The following is Writers House Agent Rebecca Sherman’s list of Do’s and Don’ts for querying a literary agent. She shared this list at the 2010 SCBWI OC Agent Day: DO: Begin with the kind of description that would appear on the back of your book or jacket flap. Tell me some brief biographical information. Tell…
Agents
Agent Day: Insight from Agent Mary Kole
Andrea Brown agent, Mary Kole spoke at the SCBWI Agent Day this past Saturday in Newport Beach. She shared her genuine passion for children’s literature, what she’s specifically looking to find in her submission box, and her love for the iPad. A Little About Mary Kole and the Andrea Brown Agency: Andrea Brown has been…
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SCBWI Agent Day: The Quick Take-Away
I just spent the day in Newport Beach, at the Orange Country SCBWI Agent’s Day. This great event included presentations by four fantastic kidlit agents including Mary Kole of the Andrea Brown Agency, Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, Rebecca Sherman of Writers House, and Brenda Bowen from Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Each…
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Dan Lazar: Crafting a Winning Query Letter
Writing a query letter always feel like a chore. How can I distil the essence of my book into one short page? In fact sometimes it feels like writing a query is harder than writing the book. But Writers House agent, Dan Lazar, points out that if you can write a good book, then you can write a good…
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A Talk With Three Literary Agents
Every year the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) sponsor an agent night. This year’s agent representatives were Sally Van Haitsman, Angela Rinaldi, and Natalie M. Fischer, who all represent a variety of work from picture books to YA, to adult and non-fiction, as well as memoir and romance novels. The following is their point…
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Quote of the Week: Sarah Davies
“There is more reward in fighting through the pain of revision than giving up and starting something new.” – Sarah Davies Sarah Davies is an agent at Greenhouse Literary, who represents and manages the careers of authors writing fiction for children, from young chapter-book series through middle grade novels to sophisticated teen fiction. Her clients…
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Submitting to a Literary Agent
Literary Agent, Kelly Sonnack, of the Andrea Brown Agency shared the following list of Do’s and Don’ts for submitting to a literary agent at the 2009 SCBWI LA Conference. Before Submitting: Become part of a critique group. Get feedback on your work. Agents do not want to be your first read. Get your book to be as…
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Five Things an Editor or Agent Looks for in the First Five Pages
At the 2009 SCBWI Los Angeles Conference, editor Courtney Bongiolatti (Simon and Schuster), and agent Dan Lazar (Writer’s House) shared their views on what they look for in young adult and middle grade book openings. It all boils down to five main ingredients: 1) Age Immediately understanding the age of your character helps the agent/editor to get…