’s board books and picture books that are kid-centric, interactive, character-driven, and have series potential. He enjoys titles with a strong hook, fun read-alouds, great rhymes, bold and playful imaginative stories, books that break the fourth wall and invite reader participation, as well as seasonal stories such as Christmas and Halloween.MG: Ivan is interested in plot-driven, action-packed adventures with a strong commercial hook, compelling characters, magic, quests/competitions, and high stakes.YA: Ivan prefers strong commercial hooks, well-plotted, character-driven, atmospheric stories, and series potential. He loves fantasy, magic, and quests/competitions. He likes unique, morally grey characters, memorable villains, and propulsive, cinematic writing.Ivan is not the best fit for nonfiction, retellings, historical fiction, biographies, and novels in verse.***Schedule a meeting with Ivan here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ivan-taurisano
We love Bonnie Jo Pierson. Not only is she a Manuscript Academy alum and a published author, she’s a member of a 20-person writing group—and an expert on knowing what feedback to take, what to ignore, and how to tell the difference. After 17 years of writing, her novel is ready—and we talk about keeping work fresh, learning and growing as a person, and remaining emotionally open to your work and your life.Bonnie Jo is the author of What Happens in Idaho, July 24, 2024. Gifted with a short attention span, Bonnie Jo Pierson wants to experience and do as much as she can. Using the great powers of YouTube she’s taught herself how to knit, crochet, paint with oils, acrylics, and watercolors, coach volleyball, play the piano and cello, ride a motorcycle, renovate a house, sing, sew, raise livestock, bake, and most importantly how to write. With a degree in biology, she’s a lover of all things science, especially in the microscopic world. She and her Navy veteran husband have four children and spent several years bouncing around to various locations in the United States. Now she’s made her home in small-town Idaho, where she’s attempting to resurrect her great-grandparents one hundred year-old farm. You can email her at bonniejopierson@gmail.com or you can find her on:instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbonniejopierson/goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23922408-bonnie-jo-piersonfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonniejopiersonauthor twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieJo_author tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bonniejo_author?lang=en
Promoting your book isn’t about making noise—it’s about making a difference for readers who need your story.In this Manuscript Academy episode, we break down exactly how to shift your mindset from fear to confidence and why it’s so important for your career:- Self-Doubt and Fear of Visibility: Let’s be real—none of us love self-promotion. But we’ll show you how to do it in a way that feels authentic and actually helps your book gain the attention it deserves. - Know Your Brand: Do you know what people really think of you? Let’s figure that out. We’ll walk you through how to audit your personal brand so you know where to focus your energy and where you might be wasting time.- The Power of Comps: Comps (aka comparable books) aren’t just for publishers—they help you, too. Knowing your comps is a powerful tool for understanding where your book fits in the market and how to position it for success.- Launch Strategies that Work: Events, launches, bookstore signings—they’re not just for fun. There’s a strategy behind them that most authors miss. Let’s break down how to make these events work for you, not against you.This episode will help you shift your mindset, market your book with confidence, and understand what really moves the needle. It’s time to stop playing small. Ready? Hit play now. * Get your FREE ticket for our event, How To Be Your Own Best Marketer Whether Querying, Agented or Ready To Launch, October 10 at 8:30pm ET, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/allison.
Today is a special live recording of the Manuscript Academy podcast! In front of Manuscript Academy members, Jessica and Julie are joined by faculty member and Macmillan editor Christina Lopez in another installment of our Mystery Agent/Editor segment. Listen in as Christina critiques writer Karissa Riffel’s YA horror query and first page, and answers all your questions.Want to apply for next Mystery Agent/Editor Consutlation? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/submissionsLearn more about membership here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/membershipWant to meet with Christina? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/christina-lopez
Have you ever been tempted to say "My book is for everyone"? We get it! It sounds like the perfect way to convince an agent your book is a slam dunk bestseller--right? Wrong. Realistically, no book is for everyone--and this is a great thing. We're happy to join Emma Peters, editor at W.W. Norton, to discuss: Why you need to define your audience--and pitch an agent on this readerHow specificity in your book description is your friendWhat is a “build a book” and why do agents work on them?Balancing professionalism, enthusiasm & marketing*How to use your friends as a focus groupEmma is available for query consultations. Meet with her at: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/emma-peters
We are so excited to welcome math teacher Ben Orlin to the podcast!Ben Orlin is a math teacher who can't draw. His book Math with Bad Drawings (2018) has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide, and has since been followed by Change is the Only Constant (2019), Math Games with Bad Drawings (2022), and most recently, Math for English Majors (Sept 2024). His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Popular Science, Slate, Vox, and The Los Angeles Times; he himself has appeared in the lines to ice cream stores everywhere. BBC star and leading mathematician Hannah Fry once described him as "terribly bad at drawing" before kindly adding “he’s also fantastically clever and charming.”We discuss: * How to position your proposal as an expert in your subject, for an audience who is not as well-versed Using metaphor to connect and create new meaning The ways agents seek out nonfiction clients* How to incorporate math in your querying and editing processLearn more about Ben and his new book here: https://mathwithbaddrawings.com
We are so happy to welcome Nour Sallam, agent at P.S. Literary, to the podcast! We discuss: How agents should advocate for clients from signing to offers to contracts to publication and beyond Why messy characters and their interiority are often the one thing missing from your work Why we should experience empathy for your villainOpportunities to build tension, pulling the reader (or agent!) into your storyMeet with Nour here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/nour-sallamSee a clip of this episode here: https://youtu.be/xBbNAb0d5sM?si=8NLlvwhX3X04p5vBTranscript and timestamps here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-nour-sallamNour Sallam is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. Nour has previously worked in editing, podcasting, communications, and journalism. She got her start at the University of British Columbia where she studied English Literature and Political Science. She then got her publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. As an Arab woman and an immigrant, she loves books of any genre that amplify joy and connection, or feature complex and nuanced histories, power dynamics, or underrepresented narratives.Nour is seeking commercial and upmarket fiction titles as well as select literary fiction, edgy psychological thrillers, mysteries, and light horror. In fiction, she gravitates towards voicey characters that are haunted by something: a secret, a past, a fear— or an actual haunting! She’s actively seeking character-driven stories featuring women in power, unhinged women, and stories of female rage. She also has a soft spot for unreliable narrators, family sagas with dysfunctional families, protagonists in their 20s-30s navigating adulthood, protagonists on the cusp of major life changes, and stories that focus on friendship dynamics. She is also drawn to stories that explore the diverse experiences of underrepresented groups and challenge our understanding of diasporic experiences and/or cultures. Bonus points if these stories are also fun and celebrate joy.For nonfiction, Nour welcomes fresh and accessible perspectives on big ideas or industry deep dives as well as personal narratives on pop culture, art, and nature. She appreciates books that offer incisive commentary on culture, socio-economic structures, corporate underbellies, health and wellness, and lifestyle. Her taste in non-fiction gravitates towards books that generally challenge what we know or explain what we might not know.
We are so pleased to welcome agent Erica Bauman from Aevitas Creative Management to the podcast!We discuss: How to make your work more atmosphericWhere to place emphasis when writing between genres Balancing keeping the reader in their heads vs. their senses When the genre of our world gets closer to dystopia, how does the dystopian genre change? *Why do agents ask for exactly your metatags—and then say no?Meet with Erica here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/erica-baumanErica Bauman is a literary agent at Aevitas Creative Management and represents a wide variety of authors across middle grade, young adult, and upmarket adult fiction, including acclaimed YA author Maria Ingrande Mora, New York Times Bestseller Kayla Cottingham, and Lambda Literary Fellow Naseem Jamnia.Erica is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and has worked in the publishing industry since 2012. Prior to Aevitas, she worked at Spectrum Literary Agency.Based in New York, Erica is most interested in commercial novels that feature an exciting premise and lyrical, atmospheric writing; imaginative, genre-blending tales; speculative worlds filled with haunting, quietly wondrous magic; fresh retellings of mythology, ballet, opera, and classic literature; sharply funny rom-coms; graphic novels for all ages; fearless storytellers that tackle big ideas and contemporary issues; and working with and supporting marginalized authors and stories that represent the wide range of humanity.
Debut author Kristy Jackson joins Julie and Jessica to talk about her new middle grade book, MORTIFIED, now out in bookstores everywhere! From embarrassing middle school moments to querying hiccups, Kristy talks about her 20+ year-long writing journey, how she found the right agent for her, and how perseverance made all the different to achieving her publishing dreams.Learn more about Kristy here: https://www.kristyjackson.ca/
You’ve heard of the all-important voice—but how do you make it more vivid, both on the page—and in your life? Enter Jessica Doyle-Mekkes, an author, voice coach, and eloquent speaker on how your voice in your life and your voice on the page are linked, vitally important—and within your control to improve. Listen along for what helps your voice come out as you intend—whether singing, public speaking, or reading your character aloud to an audience on your book tour. We also discuss: Do agents share projects with each other? Yes! In fact, this book happened in part because agent Jessica (Sinsheimer) saw author Jesica (Doyle-Mekkes) and just had a feeling she’d be a good fit for Katharine.Learning to write a book proposal from the ground up—and, in one case, overnightWhat makes an ideal client? What do agents look for? How much platform do you really need? There are two kinds of platform—here’s how to leverage both, and how Jessica builds hers (and you can too) ***How you can start preparing NOW for your readings on your future book tourFind I'm Speaking: Every Woman's Guide to Finding Your Voice and Using It Fearlessly wherever books are sold. Meet with Katharine here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/katharine-sands
Content Warning: This podcast discusses suicide, grief, and loss. Pam O'Hara's beautiful writing captivated our expert audience during a recent Manuscript Academy panel, so much so that it was picked for our 2024 MSWL Agent Choice Awards. Pam joins Jessica and Julie to speak about her stunning memoir about love, loss, and losing a loved one by suicide. We discuss everything from platform, to crafting your voice, to how to position a serious and sad topic for your audience, and more. Agents and editors, this one is in need of representation, if you're listening and like what you hear. We know we did.Learn more about Pam here: https://pamelaohara.com
Watch the free video version, slides and all (and get a coupon for our workshop!) at https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmyJoin our Three-Day Keep An Agent Reading Workshop, May 28-30, here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/keep-an-agent-reading-workshopTIMESTAMPS: Essential Elements of a Query Letter (00:03:07) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon covers the essential elements of a query letter, including the metadata paragraph, summary, and bio.Query Letter Writing Tips (00:06:06) Insights into the query letter writing process, including addressing the agent, book title, and genre.Metadata Paragraph and Summary (00:09:18) Detailed explanation of the metadata paragraph and summary in a query letter, including the importance of personalization and book comps.Writing Style in Summary (00:21:12) Discussion on mirroring the writing style of the summary paragraph with the manuscript's tone and voice.Summary of Writing Style and Content (00:22:12) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon discusses the essential elements of a query letter and the importance of introducing main characters and conflict in the summary paragraph.Publishing Bio and Relevant Credentials (00:23:51) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon explains the significance of including prior publications, accolades, training, and relevant professional credentials in the publishing bio.Essential Elements of the First Page (00:26:54) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon highlights the significance of the first page in capturing the reader's interest and emphasizes the need to meet the main character, introduce the central organizing feature, and outline what helps and hurts the character.Crafting a Compelling First Page (00:33:44) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon provides insights on writing the first page, including the importance of starting with action, introducing the main character, and establishing the central organizing feature.Synopsis vs. Summary (00:41:18) Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon differentiates between the synopsis and the summary, emphasizing the need for a bulleted list of plot points in the synopsis, including the ending, and avoiding a writerly tone.Crafting a Synopsis (00:43:24) Advice on crafting a clear and informative synopsis, particularly helpful for pantsers.Including Trigger Warnings (00:44:52) The importance of including trigger warnings in query letters and writing samples, and how to effectively incorporate them.Bio in Query Letter (00:47:34) What to include in the bio section of a query letter, including personal experiences and writing goals.Prologue vs. Chapter One (00:49:22) The debate over whether to use a prologue or the first chapter as the writing sample, and the impact on the query process.Querying Across Genres (00:53:07) Advice for writers querying across multiple genres and how to communicate long-term career plans to agents.Expressing Multiple Genres (00:56:54) Guidance on how to best express, showcase, or explain a book that spans multiple genres in a query letter.Lived Experience in Query (00:59:56) The significance of mentioning own voices or lived experiences in the first paragraph of a query letter.Commercial, Upmarket, and Literary (01:01:36) A breakdown of the distinctions between commercial, upmarket, and literary writing styles and tones.Literary vs. Commercial (01:02:23) Discussion of literary and commercial books, with examples and explanations of each category.Responsible Representation of Disabled and Chronically Ill People (01:05:07) Insights into the progress and challenges of representation in publishing, encouragement to include nuanced representation in writing.Query Consultation Prize Winners (01:09:00) Announcement of three winners for a query consultation prize with Dr. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon.Upcoming Workshop and Ticket Drawing (01:10:24) Details about a three-day workshop and the drawing of three tickets for the workshop, including instructions for winners.
We are honored that author Elizabeth (Liz) Holden, author of the forthcoming YA novel Mighty Millie Novak, allowed us to go through her work as a teaching tool for you--what each element accomplishes, WHY it works, and how you can do the same in your own query and first page.If you'd like to follow along visually, head to our YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademy, or the podcast episode page, https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holden, for the captioned video, transcript, and more. And be sure to check out our other episode, The Roller Derby of Querying, in our feed.TIMESTAMPS: Elements of a Successful Query (00:05:25) Analysis of the query's opening, use of comps, and character introduction.Navigating Conflict and Tension (00:07:17) Discussion on building conflict and tension in the query and its impact.Character Growth and Story Arcs (00:10:47) Explanation of character growth and the importance of story arcs in the query.Personal Experience and Bio (00:12:13) Analysis of the author's personal experiences and bio presented in the query.Flexibility and Professionalism (00:13:31) Discussion on the author's flexibility and professionalism demonstrated in the query.Setting High Stakes (00:16:10) Analysis of the opening line and setting high stakes in the first page of the story.Mighty Millie's Dream (00:17:50) Mighty Millie's aspirations and determination in roller derby are highlighted, setting the stage for the story's conflict and potential growth.Coach Ann's Challenge (00:18:39) Mighty Millie's desire to prove herself and her ambition to be recognized as a formidable competitor in roller derby are showcased.A Disastrous Setback (00:19:29) A dramatic turn of events leads to Mighty Millie's setback, creating tension and raising the stakes for her roller derby aspirations.The Power Dynamics (00:21:04) The discussion revolves around the protagonist's power dynamics, her aspirations, and the fluctuations in her journey, setting the tone for the story's development.Book Launch and Roller Derby (00:22:20) Elizabeth Holden discusses her upcoming book launch and the roller derby theme, adding an exciting real-life connection to the story.Learn more about Liz here: https://elizabeth-holden.com/
View our in-depth video of what Liz did right in her query letter and first page here: https://www.youtube.com/@manuscriptacademyMeet Elizabeth Holden, Physics professor, travel entrepreneur, and author of Mighty Millie Novak, a YA novel coming out from Flux Publishing in August. https://www.elizabeth-holden.com/Liz is also the travel coordinator for our 2025 Manuscript Academy Retreat, which we're calling Enchanted Summer. Early Bird ends May 24. https://www.leapinghound.com/enchanted2025.htmlTranscript + video at https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-elizabeth-holdenTimestamps:00:02:03 - Writing Journey (00:02:03) Elizabeth Holden shares her writing journey, including querying experiences and the ups and downs of her writing career.00:09:50 - Book Offer and Celebrations (00:09:50) Elizabeth recounts the experience of receiving a book offer and the challenges she faced due to being sick at the time.00:12:11 - Viral Twitter Experience (00:12:11) Elizabeth shares the story of her viral Twitter experience related to the representation of queer characters in her novel and the subsequent impact on her querying process.00:16:09 - Managing Multiple Offers (00:16:09) Elizabeth discusses the process of managing multiple offers from literary agents and making a decision about representation.Querying and First Page Feedback (00:21:46) Discussion and feedback on the query letter and the first page of the novel.Character and Conflict Introduction (00:27:33) The introduction of the main character and the presentation of internal and external conflicts.Advice on Writing Process (00:33:05) Flexibility in mindset and recognizing when to take lateral steps in the writing process.Leaping Hound Travel (00:37:13) Starting a travel company during the pandemic, focusing on niche topics and small group tours in Europe and Mexico.Lake Bled Writing Retreat 2025 (00:41:09) Announcement of a writing retreat and vacation in Lake Bled, Slovenia, with details about the location and activities.Enchanted Summer (00:44:44) Discussion about the magical and inspiring environment of Lake Bled, Slovenia, and the benefits of stepping away to focus on writing.
Please note: This episode contains mentions of alcoholism, recovery, and sobriety. We are so happy to welcome author Jessica Guerrieri and agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) to the podcast. They're a great example of what to look for in an author-agent relationship--they're creative, collaborative, supportive, and successful (Jessica's debut book club fiction, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, comes out 2025 with HarperCollins). We also discuss re-querying, facing rejection, and the healing power of storytelling and personal narrative.Meet with Ismita here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/ismita-hussainFind the transcript and show notes here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-ismita-hussain-jessica-guerrieri00:44 Introducing Jessica Guerrieri00:54 Ismita Hussain's Journey from Healthcare to Literary Agent01:55 Jessica Guerrieri's Writing Journey and Sobriety03:04 The Power of Perseverance: Jessica Guerrieri's Path to Publication04:18 The Editorial Process: From Query to Preempt06:58 Understanding the Preempt and the Publishing Process10:50 Revising with Resilience: Jessica Guerrieri's Approach to Feedback17:13 Building Trust and Thickening Skin in the Publishing World21:31 Looking Ahead: Plans After the Book Deal22:02 Embarking on a Unique Memoir Journey22:13 Exploring Motherhood and Recovery22:48 The Power of Sharing Personal Stories27:02 The Role of Fiction and Nonfiction in Recovery29:42 The Importance of Representation in Literature39:57 The Value of Specificity in Storytelling43:15 The Memoir Market and Connecting with Agents
Join us for a deep dive into query revisions with YA fantasy writer, Julia! Julia and Jessica have spent the last few months in revisions, taking a good query and transforming it into an amazing one. Today we share all the insights learned from this process, how to be resilient, receive feedback, and make your pitch pop.
Julia's bio: I am a graduate student in mental health counseling with a tendency to scribble plot points in the margins of my school notes. I am a member of SCBWI, Manuscript Academy, and I live with my twin sister in Orlando, Florida. When I’m not writing, you can find me on local weekend adventures and adding to my growing wall of bookish fanart.
Draft one (with Jessica's notes): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q6SToxSTa4Cgr_talxIEdWdJ9Tx87B19/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109573504283059747627&rtpof=true&sd=true
Draft three (with Jessica's notes): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-PL-la1mUNcZvs-JekTa6YY_JPcv2A2U/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109573504283059747627&rtpof=true&sd=true
We love Kaitlyn! She’s so happy, perceptive, kind, and talented—AND a literary agent who’s created community for her writers, a strong sales track record, and a team of authors—all while being a full-time math teacher, educating young minds.
Book a meeting with her here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/kaitlyn-sanchez
Kaitlyn Sanchez (she/her) joined Bradford Literary in 2022 with two years of agenting experience under her belt. Kaitlyn is the proud co-creator and co-host of the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest and Kidlit Zombie Week as well as creator and co-host of the Kidlit Fall Writing Frenzy Contest. As a mom, wife, and middle school math teacher, Kaitlyn enjoys playing soccer, binge-watching TV shows, and, of course, reading, especially when she’s all cozied up with her husband and daughter reading together. Kaitlyn is an editorial agent and always works with her clients to make sure we’re putting out their best work. She’s highly communicative and invested in every aspect of helping her clients have a strong and happy career. Kaitlyn is looking for children’s books (picture books through YA) in all categories, including graphic novels, nonfiction, and illustration. She is incredibly eclectic in her tastes, with a great affinity for emotional stories as well as funny stories. Kaitlyn is always looking for diversity in all forms, including but not limited to BIPOC, neurodiversity, and LGBTQ+. Kaitlyn loves working with artists, so she’s always on the lookout for great illustrators, author-illustrators, and graphic novelists. Note: Kaitlyn generally leans PG and PG-13 for most submissions, though some intensity here and there is fine.
We love Kaitlyn! She’s so happy, perceptive, kind, and talented—AND a literary agent who’s created community for her writers, a strong sales track record, and a team of authors—all while being a full-time math teacher, educating young minds.
Book a meeting with her here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/kaitlyn-sanchez
Kaitlyn Sanchez (she/her) joined Bradford Literary in 2022 with two years of agenting experience under her belt. Kaitlyn is the proud co-creator and co-host of the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest and Kidlit Zombie Week as well as creator and co-host of the Kidlit Fall Writing Frenzy Contest. As a mom, wife, and middle school math teacher, Kaitlyn enjoys playing soccer, binge-watching TV shows, and, of course, reading, especially when she’s all cozied up with her husband and daughter reading together. Kaitlyn is an editorial agent and always works with her clients to make sure we’re putting out their best work. She’s highly communicative and invested in every aspect of helping her clients have a strong and happy career. Kaitlyn is looking for children’s books (picture books through YA) in all categories, including graphic novels, nonfiction, and illustration. She is incredibly eclectic in her tastes, with a great affinity for emotional stories as well as funny stories. Kaitlyn is always looking for diversity in all forms, including but not limited to BIPOC, neurodiversity, and LGBTQ+. Kaitlyn loves working with artists, so she’s always on the lookout for great illustrators, author-illustrators, and graphic novelists. Note: Kaitlyn generally leans PG and PG-13 for most submissions, though some intensity here and there is fine.
Do you have a book that's "No plot, just vibes"? We're here to support you!
Join agent Taj McCoy to discuss how to feel good from Draft One to Done.
We talk about how subconscious themes, sensory details, and putting new twists on familiar tropes can bring your work to life.
We love how Taj talks about starting with the layers you know best first so that you have the motivation to continue--and start from a strong, confident place.
Plus: When do agents read your synopsis? (Hint: We disagree!)
We also talk about how to make your first page sing for contests, even when word count requirements vary and you want to end with a line of your choice--and then answer YOUR questions from Twitter.
Want to meet with Taj? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/taj-mccoy.
Oakland-born law grad, Taj McCoy, is committed to writing stories championing Black and biracial women of color, plus-sized protagonists, Black love, Black joy, and characters with a strong sense of sisterhood and familial bonds.
Taj started writing as a small child, enjoying the success of her first publications in elementary school. Since then, her dream has always been to become a professional writer. As a law student, she attempted her first novels and joined the Twitter writing community. Though Taj has spent more than ten years working in higher education administration, she continued to pursue her goal and ultimately finished her first novel in 2018, securing her agent in 2019. Her Adult Fiction is published through Mira/HQN.
Taj trained as an agent under Fuse Literary, having previously served as Pitch Wars mentor and co-program manager for Diverse Voices, Inc.’s DVdebut program before joining Rees Literary Agency in 2022. Taj aims to widen the entryway for marginalized authors into the publishing industry and to normalize Black joy, fat joy, celebrations of culture, and love without limitations. She represents Adult Fiction (contemporary, romance, romcoms, women’s fiction, mystery/thriller), Adult Non-Fiction (memoirs, narratives, cookbooks, satire, empowerment), Children’s Fiction (MG and YA contemporary, mystery, romance, thriller, fantasy), Children’s Non-Fiction (historical narratives, picture books).
When she’s not writing or agenting, Taj may be on Twitter boosting other marginalized writers, trying to zen out in yoga, sharing recipes on her website, binge-watching her favorite reality tv, or cooking private supper club meals for close friends. Catch her producing and co-hosting the Fat Like Me Podcast, which celebrates body diversity in publishing and entertainment, or watch her join forces with several writer friends on Sundays for the Better Than Brunch video podcast.
Content warning: brief mentions of fictional sexual assault off the page throughout the episode.
We are so happy to talk with bestselling author Cameron Kelly Rosenblum, author of The Stepping Off Place and, now, The Sharp Edge of Silence.
After ten years on submission, Cameron can now sell fiction without even writing the whole book—making deals off of proposal.
We hope this happens for all of you!
Cameron Kelly Rosenblum is the author of The Stepping Off Place, named a Kirkus Best Book of 2020 and a Top 10 YA Dealing with Mental Health. Her second novel, The Sharp Edge of Silence, releases 4/11/23 in the US and UK. Her books have been translated into Polish, Russian, Hebrew, and German. Cameron has been a teacher and a children's librarian. She lives on the Maine coast with her family.
Learn more about her here: https://www.cameronrosenblum.com/
Join us as we take a trip down memory lane with Corey Finkle, the author of picture books, Your Future is Bright and Pop's Perfect Present. From finding your writing community, the power of small but meaningful interactions at conferences and conventions, and seeing the value of every draft, we explore how Corey went from persevering writer to successful published author.
Corey Finkle says: I wrote my first book as a senior project, spent ten years tinkering with and pitching it, and finally put it aside after I realized it wasn’t actually very good at all. These days, I would never let anyone read it (though, if asked, I MIGHT let them look at some of the lyrics for the musical adaptation I wrote*).
I sold my first book, YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT, almost 20 years to the day after completing that senior project. My second book, POP’S PERFECT PRESENT, came out almost exactly two years after that.
Both books are with Holt/Macmillan.
When not working on my next book, I spend my time writing business-y words for companies, spending time with my wife and two kids, or collecting t-shirts from unusual or lesser-known sports teams. *Yes, I really did that.
The more we hear about the Writer’s Guild of America West, the more we wonder why book authors don’t have something similar.
Did you know that members of The Writer’s Guild of America receive health insurance (good health insurance!), among many other benefits—all for 1.5% of the member’s yearly profits?
Plus, there’s education on the (complicated!) issues, the proposed Anti-AI clause, and an infrastructure to keep writers healthy and happy and writing their best work.
We also talk about the magic synergy of the writer’s room, fun stories from behind the scenes, and how to prepare for your first writing job in Hollywood.
Derek Santos Olson is a screenwriter who has worked in both film and TV.
He wrote on the final two seasons of NBC/DirecTV’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and was nominated for WGA Awards for both seasons. His other TV credits include ABC’s THE UNUSUALS and CBS’ HAWAII FIVE-O. In film, he has sold original pitches and has done rewrite assignments in a variety of genres.
He attended Yale University and has enjoyed teaching or tutoring in one capacity or another since shortly after his graduation.
Today we have the delightful Ashley Audrain, author of The Push, as we discuss her new book, The Whispers.
From the many faces of motherhood, getting inspiration from your neighborhood, pantsing, editing, and creating suspense, we get into what it took to send this book out into the world!
ASHLEY AUDRAIN’S debut novel, The Push, was a New York Times, Sunday Times (London), and number-one international bestseller, and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. It has sold in more than forty territories, and a limited television series is currently in development. Audrain previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada, and prior to that she worked in public relations. She lives in Toronto, where she and her partner are raising their two young children.
Learn more at https://ashleyaudrain.com/.
Join us as we speak with Daniele Hunter, Junior Agent at McIntosh & Otis, AALA member, and AALA DEI committee and Literary Agents of Change member!
Becoming a literary agent is not for the faint of heart. As a passion-led industry that puts up many financial barriers to entry (unpaid internships, sky-high NYC rents, and earnings for many young workers well below a livable wage), publishing has historically been an industry that hires the most privileged. Today we talk about the fundamental need for diversity in publishing and what the AALA is doing to help mitigate those barriers.
Learn more about their auction here: https://literaryagentsofchange.org/auction
https://twitter.com/litagtsofchange https://www.instagram.com/literaryagentsofchange/
Daniele Hunter (she/her) is a queer, chronically ill, disabled junior agent in the children's department at McIntosh & Otis. She started at McIntosh & Otis in 2016 as an intern and has been there ever since! She has a BA in English with concentrations in Literary Criticism, Poetry, and Creative Writing from Drew University. Prior to agenting, she held various odd jobs in the publishing industry, from proofreading to teaching and working on literary journals. She's also a member of the American Association of Literary Agents and is on their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and co-directs their fellowship program through Literary Agents of Change. In her spare time, she reads way too quickly, sings opera, and puts her ambidexterity to good use as a knitter. She lives in New Jersey with her spouse and their cat.
Join our Three-Day Workshop, Making & Breaking Status Quo with Anne Elliott, June 13-15, 2023. Tickets are $49 and include daily classes, daily workshops, a live Q&A, and first pages panel--all with replays, on-demand access, and 30 days to view.
This podcast episode is a workshop preview for the three days together.
Get your ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/making-and-breaking-status-quo
What you do with the "ordinary" in your story--and how you break it--creates the extraordinary reading experience.
You've heard that agents want characters with power and agency (it's some of our top-requested keywords on #MSWL!), but how do you give them power or--even better--teach them to take it? How do you bring a quiet character the courage to speak up? How do you show the ripple effects when they finally do?
What hidden consequences come with taking risks, seeking safety, and finding intimacy between your characters?
All of these questions make for compelling fiction that explores that human elements AI just can't touch.
There so are many things we love about Anne. Her ability to zero in on fiction in a way that feels like an MFA in your computer is among our favorites. Hope you can join us.
Anne Elliott is the author of The Artstars: Stories (Indiana University Press) and The Beginning of the End of the Beginning (Ploughshares Solos).
Her short fiction can be found in Story, A Public Space, Crab Orchard Review, Witness, Hobart, Bellevue Literary Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, and elsewhere. Elliott is a veteran of the New York spoken word circuit, with stage credits including The Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, PS122, and Woodstock ’94.
Her fiction has been awarded support from The Story Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, The Normal School, Table 4 Writer’s Foundation, and The Bridport Prize. She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Warren Wilson College, and lives in Portland, Maine. Learn more at http://www.anneelliottstories.com.
We are thrilled to welcome Sara Sargent, Senior Executive Editor at Random House Books for Young Readers, to the podcast. In our cozy member lounge format (rather like a neighborhood potluck, we think, that happens to feature publishing experts), we asked her questions about how editors choose books, how writers get book deals without agents, and the inner workings of a publishing house—and what this means for you when you pitch your book. Want to try out our new “leave a voicemail” feature (in beta)? Check it out here. We can’t wait to hear from you: https://www.podpage.com/the-manuscript-academy/You can book a meeting with Sara here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/sara-sargentSara Sargent is a Senior Executive Editor at Random House Books for Young Readers. She has previously held positions at HarperCollins Children’s Books, Simon & Schuster, New York Magazine, and Meet the Press. Sara has worked with New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling authors such as #1 New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, plus TV star Daymond John, celeb power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson, Olympians Laurie Hernandez and Karen Chen, TV personality Ainsley Earhardt, YouTube star StacyPlays, and fiction writers Abbi Glines, Rosamund Hodge, and Lisa Maxwell. Sara has also worked with internationally bestselling author and actress Lily Collins; National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti; and social media influencers Laci Green, Matthew Espinosa, Baby Ariel, and Arden Rose. Sara received her Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern University. She lives in Brooklyn.Sara is looking for picture books that serve a true purpose—perhaps the perfect bedtime, holiday, potty-training, other-growth-moment story. She loves funny stories with great rhythm and cadence. And she especially loves stories about both identities and childhood experiences that are under-explored and under-served in the current market.
Anne Elliott is back for her second three-day event! Join us June 13-15 for daily classes, workshops, exercises, Q&A, a live feedback panel, and a supportive writer community as we learn about making and breaking the status quo in your work.Get your ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/anne-workshop ($0 members | $49 nonmembers).What makes this day different from all other days? This course will explore that question from several angles. A break in status quo is often the occasion for story—or the vital climax. How and why do we establish the ordinary for our characters, and how can the ordinary be broken open to reveal new depths of personality, relationships, motivations, and worlds? Through concrete and unpacked examples and exercises, we will add a few key tools to the craft toolbox.This course can be completed on your schedule. Everything will be up for 30 days, replays are available for all events, and your odds of feedback are the same whether you attend live or watch the replay.Anne Elliott is the author of The Artstars: Stories (Indiana University Press) and The Beginning of the End of the Beginning (Ploughshares Solos).Her short fiction can be found in Story, A Public Space, Crab Orchard Review, Witness, Hobart, Bellevue Literary Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, and elsewhere. Elliott is a veteran of the New York spoken word circuit, with stage credits including The Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, PS122, and Woodstock ’94.Her fiction has been awarded support from The Story Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, The Normal School, Table 4 Writer’s Foundation, and The Bridport Prize. She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Warren Wilson College, and lives in Portland, Maine. Learn more at http://www.anneelliottstories.com.
Friends! We have the wonderful Alyssa Jennette of Stonesong Literary Agency joining us today as we tackle the current highlights and worrying dark sides of publishing. Today we chat about the varied approaches to agenting, story creation and AI, how much we need writers, the beautiful moments in publishing and more!Alyssa Jennette joined Stonesong Literary in June 2015 after interning at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. She graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in Illustration. As a result, she has unique insight and expertise when it comes to design-heavy or illustrated works. Alyssa is a very editorial agent; she finds a lot of joy in shaping stories alongside the author and delights in building long-term partnerships.Alyssa represents children’s and adult fiction and picture books, and has dabbled in humor and pop culture nonfiction. She is especially drawn to diverse voices, ensemble casts, and thorough world-building, plus any book with a format that is specific to the story and gives it its own context.Learn more about Alyssa here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/alyssa-jennette
We are so excited to welcome the delightful author-agent pair Jessie Latimer and Kristen Terrette, Martin Literary Management. We talk about genre-blending, the power of referrals, editing, and learning from your rejections, as well as Jessie's exciting new submission (her YA protagonist dives into her favorite book to help rewrite the villain's ending!).You can learn more about Kristen here: https://www.martinlit.com and on her website: https://kristenterrette.com.And you can find Jessie on Instagram and TikTok @picnicswithpaperbacks, and on Twitter @_JessieLatimer.
The votes are in! Science Fiction, Fantasy, Speculative & Supernatural won—and we’ve built this panel to that theme. But even if you’re writing serious nonfiction, or in a completely other genre, this is a great view into what agents love within genres—and how agenting, in general, works. With Q&A, trivia, live #MSWL and a class on dialogue, this is a fun event we’re thrilled to share. Want YOUR genre to be the theme for our next panel? Vote here!https://manuscriptacademy.com/mswl-livePrefer to watch the video version? Check it out here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/mswl-live-sffToday’s episode includes (in order of appearance): Caitlin McDonald, agent at Donald Maass Literary, with a SF/F Trivia QuizSamantha Wekstein, agent at Thompson Liteary, with a query critiqueThao Le, agent at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, with a visual #MSWL (check the video version!) presentationTaj McCoy, agent at Rees Literary, with a class (slides in the video version!) on dialogueToday’s event was filmed in front of our Manuscript Academy members. Want to be there live next time? Join us! Learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/membership
We are so happy to welcome happy author-agent pair Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Folio Literary Management, and author Joslin Brorsen, who created a magical written world specifically for her son. We love hearing how they found each other—how Joslin’s work fits right into Adriann’s #MSWL—and their tips for how to find a happy creative partnership. You can learn more about Adriann, and book a meeting with her (starting May 4, 2023) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/adriann-ranta-zurhellenAnd you can find Joslin on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JoslinBrorsen
Starting Tuesday, April 11 (but on your schedule + available for 30 days!): Three Day Workshop: Think Like An Editor, with daily classes, daily interactive workshops (optional homework + exercises), live Q&A and live, interactive feedback panel. Learn more + get your ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/think-like-an-editorGet a free class replay, Your Path to Publication, with Shirin here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/your-path-to-publicationWe are so excited to get to talk with Lauren DeStefano! Not only have we been fans for more than a decade, but she is just so darn cool in person. We talk about power dynamics, having characters live in different genres (the women of her story are living in a thriller; the men think they’re in a romance), and how she still takes creative risks—and why no writer should aim for a 100 percent publication rate. Find her on Instagram @laurendestefano.
Starting Tuesday, April 11, join our Three-Day Workshop: Think Like An Editor to learn, through classes, workshopping, Q&A and a live panel to be your own best editor–and focus on changing the elements of your work that can get you published, rejected, or an R&R. Learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/think-like-an-editor*The world is a lot right now--politically and otherwise. Here at the Manuscript Academy, we started thinking about what it means to be a good literary citizen in a time of book bans–and what you can do both for you and for the writers who come after you. We’re pleased to welcome Tonya Todd to the podcast. She is a Las Vegas-based writer and actress who will be teaching Crafting Diverse Characters for Inclusive Literature at the Atlanta Writers Conference in May. Tonya has short stories in Vegas Writes: Love in the Dunes, Tales from the Silver State IV, and Authors Portraits LV. Her non-fiction is featured in NPR's Desert Companion.Learn more about here at http://www.mstonyatodd.com/ and on Twitter at @MsTonyaTodd
We absolutely loved making this episode! We started randomly calling (opted in) writers for pep talks—and the result is an inspiring, uplifting, life-affirming episode that shows the brilliance of our writing community while also soothing some common stressors. We discuss: When do I need to pivot? Am I too old to write a debut?* What makes a writer go from unpublished to successful? And much more. Many thanks to our authors for being part of our episode.
Join Shirin Yim Leos and Lisa Manterfield for an evening all about choosing YOUR best path to publication. We’ll cover big five, still-big, university, small, self, hybrid, and more—and the rewards and frustrations of each. We’ll look at how your goals, your personality, and your book’s genre can help decide which option is most likely to bring you personal satisfaction. Get your free ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/your-path-to-publicationInvite a friend + enter to win a query consultation the faculty agent or editor of your choice here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/invite-a-friendShirin Yim Leos has coached writers who have secured multibook deals from Big Five publishers, and film and television options from major entertainment companies. She is the author of twenty-one children’s books, a developmental editor, and a former publisher. Leos also leads writing retreats and teaches writing and publishing for universities and conferences internationally.She’s taught at NSW Writers’ Center in Australia, the AFCC in Singapore, the Writing Salons in San Francisco and Berkeley, eight American universities, writing conferences such as the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference, Write On The Sound, the Michigan Writing Workshop, the San Diego Writing Workshop, the Australian Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators National Conference, and the Book Passage Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference. She also speaks for the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.Over the past decade, Lisa Manterfield has self-published four novels, two works of non-fiction, and five non-fiction ebooks, and coached many other authors to self-publishing success. Through her blog and podcast, she has created an online community of more than 6,000 members worldwide. Her work has been published in Los Angeles Times, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, and The Saturday Evening Post.
We had a great question during one of our Manuscript Academy Welcome Tours: How do you personalize a query if you don't know the date of an agent's #MSWL? Is it still relevant? Will you look silly for bringing up something older? Or are they still relevant for years?Here's how to navigate without a date stamp--and still look well-researched, smart, and like the kind of writer an agent would love to work with.
We cannot wait for Thursday's panel with Harper Collins senior editor, Stephanie Stein. If you haven't met her yet, she has kind thoughtful, fun, and she'll give you great feedback on your queries and pages. Enter to win one of five giveaway tickets at https://manuscriptacademy.com/enter. We'll draw the winners randomly Wednesday, March 15th at 1:00 PM Eastern. To learn more about Thursday's panel, head to http://manuscriptacademy.com/stephanie-panel. Everything begins LIVE Thursday, March 16, at 8:30 PM Eastern. Hope to see you there.
We are so happy to welcome Jill Santopolo, a New York Times bestselling author and editor and publisher at Philomel/Penguin Random House. We talk about what it feels like to pitch your book when you’re already in the industry, how to find experts on exactly what you need to know for your world building and historical accuracy, and how to keep tension when half your story is set in the past. We loved this time with Jill, and hope you will too. This was recorded in front of our Member Lounge, https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge. Many thanks to Kristin Kurian at Penguin for helping us set this up.Jill Santopolo is the internationally best-selling author of Stars in an Italian Sky, Everything After, More Than Words and theThe Light We Lost, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and has been optioned for film. Her books have been translated into more than 35 languages and have been named to the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Apple, and Indie Bound bestseller lists. She is also the author of the Alec Flint Mysteries, the Sparkle Spa series, and the Follow Your Heart books. Jill holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from NYU. She is the publisher of Philomel, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, where she edits many critically-acclaimed, award-winning, and best-selling books including She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger, Girling Up by Mayim Bialik, Calling All Minds by Temple Grandin, Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Rafael Lopez, and Superheroes Are Everywhere by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Mechal Roe. Jill has worked as a thesis advisor at The New School in their MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and was on the faculty of the Columbia Publishing Course. She was also an adjunct professor at McDaniel College, where she helped develop the curriculum for their certificate program in Writing for Children. Jill has traveled all over the U.S.—and to Canada and Europe—to speak about writing and storytelling. She lives in Washington, DC and New York with her husband and daughter.
If you’ve been following along at home, you know that ManuscriptWIshist.com version 4.0 just launched. And while it’s new, and shiny, and lovely, it’s ten years in the making. This is the miraculous-feeling story about how we got from Tumblr to Wordpress blog to site where agents and editors can login and make their own updates—the only way we’d still exist, because doing everything manually quickly became impossible.We’ll hear from Mike Chen and Sierra Godfrey, now multi-published authors, who (we know! We can’t believe it either) saw Jessica’s sad “Does anyone know how to fix websites?” tweet, and generously offered to help. They made the site beautiful, sustainable, scalable, and—frankly—possible, going forward. We also hear from Caitlin O’Connell, now an editor at Marvel, about her days running the backend of the site when it was still run almost entirely by humans. You may have thought it was tech, but it was Caitlin—with her delightful kindness and willingness to help writers, agents, and editors alike—who made all version 2.0 possible. Plus, we talk about the MSWL party with 90 agents and editors, and how it felt to be in that room with the people dreaming loudly on the internet. Mike Chen is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Brotherhood, Here and Now and Then, Light Years From Home, and other novels. He has covered geek culture for sites such as Nerdist, Tor.com, and StarTrek.com, and in a different life, covered the NHL. A member of SFWA, Mike lives in the Bay Area with his wife, daughter, and many rescue animals. Follow him on Twitter to see pictures of his corgi: @mikechenwriterSierra Godfrey is the author of A Very Typical Family and The Second Chance Hotel (Sourcebooks). She was born in Santa Cruz, California and has lived many places, including Santorini, Greece. She loves hiking, watching soothing British farmland shows, and thinking of stories about messy families. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, which includes a dog, two cats, and a turtle, all of which seemed like a good idea at the time. Find her at sierragodfrey.com or @sierragodfrey on Twitter and Instagram.Caitlin O’Connell is an editor at Marvel, a writer, and literary agency reader from northern New Jersey. She has a BA in creative writing from Ithaca College and specializes in YA and children’s literature, but has a great love of all stories that are well told and inviting. When not writing or reading, Caitlin can usually be found drinking tea under a pile of cats. You can follow her on Twitter @Caitlin_Renata or, to learn more about her writing and editing, visit caitlinroconnell.com.
We had the best time with this panel! Many thanks to our amazing agent panelists. Vote for YOUR genre for the next #MSWL panel! https://manuscriptacademy.com/mswl-liveThese events will turn into video clips for ManuscriptWishList.com profile, and podcasts for everyone to enjoy. They're recorded in front of our Manuscript Academy (http://manuscriptacademy.com/) members.In order of appearance: Bibi Lewis, doing a query critique: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/bibi-lewis/Emmy Nordstrom-Higdon, doing a lesson on passive voice: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/emmy-nordstrom-higdon/Kiana Nguyen, with a writing prompt + contest: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/kiana-nguyen/Anjanette Barr, with a query critique: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/anjanette-barr/
For MSWL’s 10th anniversary (we know! We can’t believe it either!) we’ve invited KK Hendin, co-founder, who made us legit within four minutes of the first tweet. The next MSWL day is February 16, on Twitter and* on your favorite platforms*We talk about how we went from Tumblr to a real life site to a site where agents and editors could update their own wishes (Jessica and KK were updating them manually before that), the stories we’ve heard of how it’s impacted writing life, and the amazing, serendipitous coincidences that made it all possible.Please note that, as of Monday, ManuscriptWishList.com will go into version 4.0! Check out the site for a list of upcoming updates (rolling out slowly over the next few weeks).
Sign up for a free pep talk here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/pep-talkHave you ever had a publishing question you couldn't answer with Google? Or maybe you're just stressed out and wondering if it's time to pivot, panic, or be patient?What if you could have a conversation with a person instead of finding more conflicting advice online?Well, now you can.Last week, Julie and I tried an experiment. For months, we’ve had our friend Mary, our Minister of Writing Happiness, make random calls to our members to pep them up, talk about their writing, and just generally make them feel better. The world is hard! (Seems even harder than usual the past few years.) And Mary’s voice is like sunshine on the phone.But last week, we took Mary's call list, and started calling writers out of the blue. This was great fun for us (and we’re amazed how many of you picked up!).You’re all working on such interesting things, and it’s great to hear your voices. It was so much fun, we thought "Hey, maybe we should do this on purpose."We also noticed many of you are going through the same things—but felt alone in your creative process. It was wonderful for us to be able to offer advice, consolation, and reasons to be hopeful.So, if you’d like a pep talk meets advice call, want to help your fellow writers, and you’re free this Thursday, 2pm-4pm ET, opt in for a call that will turn into a podcast. We’ll record, heavily edit, promise to cut anything you don’t want in there (just let us know), anonymize partially or fully if you wish (“This is Joe from North Dakota, and I just got the worst rejection…” or even just “I’m a writer, and I got the worst rejection”) and turn it into a 30-minute podcast episode.The result, we hope, will be a window into writing life, how you’re not alone in your feelings—and why you and our writing community should feel hopeful. Until we find a way for all of you to meet—we think most of you would be friends!—this is a great way to connect.Interested? Fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch with as many of you as we can: https://manuscriptacademy.com/pep-talkWe look forward to talking with you soon!All best,Jessica & Julie
How To Build Rapport With Agents: How Jonathan Roots Found Agent Renee FountainTwenty years ago at his local pub, author Joshua Roots had been talking for months about his writing ideas—but doing nothing about them. A friend finally turned to him and said, “Oh my goodness, shut up and write something already.”Thus began the adventure he calls “How To Dumb Luck Your Way Through A Writing Career.“ He wrote steampunk, cozy mysteries, YA fantasy—and, most recently, a nonfiction work about bees. He was “hide under the desk” terrified of bees when he started. Finding the right fit for his agent wasn’t going to be easy. But as Renee Fountain put it, he threw a dart, it landed on her—and the rest is history. Much of having an agent is a conversation—how you talk about your work, inspire each other, plan to drink mai tais on the beach once your shared project sells. Every author-agent relationship is different. This one involves weekly status updates with charts. There’s no one right way to get an agent. Our hope is that, once you hear this conversation, it’ll expand your idea of what this creative partnership can be—and what you can ask for in yours. You can learn more about Renee at https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/renee-fountainJosh is at https://joshuajroots.com/. @cobramisfit on Twitter, or ask him where to find his Irish pub, and he’ll bring you honey. Transcript of this episode available at
Welcome to our latest Mystery Agent episode. We asked you, our lovely writers, to send in your query and first page—and asked a wonderful literary agent to choose a lucky writer for a critique. What follows is the joy-filled, insightful consultation and conversation between them. There are wonderful lessons in this episode about pitching, character development, and more. In this episode, listen as Larissa Melo Pienkowski (Jill Grinberg Literary Management) helps author Justine McDaniel with small changes that may make all the difference. (And yes, we like her so much, we're already placing bets on her publishing success.) With a focus on first page, pitching, character, and the nuances of this age group, Larissa and Justine work together to bring this submission packet to the next level. Want to apply for our next Mystery Agent critique? Join our mailing list at https://manuscriptacademy.com/subscribe to be the first to know how. Want to meet with Larissa to go over YOUR query or pages? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/larissa-melo-pienkowski.
This episode is all about to get the best return on your time investment, boost your book sales, excel at Instagram—and connect with your audience in ways you never knew possible. Join our Three-Day Submission Strategy Workshop here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/submission-strategy-workshopSarah Blair is an author of sexy, snarky, supernatural fiction.She graduated from the University of Tennessee where she earned her B.A. in Creative Writing, summa cum laude.As an enthusiastic fan of The X-Files, she began her writing career penning fan fiction. Now she is the author of three books in the adult urban fantasy series, Tides of Darkness. When she’s not writing, she is a host and showrunner for The X-Cast: An X-Files Podcast.Find her at Sarahlblair.com and https://www.instagram.com/author.sarah.blair/Some of Sarah’s favorite accounts to follow:https://www.instagram.com/mixtusmedia/https://www.instagram.com/theunkarenkaren/https://www.instagram.com/romantically_inclined/https://www.instagram.com/the.author.apothecary/
We are so happy to welcome author Amy E. Reichert to the podcast! She has a number of beautiful novels (all featuring wonderful food writing), her latest being Once Upon a December, a holiday romance featuring a magical Christmas market, a steamy romance, and—of course—gorgeous holiday treats.We also talk about food writing and best how to make it work (what book isn’t better with gorgeous food?), world building in (mostly) contemporary settings, and what special elements you need if you want your holiday work to be successful. Amy E. Reichert, author of six novels, loves to write stories that end well with characters you’d invite to dinner. A wife, mom, amateur chef, Fix-It Mistress, a volunteer baby snuggler, and cider enthusiast, she earned her MA in English Literature and serves on her library’s board of directors. She's a member of Tall Poppy Writers. She is the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, Luck, Love & Lemon Pie, The Simplicity of Cider, and The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go, and more. Learn more about her here: https://www.amyereichert.com/
We can’t wait! Join us for our SIXTH annual holiday party, December 13, 8:30pm ET. The event is FREE and open to the public, and features agents Kayla Lightner and John Cusick, good vibes expert Thalia Elie, and writer, book coach, and comedian Anna Conathan.Get your free ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/partyInvite a friend to our party here: manuscriptacademy.com/invite-a-friendAnna joins us today to talk awkward conversations, how uncomfortable interactions can pay off—and how getting comfortable with both is the key to your creativity. Learn more about Anna here: http://annaconathancoaching.com/
We are thrilled to speak with Anne Elliott—who always makes us feel like we’re in the best kind of MFA—about how structure and movement in your story can create the kind of reading experience that keeps people up all night with your book. Whether you’re pitching, published, or both, this is exactly (we imagine) what you want as a reader.
Join us November 15-17 for a three-day event on this very topic. Daily classes, supportive community, live Q&A and a live feedback panel. Everything comes with replays and can be done on your schedule. $49: https://live.manuscriptacademy.com/movement-and-momentum/
Anne Elliott is the author of The Artstars: Stories (Blue Light Books / Indiana University Press, 2019) and The Beginning of the End of the Beginning (Ploughshares Solos, 2014). Her short stories can be found in Story, A Public Space, Crab Orchard Review, Witness, Hobart, Bellevue Literary Review Fifth Wednesday Journal, Fugue, and elsewhere. Elliott is a veteran of the New York spoken word circuit, with stage credits including The Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, and PS122.
Her fiction has received support from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Story Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, Table 4 Writer's Foundation, Tomales Bay Writer's Workshop, The Normal School, Longleaf Writer’s Conference, and The Bridport Prize. She holds an MFA in visual art from UC San Diego, and an MFA in fiction writing from Warren Wilson College. She lives in Maine with her husband and many pets.
We loved this event! In a cozy, neighborhood potluck-like format, we chatted with agent Paige Wheeler, who talks everything from comps to first pages to how to get your query ready to send--and where to send it.
This episode was recorded in earliest autumn, in front of our Member Lounge audience. Learn more about the Member Lounge here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge
As the founder of Creative Media Agency, Inc., https://cmalit.com/paige-wheeler/, Paige Wheeler has artfully merged her creativity and business savvy to create an agency that is dedicated to maximizing author potential. With over twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, Paige is propelled by an entrepreneurial spirit, ignited by the thrill of discovery. Through all of her professional endeavors, Paige has ventured to support her clients and their unique voices in an unprecedented way. In 2006, Paige also became a founding partner of Folio Literary Management, LLC. Deciding she missed focusing on growing the author, not the business, Paige pivoted to a boutique approach to author representation. Through CMA, she is now able to manage the intellectual property rights of authors by selling both domestic and foreign rights, co-agenting film and audio rights, and maximizing the long tail of a book’s life in the e-book marketplace.
We love this conversation about a part of the industry few writers know about--script-to-book, or when a writer is hired to novelize a project originally designed for the screen. Both Bethany and Gigi have successful projects in this area--Bethany Baptiste is the author of Izzy Hawthorne: Destiny Awaits, a script-to-book project based on Disney’s Buzz Lightyear movie, and Gigi Griffis is the author of The Empress, a script-to-book project based on Netflix’s series of the same name.
We talk about finding these opportunities, getting yourself ready to create an entire project in 30 days--and how you can start now if this is a goal for you.
Plus, we cover other Intellectual Property (IP) project types, how to find an agent for this kind of work--and what they've learned along the way.
Bethany Baptiste is a slightly responsible grown-up living Jacksonville, Florida in a little brick house with her fiancé, three chaotic evil dogs, and too many books. She holds two degrees in Early Childhood Education and taught for seven years. Now as an inclusion specialist, she advocates for preschoolers with special needs. When not prying a shoe from a Schnauzer’s jaws, she writes about Black kids with big hearts and little morals. You can visit her at bethanybaptiste.com or @storysorcery on Twitter. Bethany is represented by John Cusick of Folio Literary Management.
Gigi Griffis is a world-traveling entrepreneur and writer with a special love for inspiring stories, new places, and living in the moment. In May 2012, she sold her stuff and took to the road with a growing business and a pint-sized pooch. She has been traveling full-time since then and is the author of Italy: 100 Locals Tell You Where to Go, What to Eat, and How to Fit In, as well as three additional guidebooks for Paris, Prague, and Barcelona.
Gigi and her work have been featured at The New York Times, Married With Luggage, Miss Minimalist, International Living, Transitions Abroad, Forbes, and more. And her new travel guides are already hitting top-100 and top-10 lists on sites like Amazon.com.
Find her work and books at gigigriffis.com. Follow Gigi on Twitter @gigigriffis
We are so happy to speak with author Rachel Harrison about her new feminist werewolf novel, Such Sharp Teeth! This isn’t horror as you’d normally expect it—the cover is pink, the setting includes Target and Starbucks, and the main character is a twin just trying to get control over her new werewolf tendencies—and her love life.
We talk about werewolf metaphors for how we can’t control everything (or even most things) about our bodies, how genre is a loose concept that can have one book shelved everywhere from women’s fiction to thriller to horror, and how #PitDark set off an incredibly fast rise from unagented, to agented, to published.
You can learn more about Rachel Harrison here: https://www.rachel-harrison.com/
We loved this episode! We talk with agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) about short stories, writers making mistakes with QueryManager, New Adult, and what makes a query work for her—and for the majority of agents. Listen in as she goes over what ten writers did right, did wrong—and how their work can help you present your book in the best possible light.
Want to go over your query or first few pages with Ismita? Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/ismita-hussain
Ismita is a Georgia native and graduate of Emory University, where she studied Human Health and Italian. During college, she also worked for various Atlanta area hospitals in departments ranging from neonatal to geriatric care. In her Desi household, she grew up speaking Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. Ismita is a founding member of Disability in Publishing and currently serves as their External Relations Lead. She is also a part of the Literary Agents of Change Mentorship Program 2022 cohort. Ismita represents literary fiction, health-related non-fiction, YA, and short story collections. Some of her favorite authors are Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy, Oscar Wilde, and Tom Perrotta. Ismita is especially drawn to fiction with a Southern setting, gritty realist writing, and any books that explore health or disability. Ultimately though, she’s a sucker for writing with a great sense of humor. Her client list and more about Great Dog Literary can be found on www.greatdogliterary.com. You can also find her on Twitter @ismita_h .
We love this book! You can hear it in our voices, of course, but it’s worth saying again. This is a beautiful and fun historical work—kind of like a female James Bond—and we love the conversation about history and gender roles, building tough worlds but retaining hope, excelling at pacing—and how to write characters who are tired of being scared. (Which, well, many of us can relate to today.)
Learn more at https://christine-wells.com/, and order ONE WOMAN'S WAR here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-womans-war-christine-wells/1141117583;jsessionid=808760E5EF34D184B640134EDAB5EB8E.prodny_store01-atgap12?ean=9780063111806
We’re thrilled to welcome Bobby Finger, whose book, The Old Place, is so full of twists and turns—many of them with internal, past, and multi-layered conflict—that we had a terrible time not spoiling the ending for you! (Yes, you’ll hear several shout-outs that will make sense if you read the book.)
We also talk about symbols (the potato salad!), towns as characters, and how literary fiction needs different qualities to keep readers hooked.
Bobby Finger is a writer and co-host of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly. A Texas native, he lives in Brooklyn, New York. The Old Place is his debut novel.
Learn more here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-old-place-bobby-finger/18578440?aid=84367&ean=9780593422342&listref=podcast-books-18fc47a2-fbef-41f0-b08a-690d4efd490c
This episode is also a video! If you'd like to view our agent's screen as she works, click here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/mystery-agent-september
We love this experiment! We asked you to send in your queries, pages, and questions--all in the hopes of a meeting with our mystery agent.
This month, our mystery agent chose a beautiful, intricate thriller--and spoke with the writer about optimizing for how agents read. The edits include reordering, swapping out descriptions, and making sure she makes the best use of her limited query real estate.
We are so excited for this episode! It’s truly a case of good things happening for good people. Sierra Godfrey is part of the team that built ManuscriptWishList.com, and now her very own book is coming out TODAY: A Very Typical Family.
We invited Sierra and her agent, Melissa Edwards, to talk about the long road here—and what both learned along the way.
We discuss agent squishiness (some are warm and fuzzy, and why both types have advantages), how to write conflict when you’re conflict-avoidant, how Sierra learned to ask the right questions when on The Call, and whether darker works can succeed in a “we want escapism” market.
You can get Sierra's new book, A Very Typical Family, here: https://bookshop.org/books/a-very-typical-family-9781728264967/9781728255200
Learn more about Sierra: https://www.sierragodfrey.com/
Learn more about Melissa and book a consultation: https://manuscriptacademy.com/melissa-edwards
We asked our Facebook group (join here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook) how we can help, and the questions that came in were fantastic! We’re happy to answer them here.
We talk about how your query is like real estate (and most queries are empty lots with one cactus), how to find your best comp titles (and why we think they’re hard too), and a quick marketing overview to get more traffic to your author site (no advanced SEO knowledge needed!).
Coming soon! Our Author Site Audit panel: https://evt.to/audoagoiw
Here’s the Comp Title class we mentioned: https://manuscriptacademy.com/comp-title-class
And agent Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s podcast about comps: https://soundcloud.com/user-965795498/episode-23-comp-titles-with-rachel-ektrom-courage?si=6dc6905d8ab24f1d9811fc229645ca07&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Happy September, everyone!
We love this episode! Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Artists, was kind enough to join us for a live coffee break with our members—and we ended up talking about so many things!
We cover:
How agenting is a style choice Why writers should have more confidence How even the IRS probably can’t figure out royalty statements How to reverse-engineer your search for agents from editor data How the people you naturally like are the ones you’re going to work with, so there’s no point in forcing it What in the world agents really want in a synopsis Why murder is their comfort read A fantastic explanation of how a book earns out its advance
Learn more about Emmy and book a consultation (after September 8 for non-members) here! https://manuscriptacademy.com/emmy-nordstrom-higdon
Emmy (they/them) holds a PhD in justice-oriented social work with a focus on critical animal studies from McMaster University, with peer-reviewed publications in public health and psychology. In 2019, they made a lateral career move into publishing after four years as a bookseller at a local indie, and now work as a literary agent with Westwood Creative Artists. They are a queer, trans, and non-binary colonizer, who is autistic, has psychiatric disabilities, and a hormone-related chronic illness.
As an agent, Emmy represents across age categories and genres, specializing in identity-driven works. They work in both fiction and non-fiction, from picture book to adult, including commercial, upmarket, book club, and literary. They specialize in contemporary books grounded in reality, with and without speculative elements. Mystery, thriller, suspense, romance, romcom, women’s fiction, LGBTQ2S+, magical realism, fabulism, horror, graphic, narrative non-fiction, true crime, religion and spirituality, and humanities and sciences are all areas that pique their interest! Murder is their comfort read.
How do you write for graphic novels? How do you collaborate with an artist? And what mistakes do most authors make when starting out--and how can you avoid them?
Whatever your genre, join us for this fun, funny episode where we cover how to enter this thriving, creative world.
Mat Heagerty is a graphic novel author living in Boise, ID. He's dyslexic and struggled a bunch in school, now he writes rad comics like "Martian Ghost Centaur", "Unplugged and Unpopular" and the forthcoming LUMBRJACKULA. When he's not writing, Mat's taking care of his two young kids or trying to make his wife laugh.
You can find him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MatHeagerty
And you can find Lumberjackula here: https://bookshop.org/books/lumberjackula-9781534482586/9781534482586
I think we can all agree the world has been tough lately.
To keep your spirits up, we invited some of our favorite friends–agents Kayla Lightner (Ayesha Pande Literary) and Kaitlyn Sanchez (Context Literary), plus writers Anna Conathan (Anna Conathan Coaching) and Cameron Kelly Rosenblum (author of the award-winning The Stepping Off Place) to choose from YOUR pages–and give only positive feedback.
What follows is a delightfully fun, uplifting evening designed to remind you of the power of writing, community, and creativity to get us through tough times.
View video clip here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-positivity-panel
When Mahi Cheshire sent out the first version of what would become Deadly Cure, it was a New Adult novel about med school rivals. Now, in final form, it’s a medical thriller with a rivalry at the heart of the plot.
Mahi had to learn “on the job,” as it were, how to write a thriller—so we talk about how she learned to increase tension and stakes—and to focus on what she can’t stop thinking about (and why you should, too).
We also talk about how writing a rivalry is like writing a romance in reverse, her best advice for finding agents, and how to get books before they’re released in the US.
Get her book, Deadly Cure, here: https://www.bookdepository.com/Deadly-Cure-Mahi-Cheshire/9781529114904
Mahi Cheshire was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in London. She works as a GP and has a degree in Psychology. She loves travelling, kundalini yoga and boxing, all of which provide inspiration for her writing. She lives in London with her husband and daughter.
We are so proud of writer Robyn Ryle! She’s the first person to get feedback twice from our feedback panels—and by the time she’d incorporated the feedback from the first panel, the second panel was blown away by her revision, her stakes, and her quick turnaround.
We go over versions one and two, talk about the balance of giving versus hiding details, reader investment versus tension—and why writing your query halfway through your manuscript may be perfect timing.
We also talk about what agents focused on when critiquing her work (hint: it wasn’t a tiny mistake she’d been fretting about) and what they likely focus on when looking at your work, too.
Mostly, we are super impressed with Robyn, and love how she took agents’ edits, ran with them, and ended up with a great query.
Robyn Ryle is the author of two award-winning nonfiction books—She/He/They Me (Sourcebooks) and Throw Like a Girl, Cheer Like a Boy (Rowman and Littlefield). I’ve published a chapbook (The Face of Baseball) as well as short stories and essays in a wide range of journals and magazines, including Newsweek, CALYX Journal, BELT Magazine, and Bartleby Snopes, among others. When I’m not writing, I teach sociology and gender studies to college students in southern Indiana.
Read Robyn's newsletter here: https://robynryle.substack.com/ Learn more about Robyn here: https://robynryle.com/
Read versions one and two of her query here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CpmRZD0oqgshnWkttxf69Go2lVzUuoMF/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109573504283059747627&rtpof=true&sd=true
We are so happy to welcome the creative and delightful Anna Sargeant, editor at Sourcebooks, to the podcast!
We talk about Anna’s journey from curriculum development to children’s books, Sourcebooks and their growth mindset, what makes for good children’s nonfiction, and how being an editor changed her approach to rejection.
Plus, we talk about her fiction podcast, how Bridge to Terabithia changed her life, and whether you can pitch her (and editors) directly.
Read her post on nonfiction that's a good story here: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/2022/03/anna-sargeant/
Anna Sargeant is an editor of nonfiction children's books for Sourcebooks eXplore. Previously, she has been an editor of children's and teen books at B&H Kids, director of children's curriculum, managing editor, classroom teacher, math tutor, and freelance writer. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach, moved to Austin, Texas shortly after getting married, and now resides with her husband in Franklin, Tennessee. When Anna is not editing, writing, or reading, you might find her outdoors hiking, playing pickleball, or riding horses, indoors streaming shows or sports, or catching a plane to visit fun places or loved ones. Bridge to Terabithia is the book that changed her life, igniting her passion for children's literature and showing her that books for kids are often just as smart, insightful, and important as books for adults.
This week! Join our NEW Submission Packet Workshop to get your query and first pages optimized for today’s stressed-out agent. Learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/product/submission-packet-workshop
Have you ever wondered about the rule to not pitch agents and small presses at the same time? Or wondered how small presses treat you—versus agents?
Douglas Weissman thought he was set right away—he has an MFA thesis project, and was exited to start querying. Nine years later, he pivoted and found success—and his forthcoming novel, Life Between Seconds, comes out with Addison & Highsmith in November: https://bookshop.org/books/life-between-seconds/9781592111749
Douglas Weissman is an author and travel writer who has spent time exploring diverse corners of the world. He is the husband of a museum educator, father of a delightful girl, and lives in Los Angeles. He has an MFA in creative writing from the University of San Francisco and spent time in Buenos Aires. But he has also worked in a safari game reserve, sold timeshares, and edited nonfiction books. When he isn’t traveling, writing, or eating, Douglas loves to share characters with endearing flaws and surprising resilience.
In the first lockdown of 2020, Juno Dawson’s editor was expecting a YA thriller—but all she wanted to write was Desperate Housewives, with witches.
We talk about organizing multiple storylines, plotting a trilogy, and the question of “At what point do you turn the card”—when do you reveal information to the reader?
Plus the delightful idea that a story is like a VHS tape for your brain, the fact that the voice of Lady Whistledown narrates her audiobook, and how you can find YOUR story—and tell it best.
Juno Dawson is a bestselling novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and a columnist for Attitude Magazine. Juno’s books include the global bestsellers, THIS BOOK IS GAY and CLEAN. She won the 2020 YA Book Prize for MEAT MARKET. Her first adult fantasy trilogy HER MAJESTY’S ROYAL COVEN arrives in 2022.
She also writes for television and has multiple shows in development both in the UK and US. Her debut short film was THE BIRTH OF VENUS (BBC 2020) and she created the first official Doctor Who scripted podcast DOCTOR WHO: REDACTED (BBC Sounds 2022). An occasional actress and model, Juno had a cameo in the BBC’s I MAY DESTROY YOU (2020), a recurring role in HOLBY CITY (BBC 2021) and was the face of Jecca Cosmetics Play Pots campaign.
Juno grew up in West Yorkshire, writing imaginary episodes of Doctor Who. She later turned her talent to journalism, interviewing luminaries such as Steps and Atomic Kitten, before writing a weekly serial in a Brighton newspaper. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, The Pool, Dazed and the Guardian. She has appeared on Pointless Celebrities, BBC Women’s Hour, Front Row, ITV News, Channel 5 News, This Morning and Newsnight.
Juno lives in Brighton. She is a part of the queer cabaret collective known as CLUB SILENCIO. In 2014, Juno became a School Role Model for the charity STONEWALL.
We are thrilled to talk with author May Cobb about planning your author financial life, working with multiple agents, writing lifelike sociopaths, and the changing trends of “likability” in characters.
We loved reading My Summer Darlings—it really is the perfect summer read—and hearing about the story behind the story.
May says:
I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas where MY SUMMER DARLINGS, THE HUNTING WIVES and BIG WOODS are set. After college, I moved to San Francisco where I studied Victorian Literature for my Master's, and gravitated towards that era's detective novels, known as "sensation novels", such as Wilke Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE. I then lived in Los Angeles for a few years where I worked for filmmaker/writer Ron Shelton and his wife, the actress Lolita Davidovich. I currently live in Austin, Texas, with my husband and son where we enjoy traipsing around the area’s many beautiful parks. I also enjoy napping, staring into space, making to-do lists for my to-do lists, shoveling cookies down my throat when I'm writing a particularly difficult scene (and even when I'm not), wearing my PJ’s as often as I can get away with and collapsing into bed at the end of a day with a great book.
I'm currently finishing a book about the late, jazz great, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, a project which has been in the works for twenty years. Kirk was a human phenomenon—a multi-instrumentalist who was best known for his miraculous ability to play three saxophones simultaneously. During his brief life, he defied staggering odds—from blindness, to prejudice, to a paralyzing stroke—in order to play the music that came to him through dreams. His story is what made me want to become a writer.
My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Austin Monthly, and Texas Highways Magazine.
My proudest achievement remains clinching 1st place in the UIL competition for Personal Writing when I was in the 4th grade.
Learn more about May here: https://www.maycobb.com/
Today is a longer than usual episode—something we thought about breaking into two chunks, but—just as Jessica hates requesting a 50-page partial, getting to a cliffhanger, and having to wait for more—we figured we’d bring you everything, the full episode, all at once.
This is an episode that goes deep into the dynamics between authors, agents, the industry, and what authors can reasonably expect (and how to get it). The beginning is an interview on referral-only agencies, publishing norms, and how Jo found Tricia, her perfect match.
And around 20 mins through, we pivot to what a writer can reasonably expect of an agent, and how to get it.
We love to think of you, our listeners, while you are out in the world doing things. But if you happen to, say, be driving a minivan of neighborhood kids while you’re listening, please note that this episode mentions several adult themes (including a notable mention of blue pills for adult males). If you get stuck with awkward questions, well—you’ve been warned.
Jo Wu is an author born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she studied Biology and Creative Writing at UC Berkeley. Her works explore fairy tales, Chinese and Taiwanese mythology and identity, gothic tropes, and uplifting narratives. Some of her notable works have been published in Uncanny Magazine, Insignia 2020: Best Asian Fantasy Stories, and People of Color Destroy Lovecraft. Her short story, “Devoured by Envy,” was praised by Publishers Weekly as “the most Gothic of the successful stories” from the gothic romance anthology Darker Edge of Desire.
When writing, she can be found accompanied by a plethora of goth mugs constantly refilled with green tea, while blasting a mix of metal and orchestral scores. When she is not writing, she will be sewing her next costume, deadlifting her next powerlifting goal, and auditioning for voiceover gigs.
Jo is proudly represented by Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Find Jo online: https://jowu.co/ https://twitter.com/jo_wu_author
Tricia is the "Pacific Northwest branch" of EMLA—born and raised in Oregon, and now lives in Seattle. After 16 years of working as a developmental and production-based editor (from kids books to college textbooks, but mostly college textbooks), she joined the EMLA team in March 2011 as a social media strategist and began working as an agent in October 2011.
As senior agent, Tricia represents picture books/chapter books that look at the world in a unique and unusual way, with characters that are alive both on and off the page, and middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction that offers strong worldbuilding, wounded narrators, and stories that grab a reader and won't let go.
Tricia loves hiking/walking/running, camping out in the woods with her family (her husband and their dogs), and collecting rocks. She loves BBC America and anything British. She has way too many books and not enough bookshelves. She’s obsessed with pattern and color and is always listening to music (playlists for every situation and project) and lately has spent her spare time draping and fitting a half-size mannequin the size of a doll (this after binge-watching all of Project Runway).
www.trishlawrence.com
You can find Tricia on Twitter @authorblogger. She accepts queries by request or referral, or from people who have attended conferences where she part of the faculty via the contact page on EMLA or the contact page at her website.
Find Tricia: https://trishlawrence.com/about/ https://emliterary.com/about.php
We love this author-agent pair! When Kimberly Brower first offered representation, she worried that, in a multiple offer situation, Jessica Payne would say no. Some authors just want a quick "It's perfect, I'll send it tomorrow"--but this was actually the first sign that they'd be the perfect pair.
We discuss why nurses great make thriller writers, how international rights work (and what you should ask your future agent), and how to find critique partners whose work you want to read. Plus, how your writer brain is always working—whether you’re on a walk or making soup.
We then go on to talk about how your best next step is, creatively, doing the thing you’re afraid of. Jessica’s found wonderful success—but she’s shelved her first three books. And if you end up doing the same, you may just be on exactly the right path for your writing.
* Jessica Payne’s debut novel, MAKE ME DISAPPEAR, is a twisty psychological thriller about a woman on the edge who is willing to do anything to escape her sociopathic—potentially dangerous—boyfriend, including arranging her own kidnapping.
Jessica grew up in Kansas City, later moving to the Pacific Northwest where the mountains and Puget Sound became home. Beyond writing, she loves to run, rock climb, and explore the great outdoors with her daughter and husband. She is also an RN. When holding still, which isn’t often, you’ll find a book in her hand and a cat or dog in her lap. Jessica writes suspense and thriller and is the host of #MomsWritersClub on Twitter and YouTube.
Get a copy of Make Me Disappear here: https://bookshop.org/books/make-me-disappear-a-twisty-and-gripping-psychological-thriller/9781803142630
* Kimberly Brower – President & Literary Agent Kimberly fell in love with reading when she picked up her first Babysitter’s Club book at the age of seven (Super Special editions were her favorites) and hasn’t been able to get her nose out of a book since. She holds a BS in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge and received her JD from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. After spending a decade in the business world, it was kismet that she found herself in publishing. She takes great pride in her client list, from the debut authors to #1 NYT bestsellers, and likes to consider them all her favorite authors. She previously worked for over two years at a boutique literary agency before starting her own. After spending 14 years in California, she is thrilled to be back on the east coast. When not providing individual attention to her clients, Kimberly manages all of the day-to-day operations of the agency. This includes overseeing the management of the foreign, audio and all other subsidiary rights for all the authors in the agency.
We are so excited to speak with bestselling author Emily Henry (Beach Read, People We Meet on Vacation) about all things character—how to make a character intense yet likable, how to make dialogue snappy yet believable—and how to make the most of an enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
We also discuss over-editing, the (false!) idea that there’s a magic formula for getting published, and how Emily got her first agent the traditional "Google and cold query" way.
We also discuss what makes female (versus male characters) "likable"--and when we care to cater to those expectations.
We had so much fun having this discussion. Hope you love listening as much as we enjoyed talking with her.
* Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read, as well as several young adult novels. She lives and writes in Cincinnati and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Her books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, The Skimm, Shondaland, and more.
Find her on Instagram @EmilyHenryWrites.
We are so happy to introduce today’s podcast guest. The New York Times Book Review calls her work, SEARCH, “A wicked pleasure... Huneven is a wise storyteller...this novel has plot, character, structure and a delicious, deeply human pettiness that I think most honest readers will relate to... [Huneven's] descriptions of food are the best I've ever read."
We loved our conversation with Michelle! Not only did her career start with a 700-page novel—and a great misunderstanding that lead to getting her agent—but she’s now had the freedom to explore her passions in her (many) successful books.
We talk with Michelle about the line between memoir and fiction, how she got her agent, and what she’s learned along the way.
Plus, if you’re looking for it, the salmon recipe is below.
Learn more about her here: https://www.michellehuneven.com/
Michelle says:
I was born in Altadena, California just a mile from where I live now. I college-hopped (Scripps, Grinnell, EWU) and landed at the Iowa Writer¹s Workshop where I received my MFA.
My first two books, Round Rock (Knopf 1997) and Jamesland (Knopf 2003), were both New York Times notable books and also finalists for the LA Times Book Award. My third novel, Blame, (Sarah Crichton Books, FSG, 2009), was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and also a finalist for the LA Times Book Award. My fourth novel, Off Course, (Sarah Crichton Books, FSG, 2014) was New York Times Editor’s Choice. My fifth novel, Search, comes out April 26, 2022.
Along the way, I’ve received a GE Younger Writers Award, a Whiting Award for Fiction, and a Guggenheim fellowship. For many years my “day job” was reviewing restaurants and writing about food for the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly and other publications. I’ve received a James Beard award (for “feature writing with recipes”) and an assortment of other awards for food journalism.
I’m presently teaching creative writing to undergraduates at UCLA, working on my next novel and writing the occasional bit about food. I live in Altadena with my husband Jim Potter, our dog (Tatty Jane), the memory of our cat (Mr. Pancks), a talkative African Grey parrot (Helen) and nine chickens (names on request).
* As Promised, The Salmon! Click here to view and print: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q6eZZNNyeVQ4N5SI4eoQ7U1Ls4rEZ1WcYvf35dAybvA/edit?usp=sharing
We are thrilled to bring you our interview and Q&A with Celia Anne Browne who, from the age of seven, has been exploring various forms of storytelling—from acting on a children’s show through being a ballerina and, now, as a writer, director, producer, agent, and more.
Celia is at a wonderful intersection of these storytelling mediums—and we are thrilled to ask her (and let you ask!) your questions about how to share your buskin with the world.
This was originally recorded as part of our Member Lounge. Learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge
Want to meet with Celia to discuss your work? Schedule a time here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/celia-browne
Celia Anne Browne is an International Actor Coach & Teacher based in Paris, France. She has taught the Int-Adv Film/TV program for six years at Bilingual Acting Workshop in Paris, as well as providing professional coaching and training for celebrities, working actors and writers worldwide. She has experience in theater, film, and television working across the industry as an actress, producer, director, writer, casting director and agent. Previous work includes assisting writers as a reader and development, including at New York Stage & Film Company, MTP, Ensemble Studio Theatre (NY).
We talk with Liz Goulet Dubois about the intersection of writing, art, and picture books—and how to find the best version of you, and amplify your potential, to make your best, most authentic work.
We talk about adults lose that creative spark (and how they can get it back), the agents she’s worked with who were (and were not) a fit, and the walls adults put up emotionally—and how to bring them down again.
Liz says:
Whether writing and illustrating for children or brainstorming new product concepts, I want my creations to be full of character, and to connect in a personal way. Finding that sweet spot is not easy, but the pursuit is endlessly interesting to me. After earning a BA in Illustration from The Rhode Island School of Design, I found myself falling naturally into designing products for children. Designing teddy bears, figurines, greeting cards and all kinds of giftware at my first job paved the way for my long, almost 30-year career as a product designer. My top-selling and award-winning items have appeared in Oprah at Home, Every Day with Rachael Ray, People, Family Fun, and Marie Claire. They’ve also been featured on HGTV, ABC News, The Today Show, and even on NBC’s Parks and Recreation! While I have recently stepped back from design work to focus on my children’s books, many of my product designs are still available at retail shops around the globe.
I have been writing an illustrating (simultaneously with design) since 2002. In that time, I have created hundreds of pieces of art for educational markets and children’s magazines, and several children’s books. Clients include PSS/Penguin, Simon and Schuster, Golden Books, Scholastic, and Highlights. I’m currently working on a fun (and funny!) new book series called Duck and Cluck, written and illustrated by me, which will debut in Jan. 2022 from Sourcebooks. I can’t wait for you to meet this pair!
No matter what I’m doing, my work typically starts out with a pencil and paper, and then migrates into the digital world. I love working digitally- it gives me the freedom to fully explore worlds in ways I never could have anticipated. I have many more characters and stories in the works, and I look forward to sharing them in the future!
I am represented by Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency.
Learn more at https://www.lizgouletdubois.com/
We are so happy to welcome Savannah Brooks, agent at Jennifer DiChiara Literary Agency, to the podcast!
In this episode, we discuss what’s normal to ask your agent, how is the industry becoming more transparent—and what happens after a book doesn’t sell.
We also discuss the odds of selling books at agent stage, working on books that are personal for us, and self-publishing in new and creative ways. Savannah Brooks joined the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2018 as an associate literary agent after interning for a year and a half. She earned her MFA, focused in creative nonfiction, from Hamline University and her BS in marketing management from Virginia Tech. As well as agenting, she works as a publishing professor at the University of Minnesota, a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center, and a boxing instructor. She lives in Minneapolis and can regularly be found at one of Minnesota’s 11,842 lakes—yes, even in winter.
Want to meet with Savannah? Book a consultation with her here: http://manuscriptacademy.com/savannah-brooks
We are so happy to welcome Mary Murchie, the Manuscript academy’s Minister of Happiness!
Mary has an unusual, amazing talent: she can make anyone feel better just by calling them up.
Knowing that writing requires you to take a whole-person approach—if you aren’t feeling right, often your work will come out strangely—we have her on staff as our Minister of Happiness to call our members and pep them up.
In this episode, we go over common things writers say when Mary calls, trends in the writing community, and how to stay creative in stressful times.
We loved talking with Mary Cummings about so many things—how slush piles looked in the days of paper, how the submission process is like Miracle on 34th Street (and often as divisive as pineapple on pizza), and—more extensively—what you should ask an agent, when given the chance. Tune in also for mentions of opera, Slush Cats, Editorial Boards, and more.
*
“Great River Literary" was the clear name choice for the new agency established by Mary Cummings in 2021, after thirteen years as an agent for books for children and teens at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises. Except in the depths of winter, nearly every evening Mary goes down to the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Paul to see the passing scene of trees and birds, barges and boats, kids and lovers - and always the play of light on the flowing water. Mary finds great joy in helping her clients polish their stories to stand out for editors and to become books that will make a difference in kids' lives. Before becoming a literary agent, Mary was Education Director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis where, among other accomplishments, she curated an annual festival of children's literature and selected judges for the McKnight Award from leading editors in children's publishing.
Learn more about Mary here: https://www.greatriverliterary.com/
Karen Joy Fowler didn’t want to write a novel. But an editor had asked her to lunch. She should take the meeting to be polite, she thought. She’d just end the lunch with a “No, thank you, I don’t want to write a book,” and that would be that.
Instead, she ended up agreeing to a multi-book deal and launching a thriving career of award-winners and bestsellers, including The Jane Austen Book Club, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and, her most recent, Booth.
All because she said yes to lunch.
In her latest work, Karen explores the people around a villain—and how to humanize them, their level of responsibility, and all of the “what ifs” around the family of John Wilkes Booth.
We talk about writing groups and who makes it, lavish praise and scathing reviews, and how to make a career in this publishing climate.
Learn more about her work here: KarenJoyFowler.com
From the Man Booker finalist and bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves comes an epic novel about the family behind one of the most infamous figures in American history: John Wilkes Booth.
In 1822, a secret family moves into a secret cabin some thirty miles northeast of Baltimore, to farm, to hide, and to bear ten children over the course of the next sixteen years. Junius Booth—breadwinner, celebrated Shakespearean actor and master of the house in all ways—is at once a mesmerizing talent and a man of terrifying instability. One by one the children arrive, as year by year, the country draws closer to the boiling point of secession and civil war.
As the children grow and the tenor of the world shifts, the Booths cement their place as one of the country’s leading theatrical families. But behind the curtains of the many stages they have graced, multiple scandals, family triumphs, and disasters begin to take their toll. A startling portrait of a country in the throes of change and a vivid exploration of brother- and sisterhood, Booth is a riveting historical novel focused on the very things that bind, and break, a family.
Hello friends! Today we have, well, the biggest interview we’ve ever hosted, focused on one of the funniest, friendliest, and most creative writing groups we’ve ever met. If you’ve ever wondered how to find a community and keep it, this episode is for you.
Of the 20+ members of the group, we had a wonderful set of volunteers here to tell us how they found each other, how they maintain a positive and supportive environment, and their many successes along the way.
We are thankful to the following writers for talking with us!
In order of appearance:
Amanda nelson @BooksTransire www.NelsonPotter.com
Anne H Putnam www.annehputnam.com @ahputnam (Twitter and Instagram)
Bonnie Jo: Twitter: @BonnieJ0 Instagram: @bonniejowrites
Cat Norris @kittycatbytes kittycatbytes.com
Crystal Hill Twitter: @crystalahill Website: www.crystalahill.com
Grace Ellis Barber Twitter: @gellisbarber Website: www.graceellisbarber.com
G.S. Brouwer (Greg) https://gsbrouwerauthor.wixsite.com/author @GSBrouwer on Twitter
Lindsey Danis @lindseydanis on Twitter, https://www.lindseydanis.com
Liz Kessick My twitter is @lizkessick Website www.lizkessick.com And Insta @liz_kessick Querying writers might be especially interested in my long list of querying tips: https://www.lizkessick.com/querying tips
Trish Renee Twitter: @trishrenee2 Author website: trishreneeauthor.com
Sky Regina Twitter: @skyfrizzle Website: reginawords.com
We are so excited to share this hopeful, uplifting story that's the perfect example of good things happening for good people. Ambika had sent out more than 150 queries--getting mostly form rejections and ghosts--when she learned how to pivot, met her agent--and now has a deal with a major publishing house.
Ambika Vora was born in Mumbai, India, but has lived in several cities - including Dallas, London, and Tokyo. After receiving her Bachelor’s from Princeton University and her Master’s from the University of Cambridge, she moved to Tokyo, where she currently lives with her husband, and spitz dog, Fëanor. Outside of writing, she works for a multinational pharmaceutical company, where her focus lies in digital transformation, culture and change management. You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/a2vora/.
Jon Cobb is a junior agent at Hannigan Getzler Literary. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and later completed a Master’s degree in Publishing: Digital and Print Media at NYU. After gaining experience at Writers House and NYU Press, he joined HG Literary to assist partner and agent Josh Getzler on a wide variety of titles in fiction and nonfiction. Jon reads all genres of fiction but has a particular interest in contemporary middle grade and YA, science fiction and fantasy, African-American fiction, literary fiction, and mysteries and thrillers. He also has a soft spot for anything related to track and field, geek culture, weird science or cutting-edge technology. www.hgliterary.com
We are so happy to share this recording of our live event, Dating Your Character. Your fellow writers came up with wonderful things in the text chat, which you’ll hear us read throughout the evening.
Prefer to watch? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/dating-your-character
Writing doesn't have to strictly be a serious, intellectual exercise. You can reap rewards by approaching your work in an experimental frame of mind. Our way of developing an intimacy with your character is through the awkward and always-interesting lens of dating.
Introducing Dating Your Character, with producer/literary manager Marilyn R. Atlas and VP of Literary Development Elizabeth Lopez.
Having sold several first-time writers’ books, Marilyn and Elizabeth believe that screenwriting and prose writing seek to satisfy the same visceral and emotional needs. While they inevitably look at manuscripts with an eye to adaptation, this class is an informal way to bridge both worlds.
Using examples from film and TV, they look at character development as the key to binding all the composite parts -- the theme, dilemmas and scenarios leading to all-important transformations. By riffing on the choices that the screenwriter could have been confronted with, they focus on possibility, not inevitability. To reinforce that, they'll offer exercises to reveal the choices open to you in your work.
Expect fun, support, laughter, community--and actionable tips to bring your characters to life.
Marilyn R. Atlas is a talent and literary manager and award-winning producer. Her clients have appeared in shows such as Star Trek, Fringe, Pretty Little Liars, How to Get Away with Murder, 90210, Revenge, Hart of Dixie, NCIS:LA, True Blood, Dexter, Chuck, Castle, and Criminal Minds. She was film producer on Real Women Have Curves for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival; A Certain Desire, starring Sam Waterston; and Echoes, which won the Gold Award at the Texas International Film Festival.
In addition to producing a variety of programming for the cable/ pay TV market. In live theater, Marilyn co-produced the West Coast premiere of the musical God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Ashman and Menken (the writers of Enchanted and Tangled). She also co-produced the award-winning play “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.”
Marilyn herself has been in development on pilots for Showtime and ABC Family. In addition to Marilyn’s film/TV credits, she has sold (first time) novels Chasing the Jaguar to HarperCollinsto Hachette Book Ave Maria Bed & Breakfast to Grand Central Publishing, and the Hungry Woman in Paris, Group, and the Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole to Sourcebooks Her Lifetime movie The Choking Game based on the YA book by Diana Lopez aired in summer 2014. She is also featured in the book Write Now! from Penguin/Tarcher. She is the co-author of a relationship-based, screenwriting guide called Dating Your Character, about an organic approach to character creation for Stairway Press’s Summer 2016 catalog. Elizabeth Lopez attended Vassar College, majoring in English Literature. She was a screenwriting fellow of the L.A. Latino Film Festival and has had several articles published online and in print for entertainment-oriented magazines such as “Storylink,” “The Script Lab,” and “Gideon’s Screenwriting Tips.” She has taught screenwriting classes at the Ojai Writers Festival, The Writers Store, and for the WGA TV Writers’ Fund. She and her partner Marilyn R. Atlas, along with producer Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein, co-wrote the character-based guide/workbook “Dating Your Character,” which embraces a more playful approach that focuses on tying plot to inherent and evolved character behavior. Dating Your Character: A Sexy Guide to Screenwriting (mymustreads.com)
We are so thrilled to talk with Monica Hall and her agent, Kat Kerr!
We met Monica for the first time when, during one of our live events, she shared her agent news—and we just had to hear the full story.
From drafting legislation to writing a full manuscript, she’s here to share everything she learned along the way.
If you, personally, aren’t affected by student loans, you definitely know someone who is. Monica is the hero trying to make their repayment terms a little fairer.
We love this happy, fun, hopeful story. Tune in!
Monica on Twitter: @Monica_M_Hall Kat on Twitter: @thekatsmews
In 2009, Monica Hall decided to go back to college in order to further her nursing education. Instead of graduating with her registered nursing degree, she received an impromptu education on the ins and outs of drafting and passing legislation. Once the nursing program she was attending was closed, many unscrupulous practices were discovered by the Attorney General within the college she was attending as well as other for profit colleges throughout Kentucky. Once finding out that she wasn’t the only one to have a horrible experience at a for profit college in her state, Monica rolled up her sleeves and worked tirelessly alongside lawmakers in Kentucky to find a better way to regulate the for profit college industry in the Commonwealth.
Despite knowing she had $10 to her name while sitting in meetings with multi-millionaires, Monica always felt she was supposed to be there. As she made a place for herself at the table, she began to feel as though she was the voice for all people in the world like her-those without the privilege of power, platform, or money, who deserved to be heard. Monica Hall is a travel licensed practical nurse who is currently on assignment in the western part of the U.S. with her rockstar husband and their adorable fur baby, Bella. When she's not writing you can find her watching all things Golden State Warriors, binge watching Law and Order:Criminal Intent, jamming out to old-school hip-hop, or researching the next state to go sightseeing in.
Kat Kerr joined Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2019. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in English in 2009 and is drawn to literary and commercial voices within the adult and YA markets, as well as adult nonfiction. Kat feels strongly about supporting programs like We Need Diverse Books and is passionate about creating space in this industry for those from historically marginalized communities. She is actively seeking to grow her client list and is particularly hungry for magical realism, literary leaning speculative and science fiction, women’s fiction, YA works with a lot of heart, and narrative nonfiction with something to say.
We are so happy to welcome Carina Licón to the podcast! She’s one of the rare publishing experts who joined her house (Macmillan, in this case) during the pandemic—and can share with us her unique perspective in making it work from afar. (Do we hope to take her out to lunch on her first NYC visit? Yes!)
We loved hearing about her pitching works to Acquisitions, how she’s managed to build a robust network for herself—and what she’s looking for in her inbox.
Carina Licón is an Editorial Assistant at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. She is interested in middle-grade and YA with a focus on books featuring underrepresented stories and voices. She’s especially reeled in by character-driven stories with whipsmart protagonists; spooky and atmospheric middle-grade speculative fiction; contemporary YA thrillers in the vein of JANE ANONYMOUS or SADIE; friendship breakup stories; romance with lots! of! angst!; and stories rich with diverse cultural traditions and storytelling. Born and raised in El Paso, TX, Carina enjoys discovering local restaurants, movie podcasts, and spending time with her very intimidating 8-pound guard dog.
Are you worried about your future author interviews? Stressed because you don’t know how to dodge questions like a politician? Worried your interviewer is going in with an agenda—and a list of questions that’ll make you squirm?
This is the episode for you. Radio host, author, and wise human being March Twisdale is here to show you how to keep your press on the topics you want—all while feeling comfortable and connecting as your authentic self.
March Twisdale’s work is centered around the belief that stories matter. Your story. My story. Our story. The written word inspires, informs and invigorates readers the world over, generation after generation.
Prose, Poetry & Purpose is produced in the VoV studios & airs on 101.9FM KVSH every Tuesday at 1pm. PP&P gives authors a full hour to explore the passion that has sustained their work. Every writer has a reason for writing and a hope for their readers. Together, my guests and I delve deeply into these topics and more.
In 2021-2022, March is focused on currently publishing women authors of fiction. Right now, as the real world feels overwhelming, great characters give us strength to believe in ourselves and our shared future. Perseverance is catching!
March Twisdale also offers Media Coaching Sessions, to help you bring your best voice forward for media interviews and other publicity events. Schedule a pre-chat HERE.
Learn more about March here: https://www.marchtwisdale.com/
We are so happy to speak with Kerri Maher, author of The Paris Bookseller. Based on the life of Sylvia Beach—bookseller, publisher and entrepreneur—this novel brings 1920s Paris to life in the most gorgeous, delicious ways. If you’ve been looking for a work that’s both escapist (the food! The love story! The writers!!) and will also feel like (easy, fun) learning, this is the book for you.
Fans of Joyce, Stein, Pound, Hemingway, and (many!) more will be pleased to see these familiar faces come to life on the pages of her book.
We discuss everything from vivid descriptions with small word count, to the many “apprentice” novels Kerri will never publish, to the politics of publishing then and now.
Kerri says:
My first novel, The Kennedy Debutante, came out in 2018, and my second in 2020: The Girl In White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly. My third, The Paris Bookseller, about trailblazing entrepreneur Sylvia Beach and the original Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, is coming in early 2022. I’ll also have another historical novel coming your way from Berkley in 2023, a fact that makes me feel incredibly lucky and grateful after spending so many years (and years!) writing and working on the craft. If you want to know more about those years, check out my memoir This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World (Writer’s Digest Books) under the name Kerri Majors. I am also the founder of an award-winning journal of YA literature, YARN.
Learn more about her here: https://www.kerrimaher.com/
Friends! We are so happy to have the amazing, warm, wise Rita Rosenkranz on our podcast. Not only is she a pillar of the industry, but she’s thoughtful, kind, and here to help YOU make the most of your publishing interactions.
We love hearing her reflections on publishing innovations, new challenges, sustaining friendships—and what it all means for YOUR work, now.
A well-established agent, who began her career as an editor at major publishing houses, Rita Rosenkranz represents almost exclusively adult non-fiction titles. Her wide-ranging list includes health, history, parenting, music, how-to, popular science, business, biography, sports, popular reference, cooking, writing, humor, spirituality, illustrated books and general interest titles. She represents first-time as well as seasoned authors, and looks for projects that present familiar subjects freshly or lesser-known subjects presented commercially. Rita works with major publishing houses, as well as regional publishers that handle niche markets.
Representative titles include A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even if You Flunked Algebra) by Barbara Oakley, Ph.D. (Tarcher); The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart (Tarcher); Pause. Breathe. Choose: Become the CEO of Your Well-Being by Naz Behesti (New World Library); My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories from the Sisterhood by St. Clair Detrick-Jules (Chronicle Books), and; First Class Fatherhood by Alec Lace (HarperHorizon).
She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), The Authors Guild, and Women's Media Group.
You can learn more about her here: https://www.ritarosenkranzliteraryagency.com/
That's right! We're going to try to take our own advice...and take a week off to creatively charge.
We hope you do the same, and that you have a fun, safe holiday break.
See you in 2022!
Jessica, Julie & Valentina
Oh my goodness. We LOVE this episode with Sophie Cousens! She and her work are SO much fun—gorgeous settings, fun meet cures, quirky characters—and the escapism you need NOW.
We talk about how she moved from YA sci-fi to (adult!) romantic comedies, losing confidence in your work at the 30,000 word mark—and how it’s often harder to write the books that are easy to read.
Plus, we discuss planting Easter eggs while pantsing, adding lots of nuance to rom coms—-and how limited time is, actually, your best friend as a writer.
Learn more about Sophie and Just Haven’t Met You Yet here: https://www.sophiecousens.com
Get a copy here: https://bookshop.org/books/just-haven-t-met-you-yet-9781638081654/9780593331521
Sophie Cousens writes romantic comedies. Before becoming a full time writer, she worked as a TV producer in London for more than twelve years, working on shows such as The Graham Norton Show, Russell Howard's Good News and Big Brother.
She now lives on the island of Jersey in the UK, and balances her writing career with taking care of two small children. Sophie yearns for a time when she can add a miniature dachshund to her brood, and wishes for the ability to read books faster than she keeps buying them.
Join us for a free, live book-to-film event with producers Kim Williams, Edwin Stepp, and Jonathan Burkhart on Thursday, December 2, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT (introvert-friendly! We won't be able to see you).
Get your FREE ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/book-to-film
Want to meet a Hollywood producer, director or showrunner? Consult with them about your logline and pages here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/meet-hollywood-producers
We had a wonderful event with producers Eric Mofford and Keith L. Shaw, and wanted to share with you the fun of live pitching. Over the next hour, you’ll hear us reading the pitches everyone shared in the text chat—and learn about how a quick loglines summary of your work, along with a great concept, can open doors for you and your book-to-film dreams.
OUR PANEL:
Eric Mofford is a producer, line producer and budget consultant. He has been involved in over 150 film, television and web productions as well as numerous music videos and commercials. His credits include the Emmy-winning television series 24 and the iconic indie feature, Daughters of the Dust. Recently he served as Head of Production at Lone Wolf Media overseeing documentary projects for NOVA, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, Smithsonian Channel and PBS. Previously, he served as Head of Production at Lady of the Canyon where he produced projects such as the dramatic television pilot, Finding Hope, with Chris Mulkey, James Morrison, Darby Stanchfield and Molly Quinn; and the comedy documentary, We’ll Always Have Dingle, shot in Kerry County, Ireland. He also served as Head of Production at Unconventional Media, producing the Emmy-nominated award-winning documentary, Houston We Have A Problem, and the live action portions for the EA video game, Need For Speed: Undercover, with Maggie Q.
Mofford, a member of the DGA, has written and directed projects for Disney Interactive, Saban Entertainment, The Discovery Channel, Image America, United Way and TBS. He co-produced Senior Year, a 13-part PBS documentary series on high school. He has sold two feature film screenplays and has various projects in development. His dramatic blues film, Travelin’ Trains, won a dozen national and international film festival awards and continues to play in art museum showcases over 25 years later. He has done schedules and budgets for both large studio productions and small indies and has shared that knowledge teaching numerous media workshops, both in the United States and internationally.
Keith L Shaw is currently the Director of Operations for Jaigantic Studios. With over 27 years of experience as a Director, Producer and Assistant Director in both the television and the feature world, Keith has worked on projects for HBO, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Comedy Central, YouTube Red and Teen Nick, to name just a few. Keith served as Director on Season 3 of the Sport-Docu, 3 Gun Nation and Director/Producer on the highly regarded Indie feature, Suicide Dolls. In 2006, Keith produced the feature film, Privileged for Glass House Productions. After a season on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Keith was accepted to the DGA's Director's Single Camera Program, and shortly after, directed on the PBS series, Madison Heights. Keith has filmed on many other projects across the United States and internationally, including Production Supervisor on ABC’s, Oprah Winfrey presents The Big Give, 1st Assistant Director on NBC’s, The Kenan Show, 2nd Unit-UPM/1st AD for the soon to be released Amazon Prime series, Jack Reacher and Field Producer for 5 seasons of The Apprentice. Keith also serves as Producer/Director and Co-Partner for Last Man Out Productions. The Company was recently nominated for an Emmy award for the Short Documentary, The Prohibition Chronicles: Echos of Point Place.
Content warning: Adult themes, childhood illness.
We’ve never seen an author-agent relationship like this! Jonathan and Renee not only joke, but regularly roast each other—showing a level of comfort most can only dream of.
We learn about their journey, from meet-cute (which Renee nearly forgot) to Jonathan playing hard to get (even though she was his top choice), and how they both liked that the other would fight for the work.
They both needed a creative partner who’d tell it like it is—and, as you’ll soon hear, they very much found it.
We also talk about his experience working with Audible, how his third book made his narrator and the sound engineers cry, and what’s next for his characters.
Jonathan Fredrick is the author of the Cain City Series (Cash City, Hum Little Birdie, and the newly-released Bad Men Will Come), which were inspired in-part by his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. After spending 15+ years living in Los Angeles and working as a writer, filmmaker, and actor, Jonathan now resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and three sons. You can find his work here: https://www.audible.com/pd/Cash-City-Audiobook/B06XX1WTC1?qid=1636417545&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=4Y83FRQSK0JYTBJYWP8X
In addition to being on Faculty here at the Manuscript Academy, Renee C. Fountain is President of GH Literary. A publishing industry veteran, Renee is a former reviewer for Kirkus and New York Journal of Books, and spent five years as a story analyst and book scout for The CW Television Network.
During her almost decade-long tenure with major houses (Harcourt Brace and Simon & Schuster), Ms. Fountain had the great fortune of working with some of the best writers and illustrators in the publishing world.
Additionally, with more than ten years of licensing and branding experience, she has been involved in creating book-related merchandise including iconic favorites such as Raggedy Ann and Nancy Drew; as well as brokering film and television options.
Renee is looking for all types of adult and YA fiction and non-fiction. She prefers: thrillers, horror/dark fantasy, urban/contemporary fantasy, humor, pop-culture, memoirs, and narrative/commercial.
She DOES NOT represent screenplays, previously published books (including self-published), Westerns, Hard Science Fiction, Space Opera, Middle Grade, Picture Books, Erotica, Poetry, Novellas or Short Story Collections.
You can learn more about her here: https://ghliterary.com/agents/renee-c-fountain/ and meet with her here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/renee-fountain
Join us Wednesday, October 27, 8pm ET / 5pm PT, for a FREE panel with book-to-film producers Eric Mofford, Marilyn Atlas, and Keith L. Shaw.
Get your free ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/live-pitch-workshop. Replay available at the same link, starting at 10pm ET.
We are thrilled to have Book-To-Film producer Eric Mofford join us to answer all of our questions about elevator pitches, his favorite loglines—and why describing your work quickly is useful even if you never want to see your name in lights.
We talk about how pitching works in Hollywood, why book-to-film titles are consistently strong sellers—and why actors may be the animating force behind these new projects.
Eric Mofford is a producer, line producer and budget consultant. He has been involved in over 150 film, television and web productions as well as numerous music videos and commercials. His credits include the Emmy-winning television series 24 and the iconic indie feature, Daughters of the Dust. Recently he served as Head of Production at Lone Wolf Media overseeing documentary projects for NOVA, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, Smithsonian Channel and PBS. Previously, he served as Head of Production at Lady of the Canyon where he produced projects such as the dramatic television pilot, Finding Hope, with Chris Mulkey, James Morrison, Darby Stanchfield and Molly Quinn; and the comedy documentary, We’ll Always Have Dingle, shot in Kerry County, Ireland. He also served as Head of Production at Unconventional Media, producing the Emmy-nominated award-winning documentary, Houston We Have A Problem, and the live action portions for the EA video game, Need For Speed: Undercover, with Maggie Q.
Mofford, a member of the DGA, has written and directed projects for Disney Interactive, Saban Entertainment, The Discovery Channel, Image America, United Way and TBS. He co-produced Senior Year, a 13-part PBS documentary series on high school. He has sold two feature film screenplays and has various projects in development. His dramatic blues film, Travelin’ Trains, won a dozen national and international film festival awards and continues to play in art museum showcases over 25 years later. He has done schedules and budgets for both large studio productions and small indies and has shared that knowledge teaching numerous media workshops, both in the United States and internationally.
We loved this book! If you’re also a fan of Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, and books both spooky and pretty, Lana’s newest work, Payback’s A Witch, is a beautiful, fun, sexy rom com for your October.
We discuss how to know when you’ve written just enough description (and the fact that many readers don’t want to smell characters), writing villains we can’t stand (who are just charming enough to be believable), and the creation of a magical system (which is somehow, at once, beautiful, believable, and escapist).
Lana studied psychology and literature at Yale University and law at Boston University. She is a graduate of the Emerson College publishing and writing program and the author of YA novels Wicked Like a Wildfire, Fierce Like a Firestorm, Blood Countess, the forthcoming Poison Priestess, and the adult rom-com, Payback's A Witch, from Berkley Books. Lana was born in Serbia and lived in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania before moving to the United States. She lives in Chicago with her family.
We talk about putting language to uncomfortable encounters, “I see what you did there” moments that are streamlined and brilliant, and why you don’t need (and probably shouldn’t have) a strict schedule for yourself as a writer.
We also discuss vibrant settings, happy accidents, and how Amanda became an entrepreneur.
Amanda Jayatissa grew up in Sri Lanka, completed her undergrad at Mills College, CA, and lived in the UK before moving back to her sunny little island. She works as a corporate trainer, owns a chain of cookie stores, and is a proud dog-mum to her two, spoiled huskies. Amanda is represented by Melissa Danaczko from Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, Inc.
We are so happy to welcome Janet Costa Bates, award-winning author of several titles including, most recently, the picture book Time for Bed, Old House.
We talk about Impostor Syndrome, selling books with and without an agent, and collaborating with your creative partners (wait until you hear how well her illustrator tapped into her story).
And, yes, Julie met Janet at SCBWI Whispering Pines the same year Jessica was there--and this was also the site of Janet's life-changing meeting with editor Christian Trimmer.
Janet Costa Bates is the author of picture book TIME FOR BED, OLD HOUSE which received starred reviews from the School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and the Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books. She drew inspiration from her Cape Verdean-American background to write her first picture book, SEASIDE DREAM, winner of a Lee and Low New Voices Honor Award as well her RICA BAPTISTA chapter book series, to be published by Candlewick Press starting in Fall 2022. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. www.janetcostabates.com
Welcome to an episode with the sweetest co-writing backstory we’ve ever heard—plus insight from their agent, Leticia Gomez, about what made this book work for her.
On the Rocks, a narrative nonfiction book written by Maria Costanzo Palmer and Ruthie Robbins, chronicles the journey of personality Joseph Costanzo, Jr. in his rise to success in the 1990’s as world renowned restaurateur and owner of The Primadonna Restaurant, radio host, columnist, and aspiring politician through his sharp fall ending in an investigation and a stint in federal prison in the early 2000’s. Voted one of America’s top restaurateurs by The International Restaurant and Hospitality Rating Bureau, Costanzo is arguably the greatest restaurateur of his generation. Through his marketing genius and innovation, he took a neighborhood restaurant in a tough steel town in McKees Rocks, PA and turned it into a nationally recognized eatery featured in Playboy Magazine and The New York Daily News.
We discuss how Leticia knew this would work for her, how Maria managed to get a 93% request rate, and building a strong platform from scratch.
You can learn more about the book here: http://www.mariacpalmer.com/
And pitch your work to Leticia Gomez here: https://savvyliterary.com/contact-3
Have you ever wanted a book that felt like a hug? A smart, funny, perfect escape? Nandini Bajpai’s Sister of The Bollywood Bride (published in India originally as Red Turban, White Horse) is the wedding/family/YA rom com you didn’t know you needed.
Julie actually met Nandini at SCBWI years ago—and knew even then that she’d be a success.
We talk about building a social context for your characters, publishing internationally, getting a fantastic audiobook narrator, and Nandini's unique combination of plotting and pantsing.
Nandini says: Thanks for visiting! I grew up in New Delhi, India, one of four sisters and many cousins in a family that liked to read. I lived and worked in India, Australia, and the US, before settling in the Boston area with my husband, kids, and a fluctuating number and variety of pets. Although I've been a bookseller, systems analyst, TEDx organizer, PTO Mom, animal foster and more, my first love is writing. I write books for kids and teens. I am represented by Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio.
You can learn more about Nandini's work here: http://www.nandinibajpai.com/
We are so darn excited for today’s podcast. Not only was Laurell one of those interviews where you can just feel the writerly energy in the room, but she was creative, kind, thoughtful—and has amazing tips for your work.
From avoiding info dumps (and a brilliant technique we’d never heard of) to planning a series (28 books strong!), research for writing in another gender to consistently getting in the right headspace to be productive, this episode is filled with actionable tips.
Plus, if you’ve ever written between genres, Laurell is proof you can do so and not only make it work, but creatively thrive.
Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American multi-genre writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories, Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter and Merry Gentry.
Her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series centers on Anita Blake, a professional zombie raiser, vampire executioner and supernatural consultant for the police, which includes novels, short story collections, and comic books. Six million copies of Anita Blake novels are in print. Her New York Times-bestselling Merry Gentry series centers on Meredith Gentry, Princess of the Unseelie court of Faerie, a private detective facing repeated assassination attempts.
Both fantasy series follow their protagonists as they gain in power and deal with the dangerous “realities” of worlds in which creatures of legend live.
Laurell was born in rural Arkansas but grew up in northern Indiana with her grandmother. Her education includes degrees in English and biology from Marion College (now called Indiana Wesleyan University).
Learn more at https://www.laurellkhamilton.com/.
Today on the podcast, we are so happy to welcome author Jennifer Chen and her agent, Caitie Flum from Liza Dawson Associates. We originally asked Jennifer on to talk about short pieces, and how she succeed with them—and she does a great job discussing that—but we were so pleasantly surprised to watch the thoughtful, kind, creative dynamic between this author and agent pair.
We also discuss an unlikely source for writing (and structure) inspiration, how story is brain science, and building your writing team to keep you healthy, happy and creative.
Jennifer says: I am a freelance journalist who has written for print and online, including pieces in the New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, and Bust. I have a MFA and BFA in dramatic writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and am a proud alumnae of Hedgebrook, a women’s writing residency. I am represented by literary agent Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates. I live in Los Angeles with my TV writer husband, twin daughters, a snorty pug named Chewbacca, and a fluffy cat named Puff. You can find her at and on Twitter at @jchenwriter. https://jchenwriter.com/
Caitie Flum joined Liza Dawson Associates in July 2014 as assistant and audio rights manager. She graduated from Hofstra University in 2009 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in publishing studies. She interned at Hachette Book Group and Writers House. She was an editorial assistant then coordinator for Bookspan, where she worked on several clubs including the Book-of-the-Month Club, The Good Cook, and the Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club. You can find her at https://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/team/caitie-flum/ and @caitief on Twitter.
We are so thrilled to talk with Andrea Bartz, author of The Herd and (out today!) We Were Never Here. We discuss how the work was inspired (by someone very nice and non-murderous on a vacation), what it means to write scary works as a woman, and how she maintains just enough tension throughout.
Andi says:
Hi! I’m Andi, a Brooklyn-based writer and editor. My debut thriller, THE LOST NIGHT, received starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist and was optioned for TV by Mila Kunis and Cartel Entertainment. My second novel, THE HERD, was named a best book of 2020 by Real Simple, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, and CrimeReads. My third thriller, WE WERE NEVER HERE, is coming in July 2021 from Ballantine.
I’m also a journalist whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Marie Claire, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, USA Today, Elle, and many other outlets, and I’ve held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other titles.
Welcome to another First Pages podcast! This week, our brave volunteer is Tamara Kahler. We talk with Tamara about pitching dark work just after a pandemic (and putting an emphasis on hope and agency), her submission strategy (you don’t have to send it to as many people as most recommend), and how she avoided the dreaded manuscript saggy middle (and a theory about how you reliably can, too).
We also talk about why most anticipate lists are okay but runaway bestsellers are not for comps, and other questions that (unfortunately) you can’t Google.
Check out our Facebook group (and try out your comps on them!) at ManuscriptAcademy.com/Facebook.
You can find our comps class at: https://manuscriptacademy.com/cracking-the-comp-title-code
Join us for a quick summer Q&A—with questions from our Facebook group!
Haven’t joined? There are 3,000+ writers there to help you with your query, your comps, and be your supportive community along the way.
Just head to ManuscriptAcademy.com/Facebook.
In this episode, we talk about summer slowdown, editorial agents, when to write subsequent books in a series, and more.
Interested in our The Magic of the Sentence event with author Anne Elliott? View the FREE replay here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/magic-sentence
Hey everyone! This is a live recording of a very special book-to-film event with Eric Mofford (producer and consultant) and Marty Go (producer and director) all about how to craft an elevator pitch. If you’ve ever wondered how to describe your work quickly—or panicked at the “So, what’s your book about?” question—this episode is for you!
Prefer to watch the video? Click here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/elevator-pitch-panel
Want to hear about upcoming FREE events like this one? Join our mailing list here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/subscribe or check out our calendar of events here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/calendar
Maritte Go is a Filipino-American filmmaker hailing all the way from West Palm Beach, Florida. Getting her start in theater, she began as an actress and went onto doing corny TV shows and commercials as a kid. This eventually led to attaining her BFA in acting from Florida State University. She then moved to LA where she was accepted into USC’s prestigious Masters in Film and TV program and recently graduated. Go is a recent Fellow recipient of Armed With a Camera. Her latest Indie feature she produced called, Love Land, won the San Francisco Film Grant. She now happily pays the bills Directing, Producing, and Editing Indie feature films, commercials, and music videos for companies such as Disney, Sony, and State Farm.
Eric Mofford is a producer, line producer and budget consultant. He has been involved in over 150 film, television and web productions as well as numerous music videos and commercials. His credits include the Emmy-winning television series 24 and the iconic indie feature, Daughters of the Dust. Recently he served as Head of Production at Lone Wolf Media overseeing documentary projects for NOVA, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, Smithsonian Channel and PBS. Previously, he served as Head of Production at Lady of the Canyon where he produced projects such as the dramatic television pilot, Finding Hope, with Chris Mulkey, James Morrison, Darby Stanchfield and Molly Quinn; and the comedy documentary, We’ll Always Have Dingle, shot in Kerry County, Ireland. He also served as Head of Production at Unconventional Media, producing the Emmy-nominated award-winning documentary, Houston We Have A Problem, and the live action portions for the EA video game, Need For Speed: Undercover, with Maggie Q.
Mofford, a member of the DGA, has written and directed projects for Disney Interactive, Saban Entertainment, The Discovery Channel, Image America, United Way and TBS. He co-produced Senior Year, a 13-part PBS documentary series on high school. He has sold two feature film screenplays and has various projects in development. His dramatic blues film, Travelin’ Trains, won a dozen national and international film festival awards and continues to play in art museum showcases over 25 years later. He has done schedules and budgets for both large studio productions and small indies and has shared that knowledge teaching numerous media workshops, both in the United States and internationally.
We are so happy to welcome author, illustrator, and graphic novelist Whitney Gardner to the podcast!
In this episode, we talk about plotting, pantsing, graphic novels, optimizing art with your editor, and much more.
We also discuss working with multiple agents, succeeding against trend, and—we couldn’t help it—how to roast, grind, and perfect your own coffee.
Whitney Gardner is an author and cartoonist who spends most of her time hidden in the Pacific Northwest wrapped in a fuzzy sweater. She brings joy to those who happen to spot her and her suspiciously large feet. Before becoming an author she worked as an art teacher and school librarian where she fell utterly and completely in love with children’s books. In the rare moment Whitney isn’t writing or drawing, she’s likely to be reading comics, knitting, or roasting coffee.
You can find her at https://www.heywhitney.com/, and find her newest work, Long Distance, here: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781534455658
We are so happy to tell you the story of how Agent Cecilia Lyra and author Kari Nixon met, became friends—and then officially started to work together.
Kari is a science writer with the style of an English Major. Her work, Quarantine Life from Cholera to COVID-19: What Pandemics Teach Us About Parenting, Work, Life, and Communities from the 1700s to Today, tells the stories behind the story of public health, vaccines, and the history of scientific innovation.
We discuss taking agents’ editorial notes and running with them, the etiquette of interacting with agents on Twitter, and balancing academic interests with storytelling to help make them accessible to more readers. Plus, we learn Cecilia’s strategy for selling a book that needed to reach the shelves ASAP.
We love their author-agent relationship, and are sure you will, too.
Check out Kari’s work here: https://bookshop.org/books/quarantine-life-from-cholera-to-covid-19-what-pandemics-teach-us-about-parenting-work-life-and-communities-from-the-1700s-to-today-9781797131603/9781982172466
You can find Kari on Twitter at @halfsickshadows and at www.Mknixon.xom
You can find Ceci at @ceciliaclyra on Twitter and @cece_lyra_agent on Instagram.
We are so happy to welcome author Lindsay Maple, who generously offered to fill a last-minute opening in our first pages podcast (we love the last-minute stepping up!).
Today, we’re going over her romantic comedy first page, talking about her process, her research, and the things she’s learned along the way.
You can learn more about Lindsay on Twitter (@LindsayRaeWrit1) and on her website, https://lindsaymaple.com/.
Here’s her page:
CHAPTER ONE
I always had a plan. Always. The empty seat next to me was definitely not in the plan. Even worse, it was a painful reminder of the emptiness I was about to face for the entirety of my Mexican vacation weekend. Not that it was really a vacation. If it were possible to cancel, I would have. Ah, who was I kidding. I’d take any excuse to get out of work for a few extra days and trade Vancouver’s incessant winter rain for some sun. I fidgeted with my unclasped seatbelt. Travel anxiety. I’m usually more relaxed by the time I’ve boarded. I did, after all, get there an hour early and have a beer (or two) at the airport lounge. My anxiety was still high because of the unknown factor: who would be sitting in the row with me. Knowing my luck, I’d be stuck sitting next to the chattiest person in British Columbia. If only I had the window seat. It’s easy to ignore people from the window, watching the landscapes fly by. Unfortunately, I was stuck in the aisle as people stuffed their winter coats into the overhead compartments and jostled their luggage past. Now began the tradition of guessing who would be sitting next to me. An old lady approached with her ancient carpetbag, sun hat already on her head, fake pastel flowers along the brim matching her blouse. She smiled at me, and for a moment I resigned myself to having to talk about all ten of her cats for the entire five-and-a-half-hour flight ahead. She checked her printed ticket, squinted at the numbers above her head, and kept moving. Next was a young mother traveling alone with a rambunctious little boy, who was already whining and fighting with her. As much as I love kids, I don’t love being confined in a tiny space with them for hours at a time. Sitting next to a toddler would also make my empty seat barrier moot, and zero defense against the screams of tiny ears popping or the smell of dirty diapers. A relieved sigh escaped my lips as the mom worked her way past. I hoped whoever she sat next to would be helpful. Oh no. Worst case scenario. An older guy approached, coughing into his hands and sniffling through his red, runny nose. It was too early in the season for allergies. It would be just my luck to leave on vacation and return home with the flu. I had sanitizer in my bag, but there wasn’t enough sanitizer in the world to help me here. Luckily, he kept moving, his germs some other unfortunate person’s problem. My breath caught in my throat at the next passenger. Tall. Dark. Handsome. All of the clichés. His black hair shined, perfectly combed atop his head. His beard faded into his sideburns and expertly trimmed along his jawline, as if it wasn’t angular enough already. Time slowed as he checked his phone, and then looked up at me. His gorgeous, deep brown eyes were pools of hot, sweaty summers and mysterious backstory. The quirk of his mouth hinted at various talents other than just containing his perfectly straight teeth, their pristine whiteness a stark contrast against the warm color of his skin. I couldn’t help but smile, warmth flushing my cheeks. He said words. “Hmm?” He pointed past me. “That’s my seat.” “Oh!”
We are so happy to welcome Julie Falatko, author of Snappsy The Alligator (Did Not Ask To Be In This Book) and all-around delightful human, to talk with us about her writing process, the transition from picture books to middle grade novels—and how to maintain your ability to concentrate and do “deep work,” even when living in a year that’s a dumpster fire.
We also talk about preserving your emotional openness and sense of the world (so you can write works that appeal to young listeners), nurturing your creativity, and scheduling in purposeful analog time to keep you (and your projects) vivid in all the right ways.
The wonderful post Julie references is Word Count Dracula by agent Jennifer Laughran: http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/05/wordcount-dracula.html
Julie is the author of the picture books Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) and Snappsy the Alligator and His Best Friend Forever (Probably) illustrated by Tim Miller, (Viking Children’s), and Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go to School (Scholastic). More books are coming! Julie lives with her family in Maine, where she maintains the Little Free Library in front of their house.
You can meet with Julie here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/julie-falatko
It’s easy to believe that you have to be perfect to get published. Today, we bring you proof—hilarious, painful, honest proof—that things can go horribly awry and then end up great.
Whether it’s checking in too soon (and getting called out by an agent), writing a pitch without a conflict or stakes (and then booking back-to-back agent meetings) or having a typo create havoc in a room of 200 conference attendees, these writers have been through it all—and come out better for it.
They’ve since signed with agents, received multi-book contracts—and one even went to her release party just hours after we recorded.
2:15: Sending out a book with seven points of view 7:50: Pitching a book without conflict or stakes 13:24: Checking in with an agent much too soon 19:27: Querying work to just after typing “the end” 23:06: Sending out work personalized--for another agent 27:09: Submitting work to a panel without careful proofreading
Please welcome (in order of appearance):
Suzy Vitello is the author of three YA books and an adult speculative novel, FAULTLAND. You can find her at Suzyvitello.com, @suzy_vitello on Twitter, and @suzyvitello on Instagram.
Thalia Elie is the author of HAIR WE GO! : A Curly Girls’ Adventure series. As a multi-ethnic curly girl, she wanted to encourage readers’ curiosity about differing cultures. This book celebrates the curly girl! It’s an animated escapade that travels around Africa to laugh and learn that curls color the world. Each excursion is an adventure in diversity.
Learn more about Thalia’s FREE event, June 2 at 8pm ET, here: http://evt.to/ogiaoagw
Rachel Remick has had several short stories published in literary magazines, including Rosebud, Bluestem and The First Line, as well as women's magazine Sasee. Her short story The Favorite was published in a recent edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Listen to Your Dreams. You can follow her on Twitter @tampawritergirl.
Nicole Moleti resides in West Hartford, CT and is a co-author writing under the pen name Addison McKnight. Her debut domestic suspense comes out spring of 2022 with Lake Union Publishing. Follow her @nicoleandkrista on Twitter and @addisonmcknight on Facebook.
Juliana Savia Clayton writes Young Adult novels and picture books. She’s a member of SCBWI and serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Indiana Chapter. When not refreshing her inbox, she enjoys reading and spending time with her husband and two cats. You can find her on Twitter @kidlit_writer
Agentless in America is a soon-to-be veterinarian that is an editor for the Heroic Fantasy e-magazine. She often melds fantasy with reality and believes that there is always room for romance. She currently lives, eats and breathes veterinary medicine, but never fails to appreciate the little things--especially if those little things are semicolons. Twitter: http://twitter.com/thedragonvet
When blogger Jenny True wrote a post called F%^ Your Baby Advice, she never expected it would go viral. Soon the offers came in—including an advice columnist post and, then, a book deal.
Now, with You Look Tired: An Excruciatingly Honest Guide to New Parenthood coming out May 4, she’s a powerful new voice of humor, support, and parenting insights. We discuss how she wrote her book proposal, balancing real advice with really funny examples, and becoming a responsible voice in the parental community.
Order a copy of You Look Tired: An Excruciatingly Honest Guide to New Parenthood here: https://www.runningpress.com/titles/jenny-true/you-look-tired/9780762473472/
Jenny is a longtime writer and editor and nationally recognized columnist for Romper. Her debut collection, At or Near the Surface (Fourteen Hills Press, 2008), won the Michael Rubin Book Award. She has published fiction in Boulevard, the Northwest Review, the Southwest Review, Salt Hill, and other journals and has written and reported for Guernica, Salon, and Bitch, among others. Her work has been anthologized and selected for publication by Steve Almond and Michelle Richmond, and she has been the recipient of fellowships from the Ragdale Foundation and the Tomales Bay Writing by Writers Workshop, a grant from San Francisco State University, and a scholarship from the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Her story "Thieves" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Jenny has a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and an M.F.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She has taught creative writing at the Bay Area's Writing Salon since 2009 and at San Francisco State University and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In a former life she was a fact-checker for Sunset and Dwell and an intern for Mother Jones and Ms. As Jenny True, the voice of her blog and the “Dear Jenny” column, she has been recognized on the sidewalk by a mom driving by in a car, and a mom on a plane.
Julie asked our Facebook group (join here! 3,000+ nice writers to support you: https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook) what they’d like to know about critique.
We discuss critique partners with the right problem and wrong solution, the chain reaction when you change one element, how Jessica gives her agency clients feedback, and differentiating between opinions and critiques.
Plus, we discuss best practices for communicating slippery concepts, replying to critiques you hate, and how to look for the patterns instead of the one frustrating edit.
We are so happy to welcome Laekan Zea Kemp to the podcast! We talk about how she got her agent (and made sure she was a true ally), her advice for writers (and how to keep your creative self safe), and how she came up with the idea for this gorgeous new story.
Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. She’s also the creator and host of the Author Pep Talks podcast, as well as a contributor to the Las Musas podcast. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicanx grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health. Her debut novel, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BITTER & SWEET is coming from Little Brown April 6, 2021.
You can find a link to the book’s recipes here: http://www.laekanzeakemp.com/books
And you can find Laekan online here:
http://www.laekanzeakemp.com/ https://twitter.com/LaekanZeaKemp
We are so happy to share this with you! This episode was live-recorded March 2021. Want to watch the free video version instead? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/anne-elliott.
Want an email about upcoming free events? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/subscribe.
Many of us learn fiction writing via short stories—and many of us fall in love with the form and stick with it. But how do we get our stories into the hands of readers, when agents aren’t interested in them? How do we know when a story is ready to send? And where to send it? What are realistic expectations with respect to response times, acceptance rates, payment, and editorial input? This class will go over the basic norms, procedures, and etiquette of being your own short story agent, review strategies for targeting markets and record keeping, and field questions. Your instructor has been finding readers via the slush pile for years—it can be done.
Anne Elliott is the author of The Artstars: Stories (Indiana University Press) and The Beginning of the End of the Beginning (Ploughshares Solos). Her short fiction can be found in Story, A Public Space, Crab Orchard Review, Witness, Hobart, Bellevue Literary Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, and elsewhere. Elliott is a veteran of the New York spoken word circuit, with stage credits including The Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, PS122, and Woodstock '94. Her fiction has been awarded support from The Story Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, The Normal School, Table 4 Writer's Foundation, and The Bridport Prize. She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Warren Wilson College, and lives in Portland, Maine. Learn more at http://www.anneelliottstories.com.
High stakes in quiet stories, fresh takes on dead genres, and how agencies share manuscripts
We talk with agent Shannon Snow about how she’d love to bring dystopias and other “dead” genres back (even if, according to Jessica, dystopia couldn’t die fast enough), how agencies decide to take on projects (and share genres between themselves), and how to make your “quiet” story appeal to agents and editors.
Shannon Snow worked in finance and marketing for 18 years before turning to her childhood first love… books and writers. She started her publishing career in 2018 and then joined Creative Media Agency, Inc. in 2020, first as an intern before moving up to an associate agent. Shannon has a B.A. in English Language and Literature. Shannon manages the Audio rights for CMA.
Shannon says: I have an eclectic reading taste. I look for books that have a unique angle, and authors that have a wonderful, engaging voice. Characterization is a top draw for me, so I’m looking for vivid, well-developed characters. I love when an author can make me laugh, make me cry, or just make me feel emotion in general.
Learn more about Shannon: http://cmalit.com/ https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/shannon-snow Twitter: @SSnow_Lit_Agent
We are so happy to welcome agent Larissa Melo Pienkowski to the podcast! We loved having her as a guest, and think you'll love her, too.
Larissa Melo Pienkowski is a literary agent at Jill Grinberg Literary Management, the assistant publisher of Dottir Press, and a freelance editor and sensitivity reader. As a Latinx, mixed-race bookworm, she’s passionate about #OwnVoices stories, uplifting marginalized voices, and reading voraciously across genres, with a soft spot for YA, MG, literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and books that stretch the boundaries of genre altogether. A Massachusetts native, she earned her BSW from Simmons College and her MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College, and can be found in her ceramics studio in her free time (when she doesn’t have a book in hand).
In this episode, we cover:
What’s the best way to follow up with agents—and when?
How do you deal with an exclusive submission—and advocate for yourself at the same time?
What to do if you sent your manuscript...seven months ago?
What makes publishing slow?
How long do you have to send your work after receiving a full request? Do you have to send it right away? What if it needs edits?
What’s the best way to include a second language in your book?
Larissa’s thoughts on pitch contests (and your best practices).
Does cold querying work?
If you have a twitter pitch, do you add it to your query?
Do agents drop clients if the first book doesn’t sell?
Plus much more!
You can meet with Larissa to go over your query here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/larissa-pienkowski
The comp class we mentioned is here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/hannah
We are so happy to talk with four agented writers about what worked—and did NOT work—in the submission process.
We talk about rejections, pivots, subjectivity, and finding the right agent for YOU. We attempt to reverse engineer their submission patterns just before an offer, so you can see what early signs mean you’re on the right path. We talk about their darkest moments, when they wanted to give up. And—more than anything—we talk about what they wish they knew, the things that could have saved months or years, when they were still querying agents.
We hope you’ll leave this podcast feeling inspired, uplifted, and optimistic about your chances of finding the perfect fit for your work.
Tabitha Bird lives with her family and chihuahua in Boonah, Australia. Her debut fiction, A LIFETIME OF IMPOSSIBLE DAYS (Penguin, 2019) was the 2020 winner of The Queensland Literary Award- People’s Choice Book of the Year. Her second book is THE EMPORIUM OF IMAGINATION (Penguin, March 30th 2021). http://tabithaannbird.com and (free shipping!) https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Emporium-of-Imagination/9781760895914
Elizabeth Holden writes light-hearted young adult fiction. Her queer roller derby novel, Mighty Millie Novak, is out on submission to publishers, and she is currently editing her YA spec fiction filled with girls in STEM, vintage clothes, time travel, and love triangles. She is represented by Emily Forney at BookEnd Literary Agency. She teaches physics at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and, along with her husband, is the co-founder of a tour company, Leaping Hound Travel. An avid roller derby player, she's skated with Madison Roller Derby since 2015 and leads "physics of roller derby" workshops for schools and other community groups. elizabeth-holden.com email: elizabeth.holden.author@gmail.com Twitter: @ElizabethH_WI
Molly McCaffrey is a former New Jersey native turned Kentucky Colonel, and the author of two small press books for adults. Now she writes young adult stories about strong young women who believe in the power of resistance. When Molly isn’t reading or writing, she’s on the move—biking, swimming, hiking, and kayaking—and loves to compete in local triathlons. She is represented by John Cusick of Folio Literary. MollyMcCaffrey.com https://twitter.com/MollyMcCaffrey https://www.instagram.com/mollymccaffrey/ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMollyMcCaffrey/
Meghan Davis Hill has been a professional editor and writer of commercial nonfiction and fiction for many years. She has edited the memoirs of an author who appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and a celebrity chef. She’s also edited for children’s book authors, an award-winning film producer, and several novelists. Under her own name, Meghan writes middle grade and young adult fiction. She is represented by agent Karen Brailsford of Aevitas Creative Management, and her debut middle grade adventure is going out on submission this week. Meghan lives outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband and four children. When she’s not writing and editing, she’s usually in the woods – hiking and camping with her family every chance she gets. website: meghandavishill.com twitter: @meghanmhill fb: meghan davis hill writing & editing
We are so happy to welcome Haley Casey to the podcast! Haley Casey graduated from The University of Kansas in 2015 with a BA in creative writing, and that fall, she attended the Denver Publishing Institute. She began her full-time career at Ogden Publications, where she was an editor for four years. There she worked with a variety of authors across multiple magazines, wrote over a dozen articles, edited audio for podcasts, and even styled cover photos—anything to add some creativity to her days. In 2020, she interned at Metamorphosis Literary Agency and Creative Media Agency, Inc. before stepping into her role as a junior agent at CMA. She also manages the digital arm of the company.
In this episode, we cover the following:
9:37 Haley’s MSWL, and what she hopes to see in her inbox 11:18 The memoir market from Haley’s perspective 12:39 How long can you wait to send an agent requested materials? 14:40 What does it mean if a work is called “upmarket”? 19:02 When do you expect to see the inciting incident? 20:53 How long does it take to hear back from an agent? 24:06 What if the only comp you can think of is a runaway bestseller? 26:33 How do you know if you’re starting in the right place in your story? 32:27 What if your work is between two genres? 35:50 What are your best tips for writers? 38:20 What do you do with an English degree? 46:42 What’s it like to work with a newer agent? Do they have mentorship? What ensures that it will go well? 51:54 What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in your time in the industry?
We are so happy to welcome agent Cecilia (CeCe) Lyra to the podcast! Cecilia will go through her inbox, #TenQueries style, giving us in-the-moment reactions to her queries.
Ever wondered what agents think when they read your submissions? Now you know.
Cecilia Lyra is an agent at P.S. Literary actively acquiring adult fiction and nonfiction. She is particularly drawn to stories centered around dysfunctional families, ethical or moral dilemmas, and taboo subjects. She adores reading about protagonists who grew up straddling two opposing worlds and appreciates subtle storytelling, with characters who are nuanced and flawed, as opposed to overwritten and nice. Cecilia enjoys writing that is thoughtful on a line level with a strong, almost hypnotic voice. Some of her recent favorite novels include WHITE IVY by Susie Yang, THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett, and EXCITING TIMES by Naoise Dolan.
In terms of nonfiction, Cecilia is seeking books about popular subjects written by experts in their field examined through original angles, particularly ones that deal with psychology and social behavior. Cecilia also loves memoirs, and strongly believes that a good memoir reads like a novel. Favorite nonfiction titles include TRICK MIRROR by Jia Tolentino, MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE by Lori Gottlieb, and IN THE DREAM HOUSE by Carmen Maria Machado.
No matter the category or genre, stories centered around feminist issues have a special place in Cecilia’s heart, particularly those that explore intersectionality: race, sexual orientation, national identity, economic privilege and class. As a mixed race Latinx immigrant, Cecilia is passionate about representing under or misrepresented voices that contribute to a larger cultural conversation. She believes in editing with compassion, and that words of affirmation can make all the difference in a writer’s life.
Cecilia began her bookish career through the Centennial College Book, Magazine, and Electronic program and The Rights Factory. Before working in publishing, Cecilia was a lawyer, and now reserves her litigious energy for rants against the patriarchy.
Welcome to our live-recorded event with agent Lizzie Poteet!
*Please note that there are some adult topics mentioned in this episode. We aren't the MPAA, but we'd rate it PG-13.***
Originally from Nashville, TN, Lizzie Poteet is an agent at The Seymour Agency after several years at St Martin’s Press/Macmillan. A hopeless romantic, she’s eternally grateful she found a way to channel her immense feelings about feelings into a legitimate job where swooning is considered a job skill.
A spitfire from an early age, she once tried to write a series of book reports in high school on Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, and Julie Garwood. It did not go over well. Lizzie’s addiction to romance only grew from there, which explains why she decided to study abroad at the University of St. Andrews in college. Just on the off chance she would fall back in time and meet her own warrior soul mate. Sadly, she didn’t and now lives in New York with her dog, Mr. Darcy, where she watches a lot of TV.
Lizzie is looking for Romance, Women’s Fiction, New Adult, Religious, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, and Inspirational Romance.
You can follow her on Twitter @lizziepoteet.
Learn more about these events here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge
The questions:
11:00: What are some word count trends in romance and YA contemporary, and does an agent reject based off of low word count?
13:02: Can you talk about how agents edit with their authors?
16:29: What jumps out at you in the first few pages, structure wise, that makes you want to keep reading?
18:06: Are you looking for a one book or career long relationship?
20:50: How do agents feel about writers who’ve had a full editorial edit before submitting? Is it necessary? How much editing should you do before you submit your work?
23:46: What prompts you to ask for a partial, and what prompts you to ask for a full? What are you NOT looking for?
26:05: Do you ever take on an offer and realize that it’s just not working?
29:10: How to prevent that from happening?
31:30: What reader expectations have changed with romance in recent years? When can romance explore deeper issues?
35:19: How do you include heavy topics in your work, and know your agent will accept it? When do you need to include a trigger warning?
41:27: Can you talk about LGBT romance novels?
43:55: Should you write what you love or what’s marketable? How do you balance that? What if you’re writing more than one book at a time?
48:32: How is New Adult doing? Why is it mostly romance? And is there room for New Adult sci fi?
54:36: What tips do you have for writers?
In this episode, Julie meets with her former teaching partner, Mary Murchie, to discuss two first pages, the role of detail from a reader's perspective, and what they’ll cover in their new Facebook Live series.
Want to join a few thousand supportive writers in our free Facebook group? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/Facebook.
Happy 2021! We have a brand new year with a ton of new projects designed to keep you creative, happy, and optimistic.
We have:
A new first-page podcast (in the feed now!) with Mary Murchie, our newest Facebook Live host. If you’d like to join our free Facebook group, head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook.
This month, we also have: A success story Q&A panel with Academy alums who’ve gotten agents (January 12) A live Q&A with agent Larissa Melo Pienkowski (January 21) Accountability and goal coaching with Valentina (Ongoing) Three-Day Revision Workshop (January 26-28)
All events, except the accountability coaching, are included with membership. Learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge And here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/2021-goals
If you’d like to join the revision workshop a la carte, head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/revision.
Happy New Year!
Hello friends!
It is time for our annual holiday party. This year, we’re featuring agent and editor guests, fun ways to find new critique partners and friends, and a choose your own adventure format to build the best holiday party for you.
Everything is free, online of course, and designed to be the kind of fun usually only possible in a year that is not on fire.
There will be prizes, surprises, readings, hilarity, community and more.
Plus, we get to playfully annoy some of our agent guests with a live game, which we can’t wait for. (All I will say now is that it’s not a dunk tank, because we couldn’t figure out how to do that on zoom. Plus we like them. And want them to have fun too.)
Want to learn more? Head to ManuscriptAcademy.com/party to RSVP and get on the list.
It all starts this Wednesday, December 16, at 8pm Eastern. Hope to see you there!
We are so happy to welcome Esther Cajahuaringa, an editor at Hachette Book Group.
This is the first in a series of live-recorded Q&A’s with agents and editors. Are you interested in attending events like this? Learn more about our member lounge here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge
8:05 Why can't one publishing house can’t have two similar books at the same time?
9:41 How do the seasons work in publishing?
10:58 When are book tours a thing?
12:28 When can authors submit directly to you, or to publishers? Do publishers ever help authors find agents?
14:30: What does Little, Brown publish?
16:10: A little love for sales and marketing.
17:02: Do you recommend hiring copy editors? What do they do at a publishing house, and with illustrations?
21:22 How perfect should a manuscript be before it goes to an agent or an editor?
23:50 What’s a success story you can tell us? (Plus a story about working with Mo Willems.)
27:21: If you’re an author-illustrator, how much do you have to worry about page layout before you submit your picture book dummy? How does that work?
29:27 What’s on Little, Brown’s wish list?
31:37 You mentioned taking a middle grade novel and turning it into an early reader. Can you tell us what went into that decision, and the difference between the two?
35:11 What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in your time in the industry?
37:07: More on laying out illustrations.
37:26: Any tips for writing books about kids in foster care, and books about the emotional well-being of children? What’s the line between commercial and educational?
38:50 Tell is about the first time you saw one of your books for sale.
40:25: What’s something you wish writers knew about our side of the desk?
41:55: How important is conflict in picture books? What about in a lyrical picture book? What's the difference between conflict and tension?
43:46: What’s your number one tip for writers?
Esther Cajahuaringa is an editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. As a former educator and non-profit organizer, Esther draws upon her experiences working directly with kids when thinking about today’s readers. She has worked with Joe Cepeda, David Goodner, Jyoti Rajan Gopal, Rhode Montijo, Andrea Tsurumi, and Mo Willems to name a few. She’s avidly seeking picture books and graphic novels. She has her master’s degree in Curriculum & Teaching with an emphasis in literacy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Originally from Southern California, she’s made the East Coast home for the last seven years. Esther is a daughter of immigrant parents and truly believes in the power of storytelling, because it changed her world. You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cajameansbox.
We are so happy to welcome Rebecca Raskin, an editor at HarperCollins, to our podcast.
Rebecca started her career at Kensington Books, where she worked on genre fiction (including cozy mysteries, which we’ll talk about later in the episode!) and now works primarily on nonfiction.
We talk about how Rebecca loves “quiet” novels (and whether there’s a market for them), the large team behind every book (and the department that never gets enough recognition), and how editors sustain 2-3 years of enthusiasm for your book.
We also discuss:
11:37 Does an editor’s relationship with the author affect the book?
13:02 Tips for how to get along with your editor, and the editor-author relationship
15:26 Cozy mysteries, how to pitch them, and what happens (for anyone) if you use the wrong genre in your query
19:20: Why typos aren’t nearly as big a deal as you probably think (and what actually causes rejections)
20:03 How Rebecca sometimes chooses to work on books that aren’t ready yet, and works with the author and agent to make them happen
28:10 The best advice she was ever given
You can follow Rebecca on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/rj_raskin
You can join our supportive Facebook group here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook
And the Dewey Decimal Rap that Julie mentioned is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHiUQb5xg7A
This episode was recorded live in front of our Facebook group. Join for free events, support, community and more: https://manuscriptacademy.com/facebook
We talk with Em about her time in subrights, focusing on co-editions (and what that means), how predictions about ebooks were far from accurate, and what we should do about New Adult (and the very idea genre in a world with digital shelves).
We also discuss new developments in science fiction (and the type she’s looking for now), D&D, video games, and torturing plants. And whether you should have an artist along for the ride with your graphic novel submission—plus other tips for success.
We talk about how agents neither can nor want to represent everyone—and how this mentality can help you keep going with your submissions. Plus, insights from the editorial process, why fit has to be so good—and what happens when an agent and editor disagree on your edits.
You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mmmlysaght.
We loved recording this episode. Amyra touches on the very most vital parts of creativity—and still manages, even after all her success as an artist, musician, activist, and more--to have the perfect advice for beginning writers on what matters most.
She talks about how to value your work—even when you don’t have a lot of spare time; how to communicate with your team (whether friends, agents, editors, or otherwise) to get what you need to support your art—and why, with creative projects, you should always start before you’re ready.
Amyra León is an author, musician, playwright, and activist. Her work transcends genre and medium, and focuses on Black liberation, politics, and communal healing. She believes that the art of listening and honest conversation are the primary tools for lasting change. Her aim is to empower communities to believe in the significance of their individual stories. The conversation has just begun.
León takes readers on a poetic journey through her childhood in Harlem, as she navigates the intricacies of foster care, mourning, self-love, and resilience, inviting us all to dream with abandon–and to recognize the privilege it is to dream at all.
Amyra’s latest work is called CONCRETE KIDS. This beautiful book written in free verse is an exploration of love and loss, melody and bloodshed. Learn more here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/61218…ukashevsky/
You can find her music--which goes very well with her book!--here: www.amyraleon.com/
Hey Everyone! We know there’s a lot going on in the world this week, and we hope you’re doing well. We’re doing our best to create a kind, cozy community for you, so have support going into these winter months.
Here’s what’s happening this month:
Tuesday, November 10, we have a live queries and pages panel with agent Kiana Nguyen at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. If you haven’t met her, she’s delightful, and has wonderful insights into your pages. You can learn more at https://manuscriptacademy.com/kiana-nguyen-panel.
We’re also creating a number of events in our new member lounge, which is pretty much what happens if you take your favorite creative coffeeshop, add a bunch of talented writers from all over the world, and work together with special guests to get the most out of your writing time. https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge
This means small events in a cozy, no-pressure setting. Here are the member lounge events for this month:
November 17 is a new experiment for us—a sort of Dr. Phil-esque event where you can send us your “What do I do now?” publishing questions and, together, we find your best submission strategy.
November 19, we have a live podcast recording and Q&A with agent Larissa Melo Pienkowski. We just did one of these last month, and it felt like a living room party Q&A. It’s a great way to have a real, interactive conversation and get your questions answered.
And November 12, 18 and 30, you can join us for our Write Together events, where you can work alongside other writers for support and positive peer pressure, and then meet for small-group networking.
And last but certainly not least, coming up on the podcast we have interviews with Serendipity Literary agent Kelly Thomas, HarperCollins editor Rebecca Raskin, and Activist, musician, playwright, and Penguin author Amyra León.
As always, you can see our full calendar of events at https://manuscriptacademy.com/calendar, and learn more about our member lounge at https://manuscriptacademy.com/member-lounge.
Again, take good care of yourselves.
We are so happy to join Kelly Thomas, agent at Serendipity Literary, to talk about what happens on the agent side of the desk—how agents get hired, how much determination is involved, and what it’s like to enter the industry at 40.
Plus, as a writer herself, Kelly has extra insight into what goes through agents' minds when writing rejections--and how that affects her process now.
We also talk about: 9:07 How job application advice also applies to queries 10:06 How Kelly writes her rejections 12:48 What it’s like to be a writer inside publishing, and the empathy gap between agents and writers 16:08 What Kelly’s looking for in her inbox 27:06 The different times in the process that you might hear back on your projects
Kelly Thomas brings 15 years of sales and business expertise to the literary world as a champion for writers. Kelly is a certified copy editor who has a Bachelor's degree in English (Literature) from Pace University. Prior to joining Serendipity, she provided manuscript analysis for the D4EO literary agency. Kelly is a published poet with publications in 'Tales for the Disenchanted' (2008) and 'Penumbra Art & Literature' (2015). She serves as a freelance editor and ghost writer in her free time. Kelly is a ferocious reader, lover of books, and has a passion for writing. Indeed a writer at heart, no matter the form (essays, articles, blogs, poems, short stories, marketing literature, resumes, or manuscripts), she will quickly put pen to page. Kelly is eager to build her client roster and is actively seeking the next bestselling author!
Kelly is most interested in nonfiction (narrative nonfiction, memoirs, true crime), and adult fiction (psychological thrillers, mysteries, suspense, comedies). She enjoys fast-paced, plot-driven fiction with twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments. She is drawn to stories about leadership, overcoming adversity, and beating the odds. Stories that are told from a unique psychological vantage point are always of interest. The truth is often stranger than fiction, so Kelly is actively looking for the next great true crime manuscript with a murderous and methodical plot.
We are so happy to join Megan Barnard on a journey through her inbox. Listen as she describes ten real queries, her thoughts on each one, and what they mean for you in your querying process. Plus, hear about her tips, how she got into agenting, and her best practices for getting an agent's attention.
Megan joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Associate Literary Agent in 2020, after interning for nearly three years at several top literary agencies, including P.S. Literary Agency and Folio Literary Management.
She has worked as an editor and copywriter and has a BA in English (with a concentration in Creative Writing) from Hollins University.
She represents a wide variety of adult fiction with a focus on historical, upmarket, bookclub, literary, women’s fiction, thriller, and historical fantasy. She also represents narrative nonfiction including memoir, nature writing, and food writing. She loves anything lyrical and character-driven.
We are so excited to share our 100th podcast episode! This was our very first Zoom event, our first live podcast recording with guests in the room with us--and we were thrilled to welcome more than 100 of you.
We are so happy to welcome: Kayla Lightner, Ayesha Pande Literary Saba Sulaiman, Talcott-Notch Literary Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Agency Marilyn Atlas, Book-To-Film Producer
We discussed what each agent would like to find in her inbox, how to know when you've queried enough people (and when to pivot), rejections on Christmas Eve (and what they mean), how best to focus on your main character in women's fiction, how to write age-appropriate fiction (and properly age your protagonist) for children, how to balance humor and fantasy elements, how to know if it's your query or your pages that are getting you rejected...and much, much more.
On a personal note, we are amazed that we made it through 100 episodes! Thank you for joining us, and for bringing us along with you on your walks, commutes, and even mountain biking trips. We wouldn’t be here without you, and we appreciate you.
Hope this finds you well in this incredibly unusual year.
Timestamps:
5:43: Panelist introductions and what they’d love to find in their inboxes
20:59: Kayla Lightner’s pick: Memoir, with panel focus on imagery, beautiful language, and a Christmas Eve rejection (and what it means)
35:44: Saba Sulaiman’s pick: Picture book, with panel emphasis on comp titles, how to use image notes, when to reveal that an author is writing about their own experience.
57:03: Marilyn Atlas’s pick: Women’s fiction, with panel emphasis on how to pitch a work by focusing on the main character (versus her boyfriend), share (or not share) that there’s a spiritual element, and when you know you’ve had a large enough querying sample size.
1:11:46: Fiona Kenshole’s pick: YA fantasy, with panel emphasis on choosing an age group (MG versus YA), balancing humor and fantasy elements, and what to do about prologues (and a trick about how to avoid the question and make it work).
1:37:03: If you’re getting form rejections, how do you know if it’s the query letter or first page that’s a problem?
1:39:15: What’s the best query letter format?
1:40:10: What protagonist ages are appropriate for Middle Grade vs. YA?
(Note: Apologies for Jessica's sound! This is what happens when we try to use Bluetooth earbuds.)
In this episode, we talk about the challenges and insights that come with being a writer/editor, the complexities of the submission process, and how the phrase “editors no longer edit” just isn’t true (but there's plenty you can do to make the process easier for everyone).
We also discuss author-agent relationships, what it takes to be an editor in NYC, and the fact that there is no one perfect version of a manuscript.
Mara Delgado Sánchez joined St. Martin’s Publishing Group in 2018. Originally from Puerto Rico, she holds a BA in English-Literature from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College.
Mara is interested in young adult fiction, particularly in all kinds of fantasy, magical realism, and light, fluffy contemporary. She’s looking for commercial stories with voice that drips off the page, characters she’ll want to follow to the end of the world, emotional resonance, tight plotting and dynamic relationships. She’s an advocate of #ownvoices stories, and would love to see stories from marginalized writers. In adult, she’s looking for crossover fantasy, romantic comedies, millennial women’s fiction, and category romance.
Hey friends, we have a really exciting week, it’s September, and school is in session—so we thought we’d give you announcements just like when your vice principal would get on the PA each morning and say goooooo sports!
So here’s what’s happening this week:
Tonight, September 21, 2020, at 8 pm Eastern is the official deadline for our 100th podcast episode. As many of you know, on Thursday, September 24, at 8 pm Eastern, we’re all getting together in one giant Zoom for a panel of expert help and Q&A. Tickets are free, but you need to nominate a friend (or receive a nomination) to get on the list. The panelists will choose nominator/nominee pairs, and bring them onto the Zoom stage for support and feedback for not just their queries, but their whole writing journeys.
You can learn more, and submit your work at manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-100.
And yes, if you submit your work after tonight at 8 pm, you can still be chosen—but your chances decrease because our panel will be locking in their choices Wednesday at 8 pm. You can hope for procrastination on their part, or give yourself the best odds and submit now.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 8:30 pm Eastern, is a live class with agent Jessica Watterson called What The Hook. You’ll learn not only what a hook is and how it helps you sell your book, but we’ll have a small hook feedback session at the end, and get through as many of these as possible. You can get your ticket at ManuscriptAcademy.com/what-the-hook.
And the last thing is that our live-recorded event with Kat Vellos is now live! You can view the video at ManuscriptAcademy.com/Kat.
Have a great week, everyone!
Watch the live recording of this event here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/kat
Are you tired of Zoom happy hours? Missing real, creative, spontaneous connection? Us too. Author Kat Vellos is here to help!
Kat says: Welcome, friend! If you know anything about me, you know that I’d rather be greeting you with a giant bear hug… in a cozy room full of artsy conversation-provoking installations…with a table of cheese-based snacks in the corner.
Instead, we meet here, in this small box made of metal, glass and touchscreens. Because COVID. If you’re here because you want to build bridges of meaningful connection to others, you’re in the right place. Lemme help you with that.
In this talk, we’ll delve into issues of community, loneliness, belonging, technology, and how to find the real connections that make the creative life satisfying and meaningful.
Kat Vellos is an author, speaker, and expert community builder from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kat is the author of We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships, the founder of Bay Area Black Designers and Better than Small Talk, and has two decades of experience creating powerful, positive communities where people find belonging and authentic connection.
In this talk, we’ll delve into issues of community, loneliness, belonging, diversity, technology, and how to find the real connections that make the creative life satisfying and meaningful.
She’s spoken at Design for America, LinkedIn, General Assembly, Impact Hub, Social Good Tech Week, Young Women Empowered, and many, many more.
Hope you can join us!
All best wishes, Jessica and Julie
View our promo video + learn more here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-100
It’s been such an amazing journey speaking with agents, editors, authors, and publishing professionals about the things that mean the most to them-–life, work, creativity, and community.
To celebrate our 100th episode, we wanted to do something new, special, interactive, and fun.
Thursday, September 24, 8:00pm Eastern, we are launching a brand new live-recording series. Agents Kayla Lightner, Saba Sulaiman, Fiona Kenshole and producer Marilyn Atlas will be our panel of experts, and give feedback on YOUR work.
The event is FREE but requires some homework (about 10 minutes).
View our promo video, learn more + sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-100
We are so happy to bring you this episode with Jessica Watterson, agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. We talk about plotting, tension, and exercises for making sure that each chapter moves your work forward.
We also discuss revise and resubmits (and what agents look for in requested changes), how agents write pitch letters (and sometimes test them on their families), and whether agents go on editorial power trips (not…usually, but we’ll expand on that).
Then, we move on to the rare occasions when agents give notes in rejection letters, how agents process responses on the projects they send out, and—perhaps most exciting—how one call with an agent friend (and her feedback) turned a project from months of rejections to a deal within a week.
Also, for fun, we discuss the mischief we’ve gotten into as agents as conferences.
Then we wrap up with talking about Jessica's upcoming class, What The Hook?, which will be September 22, 8:30 pm Eastern. Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/what-the-hook.
You can find Jessica on Twitter at @JessWatterson.
We talk with Linda Camacho, agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, about your character’s desire line—how it’s useful for both clarity and storytelling—and the deeper wish behind the ostensible goal. (For example: Ralphie in A Christmas Story wants a BB gun, but what he really wants is to be perceived as an adult.)
We also discuss how to work with plotters, pantsers and plantsers—and how, no matter what you’re writing, you can keep a reader’s attention.
Linda Camacho graduated from Cornell with a B.S. in Communication and has held various positions at Penguin Random House, Dorchester, Simon and Schuster, Writers House, and Prospect Agency. She’s done everything from foreign rights to editorial to marketing to operations, and received her MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Now at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, Linda is looking for MG, YA, and adult fiction across all genres (especially upmarket, women’s fiction/romance, and literary horror); she’s also seeking select picture book and graphic novel writer-illustrators.
You can find her at:
https://twitter.com/lindarandom https://manuscriptacademy.com/linda-camacho
JOIN US Tuesday, August 11, 8pm Eastern for a FREE event with Cameron. Sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/cam
New in our series with literary agents and debut authors, we chat with Writer’s House agent Allie Levick, and her client Cameron Kelly Rosenblum, author of the Kirkus starred young adult novel, The Stepping Off Place. This novel is described by Booklist as, “Beautifully written examination not only of the sadness of grief, but the uncertainty it can bestow upon everything, from your relationship to others to the relationship with yourself.”
Allie and Cameron’s professional relationship is the star of this podcast. We’ll chat about how Cameron’s first page dazzled Allie, and how she knew it was special. The inspiration behind Cameron’s work and explore the inner workings of a highly effective professional relationship.
CAMERON KELLY ROSENBLUM grew up in Connecticut. She studied English literature at Kenyon College and earned a master's in education at Lesley University. Throughout her teens and early twenties, she filled journal after journal with anecdotes and characters she met, knowing someday she'd draw from these pages to write her novels. Currently, Cameron is a children's librarian living on the coast of Maine with her husband and two children. The Stepping Off Place is her first book. Visit her online at www.cameronrosenblum.com, on Twitter @ckellyrose, or on Instagram @ckellyrosebooks.
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Alexandra Levick is a literary agent at Writers House where she is developing her picture book, middle grade, young adult, and adult lists. She represents a diverse list of creators whose styles range from literary to commercial, and just about everything in between.
Kirkus review says:
For six years Reid, 17, has warded off anxiety, social awkwardness, and the loss of her mother’s attention (her younger brother is autistic and her mother has thrown herself into fundraising for autism research) by hiding behind vibrant Hattie. But since Hattie summers on her affluent family’s private island in Maine, with unreliable cell service and no Wi-Fi, Reid hadn’t seen her in weeks when, days before the start of school, she learns that Hattie has drowned, and her death is likely a suicide. The storyline bounces back and forth between past and present to fill in details of Reid and Hattie’s relationship, including all Hattie deliberately hid from Reid—and quite a lot that Reid hid from Hattie. Reid always understood that her role in Hattie’s life involved not demanding answers or intimacy. At the same time, Hattie was central to Reid’s life, and learning to navigate each day without her seems impossible. Reid and Hattie are white and straight; other important characters are Asian, Latino, and gay. The large cast of characters, particularly the high school students, are well and sensitively drawn. The novel doesn’t glorify suicide or dwell on the details of Hattie’s death. Instead it explores loss, futility, honesty, and love, with a richness of prose and excellence of characterization rare in a first-time author.
We’re so pleased to welcome our first-ever historical fiction writer to the Manuscript Academy Podcast. Finola Austin is the author of Brontë’s Mistress, a story that Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, calls “A beautifully written, highly seductive debut…The chemistry between Branwell and Lydia positively crackles on the page."
Joining Finola is her agent Danielle Egan-Miller, president of Brown & Miller Literary Associates. A mighty team, they will chat about the unusual circumstances behind “The Call," Finola’s massive attention to detail, tips on submission, and more.
We’ll discuss how books can create a sense of companionship and shared humanity to keep readers turning the page—how to edit the saggy middle—and what Danielle would love to see in her inbox.
Danielle will also discuss the ripple of love that Finola’s work evoked in her workplace, and how this creative group championed this fascinating work.
You can find Brontë's Mistress (out August 4) here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brontes-mistress-finola-austin/1134079989?ean=9781982137236
You can find Danielle here: https://www.browneandmiller.com/team/danielle-egan-miller/
In this special episode, we talk with agent Gordon Warnock and author Jorjeana Marie about how to reignite your creativity, learn to trust yourself, and stay inspired along the way.
We learn how they met (in the slush pile!), why people are pressured to choose just one creative passion (and what you should do about it), and (perhaps most important) how to bring back the joy of creation to your work.
Jorjeana Marie is a storyteller. Whether it’s as a writer for Disney’s “Mickey and the Roadster Racers”, as a voice actress enacting all the roles in the “New Nancy Drew Diaries” (where Nancy now uses GPS to find her criminals and spends her spare time Googling herself!) or as a stand-up comedian touring the nation at The Improv and Catch a Rising Star Comedy Clubs, or as a produced playwright in NYC-she focuses on the fun and funny.
As an award-winning narrator of over 250 books, Jorjeana’s narrative skills have earned her multiple Earphones awards, Best Voices of 2014, 2015 and 2016 and a prestigious Audie Award for “Salt to the Sea” by Ruta Sepetys.
Publisher Weekly calls her “Pitch-perfect” and Audiofile Magazine for “The Assistants” by Camille Perri stated “Bridget Jones meets Working Girl in this audiobook, and holy moly, is it fun. Jorjeana Marie puts this diverse and hilarious cast of New York characters through their many-accented paces like Dorothy Hamill landing a triple axel. In every paragraph. Her warm, bright tone creates just the right mood, and her pacing, balancing humor and looming disaster, is perfect.”
Gordon Warnock is a founding partner at Fuse Literary, serving as a literary agent and Editorial Director of Short Fuse Publishing. He brings years of experience as a senior agent, marketing director, editor for independent publishers, publishing consultant, and author coach. He frequently teaches workshops and gives keynote speeches at conferences and MFA programs nationwide. He is an honors graduate of CSUS with a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing.
With a zest for fresh, new voices and a deep love of the classics, Gordon actively seeks out both the timely and the timeless. In that spirit, he establishes involved, long-term working relationships with talented and dedicated authors of many genres.
We are so pleased to welcome Fiona Kenshole, senior agent at Transatlantic Agency, to discuss all things children’s books. If you’re writing picture books, early readers, chapter books or middle grade, this episode is for you.
We talk about how children’s publishing is different from adult publishing, the elements each age group needs, building tension, creating voice, and writing about power and autonomy as seen from a child’s perspective.
We also talk about image notes (and why they’re so controversial—plus a great story from Fiona on this), how even NYT bestselling authors do extensive edits, and Fiona’s upcoming class on July 28. Fiona will be teaching How To Write Children's Books That Surprise and Delight July 28 at 8:30pm EDT. You can learn more and get your ticket here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/fiona
Timestamps:
10:15: How children’s publishing is different from adult publishing (also clip) 12:20: How to keep a child’s perspective in mind while writing 13:53: Specific for each children’s age groups 18:26 How to be funny 19:56: Voice in middle grade 25:20: Power dynamics in children’s books 27:16 Building tension in middle grade 36:55: Illustration notes, and why they’re so controversial 40:16: Fiona’s class on July 28
We talk about how two agents can have completely different comps for the same book (and both can be correct), how high concept works have their own stealth press packet (you've probably unwittingly taken part in their marketing), and tips for writers pitching in the pandemic (hint: it's not as bad as you think).
We also talk about starting in action (versus peak action), how YA needs two layers (your unique concept + typical teen emotional life), and how we can create a strong character from tiny details on your very first page.
Plus, the errors you can come back from when querying—and the ones you likely can’t. And no--you do not have to be perfect to get an agent.
As a graduate of Vanderbilt University and The Columbia Publishing Course, Kristy Hunter began her publishing career in New York City—first as an editorial intern at Bloomsbury Children’s Books and then as a book publicist at Grove/Atlantic and Random House Children’s Books. When she moved to the agenting side of the industry, she was closely mentored by Deidre Knight, president and founder of The Knight Agency, and her first co-agented project sold at auction soon after. As an associate agent, Kristy enjoys being able to bring a unique perspective to her clients thanks to her diverse publishing background. When she’s not curled up with a fantastic book or manuscript, she can be found kickboxing or hiking with her dog and is an active member of SCBWI.
You can find Kristy at https://knightagency.net/about-us/.
This week we speak with author and teacher Lani Forbes about her YA fantasy novel, The Seventh Sun, and her agent, Samantha Wekstein at Thompson Literary Agency. Samantha represents a wide range of authors from picture books up through adult.
We talk about how they knew they were the right fit--how they work together on edits--and how Samantha actually stayed up all night to read this book by the offer deadline. (#Dedication.)
Then the main part of the episode—worldbuilding!
9:48: How Lani approaches worldbuilding 14:03: Common worldbuilding problems Samantha sees in her submission pile 14:56: How to get the reader into your world without info dumps 17:23: The part of querying that’s hardest on fantasy writers—and what to do about it 19:56: Strong female characters versus the Strong Female Character trope 27:02: Lani’s method for adding tension 33:06 Their editorial process working together as author and agent, and what authors should look for in this relationship 43:53: The mistakes Lani made along the way (even successful published authors make them)
You can find Lani's work here: https://bookshop.org/books/the-seventh-sun-9781982546090/9781982546090 and https://laniforbes.com/
You can find Samantha at @SWekstein on Twitter, and at https://manuscriptacademy.com/samantha-wekstein
Black Lives Matter.
A note from Jessica: Here at The Manuscript Academy, we're all about real, authentic conversations that accomplish something important. Here are some resources to help you get started on becoming a better ally--how to support your friends, have difficult conversations with your relatives, and learn more about the cultural moment happening right now. (It's our hope that history books will remember this as the moment it all, finally, got better.) This is all a long, ongoing process, and as you'll hear, we are still on our own journeys. We're doing our best, and sharing what we've learned along the way.
A note from Julie: Along with the rest of the country, we watched helplessly as the murder of George Floyd ignited our country. As always at the Manuscript Academy, we asked ourselves, “How can we help?” Join us for this podcast where Jessica gives advice on the best way to support our Black writers and friends during this difficult time, great podcasts to listen to, and more. Julie will talk books by Black writers that she really enjoyed (and that you must immediately put on your list) and great books for kids by Black writers brought to us via school librarian and author Cameron Rosenblum.
We discuss some of our favorite recent books by Black authors: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, A Good Kind of Trouble - Lisa Moore Ramée, and You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson.
Then we head into a first pages podcast with a page by the talented RAOWordplay.
You can find some of our favorite books, podcasts, articles, and more here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iDYcpGaD_NEIpm3CzS5zuGVnTwaBtDCXXgryJ3Boq_8/edit?usp=sharing
In this very special episode—our first live-streamed Q&A—we talk about agent Alyssa Jennette's unusual entry to publishing, the tips she has for writers, and her answers, in the moment, to your most burning publishing questions. We cover her requirements for queries, whether agents have secret meetings, when agents fire clients, advice for graphic novelists and picture book writers, and much, much more.
Want to join us for the next live recording? Or view this as a video? Head to ManuscriptAcademy.com/Facebook
22:10 What Alyssa looks for in a query 24:35 and 25:50 The author she took on even though he made a cringe-worthy query mistake 27:00 Do agents have secret meetings to discuss secret things? 33:15 Do you ever drop an author who’s repeatedly rejected? (And why do agents fire clients?) 37:27: Do agents need to be friends with their clients? 40:05: How do you submit graphic novels, works with a graphic component, and what advice do you have for artists? 43:44 Do a lot of illustration notes in picture books turn you off enough to pass, or so you prefer to see an author’s vision?
This week’s episode is all about comparative and competitive titles—what they are, how they work, and the most common writer mistakes.
We talk about the books that are off-limits for comps, how to figure out if a book you’re considering is the right size (based off of information that is easily searchable), and how comps are just like the human “algorithms” you use every day to help your friends read, learn, and cook.
We also talk about non-traditional (and more accessible!) definitions of platform, how editors pitch your books to their teams, and what you can do now to improve your odds of getting published.
You can check out Hannah’s class, Cracking The Comp Title Code, going live Wednesday, June 17, at 8:30pm EDT, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/cracking-the-comp-title-code-class. A replay is also available at the same link.
13:58: The eternal platform question 19:09: Comps: What they’re for, how to use them, and how they help your book 21:00: The books you can’t use as comps 23:25: How editors pitch manuscripts at editorial board and acquisitions meetings 26:12: What Hannah looks for in comp titles—and why an A-/B+ midlist comp title is ideal 33:25: How to use Amazon to know if you can and should use a particular book as a comp
In this episode, Macmillan editor Rachel Diebel walks us through how acquisitions work at Macmillan, why the numbers aren’t always the determining factor (and what “the numbers” means), and submission guidelines (and what you should think if you are on submission for months).
We also discuss imprints within imprints, publishing in quarantine, and her least favorite thing about the industry.
Rachel is an editor at Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group), acquiring middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. Broadly, across all categories, she is always looking for commercial fiction with a unique voice, a great hook, and characters she wishes would be her real-life best friends. She always wants projects by and about people from a marginalized background, and is a huge fan of stories that feature found/chosen families.
Timestamps:
10:45: How she approaches rejections
11:42: How acquisitions meetings work at Macmillan
14:46: We talk about "The numbers," and what that means
In this uplifting, inspiring episode, we talk about how Molly McCaffery received more than 100 rejections, shelved more than three books–-and then landed top agent John Cusick.
We talk about her journey, how she learned to successfully pivot, and the querying tips you can only learn after sending out that much work and spending that much time in the query trenches.
We also talk about how to put your reader first (one of the top things John looks in a client), what Molly thinks about MFA’s versus conferences, and perhaps the best advice of all: Find your community, and win this as a marathon, not a sprint.
You can find Molly at Mollymccaffery.com and @mollymccaffery.
You can find John at Foliojr.com and @johnmcusick.
We are so happy to bring you this conversation with Stephanie Winter, an agent at P.S. Literary.
We talk about how agents read differently than most book buyers, the logistics of selling a series, and what word counts scare us (and what we do about it). Plus, how rejection is kind of like a video game, what agents are really thinking during live pitch meetings—and how we envision a “be an agent for a day” program.
And, perhaps most exciting, Stephanie discusses what makes great for voice in a Manuscript.
You can learn more about her class, which is May 20, 8:30pm EDT, here: live.manuscriptacademy.com/voice
You can discuss your book with Stephanie at https://manuscriptacademy.com/stephanie-winter
Also, yes, there really was a 13-book deal: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/25/business/media/science-fiction-writer-signs-a-3-4-million-deal.html
We talk with writer-turned-agent Lauren Spieller about publishing in quarantine, long-term industry hope, and what this means for you (and your book) right now.
We also discuss book scouting, selling books abroad, and whether writers should move to New York (NO!). We discuss what you actually need for a successful writing career, how Lauren had a brilliant idea for getting into the industry, and what she would change about publishing if she could.
Also, much to Julie’s amusement, we grapple with possible definitions for “high concept.” If any of you come up with a high concept description for high concept, we are all ears!
We also discuss Lauren’s tips for building tension in your writing.
Here’s Lauren’s blog post about how to write a great query: https://www.laurenspieller.com/2012/11/29/the-dreaded-novel-summary-and-prizes/
Here are the books she recommends for quarantine reading:
The Wolf of Cape Fen by Juliana L Brandt Wilder Girls by Rory Power The Kill Club by Wendy Heard The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
We talk with Kayla Lightner, agent at Ayesha Pande Literary, about how agents are trained to go through their inboxes—the role of subjectivity—and the benefits of a very specific #MSWL.
We discuss the energy of querying—how that’s conveyed to new publishing hires—and what this means for you, your work, and your chances in publishing.
Comps, also, come up as useful not only to your pitch, but also as an editorial tool to convey specific direction. And we talk about why people in publishing are discouraged from writing, themselves. We also talk about literary scouts, and what they do (hint: they’re the spies of the publishing world).
Our favorite takeaway? In publishing, there is no wrong answer, as long as you can back it up.
You can view Kayla's #MSWL here: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/kayla-lightner/
And find her on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/lightnerkayla
You can find our Facebook group (and the writers who want to be your critique partner!) at ManuscriptAcademy.com/Facebook.
Welcome to a #MSWL podcast first--a married publishing couple describing literary life, work, and how to make the most of both.
We discuss what they'd love to see in their inboxes (and how their tastes vary), the crazy coincidences of their love story (they both went to Paris, worked at Scholastic, and lived in the same town before meeting), and how they both started their careers as the unsung heroes of the publishing world, in sales and production.
Naturally, we talk about how these departments can affect your book's advance, distribution, look, feel, and much more.
We also talk about how comp titles can change your print run, why you shouldn’t just choose the biggest comps possible, how production makes decisions about your physical book, and how all of this affects you as an author.
You can meet with Kate to discuss your book and get insightful feedback here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/kate-meltzer
And Brian here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/brian-geffen
And you can find Kate on Twitter @katemeltzer and Brian @Brian_Geffen.
We talk about how to submit during quarantine (Should you? Is publishing shut down? Is it really going as well as everyone says?), the importance of platform (and how selling nonfiction is different), and the emotional toll of rejections (and how agents feel about them).
We also talk about how to make your writing seem effortless, what NYC life is like for new agents (hint: lots of bagels) and Amy’s new pitch panel, March 31.
Learn more about that here: http://live.manuscriptacademy.com/amy/ Book a meeting or written critique with Amy here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/amy-bishop
Find her on Twitter @amylizbishop.
We are so pleased to speak with writer and editor Vivian Lee about the importance of literary community, what it was like for her to work in publishing at Little A/Amazon, and how our industry has changed over the past decade.
We also discuss California Pizza Kitchen, fusion cuisine, and the immigrant experience--finding the perfect Mother's Day present for the mother who traveled 7,000 miles for you--and how Vivian's writing and editing processes start with specific ideas and images and branch out to address the larger questions, both in the piece and in life.
Vivian Lee is a writer and book editor. Her book list includes Matthew Salesses' The Hundred-Year Flood, Viet Dinh's After Disasters (PEN/Faulkner Finalist), Naima Coster's Halsey Street (Kirkus Prize Finalist), and Harold Schechter's Hell's Princess (A Washington Post Bestseller).
She specializes in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, including true crime, memoir, essays, and long-form reporting. In both fiction and nonfiction, she is interested in a strong story or narrative usually dealing with identity or relationships of any kind (family, personal versus body/nature/man. She is a 2018 PW Rising Star Honoree.
Her writing can be found at The Los Angeles Times, Eater, ELLE.com, Catapult, and more.
She graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a BA in Literary Journalism and from the New School University in New York with a MFA in Creative Writing (Non-Fiction). Originally from Los Angeles, she now resides in Queens.
You can meet with her at https://manuscriptacademy.com/vivian-lee, and you can listen to the Carly Rae Jepsen song she mentions, For Sure, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7SVEmuAsvI
We speak with agent, author, and stand-up comedian (yes, really!) Barbara Poelle about the Venn diagram of editorial needs, not swearing before 10 a.m., and how breaking all the rules worked out spectacularly well for one of her clients.
Barbara’s new book, Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Answers to Mostly Serious Questions About the Book Publishing Industry, is half love letter and half guidebook for the publishing industry.
What to Submit to Barbara:
Barbara is looking for high octane thrillers, edgy mysteries, literary and upmarket fiction and YA.
You can find her on twitter at @bpoelle.
We are so happy to talk with Tom Lutz. By day, he teaches creative writing at the University of California in Riverside and manages the LA Review of Books, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting writing about literature, culture and the arts. By night, he’s a rocker in bar bands. In between, he’s on a quest to visit every country in the world: 135 down, only 60 to go. This vagabond has dovetailed his wanderlust and passion for writing into seven nonfiction books—some on travel, one on the history of slackers, another on the history of tears. His first crime novel, Born Slippy, was published 1/14/2020.
We talk about writing in odd places, making the leap from short to small pieces, the way characters (including a well-read sociopath) can surprise the writer with their dialogue, and tips for nourishing your creative life.
You can learn more about Tom and his work at https://www.tomlutzwriter.com/.
Join us for a look inside a literary agent's inbox! Listen as she decides, in the moment, what to request, what to reject, and why.
Stephanie Winter is an associate agent at P.S. Literary. She first joined the agency as an intern before becoming the agency’s relations assistant. Stephanie is a dedicated bookseller who holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto in English Literature and a M.A. in English: Issues in Modern Culture from University College London. Her experiences of living and traveling in and around Europe have left her eagerly devouring upmarket, fantasy, and non-fiction genres that make new worlds and perspectives come alive. Stephanie particularly appreciates strong characters who bend stereotypes, genders, and more.
You can book a meeting or written critique with her here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/stephanie-winter
And you can find her on Twitter and Instagram @ReadByStephanie
We are so excited to welcome internationally bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz to our podcast!
Melissa is incredibly successful--she's written more than 50 books, and sold more than 8 million copies.
But her path to publication was anything but easy. It took four agents and many "almost but not quite" responses to sell her first book. There are lunches she thought would turn into offers, and years of working at her day job and hoping for the best.
Now, Melissa is at the top of her game--and has been known to write entire books in two weeks! But here’s the story behind all that. We talk procrastination, deadlines, and how her editors help work with her creative brain (and create false urgency! Hello, ideal team) to get everything in on time.
We also discuss how she deals with writer's block, the editorial process (many times longer than her first draft!), how and why she gets to jump between genres and write everything from thrillers to sweet Hallmark movies.
We talk everything from rejection postcards (yes, those were a thing!) to the YA "gold rush," to genre switching for authors, and how to do it the smart way.
You can listen to the first page of her book, The Birthday Girl, here (and the voice actor is also seriously excellent, so do give it a listen): https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/586465/the-birthday-girl/?ref=PRHD9DF6A1939
And you can find Melissa online at melissa-delacruz.com.
We talk with editor-turned-agent Hannah VanVels about how to keep an agent reading, what to put in your first three chapters, and why publishing takes so long (and sometimes even the pieces we’re most excited about have to wait).
Plus, we discuss her current wishlist, unusual rom com mash-ups, and the different tactics used by editors vs. agents when reading submissions.
We also talk about nudging authors (can we have your manuscript, say, now?), the border between editing and over-editing (something Hannah is passionate about) and reading in odd places (and risking minor injury) to get it done sooner.
This mini-episode is short, fun, and safe to listen to around kids.
We also discuss Hannah’s class, The First Three Chapters, THIS Monday, January 27, 8:30pm EST. You can sign up here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/hannah-vanvels
You can find Hannah on Twitter @hannahvanvels or Instagram @hannahvanvels.
We loved talking with Dana Kaye, a publicist who not only does amazing work for her clients, but who comes up with creative ways to help more writers--and their books--succeed.
How do you know if it's worth hiring a publicist? And, if you can't, what can you do on your own? Dana breaks these questions into concrete steps to determine whether you'll get a return on investment--and what you can do for yourself and your work along the way.
Contrary to the image of the shiny, terrifying, shoulder pad-wielding publicist, Dana is delightfully approachable, fun, and heart-forward.
She also discusses special tips for introverts, simple tricks for improving your likability, and how to keep your interactions from feeling transactional.
Plus, we talk some about the state of the world, and some of Dana's plans to save it.
Hope you enjoy!
Like what Dana has to say? You can learn more about her at https://kayepublicity.com/, and about Your Breakout Book at https://kayepublicity.com/yourbreakoutbook. Use code MANUSCRIPT15 for 15% off.
Happy New Year!
Julie's checking to see how you are all doing and to talk to you about resolutions for 2020.
Maybe if you are on Twitter or any form of social media, you’ve noticed people chatting about all of their successes and book deals coming out.
To those people, we're so incredibly proud of you.
Here's a pep talk for everyone in the query trenches, hoping to make this decade the best writing years yet.
Learn more about our podcast here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast
This is a very special episode—our LIVE-recorded Holiday Party & Write-In 2019! Book Coach Anna Conathan joins us for an evening of prizes, surprises, writing prompts Q&A, trivia and more!
Please note that this episode includes some adult language and themes—so don’t listen in public without earbuds.
If you’d like to join our next event live, join our mailing list at ManuscriptAcademy.com/subscribe.
You can view the live-recorded VIDEO version of this (with the text chat!) at https://manuscriptacademy.com/holidayparty2019
Need a gift for the critique partner who has everything--or maybe for you? Instant download certificates for membership, classes, critiques, consultations and more available at ManuscriptAcademy.com/gift. Gifts start at just $9.95.
Anna Conathan Coaching works with humans looking to move ancient obstacles, improve communication in challenging relationships, begin exciting new endeavors, or free themselves from tired old stories that keep them small in their lives. Trained through the International Coach Federation accredited program Accomplishment Coaching, Anna is passionately committed to helping people transform their own lives through powerful motivation, deep empathy, compassionate curiosity and her innate sense of humor.
Anna Conathan is a personal coach trained through the premiere, International Coach Federation accredited program, Accomplishment Coaching. She is dedicated to helping people transform their lives through powerful motivation, deep empathy, compassionate curiosity, no-nonsense truth-telling, and her innate sense of humor.
A graduate of Emerson College’s School of Performing Arts in Boston, Anna went on to a successful career as an actress, stand-up comic and screenwriter in Los Angeles and New York, where she learned to appreciate her species’ spectacular ability to create, connect, transform, and sling bullshit. Anna has pushed gurneys on "ER," opened for Paula Poundstone, worked as an in-house writer for Disney Animation, and penned original and adapted screenplays and TV scripts for Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers, and Paramount. But her performance art skills didn’t really show their true value until she became a mother, which gave Anna the opportunity to embrace change, get comfortable with the unknown, and dig into her imagination in a new way. Parenting, as Anna likes to say, is the longest game of improv ever played.
As a lifelong Human Behavior enthusiast and unofficial President of the Always Talk to Strangers club, Anna is here on this rock to serve as a suspension bridge of communication, a doula for tentative creatives and a toasty incubator for other people’s ambitions that are ready to hatch. When Anna isn’t coaching she can be found hauling traps as a sternman on a lobster boat in her home state of Maine, helping train future doctors in the ways of empathy as a standardized patient, messing around on stage with her Portland theater buddies, or walking the beach with her handsome husband, hilarious son and dingbat chocolate lab.
We are so pleased to invite Anna Conathan, of Anna Conathan Coaching, to the podcast. She's one of our special guests for the 2019 Holiday Party! Get on the list--it's free, fun, available on any smart device. Get yourself on the list (and enter our raffle) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/rsvp
Need a gift for the critique partner who has everything--or maybe for you? Instant download certificates for membership, classes, critiques, consultations and more available at ManuscriptAcademy.com/gift. Gifts start at $25.
Anna Conathan Coaching works with humans looking to move ancient obstacles, improve communication in challenging relationships, begin exciting new endeavors, or free themselves from tired old stories that keep them small in their lives. Trained through the International Coach Federation accredited program Accomplishment Coaching, Anna is passionately committed to helping people transform their own lives through powerful motivation, deep empathy, compassionate curiosity and her innate sense of humor.
Anna Conathan is a personal coach trained through the premiere, International Coach Federation accredited program, Accomplishment Coaching. She is dedicated to helping people transform their lives through powerful motivation, deep empathy, compassionate curiosity, no-nonsense truth-telling, and her innate sense of humor. A graduate of Emerson College’s School of Performing Arts in Boston, Anna went on to a successful career as an actress, stand-up comic and screenwriter in Los Angeles and New York, where she learned to appreciate her species’ spectacular ability to create, connect, transform, and sling bullshit. Anna has pushed gurneys on "ER," opened for Paula Poundstone, worked as an in-house writer for Disney Animation, and penned original and adapted screenplays and TV scripts for Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers, and Paramount. But her performance art skills didn’t really show their true value until she became a mother, which gave Anna the opportunity to embrace change, get comfortable with the unknown, and dig into her imagination in a new way. Parenting, as Anna likes to say, is the longest game of improv ever played. As a lifelong Human Behavior enthusiast and unofficial President of the Always Talk to Strangers club, Anna is here on this rock to serve as a suspension bridge of communication, a doula for tentative creatives and a toasty incubator for other people’s ambitions that are ready to hatch. When Anna isn’t coaching she can be found hauling traps as a sternman on a lobster boat in her home state of Maine, helping train future doctors in the ways of empathy as a standardized patient, messing around on stage with her Portland theater buddies, or walking the beach with her handsome husband, hilarious son and dingbat chocolate lab.
You likely know Heather Cashman as Brenda Drake's partner in PitchWars. Now an agent at Storm Literary, she brings us wisdom from both sides of the desk--what rejections really mean, what it feels like to send them, and how you should interpret them.
Plus, we talk about what it's like to be a new agent, the rejections agents face, and so much more.
You can learn more about Heather at heathercashman.com.
Included with this episode is an invite to our e-Holiday party, December 16, 8:30pm EDT. Head to ManuscriptAcademy.com/RSVP to get on the list.
You can also add #MSWL to your holiday wish list at ManuscriptAcademy.com/gifts. There, you'll find gift certificates--for the critique partner who has everything, or for you--that start at $25.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We love Norma Perez-Hernandez (editor at Kensington Publishing Corp) for her warmth and humor, and the way she makes publishing approachable, thoughtful and kind.
You'll hear how much she cares for her authors, the enormous number of things she does each day, and her ideas on how we can move the industry forward.
We also talk about how genres change--how rom coms simply could not work when she started in publishing but are thriving now--and what this means for trends in the industry.
We're sure you'll love Norma just as much as we do.
Norma Perez-Hernandez is editor at Kensington Publishing Corp. She has worked on a variety of projects, including fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers, and non-fiction. A New York City native, Norma studied English literature at the Macaulay Honors College at The City College of New York and is a graduate of the Publishing Certificate Program at City College. She is thrilled to build a list with diverse authors and books. @normajeanesays
Ever wish you could carry around a writing class in your pocket? One with special agent and editor guests, a rad* theme, and way too much coffee?
Now you can. Our Write-In Workshop from last week (you can still see the full replay here, if you'd like the video too: https://manuscriptacademy.com/back-to-school-write-in) features all the ways thinking about your character in school--plus the resulting conflicts, social hierarchies, friends and crushes--can give you a deeper understanding of that person on the page.
We've left in pauses so you can follow along. Grab your favorite school supplies, maybe your earbuds or your Bluetooth speaker**, and write with 300 of your new best friends. We'll read some clips of your examples, and think you, too, will be impressed with the strength and talent of this community.
Special shout-out to Kiana Nguyen, agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency, and Molly Cusick, editor at Sourcebooks, for being our surprise guests.
Hope this finds you well and enjoying everything the season has to offer.
All best, Jessica and Julie
*Bet that word choice made more sense when you learned the theme, amirite?
**Jessica really likes this one, because it's sand-resistant, and no, we promise we are not sponsored by VicTsing, we just like it for a more immersive podcast experience that can fall in the sink a few times when you're doing dishes and it's all good: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MYYCGKW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B00MYYCGKW&pd_rd_w=kugpu&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=GO2mc&pf_rd_r=04MTQCD63BHTFFT1QBQ3&pd_rd_r=8c2763d0-8380-48d9-a8e7-7aca86dbde0c&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFJTlhEQ1IxRllKNEwmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzNzc3MDMxSDY4U0VKMFpGMjVJJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0ODQ5MTczSDRVM0pTWkJMODg1JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Welcome to the #MSWL Day Guide! We speak with KK Hendin and Jessica Sinsheimer about the beginnings of MSWL, how best to search the feeds (and find your agent and editor matches), what to do with that information, and how to improve your chances by showing your work.
Search techniques are at about 6:15, and reference ManuscriptWishList.com/search.
Need help? Tweet us @KKHendin and @Jsinsheim and @MSWLMA
View our new season of live workshops + special events panels, classes and more at ManuscriptAcademy.com/live. Our FREE Write-In Workshop is Monday, September 30, 8:30pm EDT.
Want to ask an agent for feedback on your query? Head over to our educational site, ManuscriptAcademy.com/10-minutes-with-an-expert. Follow @MSWLMA for a $10 off coupon.
One of our newest faculty members, agent Caitlin McDonald, was kind enough to give us a guided tour of her query inbox. Like #TenQueries on Twitter, this is an honest look at what agents actually receive, what works, what doesn't, and why.
Caitlin McDonald is an agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency, where she represents adult and young adult fantasy and science fiction as well as select nonfiction titles. She has worked with numerous award-winning and bestselling authors, created high-profile nonfiction proposals, and been a contracts manager. Caitlin seeks to elevate diverse voices and is always looking for new ways to help aspiring authors.
You can meet with Caitlin and book a critique with her here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/caitlin-mcdonald
Julie Kingsley loves back to school so much, she forced Jessica Sinsheimer to let her jump on top of her soapbox and talk all things writing. Join Julie for this short and concise podcast discussing good writing practice, practical goal setting tips, and more.
September Special
Julie will be open this month for ten-minute sessions for the low price of $25. This is perfect for people who are new to the Manuscript Academy process, or those who’d just like a regular writer to look at work before you meet with our expert faculty.
Meetings go live Wednessday, September 11 for members, and Thursday, September 12 for non-members, at https://manuscriptacademy.com/10-minutes-with-an-expert.
We talk with Molly Cusick (formerly Molly Jaffa) about her transition from agent to editor, what editorial meetings REALLY look like, and why many publishing rules are made to be broken.
As Molly says, love can appear when you least expect it—and this applies to books as well as relationships.
We also discuss Coney Island, historical NYC, and how she met her literary husband. (It’s very New York.)
You can meet with Molly (and book a written critique) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/molly-cusick
Books she mentioned:
Side Effects May Vary and Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Last week, we joined Melissa Warten, editor at Macmillan, LIVE to discuss publishing timelines, your questions about the industry, and your first pages--all in a helpful, fun panel. While the first pages are just for ticketholders, you can listen in on the Q&A portion of the event here, where Melissa explains just what publishers are doing while you wait...and wait...and wait.
You can hear Melissa's first podcast episode, a live meeting with an author--and book a meeting with Melissa--here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/melissa-warten
And you can learn more about our live events (past and future!) here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/live
Macmillan editor Melissa Warten joins extremely brave and awesome writer Brooke Urban to go over her first page on the air. With a focus on the line between mysterious and vague (when are you giving your reader enough information? When are you giving them so much that it takes away all narrative tension?), the 25-word descriptions that can ground your reader, and why (most) everyone hates prologues, we go over universal lessons of keeping an agent reading.
Please see below to follow along with Brooke's page.
To view Melissa's live event on Monday, July 29, 8:30pm EDT, please visit ManuscriptAcademy.com/live. Tickets are $9.99, or the cost of a Kindle e-book.
You can also schedule your own consultation with Melissa here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/10-minutes-with-an-expert
You can see more of Brooke's work at http://annelutzauthor.com (Anne Lutz is her pen name).
* Brooke's page:
Preface My mother always painted the Wicked Ones with black eyes--deep, heavy, soulless black. Everyone knew the Wickeds were evil, but my mom claimed it was more than that. She said the Wickeds were demons trapped in human corpses, just waiting to burn the world to ash. It wasn’t until years after my mother died that the world did burn. But the Wickeds didn’t set the fire. I did.
Chapter One Tonight will be spectacular--it has to be. I tighten my ponytail and stare between the curtains. People filter in through the admissions gate and find seats on the curved stands that lie on either side of the arena. There are young families and elderly couples and lovey-dovey teens. But the number of attendees is dismal at best. “How’s it look?” asks Alder. He knocks into my shoulder as he pushes his way in front of me. His lanky body blocks the tiny sliver of audience. After a moment, he twists to frown at me. “That’s not good.” “I know,” I say. “But there’s still time. It’s not even seven yet.” “It’s six-fifty, Nova,” says Alder. He sticks his nose up when he speaks, as though being right is more important than being optimistic. “There’s still time,” I repeat. But honestly, this is what we expected. Or maybe not everyone expected this. They at least feared this, held the thought somewhere in the back of their mind. Alder scrunches his face at me. His features are pointed and suspicious, like he’s a rat, waiting to steal my last bite of cheese.
We spoke with Renee Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer from Penguin Random House, about her process, her amazing research, and what she wishes writers could know about what it's like after book six. Pitched as Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada, the story features a young woman who, just after arriving in NYC from her small hometown, secures a position working for the inimitable Helen Gurley Brown at Cosmopolitan.
Renee shares insights from her many years as a published author--the winding road she took, the reviews she received, and the things she learned along the way. We're particularly fond of how she describes retracing her character's steps, literally, and how she got inside the apartment where she would have lived, and found the bus stop where Helen commuted each morning. We also talk about the specific choices on her first page, which bring readers right into the world she's created.
We also learn her super powers--creating perfect salads and power washing--and, yes, the recipe is in the show notes.
We hope you enjoy. NBS (Nice Big Salad) Recipe Big bowl of mixed greens (I prefer the Spring Mix) ½ Avocado diced Fresh Basil (about 10 good size leaves) torn into smaller pieces I medium shallot minced ½ cup hearts of palm ½ cup red or yellow beets diced ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved Top with feta or goat cheese Toss, chop and serve with the dressing of your choice, although I rarely use salad dressing because it’s just so good the way it is!
This week, Academy co-Founder Julie Kingsley, who's taught writing for more than 20 years, brings you a pep talk on how to keep going--and get un-stuck. This episode includes encouragement, exercises--and a special surprise for you if you keep listening.
We also have a FREE write-in coming up June 24--join us at https://manuscriptacademy.com/rsvp.
And a LIVE query workshop with Katharine Sands, agent and creator of Pitch To Page (one of our most popular classes) July 1. See: https://manuscriptacademy.com/pitch-to-page
To use your coupon in this episode, go to https://manuscriptacademy.com/get-started and click Live Consultation.
If you've ever wondered why graphic novels are doing so well, this episode is for you. We talked with editor Stephanie Guerdan at HarperCollins about cosplay, Comic Con, and what it really takes to join the industry (the answer may surprise you).
Lest you worry that the whole episode is serious, we also chat about tattoos, comics, marine biology, and why no one in publishing can do math.
We spoke with Jess Dallow, agent at Brower Literary & Management, about live pitch sessions from the agent side of the desk. We cover when to book them, when you're most likely to get a yes, and how to make them go as well as they possibly can--for you and the agent. (Agents do, after all, want and need to find work they love.)
We also talk thrillers, criminal profiling, serial killers, child psychopaths, Sweet Valley High, and how a lot of publishing is an Elizabeth but wants to be a Jessica.
We also cover when it’s okay to respond to rejections, Jess's personal superpower (one we've never heard before), and her best tips for writers. Listen in!
You can follow Jess on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jldallow
Ever wonder what happens when you meet with an agent? Two very generous people--Danielle Chiotti, agent, and Kayla King, writer--let us listen in on their consultation. In this episode, Danielle reacts to Kayla's page in the moment, asks for clarification, and comes up with solutions on the spot to make Kayla's page (even) stronger.
Want to see Danielle's LIVE first pages panel on May 14, 8:30pm EDT? Send your page and a question ahead for a chance of live feedback from Danielle, Jessica and Julie--or send it ahead and watch the digital replay on your phone, tablet or laptop. https://manuscriptacademy.com/danielle. You can find Kayla at kaylakingbooks.com and on Twitter @KaylaMKing.
Here's Kayla's first page, shared here with the permission of the author:
Home existed on the map beneath the painted bee’s wings. Camryn memorized the design of her city as a distraction. The framed artwork used to calm her, but now she couldn’t contain her anxiety. She sat on the cool metal table with four pristine walls of the clinic around her. Waiting. All week she’d worried about what would happen next. One needle. One dose. Once every year. The past few days, Camryn counted those facts from one to three on her fingers. She hoped the practice would settle her nerves. The last time she searched trypanophobia, the results provided breathing exercises, and suggested focusing on a word or phrase to subdue her fear of the needle. She focused on three: the word, and occasionally, the number. Counting consumed her uncertainty most days. But not today. Everything gleamed like the tip of the needle within the white-walled room; too clean and perfect and permeated with the pungent smell of antiseptic. “One. Two. Three. Two. One.” Those words were a whisper, but even in her head they sounded like Gram. The memory of the voice couldn’t soothe Camryn because it made her think of Gram before she’d gotten sick. It took a knock outside the door to silence the thought. “Are we ready?” Dr. Rambert was supposed to administer the injection, but he smelled like spearmint. He corrupted her calm. Camryn took three deep breaths, and offered a small smile, hoping to convince the doctor and her mom that she would be okay. “Please, Mom?” Camryn tried to keep her voice steady because the thought of the needle shook her. She focused on the painting of the honey bee, but remembered reading about how they died after stinging. The thought made her feel worse. She couldn’t remember why the painting was supposed to placate her nerves. “This should feel like routine by now,” Dr. Rambert said. “You need it.” Her mom always sounded so detached at the clinic, and right now, Camryn needed her to sound like a mom. “But it’s real.” Camryn didn’t want to explain her trypanophobia again. Talking about the fear only made it worse. Her mom moved to the side of the table. “This has always been nonsensical. I thought you’d outgrow it by now.” Camryn’s reasoning was too real. The memory of Gram’s failed injection was real, too. She remembered the way a similar needle pierced Gram’s skin. The injection had atrophied the muscle to the point where she could no longer lift her arm to hold a book or a cup of tea. “Please?” Camryn wasn’t sure anyone heard because she hadn’t taken in enough air to say the word. She couldn’t breathe. But she must have looked ready then because her mom sterilized her arm with a clear solution, making her eyes water. The smell stung inside her nose. She closed her eyes, and waited.
Hannah Fergesen of KT Literary joins us to talk about how she moved from film to publishing (and what makes the two industries different and the same), how R&Rs can turn to offers (and vice versa), and why just because we like a project doesn't mean we can take it on.
Naturally, we talk about Buffy (it was inevitable), Hannah's fascination with darker works, and why sometimes younger editors take on riskier projects.
We also talk about structure—how to make sure that your characters motivate action, why this can be so difficult, and how to make sure your character is active—so your story maintains tension, so readers (and agents!) keep turning pages.
Hannah's class, Structure, Characters + Narrative Beats, is now availble. Tickets are $25 for the recorded, edited class + Live Q&A April 24, 8:30pm EDT. Join here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/structure
You can find Hannah's podcast, Good Witches, Bad Bitches, here: https://www.patreon.com/gwbbpodcast
And find Hannah on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hannahfergesen
The wonderful Fiona Kenshole, Senior Agent and Partner at Transatlantic Literary Agency, kindly joined us for a grand experiment--a live recording of this podcast, plus a first pages panel.
You'll hear us (try to) pop champagne (you guys, you have no idea what a miracle this is), discuss what works for Fiona, what she sees on our side of the desk--and why everything takes SO long in our industry.
Plus we talk first pages, and what makes them work--and how Fiona chooses her clients.
Want to see the full (hour and a half!) live-recorded video? Head to http://manuscriptacademy.com/live. Tickets are $9.99 (more than a coffee, less than an adult beverage).
Want to meet with Fiona? Head to https://manuscriptacademy.com/fiona-kenshole to book a meeting or written critique.
We hope you enjoy this grand experiment and, yes, there will be more!
Join us at ManuscriptAcademy.com/subscribe for our FREE newsletter (including a free class, articles and more) to hear about the next one--we hope to see you there!
Krista Vitola and Liz Kossnar, two wonderful--and very different--editors from Simon & Schuster, joined us to talk about how to have a good relationship with your editor, how to read the signs that someone might be into your type of book--and what they'd love to invent (including, among other things, their own podcast--we'll keep you updated!).
These hilarious, insightful ladies have two very distinct styles, which is a great illustration of how personality plays a role in the publishing process.
You can find Liz at https://twitter.com/liz_adventures and https://www.instagram.com/zuhbeth.
You can find Krista at https://twitter.com/kav_tepedino and https://www.instagram.com/kav_tepedino/.
Like this podcast? Send us a coffee (we really do love caffeine). https://ko-fi.com/mswlacademy
What's better than a bunch of adults talking about kidlit? This episode, we learn about the hilarious inner workings of Very Serious Adult Meetings about picture books, what's working in the children's literature world, and why we think #Kidding is just as important as #Adulting. Plus, we touch on soccer, Bend It Like Beckham, representation in publishing, spontaneous dance parties, and how Aneeka defied all advice and ended up in the publishing industry. Once you listen to this episode, you'll be so glad she did.
Aneeka is an editor at Viking Children’s Books (Penguin Random House). She works on Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult Fiction and Narrative Nonfiction. Aneeka likes humor in stories for all ages, contemporary/realistic fiction in the Middle Grade and Young Adult spaces, and character-driven picture books. In her free time she loves to play recreational soccer, watch comedy specials on Netflix, and drink lots of coffee in hipster Brooklyn cafes. Before Viking, she worked at Little, Brown Children’s (Hachette Book Group).
Learn more and book a written critique or live e-meeting with Aneeka here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/aneeka-kalia
Follow her on Twitter here: @neeks_kalia12
We are so excited to congratulate author Mike Chen and agent Eric Smith on the release of the beautiful, moving novel HERE AND NOW AND THEN with Harlequin MIRA. Mike has been our friend for years and even built the version of ManuscriptWishList.com that you see now. Eric Smith is an agent at P.S. Literary, and a faculty member with us at the Academy.
Today on the podcast, we talk editing, long submission times, when to give up—and when you really, really shouldn’t. Eric and Mike have a dynamic we love—they’re a great example of what can happen when agent and author become not just partners, but a creative team.
We also discuss what happens when authors have a Slack channel and their agent isn't invited, what to do when, as an author, YOU have the power over your submissions process--and how Mike and his business partner Sierra got connected with MSWL.
You can meet with Eric here: ManuscriptAcademy.com/ten-minutes-with-an-expert
You can buy Mike's book here: https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780778369042
Samantha Wekstein, agent at Writers House, was generous enough to join us for a #TenQueries episode. We chat with her about how she got into publishing (she worked with Jessica first!), some amazing things she's created along the way--and how this shapes what she looks for.
Then we asked her to go through her queries inbox, choose ten at random--and tell us what they are, why they work, what they can do better--and what this means for you at home.
You can book a meeting with Samantha at https://manuscriptacademy.com/10-minutes-with-an-expert and find her online at https://twitter.com/SWekstein
We talk with Stephanie Stein at HarperCollins about California and New York publishing, a typical day in the life of a Big Five editor, and what it takes to impress a publishing person (in books and TV, theater, and otherwise).
Stephanie is an absolute editorial rock star--literally every person who receives a critique from her is thrilled, so we talk about her process, and how it is similar and different from her day-to-day editing.
She also tells the story of the magical day she (almost literally) ran into Shaq on the way to her very first full time publishing interview.
We describe how hard it is to sneak into HarperCollins (though Jessica made it! Well--after Stephanie came down to let her in) and we recorded in Harper's adorable Amelia Bedelia room.
We also discuss very important things like The Bold Type--how close it (isn't) to real publishing life--and reading Harry Potter as an adult.
Plus lots more!
Join Jessica and Julie for a First Pages podcast featuring this page by Jasmine Rasmussen. Please feel free to follow along with the page (below) while we read and analyze the text for what works, and for what could be added to make it stronger.
Love (Chapter 1) We stop at a grocery store on the way out of town, the one with a gas station and next to the Dollar Tree me and Ava shopped at last week. I type in Mom’s rewards number on my pump, pretending it doesn’t bother me when her name is welcomed on the screen and then jog across the vacant lot, still radiating heat from the day before, to grab breakfast. Dad stays to fill up both cars and I know when I return, my oil will be checked and my windshield squeegeed clean.
Three half-eaten apples are scattered under one of the blackened security lights. Their yellow stickers still intact, like someone might come back to finish them off. Or maybe they’ll be picked-up by a crow or a lucky squirrel. I won’t ever know. I’ll be well into my first day of the rest of forever. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit there’s a part of me wishing I could sit here instead, and watch the apple cores oxidize into dawn.
When I get back, Dad is bent under my hood whistling to himself with a made-up tune. I open the glove compartment--the same one Mom did--by now her fingerprints are long gone, and pull out a bag of almonds that are always in there for just-in-case. It’s something that was hers, that is now mine. Like this car.
We sit on the tailgate of Dad’s pick-up truck that’s stuffed with meticulously puzzled pieces of laundry baskets and Rubbermaid bins and those open plastic cubes waiting to be unpacked in our freshmen dorm room. I hand him a spoon as The Eagles harmonize from the cab and we eat the cream top first before mixing the rest of the yogurt with some nuts. It’s what he taught me. It’s what we always do.
Looking for the class we mentioned?
You can view here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/internet-stalking-without-being-creepy
The password is (all lowercase): dontbecreepy
We speak with agent John M. Cusick of Folio Literary Management about great first lines, what they can do for your work--and how they can make a good first impression that will stick with your reader, whether in a bookstore or in the slush pile.
John's class is available (with our full library of classes) at ManuscriptAcademy.com.
You can find him online at JohnMCusick.com, or at https://twitter.com/johnmcusick
Grab your favorite drink, maybe a nice pot of hot oolong tea, or a dry martini with a twist. If you’re in the autumn mood, pour a nice glass of fresh-squeezed cider or a hot toddy complete with a cinnamon stick. No matter the choice, you’ll enjoy today’s podcast about drinks and books, writing and relationships.
Agent Andrea Somberg of the Harvey Klinger Literary Agency and her fabulous client Amira K. Makansi join us to discuss Literary Libations: What to Drink with What You Read. We’ll chat about how Andrea and Amira met (a quick story!), their working relationship and the editorial process. And yes, of course, we are going to dive into fabulous combinations of iconic books and the drinks they deserve to be enjoyed with (Bloody Mary and Dracula!). So, just like a light Sauvignon Blanc, we hope that you’ll enjoy this light conversation, with hints of creative inspiration, and the fine notes of a successful working relationship.
You can follow Andrea at: @andreasomberg You can follow Amira at: @akmakansi
You can find Amira's work here: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Literary-Libations-What-Drink-Read/dp/1510736581/ Indiebound: https://www.amazon.com/Literary-Libations-What-Drink-Read/dp/1510736581/ Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/literary-libations-amira-makansi/1127485872?ean=9781510736580 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amirakmakansi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akmakansi/
Agent Roseanne Wells of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency goes through her query inbox, narrating for us both what's in there and what writers can learn from these works. We discuss everything from picture books to adult sci fi, tropes (for queries and in books) that work and are best avoided, and personalization that reads as such--and how we can tell if it's a simple cut and paste to all the agents on your list.
We also talk about what works for illustrators, and styles in query sentences that set you apart in a bad way. We have a short lesson on Caps For Emphasis, and the difference between strong female characters and Strong Female Characters.
We then share some of Roseanne's insights from her Worldbuilding 101 class (available in the Full Library), and talk about how even contemporary needs it--every book, after all, needs a world.
You can follow Roseanne at https://twitter.com/rivetingrosie.
Julie talks with award-winning author-illustrator Jennifer Thermes about the relationship between text, images, and the picture book process--why it takes so many hours to find your creative voice--and how focusing on the long game is what will get you through the ups and downs of publishing.
JENNIFER THERMES is a children’s book author, illustrator, and map illustrator. She graduated from Parsons School of Design with a degree in Communication Design. Her books have received a Kirkus starred review, been included in several Bank Street College lists, and been recognized in 3×3 Magazine’s Children’s Illustration Annual.
A Horn Book Magazine review described Jennifer’s black & white art as “warm pencil drawings reminiscent of Lois Lenski.” She has created maps for books including Thornghost, The Emperor’s Ostrich, and The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street.
Jennifer lives with her family and an assortment of cats, dogs, and uninvited mice in an 18th century farmhouse in Connecticut. Please visit art-words-life.blogspot.com, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest news!
http://jenniferthermes.com
We talk with agent Whitney Ross at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency about why she never says she doesn't want something in her inbox, the different levels of editors and why they matter--why you don't need a master's to work in publishing.
Then we veer into delicious territory, talking about the best chocolate chip cookies, how to hide the taste of cake mix, and Whitney's husband's winemaking abilities. We also talk about television reboots, including Jessica's favorite, Daria.
We discuss common query mistakes, what they mean for you--and Whitney's best tips for maximizing your success.
Whitney says: You HAVE to make the cookies. Here's the recipe: http://forme-foryou.com/2011/08/the-only-chocolate-chip-cookie-i-will-ever-need-to-know-how-to-make-for-the-rest-of-my-life.html
Please note: This episode contains adult language, but because Jen uses it so artfully, we couldn't stand to bleep it out.
If you're listening around children, you may wish to grab some headphones and/or prepare your explanations for what those words mean.
Jessica Sinsheimer went into the Tor/Macmillan offices to speak with the intrepid editor Jen Gunnels. We talk about why she never sends an editorial letter without a phone call, why authors need to trust their teams--and how writers can sometimes put too much of themselves into the work. Jen also talks about how some writers assume editors will be adversarial for sport--and why that serves no one. However, argument, if in an open and constructive context, can result in better work.
Ultimately, "All art is about a certain level of inherent trust."
Jen illustrates that with a wonderful story of a woman onstage with a flaming feather boa, tossing it to her team to be put out safely.
You'll note that there are a lot of mentions of fire in this episode.
Jen has been a director, actor, dancer, theater critic, dramaturg, and musician. She can play piano, mandolin, recorder, violin, bodhrán, bouzouki--and she can sing, too. She's been a professional belly dancer, and is a third-degree black belt. She owns (and operates) a rapier, stiletto, some swords, throwing knives, dirks, bo staffs, nunchucks, and a pair of sai.
She was voted by her doctoral cohort to be most likely to survive the apocalypse. Listen, and you'll see why.
You can see Jen's full #MSWL here: http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jennifer-gunnels/
We spoke with Lilly Dancyger, writer, editor of Narratively, and creator of Memoir Monday, a weekly newsletter and monthly reading series co-curated by Narratively, Catapult, Granta, Guernica, The Rumpus, Longreads and Tin House. She has bylines all over town, a great sense of where to find the best fun in NYC (hint: it involves tens of thousands of people dressed up as sea creatures), and an anthology of women's anger called BURN IT DOWN coming out with Seal Press in 2019.
If you've ever wondered what the literary life is like in NYC, Lilly is living it--and we love her reflections on deadlines, publication timelines, submissions, and success after rejection, too.
Follow Lilly (who is wonderful on twitter) @lillydancyger. You can submit to Narratively (please do your research!) at http://narrative.ly/contribute/, and subscribe to Memoir Monday (a truly wonderful collection of writing from amazing publications) for free at Narrative.ly/memoir-monday.
Join Kelly Van Sant, literary agent at Red Sofa Literary, to analyze ten random queries in her inbox. Along the way, learn how she decides when to say yes, when to say no, and when to decide later--how common it is that people don't even get her name right--and why a query doesn't have to be perfect (but does have to be great) to get a yes.
You can book time to go over YOUR query at http://manuscriptacademy.com/kelly-van-sant/.
Kelly Van Sant has a decade of experience in the publishing industry. She cut her teeth in New York working at esteemed literary agencies such as Writers House and Harold Ober Associates. After relocating to Minnesota, Kelly joined Llewellyn Worldwide as their Contracts Manager across all three imprints and then moved to Quarto Publishing Group USA where she led the contract department.
She has worked as a freelance editor and is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. She also blogs about writing and the publishing industry at Pub(lishing) Crawl and co-hosts their weekly podcast. Kelly’s career came full circle when she realized that her true passion was advocating on behalf of authors. She is now an agent at Red Sofa Literary and actively building a client list. You can learn more about her and what she’s looking for on her website www.penandparsley.com
We speak with the amazing Hanna Alkaf, author of THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY, (Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster, 2019), about multiple offers--managing your writing career and writing friendships when you don't live in the United States--and the amazing story of her role in Malaysia's most recent election.
We left this talk feeling so hopeful for the world--and trust you will, too.
You can follow Hanna here: https://twitter.com/yesitshanna or visit her site here: https://hannaalkaf.com/.
Here's the article Hanna mentioned about what to ask an agent during an offer call: https://dystelblogarchive.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/jim-suggests-questions-to-ask-a-prospective-agent/
We join Jessica to talk #TenQueries in her inbox, and what we can learn from them--and from submissions in general.
In addition to common mistakes and inbox trends, you'll learn why you shouldn't overestimate your competition--and why all of Jessica's interns end up feeling better about their own writing after reading queries. (Hint: If you're doing ANY research, you're in the top 50%. This podcast counts as research! Feel good about yourself.)
So Jessica threw a party. For interns--sixty of them, recommended by agents and editors. With a small recorder and a lot of luck, she asked them YOUR questions from the Facebook group--most of them fitting into one of three categories: 1) What advice do you have for interns? 2) What advice do you have for writers? 3) How would you change the industry, if you had all the money and power in the world?
We love their answers, and talk about what it means to be the least cynical people in publishing today--and what it means for the future of the industry.
Melissa Edwards (agent at Stonesong Literary, former lawyer, and founder of MLE Consulting) joins us to talk contracts, specialties, and what happens when another kind of lawyer attempts to negotiate a publishing contract. You'll learn the worst clause she's ever seen (it's so bad you guys), what will stay the same pretty much no matter what--and why these rights matter.
You'll also learn about why you don't HAVE to have an agent to get a good deal--and how Melissa's new venture, MLE Consulting, can make sure no one has to sign a bad contract again. See https://www.melissaedwardsesq.com/.
Melissa also has a great habit of sharing writing prompts with her friends. We asked for today's, and we really want to know! How does other people's advice play a role in your life? Talk about this with your new writing friends at ManuscriptAcademy.com/Facebook.
Longtime critique partners Julie Kingsley and Cameron Rosenblum dive into another first page for The Manuscript Academy Podcast. Join them for a quick reading and review of contemporary YA first page. Repped by the fabulous Brianne Johnson, a Senior Agent at Writer’s House, Cameron is a school librarian, who served as a judge for the CYBIL’s Award and was a guest blogger for the Nerdy Book Club.
This page by author Lauren Shade. CHAPTER ONE SADIE
I can't get caught.
My stomach turns as I unclench my fists and wipe my palms down the side of my shorts. I can’t. I am so close…so close to the truth I can taste it, and if I get caught, she’ll take it away from me. She did it once. She’ll do it again.
I keep my eyes locked on the kitchen archway. Toes curled in the plush living room carpet. Sweat gathers under my arms and behind my bent knees, in the area where my boobs meet the underwire of my bra. My heart beat drums in my ears, much louder than the air conditioning or the gentle wind pulling the smell of salt-water and rain through the open terrace doors. The wall separating us is streaked yellow with sunlight. I can almost see her through it, phone pressed against her ear, probably pacing and definitely with a drink in hand, but nowhere close to suspecting what’s going on right under her nose. With a shaky breath, I inch my hand into my mother’s coat pocket. Slowly. Slowly. Fingers touching metal and plastic.
This is wrong. Stealing her keys. Breaking into her office. I should stop. Maybe I should listen to Dante’s advice for once.
The first time he told me some things were better left alone was when I was twelve. It was during primary school. I would spend each summer at the Arzola Estate in Coral Gables.
The manicured lawns were my playground. The ocean front was a mini paradise I would swim in for hours on end. One day when the chauffeur dropped me off, he turned to me with dead-set eyes and said, “Nobody has this much money unless they’re involved in bad things; if you know what I mean.” But, I didn’t know what he meant…though I’d soon find out. Dante and I used to love playing hide and seek at night.
That night was no different.
The mansion was a fortress. I would fade into the shadows of the hallway or climb the stairs to the third floor, maybe higher to the fourth where the library was and the art studio. This time I was it. I stood in the middle of the common room, shouting the countdown behind cloaked eyes and a smile that grew wider by the second. When I finally found him, Dante was hiding outside the boathouse, but he wasn’t hiding from me. There was a blizzard in his eyes, a frozen panic that raised chill bumps on my arms. He had turned into a statue—stone-faced and stone-silent. I was cautious as I approached him. “Dante?”
Pop!
I jumped as the gun exploded.
A metallic jingle—the keys scraping against each other. The memories vanish, and I’m back in the den. My mother’s voice floats from the next room, low and quick. I strain to make out the conversation she’s having, gauge how close or far she is, but her words all mesh together.
Focus.
“Damn it, Javi! Who gave him access to the accounts? Do I need to come there myself?”
I go completely still, the keys swinging back and forth in my fingers. In the kitchen, cabinets open with a creak and shut with a bang. Her accent draws closer as though she’s walking toward the living room. I pinch my eyes closed and grit my teeth until my jaw starts to ache, and though inside I’m on fire, outside I’m ice. I’m Dante on the night we heard those noises.
We speak with agent Erik Hane of Red Sofa Literary about how he got his start, how he used to think fiction writers were hired--and the programs he'd build if given the funding. We also spend a brief moment talking about how #MeToo has come to publishing. Plus, some dangerous-sounding winter sports Erik and Julie seem to know way too much about. (We're glad they're safe, and hope Erik gets a sled dog soon.)
You can listen to the Print Run episode we mentioned (episode 60) here and see all of their other amazing content here: https://www.printrunpodcast.com/
We speak with author Carrie DiRisio, the voice behind Brooding YA Hero, plus her agent, Melissa Edwards at Stonesong Literary, and her editor, Alison Weiss at Sky Pony Press. Together, we discuss the creation of Brooding YA Hero, and how it became a book that is so much more than a Twitter feed. (Plus, of course, we talk about how platform can help your work--and what to do if it's uncomfortable for you.)
PLUS we introduce Carrie's new class--all about tropes, and how you can use them, twist them, and/or completely reject them in your fiction--for that work that is the gold standard of "Familiar but with a twist" (which is what, for whatever reason, seems to work so well in publishing and Hollywood).
The class package is $29 and comes with a recorded class, live Q&A with Broody, and dedicated Facebook group workshop. Learn more at ManuscriptAcademy.com/Broody.
PS: Yes, there's a bit of a popping sound on Carrie's track. We were trying out new software and had one of the settings wrong. D'oh! Anyway, that's fixed now. Thanks for bearing with us!
We speak with literary agent Kiana Nguyen of Donald Maass Agency about being a writer AND agent, her days as a park ranger in California and New York, and what she'd do with a Ph.D. in Anthropology.
PLUS, we talk about her unusual journey into publishing--which involved Twitter networking, a contest, and getting killed in a work of fiction, The Intern's Handbook by Shane Kuhn: http://www.shanekuhn.com/the-intern-s-handbook.html
We also discuss why a form letter is just a form letter--but that still doesn't make US feel better, and very important topics including trains that get across the country in under an hour (see https://www.wired.com/2013/07/elon-musk-hyperloop/).
You can book a meeting with Kiana here: http://manuscriptacademy.com/ten/
Happy 2018! We're here to talk about your goals, and how best to accomplish them.
NEW FEATURE: You can now watch this podcast as a video. In fact, it will make a lot more sense if you do! Just head on over to http://manuscriptacademy.com/videopodcast/ to view. It'll work on your phone, just like a podcast--but with a behind-the-scenes look at how we make these.
To vote for donkey or camel, please visit: http://manuscriptacademy.com/donkey-or-camel/
The books we mentioned; Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and MFA vs. NYC, edited by Chad Harbach.
The friends you should follow (in order of appearance):
Jennifer Iacopelli, @JenniferCarolyn Kathleen S. Allen, @kathleea MK Brownlow, @MK_Brownlow Colin D. Smith, @colin_d_smith Naseem Jamnia, @jamsternazzy Jen O, @_JenOlsen_ Jennifer Lane, @JennyJanuary HC Marks, @HCMarks Katrin Hollister, @KatrinHollister Mike Chen, @mikechenwriter, also designed ManuscriptWishList.com, and builds author websites! See AtmosphereAuthorWebsites.com. Christine L. Arnold, @ChristineRnold Jenna Satterthwaite, @JennaSchmenna Elaina Batista-Parsons, @Bravelrene77 Candra Baguley, @ccbaguley33 Nicole Sharkey, @coleyshark
Correct pronunciation of Edinburg (ed-in-bruh) provided by We Scottish Lass (who has a lot of cute videos!) at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GI864aZJkdE
We talk with agent Kurestin Armada (P.S. Literary) and her client, Amy Schaefer, who not only got an offer of representation while in another country--but while on a boat near Papua New Guinea. Without wifi. Or phones. Just one radio.
Many writers worry about whether they can possibly get an agent's attention, and sell books in the US, if they live abroad.
For all of the writers out there, we hope this episode puts you at ease. If Kurestin and Amy can do it with a single sideband radio, an old Nokia, and a pile of SIM cards--you can, too.
Join us December 11, at 8:00pm EST, for a happy hour featuring writers, agents, editors--all coming together to celebrate the season. PLUS there will be prizes, giveaways, and more.
Listen in for tips on what to bring, what to drink--and how to make the most of this annual event.
For the first in this series (all about live meetings!), we talk with agent Melissa Edwards at Stonesong about live pitches, e-consultations, and what works—and doesn’t—in each.
What makes a writer successful in these meetings? How do they best get answers that move their work forward? And what’s the difference between pitch and summary—and what blend helps you the most?
(And yes, that super long, awkward pause is on purpose. Form matching content. You'll see.)
Learn all this--and more--with Melissa, You can follow her on Twitter at @MelissaLaurenE, and book a meeting with her at http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/melissa-edwards/.
We asked Rachel Ekstrom Courage to talk about comp titles--comparative and competitive works that can, when used correctly in your pitch, give an agent a quick (and useful) idea of what your work is like, where it would fit in the marketplace, and who would read it.
When used badly, comps can read like "This is Harry Potter meets The DaVinci Code meets Eat, Pray, Love"--both vague and an indicator of a lack of research.
How do you use them to your advantage? Listen in!
We asked agent John Cusick at Folio Literary to narrate his inbox, #TenQueries style.
Just like #TenQueries on Twitter, he described what he was seeing--but you can hear in his voice when he gets surprising mistakes (and great queries!).
If you've ever wondered if agents are making up the stories of what's in their inbox (hint: if anything, they don't talk about the strangest things they receive), this is the episode series for you!
While we had him, we asked about his experiences with live pitches--and the awkward and wonderful moments he's had during these meetings. What works for him? What can you do to improve your interactions with agents? Listen in!
In our Season Two launch, Jessica and Julie talk about the Academy's plans for our second year of business (wooo!). We'll tell you a bit about our new types of episodes, new services, workshops, author experts--and more! Plus, we discuss the superpowers necessary for publishing, and what we'd do with (more than) a million dollars, if we could.
Jessica and Julie are melting. It's over 100 degrees, and it's August--that mythical time that Publishing slows down (even more) for a month.
In this season one finale, we discuss why August became this slower season--how a writer can best to spend that time--and what's coming up for this year in the Academy.
We talk with agent Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox Literary about what happens when things go wrong during international work travel--and how the publishing community will often come together make sure everyone's okay. (You don't want to miss Stephanie's story--it's a very "Agents are people too" moment that had Jessica terrified on Stephanie's behalf. Don't worry--she ends up fine!)
We also talk about the difference between our IDEA of what a career is like, versus the reality. (Hint: We almost never think about how creative professions usually have less time for inspiration than we imagine.)
We also talk about building a book community outside of NYC (Stephanie's in Atlanta), how to balance work and life, and how best to get an agent emotionally onboard with your work.
Want to talk with Stephanie more? You can! She's part of The Manuscript Academy's Ten Minutes With An Expert program. You can e-meet her to discuss your work here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/ten/ and follow her on Twitter here: @SFretwellHill.
Podcast edited by the amazing @ParleyCook.
We talk with editor Jaime Coyne, of St. Martin's Press/Macmillan, about the joys and stresses of being and editor who also writes--or did also write--or now speculates about how many editors and agents secretly write. Meanwhile, plenty of tips on how Jessica imagines that going (catastrophically) with social fallout (and awkward run-ins at corner stores in yoga pants after having been editorially torn apart).
Back in the real world, we discuss how different edits can lead you to the same place (yes, really! Sometimes editor A's suggestion X and editor B's suggestion Y can get you to the same draft Z), why that's true--and why you shouldn't idealize editorial life.
Plus, of course, filming day--which Jaime attended, jackhammers and all.
This episode was edited by the amazing Parley Cook.
You heard it here first! Join The Manuscript Academy--along with editors and agents from top houses and agencies--for five daily lessons, five videos, a supportive critique group, AND a LIVE first pages panel--all for $25.
Just head to ManuscriptAcademy.com/Five to learn more.
We speak with the lovely and talented Kelly Van Sant, agent at D4E0 Literary, about a new first page from author Erin Shachory.
If you'd like to submit your first page for this podcast, please send it to Academy@ManuscriptWishList.com as a Word document, with "First Page Podcast" in the subject line.
Here's Erin's first page, so you can follow along at home:
My new life begins with a spark.
First, a pinch in the center of my forehead, sharp enough to make me close my eyes. Then my
skin tingles and a burst of inspiration seems to burst through my skin. Before I can even open my eyelids,
I’m imagining my first sketches of Italy on a fresh page in Notebook 19: apartment towers lined with
laundry and streets littered with beat-up cars, everything layered in smog and smoke. In movies, Italy is
all vineyards and farmhouses. In Naples, it’s chaos.
“Daydreaming?” Dad squeezes my shoulder, then nods to some chairs across the lobby. “I’ll
check us in. You two sit tight.”
As he sidles up to the registration desk, I shake my head, blurry with jetlag, and take in the sad,
dim lobby of the oddly named American Hotel. “Italy sucks.”
Troy nudges me with his elbow and calls the chair closest to the elevator. “C’mon, E. Give it a
chance.”
I follow my brother past a group of kids sprawled across backpacks and each other’s legs.
They’re about our ages, chattering loudly in a mash-up of European languages, earphones dangling from
their ears. No cares. No worries. Their dads didn’t just move them halfway across the world.
I shrug off my backpack and toss it onto our pile of mismatched suitcases. “A ‘chance’ is a
weeklong vacation, not selling our house and moving.”
“Dramatic much?” Troy stretches out like a starfish and the chair sags. “We’ve been in the
country about an hour, Eden. Chill out.”
He turns his head and a girl across the room, a brunette with Botticelli curls, notices the small
patch of bright purple hair behind his right ear. Then her eyes fall on the violet hair spilling over my right
shoulder. Troy sees the girl and nods, but I fidget with my hair, self-conscious. I twist the whole mess into
a knot and tie it back, hoping the purple streak is hidden by brown hair, cursing our shared birth defect, a
recessive trait from our mother’s family.
“I wish it was recessive,” I mutter.
Troy kicks my chair and mouths chill before returning to his phone. The electric whine of his
favorite game blips and beeps, and he’s oblivious to me again.
We talk with Lindsey Danis about her experience being workshopped on our podcast, the changes she's implemented, and whether she wanted to reach through the screen and shake us for not getting it.
We also answer Lindsey's questions and talk about how much self-deprecation can work on the page (versus in real life) and how to create (and why you should try to create) an emotional and aesthetic range.
Want to volunteer as tribute? Submit your page for consideration by sending it to Academy@ManuscriptWishList.com as a Word document (yes, we know! The opposite of querying: we WANT an attachment). Please put "First Pages Podcast" in the subject line.
For your reference, here is Lindsay's first page, which we went over in episode fourteen:
My Life Without You by Lindsey Danis It’s the last day of the first week of school and the air has this incredible warmth, like summer’s just a tease. I unzip my navy-blue mechanic’s jacket, which I’ve been warned is not sanctioned as school uniform. I’m meeting my best friend Birdie at our sanctuary, the appropriately named Haven Diner. The Square feels like home and I breathe in its smell of incense, sweat, and garbage, happy to be here.
Harvard Square is about a mile from my parents’ house (correction: my father’s house) and it’s ground zero for any street punk/riot grrrl/alternative kid in the Boston area. Street artists, protesters, musicians, writers—everyone who cares about arts, culture, and activism hangs out here, learning from and inspiring one another.
The Square as we all call it shares nothing but a name with that Ivy League school. You would think it would be totally pretentious, just like the university barricaded behind 27 iron gates, but it’s the opposite. Harvard students cut across to go from dorm to class and back again, but the Square belongs to everyone. University janitors eat their packed sandwiches and rub shoulders with teen runaways, retail store clerks take smoke breaks, homeless folks play chess outside the coffee shop. Even the diehard Cambridge hippies pause and take in the scene on their way to poetry readings or theater performances.
Worlds blend and cultures mix, especially when you’re waiting outside Haven for a seat. Popular girls from my old school who would never smile at me in the hallways call out my name to ask how summer was. At my new school I may be the weirdo, but whatever I am is all right here in the Square. There’s no judgment.
In this episode, we talk with literary agent Caitie Flum of Liza Dawson Associates about online communities (and where to find your people), teleporting powers (which we would use to get lunch in Paris), and why agents do so many things for free (hint: we love the work, but it's still unpaid). We also talk about how agents can tell you haven't read enough in your genre--and why that matters. PLUS Caitie's best tips for a writer just starting out.
You can also find Caitie in episode fourteen, our first first pages podcast.
She's on Twitter @caitief.
In this new feature, we invite an expert--tonight, Caitie Flum of Liza Dawson Associates--have them pick a page from our kind volunteers. We then talk about the lessons in this page--what editorial feedback we'd suggest--and how this can apply to the pages you're writing at home.
Want to volunteer as tribute? Submit your page for consideration by sending it to Academy@ManuscriptWishList.com as a Word document. Please put "First Pages Podcast in the subject line."
If you'd like to follow along at home, please scroll down to see this week's page.
My Life Without You by Lindsey Danis It’s the last day of the first week of school and the air has this incredible warmth, like summer’s just a tease. I unzip my navy-blue mechanic’s jacket, which I’ve been warned is not sanctioned as school uniform. I’m meeting my best friend Birdie at our sanctuary, the appropriately named Haven Diner. The Square feels like home and I breathe in its smell of incense, sweat, and garbage, happy to be here.
Harvard Square is about a mile from my parents’ house (correction: my father’s house) and it’s ground zero for any street punk/riot grrrl/alternative kid in the Boston area. Street artists, protesters, musicians, writers—everyone who cares about arts, culture, and activism hangs out here, learning from and inspiring one another.
The Square as we all call it shares nothing but a name with that Ivy League school. You would think it would be totally pretentious, just like the university barricaded behind 27 iron gates, but it’s the opposite. Harvard students cut across to go from dorm to class and back again, but the Square belongs to everyone. University janitors eat their packed sandwiches and rub shoulders with teen runaways, retail store clerks take smoke breaks, homeless folks play chess outside the coffee shop. Even the diehard Cambridge hippies pause and take in the scene on their way to poetry readings or theater performances.
Worlds blend and cultures mix, especially when you’re waiting outside Haven for a seat. Popular girls from my old school who would never smile at me in the hallways call out my name to ask how summer was. At my new school I may be the weirdo, but whatever I am is all right here in the Square. There’s no judgment.
Welcome to our very first First Pages episode! In this new series, we'll be discussing the most interesting first pages we can get our hands on--YOURS! We'll ask agents and editors to join us in finding the lessons in these pages that not only improve this work--but give you ideas for your own. Want to submit a page for consideration? Send it to Academy@ManuscriptWishList.com.
We're joined this week by the lovely and talented literary agent Linda Camacho of the Prospect Agency. You can view her class, How To Write A Manuscript That Gets and Keeps Everyone's attention, in The Manuscript Academy's A La Carte classes section: http://manuscriptacademy.com/a-la-carte-classes/
For your reference (if you'd like to read along at home), here's the first page we'll be discussing this week:
Strawberry Season I pick up the gun making sure not to ruin my new manicure and pull the carnival rifle to my chest, peering down the barrel at the long rows of colors until I see the first yellow star. Just like at target practice. Thank you, Dad! Brace the legs. Grip the ground. Take a deep centering breath. Give my hips a little swirl to the beat of the music pumping its way through the Sagadahoc Strawberry Festival. And boom! Bull’s eye.
“Two more to go!” I turn to Renee, my oldest friend in Maine and the most down to earth chick I know, and say, “I’m going to bring home a two-foot strawberry.” I gesture to the obscene looking overripe stuffed fruit hanging from a large hook in the ceiling.
Renee raises unplucked brows underneath fringy bangs. “Just what you need… at the blueberry farm.” She leans in close and whispers, “Seriously, all of these games are rigged. Don’t waste your money. If you waited tables with me at The Muffin, you wouldn’t be wasting it all on this…. ridiculousness.”
“Play with me! Live a little! ” I raise the gun in the air. “Come on, you know you want to.”
“I’ve gotta go to the bathroom.”
“You picking the Port-O-Potty over my mission?”
Renee points past the tilt-a-whirl, toward the line that extends almost all the way around the Fun House. “You are a total freak. Stay right here. The cell service is horrible. If I lose you, I might not be able to find you again. And trust me, it’s a long walk back home.” I give her a cheeky wink. “You are a freak, California girl,” Renee says before shoving both hands into her sweatshirt and heading into the crowd.
This week we talk with publicist and literary agent Dawn Michelle Hardy of Serendipity Literary Agency. We talk about publicity, and the surprising amount you can do from home, plus profit and loss statements, running marathons--and what really happens when you get rejected by a publisher. We also talk about research nonfiction writers should do BEFORE starting a proposal. And Dawn shares a fantastic story about a nervous writer pitching her in person--and what she did to calm her down. You don't want to miss this!
We talk with Melissa Edwards of Stonesong Literary about the transition from lawyer to agent, PubLaw basics, and how she really should start a Melissa Explains It All Podcast. We also talk about her favorite podcasts, what negotiation looks like within Publishing--and that someone should really make a product called Not So Tights for women who like to be warm AND comfortable.
We speak with Harlequin editor Carly Silver about corgis, men in kilts--and whether giving birth to a baby or a book is harder. We also talk about fangirling (and when even editors have to keep their cool), the loooooooong edit process, and an average month in Carly's editing life. We also talk about how trends can help publishers find money for similar work. Added bonus: We think Google should fund what she has in mind as a 20% project. Check it out!
You can learn more about Carly at @CarlyASilver.
This pep talk was inspired by that extremely uncomfortable phenomenon of going home for the holidays, only to be grilled by your relatives. It was made with the generous contributions of writers just like you. We hope this will give you some cheer when your family asks, "Soooo--are you still writing?" "Are you a New York Times besteller yet?" "How much money do you make?"
Explaining the writing life to your family can be hard, especially during the holidays. So when they start asking you why you don't have a movie deal yet/how many copies your book has sold/why you don't just hit Upload and become a bestseller, pop in your earbuds, crank up this podcast, and remind yourself you're not alone.
Please note: there is some (very justified, we think) swearing in this podcast.
To make your season a little brighter, we asked writers to tell us what works--and doesn't work--when discussing the writing life with your family. How do you keep the kids occupied? What do you say to those awkward questions? And how--with all the holiday craziness--do you find time for your work?
We are thrilled to have the following contributors (in order of appearance, after the names montage). Find them on Twitter and thank them for being awesome!
2:24 Brandon Hoang @BrandonHoang_ 2:50 Ted Fox @TheTedFox 2:56 Tiffany Meuret @TMeuretBooks 3:03 Bethany Telles @BethanyTelles 2:26 Denise Mealy @DCCMealy 3:50 Writer from Texas 4:04 Caitlin O'Connell @Caitlin_Renata 4:10 Heather Smith @SmithWriter 4:20 Eileen 4:30 Pam Barney @lifewithBarns 4:38 Caitlin O'Connell @Caitlin_Renata 4:43 Mehr Lee @mehr_lee 4:50 Heather Smith @SmithWriter 4:59 Mehr Lee @mehr_lee 5:24 Kelly Schluterman @kmschluterman1 5:43 Writer from Texas 5:51 Lara Ruth Ziobro @lararuthz 6:06 Sharon Chriscoe @schriscoe_ 6:17 Ozma Bryant @ozma_bryant 6:33 Caroline @Keep_Tha_Faith 7:02 Marcela Ferreira @mlmfd 7:25 Jessica Kapp @JessKapp 7:58 Bethany Telles @BethanyTelles 8:10 Jessica Kapp @JessKapp 8:35 Kelly Schluterman @kmschluterman1 8:47 Pam Barney @lifewithBarns 9:04 Mehr Lee @mehr_lee 9:21 Caroline @Keep_Tha_Faith 10:09 Writer from Texas 10:29 Ozma Bryant @ozma_bryant 11:06 Sharon Chriscoe @schriscoe_
Julie and Jessica talk about the best methods for dealing with annoying questions from relatives about your writing. 1) Deflect! 2) Drink. 3) All the other smart things we mention in this podcast. Give us a listen!
We speak with literary agent Kurestin Armada about knitting, horror films, rejection--and why the passion projects are often, actually, the most practical. We also talk victory gardens, practical flowers, and what it means to read for pleasure when you're an agent. BONUS: If you're listening to this podcast, Kurestin thinks you're in good shape.
In this episode, Julie and Jessica tell you about the (FREE! Awesome!) Manuscript Academy holiday party coming up December 13. Need props? Yes! Maybe. For best results, listen to this podcast first.
In this episode, Jessica and Julie how tell you how best to spend ten minutes with an agent--whether in a pitch session, an office hour, a craft meeting, or stuck in an elevator.
We talk with Lane about photographing supermoons, what he'd do as Super Lane, and being a guy who sells romance. But not bromance. We also talk about what agents fear during pitch sessions, killing characters in picture books, and why being a veterinarian might not be the best back-up career for someone in publishing.
Join us for a chat with literary agent Linda Camacho (Prospect Agency) to talk about marketing, agents getting rejected, and the horror films you should definitely be watching. Even if you're scared. Like Jessica.
Join us for a conversation with Perigee/Penguin editor Amanda Shih. We'll discuss rejection, boxing, platform--and how to have your very own art heist.
Julie and Jessica talk about filming day, jackhammers, dogs, cats, and how filming in homes makes for a more interactive experience.
Meet Julie, Jessica, and a crazy little project called The Manuscript Academy. Hint: It all started with a bus.