Awesome Agents

Hey guys. You know I write for the QueryTracker blog. You know we've just had a big carnival. You know we had agents doing query critiques.

Okay. So those agents are awesome. Every single one of them has been easy to work with, fun to email back and forth with, and just all around spectacular. I'm going to post what they're looking for here too. If your writing / genre fits with what they want to see, query them! Query. Them. Any of them would be awesome.

And before I start, I just want to shout out a big thanks to Jon Tienstra, Kae Tienstra, Lindsay Davis and Jim McCarthy.

Kae and Jon Tienstra:

Kae and Jon Tienstra launched their literary agency, KT/PR & Literary Services, in 2006. Kae was publicity director at Rodale for 13 years before launching her publicity firm, KT Public Relations, in 1993. Jon, a corporate veteran and frustrated literati, joined the public relations business in 1995 after getting his Masters in library science. Today they manage the literary agency and publicity firm as two parallel publishing-based businesses. They are seeking a variety of genres. Jon likes to receive queries for science fiction and contemporary fantasy; mysteries; YA; literary fiction; police/detective.

Kae is interested in great women's fiction; quirky, contemporary fantasy; mysteries (especially cozies); historical fiction; YA. She's always on the lookout for nonfiction writers with impressive platforms on the topics of gardening, parenting, psychology, health, and self-help.


Lindsay Davis:

Lindsay Davis is a literary agent at Writers House. Before joining the agency, she worked in the children's marketing department at Harcourt and taught fourth grade as a member of Teach for America. For the past three years, Lindsay has apprenticed with Steven Malk in the West Coast office of Writers House, where she's had the opportunity to work with some of the very best authors and artists in the industry. She's now building her own list and is actively seeking picture book, middle grade, and young adult manuscripts. She's always been passionate about children's and young adult literature, and, as an agent, she's eager to help bring fresh voices, characters and stories to a new generation of readers.

Jim McCarthy

As an avid fiction reader, his interests encompass both literary and commercial, adult and young adult works. He is particularly interested in women's fiction, underrepresented voice, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, and anything unusual or unexpected. In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction, humor, memoir, paranormal nonfiction, and anything related to architecture, planning, or real estate. Check out the Dystel & Goderich website.



So I hope you guys had fun during the carnival. Good luck with your querying and all that!

Oh, and here's one thing I'm wondering about. I've been working on something (my NF project). I'm looking for queries to critique and include in an "examples section" of an e-book. Would any of you be interested in submitting yours for me to shred, er, critique, knowing that I might possibly be putting it in said e-book? It's like a free query critique. I mean, I'm not a literary agent, but I am a pretty good query shredder. Just ask Kate. She said I have a patented system!!

Thoughts? Let me know. kthxbai.

My Dream Lives Into the New Year

I have self-diagnosed myself with mailbox-induced palpitations. Every time I check the mail, my heart thuds painfully in my chest. This is because I have two full submissions out--both sent through snail mail with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. I don't want to see that envelope. Not now. Not ever.

And now that it's the new year, my dream lives. I know I won't get one more rejection in 2008. Now, 2009, that's another story. I'm planning to get rejected over and over this year. But at least my dream for the novel I have out is not dead--yet.

Inspired by a friend's post, I decided to write down some goals for myself this year.

1. Finish my NaNo novel. I have about 75,000 words, but no ending. I'm going to devote my writing time to this project in February. January's already full up.

2. Query for a new project beginning in March. That is, if my novel dreams aren't shattered by the mailbox before then.

3. Sign up for the tennis tournament this summer. (Easy)

4. Be ready to play in the tennis tournament this summer. (Slightly harder)

5. Believe in myself and persevere through whatever 2009 brings.

I could put that I'm going to get an agent this year, but the fact is, that may or may not happen. It's something I don't really have ultimate control over--and believe me that's the most frustrating thing on the planet for a complete control-freak like me. I can only set goals that I can work on. I can query my project, thus, that's one of my goals. I can't force someone to like the project, request the project or offer representation on it. Thus, that's not one of my goals. I've learned to be realistic about this whole publishing thing. And realisticly, it takes time. And patience. I will do everything I can to write the best book I know how, then I'll throw myself to the query wolves.

Which Character Are You?

Status of my Life: Trying to even out my real life with my virtual life. It's a challenge. Busy working on my novel, Placeholders. Still waiting on submissions and queries. Life is fun when it's busy!


One of my friends, Kristal Shaff, had this quiz on her blog about which Austen heroine I might be. So I took it. And I'm:

Take the Quiz here!

Like I know what that means. But it was kind of fun! This is what the results said: "You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see."

I guess. All right, it's totally dead on. Gosh! (Imagine the Napoleon Dynamite version of that word. :))

Reading: TREASURED LIES by Michelle McLean

Querying is Hard

Status of my Life: I started querying agents on July 15. So almost a month in, and I'm on edge every time I check the email or mailbox. So not good for the heart. But I've finished something I was working hard on and started on a new project. Brainstorming is usually fun, and this time is no different.


Querying agents is hard work--almost a full-time job. Since my "real job" is starting again soon (I teach elementary school), I decided to move up my estimated query date of September 15. I started a couple of months early.

I use an excellent tracking system at querytracker.net to find agents, see their stats for requests, other's experiences, and add them to my list. It keeps track of when I sent the query, by what method, notes I have on the agent, when they responded, when I submitted requested material, everything! If you haven't signed up, you so should--it's free! I started with five agents. Researched. Carefully crafted my emails and letters. Affixed postage or hit send. All the while I needed a popscicle I was sweating so bad. Then I got a little braver and sent out some more. Over the past month or so, I've sent 30. And my heart flutters a little more every time. I might need a defibrilator soon.

I've received several rejections, a couple of exciting requests, and even bought a new printer. It's a long road, filled with palpitations, but I'm going to persevere.

I can haz agent? Maybe someday. Maybe someday.

Reading: THE EMISSARY by Kristal Shaff

I'm a Chainer...A Blog Chainer

Since I love to blog, but sometimes I run out of things to talk about (I know, I know, most of you are not simply fascinated by my life! Shocking!), I signed up (at QT, no less) to be part of a blog chain. Check out the other bloggers in the chain. I put their links on my sidebar.

So I guess it's my turn. You can visit the first post in this chain here, and the second post here. The next post can be found here (well, whenever GG posts it, that is). The topic is Writing Methods. Here's my attempt to offer my own methods--but be warned, they are methods of madness. :)

First a brief bio of how I became a writer. I'm sure you'll all read this several times, memorizing every word. Ha, ha!

I've been an avid reader for much of my life. I never gave writing a second thought. It was just something I had to do to pass my English classes. I hated English. I mean, really, really hated it. I took the AP test as a junior in high school just so I wouldn't have to take English anymore. Seriously.

I started writing over Thanksgiving last year, 2007. I thought, "Hmm, maybe I should try this whole writing thing." A month later I had my first novel typed out. It stunk. Really, really bad. But I believed in myself, and decided that my newfound friends--the ones talking to me in my head--deserved to be heard (read) by others. So I joined an online critique group, and the rest is history.

Not that I've published my novel yet. But I'm on my way. Every journey begins with a single step. So now that I've gotten the boring backstory out of the way, here's my writing methods.

I write almost exclusively on the computer. Almost always from 9 or 10 PM until 1 or 2 AM. I have a goal to write 1000 words every single day of the week. Sometimes I write more--a lot more if the voices are talking. I rarely write less. If I don't feel like writing, or the characters aren't telling me the next part of the story, I free write. Every word counts.

Since I have kids, I have to drive them places, wait for them at lessons, etc. I started taking a 6-inch by 9-inch notebook in my purse. I'll write scenes out by hand while I wait. That's my "good" notebook. My "notes" notebook has notes, thoughts, lines of dialog, whatever I think of as I'm driving. Most of it is written sideways in illegible writing, little snippets of thought that I don't want to forget. I hardly ever read it again, but if I don't jot it down, it flies out of my brain and I can't get it back.

The writing is backward because that's how PhotoBooth works. Not that you could read it anyway. This is the beginning of one of my novels. You never know when inspiration is going to strike!



I don't outline. Like ever. I may write a few lines about something I think might come up in the novel later on at the end of the working draft. When I finally get to that part, I delete that paragraph. I have only started a novel at the beginning once, and it was a sequel, so I'm not sure if that counts. The novel I'm currently shredding in crit group, the first scene I wrote is now chapter 30.

Just to recap my Mindless Musings:
1. My goal is to write 1000 words every day.
2. I do most of my writing at night after my life has calmed down.
3. I carry notebooks with me everywhere I go in case inspiration strikes.
4. I don't outline, but I do make rough notes.
5. I believe in myself.

:) There's my post for the chain! Man, I thought I wouldn't have much to say, but I sure can ramble! Tag, Leah, you're it!

Reading: MAXIMUM RIDE, THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT by James Patterson