Tag: literary agent

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap September Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Featuring…

Live Bio Critiques with Eddie Melson

Social media expert Edie Melson, co-author of the best-selling Social Media for Today’s Writer, returns to Writers Chat to do live critiques of several writers’ bios. This episode follows up on our previous episode with Edie, “Every Writer Needs a Bio.” This hands-on advice will provide you with additional tips and ideas for creating, revising, and perfecting your own bios.

Watch the August 23rd replay.

Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers experiencing life through the lens of her camera. Her advice, “Find your voice, live your story.” Her bestselling eBook on social media has been updated, expanded, and re-released with co-author DiAnn Mills as Social Media for Today’s Writer. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and author of numerous books.

She’s quick to remind those she meets about the practical and personal applications of God’s infinite love. Visit her online at www.EdieMelson.com https://youtu.be/r9Ol5RnJkug                            

Understanding Literary Contracts with Chip MacGregor

In this episode of Writers Chat, Literary agent Chip MacGregor shares insights on understanding literary contracts and answers questions about the publishing industry. He discusses the six elements of a literary contract. Plus, Chip answered questions about Query Tracker, contracts for illustrators, sci-fi publishers, and how to negotiate your contract if you don’t have an agent. Check out this week’s replay for more information and resources.

Watch the September 6th replay.

Chip MacGregor, the president of MacGregor Literary, a former publisher with the Time-Warner Book Group and Hachette, and has been working in publishing since… the Coolidge Administration, apparently. He is the author of several books and a blog that was routinely named one of “the 101 best websites for writers.” It turns out the guy has done more than a thousand book contracts, represented titles on nearly every bestseller list (including hitting #1 on the New York Times and USA Today lists). Chip and his writer wife, Holly Lorincz live on the Oregon coast.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for March, Part 2

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers! 

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.” 

What It Takes to Win a Literary Agent’s “Yes!”

Cynthia Ruchti joins Writers Chat to share her perspective on the different aspects of the agent-author relationship. The foundation of her advice to writers is based on Galatians 5:22-23 which lists the “fruit of the Spirit.” Whether you’re a novice or a pro, this episode is sure to encourage and inspire in the writing journey God has placed you on.

Watch the March 16th replay.

Cynthia Ruchti tells stories-hemmed-in-hope through novels, nonfiction, devotionals, and speaking events for women, drawing on 33 years of experience writing and producing a scripted radio broadcast. Her more than 30 books have garnered retailer, reviewer, and reader awards. She serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and six grandchildren. Her tagline is, “I can’t unravel. I’m hemmed in hope.”

You can find Cynthia on social media or at https://www.cynthiaruchti.com

5 Ways to Live Me-Free in This Measure-Up Influencer World

Shannon Popkins joins us today on Writers Chat to present five ways we can elevate Jesus instead of ourselves while we build social media platforms and market our books.

In this inspirational presentation, Shannon uses measuring cups and Scripture as she encourages us to be “measured by the spout” instead of by the line. 

Watch the March 23rd replay.

Shannon Popkins is a writer, speaker, and Bible teacher who loves to blend her gifts for storytelling and humor with her passion for Jesus. She regularly speaks at Christian women’s events and retreats, inviting women to live like God’s Word is true.

Shannon is the author of Comparison Girl: Lessons from Jesus on Me-Free Living in a Measure-Up World, Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible, and co-author of Influence (Building a Platform That Elevates Jesus

(Not Me). She’s been featured on FamilyLife Today, Revive Our Hearts, and Proverbs 31.

You can find Shannon on social media or at www.ShannonPopkin.com 

Join us!

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

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Becoming an Author

Are Your Expectations for a Literary Agent Too High? Part 2

In the previous post, I discussed how you can prepare for a literary agent by approaching the relationship with the right expectations. If you have not had a chance to read that post, be sure to do so by clicking here.

As mentioned previously, agent preferences will vary from author to author. There is nothing wrong with having preferences when it comes to searching for an agent; however, a problem can arise if these preferences transform into high standards that are impossible for any agent to meet.

So how can you know if you are expecting standards that are too high for a potential agent to fulfill? Well, let’s take a look at the tasks that a literary agent is not required to fulfill.

Agents are not required to…

  • Guarantee a publishing deal. While agents should work hard in an effort to land a contract for their clients, the end result is ultimately out of their hands.
  • Edit your manuscript. Although this is not a requirement, there are some agents who are more hands-on and editorial than others.
  • Serve as a mentor for their clients’ writing career. This, too, will vary from agent to agent. (I personally like to view myself as a mentor for my clients by offering encouragement, advice, and support for their careers.)
  • Communicate with clients unless there is a specific reason for doing so (for example, if the agent has sent your book off on submission or received a response from an editor). However, this should never be an excuse for an agent to ignore his/her clients.
  • Accommodate to clients’ commands, specifically in regards to where their books should be sent—and when. (Writers should never treat their agent like a slave, nor should they act as though they know more about publishing than their agent. If a client does not trust that their agent is skilled in this area, that is a sign that the agent is simply not a right fit for the writer.) There is, however, nothing wrong with requesting that your agent send your project to specific publishing houses.
  • Serve as a brainstorming partner. Again, there are some agents who are more hands-on and are happy to offer their ideas and suggestions concerning your works in progress—but this is not a requirement.
  • Serve as a brainstorming partner in other areas, such as branding and marketing.

If you can approach the submission process by first having a clear understanding as to the requirements of an agent, you will then hopefully have a solid foundation of which you can begin to build your agent preferences. Thus, you will have the direction and vision you need when it comes to choosing the agent that will be best for you. And with a healthy author/agent relationship, you will be well on your way to achieving your publishing dreams.

I would love to hear your thoughts! What are your top preferences when it comes to choosing a literary agent? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Are Your Expectations for a Literary Agent Too High? Part 1

When I meet with writers at writing conferences, they aren’t always afraid to share why they want a literary agent.  

I want an agent who can help me become a bestselling author.

I want an agent who can serve as my energetic cheerleader, offering encouragement when I face self-doubt.

There’s nothing wrong with having certain expectations as you search for an agent. In fact, it’s a good thing! It’s important, as an aspiring author, to go into an agent/author relationship with certain goals and refuse to settle for an agent who cannot help you attain your author vision.

But what if you never find the perfect agent?

Let’s say you’ve received interest from multiple agents and realize none of those are “good enough” for you. Or what if, after signing with an agent, you soon realize this agent just isn’t meeting your expectations? Do you then call it quits and try to find one who might do a better job at fulfilling your requests?

Yes, it is important for aspiring authors to refuse to settle—but at the same time, overly-high standards can cause frustration to both the agent and the author.

Relationships that are focused on what the other person can grant us never turn out well. And when we demand unreasonable expectations in a relationship, then guess what? We will never learn how to have a healthy relationship. We will never be content, because we will always focus on what the other person doesn’t provide rather than what they do provide.    

So as an aspiring author, how can you set expectations that are both reasonable and necessary?

To answer that question, let’s take a look at what the job of a true literary agent entails.

A true literary agent should…

  • only receive 10 – 15% from their clients’ income on book deals they have secured (book advances and royalties). This means they should never ask for an upfront fee.
  • help their authors make wise decisions based on the current state of the market
  • shop their authors’ books to the right editors and secure the best publishing deals
  • negotiate publishing contracts on behalf of the author
  • support the author’s vision
  • keep the author informed as to when their projects are submitted and which house they have submitted to
  • stay informed on the publishing landscape
  • build relationships with editors at publishing houses
  • provide their authors with career advice, encouragement, and support
  • resolve potential conflict that may arise between an author and acquisitions editor
  • only send projects that are ready for submission

These are the standards by which aspiring authors should build their expectations. However, each agent is different. Agents have various work styles, methods of organizing the submission process, and personalities. Some agents are more hands-on and known as editorial agents, while others would prefer that their clients’ projects are professionally edited beforehand.  

The agent preferences will vary from author to author. There’s nothing wrong with this; however, a problem may arise when these preferences become high standards that are impossible for any agent to meet.

In the next post, we will discuss the tasks that literary agents are not required to fulfill. Hopefully this will help you to enter the submission process with a level head and healthy expectations. You will approach a new agent/author relationship with the right attitude, less likely to be disappointed, and ready to work with this agent for the long haul. 

What kind of expectations do you think it’s important to set when shopping for literary agents? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

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Writing for YA

The Path to Publication: Interview with Agent and Author Hope Bolinger

Today I am talking with Hope Bolinger. She’s an author of young adult novels as well as a literary agent with C.Y.L.E. I find her blog posts to be full of useful information and an inspiration as I travel along the writer’s path. Her novel Blaze came out last month.

DJS: As you were going through the publishing process of Blaze, what was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned?

HB: Such a good question! I would say, I learned just how many rounds a book has to go through to get to that contract. When I first started writing as a teen I thought it went: get an agent after you send one email, they send it to a publishers, publisher looks it over and says, “Eh, looks good.” I mean, that’s sort of how it goes, but there are many other intermediate stages involved.

DJS: I am persistent, and believe this tendency has kept me focused on my goals. What personal character trait or traits have been useful to you as a writer? What is one important trait necessary for a writer to make it in the publishing world today?

HB: Oh, persistence. Persistence, persistence, persistence. But also, hope. Yes, my name is Hope, so I do have a pun in there, but it really carries you a long way. When you get rejection letter after rejection letter, you want to quit. But if you have hope, you can keep going, no matter what.

DJS: How did going through the journey to publication yourself affect the way you approach your job as an agent?

HB: It really helps me to empathize with whatever my clients go through. I started as an author before I became an agent, so I know every step of the way to getting an agent, meeting with publishers, and getting them to like your book. It breaks my heart because I know how much they have to endure, but it also gives them a shoulder to cry on.

DJS: I love a character who makes me laugh and cry, like good-hearted Anne Shirley (of the original books, please!) or the quirky Mr. Monk. Who is one of your favorite fictional characters and what made you fall in love with them?

HB: This is so hard, but I have to go with Anne of Green Gables. She’s just so wonderful. She has an imagination and such energy. I feel like I’m often more of a subdued version of her.

A kindred spirit! Thank you for visiting with us, Hope, and congratulations on your new book.

Guys, you can read more about Hope and her book in an interview we did a few weeks ago for my personal blog here.

Hope Bolinger is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. and a recent graduate of Taylor University’s professional writing program. More than 350 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer’s Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her column “Hope’s Hacks,” tips and tricks to avoid writer’s block, reaches 6,000+ readers weekly and is featured monthly on Cyle Young’s blog. Her modern-day Daniel, “Blaze,” (Illuminate YA) just released, and they contracted the sequel for 2020. Find out more about her here.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.

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Heard It Through The Hartline

Choosing the Best Book Title

Recently a client and I went back and forth several times until we settled on a title for her fiction book.

Our goal was to choose the best book title that connected the plot and storyline to the reader. We felt it important to make a strong connection.

Authors are often tempted to choose an esoteric or uber creative title, but better than a “woo woo” title is a plain and simple one. Choosing a line from the book is often a good choice.

Nonfiction titles can be easier, but not always. Ask yourself what the “take away’ is for your reader and create a title that is most likely to connect with that.

It has been said a reader takes two seconds to choose whether to buy a book or not.

[bctt tweet=”It takes a reader two seconds to choose whether to buy a book or not. #title #writer” via=”no”]

Avatar, Twilight, The Help, Jesus Calling, Eat, Pray, Love, and Situation Maid are all examples of one to three word titles that worked well.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The Time Travelers Wife, The Memory Keepers Daughter. Great titles that solidly connect to the subject of the book and hint to the reader what the book is about.

The cover photo helps out as well as the back of the book blurb, but the title is the most memorable.

And always remember, read it out loud. Does it sound good?

The Map Across Time and The Unraveling of Wentwater, fairytales by C. S. Lakin, are two well named in her Gates of Heaven series.

We All Married Idiots – 3 Things You Will Never Change About Your Marriage & 10 Things You Can by Elaine Miller certainly catches the eye and hearts of those passing by.

Remember the childhood autographs that went something like this:

He Fell Off the Cliff by Eileen Dover

Rusty Bed Springs by I.P. Freeley

Help With Math by Cal Q’later

Enjoy this page: Books That Were Never Written from the Boy Scouts Trail blog. I like this one best, I think: ‘Sitting on the Beach’ by Sandy Cheeks