Debut Author Interview: Tirzah Price and Pride and Premeditation Giveaway and IWSG Post

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I’m thrilled to have debut author Tirzah Price here to share about her YA historical mystery Pride and Premeditation. I was able to get an e-ARC through Netgalley. This is a fantastic, page-turning mystery. I loved that it was a retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in such a refreshing way. And I really felt for Lizzie, who finds a way to be independent, in a time when women were not free like we are now. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.

When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.

Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.

IWSG Post

 

Before I get to my interview with Jennifer, I have my IWSG post.

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts for the March 3rd posting of the IWSG are  Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, JQ and me.

Optional Question: Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?

When I started writing middle grade and young adult fantasy, I only read in those genres. But then I went through a reading crisis after I lost my husband. I later learned that this is a common part of grief. For awhile I could only read adult mysteries, thrillers, and some contemporary.

As time has gone on, I have thankfully been able to read middle grade and young adult fantasy again. I also read more widely. I read more contemporary and mysteries in MG and YA as well as the same genres in adult fiction.

I read in my genre and ones I may want to write in because I think it’s important to read in the genres you write. And I enjoy them. I also read adult books because I like them a lot and sometimes I need to see myself as an adult in the characters I read. I’ve always loved to read a lot since I first learned to read and mainly read for the pleasure of it. I read almost every day and have for most of my life. I really don’t know what I’d do without it.

What about you? What do you like to read?

Interview With Tirzah Price

Hi Tirzah! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

Thanks so much for having me! I’ve always been a big YA reader and writer, although I didn’t get serious about writing until college. I applied to Vermont College of Fine Art’s MFA program for Writing for Children & Young Adults because so many of my favorite YA writers have graduated from that program. It was life-changing, and gave me the confidence and skills to go from starting novels to actually finishing them!

2. That’s so awesome that you decided to pursue your dreams. Where did you get the idea for Pride and Premeditation?

I’ve always enjoyed retellings and genre mash ups, and I’m a big fan of YA ahistorical novels that bring a bit of a modern sensibility to a historical period or classic work. I also really wanted to write a mystery, so the idea of writing a murder mystery retelling of Pride & Prejudice seemed too fun to pass up!

3. I’m thinking that I want to write a mystery too. Tell us a bit about your writing process for this book. Did you plot it out or were you a pantser? How long did it take you to get it to the point where you felt you could query?

Pride and Premeditation isn’t actually my first novel, but my third! I wrote two YA novels before it—

my first got me my agent, and both went on submission but unfortunately didn’t sell. I generally consider myself a plotter, and I had to get very structured with writing this mystery. I worked on a detailed chapter outline where everything worked and came together before drafting, and then I had a lot of revision.

4. Lizzie must solve a murder mystery to convince her father that he should hire her as a solicitor. How did you plot out the clues and twists of who the murderer was? Do you have any tips or books you recommend for other writers who want to write a mystery?

Writing a mystery is hard! When creating my outline for Pride and Premeditation (and the sequels), I usually start out with the broad strokes. I know who the villains are, and their motives, and I work backwards to the moment when the protagonists learn of the crime. Some tips and tricks I’ve picked up: It’s good to make sure that all of the characters have a secret or two that may or may not relate to the mystery at hand, and they can make for good red herrings. When it comes down to the nitty gritty of the clues, it helps to think about your settings, and how the villain might think of react in the moment of the crime—what do they leave behind? What do they overlook? How can a sharp-eyes sleuth pick up on these details? At this stage, I usually break my outline down in an excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the clues! I’ve never managed to write a good mystery in the first draft, either. For me, the magic happens in revision when I can make sure everything connects in an exciting and satisfying way.

5. Those are great tips! Lizzie is such a sympathetic, intelligent girl who has to try to stay independent in a world where women were expected to get married and take care of their husbands and kids. Did you have any trouble finding the balance between her desire to be an independent girl with the constraints of her time?

Yes! It’s partly why I chose to make the setting ahistorical. In reality, young ladies wouldn’t have been able to pursue careers in law—most didn’t work outside of the home, and those who did weren’t part of the upper class. Lizzie wouldn’t have been able to solve the mystery without causing a huge scandal and ruining her reputation, so I decided to take some liberties. Besides, real change has only ever happened because of the brave women who forged a path outside of what society expected of them. Even though Lizzie is (mostly) supported by her family and friends in her endeavors to build a career, there are still so many societal expectations and cultural bounds she runs up against, and I think that’s still true for a lot of people, even today.

6. Your agent is Taylor Martindale Keen. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?

Taylor is wonderful! When I graduated from VCFA in 2015, I took about a year to revise my YA novel that I wrote while in the program, and I began querying agents the traditional way. Taylor was one of three to read my query and eventually offer representation, and I knew from the first phone call I wanted to work with her. She’s been a wonderfully loyal and supportive agent, especially as the first two YA books I sent her unfortunately didn’t sell. I’m grateful to her for sticking with me until we finally landed on a project that made it to publication!

7. That’s great that she stuck with you until you found the right manuscript to debut with. How are you planning to market your book? What advice do you have to other authors looking to debut or release a subsequent book during these changing times?

These are indeed changing times, and my biggest thanks to everyone taking the time to support debut authors right now! The message I’ve always hoped to send to readers with Pride and Premeditation, and the sequels, is that these are fun mysteries for fans of Austen’s work, but they’re also just plain fun if you have never read a Jane Austen novel. Don’t feel as though you have to be familiar with the source material to pick up the books—in fact, I don’t mind if reading Austen isn’t your favorite. I’m lucky to have the support of my fellow 2021 debuts, the 21ders, and a huge shoutout to the 2020 debuts who forged this new path of debuting in the pandemic for us. One of the great things that these times have shown us is that virtual events are really fun, and they can be done from anywhere, with people who live far away from you. I think anyone debuting should embrace their writer friendships and remember it’s a lot easier to do this if you have a supportive community.

8. Has it been any harder to write the second book in your series now that you are writing under contract? What have you learned that has helped you write a manuscript when you have a deadline to meet?

It’s been a bit more difficult in that when writing book two, I’m also working on revisions and production timelines for book one, and when looking at starting book three, I’m also still working on book two and launching book one…so it’s a balancing act! But one of the benefits is that I have a wonderful team at HarperTeen, and my editor and her assistants have been great about answering questions at the brainstorming phase and helping troubleshoot plot problems at the outline phase. Luckily, I have experience with writing on deadlines through my day job, and I think so many years of working towards publication while balancing a personal life and various jobs has made me pretty disciplined, so I am in the habit of writing consistently and towards a goal.

9. That’s great that your publisher has been so supportive. What are you working on now?

At this moment, I’m revising Sense and Second-Degree Murder, which will be out in 2022! Very soon I hope to start drafting Manslaughter Park, due out in 2023, and in between all of that I’m hoping to write something brand new!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Tirzah. You can find Tirzah at:

TirzahPrice.com

Twitter/com/tirzahprice

Instagram.com/Tirzah.Price

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19982385.Tirzah_Price

https://bookriot.com/author/tirzah-price/

Giveaway Details

Tirzah has generously offered a signed hardback (pre-order) of Pride and Premeditation for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by March 20th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The giveaway is U.S.

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Monday, March 8th I have an interview with author Donna Galanti and a giveaway of her MG fantasy Unicorn Island

Monday, March 15th I have a guest post by debut author Merriam Sarcia Saunders and her agent Caryn Wiseman with a query critique giveaway by Caryn and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Trouble with a Tiny t by Merriman

Tuesday, March 16th I’m participating in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, March 17th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jennifer Herrington and a query critique giveaway

Monday, March 22nd I have an interview with debut author Christina Li and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Clues to the Universe

Wednesday, March 24th I have an interview with publisher Maria Dismondy of Cardinal Rule Press

Monday, March 29th I have an interview with debut author Jessica Olsen and a giveaway of her YA fantasy Sing Me Forgotten

Hope to see you on Monday!

 

 

 

 

Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Today I'm thrilled to be participating in the Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop hosted by The Mommy Island and The Kids Did It. Who couldn’t use some luck these days? I’m hoping we all get lucky and are able to get vaccinated as soon as possible so that we can stay healthy and see everyone we love and miss.

I’ve got a lot of exciting newly releases MG and YA book choices this month to help you get through this month.

FYI I am starting to participate in two book giveaway blog hops every month so that I can feature more books that you'll hopefully want to read. You can enter my other giveaway by clicking on the link in the Current Giveaways at the top of the blog. 

 

Here are the newly released MG and YA books I'm offering in this giveaway hop. You can also choose another book in the series by these authors. You can find descriptions of these books on Goodreads. Here are your choices:

If you haven't found a book you want, you can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Giveaway Details

 One lucky entrant selected by the entry form will receive a book of their choice listed above or a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Open to entrants internationally as long as Book Depository ships to you for free, 13 years and older. Open for entry from 3/02 – 3/16/2021 at 11:59 pm EST. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The selected winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email to claim this prize or a new winner will be selected.

Please note that you must be a blog follower and leave a blog comment to enter the contest. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Wednesday, March 3rd I have an interview with debut author Tirzah Price here to share about her YA historical mystery Pride and Premeditation and my IWSG post

Monday, March 8th I have an interview with author Donna Galanti and a giveaway of her MG fantasy Unicorn Island

Monday, March 15th I have a guest post by debut author Merriam Sarcia Saunders and her agent Caryn Wiseman with a query critique giveaway by Caryn and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Trouble with a Tiny t by Merriman

Tuesday, March 16th I’m participating in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, March 17th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jennifer Herrington and a query critique giveaway

Monday, March 22nd I have an interview with debut author Christina Li and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Clues to the Universe

Wednesday, March 24th I have an interview with publisher Maria Dismondy of Cardinal Rule Press

Monday, March 29th I have an interview with debut author Jessica Olsen and a giveaway of her YA fantasy Sing Me Forgotten

Hope to see you tomorrow!

And here's all the other blogs participating in this blog hop:

 

 

 

 

Guest Post: Agent Allison Hellegers and Debut Author Sam Taylor and We Are the Fire and Query Critique Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author Sam Taylor and her agent Allison Hellegers here to share about Sam’s debut YA We Are the Fire. It sounds like a story with fantastic world building and a unique magic system. I’m excited to read it.

Here’s a burb from Goodreads:

As electrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sam Taylor's explosive fantasy debut We Are the Fire is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and the legend of Spartacus.

In the cold, treacherous land of Vesimaa, children are stolen from their families by a cruel emperor, forced to undergo a horrific transformative procedure, and serve in the army as magical fire-wielding soldiers. Pran and Oksana―both taken from their homeland at a young age―only have each other to hold onto in this heartless place.

Pran dreams of one day rebelling against their oppressors and destroying the empire; Oksana only dreams of returning home and creating a peaceful life for them both.

When they discover the emperor has a new, more terrible mission than ever for their kind, Pran and Oksana vow to escape his tyranny once and for all. But their methods and ideals differ drastically, driving a wedge between them. Worse still, they both soon find that the only way to defeat the monsters that subjugated them may be to become monsters themselves.

Now here’s Sam and Allison!

Sam’s Story

My journey to traditional publishing is anything but traditional, because I signed with my literary agent (and for a different book!) after I had my book deal for WE ARE THE FIRE.

I’d tried querying WAtF with agents and while there’d been some interest, I didn’t receive any offers of representation. But I still believed in this book and wanted to give it another chance—and my critique partners and beta readers had loved it. I thought, “Readers enjoy this book, maybe readers can help me get it published.” And they did! I posted WAtF to the Swoon Reads website, where readers could rate and comment on manuscripts… and stories with positive reviews could grab the attention of an editor. Mine did, and Emily Settle, an editor with Swoon Reads (and its parent imprint, Feiwel & Friends) reach out to me saying Swoon Reads wanted to publish my book!

So I had that book deal I’d been chasing for years, but I knew I still wanted an agent partner: someone experienced in the business side of publishing, who knew contracts, markets, and the right questions to ask to ensure that my books received the best support. When I had another manuscript ready, I was back to querying… and it was thanks to my Swoon Reads contacts that I finally found and signed with my (amazing!!) agent, Alli Hellegers.

A few months after joining the Swoon Reads team, one of my fellow authors mentioned that a longtime

friend of hers, who’d been in publishing for 17 years at the time, had decided to become a literary agent (and with Stimola Literary Studio, no less). Though Alli was still a couple months away from officially opening to queries, any of us Swoon Reads authors were invited to query her in advance.

Yes, please! I’m a big believer in taking any opportunity that comes your way, no matter how unusual, because you never know where it might lead. I queried Alli with my new manuscript, an Icelandic historical fantasy packed with witches and Viking-age magic. Turns out Alli adores Iceland as well (yes!!!) and quickly asked for the full. A few weeks later, she made that unicorn offer I’d chased for years: agent representation.

Though Alli is new to agenting, because she’s been in the industry for so long, she has the experience I’d been looking for: she’s well-versed in the market, she has both US and foreign connections, and She. Knows. Contracts. While I can craft entirely new worlds from a blank page, with magical characters and wild adventures, pouring through a 20+ page contract full of legalese is overwhelming. There, I wanted someone who knew what they’re doing.

And even though my partnership with Alli began with a different book, she’s still been amazingly helpful when it comes to WE ARE THE FIRE, joining in conversations with my team at Swoon Reads, especially when it comes to the all-important marketing and publicity. That’s a good agent! I’m beyond lucky to have Alli on my team.

Alli’s Story

Thanks, Sam for those comments! It was such a pleasure to get Sam’s YA novel, WICKED IS THE WITCH, previous to opening up widely to submissions in North America. Most of my background in publishing has been in foreign sales, having worked in rights for the majority of my publishing career. Scandinavia was one of the markets I sold in directly for my previous job, Rights People, and I had the opportunity to travel to all countries there, including Iceland. I fell in love with the country, the nature, and the magic of the landscape. On top of that, I’ve always had a love for all things witchy, so it felt like Sam’s story was made just for me (and also for that younger version of myself). She was one of the first clients I signed, and it’s been such a pleasure to represent someone so creative, hard-working, and focused on always growing as a writer. I could read her fantasy worldbuilding, including her descriptions of baked goods from said world, all day!  

Although I’ve been working in rights for 20 years, I didn’t make the switch to agenting authors directly till I joined Stimola Literary Studio in August 2019. While I adored getting to know the foreign market and helping to launch so many author’s careers around the globe, I also was so drawn to representing authors myself. I had been working on behalf of UK, foreign, and Australian agents and publishers to sell rights back to North American editors, so I was fortunate to know the landscape before I made the switch. Rosemary Stimola (who I knew since my job as a literary scout) happened to be an agent whose career and perspective I greatly admired, and I was over the moon when she asked me to join the Studio. I’m also delighted to be helping other Studio clients with foreign rights as part of my new role.

So far, I’ve been selling mostly middle grade and YA novels, and I’m taking on a few picture books and also adult fiction and non-fiction. It would probably be easier if I specialized in one thing, but my passions are broad, and I love to fall for projects that I’m not expecting to arrive in my inbox. I’m a big fan of voice-driven, boundary-pushing fiction that can fit in multiple categories and cross age-groups, but I still need to have a vision for how it will fit in the current marketplace. I’m drawn to things that are joyful and offer meaning, but I don’t stray from darker storylines and genres. So, twisty mysteries, thrillers, and horror are fine – but the writing has to evoke multiple feelings and emotions, including humor and/or joy in order to appeal. As a very visual person, I always enjoy unique storytelling structures, graphic novels, and novels in verse, as they tend to work well for my way of processing story. And with so much competition to devices these days, I’m excited to help find creative ways to captivate children, including my own videogame obsessed eight-year-old boy.

Overall, I strive to have a nurturing and transparent relationship with my clients. I can provide both editorial and/or big picture notes, depending on client and need, and it would be a big joy to also sell my own client’s works widely around the globe. Mostly, I’m looking to help good people make good books, and if I can help propel diverse and #ownvoices creators, then it’s just all the more rewarding!

Sam on Instagram: @jsamtaylorauthor

Sam on Twitter: @jsamtaylor

Sam’s Website: www.samtaylorwrites.com

Buy WE ARE THE FIRE!

Alli on Twitter: @allidhellegers

Stimola Literary Studio: www.stimolaliterarystudio.com

Giveaway Details

Sam’s publisher has generously offered a hardback of We Are the Fire and Allison has offered a query critique for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by March 6th. If you do not want to be included in the critique giveaway, please let me know in the comments. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The book giveaway is U.S. and the query critique giveaway is international. 

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Tuesday, March 2nd I’m participating in the Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, March 3rd I have an interview with debut author Tirzah Price here to share about her YA historical mystery Pride and Premeditation and my IWSG post

Monday, March 8th I have an interview with author Donna Galanti and a giveaway of her MG fantasy Unicorn Island

Monday, March 15th I have a guest post by debut author Merriam Sarcia Saunders and her agent Caryn Wiseman with a query critique giveaway by Caryn and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Trouble with a Tiny t by Merriman

Wednesday, March 17th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jennifer Herrington and a query critique giveaway

Monday, March 22nd I have an interview with debut author Christina Li and a giveaway of her MG contemporary Clues to the Universe

Wednesday, March 24th I have an interview with publisher Maria Dismondy of Cardinal Rule Press

Monday, March 29th I have an interview with debut author Jessica Olsen and a giveaway of her YA fantasy Sing Me Forgotten

Hope to see you Tuesday, March 2nd!

 

 

Agent Spotlight: Pam Gruber Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Pam Gruber here. She is a literary agent at Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

Hi­ Pam! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Pam:

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent.

I joined IGLA as a literary agent in May of 2020, because there’s nothing like a pandemic to make you reexamine your priorities! I realized that my favorite part of the publishing business is working directly with authors and artists, helping them to shape not only their stories, but also their careers. Since then, I’ve been eagerly building my list of clients and revising their manuscripts to submit later this year, as well as connecting with editors to ensure I can get each project into the right hands when the time comes. Before becoming an agent, I worked in editorial for over 12 years, most recently as the Editorial Director at Rebel Girls, and as a Senior Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

About the Agency:

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors.

I chose to join IGLA because of its incredible collaborative spirit. Any author working with one agent gets the brainpower and support of the entire team when it comes to making the right editorial contacts, devising submission lists, and strategizing the best deal terms. We have strong relationships in subrights and film as well, and always think about an author’s career holistically, not just one book at a time. 

More formally, the IGLA list includes all kinds of fiction — both commercial and literary — topical nonfiction, social issues, pop culture, cookbooks, design, middle grade and young adult books, and anything that captures our interest. We have more bestselling authors than ever before, both in the U.S. and abroad, and the numbers continue to climb.

At the end of the day, our agency relies on one simple and timeless fact: a great story always sells. Good writing never gets old. The technology may change, but we're ready to embrace all emerging formats, as long as it contains a story that stops us in our tracks. That is why we are thriving, and that's why we find new and delightful success in a sea of changes.

We have a unique perspective, because we're just a tiny bit unorthodox. We all work like mad, because we love what we do. You won't find anyone punching a clock or adhering to fancy dress codes here, but you will find consummate professionalism that stems from true respect and unrelenting drive.

What She’s Looking For:

3. What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What genres do you represent and what are you looking for in submissions for these genres?

In these categories, I’m primarily looking for young adult and middle grade fiction with literary voices that explore deeper themes within the package of a more commercial hook. I like authors who know that what a book is “about” is different from a book’s plot. Genre-wise, I’m particularly interested in light fantasy, speculative fiction, books with a touch of horror, magical realism, rom-coms, and coming-of-age stories with a twist. I would also love to see more realistic middle grade and YA graphic novels (think The Plain Janes, Spinning, or This One Summer). And I’m always looking out for fresh perspectives and representation that reflects the diversity of our world.

4.  Is there anything you would be especially excited to seeing in the genres you are interested in?

I look for voices that are gripping from page one, whether they make me break out in a smile or give me goosebumps (from the evocative writing, not fear). I love messy female protagonists, innovative twists on old tropes, and getting swept away by fully realized worlds—be they portraits of the next town over or an imagined universe unlike our own.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in?

Although I would represent picture book projects from a client who also works in other categories, I’m not actively seeking authors who exclusively write picture book texts.

I’m also not the best fit for prescriptive non-fiction, anthologies, poetry, potty humor, paranormal, hard sci-fi or high fantasy, or Christian fiction.

Agent Philosophy:

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent?

I look for authors who are passionate about what they do, with a strong sense of their own narrative voice and clear grasp of what it is they want to say with their work. I also love when writers have a lot of ideas and the wherewithal to carry those ideas to completion. I’m not just in it for one book -- my goal is to build long-term relationships that will grow along with an author’s career. In terms of working style, I’ve always found open and honest communication is key, and I strive for that sort of back-and-forth with both clients and publishers to ensure the best collaborations for everyone.

Editorial Agent:

7. Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when you’re working with your authors before submitting to editors?

Absolutely. Because of my background as an editor, I know first-hand what it takes to get through a publisher’s acquisitions meeting. I typically provide editorial feedback to clients before we go on submission, and while I try to stay out of the way once an author has an editor, I’m there as a resource in case a client needs help understanding any editorial notes or publisher feedback once a book is in process.

Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting)

8. How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the query letter?

Authors can query me by sending their query letter and the first ten pages of their manuscript in the body of an email to pam.queries@irenegoodman.com. Query letters would ideally include a short description of the book, a couple of comp titles (similar books in the category based on the subject, tone, or voice), and a brief author bio.

9.  Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you?

I strongly prefer when all text is included as part of the body of the email, not as attachments. There is one exception – for graphic novel queries that include illustrations, sample pages can be sent as an attachment or link.

Response Time:

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript?

I try to respond within four to six weeks, although it can take longer when I’m really overloaded with queries.

Self-Published and Small Press Authors:

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them?

I am open to representing previously self-published or small press authors, particularly for new work that may have more mainstream appeal. The key thing for these authors to know, however, is that the traditional publishing process is a lot more collaborative than they may be used to. The writer needs to be willing to trust the professionals at these bigger houses and relinquish a bit of control over the packaging of their work. Keep in mind that everyone has the same goal – to get your book into the hands of as many readers as possible!

12. With all the changes in publishing—self-publishing, hybrid authors, more small publishers—do you see the role of agents changing at all? Why?

With so many new avenues for publishing, having an agent is more important than ever. Authors deserve to have an experienced and reputable advocate to help them navigate the ever-evolving publishing ecosystem, to protect their rights to their work, and ensure they get the best deal possible in any given offer situation.

Clients:

13. Who are some of the authors you represent?

I’m thrilled to represent Tracy Banghart, Emily C. Bernstein, Kitty Curran, Monica Sanz, and Katy Upperman. As an editor, I was lucky enough to work with folks such as Christiane M. Andrews, Jen Calonita, Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg, Emily Lloyd-Jones, Kass Morgan, and Sarah Watson, among others.

Interviews and Guest Posts:

14. Please share the links to any interviews and guest posts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you.

N/A 

Links and Contact Info:

15. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web.

Please send queries to pam.queries@irenegoodman.com

For additional info, writers can visit irenegoodman.com/pam-gruber and manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/pam-gruber/

Additional Advice:

16. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered?

Don’t worry too much about what’s trendy in a certain category. For one thing, by the time your manuscript is acquired and published, years will have gone by and trends change quickly. Instead, write the story that you’re most passionate about! That passion and personal connection is timeless, and it’s what will resonate with readers above all else.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Pam.

­Pam is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through March 6th.  If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. If you do not want to enter the contest, that's okay. Just let me know in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is an international giveaway.

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or e-mail me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com

Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found here is subject to change.