Agent Spotlight: Ginger Clark Interview and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Ginger Clark here. She recently left Curtis Brown, LTD, to start her own agency, Ginger Clark Literary.

Status on 10/25/2025: Open to submissions

Hi­ Ginger! Thanks so much for joining us.

About Ginger:

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

I started in publishing in 1998 (!!!) and after a year as an editorial assistant at Tor Books, I moved to Writers House where I was an assistant literary agent. I’ve been an agent since 2001, when I took on my first clients (John Dickinson, Richard Kadrey, and Elizabeth Wein). I moved to Curtis Brown in 2005, and then started my own agency in July 2021.

About the Agency:

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

Beyond the usual primary-agent functions, we have deep expertise in foreign and translation rights, contracts, and literary estates. My colleague, Nicole Eisenbraun, is our Translation Rights Manager in addition to handling her own list of clients. She’s fantastic, and it’s unusual for a smaller agency like GCL to have someone focused on foreign rights. Our work with the Contracts Committee for the AALA—I am presently the Committee’s chair—keeps us focused on new contract developments. And our work with estates gives us a long perspective on how contracts have evolved and been applied. We also partner with all the major book-to-film agencies.

When I make decisions about my agency, I’m thinking first: How this will affect my clients?

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?

I’m looking for middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction on the children’s side of my list. I’m looking for everything in those age groups. If it’s for kids between ages 8 to 18, send it my way.

On the adult side of my list, I handle science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, and women’s fiction. Women’s fiction and romance are two genres I’m really hoping to build at this agency. I have always been a fan, but both genres were especially huge comforts to me in 2020 during the beginning of the pandemic.

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

I’d love to see more middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and more young adult nonfiction. I also remain a huge fan of historical fiction, for both age groups.

What She Isn’t Looking For:

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

I don’t handle picture books, and I’m not looking to take on any adult literary fiction at the moment.

Editorial Agent:

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

I have never gone on submission with a book that hasn’t gone through at least one round of revisions. I give notes on all clients’ unsold work and have follow-up phone calls to discuss my notes and answer any questions or concerns they have.

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

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

Please email me at submissions@gingerclarkliterary.com. Tell me a bit about how your book will fit into the market. Compare it to other recently published books. Spend a paragraph or two summarizing the plot, focusing on the main characters and their main arcs. You do not have to explain the ending—just talk about the first twenty percent of the book, until the main conflict or inciting incident happens.

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

Please don’t write the query letter in the voice of a character. Query letters are business correspondence. Authors are asking agents to be their business advisor and provide them a service. 

Response Time:

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

I review all queries within two weeks of receipt. For requested partials and full manuscripts, I’m currently responding within six weeks.

Self-Published and Small Press Authors:

10.  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 welcome all authors who have self-published or published with smaller presses. In fact, I welcome all authors, full stop!

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

My career has straddled a very interesting, very dynamic period of publishing. Publishing 30 years ago was very much like publishing 50 years ago, or 70 years ago, or even 100 years ago. But publishing now is very different from publishing 20 years ago. The medium is changing. I remember when eBooks were considered a fad in 2002, and then when the digital market started to explode in 2008 to 2012, and for several years now I’ve been watching supply chain issues around paper shortages. (The pandemic exacerbated this, but the underlying issues predate it.)

Another change is that it’s never been easier to get expert-level information about publishing, but it’s also never been easier to get bad information about publishing. Both are just a Google search away. The potential for informed authors and the potential for confused authors have both increased. As an agent, I see it as my responsibility to make sure my clients are the former and not the latter.

Clients:

12. Who are some of the authors you represent?

Tina Connolly, John Dickinson, Karina Yan Glaser, Molly Gloss, Monica Hesse, Richard Kadrey, Drew Karpyshyn, John Langan, Gretchen McNeil, Dana Mele, Colleen Oakes, Tim Pratt, Rachel Vincent, Elizabeth Wein, Patricia Wrede, Caroline Yoachim, and the estates of Ursula K. Le Guin and Steph Bowe.

Interviews and Guest Posts:

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

Well we have to include this wonderful interview with Nicole:

https://publishingperspectives.com/2021/08/a-new-agencys-rights-translation-rights-manager-nicole-eisenbraun-covid19/

Here is an older interview with me:

https://theliterarymom.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/interview-with-literary-agent-ginger-clark/

Also, here I am on the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09nrsbs

Links and Contact Info:

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

Email here:

submissions@gingerclarkliterary.com

More information here:

https://gingerclarkliterary.com/Submissions

Update on 1/21/2023

Twitter

Query Tracker

Additional Advice:

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

Read the genre or age group you are writing about. If you want to write middle grade historical fiction, spend at least six months diving deep into the last five years of middle grade historical fiction. Know the field you write in, so you can pitch yourself more specifically and accurately to agents and editors.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Ginger.

­Ginger 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 February 26th. 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.

Last updated: 1/21/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 2/6/2023

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.

 

 

Debut Author Interview: Lisa Stringfellow and A Comb of Wishes Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author Lisa Stringfellow here to share about her MG fantasy A Comb of Wishes. I’m super excited to read it because of its Caribbean setting and the issues Kela is going through.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

Sure enough, the sea woman will come for what’s hers.

Ever since her mother’s death, Kela feels every bit as broken as the shards of glass, known as “mermaid’s tears,” that sparkle on the beaches of St. Rita. But when she discovers a different kind of treasure, she accidentally summons an actual mermaid—the wrathful Ophidia.

Ophidia makes Kela a bargain: her ancient comb, in exchange for a wish. And though Kela knows that what she wants most is her mother back, a wish that big will exact a dangerous price…

Follower News

Before I get to my interview with Lisa, I have Follower News to share.

Shannon Lawrence has a new nonfiction book, The Business of Short Stories, releasing. Here’s a blurb: The Business of Short Stories is an invaluable resource for short story writers. It features information on the dynamics of short story writing and editing, submission and publication tips, and marketing help for beginning and intermediate writers. Links: Website: www.thewarriormuse.com Purchase: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PFSTJ2V

Brian Carmody has a YA contemporary fantasy, With the Moon Maidens, releasing. Here’s what a reviewer had to say: “My Magic Summer With the Moon Maidens is a beautifully written coming of age fantasy with characters that will stay with you long after you read the last page.” - Christy Cooper-Burnett, author of the award-winning Christine Stewart Time-Travel Series. Links: Website: http://brianzwriter.com/  Purchase: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0965XBJ7Y https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-magic-summer-brian-carmody/1139629159?ean=9781939844804

Mother-daughter duo Pamela Jouan-Goldman and Julia Goldman just published TURTLE, a middle grade sports fiction book about running in the Lowcountry in South Carolina. TURTLE is the first in a series called Run Like A Girl that follows Emma Jackson throughout her running career, starting in elementary school. Their motto is to inspire runners to read and readers to run.  Profits will also benefit organizations who, in turn, support female athletes. Links: Website: runlikeagirlbooks.com Purchase: amazon.com

 Interview With Lisa Stringfellow

Hi Lisa! Thanks so much for joining us.

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

I am a middle school English teacher and have taught 5th and 6th grade for almost 28 years. Although I’ve always loved to write, I started thinking seriously about publishing several years ago. I began work on my masters degree and took several classes on adolescent literature and writing. The courses got me thinking about writing for children. I joined professional writing organizations and a critique group, attended conferences, bought craft books, took classes and worked hard to learn about the publishing industry and how to write a book. It was all necessary work to help me gain the knowledge and skills to get where I am now.

2. It’s great that you were able to pursue your dream while teaching. Where did you get the idea for A Comb of Wishes?

My inspiration for this story came from thinking about two middle grade books I loved, The Tale of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler and Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I thought it would be interesting to write a mermaid story that was a little scary, and because of my West Indian heritage, I imagined a brown-skinned mermaid and a story set in the Caribbean. I knew the story would also touch on the topics of family, love, and forgiveness. 

3. Your story sounds like a real page turner. How did you plot it out and keep the plot moving so that readers would want to continue reading?

I had a rough idea of the story before I began, but I didn't have a written outline. I did have particular scenes in mind and sometimes I wrote out of order to write what I knew, then wrote the scenes that needed to come before and after.

I now use a little more structure when I write. I like to have a loose list of scenes, but I am flexible enough to add, remove, or move them around as I write. I guess I'm something between a planner and a panster.

When I started writing A Comb of Wishes, Ophidia’s character was clearest to me and the first scene I wrote was one in the middle of the book where she claws her way out of the ocean and onto land. I could visualize her monstrous appearance in the moment and how she channeled her anger into action. Later, as I continued to think and write, I came to know Kela and her motivations. The interactions between the two drove most of the plot in parallel stories that would sometimes intersect.

In the revision process, pacing was an important element to craft. There were scenes that needed to be shortened and others fleshed out more. Having critique partners or beta readers can be extremely helpful in identifying aspects that need attention.

4. That’s an interesting tip on writing out of order. Share how you tapped into your West Indian and Black Southern heritage in writing A Comb of Wishes? Did you have to do any research into the Caribbean setting or culture that you incorporate in your story?

As writers, we often draw on what we know. For the setting, I drew on my family’s culture. Kela lives in St. Rita, which is an island in the Caribbean that is inspired by Barbados where my father was born. I wanted the story to be rooted in the sounds, sights, smells, and tastes of the islands. I wanted the richness of the setting and culture to almost feel like a character in itself. Kela lives in a loving community that has its own history and traditions. I wanted to give readers a glimpse of that and also affirm and provide a needed mirror for kids who have Caribbean heritage.

I did research about many things in crafting the novel. Sea glass is an important element, but in my early drafts Kela collected seashells and made shell jewelry. I learned that shell collecting was not environmentally friendly and I realized I did not want to inadvertently advocate for it through Kela’s actions. Sea glass, on the other hand, is essentially “trash” that humans have added to the ecosystem, so removing it doesn’t harm the animals and marine environment. Researching further led to me discovering the folk tale about sea glass being “mermaid’s tears,” which fit so beautifully into my story.

I also researched storytellers and storytelling traditions in the Caribbean, which led me to the story frame “Crick, Crack,” (sometimes written as “Krik Krak”) which is common on islands like Haiti, Grenada, and others. In communities around the world, oral traditions keep histories alive and create shared experiences through the interplay between the teller, the tale, and the audience.

5. You are also a middle grade teacher and a parent. How do you schedule your writing so that you have enough time to write and now write under publishing contract deadlines? What advice do you have for the rest of us who are worried about writing under contract while working at another job?

I’ll admit it is very difficult sometimes to make consistent time to write. I do most of my writing on the weekends and my school breaks, especially in the summer. I know there are certain times of the school year that are especially busy, so I try to schedule around those times.

When I was drafting A Comb of Wishes, I had much more flexibility since I was not constrained by any deadlines. I’m now working on my second book, scheduled to be published in 2023, and it is a different process. I find that I need to work more frequently and in smaller chunks, but it is a challenge. What I’ve found most important is communication. My agent and editor know my constraints and when I’ve had difficulty working towards a deadline, we’ve had conversations about options. Everyone is understanding and supportive and wants me to do my best work, so our goals are aligned.

6. It’s good to know that we can discuss out concerns about deadlines with our agent and editor. Share three things you like most about Kela, your main character.

I love that Kela is brave, creative, and caring. She makes mistakes but can admit them and does her best to make amends. She is super talented with her jewelry making and uses it to share her love of the environment with visitors to St. Rita. She cares about her friends and family and even has compassion for the mermaid Ophidia.

7. Your agent is Lindsay Davis Auld. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?

A Comb of Wishes is the first book I queried, but I had read enough agent interviews to know that the biggest mistake writers often make is to query too early. I heeded that advice and didn't query until I felt it was absolutely the best I could make it.

I had collected a list of agents interested in middle grade fantasy from following #MSWL on Twitter and searching ManuscriptWishlist.com. I also was helped by one of my mentors who sent me a list of agents she thought might be a good match. I looked up all of the agents on Publishers Marketplace to see their sales and who they represented, so I could get a sense of their experience and tastes. I tailored the opening of the query letters to each agent, and I explained why I thought they might be a good fit and, if I had met them in person or had another connection, I shared that too.

All of that effort paid off because I found my agent after six weeks in my first round of querying.

We talked on the phone during “The Call” and I loved Lindsay’s vision for my story and her sensibility as an “editorial” agent who could help me refine it even more. Lindsay and I continued in revision for another 18 months before we decided the novel was ready to go on submission. Once on sub, the novel quickly moved to a five-house auction and was acquired by Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books in December of 2019. It will be published on February 8, 2022.

8. I saw on your website that you did a weekend webinar on social media strategies for authors. I wish I would have known about it before it happened. Please share a few tips on how you advise authors to manage their social media so that they can write more.

Thanks for asking! Along with teaching English, I’m also an educational technology coordinator. My webinar focused on building an author website and how to establish a presence online, even before you’re published. I’ve used social media for professional learning for a long time and I also talk about using it to connect with a writing community and readers. For kidlit writers, Twitter is active among teachers and librarians and a good place to start.

It’s easy to get sucked into social media though and it’s important to find balance. Several apps allow you to schedule content ahead of time and manage other aspects, for example Buffer and Hootsuite. Other apps can help you disconnect when you need a break. For example, Freedom can help you block distractions and give you focused work time.

Even though some marketing and promotion is necessary for authors, writing is our most important task and it’s ok to do what you need to so that you can prioritize it, even if it means limiting how much you engage online.

9. I like that the writing is the most important thing to focus on. How have you been promoting your book during the last year and what are your plans for promoting it once it releases? What advice do you have for the rest of us?

The pandemic has caused many of us with books releasing now to shift our expectations of what our debut will be like. The good thing about launching now is that publishers and bookstores have had plenty of time to become experts in virtual events.

In the past year, I’ve done several blog interviews, like this one, and guest posts. My cover reveal was in May 2021 on Mr. Schu’s Blog, Watch. Read. Connect. I’ve also talked to independent booksellers about A Comb of Wishes through several virtual events, including HarperCollins Shake Up the Shelves, the ABA Winter Institute, and the New England Independent Booksellers Association’s (NEIBA) Kidlit All About the Books events.

My book launch will take place virtually with Brookline Booksmith on my release date February, 8, 2022. I’m excited to be in conversation with Tui T. Sutherland, NYT Best-selling author of the Wings of Fire series and many other books. I have other virtual events scheduled later in February, such as an event at The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, and I hope to schedule other events. I’m also doing several podcast interviews in the next month and an Instagram Live with the subscription book box OwlCrate Jr.

Being a parent and a full-time teacher, I was concerned about how much promotion I could do. I am open with my publicist and others about my schedule and try to look for events that I can do after school or on the weekends. Staying organized is really important as it is easy to get overwhelmed with details. A tip I picked up in the Highlights Foundation Debut Author course is to create a timetable for your book release that starts 12-18 months before the release date. I use my timetable to remind me of people I need to reach out to, to order swag (like bookmarks), and also to track commitments I’ve made and deadlines.

10. You are involved in a number of writing communities, such as SCBWI, GrubStreet, Inked Voices, The Writers Loft, and the #22Debuts, which you helped organize. How has being involved with these groups helped your writing and your career as an author?

Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary act. One of the wonderful parts of becoming an author is connecting with others over the shared experience of writing. Seek out a community! When I first decided to write seriously, I joined professional writing organizations and a critique group, attended conferences, bought craft books, took classes and worked hard to learn about the publishing industry and how to write a book. It was all necessary work to help me gain the knowledge and skills to get where I am now.

The groups I joined have been especially important for my growth as a writer and mutual support and information sharing. I’m a member of a few different groups and each is composed of different types of creators and serves different purposes. The #22Debuts is a huge group of over 300 writers! It’s hard to build relationships with everyone, but smaller groups have formed over shared identities. For example, I’m a part of the middle grade group, BIPOC writers, and New England authors. Each supports me in different ways. Conversely, I’m also part of a co-marketing group called KidLit in Color, composed of eighteen traditionally published authors and illustrators of color. I’m one of the few middle grade writers in the group, most in the group write picture books or early readers, but as marginalized creators, we do a lot to support one another and boost the visibility of other creators of color in the publishing industry.

11. What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on my second book which will be another stand-alone fantasy novel. I like to call it my “princess in a tower” story, but it won’t be like other fairy tales readers might imagine.

My hope is that it will be an exciting book and one that empowers young readers to be brave and stand up for what is right.

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

Twitter and Instagram @EngageReaders

Website: http://lisastringfellow.com

Giveaway Details

Lisa has generously offered a hardback of A Comb of Wishes 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 February 19th. 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. This giveaway is International whereever Book Depository ships for free.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Wednesday, February 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Ginger Clark and a query critique giveaway

Monday, February 14th I have a guest post by Leigh Lewis and a giveaway of her MG nonfiction Pirate Queens: Dauntless Women Who Dared to Rule the High Seas

Wednesday, February 16th I’m participating in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop

Monday, February 21st I have an agent spotlight interview with Paige Terlip and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, March 2nd I have an interview with debut author Humayan Khan and a giveaway of his contemporary Wrong Side of the Court

Monday, March 7th I have an agent spotlight interview with Chelsea Eberly and a query critique giveaway

Tuesday, March 8th I’m participating in the Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop

Hope to see you on Wednesday!

Pushing Back on Edits to Maintain Authenticity as a Marginalized Author by Agent/Author Jennifer Wills and Lillie Lainoff & One for All & Query Critique Giveaway & IWSG Post

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author Lillie Lainoff and her agent Jennifer Wills here to share a guest post to celebrate the release of Lillie’s YA fairytale retelling One for All. It sounds like a fantastic retelling of The Three Musketeers, and I’m excited to read it.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love. 

 

Before I get to my guest post by Lillie and 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 this month are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery!

Optional Question: Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn’t around anymore? Anyone you miss?

I knew the answer to this one right away. It’s Rudy, my late husband. who supported me in my blogging and writing. He read a lot, but it was always nonfiction. Even though we really didn’t have time to for me to spend writing or blogging because I was so busy working as an attorney, being his caregiver, and raising our daughter, he gave me time to pursue these interests.

I think he knew that writing and blogging would help me if he didn’t have a long life, which he didn’t have because he died a few months after he turned 60, and I was left alone. It’s one of a number of gifts he left me with that helps me go on and feel his love and support even though he’s not here anymore. I can’t express in words how much I miss, love, and appreciate him and our time together.

Do you have someone who supported you who is no longer around?

Lillie Lainoff and Jennifer Wills Guest Post

I always tell my clients that edits should be a collaboration, a conversation; that my intent isn’t to come in with my red pen blazing and start demanding changes. Neil Gaiman said, ““Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” I take that to heart on every project, and while I offer suggestions on how to fix something that I don’t think is working, my favorite moments are when authors understand what I’m getting at but come up with a different, better, way of addressing my concerns. Since I’m not disabled myself, I try to bring an extra amount of sensitivity to the table when approaching edits on Lillie’s – and my other marginalized clients’ – work.

I definitely agree with this! Jen’s approach to editing is very much a conversation rather than a monologue. Obviously, I don’t have the same kind of editing experience as Jen, but I was a partner at the Yale Writing Center for over three years and was the managing editor of the Yale Daily News Magazine (and have read/marked up SO MANY pieces in workshop settings), so I know what it’s like, to some extent, to be on the other side of the equation. I never like it when writers I give edits to accept my comments without question. I’m not always right, and I want writers to tell me when I’m not right! But I always do my best to point out what I think needs work and offer up multiple possibilities of how to address that—there is always more than one answer to a problem. Editing (and writing, for that matter) isn’t arithmetic!

 In the case of OFA, I remember at least one instance – I’m sure there were more – where I suggested a change and Lillie immediately shot me down and came up with something better. I think I wanted to change when Tania started training. She starts when she’s very young, I think age 4, so that by the time we meet her on the page, she’s already quite proficient with a sword. I suggested seeing her starting her training on the page at an older age, 12 or so, after she started having her dizziness. I don’t even remember why I felt that was a good idea… it must have been to add extra interest to the beginning, and to show the reader what she looked like when she started training vs how much better she was later on. Silly, right? Sigh.

Just going to briefly butt in here to assuage readers’ concerns: Tania at 4 only had wooden swords! She wasn’t that small child running around with a knife in the ‘A KNIFE!’ video. Okay, back to Jen…

Fortunately, Lillie explained how that wouldn’t be possible with POTS, that Tania needed to have started training at a young age before POTS took hold, otherwise she wouldn’t have had the strength. I just know that the solution that came out of that discussion turned out to be an incredible first chapter, which was far better than whatever it was that I had suggested. Lillie, I’ll never forget when you sent that revision back to me and I actually screamed “YAAAASSSSSS!” at the first line.

Oh my goodness, the first chapter! Truly though, I have no idea which version we settled on—we went through so many different ones. I stopped counting at ten.

But this editorial moment is one of my favorite memories of working on ONE FOR ALL with Jen, because it encapsulates why she’s such a good editorial agent. This kind of experience, one where I felt comfortable pushing back against an edit because it didn’t feel authentic to the story I was trying to tell or the characters I portrayed, gave me the confidence to work in the same way with my editor, Melissa Warten (who has a similar editing style to Jen’s— they are both open to listening and are committed to maintaining authenticity).

This is why it’s so important for every author, and especially those from marginalized communities, to have the confidence to stand up for their work. You know your story, your world, your characters better than anyone, and you have to stay true to your work. Don’t be afraid to challenge an editorial suggestion that you don’t buy into. Hear your editorial team, whether that’s your critique group or your agent or your editor, but don’t feel like you have to do every single thing that every single person suggests. That’s why it’s so crucial to have that trust in the agent-author relationship and the editor-author relationship. You have to feel comfortable enough to say thanks for the suggestion, but I’m going to do it this way instead.

One of the things I talk about a lot with other disabled authors is the fear of being ‘too much.’ Asking for ‘too many’ accommodations, writing books that are ‘too focused’ on disability, etc. And when we finally get an agent, an editor, etc. that fear is magnified, because what if someone decides you’re not worth all the ‘hassle’?

But here’s the thing: an agent does not sign you as a client if they do not love your book. An editor does not offer for your book if they do not love your book. They want to collaborate with you on making your book the best possible version of itself. And yes, there are exceptions to this statement, but, at the end of the day, you don’t want to be in a situation where you feel like you’re being asked to compromise on the authenticity of your work. Which is why, when you receive an agent offer, it’s important to ask about editorial style, collaboration, etc. I don’t think I asked Jen about anything like this on The Call, baby author that I was, so I seriously lucked out in that regard.  

Social media:

Jen (Twitter): @WillsWork4Books

Jen query manager: https://querymanager.com/query/JenniferWills

Lillie (Twitter/IG): @lillielainoff

ONE FOR ALL Preorder links:

Macmillan: https://bit.ly/3pfUD0Y

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3uOCEje

IndieBound: https://bit.ly/3ccUiXl

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3cz1fCD

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TJD2Tz

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3uR88oZ

Giveaway Details

Lille has generously offered a pre-order hardback of One for All and Jennifer 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 February 19th. 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 the query critique giveaway are International.

 Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Monday, February 7th I have an interview with debut author Lisa Stringfellow and a giveaway of her MG fantasy A Comb of Wishes

Wednesday, February 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Ginger Clark and a query critique giveaway

Monday, February 14th I have a guest post by Leigh Lewis and a giveaway of her MG nonfiction Pirate Queens: Dauntless Women Who Dared to Rule the High Seas

Wednesday, February 16th I’m participating in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop

Monday, February 21st I have an agent spotlight interview with Paige Terlip and a query critique giveaway

Hope to see you on Monday!

 

Heart 2 Heart Giveaway Hop

 

Happy Tuesday Everyone! I hope you're all staying healthy and warm. I've been hunkered in since January and am taking advantage of the time at home to right on my exercise bike, read, and work on my manuscript more. 

Today I'm excited to participate in the Heart to Heart Giveaway Hop hosted by MamatheFox. I've got a lot of choices this month because there are so many debut MG and YA books and other books by fantastic authors releasing this month. Here are ones 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 2/01 – 2/15/2022 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

Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 2nd I have an agent/author guest post with Nicole Resciniti and Lillie Lainoff and a giveaway of Lisa’s YA fairytale retelling All for One and a query critique giveaway

 Monday, February 7th I have an interview with debut author Lisa Stringfellow and a giveaway of her MG fantasy A Comb of Wishes

Wednesday, February 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Ginger Clark and a query critique giveaway

Monday, February 14th I have a guest post by Leigh Lewis and a giveaway of her MG nonfiction Pirate Queens: Dauntless Women Who Dared to Rule the High Seas

Wednesday, February 16th I’m participating in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop

Monday, February 21st I have an agent spotlight interview with Paige Terlip and a query critique giveaway

Hope to see you tomorrow!

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

 

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.