Happy Wednesday Everyone!
Today I’m excited to have debut author Emi Watanabe Cohen and her agent Mary Moore here to
share about Emi’s MG contemporary fantasy The Lost Ryū. I love historical fiction and fantasy and am super
excited to read it.
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:
Kohei Fujiwara has never seen a big ryū in real life. Those
dragons all disappeared from Japan after World War II, and twenty years later,
they've become the stuff of legend. Their smaller cousins, who can fit in your
palm, are all that remain. And Kohei loves his ryū, Yuharu, but...
...Kohei has a memory of the big ryū. He knows
that's impossible, but still, it's there, in his mind. In it, he can see his
grandpa – Ojiisan – gazing up at the big ryū with what looks to Kohei like
total and absolute wonder. When Kohei was little, he dreamed he'd go on a grand
quest to bring the big ryū back, to get Ojiisan to smile again.
But now, Ojiisan is really, really sick. And Kohei
is running out of time.
Kohei needs to find the big ryū now, before it's
too late. With the help of Isolde, his new half-Jewish, half-Japanese
neighbour; and Isolde's Yiddish-speaking dragon, Cheshire; he thinks he can do
it. Maybe. He doesn't have a choice.
Before I get to Emi and Mary’s guest post, 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 this month are SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murra, and me.
I’m going to skip the optional question and share my good
news. I wrote the words every writer wants to write: THE END. I feel really
great that I finished my manuscript and will have it critiqued by my critique
partners tonight.
I had to totally preserve and write it in 30 to 60-minute
increments because I was dealing with daily emergencies for a community theatre play I was producing that just ended. I wish I could celebrate, but my mom's health has declined drastically, and I've been with her every day. Yesterday, she seemed back to normal. Yay! So now I have lots to celebrate.
The Publishing Process and How It’s Changed Since 2019 by
Agent/Author Mary Moore and Emi
Watanabe Cohen
EMI: Hi everyone! Today, Mary and I will be discussing
the process of publishing my debut novel, The Lost Ryū. I signed with
Mary in the summer of 2019, and needless to say, a lot has changed since then. Sometimes
it feels like I wrote a book in one world, then turned around and gave it to
another world entirely.
Mary, how has the shift to WFH affected agenting? How has
it stayed the same?
MARY: As a west coast agent, the shift was not as
dramatic for me. I already worked from home eighty percent of the time. A
positive aspect was it opened connections, as editors/publishers/authors became
adjusted to online meetings rather than in-person. I used to go to NYC once a
year, and fill my days there with multiple back-to-back meetings, which was an
overwhelming whirlwind. Now I feel when I return to NYC, I won’t have to cram
absolutely every meeting into that small window, as many people I can connect
with online.
On the other hand, those important random connections
that would be made from conferences, NYC trips, and gatherings didn’t happen
and the collaborative nature of my office was sorely missed. And there was
quite an uptick in submissions, combined with less time on my side, which meant
it became really difficult to stay on top of the sub inbox. Writers had more
time to write, but ironically agents and editors had less time to manage, so
this disconnect created a bottleneck and was one of the factors in the
industry-wide burnout. I had to close to submissions, as I needed to dedicate
my energy to my current clients.
Speaking to your particular case, your experience would
probably have been pretty similar, as your submissions mostly happened online.
EMI: Yeah, I will say, working from home as an author is
basically just… working. And for all the drawbacks of not being able to meet in
person, the normalization of remote events has meant I’ve been able to connect
with authors I never would’ve met otherwise.
Now, you’re a very hands-on editorial agent— I remember doing
multiple rounds of intensive revisions on my manuscript before we went on sub. Editing
is an art unto itself—do you have any advice for authors who are revising their
work before querying?
MARY: We did do quite a bit of editing! It is such a fun
story and you are great to work with, so that made it easy.
EMI: Aw, shucks.
MARY: As for advice for revising authors, everybody is
unique, but in general, try to have beta-readers, at least three. If possible
those beta-readers should be writers in your genre or heavy-readers of your
genre. Having other eyes on your work will be invaluable. If you can elevate
those beta-readers to critique partners that can be even more helpful, i.e.
have a regular exchange of editorial advice on all your projects. And read
critically at least two or three current books in your genre while you are
revising. I also recommend Save The Cat!: Writes a Novel for help with
plot and character development.
EMI: In the case of The Lost Ryū, I was fortunate
enough to have some really wonderful and insightful early readers, including another
of your other clients, Van Hoang. Van writes folktale-inspired middle grade
like me, so not only was her specific feedback super helpful, but reading her
book was also incredibly instructive.
MARY: Agree, Van is awesome!!
EMI: And I emphatically agree with that point about
reading recent releases in your genre. Studying books like Van’s Girl Giant
duology and Tae Keller’s When You Trap a Tiger was a crucial part of
revising The Lost Ryū. I got to see how other writers “did it”— how they
integrated fantastical elements into realistic middle grade settings—and
I got to enjoy the magic of our little subgenre, which has really been thriving
these past few years.
Mary, here’s a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a
while: Is there something you especially look forward to while working with us authors?
MARY: My favorite part is working with an author from the
beginning of their career, nurturing them as they grow and expand, and then
partnering with them as they fly. The resulting professional relationship that
develops from that is amazing. I consistently humbled by my clients’ talent and
surprised by how unique and individual each relationship is, even though they are
all on the same career path. Seeing you, Emi, expand, as The Lost Ryū
found its voice and then went through the intense lead-up process to
publication, has been so exciting and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for
you.
On a small note, one thing I especially look forward to
is the cover journey. At that point I’ve taken more of a backseat on the
project and am able to simply enjoy reading the excited conversation between
the author and editor about concepts and artists, feeling the nervous
anticipation, then seeing the concept come to life, and of course watching my
client reveal it to an excited audience, the whole process is so fun!
EMI: The cover reveal for The Lost Ryū was so cool!
Seeing my name on the WNDB website was such a surreal experience. It’s one
thing to tell people my book has dragons, and another thing to be able to SHOW them
those dragons. Tatsuro Kiuchi and Sheila Smallwood did incredible work
illustrating and designing that cover.
MARY: Yes! It’s such a whimsical image and the design
captures the poignancy of the novel so perfectly.
EMI: The past couple years have really given me a new
appreciation for the interconnectedness of creative projects. I’m in awe of everyone
who’s contributed to The Lost Ryū—not just the artists I’ve mentioned
above, but also the specialized craftspeople you don’t hear about as often. How
cool is it that typesetting is a thing?! And did you know that copyeditors also
do fact-checking and continuity? Big props to Diana Babineau—she taught me how
to use commas AND reminded me that sunlight doesn’t reach the bottom of the
ocean. It takes a village to publish a book, and we all need our villages,
especially in isolating and uncertain times like these.
Okay, one last big question, Mary. Do you think the
future of publishing looks different now than it did when you acquired The
Lost Ryū?
MARY: Publishing is constantly shifting, it’s like sand
dunes on a beach, so to predict how it’s going to look in the future is
difficult. I lean into the idea that the only constant is there is no constant.
I use this philosophy to help my clients navigate the industry, while also
trying to be that missing constant for them. The pandemic of course caused a
more dramatic shift than expected however. The biggest factor that I could see
directly impact my clients is the burnout, industry people are leaving their positions
at faster and higher rates than before, creating an uncertain future for the
editor/author relationship. Hopefully the publishers recognize the importance
of this and start looking for ways to mitigate the burnout.
EMI: Aaaaand, rapid-fire round! Top five books read in
the past two years. Go!
MARY: AHHH! Okay here goes!
Those Kids from Fawn Creek
by Erin Entrada Kelly
The Mountains Wild
by Sarah Stewart Taylor
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
by Alix Harrow
Unwinding Anxiety
by Judson Brewer, MD PhD
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
EMI: Nice!
For me it’d have to be…
A
Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
Just
Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier
From
Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos
The
Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Ophie’s
Ghosts by Justina Ireland
Thanks for having us, Natalie! Readers and authors, you
can find us at www.emicohenwrites.com
and www.marycmoore.com,
or on Twitter (@cohemiwrites, @mary_c_moore) and Instagram (@cohemiwrites,
@marycmoore).
Giveaway Details
Emi’s publisher has
generously offered an ARC of The Lost Ryū and Mary 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 June 18th. 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 ARC giveaway is U.S. and the query critique
giveaways is International.
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg
Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.
Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways
Today I’m
also participating in the Berry Good Giveaway Hop
Monday, June
6th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Chelsea Hensley and a query critique
giveaway
Monday,
June 13th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Kayla Cichella and a query critique giveaway
Thursday,
June 16th, I’m participating in the Dad-o-mite Giveaway Hop
Monday,
June 20th, I’m doing a giveaway of Jennifer Nielsen’s MG historical Lines of
Courage
Friday,
July 1st, I’m participating in the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop
Hope to see you later today!
