Questions From the Inbox

I wrote a YA novel. I am seeking publication. Any tips/advice?

I edited and polished my manuscript, however I am considering professional editing. I am currently seeking a literary agent and have queried several. I understand how the publishing process works. My goal is to publish my novels through a major publisher.

Earlier in the year I decided to join with Eaton Literary Agency. Eaton Literary Agency charges fees. I do not recommend, unless you plan to pay around $5,000.00.

Feel free to post the above information in your blog for other aspiring writers.

Now I am reevaluating my options. I am considering to pay for professional editing. But, if I land a literary agent, they can edit the novel themselves.

Ms. McCormick, how do you think I should handle this situation?

-Jessie Rose

Hi Jessie!  Lots to tackle here.  First of all, congratulations on finishing and polishing your manuscript! 

As for Eaton Literary, I'm very sorry you got tangled up in an agency that charges fees.  For future querying, please look up all the agents and agencies on your list at Preditors & Editors.  If the agent or agency isn't listed or there's no information available on them, consider checking with a large writing forum such as AbsoluteWrite for a thread on the agency.  AbsoluteWrite has a comprehensive Bewares and Background Checks forum.  And if you're still unsure, you can always get in touch with me or the staff at Writer Beware.

You mentioned you're considering professional editing.  Here's the thing, do you think your writing is good enough to gain you representation?  If so, then I don't believe you should bother with a professional editing service.  A good line-by-line edit can cost a couple thousand dollars, and a broad assessment hundreds.  If you feel your writing needs a lot of help, however, then it's something to consider.  I'm more likely to suggest joining a critique group, SCBWI, and/or taking some classes though.  To me, it makes a lot more sense to build the tools needed to be a professional writer than to rely on others.  As for agents, only some are editorial and many don't have the time to do line-by-line edits.  Your manuscript needs to be as perfect as you can make it before you query, and then an agent will offer input as needed, per preference.  It's not something you can count on, so I think it's good you're considering your options and evaluating your writing. 

Beyond what I've said here, please check the agent research posts I've done in the right sidebar.  I also highly recommend perusing agent blogs for informative posts on publishing.  Nathan Bransford, Janet Reid, and Rachel Gardner are a few of the best resources out there, but I have a large list of agent and editor blogs in the left sidebar that you can get lost in for days.

All that said, my best piece of advice is this: Google and research everything!  Don't walk into anything blindly if you don't have to.  And don't be afraid to e-mail me more specific questions.  You're doing the right thing by asking and learning!

Now, I'll turn the blog over to my readers and see what advice and tips they have to share.  I didn't have as much time to list resources as I would have liked and I know they'll come through for you.  Thanks for e-mailing!

Guest Blogger Katharina Kolata: Review of Holly Lisle's "How to Revise Your Novel" Course

Hi all! I won't normally be posting two guest posts a week but this one came with an important timeframe attached! Holly's Lisle's revision course, "How to Revise Your Novel," reviewed here today by the lovely Katharina Gerlach, is only available until Saturday, January 9th (for the next few months, at least). I love Holly's website and have sung her praises a few times before, so I've no doubt the course is every bit as good as Katharina says. Enjoy!

Most of the writers I know stall when it comes to revision. Some writers hate it so much that they never touch their first draft again. Some correct a few spelling mistakes, others cut or add description and flesh out a character or two. Everybody agrees that revising your manuscript is necessary but it's hard to find sound advice on how to actually improve your novel. That's why I decided to join Holly Lisle's writing course "How to Revise Your Novel".

By the way, this is not a course about style; it's about improving your story. It is aimed at everybody who wants to tell stories with believable characters in an authentic setting with problems the reader can relate to. So far, I haven't regretted taking it. Holly's lessons are helpful and written in an amusing way. Also, there is a great forum available where many students (and Holly Lisle herself as time allows) actively participate to help others. It's great to have so much support.

Over a span of 22 weeks, Holly Lisle dissects her own revision process to teach her students what can go wrong in a novel. That doesn't mean that my manuscripts contain all the issues she points out. After all, I have nearly ten years of writing experience under my belt and found out a couple of things myself. But, and that's a big one, she manages to break down a daunting task into bite sized lessons that address all the problems you might ever encounter during a revision.

In the first lessons, we learned to define what kind of novel we want to end our revision with. Only with a picture of your finished story in mind, you can turn your manuscript into the novel you want. After that, we dissected our stories scene by scene. We looked for details that need to be fixed and just as thoroughly for details that are perfect the way they are. I was surprised, how much of my story was better than I had thought. It motivates to know that.

Currently, I am working on lesson 6: "Sharpening Your Characters", and I am amazed about the easy methods Holly Lisle came up with to objectively determine if something needs to be fixed or can be left alone. The next lesson will tackle world-building (which is not only an issue for writers of Fantasy or Science Fiction) and then, we'll learn how to fix the problems we found. As a bonus, the final lesson will condense the whole process into a tool that will enable the students to do their next revision in one single reading of the manuscript (which will be invaluable when I have to meet a publisher's deadline again).

There are many Creative Writing courses available but I am sure that this is the most detailed breakdown of the revision process. Also, at USD 47.00 a month for four months (that's $8.55 a lesson) it is very reasonably priced. If you are struggling with revision, Holly Lisle's "How to Revise Your Novel" is a course that can help you.

This post was written by Katharina Gerlach, a writer and triple Mum from Germany.

Agent Spotlight: Joanna Volpe

This week's Agent Spotlight features Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media.

Status: Open to submissions.

About: “Joanna Volpe has been a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, an editorial assistant with independent publisher Blue Martin Publications, an assistant and junior agent at FinePrint Literary Management and a full-time agent with Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation, all before starting her own company: New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. She has worked on a number of exciting projects, including Kody Keplinger’s The DUFF, Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow & Bone, Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy, Sandy Williams’ Shadow Reader series, Shelby Bach’s Ever Afters: Of Giants and Ice, and Sarah Frances Hardy’s picture book, Puzzled by Pink. For a full list of the New Leaf projects, go here. What she is most excited for right now is working with her amazing team at New Leaf. The company is off to a strong start, and they are looking to sign on more wonderful talent!” (Link defunct) 

About the Agency:

“We are a passionate agency with a relentless focus on building our clients’ careers. Our approach is big picture, offering a one-stop shop built without silos and access to a variety of services including international sales, film and television, and branding resources for all clients. Our aim is to challenge conformity and re-imagine the marketplace while equipping our clients with the tools necessary to navigate an evolving landscape and succeed.” (Link) 

Web Presence:

New Leaf website.

New Leaf Facebook.

New Leaf Twitter.

New Leaf Pinterest.

Publisher's Marketplace Page.

Twitter.

AAR.

AgentQuery, QueryTracker. 

What She's Looking For:

“Joanna represents all brands of fiction (commercial, literary and genre) and has a soft spot for speculative and/or fantastical elements. On the non-fiction side she tends toward all things geek-related, general pop-culture, pop-science and narrative non-fiction featuring interesting and powerful women. Across the board, she’s looking for anything that highlights under-represented voices, both real and fictional.” (Link) 

You can find out more about what she's looking for on her Manuscript Wish List.
What She ISN'T Looking For:

“Joanna is NOT looking for: chapter books, text-only picture book submissions, hard science fiction.” (Link defunct)

Her Advice to Writers:

"Remember that everything you write is important, even the stories that will never see the light of day. Each one you learn from and it gets you to the next. It's okay to put something in the trunk to work on something else. Every author I know has trunked stories." (Link)

Editorial Agent?

"Once I sign someone, I ALWAYS do another pass of the book before sending it out. So far, I have yet to sign anyone that has had the perfect manuscript. I am working with a lot of debut authors, but even my more experienced clients appreciate (at least, I think they do!) a polished revision before going out. I want to send it out in the best shape it can be." (Link defunct)

Clients: There is a list of clients on the agency website. Ms. Volpe's clients include Leigh Bardugo, Veronica Roth, Eric Etkin, Maple Lam, Realm Lovejoy, Kody Keplinger, Amber McRee Turner, Lee Nichols, Veronica Roth, Allan Woodrow, Sarah Frances Hardy, Lynne Kelly, Monica Vavra, Amy Lukavics, Loretta Nyhan, Adam Watkins, Lori Nichols, Shelley Moore Thomas, Shelby Bach, April Genevieve Tucholke, among others.

Query Methods:

E-mail: Yes (only).

Snail-Mail: No.

Online-Form: No.

Submission Guidelines (always verify):

• "Send query to query@newleafliterary.com. Please do not query via phone.
• The word “Query” must be in the subject line, plus the agent’s name, ie – Subject: Query, Suzie Townsend. Please also include the category (ie, PB, chapter book, MG, YA, adult fiction, adult nonfiction, etc.)
• You may include up to 5 double-spaced sample pages within the body of the email
• NO ATTACHMENTS, unless specifically requested
• Include all necessary contact information
• You will receive an auto-response confirming receipt of your query

We only respond if we are interested in seeing your work" (Link)
Please see the agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.

Query Tip:

"The query letter is very important, but I’m not the kind of agent that will reject because of a spelling error or two…I’m more concerned about the story. […] If a query really conveys the tone of the story or the voice of the protagonist, I tend to get more excited about it. If it’s kind of standard but the premise is really cool, I might request some sample pages. But if it’s too brief or too long or unfocused, I most likely will be passing." (Link defunct)

Response Times:

The agency only responds if interested.

What's the Buzz?

Joanna has a fantastic list of clients and sales and is popular among aspiring authors for her generosity in doing contests, critiques, and giveaways. She founded New Leaf Literary in June of 2012. Follow her on Twitter.

Worth Your Time

Interviews:

Interview with Agent Joanna Volpe Podcast at 88 Cups of Tea (Date unknown)

How Do You Become an Agent with Joanna Volpe at Bustle (01/2017).

Agent Interview with Joanna Volpe at Amy Newman (04/2014).

Agent Interview: Joanna Volpe at Alexa Donne (01/2014).

Agent Joanna Volpe - The Pre-#LA13SCBWI Conference Interviews at I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read? (05/2013).

Agent Joanna Volpe, president of New Leaf Media at Honestly YA (06/2012).

Introducing Joanna Volpe! at Pub(lishing) Crawl (01/2012).

Interview with Joanna Volpe at Renae Mercado's blog (09/2010).

7 Questions For: Literary Agent Joanna Volpe at Middle Grade Ninja (07/2010).

Audio Interview with Joanna Stampfel-Volpe at AuthorMagazine (01/2010).

Guest Posts

Why Literary Agent Joanna Volpe Loves Middle Grade at Middle Grade Ninja (03/2013).

How to Determine Your Author Fee at Pub(lishing) Crawl (08/2012).

The DOJ Settlement and Why We Should Care at Pub(lishing) Crawl (07/2012).

The Truth and Nothing but the Truth on Promotion and Publicity for Debut Authors at Pub(lishing) Crawl (05/2012).

NARB or Just Read! at Pub(lishing) Crawl (04/2012).

Bologna Book Fair for Beginners at Pub(lishing) Crawl (03/2012).

The Changing Role of the Literary Agent at Pub(lishing) Crawl (02/2012).

Around the Web:

CONFERENCE 2013: Joanna Volpe, "The Dreaded Synopsis" at The Official SCBWI Blog (04/2013).

Synopsis Tips from Agent Joanna Volpe, Part 1 at Writing While the Rice Boils (05/2011

Synopsis Tips from Agent Joanna Volpe, Part 2 at Writing While the Rice Boils (05/2011

Contact:

Please see the New Leaf website and Ms. Volpe’s Publishers Marketplace page for contact and query information.

Profile Details:

Last updated: 6/6/2020.

Client Contacted for Review? Yes.

Last Reviewed By Agent: 09/12/10.

***

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

Note: These agent profiles presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. They are not interviews. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found herein is subject to change.

Guest Blogger Pat Martinez: Morphemes and the Creation of Character Names and Words

Please give a warm welcome to today's guest blogger, Pat Martinez. Pat blogs at Once Upon a Time.... Please stop by for a visit when you're done here.

Enjoy!

Morphemes and the Creation of Character Names and Words
By Pat Martinez

When you name your characters, are they randomly pulled from your favorite list of friends, children, old loves or relatives? Or do you craft them as carefully as plot and characters?

I found an article by Alleen and Don Nilsen that has caused me to re-think how I name my characters. These educaters take a critical look at the Harry Potter characters and JK Rowling's brilliant or well-thought out name and new word construction. From the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy*: Rowling creates her new words from familiar elements that empower her readers to connect the meanings of the new words with words they already know. She mixes and matches morphemes, a process that happens in natural languages more often than most of us recognize..."

Morphemes are the smallest units of language that have meaning--you are familiar with them-mal, un, non, less... Rowling cleverly uses word familiarity in new ways. She doesn't provide a glossary, but readers are empowered by the little effort it takes to make meaning. This may be in part why reading the Harry Potter series is so enjoyable. A few examples: Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve Bowl. Readers may see the word pensive and connect "thoughtful musing" where others may see "seive" and realize this is how Dumbledore sifts and sorts his experiences. Even though pensieve is a new word, a reader still understands.

Concerning names: Voldemort--literally the French translation is "flight of death." But vol, de, & mort have Latin roots and we are familiar with mort as having to do with death. So right away, a reader feels the blackness of his name.

Draco Malfoy is another name that at first glance sounds evil. We may not know immediately why, but Rowling has played on our senses-Draco--draconian, dracula,and of course Malfoy begins with the morpheme mal-literally in French bad, but a common Latin root used in negative words such as malcontent.

In my middle grade historical novel that takes place in the Paris Lost and Found, the original name of the curator was Monsieur LaCroix, a very suitable French name. But Monsieur LaCroix secretly desires to be a Cabaret comedian. After a thoughtful search, I renamed him Monsieur Rigolo, because the French word rigolo means comedic or funny.

So next time you name a character, consider his character, his temperament and purpose to the story and make it a thoughtful and meaningful choice.

*Nilsen, A., & Nilsen, D.F. (2006, October). Latin Revived: Source-Based Vocabulary Lessons Courtesy of Harry Potter. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(2), 128–134. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.50.2.5

Writing / Research Tip Tuesday

Take a page of your novel and remove all of the adjectives and/or adverbs. List them in a document. Then read the page without the words you removed and see the difference. Does it read faster? Smoother? Now replace every word you removed with something more unique, less cliche. Read it again. Chances are it reads a bit false and overdone now but you might have found a way to bring at least one sentence to life that was lacking. Assess what you've learned and rebuild the page with the words you've decided to keep.

This is an exercise I picked up from THE FIRST FIVE PAGES by Noah Lukeman. It can be done with nouns as well, but the result is a little more insane.

Have fun!

Agent Feedback: Steven Malk

I received this e-mail quite awhile ago on Steve Malk and wasn't quite sure what do with it. I've been toying around with the idea of creating a forum where we could discuss the profiled agents, report feedback, response times, etc. but I'm not sure there'd be enough interest, especially with AW and Verla's already in place to provide such outlets. Something to kick around. But in the time being, the author of the e-mail has given me permission to share it with all of you here (as he wanted it shared in some way) and link it to Mr. Malk's profile. Please note: The content and opinions posted below are not my own.

After I had queried countless agents, and gotten just as many rejections, I decided to go for broke and query Steven Malk (who I hadn't considered, because he seemed too "big" to even bother with). A week later I got a request of a full. A few weeks later, his new assistant Alena Gribskov e-mailed me to say that with Lindsay Davis's departure, they were backlogged, and wanted to let me know they were still considering it. Then, one week later, she called me to make sure it was still available. Another week passes, and Steven called me himself. We had a very nice half-hour conversation, discussing my novel, and while he didn't offer representation, he was impressed with my writing and asked for current project ideas. As of now, he likes my idea for a novel, and I am in the process of working on it.

What I've found from my experience, is that (and I'm sure it varies somewhat between agents) but Writers House in general is such a caring, well organized agency. Both Steven and Alena have been helpful, as well as they have encouraged questions and contact--which for me as a college student, who's just starting out, is completely reassuring. The reason he wanted to work with me on creating a different novel, is because he said the first novel sets the tone of the career, and he wanted something to do that a little bit more than my previous one did. This tells me that he truly does care more about the author than the sale, which made me instantly withdraw my other full request (which was to a new agent at Trident--whom I would never recommend because they have such careless policies about never replying).

Just as a moral to this story, that might be helpful to pass on, I think it's important that people don't pass up an agent just because they think they are to hard to "hook." By the same token, it's probably not a good idea to try and get an "easier" agent if they aren't right for you.

Hope my feedback helps somebody,

Ryan [redacted]

Contribute to Literary Rambles!

Hey all -

School is coming up fast for me, so I want to make sure you're all aware of the variety of ways you can contribute to Lit Rambles and help me keep it a happening place to be.  I'll still be posting Agent Spotlight profiles, Tip Tuesdays, and other writing/publishing related posts.  But if you're interested, you can help fill in the empty days in any of the following ways.

Write a Guest Post:

I'm always looking for guest posts that are on writing/publishing related topics.  Informative, educational, inspirational, etc!

Request an Interview:

Are you a published or soon-to-be published author in the children's field?  An agent?  An industry professional?  I'd love to interview you! 

Send in a Tuesday Tip:

Have a writing or research tip you'd like to share?  Send it in for a Writing / Research Tip Tuesday post!

Request a Topic / Ask a Question:

I love getting requests and questions for blog posts.  Throw 'em at me!  I'll do my best to answer, find someone who can if I can't, and post it up on the blog for everyone else to weigh in.

Request an agent for Agent Spotlight:

I'm always adding to the list, so send in your requests!  Note: I'm still working through agents that accept children's fiction, specialized or representing one or more genres therein.  For example:  If they represent mostly adult but also rep YA, as many do, I'm willing to spotlight them.  Though, I'd love spotlight more agents that are specialized in children's!

Post Feedback and/or Response Times:

The Agent Spotlights posts are always open for comments.  Feel free to leave feedback if you have experience with one or more of the spotlighted agents, or even post your response times for others to see.

Send in Updates:

It's gotten to the point that I can't possibly keep all the Agent Spotlight profiles updated on my own, which means you should always take note of the date they were posted and do a search for new content.  If you come across something new (interview, great new information, agency switch, etc) on an agent I've profiled, please feel free to e-mail this information so I can update.

If you're the agent I've spotlighted, you can ALWAYS e-mail me updates or corrections for your spotlight.

Send in For Public Critique:

Send in 1-5 lines of material, preferably first lines but I'm open to others, or your query and I'll put it up in its own post for feedback from my readers.  Comments will be moderated to maintain constructive feedback only.

Place a Wanted Ad:

Looking for a critique partner or beta reader?  No guarantees on responses, but I'm willing to post a request to see if anyone out there is interested. 

Blog Tours / Contests:

Children's authors!  Are you on or setting up a promotional blog tour or need a contest outlet?  I'd be happy to host a spot on Lit Rambles for you.  Just contact me with ideas, details, specifics, etc.

Other:

I'm always open to ideas and feedback!  Please feel free to contact me.

For all of the above, please e-mail to agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.