Today I’m participating in the PAY IT FORWARD BLOGFEST, organized by one of our followers, Matthew MacNish, at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment and Alex Cavanaugh They both have awesome blogs I recommend you follow. The point of the blogfest is to spotlight three blogs that you might not know about.
Here’s the blogs I love that you may not know about:
1. The Other Side of the Story. This is a fabulous blog about the craft of writing. Janice Hardy is the author of THE SHIFTER, BLUE FIRE, and DARKFALL. I just interviewed her on Monday and there’s a link at the top of the blog to read the interview and enter my contest to win an ARC of DARKFALL.
Janice blogs about the craft of writing. She analyzes every issue you could imagine about the craft and gives you detailed examples of pitfalls and how to fix them. I read her blog almost daily. Anyone I know who reads it loves it.
2. The O.W.L. Jill at The O.W.L. is one of our followers and is a 7th grade English teacher. She spotlights books for 9-12 year olds mainly through book reviews and author interviews. Sometimes these include giveaways. While she talks about some YA books, I love that she focuses on middle grade and she gets input from her students about which are good ones. I follow her blog regularly.
3. Book Dreaming. Shannon O’Donnell is a high school English teacher and middle grade author. On Mondays she talks about a middle grade book for the Marvelous Middle Grade series. Other days she’ll share an inspiring quote to keep us motivated, talk about books, or share about the craft of writing. Shannon is such a sweet person. I love her blog.
I could go on and on but will stop here. So I hope you’ll check out these blogs and please let us know in the comments about your own blog or someone else’s you really enjoy.
On Monday I’m interviewing another teenager who’s also an aspiring author for for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away an ARC I know you’ll want. And on October 24th, I’ll be interviewing debut author Stasia Ward Kehoe and giving away a copy of AUDITION. Then on October 31st, I’m interviewing another debut author Anna Staniszewski and giving away a copy of MY VERY UN FAIRY TAIL LIFE.
Here's the link to everyone else participating in the blogfest. I hope you'll visit some of them.
Hope to see you on Monday! Have a great weekend.
Agent Spotlight: Jessica Sinsheimer
This week's Agent Spotlight features Jessica Sinsheimer of the Context Literary Agency.
Status: Open to submissions.
About: “Jessica has been reading and campaigning for her favorite queries since 2004. Previously at the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency, she’s known for co-creating #MSWL, ManuscriptWistList.com, and drinking far too much coffee.” (Link)
Web Presence:
Context Literary Agency website.
Twitter.
The Manuscript Academy.
QueryTracker, AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
From the agency website:
Status: Open to submissions.
About: “Jessica has been reading and campaigning for her favorite queries since 2004. Previously at the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency, she’s known for co-creating #MSWL, ManuscriptWistList.com, and drinking far too much coffee.” (Link)Web Presence:
Context Literary Agency website.
Twitter.
The Manuscript Academy.
QueryTracker, AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
From the agency website:
"Jessica is always on the lookout for new writers, she is most excited about finding YA, MG, upmarket genre fiction (especially women’s fiction, psychological thrillers, and SF/F that gives us insight into both fictional worlds and this one) and—on the nonfiction side—psychology, self-help, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction, and works that speak to life in the twenty-first century. She especially likes highbrow sentences with lowbrow content, beautiful descriptions of scary situations, smart and nerdy protagonists, underrepresented characters in positions of power, and justified acts of bravery."
"Whatever the age group, I tend to love contrast–highbrow sentences and lowbrow content, beautiful settings and ugly motives–the books that are beautiful and scary, heartbreaking and hilarious. I love secrets, scheming, revenge, plotting–and stories that have to be written forward and backward to make sense (I LOVE discovering a very cleverly planted clue that makes sense in retrospect). I love watching powerful people navigate their public and private lives.
"More underrepresented characters, please--especially those with power, agency, and happy endings. Wish fulfillment, romance, specialized skills (especially tech), taking over the world. We need to see more of that.
"Upmarket genre fiction (whether for YA or adult) usually works for me.
"For YA: Any subgenre. I’m serious.
"I’m into the books that are mostly in our world–but then that veer slightly into surrealism (like Aimee Bender) or genre fiction–that really works for me.
"But if the voice is wonderful, I can love just about anything.
"I have a particular interest in retellings (of classic movies–I’d LOVE a book version of, say, Arsenic and Old Lace or, better yet, Gaslight), and characters who are genuinely flawed but (usually) well-meaning.
"Also welcome: fictionalizations of historical events." You can find more about what she is looking for on her Manuscript Wish List.What She Isn't Looking For:
Not actively looking for picture books. No screenplays.
Editorial Agent?
“I am VERY editorial. I love it! I love watching a book take shape. That said, would I turn down something because it was already perfect? No. As always, it's a balance of ‘how much work is this?’ vs. ‘how much do I love this?’” (Link Defunct)
Clients:
There are lists of agency clients and titles on the website.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Send a query letter with a short bio and the first five to ten pages pasted in the body of the email. No attachments.
See the Context Literary Agency for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.Response Times:
Unknown.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
On Publishing and the Love of Books Podcast at Notre Dame Office of Provost (03/2019)
An Interview with Manuscript Academy Co-Founder at The Winged Pen (09/2017)
5 Tips for Pitching to Agents: Jessica Sinsheimer at Midwest Writers Workship (07/2017)
Interview with Literary Agent Jessica Sinsheimer at Wow Women Writing (Date unknown)
Interview with Jessica Sinsheimer Podcast at Open Spotify (12/2015)
Interview with Jessica Sinsheimer Podcast at Covered (Date unknown)
7 Questions for Literary Agent Jessica Sinsheimer at Middle Grade Ninja (11/2013)
First Five Frenzy with Jessica Sinsheimer at Amy Trueblood (04/2013)
Interview with Literary Agent Jessica Sinsheimer at Amy Newman (04/2013)
Contact:
Please see the Context Literary Agency for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/30/2020.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 10/13/11.
***
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.
"More underrepresented characters, please--especially those with power, agency, and happy endings. Wish fulfillment, romance, specialized skills (especially tech), taking over the world. We need to see more of that.
"Upmarket genre fiction (whether for YA or adult) usually works for me.
"For YA: Any subgenre. I’m serious.
"I’m into the books that are mostly in our world–but then that veer slightly into surrealism (like Aimee Bender) or genre fiction–that really works for me.
"But if the voice is wonderful, I can love just about anything.
"I have a particular interest in retellings (of classic movies–I’d LOVE a book version of, say, Arsenic and Old Lace or, better yet, Gaslight), and characters who are genuinely flawed but (usually) well-meaning.
"Also welcome: fictionalizations of historical events." You can find more about what she is looking for on her Manuscript Wish List.What She Isn't Looking For:
Not actively looking for picture books. No screenplays.
Editorial Agent?
“I am VERY editorial. I love it! I love watching a book take shape. That said, would I turn down something because it was already perfect? No. As always, it's a balance of ‘how much work is this?’ vs. ‘how much do I love this?’” (Link Defunct)
Clients:
There are lists of agency clients and titles on the website.
Query Methods:
E-mail: Yes.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: No.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Send a query letter with a short bio and the first five to ten pages pasted in the body of the email. No attachments.
See the Context Literary Agency for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.Response Times:
Unknown.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews:
On Publishing and the Love of Books Podcast at Notre Dame Office of Provost (03/2019)
An Interview with Manuscript Academy Co-Founder at The Winged Pen (09/2017)
5 Tips for Pitching to Agents: Jessica Sinsheimer at Midwest Writers Workship (07/2017)
Interview with Literary Agent Jessica Sinsheimer at Wow Women Writing (Date unknown)
Interview with Jessica Sinsheimer Podcast at Open Spotify (12/2015)
Interview with Jessica Sinsheimer Podcast at Covered (Date unknown)
7 Questions for Literary Agent Jessica Sinsheimer at Middle Grade Ninja (11/2013)
First Five Frenzy with Jessica Sinsheimer at Amy Trueblood (04/2013)
Interview with Literary Agent Jessica Sinsheimer at Amy Newman (04/2013)
Contact:
Please see the Context Literary Agency for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 5/30/2020.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 10/13/11.
***
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.
Tip Tuesday #109
Tip Tuesday is a weekly feature where writers send in tips for fellow writers. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.
Today's super useful tip was sent in by a new blog reader, Elizabeth Pettie, who writes MG and YA. She blogs at Remember, A Writer Writes and tweets at @ElizabethPettie. Please give her a warm welcome by visiting and following!
Today's super useful tip was sent in by a new blog reader, Elizabeth Pettie, who writes MG and YA. She blogs at Remember, A Writer Writes and tweets at @ElizabethPettie. Please give her a warm welcome by visiting and following!
Say no to Facebook
I was listening to an NPR podcast about willpower. According to the podcast, we've got a limited supply of willpower so it's better to avoid temptation. Don't fill your pantry with cookies if you don't want to eat them.
Writing on the computer tests my willpower. It's hard not to check e-mail, Facebook, or the news (well maybe just the gossip news). That's why I hired my nanny. The nanny is a google chrome extension that blocks sites during specified hours. (For firefox you can use leech block.) If I try to click on facebook between the hours of nine to five, my nanny sends me a message that says, "shouldn't you be working." And the Nanny's right. I should be working.
~Elizabeth Pettie
MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE WEEK INTERVIEW WITH JANICE HARDY AND BOOK GIVEAWAY AND SPOTLIGHT DEBUT AUTHORS WEEK
First I want everyone to know that Christina Lee has organized a number of bloggers to spotlight debut authors this week. To find out about everyone participating, go to her blog. I really recommend you do because it's awesome that she's organized this.
Although I’m not interviewing a debut author this week, I am participating and want to give a shout out about THE FAERIE RING by Kiki Hamilton as I announce the winner of her ARC. It really is a fabulous action packed fantasy in a fantastic setting—1871. And it’s gotten a lot of great reviews. So if you don’t win it, I really recommend you read it. And I’ll be telling you at the end of this interview about other debut authors I’m interviewing this month.
Thanks so much to everyone who spread the word about this contest.
So the winner of THE FAERIE RING is a New Follower:
CASSANDRA-THE BOOK & MOVIE DIMENSION BLOGGER!
Congrats! E-mail me your address so that I can send you your book.
Today I’m excited to interview Janice Hardy about her book DARKFALL, the final book in The Healing Wars series, which was released on October 4, 2011. This might have been my favorite book in the series. I loved how Nya grew and that the series ended with a conclusion that tied up the loose ends.
Here’s a description of DARKFALL from Goodreads:
War has come.
Nya’s the one who brought it. And the people love her for it.
With Baseer in shambles and Geveg now an impenetrable military stronghold, Nya and the Underground have fled to a safer location—without Tali. Nya is guilt-ridden over leaving her sister behind and vows to find her, but with the rebellion in full swing and refugees flooding the Three Territories, she fears she never will.
The Duke, desperate to reclaim the throne as his own, has rallied his powerful army. And they are on the move, destroying anyone who gets in the way.
To save her sister, her family, and her people, Nya needs to stay ahead of the Duke’s army and find a way to build one of her own. Past hurts must be healed, past wrongs must be righted, and Nya must decide: Is she merely a pawn in the rebellion, a symbol of hope—or is she ready to be a hero?
Hi Janice
. Thanks so much for joining us.
Thanks for having me!
1. I loved how Nya evolves as a character throughout the series. Can you talk a bit about her character development?
Nya lives in a world where being noticed is a good way to get yourself hurt, so she’s spent most of her life trying not to be seen. But to stop the oppression of her people requires her to become the symbol of their rebellion, something she’s not at all comfortable with. Part of that reason is because she’s not comfortable with who (and what) she is—a shifter. To accept the role she needs to play to save those she loves, she also has to accept who she is and what she can do. The whole series gets her to that point.
2. I knew you’d have thought out her whole character development for the series, something really important to do to make the series interesting. A constant theme in all three books is Nya’s relationship with her sister Tali and the need to help her. In each book, Tali’s situation and Nya’s choices regarding her change. Can you tell us about how you plotted it out?
THE SHIFTER was easy. Tali was her only family and Nya would do anything to save her. She was a bit selfish in that regard really. It was all about saving Tali.
For BLUE FIRE it got a little wonky, because the Tali plotline I had originally planned wasn’t meshing with the Duke/war plot. Nya’s worldview was opening up (as planned) but it was almost like she’d forgotten her sister, which wasn’t like Nya at all. I finally realized that it wasn’t about her saving Tali again (I’d done that) but about Nya discovering there was more to life than just her and her sister. Nya chooses the bigger picture, and it costs her dearly where Tali is concerned. I had actually planned to have her save Tali, then realized how wrong that was for Nya’s character arc. She had to fail here to learn an important lesson that would get her to where she needed to be emotionally for the third book.
DARKFALL put Nya in the position of having to choose: Tali or the cause? But Nya made that choice once and regretted it, so she’s not willing to compromise again. I knew I wanted her to face that same choice over and over in small ways, having to choose between those she loves, her “family” (even those that aren’t her blood) or the greater good. This mirrored her own journey since she had to decide if she was merely a girl or someone who could change things, stop the Duke and inspire her people to fight. Tali becomes Nya’s inspiration so she can inspire others and be what she has to be to save all of them.
3. I just love how you carried this theme to new heights in DARKFALL. You’ve now finished this series. What did you learn about writing a series from writing this one? Do you have any advice for us aspiring authors trying to create a trilogy?
Oh goodness, so much there! Trilogies are hard. There are a ton of things to keep track of, lots of backstory to incorporate, plots that need to stand alone and still maintain the overall story arc. My advice would be what I’ve learned doing it.
1. Give each book a solid stand alone plot. The story can continue from book to book, but the more solid your core conflict is, the easier it’ll be to write. You’ll have a good understanding of the goals and stakes and won’t be floundering to figure out how it all fits together.
2. Pretend the previous book(s) is the backstory. Don’t try to rehash or re-explain all of book one or two. Just pretend it’s part of the character’s history and treat it same as you would any other backstory. Once the first draft is done, you’ll know what needs to be fleshed out for new readers.
3. Keep revealing new stuff. Even if the plot is different, if readers don’t learn anything new about the characters or the world, it can feel like the same basic book all over again. Show new aspects of the world, the characters, the problems, the stakes, etc.
4. Tha
t’s such awesome advice. As I’m reading second and third books in series, I’m realizing how important it is to reveal new stuff and characters in future books to keep my interest. I know your agent is Kristen Nelson. I’d so love to work with her and Sara Megibow. What’s it like working with them? Do you have any helpful tips on how to best work as a team with your agent?
Working with them is great. They’re both just darling and wonderful. Sharp and savvy women who really know their stuff. Kristin is very hands on and has a wonderful editorial eye, so she was incredibly helpful with getting THE SHIFTER ready for submission. She’s great at brainstorming ideas and making you think about what makes a story good as well as marketable.
I think communication is key with your agent. I was pretty intimidated at first because she was an AGENT (insert scary music). I was nervous about emailing her with questions because I might be “bothering” her. But that’s what she’s there for and she wants to help. It wasn’t long before I relaxed and now whenever I need her she’s there and happy to help. You have to remember that your agent is there to help you succeed. They took you on because they saw potential in your work and they love your writing. They want you to be the best you can be.
5. You have an awesome blog on the craft of writing, (Seriously everyone, if you haven’t checked out Janice’s blog, I highly recommend it), work part-time, and write. How do you juggle it all?
Thanks! It’s a labor of love for sure. Juggling it all requires good scheduling and routines.
I try to write all my main blog posts on Saturdays and queue them up for the week. I usually only run into trouble when I can’t get them done ahead of time, then they stack up and I feel like I’m rushing to get everything done. Weekday mornings are for novels, then lunch, then answer emails, blog comments, check Twitter, etc. (This takes about an hour) Afternoons are for the day job or more writing or blogging. Monday afternoons are for marketing stuff. I contact folks about interviews, (either for me or those I invite to post on my blog) write any guest posts or answer interviews (like this one), do research for PR/marketing things, like book festivals or conferences I might want to attend.
Depending on what deadline I have at the time, that can change, but I try to stick to it as best I can. Having specific days to work on things helps a lot, because that way I know if I have to get back to someone for something, it’s all done on one day. It’s the constant interruptions of smaller things that really steal your time. When I have them all at once, I’m much more productive.
6. What have you learned about marketing from your first two books and how is that influencing your marketing of DARKFALL?
A frustrating thing about marketing is that you have no idea if it’s working. It takes a lot of effort, and that can steal your writing time, so you have to be careful about spending too much time (and money) on promotion when you ought to be writing the next book. I’m working harder this time to find that balance. Although I’m doing some guest posts, I’m skipping the big blog tour this book. I’m focusing more on getting out there to talk to folks about the book through festivals and events. Trying to go where my readers are, which can be tough for a middle grade novel.
7. Finding the balance is definitely hard, even for an aspiring author like me. That’s so interesting you decided against a big blog tour. I hope you’ll post on your blog how you feel this new marketing went. What are you working on now?
A YA fantasy about a deep cover spy who gets caught between love and loyalty when a political assassination exposes her true identity. I’m trying several new things with it, so it’s been both a blast and a challenge.
It sounds awesome. Good luck Janice with your new book and DARKFALL. You can find Janice on her blog (Again I really recommend you follow it) and her website.
Janice’s publisher generously offered an ARC for a giveaway. All you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on October 29th. I’ll announce the winner on October 31st. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment. International entries are welcome.
If you mention this contest on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook, please let me know in the comments and I’ll give you an extra entry.
Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays was started by Shannon Whitney Messenger to spotlight middle grade authors. Check it out here. And today Shannon is sharing BIG NEWS. I'm SO excited for her. Stop by and congratulate her!
And check out these other Marvelous Monday Middle Grade Reviewers:
Shannon O’Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Sherrie Petersen
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Anita Laydon Miller
Barbara Watson
Just Deb
Kit Lit Frenzy
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin
Pam Torres
Here’s what’s coming up the next few weeks. On Friday, I'll be participating in the PAY IT FORWARD blogfest where we share about a few awesome blogs you may not know about. So I hope you'll stop by.
Next Monday I’m interviewing a 9th grade aspiring author who follows our blog for my Ask The Expert series and giving away an ARC I know you’ll want. And on October 24th, I’ll be interviewing debut author Stasia Ward Kehoe and giving away a copy of AUDITION. Then on October 31st, I’m interviewing another debut author Anna Staniszewski and giving away a copy of MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE.
Hope to see you Friday and next Monday!
Although I’m not interviewing a debut author this week, I am participating and want to give a shout out about THE FAERIE RING by Kiki Hamilton as I announce the winner of her ARC. It really is a fabulous action packed fantasy in a fantastic setting—1871. And it’s gotten a lot of great reviews. So if you don’t win it, I really recommend you read it. And I’ll be telling you at the end of this interview about other debut authors I’m interviewing this month.
Thanks so much to everyone who spread the word about this contest.
So the winner of THE FAERIE RING is a New Follower:
CASSANDRA-THE BOOK & MOVIE DIMENSION BLOGGER!
Congrats! E-mail me your address so that I can send you your book.
Today I’m excited to interview Janice Hardy about her book DARKFALL, the final book in The Healing Wars series, which was released on October 4, 2011. This might have been my favorite book in the series. I loved how Nya grew and that the series ended with a conclusion that tied up the loose ends.
Here’s a description of DARKFALL from Goodreads:
War has come.
Nya’s the one who brought it. And the people love her for it.
With Baseer in shambles and Geveg now an impenetrable military stronghold, Nya and the Underground have fled to a safer location—without Tali. Nya is guilt-ridden over leaving her sister behind and vows to find her, but with the rebellion in full swing and refugees flooding the Three Territories, she fears she never will.
The Duke, desperate to reclaim the throne as his own, has rallied his powerful army. And they are on the move, destroying anyone who gets in the way.
To save her sister, her family, and her people, Nya needs to stay ahead of the Duke’s army and find a way to build one of her own. Past hurts must be healed, past wrongs must be righted, and Nya must decide: Is she merely a pawn in the rebellion, a symbol of hope—or is she ready to be a hero?
Hi Janice
. Thanks so much for joining us.Thanks for having me!
1. I loved how Nya evolves as a character throughout the series. Can you talk a bit about her character development?
Nya lives in a world where being noticed is a good way to get yourself hurt, so she’s spent most of her life trying not to be seen. But to stop the oppression of her people requires her to become the symbol of their rebellion, something she’s not at all comfortable with. Part of that reason is because she’s not comfortable with who (and what) she is—a shifter. To accept the role she needs to play to save those she loves, she also has to accept who she is and what she can do. The whole series gets her to that point.
2. I knew you’d have thought out her whole character development for the series, something really important to do to make the series interesting. A constant theme in all three books is Nya’s relationship with her sister Tali and the need to help her. In each book, Tali’s situation and Nya’s choices regarding her change. Can you tell us about how you plotted it out?
THE SHIFTER was easy. Tali was her only family and Nya would do anything to save her. She was a bit selfish in that regard really. It was all about saving Tali.
For BLUE FIRE it got a little wonky, because the Tali plotline I had originally planned wasn’t meshing with the Duke/war plot. Nya’s worldview was opening up (as planned) but it was almost like she’d forgotten her sister, which wasn’t like Nya at all. I finally realized that it wasn’t about her saving Tali again (I’d done that) but about Nya discovering there was more to life than just her and her sister. Nya chooses the bigger picture, and it costs her dearly where Tali is concerned. I had actually planned to have her save Tali, then realized how wrong that was for Nya’s character arc. She had to fail here to learn an important lesson that would get her to where she needed to be emotionally for the third book.
DARKFALL put Nya in the position of having to choose: Tali or the cause? But Nya made that choice once and regretted it, so she’s not willing to compromise again. I knew I wanted her to face that same choice over and over in small ways, having to choose between those she loves, her “family” (even those that aren’t her blood) or the greater good. This mirrored her own journey since she had to decide if she was merely a girl or someone who could change things, stop the Duke and inspire her people to fight. Tali becomes Nya’s inspiration so she can inspire others and be what she has to be to save all of them.
3. I just love how you carried this theme to new heights in DARKFALL. You’ve now finished this series. What did you learn about writing a series from writing this one? Do you have any advice for us aspiring authors trying to create a trilogy?
Oh goodness, so much there! Trilogies are hard. There are a ton of things to keep track of, lots of backstory to incorporate, plots that need to stand alone and still maintain the overall story arc. My advice would be what I’ve learned doing it.
1. Give each book a solid stand alone plot. The story can continue from book to book, but the more solid your core conflict is, the easier it’ll be to write. You’ll have a good understanding of the goals and stakes and won’t be floundering to figure out how it all fits together.
2. Pretend the previous book(s) is the backstory. Don’t try to rehash or re-explain all of book one or two. Just pretend it’s part of the character’s history and treat it same as you would any other backstory. Once the first draft is done, you’ll know what needs to be fleshed out for new readers.
3. Keep revealing new stuff. Even if the plot is different, if readers don’t learn anything new about the characters or the world, it can feel like the same basic book all over again. Show new aspects of the world, the characters, the problems, the stakes, etc.
4. Tha
t’s such awesome advice. As I’m reading second and third books in series, I’m realizing how important it is to reveal new stuff and characters in future books to keep my interest. I know your agent is Kristen Nelson. I’d so love to work with her and Sara Megibow. What’s it like working with them? Do you have any helpful tips on how to best work as a team with your agent?Working with them is great. They’re both just darling and wonderful. Sharp and savvy women who really know their stuff. Kristin is very hands on and has a wonderful editorial eye, so she was incredibly helpful with getting THE SHIFTER ready for submission. She’s great at brainstorming ideas and making you think about what makes a story good as well as marketable.
I think communication is key with your agent. I was pretty intimidated at first because she was an AGENT (insert scary music). I was nervous about emailing her with questions because I might be “bothering” her. But that’s what she’s there for and she wants to help. It wasn’t long before I relaxed and now whenever I need her she’s there and happy to help. You have to remember that your agent is there to help you succeed. They took you on because they saw potential in your work and they love your writing. They want you to be the best you can be.
5. You have an awesome blog on the craft of writing, (Seriously everyone, if you haven’t checked out Janice’s blog, I highly recommend it), work part-time, and write. How do you juggle it all?
Thanks! It’s a labor of love for sure. Juggling it all requires good scheduling and routines.
I try to write all my main blog posts on Saturdays and queue them up for the week. I usually only run into trouble when I can’t get them done ahead of time, then they stack up and I feel like I’m rushing to get everything done. Weekday mornings are for novels, then lunch, then answer emails, blog comments, check Twitter, etc. (This takes about an hour) Afternoons are for the day job or more writing or blogging. Monday afternoons are for marketing stuff. I contact folks about interviews, (either for me or those I invite to post on my blog) write any guest posts or answer interviews (like this one), do research for PR/marketing things, like book festivals or conferences I might want to attend.
Depending on what deadline I have at the time, that can change, but I try to stick to it as best I can. Having specific days to work on things helps a lot, because that way I know if I have to get back to someone for something, it’s all done on one day. It’s the constant interruptions of smaller things that really steal your time. When I have them all at once, I’m much more productive.
6. What have you learned about marketing from your first two books and how is that influencing your marketing of DARKFALL?
A frustrating thing about marketing is that you have no idea if it’s working. It takes a lot of effort, and that can steal your writing time, so you have to be careful about spending too much time (and money) on promotion when you ought to be writing the next book. I’m working harder this time to find that balance. Although I’m doing some guest posts, I’m skipping the big blog tour this book. I’m focusing more on getting out there to talk to folks about the book through festivals and events. Trying to go where my readers are, which can be tough for a middle grade novel.
7. Finding the balance is definitely hard, even for an aspiring author like me. That’s so interesting you decided against a big blog tour. I hope you’ll post on your blog how you feel this new marketing went. What are you working on now?
A YA fantasy about a deep cover spy who gets caught between love and loyalty when a political assassination exposes her true identity. I’m trying several new things with it, so it’s been both a blast and a challenge.
It sounds awesome. Good luck Janice with your new book and DARKFALL. You can find Janice on her blog (Again I really recommend you follow it) and her website.
Janice’s publisher generously offered an ARC for a giveaway. All you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on October 29th. I’ll announce the winner on October 31st. If your e-mail is not on Blogger, please list it in your comment. International entries are welcome.
If you mention this contest on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook, please let me know in the comments and I’ll give you an extra entry.
Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays was started by Shannon Whitney Messenger to spotlight middle grade authors. Check it out here. And today Shannon is sharing BIG NEWS. I'm SO excited for her. Stop by and congratulate her!
And check out these other Marvelous Monday Middle Grade Reviewers:
Shannon O’Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Sherrie Petersen
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Anita Laydon Miller
Barbara Watson
Just Deb
Kit Lit Frenzy
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin
Pam Torres
Here’s what’s coming up the next few weeks. On Friday, I'll be participating in the PAY IT FORWARD blogfest where we share about a few awesome blogs you may not know about. So I hope you'll stop by.
Next Monday I’m interviewing a 9th grade aspiring author who follows our blog for my Ask The Expert series and giving away an ARC I know you’ll want. And on October 24th, I’ll be interviewing debut author Stasia Ward Kehoe and giving away a copy of AUDITION. Then on October 31st, I’m interviewing another debut author Anna Staniszewski and giving away a copy of MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE.
Hope to see you Friday and next Monday!
Tamson Weston: Picture Book Tips from Sucessful Agents
Please welcome children's book author and editor Tamson Weston to Literary Rambles. Tamson was most recently an editor for Disney Hyperion and now does editorial consultancy through Tamson Weston Books. She's here to share some fantastic tips for picture book writers, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Our PB friends don't get enough attention around here!
Top 5 Picture Book Publishing Tips from Successful Agents
In the past few years there’s been a lot of hand wringing over the state of picture books. One year ago today, the New York Times published this article about their supposed demise, which received considerable backlash—with good reason. The argument was overstated to say the least.
However, there has been a constriction in the market. As an author hoping to publish for the first time, it would be foolish to ignore it. Publishing houses are much more selective than they once were. In order to help new authors understand how to approach these challenges, I consulted with children’s book agents about what makes a successful picture book. Here are five tips to make a submission stand out.
1. Create an endearing character. Fancy Nancy, Skippyjon Jones, Pigeon, and Lady Bug Girl are all examples of characters that stand at the center of franchises. This is not so different from the YA and Middle Grade market, which also tend to find their sweet spot with characters and worlds that span several books. In a competitive market, publishers want to hold a consumers’ attention over many titles and create a property that bookstores will make space for.
2. Keep it short. Erin Murphy observes that the successful picture books she represents are less than 600 words. That is a good target length to shoot for in most cases (nonfiction picture books are a bit different). The trick is determining what to leave out. Just remember that there will be pictures, so you can omit a lot of description. This is, according to agents, where many writers—and particularly those used to writing longer fiction—go wrong. Mary Kole also points out that those used to a longer form may tend to be redundant. Think of your text in the same way that you might think about a poem with particular form requirements, like a regular line length. The condensed length of a picture book requires you to be extremely choosy and precise about language. However, just like a poem….
3. Don’t rhyme – or do it well. If you don’t feel comfortable rhyming -- that is, if you haven’t practiced this skill -- then please don’t use this as an opportunity to do so. Most of the bestselling picture books today are not rhymed. So rhyme if rhyming is your thing; otherwise don’t start now. Bad rhyme can sink a manuscript.
4. Don’t include illustrations or lots of illustrator notes. “This is the biggest and most common mistake new authors make,” says Tracey Adams. You don’t want your story to lean too heavily on something that has yet to be created. The text, even if it is spare, should be clear enough to stand on its own. And again, this is not the time or place to start learning a new skill, so don’t illustrate if you’re not an illustrator, and don’t use your submission as an opportunity to showcase your niece’s work. It will only make you look unprofessional and it’s an instant turn off to agents.
5. Write picture books because you have something to say that needs to be said in that format. As Emily Van Beek points out, “Just because they are shorter, doesn’t mean that they are easier to write.” Agents who still take on picture book manuscripts do so because they love them and they have confidence in them. These two qualities go hand in hand. You have to love what you’re writing. You have to have read lots of picture books and you have to be dedicated to practicing the skill in its own right, not just as something ancillary to the rest of your writing. It’s not simply short fiction. It’s a craft that deserves as much time and care as longer books.
While there are challenges facing picture book authors, keeping these points in mind can greatly improve your odds of being acquired. Build expertise in the format and the market. Look over publishers’ catalogs, poke around in the picture book section of your library and dedicate time to the peculiar craft of picture book writing. With the right approach, you will find a home for your manuscript.
Some Resources for Picture Book Writers:
SCBWI
Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market
The Got Story Countdown
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Fuse 8: Top 100 Picture Book Poll Results (#1-101)
My blog: Tamson Weston Books
Thanks to everyone who shared their insights, in particular:
Mary Kole, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Her blog: KidLit.com
Emily Van Beek, Folio Lit
Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary
Tracey Adams, Adams Literary
Tamson Weston is a published children's book author and editor with over 15 years experience at several prestigious publishing houses including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Disney Hyperion. She has edited many acclaimed and award-winning books for children of all ages. Tamson loves to collaborate with people and help authors, illustrators, agents and publishers bring projects to their full potential.
Among the authors Tamson has worked with with are Adam Rex, Mac Barnett, Robert Weinstock, Adam Gopnik, Jane Leslie Conly, Anne Rockwell, Deborah Hopkinson, Jen Violi, Alexander Stadler, Dan Santat, Florence Parry Heide, Dandi Daley Mackall, Brian Biggs, Marilyn Singer, Megan Cash and Mark Newgarden.
Tamson has an MFA in Writing and Literature. You can visit her website at www.tamsonweston.com.
Giveaway Winners!
Hello everyone!
I have a fantastic guest post going up in just a few short hours (don't miss it!), but I thought I'd go ahead and announce the winners for the two giveaways that ended on October 4th.
The winner of RUNNING WIDE OPEN (e-book) by Lisa Nowak is...
I have a fantastic guest post going up in just a few short hours (don't miss it!), but I thought I'd go ahead and announce the winners for the two giveaways that ended on October 4th.
The winner of RUNNING WIDE OPEN (e-book) by Lisa Nowak is...
SAMANTHA JEAN
Congrats Samantha!
Congrats Samantha!
The winner of FINGERTIP ISLAND: THE VINCENZO ADVENTURE (or its sequel) by Ned Rauch-Mannino is...
BETH
Congratulations Beth!
I'll send you each an e-mail sometime today. If you'd like to beat me to it and claim your prize, e-mail me at caseymccormickya(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll discuss the details.
Thank you, and Happy Friday everyone!
Congratulations Beth!
I'll send you each an e-mail sometime today. If you'd like to beat me to it and claim your prize, e-mail me at caseymccormickya(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll discuss the details.
Thank you, and Happy Friday everyone!
Agent Spotlight: Laura Bradford
This week's Agent Spotlight features Laura Bradford of the Bradford Literary Agency.
Status on 10/22/2025: Laura is closed to submissions. Please check the agency website to find out when she reopens to queries.
About:
"Laura Bradford (she/her) established the Bradford Literary Agency in 2001. She considers herself an editorial-focused agent and takes a hands-on approach to developing proposals and manuscripts with her authors for the most appropriate markets. The mission of Bradford Literary Agency is to form true partnerships with their clients and build long-term relationships that extend from writing the first draft through the length of the author’s career. Laura’s clients include both debut and award-winning and best-selling authors and she strives to showcase diverse voices in all genres and would love to bring more LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors (and protagonists!) into the publishing world. She is actively building her client list and represents work in the following categories: romance (historical, romantic suspense, category, contemporary, erotic), speculative fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thrillers, young adult, upper middle grade, illustration as well as some select non-fiction. She is especially interested in acquiring graphic novels, anything #ownvoices, and recent items on her wish list include: plus-sized heroines, manuscripts with disabled rep, a mystery/suspense series with a female protagonist that is an expert in a thinky field (like the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs), deep, juicy middle grade with a lot of emotional gravitas, a historical mystery series with a slow burn romance, multigenerational women’s fiction with some cool time periods and settings, middle grade with non-traditional family dynamics, stories of Black joy (any age), funny, escapist YA, forced proximity survival stories (stranded on an island? plane crash in the mountains? snowed in? Any age. I loved Baby Island AND Six Days, Seven Nights).
She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)." (From the agency website)
About the Agency:
“The Bradford Literary Agency is a boutique agency which offers a full range of representation services to authors who are both published and pre-published. Our mission at the Bradford Literary Agency is to form true partnerships with our clients and build long-term relationships that extend from writing the first draft through the length of the author’s career.” (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
Bradford Literary.
Twitter.
Facebook.
Status on 10/22/2025: Laura is closed to submissions. Please check the agency website to find out when she reopens to queries.
About:
She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)." (From the agency website)
“The Bradford Literary Agency is a boutique agency which offers a full range of representation services to authors who are both published and pre-published. Our mission at the Bradford Literary Agency is to form true partnerships with our clients and build long-term relationships that extend from writing the first draft through the length of the author’s career.” (From the agency website)
Web Presence:
Bradford Literary.
Twitter.
Facebook.
Manuscript Wishlist.
QueryTracker, AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Romance (historical, romantic suspense,category, contemporary, erotic), women’s fiction, mystery, thrillers, upper middle grade, young adult, non-fiction, and illustrations
What She Isn't Looking For:
Chapter books, inspirational novels, poetry or screen plays
Editorial Agent?
Yes
Pet-Peeves:
“Willfully ignoring instructions can launch me into a rant (‘I know your guidelines say to do X, but I am going to do Y’). That is the same as the author saying they have absolutely zero respect for my time or my process.” (Link unavailable)
Clients:
There is a list of agency clients on the website.
Ms. Bradford’s clients include: Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Alison Kent, Jenn Bennett, Rachel Solomon, Tessa Bailey, Soraya Lane, Katee Robert, HelenKay Dimon among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: No.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Fiction:You will need to submit a query letter with the first chapter of your manuscript and a synopsis in the body of the e-mail. Include genre and word count.
Non-Fiction: You will need a full non-fiction proposal including a query letter and sample chapter.
See the Bradford Literary Agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tips:
Ms. Bradford prefers Times New Roman. (Link no longer available)
“I just want to see a general air of professionalism. Get to the point of what is relevant to your work...I don't really need to know your children's names and ages. I really am pretty laid back about format and form. I really don't care about margins and fonts as long as they are legible. I don't honestly care if an author addresses me as Laura or Ms. Bradford. I don't care how long your synopsis is as long as it does the job adequately. Just do your research and make sure your query follows the guidelines I DO have and I will be happy. At the end of the day the writing has to speak for itself.” (Link)
Response Times:
The agency’s (approximate) stated response time for queries is six to eight weeks.
What's the Buzz?
Laura Bradford is a highly respected agent with a great track record. She represents a number of bestselling authors and is continually ranked among the Top Dealmakers on Publisher’s Marketplace for women’s/romance and YA. Her clients seem very pleased with her representation
I recommend following her on Twitter @bradfordlit and liking the agency Facebook page.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews, Guest Posts, and Podcasts:
QueryTracker, AgentQuery.
What She's Looking For:
Genres/Specialties:
Romance (historical, romantic suspense,category, contemporary, erotic), women’s fiction, mystery, thrillers, upper middle grade, young adult, non-fiction, and illustrations
What She Isn't Looking For:
Chapter books, inspirational novels, poetry or screen plays
Editorial Agent?
Yes
Pet-Peeves:
“Willfully ignoring instructions can launch me into a rant (‘I know your guidelines say to do X, but I am going to do Y’). That is the same as the author saying they have absolutely zero respect for my time or my process.” (Link unavailable)
Clients:
There is a list of agency clients on the website.
Ms. Bradford’s clients include: Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Alison Kent, Jenn Bennett, Rachel Solomon, Tessa Bailey, Soraya Lane, Katee Robert, HelenKay Dimon among others.
Query Methods:
E-mail: No.
Snail-Mail: No.
Online-Form: Yes.
Submission Guidelines (always verify):
Fiction:You will need to submit a query letter with the first chapter of your manuscript and a synopsis in the body of the e-mail. Include genre and word count.
Non-Fiction: You will need a full non-fiction proposal including a query letter and sample chapter.
See the Bradford Literary Agency website for complete, up-to-date submission guidelines.
Query Tips:
Ms. Bradford prefers Times New Roman. (Link no longer available)
“I just want to see a general air of professionalism. Get to the point of what is relevant to your work...I don't really need to know your children's names and ages. I really am pretty laid back about format and form. I really don't care about margins and fonts as long as they are legible. I don't honestly care if an author addresses me as Laura or Ms. Bradford. I don't care how long your synopsis is as long as it does the job adequately. Just do your research and make sure your query follows the guidelines I DO have and I will be happy. At the end of the day the writing has to speak for itself.” (Link)
Response Times:
The agency’s (approximate) stated response time for queries is six to eight weeks.
What's the Buzz?
Laura Bradford is a highly respected agent with a great track record. She represents a number of bestselling authors and is continually ranked among the Top Dealmakers on Publisher’s Marketplace for women’s/romance and YA. Her clients seem very pleased with her representation
I recommend following her on Twitter @bradfordlit and liking the agency Facebook page.
Worth Your Time:
Interviews, Guest Posts, and Podcasts:
Tips on Working With an Agent at Willamette Writers (04/2022)
Q&A With Laura Bradford at Women Writers, Women Books (11/2017)
Q&A With Laura Bradford at Kirkus (3/2015)
Agent Q&A: Queries at Operation Awesome (1/2013)
Perseverance: The Hardest P, guest post by Laura Bradford at Adventures in Agentland (05/2011).
Agent Q&A: Queries at Operation Awesome (1/2013)
Perseverance: The Hardest P, guest post by Laura Bradford at Adventures in Agentland (05/2011).
Ask Agent Q&A transcript with Laura Bradford at Suzy Kue (05/2011).
Contact:
Please see the Bradford Literary Agency website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 1/12/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 2/8/2023.
***
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.
Contact:
Please see the Bradford Literary Agency website for contact and query information.
Profile Details:
Last updated: 1/12/2023.
Agent Contacted For Review? Yes.
Last Reviewed By Agent? 2/8/2023.
***
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.
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