tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458Sat, 22 Nov 2014 14:01:49 +0000Life as a Literary AgentYAContestQueriesJust for FunHappy Release DayI love my clientsContest WinnerBook ReviewLinksNew AdultFirst Page ShooterJoSV#askagentAsk Me Anythingaddicted to new adultLisa DesrochersUrban FantasyAbout MebooksCora Carmackmiddle gradeLife as a Literary Assistant#booksthatchangedmyWORLDHannah MoskowitzPublishing IndustrySeanan McGuireSuzanne Collinsexample querysubmissionsI Love DogsKody KeplingerMindee ArnettChelsea FineLee NicholsParanormal RomancePeeWeeThe Hunger GamesnaaddictAllison PangBanned BooksCharlaine HarrisCharles BenoitClaudia GrayConfessionsGrade A-InterviewPersonal DemonsRelease DayRequested MaterialWaiting on WednesdayreadingwishlistwritingA Little Too FarBEABooks in 2011Courtney SummersGrade C+I can handle the truthKara TaylorLosing ItMelina MarchettaPicture BookTeaser TuesdayThe Nightmare AffairWriting ConferencesA Brush of DarknessA Sliver of ShadowAbout UsAmy ReedAwardsAwesome EventBooks to FilmCassandra ClareChallengeDan KrokosEllen HopkinsFantasyGeorge RR MartinGrade B+Grade B-Grade: CHistorical FictionIngrid PaulsonKelly GayLibba BrayMeredithNikki LoftinPrep School ConfidentialSurviving the Zombie ApocalypseSwagTBRThe Truth AboutThrillerVeronica RothZombie Tagbook trailerscover revealkristin halbrookreading recommendationsA Death-Struck YearA Little Too MuchA Snicker of MagicA Trace of MoonlightAbby SinclairAddicted to YouAlice SeboldAndrea CremerArchers of AvalonArlaina TibenskyBecca FitzpatrickBook RecommendationsBooks to MoviesCarrie RyanCatching FireColina BrennanColumbineConference 101Confessions of a Former TeacherCover ArtDave CullenDivergentDystopianEditingFaking ItFalse MemoryFinding ItGates of Thread and StoneGrade AGrade A+Grade: BGrade: FGuest BlogHarry PotterHush HushI love NYInvincible SummerJanet ReidJoanna PhilbinJulie CrossKelly FioreKim HarrisonLauren MyracleLaurie Halse AndersonLeigh BardugoMaggie StiefvaterMolly HarperNYCNatalie LloydNew Leaf LiteraryNewsNobody But UsNonfictionPatricia BriggsRachel MaudeRebecca BehrensRenita PizzitolaSara PolskySarah DessenSean FerrellSinister SweetnessSteampunkSusan DennardSynopsisTVThis is How I Find HerValkyrie RisingViolence in Children's LiteratureWeigh inYvonne Navarroagentsavaloncontemporary romancedead genresjennifer ryanmakiia lucierninjason my wishlistquestionsself publishingstacey kadeyalit#speakloudly201020135 Good Reasons to Read YAA Little Too HotAVOWAdult FictionAlex O'LaughlinAllan WoodrowAlotAnd Then Things Fall ApartAnewArrested DevelopmentAwryBattlestar GalacticaBest Kind of BrokenBeth PattilloBetsy LernerBloggingBook AddictionBook PartyBree DespainCarniepunkCat HellisenCharacterizationChick LitChuck BenoitComic ConCongratulationsCrime FictionCyn BalogDCEclipse ParodyEditors BuzzElizabeth LoupasErica O'RourkeEvan ManderyExclusive ContentFalse SightFantasyLiteratureGame of ThronesGrade CGrade: AHappy New YearHeather DavisI love rhetoricIn My MailboxInception LoveJJ HowardJandy NelsonJane AustenJean-Christophe ValtatJeffrey EugenidesJillian CantorJodi PicoultJosh BazellJudy BlundellJujuJust a Little CrushJustin CroninKami Garcia and Margaret StohlKelley ArmstrongKiersten WhiteKristin CashoreLOTRLaini TaylorLauren DeStefanoLauren KateLauren OliverLori M LeeMGMango the CatMaureen JohnsonMeg RosoffMelissa MarrMelissa de la CruzMemoirMovieMust ReadMysteryNancy WerlinNew YorkNicholas SparksNighingale's NestObamaPaint MePatrick LeePhoto EssayPoliticsPsychicRachel VincentRantReading JournalsRebecca SteadRichelle MeadRotten Adventures of Zachary RuthlessSandy WilliamsSara KendallSarah Frances HardySarah MlynowskiSarah WylieSarwat ChaddaSebastian JungerSeeking HerShannon HaleSherrilyn KenyonShoppingSocial NetworkingSong of Fire and IceSpeakStatisticsStephen ChboskyStephenie MeyerSurveyTaste TestTempestThat Time I Joined the CircusThe ChallengeThe ClassicsThe Importance of TitlesThe Janet ReidThe Nightmare DilemmaThe Planet ThievesThe Shadow ReaderThe Shattered DarkTheme Song of the MomentToo FunnyTwitterVampireVampire AcademyVictoria SchwabWhen Audrey Met AliceWhen the Sea is Rising RedWicked Little SecretsWinnerWrite on ConYA Editors Buzza good problem to haveadviceall broke downall lined upauctionbest ofbitter pillbook boyfriendchangechapterbookscomp titlescraftcritiquedecisionsebookebooksexamplefinding fatefirst pagesfootballgatekeepersgenderghostbustersjoanna volpekathleen ortizkeeping hermackenzie bradymagical realismmanuscriptsmarcykate connollymegan powellmonstrousmontana mennail polishnext big thingno peace for the damnednominationsoffer of representationofferspaperback releasepens for pawsproposalsproxyquery critiquered queenrejectionsrevisionright kind of wrongromancesarah finesequelsuzie townsendterminationthe slush piletim rigginstrendsvictoria aveyardvoicewinword countyoung adultConfessions<br>"People can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned." ~ Saul Bellowhttp://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)Blogger584125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-7215509639105229080Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:30:00 +00002014-11-11T09:30:01.084-05:00Happy Release DayI love my clientsjennifer ryanmontana menHappy Release Day!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9u1TkUi7Vs/VFeJdlLutfI/AAAAAAAABKM/7b4hupdsdxA/s1600/Ryan%2B-%2BMontana%2BMen%2B0.5%2B-%2BCan't%2BWait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9u1TkUi7Vs/VFeJdlLutfI/AAAAAAAABKM/7b4hupdsdxA/s1600/Ryan%2B-%2BMontana%2BMen%2B0.5%2B-%2BCan't%2BWait.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jennifer Ryan's novella, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552581-can-t-wait?from_search=true">Can't Wait</a></i>, is out today!</div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/11/happy-release-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-627533075275569244Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:53:00 +00002014-10-28T13:53:56.473-04:00agentsgatekeepersLife as a Literary AgentAsk Me Anything: Are Agents Gatekeepers?Okay here's the question:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">When agents reply, "It's good, just not for me," isn't that admitting to being gatekeepers to traditional publishing?</blockquote>And here are my thoughts:<br /><br />No. <br /><br />There are a few reasons why. Here's one:<br /><br />There's a subjective element to books. I might read a book about wereferrets and think "this has a great voice but I don't like ferrets" and another agent might read and love and think "this is the best thing I've ever read." <br /><br />This isn't gatekeeping because not all agents have the same taste. I've read books before that I probably wouldn't have requested at the query stage. But those books still found an agent and still got published. <br /><br />Plus, editors do the same thing to us. Let's say I did sign the wereferrets book. Not every editor would want it no matter how good it was. Even huge bestsellers or books that go to auction still get some passes. If it's well written with a good voice, I'm sure they see that, but they also just might not fall in love with the wereferrets.<br /><br />And it's not just them either. Editors also have to "sell" the books they want to take on to their team--publisher, sales, marketing, etc. Sales might say--sure this is good, but we can't sell wereferrets to the major accounts so no. <br /><br />And they say that because they're interacting with bookstores and the accounts (major retailers) and those buyers are saying "no we don't want any shapeshifters, we're not going to order any copies of books like that." Or maybe sales remembers how last year they tried to say a book with werebadgers and that book only sold 200 copies because none of the accounts ordered it to carry in store. Therefore they don't think wereferrets will be much different. <br /><br /><br />And the retailers, they're making that decision based on what they think their consumers want. Which they're determining based on the what the consumers are actually buying--or not buying. If they order 100 copies of a book about werebadgers and only sell two copies, they're not going to want any copies of a book about wereferrets. <br /><br />So really it's the consumers that are driving the stores, and the publishers, and the agents. That's not to say that there aren't readers out there hungry for a story about wereferrets--it just means they're not buying books like that at traditional retailers. Maybe they're only buying ebooks. Or maybe they're reading fanfiction and pirating ebooks. Maybe they're only buying books from shapeshifting fandom conventions. I don't know (this example is getting out of control, but I hope you see what I'm saying).<br /><br />Now here's another reason:<br /><br />"This is good, but it's not for me" might not be the truth. There might be a harder truth, like "This is good, but it's not good enough."<br /><br />I really like clothes. I get one of those monthly boxes that sends you a few clothing pieces and an accessory. Last month, it included a pair of earrings that were gorgeous and I really liked them. But they were $50 for just a little pair of earrings that weren't anything super special. So I liked them, a lot, but I didn't $50 like them.<br /><br />Sometimes manuscripts are the same way. I've said I really like fantasy. Let's say I request a YA fantasy. I might read to the end, I might think, "that was a good read" but I do a lot more for my clients than just read their books once. There's the reading and the editing, but there are meetings and phone calls and strategizing and a lot of hours that go into that client's career and their books. <br /><br />And there's only so many hours in a day. I can only take on so many clients. So I might read that YA fantasy manuscript and think, this is good, but it's not good enough for me. Maybe it's the characters or the pacing or the writing. Or maybe it's not even anything I can put my finger on. Maybe it just doesn't stay with me after I've put it down. Whatever it is, I don't love it the way I loved Gates of Thread and Stone or Red Queen. So it's not for me--because I only have time for things I love that much.<br /><br />Sometimes it's hard to articulate that to authors. Even us agents don't like to discourage people or hurt people's feelings--and there are a lot of agents, maybe someone else will see something I don't or they'll have the time. <br /><br />So that's a long answer to your question. I don't think we're gatekeepers. I know it's hard to get a book traditionally published--and that it's hard to get an agent. But the internet has made it easier than it was. Keep writing. Write a great book that you're passionate about--even if the characters are wereferrets! Then write another book. And keep going. At some point, you'll get there.http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/10/ask-me-anything-are-agents-gatekeepers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-716524403873507483Tue, 28 Oct 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-10-28T09:30:02.200-04:00all broke downbookscontemporary romanceCora CarmackHappy Release DayNew Adultreadingtim rigginsHappy Release Day!<div style="text-align: left;">You might not know this about me, but I'm a <i>Friday Night Lights </i>fan. It's less the football and more the characters that I loved.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Which is why when Cora Carmack had an idea for the Rusk University series, I was <i>super</i>&nbsp;excited.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I loved <i>All Lined Up</i>.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But <i>All Broke Down</i>&nbsp;is even better. I know I say this a lot, but <i>this book</i>&nbsp;is my new favorite Cora Carmack novel and that's saying a lot.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYocwBsRGJI/VEqp9GrWPlI/AAAAAAAABIw/4kKybG1rHGQ/s1600/Carmack%2B-%2BRusk%2BUniversity%2B2%2B-%2BAll%2BBroke%2BDown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYocwBsRGJI/VEqp9GrWPlI/AAAAAAAABIw/4kKybG1rHGQ/s1600/Carmack%2B-%2BRusk%2BUniversity%2B2%2B-%2BAll%2BBroke%2BDown.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For me, this one line says it all: <b><i>She fights for lost causes...he is one.</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Silas Moore has everything I loved about Tim Riggins. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/kirstenking/times-tim-riggins-was-a-lovable-softie">And there was a lot to love about Tim Riggins</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxxdtvEXrT1qb6kd0o1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxxdtvEXrT1qb6kd0o1_250.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And the romance. Oh my god.</div>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/10/happy-release-day_28.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-6225558731391398134Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-10-21T09:30:00.505-04:00addicted to new adultbooksHappy Release DayJust a Little CrushLife as a Literary AgentNew AdultreadingRenita PizzitolaHappy Release Day!So by now, you probably know the story. I was adamant about the fact that New Adult was <i>not a thing</i>. Then I read Cora Carmack's <i>Losing It</i>&nbsp;and <b>changed my mind</b>.<br /><br />After that I read a lot of New Adult. In fact I read just about whatever I could get my hands on. I <i>loved</i>&nbsp;it! But because I read so much of it, sometimes the stories started to feel a little similar. I got a lot of submissions (which was a good thing!) but after a six months to a year, I started wondering if this was it, if I could find more NA that I really loved, or if I had about all the NA clients that I needed.<br /><br />Then I got a <a href="http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/example-query-renita-pizzitola.html">query from Renita Pizzitola</a>. And I was reminded what I love about NA so much.<br /><i><br /></i><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22606645-just-a-little-crush?from_search=true">Just a Little Crush</a></i>&nbsp;by Renita Pizzitola is a beautifully authentic college story. It reminded me of how it felt to think that I had everything together, that I knew exactly what I wanted out of life only to find out that it was the things I was wrong about--and the hot mess mistakes--that worked out best in the end.<br /><br />So.<br /><br />Happy release day to Renita!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSfJqujL9kY/U8htD7hFdpI/AAAAAAAABAM/9maVCpo4uug/s1600/Pizzitola+-+Just+A+Little+Crush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSfJqujL9kY/U8htD7hFdpI/AAAAAAAABAM/9maVCpo4uug/s1600/Pizzitola+-+Just+A+Little+Crush.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/10/happy-release-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-2675733533062226769Tue, 14 Oct 2014 02:44:00 +00002014-10-13T22:44:23.883-04:00I love my clientsLife as a Literary AgentQueriesred queenRequested Materialvictoria aveyardAsk Me Anything: How Literal was I...Okay, here's the question:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I remember Suzie always states that she keeps reading a manuscript if the first line catches her, then the second, the third, and so on. I don't know if I should take this literally, but if you come across a line that needs work, do you stop there even if you were interested in what was before? Are you willing to forgive that single line (or lines) and keep going?</blockquote>This is a good question. I do say this a lot. I wasn't the first agent to say it. I heard it from a wiser more experienced agent on a panel back when I was a baby agent.<br /><br />So here are my thoughts.<br /><br />You do have to take that literally...to a point. For the first 25-50 pages or more until I'm hooked, each line really has to grab and hold onto me.<br /><br />Once I'm hooked, I can overlook things and keep reading.<br /><br />Now, here's the thing. When you mention a "line that needs work" though, it makes me think we might be talking about different things.<br /><br />When I mention that the first line catches me, I'm not talking mechanics. I'm talking voice and storytelling.<br /><br />Have you seen <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/1958508/red-queen-chapter-one/">this</a>?<br /><br />I started reading that manuscript on a Sunday afternoon. I could not stop. Even though the manuscript turned out to be 168k words. It had some issues. I gave some notes. There was probably a typo or two. But the voice and the storytelling had me by the end of the first chapter. There was no way I was going to stop reading.http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/10/ask-me-anything-how-literal-was-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-5535362866174406040Mon, 29 Sep 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-09-29T09:30:01.433-04:00example queryLife as a Literary AgentQueriesRenita PizzitolaExample Query: Renita PizzitolaHere's another example query for you to feast your eyes on. <a href="http://www.renitapizzitola.com/">Renita</a> queried me with her NA manuscript <i>The Unity of Opposites</i>&nbsp;in October last year.<br /><blockquote><br />THE UNITY OF OPPOSITES is a New Adult Contemporary Romance complete at 70,000 words.<br /><br />When nineteen-year-old Brinley Monroe runs into Ryder Briggs--an insanely desirable, tattooed bad boy and the other half of her disastrous first kiss--she knows she’s in trouble. Since that humiliating day four years ago, when she experienced a moment of Ryder-induced-bliss followed by nose-diving into a swimming pool, she’s hated him...every delectable square inch. Now in college, her past has reappeared and, by the looks of it, still hasn’t grown into his ego.<br /><br />Despite their scorching chemistry, a guy like Ryder is the last thing Brinley needs in her life. As the product of a teen mom, who now loves vodka more than her own daughter, Brinley refuses to let bad decisions rule her life. But while spending time with Ryder, she discovers there is more to him than the image he broadcasts. Though complete opposites, they share the same fear--repeating their parents’ mistakes. And as Ryder's desire not to hurt her drives him away, her trust in him draws them back together.<br /><br />But when Ryder’s involvement in a campus-wide scandal comes to light, the only person to pay is Brinley. As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, learning from her past means leaving people from it out of her future. Now, in order to protect her, Ryder must fix the mess he’s caused then do what he should have done from day one. Walk away.<br /><br /> I am a romance author currently published through Lyrical Press. (YA Paranormal Romance series--October 2012 and September 2013, and an Adult Urban Fantasy Romance--March 2013). I appreciate your time and consideration and sincerely hope to hear from you in the near future.</blockquote><!--EndFragment--><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>&nbsp;Here's what caught my eye:</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>The Title. Now, we actually changed it--more on this later--but I loved the title. It automatically intrigued me. (Maybe I always go for people who are my opposite, I don't know).</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>That first paragraph gives a great set up. I love that Brinley and Ryder have a history and that it's humiliating for her. A disastrous first kiss followed by a nose-dive into a swimming pool--and it's made her hate him? That feels so very authentic. I still have a high school kiss that makes me cringe whenever I think of it. And if I ran into that guy now, oh I wouldn't be a fan.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>But what really gets me with that paragraph is that Ryder "still hasn't grown into his ego." This is such a great example of voice and characterization in a query. It's a little detail, worded in a way that reflects exactly something that Brinley would say and it tells me so much about her and about the book.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>The second paragraph sets up more conflicts. This is a book that is a romance but each of the characters have their own conflicts going on as well. Brinley's relationship with her mom comes into play here. More than that though, I also love that "Brinley refuses to let bad decisions rule her life." This tells me that she's a strong character, she might have history and family issues like all of us, but they're not going to get the best of her.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>And of course the tease of a campus wide scandal really got me too, but what I liked about the ending is that this feels like a romance that's more than just a <i>will they/won't they</i>--it sounds like a relationship story, something that requires working through every day conflicts and struggles. It feels so real and authentic to the college experience.</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>Of course Renita is a fabulous writer so when I started reading her pages I was totally hooked. And I wasn't the only one.&nbsp;</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p>THE UNITY OF OPPOSITES and two companion novels sold at auction to Random House Flirt. We changed the name to <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22606645-just-a-little-crush">Just a Little Crush</a></i>&nbsp;and now it comes out October 21st. That's almost 12 months to the day that Renita queried me!</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSfJqujL9kY/U8htD7hFdpI/AAAAAAAABAI/PcZ3HUJ9WRw/s1600/Pizzitola+-+Just+A+Little+Crush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSfJqujL9kY/U8htD7hFdpI/AAAAAAAABAI/PcZ3HUJ9WRw/s1600/Pizzitola+-+Just+A+Little+Crush.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3&quot;;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/09/example-query-renita-pizzitola.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-1662879252921212953Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-09-02T09:30:02.012-04:00booksChelsea Finefinding fateHappy Release DayNew Adultreadingright kind of wrongHappy Release Day!!If you're missing summer, this is the book you should curl up with this weekend.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xUpiFpjl4-0/U-5pY2LLIhI/AAAAAAAABCQ/_iniCNTEBzw/s1600/Fine%2B-%2BFinding%2BFate%2B3%2B-%2BRight%2BKind%2Bof%2BWrong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xUpiFpjl4-0/U-5pY2LLIhI/AAAAAAAABCQ/_iniCNTEBzw/s1600/Fine%2B-%2BFinding%2BFate%2B3%2B-%2BRight%2BKind%2Bof%2BWrong.JPG" height="640" width="418" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's the best one yet.</div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/09/happy-release-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-3881880342519072769Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:00:00 +00002014-09-02T17:11:14.631-04:00Life as a Literary Agenton my wishlistwishlistWishlists -- New Leaf StyleRecently on tumblr someone asked me if the NL team had their wishlists somewhere online. I have mine on the blog and try to keep it current-ish, but I thought updating all of our wishlists and posting them would be a great way to kick off the fall.<br /><br />So here they are--click on our names to be directed to the wishlist!<br /><br /><a href="http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2000/09/wishlist-mackenzie-brady.html">Mackenzie Brady</a><br /><br /><a href="http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2000/09/wishlist-kathleen-ortiz.html">Kathleen Ortiz</a><br /><br /><a href="http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2013/10/on-my-wishlist.html">Suzie Townsend</a><br /><br /><a href="http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2000/09/wishlist-joanna-volpe.html">Joanna Volpe</a><br /><br />Happy Fall!http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/09/wishlists-new-leaf-style.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-1053300972559750712Fri, 22 Aug 2014 21:00:00 +00002014-08-22T17:00:01.183-04:00I can handle the truthQueriesSo tell me...Can You Handle the Truth?Apparently I don't hold up well under peer pressure....<br /><br />It's August, I am about to head out for vacation, and I'm excited to come back in September and finish 2014 with a bang.<br /><div><br /></div><div>So you asked for it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-09_Uwn_1F3U/U-5sX3ezQSI/AAAAAAAABCc/rqrXvek1buk/s1600/i%2Bwant%2Bthe%2Btruth.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-09_Uwn_1F3U/U-5sX3ezQSI/AAAAAAAABCc/rqrXvek1buk/s1600/i%2Bwant%2Bthe%2Btruth.gif" height="136" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>What am I talking about?</b><br /><br />I always hear from writers that they want to know what an agent is really thinking when they click to send a form rejection.<br /><br />If you fall into that category, this is your chance.<br /><br />When I'm back from vacation, I will respond to the queries I receive in complete honesty. I will either request your manuscript or I will pass&nbsp;<b>and tell you exactly why</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div>No form rejection.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, this <b><u>isn't</u></b> a critique. Please don't expect that. I would never again see the light of day.<br /><br />This is just an honest response to your query, but if you've been getting a lot of form rejections, this might tell you why. (hopefully it'll be at least a little helpful?)</div><div><br /></div><div>You may see something as simple as "Not bad, but just not for me." or "I don't represent legal thrillers." or "Mermaids creep me out." OR you may see something like "I don't understand your plot" or "I stopped reading when you mentioned that the mailman was a vampire space zombie who has come to deliver a message of PAIN. Because come on...seriously?"<br /><br />So, if you want the truth, query me&nbsp;<b>for the next week</b>&nbsp;(so right now until 11:59 pm EST on Saturday 8/30) and follow the <b>directions</b>&nbsp;very carefully.<br /><br /><u><b>Directions</b></u>:<br /><ul><li>Queries must be submitted to Query(at)newleafliterary(dot)com.&nbsp;</li><li>All queries entered must have this in the subject line: QUERY SUZIE - I can handle the truth</li><li>If it does not have this in the subject line, it will be considered a regular query only.</li><li>Queries must be in the body of the email. NO attachments!</li><li>Queries should include the first 5-10 pages of your manuscript in the body of your email below your query.&nbsp;</li><li>One query per writer please. (Don't think you can trick me with different email addresses either)</li></ul></div><div>I will make an announcement when I have responded to all the queries. I'll be aiming to have them all answered by Sunday 9/7.<br /><br /><br /><u>Further Guidelines</u>:<br /><ul><li>Yes, if you've already been rejected by me (or someone else at New Leaf) you may resubmit your query. But revise your query first. Don't say "You already rejected me..." Treat it like you've never queried her before.</li><li>Your queries will NOT be posted on this or any other blog. I will reply to you via your e-mail, only. &nbsp;(Make sure your email doesn't require me to fill out some form to prove I'm not a spammer--I'm not going to go that above and beyond to get back to you).</li><li>You must treat this as an actual query process, which means you need to have a complete manuscript. If I do request your manuscript, I don't want to find out there isn't one!</li></ul>Okay, ready go!<br /><br /></div>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/so-tell-mecan-you-handle-truth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-1141386257309354608Mon, 18 Aug 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-08-18T09:30:00.606-04:00#askagenta good problem to haveAsk Me Anythingdecisionsmarcykate connollymonstrousoffer of representationAsk Me Anything: Multiple Offers of RepresentationRecently on tumblr someone asked what they should do if they're in the lucky position that more than one agent offers on their manuscript.<br /><br />First I'm going to say that's awesome.<br /><br />Next, I'm actually going to defer to a brilliant post written by the fabulously talented MarcyKate Connolly who found herself in that exact position when she queried her forthcoming novel, <i>Monstrous.</i><br /><i><br /></i><a href="http://chasingthecrazies.wordpress.com/2014/08/15/query-101-dealing-with-multiple-offers-guest-post-by-marcykate-connolly/">Here's what she says.</a>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/ask-me-anything-multiple-offers-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-1186251175386008673Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-08-12T09:30:01.136-04:00bookscontemporary romanceHappy Release Dayjennifer ryanreading recommendationsromanceHappy Release Day!!Jennifer Ryan's third novel in The McBride's series is out today!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a6XU1cJ2ERA/U56PMXCibvI/AAAAAAAAA38/MlVnlANGhMo/s1600/Ryan+-+The+McBrides+3+-+Dylan's+Redemption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a6XU1cJ2ERA/U56PMXCibvI/AAAAAAAAA38/MlVnlANGhMo/s1600/Ryan+-+The+McBrides+3+-+Dylan's+Redemption.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a confession: I don't actually rep this book. I recently started working with Jennifer but this book came before me.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But I love it. I'm a huge fan of Jennifer's books. Swoony cowboys and romantic suspense, sign me up. This is a perfect novel to dive into while you dig your toes in the sand. Trust me.</div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/happy-release-day_12.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-8961318647600689605Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-08-05T09:30:00.861-04:00booksGates of Thread and StoneHappy Release DayHappy Release Day!!Lori M Lee's debut novel, <i>The Gates of Thread and Stone </i>is out today!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uruHpMjdMQ/U3-kLtM256I/AAAAAAAAA00/aWJHCACjMQA/s1600/Lee+-+Gates+1+-+Gates+of+Thread+and+Stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uruHpMjdMQ/U3-kLtM256I/AAAAAAAAA00/aWJHCACjMQA/s1600/Lee+-+Gates+1+-+Gates+of+Thread+and+Stone.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love this book so much. It has it all: beautiful writing, page-turning suspense, a strong and smart heroine, a swoony love interest, and a creepy and magical fantasy world.</div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/happy-release-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-3552068602059147104Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:00:00 +00002014-08-04T10:00:01.831-04:00booksHappy Release DayKara TaylorLife as a Literary AgentPrep School ConfidentialSeries Closer!At midnight tonight, the Prep School Confidential series will be complete.<br /><br />Kara Taylor's fabulous third novel, <i>Deadly Little Sins</i>, will be available!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iZqnpj-1LuY/U56SawleHSI/AAAAAAAAA4I/q42VN_VWUko/s1600/Taylor+-+PSC+3+-+Deadly+Little+Sins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iZqnpj-1LuY/U56SawleHSI/AAAAAAAAA4I/q42VN_VWUko/s1600/Taylor+-+PSC+3+-+Deadly+Little+Sins.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anne Dowling is pretty much my literary best friend and it's been so wonderful to watch her throw herself in harm's way and sweet talk her way out of trouble and of course fall in love a little.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you haven't read this series, you should.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J0ekb6Gk-74/U56Sy0sSsTI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/Qck814Fmuck/s1600/Taylor+-+PSC+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J0ekb6Gk-74/U56Sy0sSsTI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/Qck814Fmuck/s1600/Taylor+-+PSC+1.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stgO4rm9OEg/U56SwnyLiZI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/D1P0pK3LsbQ/s1600/Taylor+-+PSC+2+-+Wicked+Little+Secrets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stgO4rm9OEg/U56SwnyLiZI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/D1P0pK3LsbQ/s1600/Taylor+-+PSC+2+-+Wicked+Little+Secrets.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/08/series-closer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-6213382771676351190Wed, 30 Jul 2014 21:22:00 +00002014-07-30T17:22:54.708-04:00adviceQuerieswritingAsk Me Anything: QueryingOkay, here's today's question:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The feedback I've been getting from my Query, runs something like this: Really interesting. No thank-you. I'm not sure if that is polite-speak for it sucks, or, simply not their thing. So, how to get a foot in the publishing door: A) Pound harder; B) Open a window (i.e. write a different genre/category book entirely); C) Quit: it's too hard.</blockquote>Here are my thoughts:<br /><br />This is most likely a form rejection. <br /><br />This could mean:<br /><br />A. Your query does suck (sorry, it happens, they're hard!)<br /><br />B. Your concept is overdone (ie the genre is dead)<br /><br />C. You're not querying the right people (hey I get a lot of queries from screenwriters so this happens)<br /><br />What you should do:<br /><br />1. Have some critique partners/beta readers/friends who write (etc) read your query. Get some feedback. Figure out if it's your query or if it's your book. <br /><br />I'm going to say that if you've gotten 0 requests it's your query. If you had a good query, a few agents (especially new agents or agents who really love a genre) will request. <br /><br />2. If it's your query, revise accordingly. You want your query to make people sit up and say "Oooh and then what happens?"<br /><br />3. After you've resent your queries, start working on something else that's completely different. <br /><br />4. Never quit. :) http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/ask-me-anything-querying.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-9181030053771671806Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-07-28T09:30:01.489-04:00booksexample queryKara TaylorLife as a Literary AgentQueriesreadingExample Query: Kara TaylorI have another query that worked to show you. This one is the query the fabulously talented Kara Taylor sent me a little over four years ago.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Dear Ms. Townsend,<br /><br />Seventeen-year-old Maggie’s job selling hot dogs at the beach is the epitome of unsexy, but it’s not like she wants to hook up with a guy wearing something a few inches shy of a Speedo anyway. Then she realizes Andy, the head lifeguard, isn’t visiting her three times a day because he forgot ketchup. Maggie finds out there’s more to him than his gorgeous abs, and their summer fling turns into a real relationship.<br /><br />Then Casey, Andy's ex, calls to tell him her birth control failed.<br /><br />It doesn’t help that Casey has graduated from pushing Maggie on the playground and making fun of her absent father to leaving Andy’s old love notes in her locker. But Maggie’s done with Casey’s bitchcraft. She won’t let her ruin Andy’s pre-med plans or the only relationship that’s felt real to her since her family dissolved.<br /><br />The only way to coax Casey into choosing adoption is to earn her trust, even if it means opening up to the girl who knows how to hit Maggie where it hurts. But her plan backfires when she starts to empathize with an unborn baby more than the idiots who made it. Even worse, finding out the real reason Casey is willing to trade her ballet slippers for stretch marks reveals something within Maggie that terrifies her: sympathy for her worst enemy, and the realization she might not be so different from her after all.<br /><br />SILVER MEDAL is a contemporary young adult novel complete at 62,000 words. I chose to query you because I too fear I may never love my future children as much as I love my dogs. I have included the first ten pages of the manuscript, hoping you will like to read more. Thank you for your time and consideration.</blockquote>I received this query at a time when no one wanted contemporary YA--back in 2010. (That's when everyone was buying paranormal and dystopian). But I couldn't resist requesting this.<br /><br />Contemporary stories can sometimes seem hard to write queries for. If they aren't plot heavy stories with really high stakes it can seem daunting to try to make it sound exciting. Here's what I love about this one though.<br /><br />The twist on stories I've read before. This isn't a high school pregnancy story from the POV of the pregnant teen. It's about the new <i>girlfriend</i> of the teen dad.<br /><br />It's <i>more</i>&nbsp;than just a romance. Sure there's a romantic element, but there's a lot more to this story. If the main character is empathizing with the baby and realizing that she has more in common with her high school enemy than she though--there's a deeper story there. I love that.<br /><br />I also love the writing and the voice here. There's potential for humor and a flawed protagonist who makes mistakes but will figure it all out by the end (my favorite kind).<br /><br />Now the title of this manuscript changed, and I didn't sell it. (Contemporary was a tough sell then remember). But it got us working together and since then, Kara has written three contemporary mystery novels and a <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/rashida-jones-developing-cw-dramedy-609766">TV pilot</a>. And she has a lot more coming down the pipeline. And I still love this book and Maggie, it's wonderfully flawed and hilarious heroine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://karamtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/1_29_prepschoolconfi8bf92d.jpg?w=200&amp;h=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1_29_PrepSchoolConfi#8BF92D" border="0" class="alignleft" src="http://karamtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/1_29_prepschoolconfi8bf92d.jpg?w=200&amp;h=300" height="300" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 6px; display: inline; height: auto; margin-top: 0.4em; max-width: 98%; padding: 10px;" width="200" /></a><a href="http://karamtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/wickedlittlesecretscover.jpg?w=200&amp;h=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="WICKEDLITTLESECRETSCover" border="0" class="size-medium wp-image-518 alignleft" src="http://karamtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/wickedlittlesecretscover.jpg?w=200&amp;h=300" height="300" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 6px; display: inline; height: auto; margin-top: 0.4em; max-width: 98%; padding: 10px;" width="200" /></a><a href="http://karamtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/deadly-little-sins-final-cover.jpg?w=200&amp;h=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Deadly Little Sins (FINAL COVER)" border="0" class="size-medium wp-image-565 alignleft" src="http://karamtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/deadly-little-sins-final-cover.jpg?w=200&amp;h=300" height="300" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 6px; display: inline; height: auto; margin-top: 0.4em; max-width: 98%; padding: 10px;" width="200" /></a></div>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/example-query-kara-taylor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-4108575281902983525Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-07-22T09:30:00.779-04:00booksHappy Release DayKelly FiorereadingHappy Release Day!!<div style="text-align: center;">Kelly Fiore's second novel, the fabulous <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18018509-just-like-the-movies">Just Like the Movies</a></i>, is out today!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3mIIaPdM4Jw/U8WVaAlcGKI/AAAAAAAAA_U/PcVIAKcqIvk/s1600/Fiore+-+Just+Like+the+Movies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3mIIaPdM4Jw/U8WVaAlcGKI/AAAAAAAAA_U/PcVIAKcqIvk/s1600/Fiore+-+Just+Like+the+Movies.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a></div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-release-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-3562673126751589352Fri, 18 Jul 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-07-18T09:30:01.012-04:00#askagentAsk Me AnythingQueriesrejectionswritingAsk Me Anything: How Many is Too Many Here's the question:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I've heard many people say that an agent rejection doesn't mean your manuscript is bad - it's just not a fit for that agent - but how many rejections does it take before a writer should start to reconsider their manuscript and either rewrite or abandon?</blockquote>This is a good question.<br /><br />What you've heard is true. And agent rejection doesn't necessarily mean your manuscript is bad. The same with editor rejections. We've all heard the great stories about books that are super successful and <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/stmartinspress/20-brilliant-authors-whose-work-was-initially-reje-7rut">got a lot of passes</a>.<br /><br />But you're right to start thinking that perhaps a certain number means a pattern.<br /><br />The tricky thing is that there is no set number.<br /><br />When I go on submission I send to a group of editors. If they all pass, I look at their reasons. If there are similar reasons, then I'll revise with the author and then submit to new editors. Then we might do the same thing again. The whole time, I tell the author to keep writing something <i>else</i>.<br /><br />You want to do something similar with queries.<br /><br />Query 10 agents. If you don't get requests, revise your query and first pages. Then query 10 more. If you get requests but then passes, have a beta reader read and send you some notes. Then revise your manuscript. Then query more agents, etc.<br /><br />All the while, work on something else.<br /><br />If you don't get an agent and you exhaust your query options and you feel like it's time to put this manuscript in the trunk, hopefully you've already got a new something else that's ready or almost ready to be queried.<br /><br />This is a long process. I know that sucks, but you're in it for the long haul.http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/ask-me-anything-how-many-is-too-many.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-7516687205894996393Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-07-14T09:30:02.395-04:00example queryGates of Thread and StoneI love my clientsLife as a Literary AgentLori M LeeQueriesExample Query: Lori M LeeIt's been a while since I shared a client query, but if you're looking for a good example, I have one for you. This one was written by my fabulous client, <a href="http://www.lorimlee.com/">Lori M Lee</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">A few weeks ago, Lisa Desrochers sent you some pages from my YA cyberpunk fantasy HARBINGER, and I was thrilled to hear you were interested in taking a look. I'm honored to have Lisa's referral, and I hope you'll enjoy the story. I wasn't sure how many of my pages Lisa sent you or what I should send now, so I figured I would just submit what's listed in your submission guidelines.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">People are disappearing in the city of Ninurta. Like the rest of the citizens, seventeen-year-old Kai pretends not to notice. With her own survival to worry about, she doesn't have much concern to spare. But when her brother vanishes, Kai will do whatever it takes to find him, including using the ability she promised her brother to keep secret—Kai can see and manipulate the threads of time.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">With the help of an annoying and distracting friend—distracting because he's beautiful, and annoying because he knows it—Kai discovers a secret war between Ninurta's governor and a rebel named the Black Rider. The Rider has been kidnapping Ninurtans and transforming them into cybernetically enhanced soldiers called Golems.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Kai sets out to find the Rider and discovers a shocking secret: the Rider is actually the Harbinger of Famine. And Kai? Not as human as she thought. Now, Kai will have to face down the Harbinger and uncover the link between herself and the secret war before her brother gets sent for dehumanization.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Equal parts sci fi and fantasy, HARBINGER is complete at 75,000 words. An excerpt from HARBINGER also won first place in the San Francisco RWA Heart-to-Heart contest in the YA category, and Adam Wilson at Harlequin Teen expressed interest in seeing the full manuscript. He informed me that while he recently moved to Simon&amp;Schuster, he would still like to see the manuscript and wants to forward it to Harlequin Teen.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">I included the first chapter below. Thank you so much for your interest, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing from you.</blockquote>This is interesting because there's a referral in the first line. It's important that if you use a referral that it's a real referral though. Every once in a while I get a query with a referral from one of my clients--and the client has no idea who the author is. So don't lie--you might get caught.<br /><br />Lori's referral was in fact true and I was very happy to receive her query.<br /><br />What I love about this query is that it's a really great example for a fantasy novel--or any novel with a lot of worldbuilding. Rather than start with her main character, Lori starts with a problem in a way that grounds me in the world: <i>People are disappearing in the city of Ninurta</i>.<br /><br />This query is predominantly about Kai. I get a strong sense of her personality and who she is in this world (and what she can do!) in a very quick span. Obviously this is a fantasy world, but it's Kai and her missing brother that I'm most interested in.<br /><br />Now the title of this novel changed and in revisions it became much more of a straight fantasy, but it's now called <i><a href="http://www.lorimlee.com/books/gates-of-thread-and-stone/">Gates of Thread and Stone</a></i>&nbsp;and will be released in August!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7uruHpMjdMQ/U3-kLtM256I/AAAAAAAAA0w/1Sgam-lhg0o/s1600/Lee+-+Gates+1+-+Gates+of+Thread+and+Stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7uruHpMjdMQ/U3-kLtM256I/AAAAAAAAA0w/1Sgam-lhg0o/s1600/Lee+-+Gates+1+-+Gates+of+Thread+and+Stone.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><br />http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/example-query-lori-m-lee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-3698494875084435679Mon, 07 Jul 2014 19:03:00 +00002014-07-07T15:03:23.837-04:00#askagentAsk Me Anythingcomp titlesLife as a Literary AgentQueriesAsk Me Anything: Comp TitlesHere's the question:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I'd like to offer comps in my query, but (honestly) I haven't read anything like my story in same or similar genres. How close do comps have to be?</blockquote><br />Here are my thoughts:<br /><br />I sort of hate this question. (It's not your fault, don't worry)<br /><br />But here's the thing. There's a huge problem with saying you haven't ready anything like your story. Taken literally, this means you're not very well read. OR there's nothing out there for a reason. <br /><br />I'm betting that what's actually happening is that you're a little too focused on comps and not thinking about it quite right. So that's what I'm going to address. You don't have to have a THIS MEETS THAT comparison (like Graceling meets The Selection which is how I pitched Victoria Aveyard's upcoming novel RED QUEEN).<br /><br />Instead you can have a "For fans of THIS and THAT" comparison. (For Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass, I pitched it for fans of Sara Zarr and Nina LaCour).<br /><br />So. Think about audience:<br /><br /><b>Who is going to read your book?<br /><br />Fans of what books/authors will also be a fan of you/your book?</b><br /><br />Cross off books and authors that have surpassed the mainstream tipping point and become a franchise (like Harry Potter, Twilight, Divergent, Hunger Games, John Green, etc). Those are exceptions since they're read by the non-reader population.<br /><br />You have to be able to come up with something in terms of a comp. Otherwise, you're book is too different and won't have an audience.http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/ask-me-anything-comp-titles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-5962685853751167346Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:31:00 +00002014-07-01T15:31:57.641-04:00#askagentAsk Me AnythingQueriesthe slush pileAsk Me Anything: The Slush PileThe question:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I hear a lot of mixed things about slush piles. What is the real, behind-the-scenes story of the submissions process? :)</blockquote><br />What kind of mixed things could you be hearing--that sounds scandalous!<br /><br />It's actually pretty simple. <br /><br />Writers send queries either via email or mail. <br /><br />The queries are read either by the agent him/herself or an assistant. <br /><br />If the agent loves the manuscript/non-fiction proposal, they'll call the author (mostly likely after stalking the author online). As long as that goes well, they'll offer representation. <br /><br />Some NL specific details:<br /><br />We still get a few snail mail queries but I'd say 99% of our queries come into our email (query[at]newleafliterary[dot]com). If that's an option I'd say email is the way to go. It's cheaper and faster.<br /><br />You don't have to be referred. About 95% of our clients have come to us from just a query and those first pages.<br /><br />Triple check your draft and read it aloud before you hit send. I always get a couple queries (each week!) where someone has replied with a desperate apology about spelling my name wrong or having a typo in the first sentence or not following directions.<br /><br />Secret: you want the assistant to be the one reading the queries. They request more. They're new and not jaded and exciting about finding a good project, even more than the agents like me who sometimes sit down to read queries at 1 am and think <i>I have too much to read already!</i>&nbsp;The assistants are also terrified of passing on something big and getting fired. (Ok that might sound extreme, but the last thing any assistant wants is to be the assistant that passed on The Hunger Games).&nbsp;<div><br />At NL we share manuscripts and projects we want to take on with the team. We talk foreign rights and film/TV and market and everything as a group. We like sharing expertise.<br /><br />I have decided to pass on manuscripts before because of either the phone call or online presence. This is a business and I work closely with all my authors. Even if that author could somehow guarantee that the project would make millions of dollars (which is impossible by the way), it wouldn't entice me to work with someone who is on the wrong side of crazy or a terrible human being. There are so many writers out there who are lovely and wonderful people. And I'd rather work with them.<div style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"><br /></div>Got any slush pile myths you want to run by me? Leave them in the comments and I'll let you know if they're fact or fiction.</div>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/07/ask-me-anything-slush-pile.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-2739496023078185737Tue, 17 Jun 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-06-17T09:30:01.829-04:00booksChelsea FineHappy Release DayNew AdultHappy Release Day!!Chelsea Fine's newest novel is out today: <i>Perfect Kind of Trouble</i><br /><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w3L2wSVSaig/U3-ocGwHVVI/AAAAAAAAA1M/_3HlQYgvPCE/s1600/Fine+-+Finding+Fate+2+-+Perfect+Kind+of+Trouble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w3L2wSVSaig/U3-ocGwHVVI/AAAAAAAAA1M/_3HlQYgvPCE/s1600/Fine+-+Finding+Fate+2+-+Perfect+Kind+of+Trouble.jpg" height="640" width="420" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I signed Chelsea several books ago for her YA novels, but every book she writes I like even more than the last one. This new adult book is a stand alone but set in the same world as <i>Best Kind of Broken</i>&nbsp;and the upcoming <i>Right Kind of Wrong.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chelsea does characters and relationships that make me laugh and tear up and smile, all in the same book. I'm so honored to be a part of this whole series.&nbsp;</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbH0fZ3MaxE/U3-pEOU60TI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/nwPO3IKDxVg/s1600/Fine+-+Finding+Fate+1+-+Best+Kind+of+Broken+ebook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbH0fZ3MaxE/U3-pEOU60TI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/nwPO3IKDxVg/s1600/Fine+-+Finding+Fate+1+-+Best+Kind+of+Broken+ebook.JPG" height="320" width="210" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t1dUtPUHgSY/U3-palaY7EI/AAAAAAAAA1g/fRlSsOX_Wrw/s1600/Fine+-+Finding+Fate+3+-+Right+Kind+of+Wrong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t1dUtPUHgSY/U3-palaY7EI/AAAAAAAAA1g/fRlSsOX_Wrw/s1600/Fine+-+Finding+Fate+3+-+Right+Kind+of+Wrong.JPG" height="320" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><br /></i>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/06/happy-release-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-4993501358273834861Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:34:00 +00002014-06-12T15:34:33.873-04:00#askagentAsk Me AnythingEditingQueriesRequested MaterialAsk Me Anything: Interpreting Rejections<div class="tr_bq">So it's really hard to interpret rejections. This is partly because you might be getting form rejections (even on full manuscripts) and that could mean anything from "I just don't love it" to "Your ms fell apart and I stopped reading at page 65."</div><br />Here's the question I got recently:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I've had a few agents read partials and say the writing was strong but they didn't fall in love with it. What does this really mean? And should I revise the pages or keep submitting to other agents?</blockquote><br />The first step to answering this question is to ask one of my own--Was this a form rejection or was it personalized feedback?<br /><br />Truthfully there is nothing from a form rejection that means anything. It's a canned response that's essentially pasted into the email. How do you know if it <i>is</i>&nbsp;a form?<br /><br />It will look something like this:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear AUTHOR,&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote>I finished reading YOUR MANUSCRIPT. Thank you for being so patient while I considered it for representation. I really love your premise. Unfortunately I don't feel it's quite right for my list. I'm regretfully going to pass.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote>Please don't take this rejection as a comment on your writing, because it isn't intended to be one. While your novel has merit, I am forced to give serious consideration to the realities of the marketplace when deciding which writers to represent. And I really have to be absolutely in love with every project I choose to take on.<br /><br /> Best of luck with this project and all your endeavors. Due to the volume of queries and submissions I receive, I'm unable to provide a personal evaluation and/or further explanation of my decision.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote>Good luck with your submissions.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote>Best,<br /> Suzie</blockquote>There is nothing in this email that is personal to you--other than your name and title which is how you know it's actually me responding and not a robot. If the rejection you have looks like this, it's not going to tell you much. You should keep revising, keep querying, and keep working on something new. Don't let this kind of form get you down.<br /><br />Now, in terms of personal feedback:<br /><br />If I do give personal feedback it's usually in between the first and second paragraph and I might comment on characters or the plot or maybe even the writing. I might include more notes at the bottom and I might even invite the author to revise and resubmit--or I might ask them to send me their next project if this one doesn't snag them an agent.<br /><br />Or occasionally I might say "I just don't love it"--so that writers know this is actually how I feel I usually add a "I know that's not helpful" line. Because feedback that's fixable is always easier to receive, right?<br /><br />So what should you do if you get a "I just don't love it" type of personal feedback from me or from another agent?<br /><br />If you've only heard it from one person, WAIT. I know waiting is tough. It is my least favorite thing. But wait it out. If you manuscript is with other agents, wait to hear back from them. See what they say about your book. This business is subjective. There are books out there that I just "haven't loved" and they're published. So someone <i>did love them.</i>&nbsp;It just wasn't me.&nbsp;In the mean time, work on something else.<br /><br />What should you do if you're getting similar feedback of "I just don't love it" from multiple agents?<br /><br />Since you're getting requests, that suggests that you have a good concept. This is when you want to think about revising. If more than one person is saying this, that means there's something about your manuscript that isn't doing its job--grabbing its readers. The truth is there are a lot of decent books out there. A lot of books that come across my desk are good. I request them and I read them and I might have some notes here and there, but they writing is good, the development works, the characters and world are all okay. But good or decent or okay doesn't cut it. I can only take on so many clients and so many books.<br /><br />Think about the stories that you love. What makes you love them? For me, it's usually the characters. I will follow a character that I love anywhere. Truly. I read Josh Bazell's&nbsp;<i>Beat the Reaper</i>&nbsp;a few years ago and it is not the typical kind of novel that I read (or it wasn't then, now I'd be happy to read the next&nbsp;<i>Beat the Reaper</i>, keep that in mind!). I loved that book. The writing is fabulous, the voice is amazing, and Dr. Peter Brown, I love that guy! (Past and Present versions).<br /><br />So if I were you I would start with your characters and see what you can do to make them more alive. Then look at your world--how can you make that more alive. Then look at your pacing--does every scene move the plot forward. &nbsp;Keep trying to make the book even stronger.<br /> http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/06/ask-me-anything-interpreting-rejections.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-4140003053971958851Thu, 15 May 2014 21:27:00 +00002014-05-15T17:27:18.915-04:00craftwritingWriting ConferencesGreat Writing ConferencesSomeone asked me recently if there were any great writing conferences they should know about. I go to some conferences, but I actually think other writers are going to be best equipped to answer that.<br /><br />Recently I was at <a href="http://chicagospringfling.com/">RWA Chicago North's Spring Fling</a> and was super impressed with the conference, especially the "hot night" critique session that I sat in on.<br /><br />But I also took the question to twitter. The questioner was asking specifically about conferences for YA writers.<br /><br />Some of the suggestions I got are:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.occbww.com/">Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop</a>The Western WA SCBWI<br /><a href="http://newengland.scbwi.org/">New England SCBWI</a><div><a href="http://epa.scbwi.org/">Poconos SCBWI retreat</a></div><div><a href="http://www.ruccl.org/">Rutgers conference</a></div><div><br /></div><div>But let's hear from you. In the comments let me know what are some great conferences that you've been to--not matter what you write.</div>http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/great-writing-conferences.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-7758620702504371993Tue, 13 May 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-05-13T09:30:01.804-04:00all lined upCora CarmackfootballHappy Release DayI love my clientsLife as a Literary AgentNew AdultThis is Your Lucky DayThere's not much out there that's better than spending a day with a Cora Carmack novel. Maybe <a href="http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Friday-Night-Lights-friday-night-lights-430408_1024_768.jpg">spending a day with this guy</a>...<br /><br />Only now there's a new Cora Carmack novel that reminds me of the very best things about a show that I <i>loved</i>&nbsp;(family relationships, Texas football, hot guys, strong female characters, etc) and all of the things I love about new adult (romance, college, hot guys, strong female characters, etc).<br /><br />And today, it's here.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhqel-vmhmc/Uynurlys3nI/AAAAAAAAAwk/1iA6auUB4z0/s1600/Carmack+-+Rusk+University+1+-+All+Lined+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dhqel-vmhmc/Uynurlys3nI/AAAAAAAAAwk/1iA6auUB4z0/s1600/Carmack+-+Rusk+University+1+-+All+Lined+Up.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first book in the Rusk University series, <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18505845-all-lined-up">All Lined Up</a></i>, is one of my new absolutely favorite novels. I know I'm biased, but it's amazing.&nbsp;</div><br />I mean it when I say you're going to love this book. Even if you know nothing and/or don't love football.http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/this-is-your-lucky-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261258513497755458.post-2555608442068014791Mon, 12 May 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-05-12T09:30:00.026-04:00#askagentAsk Me AnythinggenderLife as a Literary AgentYAyoung adultAsk Me Anything: YA ProtagonistsOkay this week's question is:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I'm working on a high-concept YA drama which I'm excited about. An industry person said if I changed the main character from a 16 year-old boy to a 16 year-old girl it could mean the difference between a hit and a massive hit, presumable because of THE HUNGER GAMES's and DIVERGENT's success with female leads. What do you think? Does it matter? FYI In my book's case, even though the lead is male, the three other main characters are female. GRACIAS!</blockquote>Well I'm all about high-concept YA drama so yay for that!<br /><br />The advice this industry person gave you is interesting. <i>The Hunger Games</i>&nbsp;and <i>Divergent </i>are good examples of series that have been a massive hit--and they do have female leads.<br /><br />But there are a few things to think about.<br /><br />First I want to address something that's not really part of your question: what <i>is</i>&nbsp;the difference between a "hit" and a "massive hit"?<br /><br />I'm not exactly sure how you define either--I imagine a lot of people have different viewpoints/thresholds. Regardless of the definition though, I think this is the <b>wrong</b>&nbsp;thing to focus on. The truth is that as an author a lot of the publishing process is out of your control. A lot is even out of the publisher's control.<br /><br />I can think of a number of books that got a big push from their publisher, that I saw everywhere, that I heard someone say "This is the next <i>Hunger Games!</i>" and whether the books were good or not, they did not reach <i>"Hunger Games </i>level" in terms of sales and fan mania.<br /><br />If you go into publishing looking for your book to be a massive hit, you're bound to be disappointed.<br /><br />But back to your question. At the root of it, you're asking will your book be more commercial if your protagonist is female.<br /><br />The answer is: possibly.<br /><br />I would like to say that it doesn't matter. After all, I'm interested in books that have male protagonists. I like them. I want there to be YA novels for teen boys out there. And I have a problem with telling anyone they should change the gender/race/sexual orientation of their main character for the sake of being more commercial.<br /><br />But the truth is that right now YA fiction is dominated by female protagonists, because it's also dominated by female readers.<br /><br /><i>Hunger Games </i>and <i>Divergent</i>&nbsp;have female protagonists as you mention. So do&nbsp;<i>Twilight</i>,&nbsp;<i>The Fifth Wave, A Fault in Our Stars, Shatter Me&nbsp;</i>and&nbsp;<i>The Selection. </i>Even in Cassandra Clare's novels, which have an ensemble cast, arguably the main characters are the female characters: Clary (in Mortal Instruments) and Tessa (in Infernal Devices).<br /><br />There are of course some exceptions. <i>The Maze Runner</i>&nbsp;and <i>Beautiful Creatures</i>&nbsp;both had male protagonists. Perhaps if John Green had written <i>A Fault in Our Stars</i>&nbsp;from Gus's perspective, it would be just as much of a "massive hit" as it is today. Or perhaps not--it's just not something that I can answer for you. There are a number of really amazing books with male protagonists that didn't take off the way maybe they should have. If I could wave a magic wand, Holly Black's <i>White Cat</i>&nbsp;series would have a movie adaptation and topping the bestseller lists (I <i>loved</i>&nbsp;those books!).<br /><br />In the end, you'll have to decide what to do with the gender of your protagonist yourself. If you want to think about it from specifically a strategic and commercial angle, I would suggest having a few beta readers, read the ms and get their feedback on whether they would have liked the plot more if the protagonist was female.<br /><br />Also as them to keeping the following things in mind while they read:<br /><br />Is this male protagonist a guy that YA readers can love?<br />Are there some amazing other female characters who are strongly represented throughout the story?<br /><div><br /></div>As much as I like money (<i>I do</i>), I'm in this for the love of books and the love of reading and storytelling. If I were you, I would think about what it is that made you fall in love with the story and what made you originally tell a male character's story. Then decide what you think you need to do for this story.<br /><br />Hopefully you're in this for the long term which means you can always write more books after this one. This feeling that success has to come overnight isn't accurate. After all, both Suzanne Collins, Rick Yancy, and John Green had wonderful books before they perhaps hit the "massive" level of success.http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/ask-me-anything-ya-protagonists.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Suzie Townsend)4
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