Anatomy of A Query Rejection
This June, I taught a query workshop at Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s Lit Fest. Afterward, one participant approached and asked me to read a response letter she had received (not from me). She wanted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Like Finding Loose Change in the Sofa – Kind of
So just this week, we received an outstanding Australian royalty statement for one of our clients that had been missing. Because we actually track, review, and audit our statements, even foreign ones...
View ArticleBecause Agents Are Human – Article 1
Just as the title suggests, because agents are also human beings, they are going to embody both good and bad traits found in human nature. No one is perfect. And as some authors have discovered, some...
View ArticleGuest Post by Angie Hodapp: Authors, Do You Know Where Your Money Is?
Every six months, you get an envelope from your agent. You tear it open, take out the enclosed check and royalty statement, and glance at the numbers on both. You shrug and mutter, “Guess that looks...
View Article#querywin – An MG Novel Sparks Memory
This week I requested a full manuscript for a middle grade children’s novel. When I was reading, I was instantly captured by the voice of the narrator. So original. But I see good writing all the time....
View ArticleBecause Agents Are Human Too – Article 2
August’s topic might be the most controversial. At the very least, I imagine opinions will vary widely, and I welcome any conversation this might spark. For an agent to be successful, she has to...
View ArticleA Digital Love Story of Survivability
The following would have been impossible even seven years ago: This week I sold the film/tv rights for a memoir that a major publisher took out-of-print in 2013. But because of the indie-publishing...
View ArticleBecause Agents Are Human Too – Part 3
This month’s topic is the hardest to quantify, because when an agent offers representation, it will be difficult for a writer to ascertain his or her financial viability. This is often knowledge that...
View ArticleBackspace’s Karen Dionne Tells You The Best Way to Leave Your Agent
For many authors, the thought of voluntarily ending their relationship with their literary agent can be heartbreaking—especially if their agent search was long and difficult, or if they genuinely like...
View ArticleA Query That landed A Mid-6 Figure YA Book Deal
Emily Easton at Crown Books for Young Readers has won, at auction, Scott Reintgen’s debut science fiction young adult trilogy beginning with THE BLACK HOLE OF BROKEN THINGS. In the novel, a Detroit...
View Article#1 Reason I Pass Even If The Writing Is Good
I’m not sure this has ever been said aloud…. For submissions, I’m pretty certain that writers assume that if the writing is good, an agent is going to be interested in offering representation to the...
View Article#2 Reason I Pass Even If The Writing Is Good
Writers tend to assume that good writing trumps all when it comes to getting an offer of representation. Not true. Here is the #2 reason I will pass on a full manuscript even if the writing itself is...
View Article3 Strategies For Your Post NaNoWriMo Project – From An Agent’s Perspective
You pounded out 50,000 words or more in the month of November. You rocked NaNoWriMo. Huge Congrats! But wait, before you press send, here are three things to consider: Strategy #1: Consider the...
View ArticleSending A Rejection Email Is Sometimes The Worst Thing Ever
Last week, I just had to share on Facebook and Twitter an article I saw in Publishers Weekly called “Trying To Find A Literary Agent Is the Worst Thing Ever.” I had a sneaking suspicion that it would...
View ArticleYour Writing Should Not Be Your Main Source of Validation For Who You Are as...
I think this can be the most debilitating mistake an aspiring writer can make. There be dragons if you start down this mental path. I recently gave a talk to Regis University’s MFA in Creative Writing...
View Article2015 End-Of-Year Stats!
It’s that magic time of year when I tally up the numbers and share Kristin’s Yearly Stats! Apologies for being so slow to get this posted. 37 : total number of New York Times bestsellers (up from 33...
View Article#1 Reason We Requested Only 216 Sample Materials In 2015
At the beginning of 2015, I implemented new submissions guidelines. Instead of reading queries and then requesting sample pages, I now request that authors include the first ten pages of their...
View ArticleWhy I Can’t Tweet My Manuscript Wish List
If you’re a writer on Twitter, you probably know that #MSWL is a popular hashtag. It’s how lots of agents and editors broadcast their submission wish lists. I love it! But I can say with complete...
View ArticleWhy It’s Dangerous To Think That “Diverse Books” is the Latest Hot Trend
Just recently, PW published an article in which agents shared their thoughts on children’s books and YA trends. Although I’m quite tickled that so many agents are seeing lots of submissions featuring...
View ArticleFormer Egmont Authors: Check Your Royalty Statements
Publishing is a complex business with a lot of moving parts. Every contract is unique, and most errors we find on royalty statements are caused by data-entry mishaps that occur when contract terms are...
View Article
