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January’s Big New Book Order #amreading

Authors, Books, Memoir, Publishing Comments Off

Feb 012019

I did another big book order this week, and decided I’d try to be more disciplined about this blogging thing and share some of the titles I can’t wait to get my hands on:

How to Sit: A Memoir in Stories and Essays by Tyrese L. Coleman

I know Tyrese through some online networking groups for writers, plus Twitter chats. Published by small Mason Jar Press, her book, How to Sit, is grabbing big attention, including a nomination for the PEN/Open Book Award. From Amazon:

“How to Sit, a memoir when viewed in its entirety, plays with the line between fiction and nonfiction as it explores adolescence, identity, grief, and the transition between girlhood and womanhood for a young black woman seeking to ground herself when all she wants is to pretend her world is fantasy.”

First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story by Huda Al-Marashi

Here’s another writer I “met” through online networking! Huda’s memoir from indie Prometheus Books was chosen as a best book of 2018 by Buzzfeed!

A review from E.J. Levy in The Washington Post raves, “If Jane Austen had grown up as a first-gen daughter of Iraqi parents in the 1990s, she might have written this. Keenly observed, with indelible characters, al-Marashi portrays the complex mores and manners that govern life and love in the immigrant community of her youth — from the kindly if baffled Baba, her elderly father, to Huda’s formidable mother and the endearingly hapless Hadi, who loves Huda for years, hampered by propriety…”

A Fractured Life by Shabnam Samuel

This memoir is also from a small press, Vermont’s Green Place Books. From Amazon:

“Abandoned by her parents as a three-year-old, and ultimately leaving her home country India for a new life in America as a young mother of a three-year-old son, this is not only an immigrant’s story, but a poignant and powerful memoir that is at first, one of sadness and continuing adversity, but ultimately one of strength, purpose, and the universal triumph of hope.”

Shabnam, whom I also met through networking groups, is the founder of the Panchgani Writers Retreat in India, which I someday hope to attend.

Brother Bullet: Poems by Casandra López

This one is a preorder from University of Arizona Press! I’m so looking forward to reading these poems. I heard Casandra read some of her work at Hugo House in Seattle a couple years ago. The Amazon description for this collection is gorgeous:

“Speaking to both a personal and collective loss, in Brother Bullet Casandra López confronts her relationships with violence, grief, guilt, and ultimately, endurance. Revisiting the memory and lasting consequences of her brother’s murder, López traces the course of the bullet—its trajectory, impact, wreckage—in lyrical narrative poems that are haunting and raw with emotion, yet tender and alive in revelations of light.”

And last but not least…

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

My friend Kira’s book won’t be released until August, but trust me, you want to pre-order so you can tell your friends you read this amazing novel before it hit The New York Times bestseller list! This hilarious story is a 2019 lead title for publisher Grand Central, and has already been optioned for a series by the AMC Network. I definitely need Amazon’s help to explain this book:

“S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle’s wild crows (those idiots), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®.

Then Big Jim’s eyeball falls out of his head, and S.T. starts to feel like something isn’t quite right. His most tried-and-true remedies–from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim’s loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis–fail to cure Big Jim’s debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he discovers that the neighbors are devouring each other and the local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of dangerous new predators roaming Seattle. Humanity’s extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a foul-mouthed crow whose knowledge of the world around him comes from his TV-watching education.”

Fantastic Forthcoming Books…

Authors, Books, Inspiration, Memoir, Publishing Comments Off

Dec 122018

A few writers I know, either “IRL” or through online connections, have new books coming out soon. This week I did a big pre-order, so I thought I’d share the news about these forthcoming memoirs I’m so excited about…I can’t wait for these books to show up on my doorstep!

Twin to Twin: From High-Risk Pregnancy to Happy Family — Crystal Duffy

Pub date: Dec 15, 2018

I met Crystal at the ASJA Conference last May, and then our paths crossed again at the Brave Magic workshop in September with Cheryl Strayed and Elizabeth Gilbert. She’s one of the friendliest and most upbeat people I’ve met, and I can’t wait to read her inspirational story. She’s a tireless advocate for NICU Parents as well as Maternal and Infant health.

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive — Stephanie Land

Pub date: January 22, 2019

Stephanie’s memoir about working as a maid and scraping by as a single mom, has gotten tons of advance praise. I know she’s poured her heart into this book.

On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard — Jennifer Pastiloff

Pub date: June 4, 2019

Jennifer is so many amazing things: writer, yoga teacher, social media star, and creator of the beautiful online magazine, The Manifest-Station.

Amazon describes her book as “an inspirational memoir about how… years of waitressing taught her to seek out unexpected beauty, how deafness taught her to listen fiercely, how being vulnerable allowed her to find love, and how imperfections can lead to a life full of wild happiness.”

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love — Dani Shapiro

Pub Date: Jan 15, 2019

Dani is one of my favorite writers, and her first memoir, Slow Motion, will always be one of my favorite books. I can’t wait to read this story about her discovery of a shocking family secret.

Getting Started as a Writer: Helpful Books, Websites, and Podcasts

Authors, Books, Publishing, resources for writers, Writing Comments Off

Mar 182018

In my last post, I talked about how often I hear from people who feel a calling to write but don’t know where or how to start. I’m sharing some of my favorite resources here on the blog. Let’s take a look!

BOOKS

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within — Natalie Goldberg’s Zen approach to writing stands as a classic for a reason. All you need to get started is pen, paper, and Natalie’s encouragement to write anywhere, even the laundromat.

The Artist’s Way — Julie Cameron’s iconic guide serves beginning writers, as well as writers who need to refresh and begin again. Cameron will have you writing three pages every morning before you know it.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life — Anne Lamott will coax you into writing a “shitty first draft.” Another enduring classic.

Discovering the Writer Within: The 40-Day Writers Workshop — This practical guide by Bruce Ballenger and Barry Lane is used often in classrooms, but you can easily do these writing exercises at home. Ballenger taught at the University of New Hampshire when I was an adjunct instructor there. I stole all my classroom writing exercises from him.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft — Even if you’re not a fan of Stephen King’s fiction, check out his brilliant and inspiring writing guide.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear — Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat, Pray, Love fame, offers advice on creativity that manages to be both lofty and down-to-earth at the same time.

Still Writing: The Pleasures and Perils of a Creative Life — This jewel of a book arose from Dani Shapiro’s brilliant blog on writing, Moments of Being. If Shapiro’s voice speaks to you, check out her Facebook series on writing, Office Hours, where she answers questions on writing from viewers.

Those are just a few of my favorites. For even more book recommendations, try:

The 28 Best Books on Writing

100 Must-Read, Best Books on Writing and the Writer’s Life

Best Books for Writers

WEBSITES

The Write Life — Make this site your first stop, because every year The Write Life publishes a list of the 100 Best Websites for Writers. This is your jumping off point!

Beyond Your Blog — If you’re eager to try publishing, this site will show you how to get started, with tips from editors and an extensive market list, with plenty of outlets that are open to beginners. Site creator Susan Macarelli has stepped away and is no longer updating the info, but there’s still plenty of helpful and relevant material here.

Poets & Writers — If you’re interested in MFA programs, conferences and residencies, you’ll find info about all that and more here.

Writer’s Digest — There’s a reason they’ve been around forever. The Writer’s Digest site connects you to their magazine content, plus conferences and retreats, online classes and more.

PODCASTS

#amwriting with Jess and KJ — #amwriting offers practical tips on how to make writing happen. New York Times columnist KJ Dell’Antonia and Jess Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure, share their secrets of success, talk candidly about their struggles, and discuss their favorite books.

The Beautiful Writers Podcast — my friend Linda Siverstsen interviews some of the biggest names in the book work, including Terry McMillan, Glennon Doyle, Mary Karr and Martha Beck. Inspirational and real at the same time.

Also check out:

20 Inspiring Writers Podcasts to Subscribe to Right Now

In my next post, I’ll talk about writers’ conferences, retreats, and groups.

Announcing the winner of the YOU MADE ME A MOTHER GIVEAWAY — Plus an interview with the author, Laurenne Sala

Authors, Books, Children's Books, Finding a literary agent, Giveaways, Memoir, Parenting, Uncategorized Comments Off

May 102017

I’m SUPER excited to announce the winner of the YOU MADE ME A MOTHER giveaway:

RUTH EBENSTEIN

Congratulations, Ruth! Please shoot me an email via the online contact form here on the site and include your address. If you reply today, I’ll do my best to get an autographed copy to you in time for Mother’s Day!

Full disclosure: Ruth is a friend, but her entry was chosen using the random number service random.org. If you didn’t win this time, I’m sorry! Still, I’ve got a treat for you all in the form of an interview with the author of YOU MADE ME A MOTHER, Laurenne Sala, that aspiring writers in particular may find interesting…

How an Unpublished Memoirist Became a Big Time Children’s Book Author

Laurenne Sala, 35, founded an LA stage show where people reveal their most taboo secrets, wrote scripts for Funny or Die, and conquered the advertising world, but her dreams of publishing a book went unfulfilled, until an unexpected break made her an author.

“I don’t do things half-assed. Ever,” my friend Laurenne Sala says. “I always tried to write with my heart and give it my all, and then I was finally noticed. I see success happen to everyone who does not give up! ”

A little background: Laurenne grew up a child of divorce outside Chicago. At 10, she discovered her funny, caring dad was gay, but at 15, she lost him to suicide, a pain that stayed buried for years.

She left home to study communications at the University of Southern California. Next, she pursued a Masters in Advertising Copywriting at Miami Ad School. Then she had to move back in with her mom for awhile.

“I worked on my portfolio day in and day out,” she remembers. “I told myself that I wouldn’t shave my legs or armpits until I got a job. It took three months!”

Her first gig was writing commercials for Jack in the Box at a small ad agency. “The agency was great. They taught me the ropes. But my very first day at the office, I remember thinking that I had to write a book. I didn’t think I could swing a cubicle job for that long.”

With her ad career launched, Laurenne enrolled in an adult writing class at night, where she finally opened up about her father’s death. The relief she felt in sharing her story with her classmates led to the creation of Taboo Tales, a Los Angeles-based storytelling show with the motto THE MORE WE ALL TALK ABOUT HOW FUCKED UP WE ARE, THE MORE NORMAL WE ALL FEEL. She found more success writing for Funny or Die, but a memoir about her father’s death felt closest to her heart.

I should tell you that Laurenne and I became friends because of that memoir. We met a few years ago at the SDSU Writers Conference at the memoir table at the networking lunch.

“One thing I loved about the memoir was that the first half was told from my father’s point of view. I wrote the other half as if I was my mom,” she says.

Although I remember Laurenne getting positive comments about the book from publishing professionals at the SDSU Conference, her manuscript garnered more than 60 rejections from literary agents. She opted to put the memoir aside for awhile and carried on with her ad career and Taboo Tales. She also kept trying to publish short pieces, and landed an essay about her dad’s death in the anthology DANCING AT THE SHAME PROM, published by Seal Press in 2012.

Despite her intense literary aspirations, Laurenne never dreamed of writing a children’s book. Here’s how it happened.

She first created the text of YOU MADE ME A MOTHER as promotional copy for Boba, makers of baby wraps and carriers. At the time, Laurenne was single and childless, yet she clearly captured some new mom emotions, because when Boba made a tear-jerker of a video from her writing, it went viral.

After that came the big shock: HarperCollins called! The publishing giant offered to pair her up with popular illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, of bestselling FANCY NANCY fame, to ensure the book’s success. YOU MADE ME A MOTHER won rave reviews and sold out on Amazon within 24 hours of its debut last year.

“The cool thing about YOU MADE ME A MOTHER is that it’s truly a mixture of everything I’ve done in my career,” says Sala. “It began as an ad! And it makes people cry! I’ve always wanted to write something that makes people feel.”

Today Laurenne is having all the fun reading her book to kids and encouraging them to share their feelings too. A sequel, YOU MADE ME A FATHER, will publish in time for Father’s Day 2018 (though you can get a sneak peek here in the video Boba has already made.)

“I struck while the iron was still hot with Harper,” she recalls. “As soon as we had the mom book contract in the works, I sent the dad book manuscript! I figured I’d do that while they were still into me! It worked, and they bought it within 2 weeks.”

In other joyful news, Laurenne got married last year, not long after her book was published, and she’s expecting a baby girl this fall!! Her memoir remains on hold for now, but she’s got a new project in the works called The Grief Collective, a collection of data, experiences, and stories that all involve losing a parent.

“Anyone who has grieved the loss of a parent can join here: https://goo.gl/forms/lZQroqCawWLUE20F3,” Laurenne explains. “You can sign up to answer one question a month, which helps me compare experiences and see what we all have in common when it comes to grieving.”

I can’t wait to see where this project goes!

Win a copy of YOU MADE ME A MOTHER just in time for Mother’s Day!

Authors, Books, Children's Books, Giveaways, Parenting 11 Responses »

May 062017

I’ve got a fun giveaway for you all, just in time for Mother’s Day!

YOU MADE ME A MOTHER is a heartwarming picture book written by my friend Laurenne Sala, with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser, whose work you might recognize from the popular FANCY NANCY series.

This book would be a sweet Mother’s Day present for a new mom and makes a great baby shower gift. (But keep in mind that since the book deals with pregnancy, it’s not really a fit for adoptive parents.)

To enter, please answer the following question in the comments:

What’s your favorite children’s picture book of all time and why?
To earn additional contest entries, you can:

1. Sign up for updates from my website by clicking “Get updates” button on the menu bar, or let me know if you signed up previously. This delivers my blog posts to your inbox. I won’t share your email address with anyone else. Please comment to let me know you signed up!

2. Follow me on Twitter @sharonvanepps and tweet about this giveaway: Win a copy of YOU MADE ME A MOTHER by @laurenne published by @HarperCollins Enter at https://sharonvanepps.com/this-is-not-my-beautiful-life/ #Giveaway #ChildrensBooks

3. Like my Facebook page at Sharon Van Epps, Writer (or let me know if we’re already connected there)

4. Blog about the giveaway or post on your Facebook page, and link back here. Be sure to post your blog entry before you comment.

Please leave a separate comment for each of the above shares, to be sure I correctly record and credit all your entries!

We’ve got a quick turnaround, so don’t wait! Entries close Tuesday, May 9, at midnight PST. The winner will be announced Wednesday May 10, by 9 am PST, and Laurenne will hustle to get the book shipped to you by Mother’s Day!

Next week I’ll also share the inside scoop on Laurenne’s path to publication, so if you’re an aspiring or working writer, check back on May 10 to hear the inspiring story of how she became a Harper Collins author.

Finding a Literary Agent: Plotting Your Submission Strategy

Books, Finding a literary agent, Memoir, Uncategorized, Writing 4 Responses »

Oct 212016

So your project feels ready. You’ve compiled a list of literary agents you want to approach, and you’ve drafted a query letter. Now it’s time for the rubber to hit the road, the shit to hit the fan, and for similar cliches to apply…it’s time to start querying!

But wait…Should you submit one query at a time, or should you carpet bomb the entire literary agent community with your pitch? How long do you wait for a reply before moving on? Should you follow up with agents who ignore you? Here are some thoughts based on my own recent search.

Start by reviewing and ranking your prospect list:

Consider the names on your agent list. Maybe you heard an agent speak at a conference and walked away smitten. Perhaps one of your prospects represents your favorite book of all time. Or maybe your novel is set in Boston, so you really want an agent with ties to the city. Whatever the rationale, you’ve likely got some favorites, so rank your targets accordingly.

I sorted my intended agents into three groups: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. I had about ten agents in each category, with Platinum my top choices. My Platinum agents were: women (because I thought a woman would be more drawn to my memoir than a man;) well-established and/or well connected (because I’m hoping for a deal with a major house, not a small press;) agents with a track record in memoir; and agents I thought I had a reasonable shot at attracting. Only you can determine who qualifies as a top tier agent for your unique project — but trust that there are lots of excellent people out there who might not look perfect at first glance. Finding THE ONE may take time. Perseverance is key.

Test the waters with a reasonable sample size:

I wasn’t planning to do a major agent search this year. Here’s what happened: in January I met an agent I liked at a writers’ conference from a respected boutique agency. This young woman was new enough to the business to be scouting for clients, but she’d recently sold a book of parenting essays to a major house — and she asked to see my material! I tried to seize the opportunity.

After revising and polishing my work, I sent my proposal to The Conference Agent in April. Then I waited around and daydreamed about working with her. Her boss had represented one of my competing titles, so the agency seemed like a perfect match.

After a few weeks of post-submission silence, I followed up. The Conference Agent promised to get back to me within a week. Two weeks passed. I stalked her on twitter and saw she’d gone on vacation, so I waited some more.

After nearly three months of no movement, I got impatient. I understand that the publishing industry operates at glacial speed most of the time, and I still hoped that this woman would fall in love with my project, but at this point I realized I needed to take charge of my career.

I’d been compiling a list of agents for a while in anticipation of an eventual search. I asked a friend if I could query her rep, an agent who happened to be a top choice for me, and got the green light. I sent my book proposal off to My Friend’s Agent and prepared myself to wait again. Then I stumbled upon this video from The Book Doctors, about creating a competitive environment for your manuscript.

I felt inspired. I’d worked really hard to make my proposal the best it could be and felt my query letter was solid. I decided to cast my net wider.

By now it was summer. Conventional wisdom says that summer is a bad time to reach out to agents because of rampant vacationing, but The Book Doctors video had me wound up. I shot out seven or eight query letters to Platimum prospects on a Friday afternoon in July with the subject line: “MEMOIR QUERY from a writer published in NYT, Washington Post and more.” Maybe a lot of agents were in the Hamptons, but a few had to be working, right?

Indeed they were. Monday morning, I woke up to a request for my memoir proposal from The Agent of a Super Famous Writer. I was THRILLED, but I knew what I had to do next.

If you’re certain your query is attracting interest, send out more feelers:

Three agents now had now shown interest in my work. A completely cold query had prompted a request for material from an agent I’d be humbled to work with. Inspired by The Book Doctors video, I resolved to maximize my chances. I sent The Agent of a Super Famous Writer my proposal, and then spent the rest of that Monday morning sending 8 or 9 more queries to folks on my Platinum and Gold lists. I also continued researching agents to see if there were hot prospects I’d missed, adding more names to my target list so that I’d be prepared to keep the search going as long as necessary.

Thankfully, by Tuesday, additional requests for my proposal were rolling in. One agent even requested both the proposal and the partial manuscript! Each time I got an additional request, I sent out two or three more queries. Every time I got a rejection, I sent out two or three more queries. I told myself it was a numbers game and I needed to keep hustling while cultivating as much detachment as possible (though by now I felt gobsmacked by the the prospect of working with The agent of a Super Famous Writer. OMG!)

If you’re getting real traction from one agent, let others know:

At this point, about five agents had my proposal, and one had also asked for the first 50 pages of the manuscript. To keep the momentum going, I sent follow up emails:

Hi Agent of a Super Famous Writer,

I realize that you’ve scarcely had time to review my memoir proposal, but I wanted to let you know that I’ve had some interest from other agents, including requests for the first 50 manuscript pages. Please let me know if you’d like me to send along the partial manuscript, so that you have the pages handy should the proposal spark your interest. I’m quite interested in working with you should you feel the same.

Thanks so much!

Guess what? The Agent of a Super Famous Writer got back to me within 24 hours to let me know she loved the proposal. Yes, she wanted to see the manuscript! In fact, I heard back from almost everyone I nudged, and all who responded asked for my manuscript.

I also followed up on all the Platinum prospects whom I hadn’t yet heard from yet:

SUBJECT: Follow up due to agent interest

Dear Agent,

I realize that you’ve scarcely had time to review the query letter I submitted on July 12, but I wanted to let you know that I’ve had multiple requests for my proposal and pages from other agents. I’m sure you’re terribly busy, but I’m following up with a fool’s optimism because your name was at the top of my query list.

My original query is included below. Please let me know if you’d like to see my proposal or manuscript. Thanks so much.

Some of these follow ups were ignored, but many prompted replies with requests for material. I also got friendly, personal rejections from many of the Platinum agents due to the follow up, a courtesy I preferred to being ignored.

Next, The Agent of a Super Famous Writer told me she wanted to schedule a call as soon as she finished reading the partial manuscript. She even suggested a specific time for the conversation. I jumped up and down with joy!! This could be it!!! After I calmed down, I sent a couple more queries, praying I was being overly diligent; I hoped that an offer of representation was around the corner.

Don’t let dashed hopes slow you down:

I never did talk to The Agent of a Super Famous Writer. She finished reading my partial manuscript and sent a message saying the manuscript didn’t live up to the promise of the proposal and was “overwrought and overwritten.” I was shocked. I’d hired a former acquisitions editor to go over all my material prior to submission, and the editor had felt the manuscript far stronger than the proposal!This was par for the course. Getting an agent so quickly would have been way too easy. But “overwritten” still hurt. And what if she was right?

I shared my distress with my husband and a professional networking group, got some pats on the back, and then I tried to shake off the heartbreak. I decided that if I got similar feedback on the book from other agents, I’d suspend submissions and regroup.

All you need is one:

The day after The Agent of a Super Famous Writer rejected me so harshly, I got an email from another agent who said my manuscript actually had moved her to tears! The Agent Who Cried wanted to schedule a phone call, so of course I said yes! Then I sent out one more round of follow ups and immediately heard back from a second agent who also wanted to chat. I scheduled both calls for later in the week. I knew it was possible that I could have those two calls and not get an offer from either agent, but there was also a good chance I’d end up weighing two offers — and all you need is one!

I’m so thankful that I saw The Book Doctors video and had the courage to apply their strategy. By keeping my submission energy active and moving, I felt more in control of my fate. Perhaps some agents were turned off by my follow ups, but if so, nobody told me. EVERY rejection I received was personal, and included a thanks for querying and following up. In the end, the numbers broke down this way:

Total queries sent: 29

Queries that went ignored even with follow up: 12

Personal rejection letters received to query: 8

Requests for proposal and/or manuscript: 9

Personal rejection letters from agents who read material: 7

Requests for a phone call: 2

Offers of representation: 2

As you can see, almost half of the queries I sent were never acknowledged, despite the fact that my search went incredibly well! To me, this proves that if you and your project are truly ready, it’s a matter of persistence. Don’t be passive and don’t give up!

In my next post, I’ll talk about preparing for an agent call, what to do when you finally get an offer or offers.

Announcing the winner of The Barefoot Book of Children #Giveaway

Books, Giveaways Comments Off

Sep 282016

The lucky winner of a copy of THE BAREFOOT BOOK OF CHILDREN

written by Tessa Strickland and Kate DePalma and illustrated by David Dean is:

Katherine Martinelli

Congratulations!

Katherine was the first to enter the contest with a comment, but believe it or not, I used this Random Number Generator to find the winner and #1 took the prize.

Katherine, please send an email by October 12 with your contact info to:

sharonvanepps(at)gmail(dot)com

Please write “Book Giveaway Winner” in the subject line.

Thanks to everyone who commented and signed up to follow on Twitter and Facebook. If you didn’t win this time, I hope you’ll keep an eye out for more giveaways and posts. I already have some other books in mind I’d love to share with you all!

Finding a literary agent: how do you decide who to query?

Books, Memoir, Uncategorized, Writing Comments Off

Sep 232016

Ok, I promised to share some tips for finding a literary agent and negotiating the query process, but I’ve decided to break things up into manageable chunks, since I do tend to go on…First up, how do you identify agents that you should query?

Choosing the right targets is key; you can have the best memoir query ever written, even the best memoir itself, but if you query an agent who’s interested in prescriptive nonfiction and cookbooks, you’ll be rejected or ignored, which also feels bad. Let’s try to limit how much rejection we have to absorb, shall we? Here’s how to find your marks.

Check the acknowledgements sections of books similar to yours

Most writers will thank their agent in the acknowledgements. For example, if you’re looking to turn your blog into a book, check out titles written by top bloggers to find those names. Chances are you’ll have some books similar to yours in your personal collection already, but you can also visit your local bookstore or library to take notes, or use Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature. I did all of the above.

I queried Jillian Lauren’s agent because she wrote a memoir related to international adoption, which is similar in some ways to my memoir. Also, Jillian Lauren is awesome. Her agent sent me a polite form rejection.

Find out who represents writers you admire

Often we have something in common with the writers we love: an obsession with a topic, aspects of style, or a certain sensibility. Agents who rep your favorite writers can be good, if somewhat lofty, targets for you — but hey, shoot for the moon!

Case in point: Ruth Ozeki. She is a GENIUS. I am not. Her novel A Tale For the Time Being is one of the best books I’ve ever read (and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize!) I’m not in her league — but I might find things in common with other readers who love her work — like her agent!

I queried Ruth Ozeki’s agent, who seemed like a good match not only because of her literary sensibility, but also because my research revealed her to be a mother by adoption like me, (something in common!) Ruth’s agent sent me a chatty and personal rejection explaining why she couldn’t take on my book right now. She’s a “big” agent, and I felt encouraged that she bothered to write back at all — proof that my careful targeting was working.

BUT

don’t be surprised if you find out that your favorite author’s agent isn’t taking on new clients. In that case, consider querying a new agent at the same agency — he or she will be familiar with your fave writer but hungry for fresh talent, and will be able to go to the senior agent for advice about your project if they agree to represent you.

Use Google and Twitter

Maybe that seems obvious, but if you’re nervous about starting a search, you may forget to do the simple stuff! Be sure to employ a variety of search terms — not just “literary agent narrative nonfiction” but also “literary agenCY narrative nonfiction” and “literary agents looking for narrative nonfiction.” Also try looking simply for “literary agent” and “literary agency” and be prepared to dig into agency websites to see what genres particular agents represent.

Check out the site Manuscript Wishlist and search twitter for the #MSWL hashtag to find agents who’re accepting new clients. You can add your genre to your Twitter search, for example #MSWL YA (for Young Adult) to narrow things down even more. Also search for pitch contests to discover more agents who are looking for clients. Try searching on #pitch, #pitchcontest #pitch + #agent etc

And don’t forget to Google “literary agents seeking new clients.” My own quick search yielded this helpful September 2016 blogpost at “Publishing…and Other Forms of Insanity.”

Peruse Reference Books and Databases

Back in the day, looking for a literary agent meant buying an expensive hardcover edition of the Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents or Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents — and you can still buy them! The problem is that books take a long time to produce, so info can get outdated even before the book hits the store, especially info about newer agents who tend to have more career fluctuation. However, Writer’s Digest often offers package deals that might make the purchase worth your while. The 2017 edition of their agent guide comes with the following extras:

A one-year subscription to the literary agent content on WritersMarket.com (which might mean access to real time updates on book entries.)
The secrets of query-writing success: Learn 5 common mistakes that make an agent stop reading–and how to avoid them.
“New Agent Spotlights”: Get targeted profiles of literary reps who are actively building their client lists right now.
Informative articles on writing a synopsis, pitching your work online, defining your genre, utilizing writing peers to better your craft, and much more.
Exclusive access to the webinar “10 Steps to Landing a Literary Agent” by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Writer’s Digest is a tremendous resource, especially for newer writers. Even if you don’t want to spring for a book, look for the magazine on the newsstand or in the library to see if they’re featuring a story about an agent you’re planning to query. Ever issue has good agent and query advice.

Another resource that costs some $ is Publisher’s Marketplace, which I mentioned above. The fee is $25 a month, and in my opinion it’s WELL WORTH IT to subscribe to the site for a few months if you’re serious about your agent search and can afford it. The site has SO MANY FEATURES, like the “Who Represents” database I mentioned above. Also on PM, you can look up the self-reported sales history of an agent, and find the names of the editors and publishing houses they’ve sold to. You can search agents by genre to find out who’s been selling lots of mysteries or historical fiction — in fact, if your agent is top-ranked for sales in a particular genre, PM will tell you! You can also see how many clients an agent has; a big client list may mean less interest in you, newbie writer, so you can weigh your options. PM offers more features than I can list here — just go to the site and check it out! I’ll be discussing more ways that I used PM in subsequent posts.

If you’re a writer who leans literary, Poets & Writers magazine has a FREE searchable database that is fantastic. The magazine also publishes an annual literary agents issue and has tons of resources on the website. I relied on the PW site heavily while looking for someone to rep my memoir.

There are lots and lots of additional databases out there, many of them free, including:

Association of Authors’ Representatives — professional association for agents. FREE

Query Tracker — Allows you to find and research agents, and organize your agent search. FREE but requires you set up an account. Video tutorials show you how to make the most of the site.

Attend a Writer’s Conference

If you have the time and money to go to a writer’s conference that has agents in attendance, it can be a great opportunity, especially if you have your eye on a particular professional and would like to pitch him or her in person. Most conferences sell pitch slots for an extra fee ie pitches aren’t included in your registration, but if you meet an agent during lunch or in line at the bar, you may have the chance to pitch for free. Sometimes you’ll meet an agent you absolutely don’t click with, or you get a hurtful rejection to you your face. It might feel like a waste of $$$ and time if you paid to pitch, but consider that a dress rehearsal for the moment you have a phone call with an agent who might be the one. Also, most agents who go to conferences do so because they like talking to writers, they like hleping writers, and they’d love to discover a great project. Every encounter won’t end in an offer of representation, but there’s a lot of value in learning firsthand that agents are just people!

Even if you’re not quite ready to pitch, or your in-person conference pitch goes nowhere, at many conferences agents and editors give presentations and join panel discussions about the business of publishing, how to query, how to write a book proposal etc. The better informed you are about the business, the better prepared you are to approach agents the way they prefer. Knowledge also empowers you to make smart decisions about your career.

Look for Agents on You Tube

If you don’t have the money or time for a conference, there are webinars and online courses to take, plus a wealth of FREE information on YouTube. Search YouTube for “literary agent” and you’ll get thousands of video results: panel discussions at conferences that have been taped, individual agents sharing submission tips on their own channels, query letter clinics and more! Even if your budget is tight and you live far from a major city, you can access a wealth of info and get a look at an agent before you query with just an internet connection.

Ask other writers for recommendations

Hopefully you’re networking with other writers, both in person and online. Maybe some of your friends already have agents. Don’t hit up ever writing aquaintance you’ve got for an intro, but if someone offers to make an introduction, accept — IF YOU’RE TRULY READY. An intro may get your material read faster, but it doesn’t guarantee an offer of representation. The work has to stand on its own and be a good fit for the agent’s needs, interests and list. Networking is also a great way to find about agents who maybe aren’t as good. It’s valuable to know who doesn’t answer their clients emails and phone calls because you probably don’t want to work with that person.

I found my agent, Bonnie Solow, through online networking. Writers in a private Facebook group were discussing great agents, and Bonnie’s name came up. Prior to that, she hadn’t been on my radar, so I’m so thankful I found her!

Finally, compile your list as you go

All this research sounds like a lot of work, and it is. I recommend drafting a long list of agents, and I don’t think you can just create a list like that in an afternoon. Start now, even if you don’t know when you’ll be ready to approach agents. If you read a book you love, find out who agented it and write the name down. If you go to a conference, or even if you just look at a conference website but decide not to attend, make a note of the agent who caught your eye. If you read a how to article by an agent in Writer’s Digest that piques your interest, write the name down now. When it comes time to send queries in earnest, you’ll need to do some additional, deeper research, but at least you won’t be starting from scratch.

Ok, I’ll be back with more on the agent search next Friday. If you missed my previous post, On Being a Late Bloomer AKA “I finally got a literary agent” you can read it at the link.

Enter to win a copy of The Barefoot Book of Children, New from Barefoot Books!

Books, Giveaways, Parenting, Race and Racism 16 Responses »

Sep 212016

A few months ago, I published an essay in the Ties column at The New York Times called A Poster Family for Diversity. Soon after, I got an email from Nancy Traversy, Co-founder and CEO of Barefoot Books. Knowing I was interested in promoting diversity and inclusivity, Nancy asked me to help spread the word about her company’s latest release, The Barefoot Book of Children. Since the world desparately needs more diverse books, I said yes — and I’m giving away a copy here on my blog!

My own kids are teenagers well past the picture book stage, but The Barefoot Book of Children is the kind of book I would have bought as a gift for their elementary classrooms as well as for our home library. The text by Tessa Strickland and Kate DePalma communicates that differences in appearance, beliefs, and lifestyles among people are interesting and positive, and the colorful illustrations by David Dean are gorgeous! Here’s one of my favorite pages:

In an election season that feels especially contentious, we need to talk with our kids more than ever about understanding and respecting others to help counteract the divisiveness and uncertainty that’s in the air. This book is perfect for sparking conversations about cultural understanding, diversity, and inclusion at home and in the classroom.

Founded almost 25 years ago by two young mothers in England, Barefoot Books has published more that 600 titles for children that encourage discovery, compassion, creativity and global awareness. In fact, Barefoot’s Mama Panya’s Pancakes was a big storytime favorite for my kids back in the day. I’m buying a copy of The Barefoot Book of Children for my infant niece, but maybe you’ll win your copy!

To enter, answer the following question in the comments:

Why do you think diverse books are important and meaningful for children?

To earn additional entries, please do the following:

Leave a separate comment for each one, to be sure I correctly record and credit all your entries!

1. Sign up for updates from my website by clicking the menu bar (or let me know if you signed up previously.) This delivers my blog posts to your inbox. I won’t share your email address with anyone else.

2. Follow me on Twitter @sharonvanepps and tweet about this giveaway: “#diversebooks Giveaway-Win a copy of The Barefoot Book of Children from @BarefootBooks & @sharonvanepps Enter at https://sharonvanepps.com/this-is-not-my-beautiful-life/

3. Like my Facebook page at Sharon Van Epps, Writer (or let me know if we’re already connected there)

4. Blog about the giveaway or post on your Facebook page, and link back here. Be sure to post your blog entry before you comment.

This giveaway will be closed Tuesday, September 27 at 11 p.m., and the winner will be announced Wednesday, September 28!