Agent-Author Chat: Elizabeth Bewley and Michelle Mason

It's been far too long since I've done an interview, and I can think of no better subjects than my longtime writing friend and critique partner Michelle Mason and her new agent, Elizabeth Bewley of Sterling Lord Literistic. Ms. Bewley was an editor, most recently at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, up until she joined Sterling Lord Literistic last year, so when I heard that she was interested in Ms. Mason's most recent manuscript, I was over the moon.

Ms. Mason's query and answers will appear in orange, Ms. Bewley's in blue. Enjoy!

Ms. Mason's Query You read two of my other manuscripts earlier this year, and I hope you’ll be intrigued by my latest project, particularly as a couple of my readers said it reminded them of a John Hughes movie.

LOST meets Robin Palmer’s ONCE UPON A KISS in YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED, an 87,000-word young adult time travel novel.

When seventeen-year-old Jenny Waters boards Flight 237 on August 2, 1995, in New York, she has two main goals: convince her parents to let her apply to the journalism program at Columbia University, and woman up and kiss her boyfriend of two months. 

But when Jenny and the other passengers disembark in St. Louis, the airport manager informs them their plane disappeared--twenty-five years ago. Like the universe hit pause on their flight while the rest of the world kept moving. In 2020, newspaper reporter isn’t exactly a top career choice, and her boyfriend is old enough to be her dad. 

As if adjusting to a new century isn’t hard enough, a conspiracy group called the Time Protection League sets out to prove Flight 237 is a big hoax. (News flash, crazies: Time would be better served protecting a rain forest.) When Jenny’s not dealing with rumors she’s a clone, she’s fighting her attraction to Dylan, who introduces her to everything that’s headline-worthy about her new present, like Harry Potter and late-night texting.

Too bad Dylan happens to be her former boyfriend’s son. Yeah, that’s not awkward.

A member of SCBWI and a 2017 PitchWars mentee (for a different manuscript), my professional background is in public relations.

Thanks for considering!

KV: Ms. Mason, how did you first come up with the idea for YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED?

MM: I expect people will continue to ask me this question and so I should come up with a more concrete answer, but I honestly don’t remember what sparked it. But generally, my story ideas start with a random “what if” thought. In this case, my thought was: what if a girl got on a plane and it landed decades later, and time had passed for everyone else but not the people on the plane? When I have a thought like this, I type it into the notes app on my phone to save for when I’m ready to start writing something new. I actually jotted down quite a lot for this idea, so when I was ready to start outlining, I had a pretty well formed plot.

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

MM: I really enjoy queries actually! Which is good because I queried seven manuscripts over seven years. In the past, it took me a while to get the query right, but this one came pretty naturally. Right after I finished my first draft, the query just spilled out of me one evening when I was getting ready for bed, so I wrote it on my phone as well. I sent it to a couple of my CPs for a check, and they said it sounded great. After they actually read the manuscript, they did suggest holding back one piece of information, so I tweaked that before querying. I also ran the query by a Facebook group I’m involved with thanks to being a 2017 PitchWars mentee. As for deciding the order to put things in, this particular query is pretty linear to the story itself. 

KV: How did you first make a connection regarding YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED?

EB: Michelle and I had connected earlier in the year via a query critique contest that she had won; though that particular novel wasn’t right for me, I remember really liking Michelle’s writing and thinking that she seemed like a nice and smart person. So, when she emailed me some months later about YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED, I was excited to dive into the manuscript.

MM: Yes! Elizabeth asked me to keep her in mind for future projects, and I’m so glad I did. I think sometimes writers think agents are just being kind when they ask for future projects, but they don’t say that to everyone. 

KV: So. True. Over time, I think we condition ourselves to see the bad in our writing, so when someone sees the good, we tend to downplay their positivity and assume it's a stock response.

Ms. Bewley, when you read Ms. Mason's query, what caught your attention?

EB: Besides recognizing Michelle’s name on the query, I absolutely loved the book’s title! I also thought that Michelle was able to succinctly sum up her premise and plot, which is always a good sign in a query. 

KV: Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN DELAYED?

EB: My imagination was completely captured by the thought of a group of people who were trapped in time while the rest of the world had moved on…and on, by twenty five years! It’s the kind of high concept that I really enjoy. 

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Mason's manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

EB: I had to look back at my emails to figure this out! I read Michelle’s manuscript within a week or two. Unfortunately, I’m not always that fast. It depends on what else is happening during a particular week or even day. 

KV: Ms. Mason, now that you've reached the querying finish line, what do you wish you had known when you were back at the start gate?

MM: Well, as I mentioned in the earlier question, my starting gate was seven years ago. I have learned so much during those years. I started out writing middle grade and discovered my voice was a better fit for young adult, but I wouldn’t trade those years of trying out MG because it introduced me to the world of MG and even if I’m not writing it, I still love reading it. As far as the querying process, each new manuscript has taught me something. I actually wrote a post on my blog each year about the lessons I learned querying. So, to answer your question, I don’t suppose there’s anything in particular I’d tell baby querier Michelle except to hang in there.

KV: Ms. Mason's "What I've Learned" posts are treasure troves of information and determination for querying writers. If you've never checked them out, you should do so posthaste!

Ms. Bewley, what querying tips do you have, and are you looking for anything specific at the moment?

EB: I’m awed by everyone who writes a novel and takes the brave step to send it out for review. So, first off, bravo to all the writers out there. Secondly, I’d encourage writers to put their best foot forward by sending out short, well-written query letters that tell an agent or editor what your book is about, why it is unique, and how it fits into the current marketplace. I also always like to know a little bit about a writer’s background too. 

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you'd like to share with us?

EB: Keep at it! If you have the passion and the talent, you’ll find receptive readers. 

MM: Persevere! If you truly love writing and stick with it, you will eventually find the right audience for your work, whatever that means to you. Also, writing friends are so important! Build a strong network of critique partners/readers you trust to give you honest feedback and encouragement when you start to doubt yourself. I wouldn’t have survived those years of querying without my support network.

And there you have it! Didn't I say it would be great?!

Agent-Author Chat: Renee Nyen and Laurie Litwin

As THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING's release draws nearer, I've decided to pull back on the blog's agent-related content, but I haven't been able to give up "Agent-Author Chat," which has always been my favorite of my interview series. I love hearing what an agent loves about an author's work and how they came to work together, so it's especially fitting that this latest installment features Renee Nyen of kt literary and her newest client, Laurie Litwin, who connected through last August's round of "An Agent's Inbox."

Check out Ms. Litwin's entry, then hop back over here to find out how the story ends! (As always, Ms. Litwin's answers will appear in orange, Ms. Nyen's in blue.)

KV: Ms. Litwin, how did you first come up with the idea for BEE STADIUM?

LL: I had this idea that I wanted to write about baseball and the spelling bee. But it took me a little time to figure out how to make the two ideas work together. What I came up with is a story about a real kid with real-life struggles--in this case the balancing of school and sports. My main character, Jake, is adopted and a different ethnicity than the rest of his family. Because of this, he struggles with who he is, with trying to fit in, and with self-confidence. Jake is the superstar pitcher on his little league baseball team, but struggles horribly with school, which he attributes largely to his differences. I wanted to write a story about a kid who can learn to overcome these differences, develop a sense of self-confidence and succeed in both school and sports.

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

LL: Oh, goodness. Queries are the devil. Seriously. I didn’t write the query for this story until after the manuscript was done and revised. I wrote and rewrote it a million times. Literally. Then, I got feedback from friends and critique partners and revised it again. And again.

Lucky for me (or maybe not so lucky), I had written queries for two manuscripts before this one, so I had a pretty good handle on the “proper” way to format a query. For first timers, I would recommend reading all the query advice from agents you can get your hands on and then slowly crafting and revising the query for your story. After that, expect to revise and revise and revise again until you figure out what works best for the story you’re trying to tell.

KV: How did Ms. Nyen come to request your manuscript?

LL: I entered "An Agent’s Inbox" earlier this year. I enter a lot of online contests, as they are a great way to get advice from real life agents. It’s a great way to get a peek into their heads. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, because the little feedback I’d received so far was that my main character’s voice was a little too young or that it wasn’t a good idea to start my story with my main character struggling in the classroom.

But I entered anyway. And, much to my delight, Renee picked my entry as one of the five winners of the contest! I about fell over out of shock. And then I tweeted about it. So, I sent the partial she requested immediately and crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

KV: Ms. Nyen, when you saw Ms. Litwin's entry in "An Agent's Inbox," what caught your attention?

RN: For me, it was the main character's voice. Jake is an engaging kid struggling with real world issues. And personally, I grew up playing sports, so the baseball angle was immediately accessible to me. Little league is a big deal when you're twelve! At that age I would have braved anything--even a spelling bee--for my spot on the soccer team!

KV: Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about BEE STADIUM?

RN: It exceeded my expectations, absolutely! I read the partial twice before asking for the full manuscript. Not because I was unsure, but because I liked it so much! 

Laurie tackles some really interesting topics in this book. Throughout the story Jake explores the idea of family and what it means to be born into one, versus choosing to be a part of one. He also learns not to define himself by his weaknesses (specifically, his schoolwork) and leans into his strengths (baseball). He's so easy to cheer for!

These are really sophisticated ideas to explore and through Jake's narrative Laurie does so, effortlessly. Concepts like family, identity, and self-worth are the stuff of a really solid middle grade book. I can't wait to share this book with the world!

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Litwin's manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

RN: Can I skip this question? It's really embarrassing! It sat with me all fall. Usually, I don't sit on something I like that long. But I got lucky in that no one else had snatched BEE STADIUM up yet and for some reason, Laurie forgave my abhorrent timeline.

KV: Hey, it just goes to show that good news sometimes take time. I’m sure querying writers will actually find that reassuring:)

Ms. Litwin, now that you’ve reached the querying finish line, what do you wish you had known when you were back at the start gate?

LL: I queried my first manuscript a couple of years back. Like most newbies, I thought everything would happen--and happen perfectly--right out of the gate. Spoiler alert--it didn’t. The one thing I wish I had known then is how much patience and perseverance I’d have to have to find the best agent for me. That everyone is going to have a different journey and no two writers will have the same journey.

I wrote three manuscripts, signed with my first agent, waited day after day after day for things to happen in between, and tried to keep my sanity through it all. Renee is my second agent. It took me three years to find her. But she is totally amazing. And it was worth every day (and every grey hair on my head) of the three years it took me to find her. And I’m okay with that because this is my journey and I know now this is how it’s supposed to be.

KV: Ms. Nyen, what querying tips do you have?

RN: Like Laurie said, queries are the devil. Authors pour themselves into their book and agents like me decide if we like it after reading so little. It's hard on authors to field that kind of rejection. Okay, maybe hard isn't the right word. It's excruciating. I'm well aware of that every time I open my query inbox.

My tip is this: be persistent. If you receive a lot of rejection on your first few rounds of querying, give your query letter a complete overhaul. If it is still rejected, regroup, write a new book and go out with that one. (Side note: I do recommend not querying the same book to the same agent multiple times. I tend to remember if I see a query for the same book come through more than once.)

Just because you don't sign with an agent on your first query doesn't mean you won't in the future. 

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you’d like to share with us?

RN: I know it's hard to remember if you're in the query trenches, but the best Children's Lit is a labor of love. Don't forget to write because you love it! When you're querying, the goal is to sign with an agent. But once you have one, you and the agent need to hook up with the right editor at the right publishing house, and that can be a whole different level of frustration. If you're frustrated with the process of publishing, step out of it for a little while and let yourself fall in love with writing again.

LL: Learn everything you can. Talk to people. Find good critique partners. And stick with it. It’s a rough road, but the most fulfilling one there is.

Well said, ladies. Thank you for sharing these words of wisdom with us. And congratulations on your partnership! May you write and sell many books together.

It's 2015?

Well, it's 2015. (Actually, it's been 2015 for, like, a week, but I'm sure you already noticed.) In my personal life, it feels like time is speeding up, but in my writing life, it feels like time is stretching out. THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING comes out in a little less than four months, but that doesn't mean much to me right now. The same thing happened to me before Honey Bear came home from his mission. I remember staring at a calendar the week before his homecoming and thinking, "Wow, he comes home in a week," but it didn't feel any different than the previous week/month/year had felt, so it didn't feel real. This doesn't feel real, either.

This is the roundabout way of saying that I'm planning to do things a little differently around here. I'm trying to think more like an almost-published author, so you might notice a decline in my agent-focused content. (If you've been hanging around for any amount of time, you've probably already noticed a decline, but let's pretend you hadn't.) That said, I love "Agent-Author Chat" too much to give it up, so I'll probably keep posting those interviews occasionally. Writing friends, take note!

As I mentioned above, I'm trying to think more like an almost-published author, but I must admit that I'm kind of at a loss for how to implement it on the blog. Which kinds of posts would you like to see more of, and is there a part of the process you want to know more about? I'm always on the hunt for great ideas.

Agent-Author Chat: Lisa Jane Weller and Ashley Turcotte

I'm pleased to welcome Lisa Jane Weller of Broadland Literary and Ashley Turcotte, Team Krista alum and "The Writer's Voice" veteran, to the blog. Ms. Turcotte was on my team last year with LUMINARY and on Monica's team this year with TEARLESS, which went on catch the eye of Ms. Weller, one of our ninja agents. She requested a partial, then a full, and the rest, as they say, is what this interview is all about. (Oh, wait, no one says that?)

Hop over to Monica's blog and check out her entry, then pop back over here to get the behind-the-scenes scoop! As usual, Ms. Turcotte's answers will appear in orange, Ms. Weller's in blue.

KV: Ms. Turcotte, how did you first come up with the idea for TEARLESS?

AT: I came up with the idea while watching a movie called The Last Mimzy. I don’t want to say how, because I don’t want to give too much of the movie away. But I will say that, at the end of it, I immediately turned to my husband and asked, “Do tears actually contain DNA?” Turns out the answer is yes. It only took about thirty seconds after that for the main premise of TEARLESS to form in my mind. 

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

AT: I wrote the first draft of my query when I was about 10,000 words into the manuscript. Then I worked on it off and on during the months that I was writing and editing TEARLESS.

Queries are just about the hardest thing in the world for me to write. Well, let me rephrase that. Good queries are just about the hardest thing in the world for me to write. I can write a terrible query in ten minutes flat. So that’s why I gave myself months to get it right. And even with all that time, I don’t think I ever could’ve gotten there on my own. One of my critique partners heroically held my hand through at least 20 drafts, and she’s the one who helped me really make it shine. 

For me, the big challenge is deciding which information to include. In a fantasy query, you need to include world building details or the reader will have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. But too much world building? Boring. You need to introduce your characters, obviously--but which ones? I read once that if you have more than three characters mentioned by name in your query, it gets confusing. So narrowing down the entire cast of a novel to only three is always a tough choice. And the hardest part of all is deciding what to use as a hook. Because the last thing you want when an agent finishes reading your query is for her to go, “Who cares?” But you can’t give too much away, or there won’t be anything left to make the agent want to read the book. So many fine lines to walk when writing a query. 

KV: How did Ms. Weller come to request your manuscript?

AT: Lisa saw my query and first 250 words back in May, when I was a member of Mónica Bustamante Wagner’s team for The Writer’s Voice. Lisa was one of the ninja agents, and she requested the first 100 pages. I actually (briefly) talked myself out of entering The Writer’s Voice this year--I’m so glad I talked myself back into it!

KV: Ms. Weller, when you saw Ms. Turcotte's entry in “The Writer’s Voice,” what caught your attention?

LJW: I loved Ashley's pitch for TEARLESS. I thought it was an incredibly high-concept idea, beautifully described and presented. The stakes were clear, the hero and the villain were identified immediately, and the pitch itself gave me a great idea of the direction the story would take.

It was easy to visualise the world of TEARLESS from Ashley's pitch alone (I particularly loved the idea of the villain using creepy puppets as his eyes and ears), and when I read Ashley's first page, I found her main character, Sam, to be instantly likeable. At that point, I knew I wanted to see more!

KV: Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about TEARLESS?

LJW: TEARLESS is a truly wonderful novel, with a main character the reader can really root for. I love Sam's positivity, bravery and determination. He's such a good, kind boy--very heroic, even if he doesn’t realise it. Sam's loyalty to his family and friends (particularly his best friend, Tria) is admirable, and he makes for a very engaging hero. Meanwhile the villain of the piece, Ero, is dangerous, charismatic, and a mystery for Sam to solve.

With this novel, Ashley has backed up what is an incredibly strong concept with equally strong storytelling and characterisation. TEARLESS is a real page-turner and there's a definite sense that anything could happen as the story progresses. I love the twists and turns this story takes along the way and the secrets that are revealed, as Sam digs deeper into the truth behind Ero's magic.

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Turcotte’s manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

LJW: I requested the first 100 pages of TEARLESS from “The Writer’s Voice” and read those pages about a week later. I remember reaching the end of those sample pages and wishing I'd requested the full manuscript, because I just had to know what happened next.

Once Ashley sent me her full manuscript, I read it over the weekend that followed, along with sample pages from another of her novels. Happily, I loved the rest of Ashley's work as much as I did those first 100 pages of TEARLESS, and I contacted her the following week to arrange a time to talk. So from submission to offer of representation, there was roughly a three-week window.

I don't like to keep authors waiting any longer than necessary, so I try to respond to all requested material as quickly as I can. Generally, I'll read and respond to partial manuscript requests within one to four weeks, and to full manuscript requests within two to four weeks, but my response time can vary depending on my workload at the time. When I acknowledge receipt of the requested material, I always advise the author of my expected response time.

KV: Ms. Turcotte, now that you’ve reached the querying finish line, what do you wish you had known when you were back at the start gate? 

AT: How to write a query! (I’m only half joking.) There are so many invaluable resources online to at least get you headed in the right direction, and I didn’t know any of them existed back when I started. My personal favorite? Query Shark. If you’re currently in the querying trenches (or intend to be soon), and haven’t checked it out, please, please, please, please, please do so. Read every single post. You won’t regret it.

Other awesome sources of query wisdom? Blogs (especially when posts include the queries writers used to get their agents). Twitter (agents tweet super useful info all the time.) And other writers (if you’re lucky enough to find good critique partners, cherish them and never let them go). 

KV: Ms. Weller, what querying tips do you have?

LJW: I think it's important for an author to research an agent before querying them, to make sure the agent is someone the author would consider working with should they offer representation. There are many different agents out there, all with different levels of experience and areas of expertise, and not every agent will be a good match for every author, or for that author's work.

When it comes to query letters, I personally like a short letter containing all of the relevant information about the novel (title, genre, word count, target audience, plus a few paragraphs detailing the novel's story and main characters) and any relevant author details. I'm looking for authors I can work with in the long-term, so I'm also happy for a query letter to include brief details of other novels an author has either completed or is currently writing.

And don't forget your sample pages! I invite authors to include the first five to ten pages of their manuscript with their query letter, and I always read those sample pages, even if a query letter hasn't quite caught my attention. So if an agent's submission guidelines ask for sample pages, my tip is to include them--it could increase the chance of an agent asking to see more of your work.

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you’d like to share with us?

AT: I know it’s a cliché, but seriously, never ever give up. It took me almost five years from the time I started querying to the time I signed with Lisa. Five years, four manuscripts, and over 200 rejections. (And that doesn’t count the eight years I was writing before I got over my fears and started querying.) I made a ridiculous number of mistakes along the way. (Seriously, the first query I ever sent around? I’d be mortified if anyone ever saw it. Mortified.) But that’s all part of the journey (I decided to throw in another cliché for good measure). So keep learning. Keep writing. Keep sending queries and entering contests.

And for the love of all things good and shiny, make sure you have some critique partners. Good ones. People who you trust, and whose opinions you respect. I would not be the writer I am today without the lovely ladies who helped get me here. 

LJW: If you've written and completed a novel, you've done something many people would love to do, but never will, so be proud of that achievement. If you love writing, and you have stories to tell, then keep writing, and try not to take rejections to heart. If an agent or a publisher turns down a novel, it just means that novel is not quite right for them at that time. Remember, an agent can only successfully represent a limited number of authors, and they will be forced to make hard choices and turn down projects with merit and potential, if they feel those projects aren't a perfect match for them.

I think it's so important for authors to sign with an agent who absolutely loves and understands their work. If an agent turns down your work, it just means they're not your perfect match, and they probably wouldn't be able to offer you the level of enthusiasm you deserve. So don't settle for second best, and don't give up. Keep searching for that perfect match, take note of advice and feedback you receive along the way, and above all, keep writing!

Thank you, ladies, for these wonderfully detailed answers. You've given us a lot to think about. Fingers crossed for a quick sale!

Agent-Author Chat: Mackenzie Brady and Catherine Lo

I’m thrilled to welcome Mackenzie Brady of New Leaf Literary & Media and Catherine Lo to the blog for this latest installment of “Agent-Author Chat.” In Ms. Lo’s case, it’s something of a homecoming, since she and THIS IS HOW IT ENDS participated in “The Writer’s Voice” back in 2013. I’m happy to report that in the last year and a half, Ms. Lo signed with Ms. Brady and Ms. Brady sold THIS IS HOW IT ENDS to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The book will be released in 2016, but in the meantime, pull up a beanbag and check out the interview.

As always, Ms. Lo’s query and responses will appear in orange, Ms. Brady’s in blue. Enjoy!

Ms. Lo’s Query I have been waiting anxiously for you to re-open to queries after reading your #MSWL for novels that challenge pre-conceived notions and finding your motto LIVE, WORK, CREATE. I identify with much of what you post on your Tumblr account, and I hope you are intrigued by my novel THIS IS HOW IT ENDS. In this book, I aim to challenge people's assumptions about the topic of suicide:

The girl in Dr. Blumenthal’s office is broken.

She wasn’t always broken, of course. Just over a year ago she was a hopeful ninth grade student looking forward to four years of adventure with her new best friend. But that was Before.

Before her best friend committed suicide. Before she found the diaries. Before her whole understanding of the past became a confused and jumbled mess.

Unable to articulate all that has happened, the girl offers up a leather-bound journal as evidence. The journal contains a series of diary entries written by two girls, Jessie and Annie. Their words and memories have been woven together to tell the story of a tumultuous year--a year of betrayals, boys and bullying.

One of the girls will not survive the year. The other will become the wounded girl in the doctor’s office. Only the journal will reveal which girl is which.

Complete at 71,000 words, THIS IS HOW IT ENDS is a Contemporary YA novel inspired by my twelve years working with at-risk teenagers as a teacher in a behavior support program.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

KV: Ms. Lo, how did you first come up with the idea for THIS IS HOW IT ENDS? 

CL: Thank you so much for hosting us on your Author-Agent Chat. 

The idea for THIS IS HOW IT ENDS…this is actually kind of interesting, because the idea has changed so much over this last year.

Initially, the story was inspired by the aftermath of a tragedy that happened at the school where I teach. In my role, I gave support to grief counselors, and worked closely with young people trying to process through their grief over the loss of two students. Being a witness to so much pain and emotion, I had to channel it somehow, and it came out in my writing. I initially envisioned THIS IS HOW IT ENDS as the story of two girls--one who would ultimately commit suicide, and one who would be struggling to come to terms with her role in that loss.

As I wrote, though, the story became more and more about something else. What leapt off the page was the story of the friendship between the girls, Jessie and Annie. They have a very complex relationship--one that’s complicated by the baggage they both bring. Both girls need something from the other, and both struggle with the intensity of feeling that goes into their friendship, and how volatile that friendship becomes. 

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

CL: While writing the manuscript, I spent a lot of my downtime reading and researching about the query writing process. I didn’t actually write the query until after the manuscript was done (or, at least the draft I considered “done” back then), but I kept it in the back of my head and puzzled over it a great deal.

I revised my query so many times, it was ridiculous! I think every agent I queried got a completely different summary of the manuscript. In May 2013, I participated in The Writer’s Voice contest (go Team Krista!), and the help you gave me refining my query at that time was invaluable.

KV: It helped that we were working with great source material to begin with:)

What was the hardest thing about writing your query? What was the easiest?

CL: One of the difficulties I had was trying to get out the idea that the story is told in alternating viewpoints. It was difficult to work in everything I wanted to say without it sounding disjointed and confusing.

The easiest…I don’t know if there was an easiest! Query writing was difficult, though looking back, I did enjoy it. I put a lot of thought into who I would query, and I researched each agent before querying them. The part I enjoyed the most was personalizing each query I sent. I wanted the agents to know the reason why I was querying them in particular.

KV: Ms. Brady, when you first read Ms. Lo’s query, what caught your attention?

MB: This is going to sound horrible, but I've always had a soft spot for suicide stories. I think it's because my high school survived half a dozen suicides in three years, as did many neighboring districts, so it was very much a part of my high school experience. So, I think I initially reacted to the subject matter Cathy outlined in her query. I also remember particularly liking the suspense element of not knowing which girl would survive the year. 

KV: Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about THIS IS HOW IT ENDS?

MB: I loved (and still love) the raw, emotional power of THIS IS HOW IT ENDS. While the structure and plot have changed over time, the heart of it--Annie and Jessie's complicated friendship--has always remained strong. I connected with both girls equally and instantly, so in moments of conflict I felt incredibly torn between cuddling and killing them both. It is a deliciously frustrating read, as many good stories are!

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Lo's manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

MB: I can't remember exactly how long it took me to begin reading the manuscript after Cathy queried me, but I know that once I did crack open those pages, I finished the whole manuscript in less than forty-eight hours. Once I started I couldn't stop. I had two interns reading it alongside me and we kept shouting across the office what page we were on and how much we loved it. 

In general, I try to get to a manuscript within a week or two of requesting it. Holidays and vacations can slow things down, of course, but I try to be cognizant of everyone's time. If I am enjoying something, though, I can usually churn through it in a few days. 

KV: Ms. Lo, what tips do you have for fellow writers as they work on their queries?

CL: I remember how excited I was to start querying, and I know how tempting it is to rush through the query writing stage and press Send. The query letter is so important, though. It’s your one shot to grab the attention of an agent and get them excited about your book. My advice is: don’t rush. Take your time, get lots of feedback, and do your research. There are many sites that feature “queries that worked”--read some of those and find out what agents are looking for. I also stalked Janet Reid’s Query Shark site and picked up as many pointers as I could there.

KV: Same question to you, Ms. Brady. What query-writing suggestions do you have?

MB: Do your research. There are so many excellent resources online that break down the aspects of compelling query letters that you'd be silly not to spend some time familiarizing yourself with what works.

Also, read a lot of jacket copy. The best query letters read like the backs of published books--they give you a full sense of the story but also leave you wanting more. 

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you’d like to share with us?

CL: Keep at it! Don’t give up. I can’t tell you how many rejections I weathered before I got my “Yes!” Take each one as a learning experience and use it to grow and improve. Take any little bits of feedback you’re given, and put them to good use. You will grow as a writer through the querying process if you keep an open mind and keep learning. Every rejection is a learning opportunity.

MB: Finding an agent is like dating--there are a lot of potential partners out there, but you most likely could only spend your life with a small percentage of them. Take your time and make sure you find one you can trust and rely on. 

Excellent advice, ladies. Thank you for these answers. I was somewhat aware of this excitement as it unfolded, but it’s nice to hear whole story. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of THIS IS HOW IT ENDS!

New Look Courtesy of Icey Designs

The blog has a new look courtesy of Icey Designs! It took us a few tries to get to this design, but I love how it turned out. I told Hafsah I wanted something in neutral tones with pops of color, and that's precisely what she gave me. The old-fashioned typewriter was the perfect touch.

You'll notice that I've taken down some of the preexisting pages. I know that makes it harder to find interviews and past rounds of "An Agent's Inbox," so I'm trying to figure out how to include those references without cluttering things up. (In other words, stay tuned!)

In the meantime, I hope you'll stick around. The next few months should include a few cover reveals and more details about Steve and Clyde's respective releases. (In case you haven't noticed, Steve and Clyde will now be coming out in the same season, Summer 2015.) Exciting times!

Agent-Author Chat: Laura Zats and Erin McGhee Petti

So happy to welcome Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary to the blog along with one of her newest clients, Erin McGhee Petti! It's worth noting that Ms. Petti is actually RETURNING to the blog, as she was one of the original members of Team Krista back in 2012, and I'm thrilled to announce that she found representation for THELMA BEE, the very manuscript that was part of that inaugural round of "The Writer's Voice."

Ms. Petti took a break from querying after she had her first baby, because as every new mom can attest, it's tough to find the time to buy toilet paper, let alone query a manuscript. Then two of Ms. Zats's #MSWL tweets caught Ms. Petti's eye:

And the rest, as they say, is history:)

As always, Ms. Petti's query and responses will appear in orange, Ms. Zats's in blue. Enjoy!

Ms. Petti's Query Thanks so much for participating in #MSWL! After reading through your feed, I think you might enjoy reading THELMA BEE. It's got a non-treasure hunting quest through a swamp! Thelma's adventure has a little bit of creepy, a lot of fun, and an MC who is part Dana Scully...but turns out to be a little bit Buffy as well.

Eleven-year-old Thelma Bee might turn red as cherries when she’s embarrassed, but she’s no wallflower. Thelma has adventure in her blood. There’s not a whole lot of opportunity for exploration in her hometown of Riverfish, Massachusetts, though, so she and her best friend Alexander Oldtree are often left to their own devices--with mixed results. The full-scale Viking Longship, for example, was a magnificent flop. 



But one October night, Thelma’s sixth-grade year takes a turn for the peculiar. A ghostly visitor kidnaps her father, leaving her alone and scared to death. Her only clue is a centuries-old jewelry box and one cryptic word the ghost whispered into her ear: “Return.”



That one word draws this adventurer-in-training into a world where her family tree unfolds a mystery that’s more extraordinary than anything her imagination could concoct. With her team of amateur ghost hunters, Thelma delves deep into the New England woods, where the lines between folklore and reality become dangerously blurry. It’s there, where the creaking trees have long memories, that she comes face to face with the devious Mr. Understone, who has been stalking her bloodline for centuries. Thelma has something he wants, and he’ll keep her dad until he gets it. 



To save her father, she must find the bravery to overcome a dark magic…and discover just what she’s made of. 


Please get in touch any time if you need additional information, and thank you for your time!

KV: Ms. Petti, how did you first come up with the idea for THELMA BEE?

EMP: Honestly the very first thing that inspired Thelma Bee was a weird looking rock formation in the river in my backyard. I thought, "Oh man, that looks like the back of a sleeping river monster. THAT'S COOL." I'd just moved out of the city and the change of pace really opened up my imagination. Now, Thelma and her crew are so dear to my heart that I kind of feel like I've been living with them forever. 

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

EMP: I had no idea what a query was while I was writing the book, and was embarrassingly clueless at first. I'd read a blog entry that said a query should read like the blurb on a book jacket--so that's what I did for the first round. Not quite the level of compelling detail that agents are looking for, it turns out. It took me a while to plug into the right blogs, Twitter feeds, etc, to put me on the right track.

I revised the query eleventy billion times.

Luckily, I was chosen for your team in The Writer's Voice! Your critique of my query was an incredibly important step to getting it where it needed to be. 

KV: What was the hardest thing about writing your query? What was the easiest?

EMP: Cutting the fat and streamlining the ideas were my biggest challenges once I got going. The easiest part was probably the voice, weirdly, because when I start writing about Thelma, she just peeks through. No matter how ill-shaped the query was at any point in time, I always felt that her personality was there.

KV: Ms. Zats, when you first read Ms. Petti’s query, what caught your attention?

​

​LZ: I loved the mention of the Viking longship. Clearly, this story had a smart protagonist, and had just the amount of odd and whimsy that I obsess over.​

​

KV: I have to add that the Viking longship stuck out to me, too:) Such a great detail! Okay, back to the interview…

Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about THELMA BEE?

​

LZ: Thelma is such a cool kid. She is a nerd, but she's scientific, which I don't think you see a lot. Her life is full of adventure, so she takes every setback in stride and with a good humor that makes me want to be her best friend. I also loved that who you originally expect to be the villain in this story is just the opposite, which opens the door to a lot of surprises.

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Petti's manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

​

LZ: It took me about a week to request a partial, and then two weeks after that, I requested the full. After that, I had it a month before the Call. That response time is pretty typical, but a bit on the faster side of things.​

KV: Ms. Petti, what tips do you have for fellow writers as they work on their queries?

EMP: For beginners who are just figuring this out, read blogs like these. Find authors you love on Twitter and follow who they follow. Query Shark is terrifying but useful. Your best friend will love your query no matter what, and she's fabulous, but hand it to someone who has been in the trenches for a while for an objective opinion.

For those who have been querying for a long time, stay open to new ideas and track your progress. Talk to folks who are going through the same things as you for support. Publishing is weird and twisty and one email can change everything--have faith! 

KV: Same question to you, Ms. Zats. What query-writing suggestions do you have?

​

LZ: Rule number one: be nice. Do research and query the agents you actually believe would be a good fit for you. Follow the basic query structure. Instead of being innovative and attention-grabbing, just frame your book in the best and most exciting way possible while retaining you book's essence. Let your book speak for itself. And if you're not sure your query is the clearest, give it to someone who doesn't know anything about your book. Let them read it, and then ask them what the book is about. If they don't give you the answer you'd like, rework it. ​

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you’d like to share with us?

EMP: If you're writing, you're doing something truly awesome. Enjoy the freedom of creativity and try not to get too bogged down with the rest of it. As long as you're creating and finding joy, you're winning. 

LZ: ​It's better to have no agent than an unenthusiastic one. Make sure you're writing the book you want to write, and stick with it. The right agent is out there, but it might just not be the right time for you yet. And for those of you waiting to hear back: agents take way longer with books they like than with books they don't!​

I couldn't agree more:) Thanks again, ladies, for taking the time to answer my questions. Fingers crossed for THELMA BEE! 

Agent-Author Chat: Monika Verma and Alexa Donne

I can't tell you how excited I am to welcome agent Monika Verma of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency and author Alexa Donne back to the blog. I say back because Ms. Verma and Ms. Donne connected right here on Team Krista during "The Writer's Voice" last May, which means that this installment of "Agent-Author Chat" represents a direct success story for our team. Woohoo!

Check out Ms. Donne's fabulous entry (which was previously titled FUTURESHOCK), then hop back over here to learn how everything came together.

KV: Ms. Donne, how did you first come up with the idea for FUTURE TENSE?

AD: No joke--I had the idea in the shower. This was in the Spring of 2012 and I was taking a second crack at a YA dystopian I had abandoned after NaNo 2011. I was supposed to be brainstorming for the dystopian, and a stray thought flitted through my head—people always ask “if you could meet any historical figure, living or dead, who would it be?” Well, what if you WERE the historical figure? And, and… you’re famous because you become President! First female President of the United States! And then I thought the deliciously awful twisty thing (which I won’t reveal), and FUTURE TENSE was born. It may be the most productive shower I will ever have in my life.

Then, when it came to developing the idea (outside of the shower), I was a huge fan of the show Jack and Bobby on the WB, which is how I landed on the Presidential future and YA setting. I love the idea of following a teen character who is destined to become not only famous, but hold the highest political office in the land. I’m also a Doctor Who fan… and who doesn’t want a young, cute, dorky Doctor-like character showing up and taking you on adventures?

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

AD: I didn’t write my query until I was done with the “draft zero” of the book. I did, however, write my “hook” (which became the first paragraph of the query) during the writing process, mostly because I was really excited about querying/entering contests and I am incorrigible.

I went through two iterations of my query--the first one I used for Pitch Madness, but didn’t send it to any agents via traditional querying. I waited until I did some more revising, and then I entered The Writer’s Voice. This is where I got my second and final version of my query, via mentorship with you (Krista). The advice I received from several sources, including a friend that works for an agency, was to throw all my best hooks into my query. So query #1 gave away a major spoiler, for a reveal that doesn’t happen until you are about 80% into the book. But the query felt very kitchen sink, I think, and Krista worked with me to rein my query in and focus on the personal and romantic conflict. So query number two teased the suspense, but did not give away the ending. I was so happy with this query (which better reflected the tone of my book), that I used it for all of my traditional querying--I sent it to approximately 19 agents. The only thing that changed mid-way through was I tweaked my YA book comps.

Format-wise, I shied away from a personalized query that drops the book title, genre and word count up front, and instead dove right into the characters/conflict/stakes. I prefer this format for a number of reasons, but partly because I know when I'm looking at a query, my eye jumps to two things first: first paragraph (hook) and then down to second to last paragraph, where I hope to see all the book details. I sound like a sycophant when I personalize my queries, so unless an agent specifically said they like to know why you’re querying them, I didn’t personalize. I also am a big believer in dropping your book hook immediately, in paragraph one. Some agents only read your first paragraph before deciding to read on. So make it good.

KV: Butting in to say I appreciate the plug. If I participate in “The Writer’s Voice” next year, I’m definitely pointing prospective teammates to this post:)

So how did Ms. Verma come to request your manuscript?

AD: Monika voted for me during The Writer’s Voice. She was one of two agents that voted, so she got a partial. A few days later, she upgraded her request to a full.

KV: Ms. Verma, when you saw Ms. Donne's entry in “The Writer’s Voice,” what caught your attention?

MV: I’m a big fan of contemporary YA, time-travel stories and all things British, so this entry was tailor-made for me. I was also struck by how strong the voice was, and I could tell right away that the author had a sense of humor. These are all things I’m on the lookout for when I read submissions.

KV: You and Ms. Donne ended up working through several rounds of pre-offer revisions. How do you decide whether to request revisions or offer representation?

MV: I always want to be confident in my ability to sell a book before I offer representation to the author, and much of the time that means working through some revisions before making things official.  In the same vein, I like to make sure that the author and I are on the same page regarding revisions before she or he signs on, just to avoid any snafus down the road. Some authors have a particular vision for their work, and if it turns out that my vision differs from theirs, it’s best to find that out early.

KV: Obviously, these revisions met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about FUTURE TENSE?

MV: I love that the protagonist is strong, smart and unapologetic about her decisions. I also very much appreciate that while there is a romance storyline, it isn’t front and center; the character’s decisions about her future and her friendships take precedence. I laughed out loud at certain lines when I first read the manuscript, and I still laugh when I read them now, several drafts later. Finally, I love that the story embraces high school nerd culture and celebrates it.

KV: Ms. Donne, now that you’ve reached the querying finish line, what do you wish you had known when you were back at the start gate?

AD: Relative to my query, I have few regrets! I made some missteps with my first query, but I didn’t actually send it to anyone (outside one contest). Even though I wanted to query, I sat on it--something was niggling at me that it wasn’t The One. I’m glad I waited and got help in The Writer’s Voice. It was meant to be! Once I was ready, I queried smart--in small batches and using Query Tracker to keep track of things--and got a good number of requests.

As far as my manuscript is concerned, probably the only thing I would change is I would have made the harsh edits I ended up making to my first eight chapters earlier than I did. A few of my passes from agents remarked that it was slow to start, and later I fixed that. However, que sera--things happen the way they happen, and I’m happy with it!

KV: Ms. Verma, what querying tips do you have?

MV: The best advice I can give authors is to be clear and concise. As an agent sifting through queries all day, I want a query to provide all the basics about the book--synopsis, genre, similar titles, author bio--in an easy-to-digest way, but to also pique my interest and make me want to read more. I would also recommend checking out agent bios and wishlists, and adjusting your submission list accordingly. I personally like to hear about what inspires authors to write about whatever they choose to write about, whether it’s a love for the genre, personal experience etc.

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you’d like to share with us?

MV: There are tons of great tips floating around on how to ace your query or pitch an agent, but with YA it all comes down to the voice. If I read a submission and can immediately relate to the protagonist (as I did in this case,) I’m likely to keep reading regardless of any other factors. Focus on the voice and the rest will follow!

AD: Be brand-minded, marketing savvy, and gather as much information as you can about the industry before, during and after you write. Write what you love and are inspired to write, but be smart: mindful of trends, how to package your book as well as you can (title, query, comps, etc.), your public persona. Agents will appreciate and respond to someone that shows knowledge of the market, which means read as many YA (etc.) books as you can, use great comps in your query, and understand how your novel will fit into the current marketplace. Make yourself the ideal client--a great writer, who can write hooks that can sell, who is flexible but passionate (so you’ll work with your agent/editor to make changes… but you know when to stick to your guns), and is constantly working to improve your craft. This means dealing well with criticism (get some honest, borderline brutal critique partners!), and editing smart and well.

Oh, and rejection isn’t personal--really!--and is par for the course in any creative industry. If you think of the whole querying/agenting/revision/submission process as an adventure, the knocks are easier to take. It truly only takes one yes.

Thank you, Ms. Verma and Ms. Donne, for these insightful answers. I got to see a lot of this unfold behind the scenes, and I'm SO thrilled the story had a happy ending.

Have a great weekend!

Agent-Author Chat: Rebecca Podos and Mackenzi Lee

I've got a great interview for you today with Rebecca Podos of Rees Literary Agency and one of her newest clients, Team Krista alum Mackenzi Lee. As you'll recall, Ms. Lee's entry garnered the most votes of any entry on any team and was a major contributor to Team Krista's success this year. When I found out she'd signed with Ms. Podos, I was beyond delighted but not at all surprised.

Ms. Lee's query and answers will appear in orange, Ms. Podos's in blue. Enjoy!

Ms. Lee's Query I am seeking representation for my 67,000 word YA historical fantasy, DEATH AND THE GLASSMAKER'S DAUGHTER. After reading in your agency bio that you enjoy character driven fiction as well as historical fiction and fantasy, I thought the manuscript might appeal to you.

As the son of Death, Moriarty was raised believing in the beauty of ending a life. Then he takes over his father’s work and finds that ripping souls from mortal bodies is nothing like the stories that populated his childhood. It’s violent and bloody, and with imperialism, labor strikes, and people's revolutions leaving corpses around the world, Moriarty can’t find anything to love in his new work.

Until he meets his next victim: Rocsanne Vetrario, the bold, bohemian daughter of Venetian glaziers. Instead of ending her life, Moriarty accidentally saves it, thus kindling a friendship that tumbles into love amid the canals of 1890s Venice.

But their summer together shatters when Moriarty learns that Rocsanne’s stepmother Lavinia is on a crusade to recover the lost secrets of Venetian glass and its power to bestow immortality. When Lavinia discovers her daughter’s romance with the soul collector himself, she threatens to kill Rocsanne unless Moriarty helps her retrieve a piece of the legendary glass.

Surrendering the glass will give Lavinia control over Moriarty and his work, but if Rocsanne dies, he’ll lose her forever to the afterlife. With Lavinia holding Rocsanne hostage on the cemetery island of San Michele, Moriarty has to choose between his own freedom and the only girl who ever loved Death.

The manuscript is a stand alone with series potential, and I believe it will appeal to fans of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy and Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers. I am currently a graduate student at Simmons College, earning my MFA in writing for children and young adults. I have had short pieces published in Talkin’ Blues, Pandora’s Box, The Friend, and The Newport Review.

Below are the first three chapters of the manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration.

KV: Ms. Lee, how did you first come up with the idea for DEATH AND THE GLASSMAKER'S DAUGHTER?

ML: I have been obsessed with Venice (the setting of the novel) since I read The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke at age 10. When I finally went there during a year abroad, it was as beautiful and magical as Scipio and the gang promised it would be, and by the time I left, I had a hard-core crush on Venice. While there, I became fascinated with Venetian glass blowing. I learned a lot of random facts about glass blowing on that trip (and did a fair amount of salivating over the finished products and wishing I was not poor), then tucked it all away in my brain for later use (I thought probably in Trivial Pursuit, or in the off chance I ever made it on Jeopardy and the category was “Ancient Italian Arts”).

After my year abroad ended, I spent a summer working a miserable retail job that involved a lot of mindless folding and wishing I were back in Europe. Writing was how I warded off the dreariness. I started getting into some online writing communities, and I remember seeing a prompt somewhere--”Death’s last confession” (if you are the person/website who posted this, I owe you so much!!!! Please tell me so I can send cookies and cash!!!). That phrase got stuck in my head like a song--I thought about it for days!--and somewhere along the way, it morphed into “Death falls in love.” Which sent my brain into overdrive. I have a very clear memory of hanging up shirt after shirt after shirt (they had to be sorted by color--ugh) and repeating that phrase to myself. That plot bug eventually fused with my previously useless knowledge of Venetian glass blowing, and that became the idea that sparked my manuscript.

So long story short: It is a child of useless trivia and shelving shirts. Because writing is glamorous.

KV: Tell us a little bit about your query-writing process. Did you work on it here and there as you were writing the manuscript, or before, or after? How many times did you revise it? And how did you decide what order to put things in?

ML: I didn’t work on the query until I was almost done with the manuscript, because writing queries is too painful if you aren’t going to finish, and for a long time, I didn’t know if I would. When I finally did write my query, I revised it more times than I can count. There were at least five times I deleted it all and started over, and there were also a few drafts that were mostly expletives. However, I was very lucky to be working on my query while doing my first year of my MFA, so I had a lot of creative and smart people around me who helped me with the structure, wording, and what to include. 

KV: What was the hardest thing about writing your query? What was the easiest?

ML: The hardest thing about writing the query was writing the query.

The second hardest part was not throwing up every time I emailed it to an agent.

The third hardest thing was wrestling my constant and pure-bred anxiety into submission and accepting the fact that eventually I was going to have to step back and let it live. In the end, moving around commas in the query letter was just an excuse for putting off the actual querying.  

The easiest part of the whole process was saying yes to Rebecca’s offer--as soon as we talked, I knew I had found the right fit for me and my manuscript!

KV: Ms. Podos, when you first read Ms. Lee’s query, what caught your attention?

 

RP: I was drawn in by the balance of high-concept ideas and specific details in her query. Ms. Lee mentioned at the start that her book was historical fantasy, that it featured the son of Death and the art of collecting souls. Right away I was intrigued by that exploration of art and death, and how the connection between the two would be investigated in a YA story.

Then in the very next paragraph, she spoke about the imperialism, labor strikes and people’s revolutions of the 1890s weighing down on her main character.  That gave me an idea how the bigger themes of the book would translate into the finer points of storytelling. It sounds morbid, but the idea of the 1890s as this big, bloody sandbox for Ms. Lee’s story to play in really made me want to read.

 

She went on to summarize the plot very capably, and I saw that it was a kind of Romeo and Juliet story between the son of Death and the daughter of a family chasing immortality. So in the space of three hundred or so words, I knew the book had a beautiful overarching idea, a fascinating use of time and place, and an intriguing high-stakes plot. What more could I ask for from a query?

 

KV: Obviously, the manuscript met--or exceeded--your expectations. What did you love about DEATH AND THE GLASSMAKER'S DAUGHTER?

 

RP: The same things I loved in the query! DEATH AND THE GLASSMAKER’S DAUGHER (or DATGT, as Ms. Lee and I have abbreviated for convenience) had a perfect balance of high-concept idea, compelling plot, and nitty-gritty storytelling, all conveyed through beautiful prose.

The big ideas of Love and Death and Art and Language were explored not just as big ideas, but in the world-building details of the story. How great is it that the scars on Death’s hands were memories--a physical manifestation of what memories mean to mortals? How perfect that Moriarty, Death’s son, posed in the mortal world as an art collector?

 

The book was funny, too--there was, for example, some excellent cravat-based humor, reason enough alone to sign DATGD.

 

And of course, most of all, there were the characters. Moriarty was so human in so many ways, in all the wonderful ways that matter. And Rocsanne was no damsel in distress, but she wasn’t the stereotypical feisty love interest. She was s smart, talented and brave and trapped; she could be scared and strong and in love and in pain all at once.  

 

DATGD was the complete package.

 

KV: How quickly did you read Ms. Lee's manuscript? Is that pretty typical of your response times on requested material, or do those vary?

 

RP: Looking back through my e-mails, it seems I asked Mackenzie to send the full manuscript on a Tuesday, and called her to offer representation on Wednesday. I would have to say that a one-day turnaround is not typical. But if I really fall in love with a book from the start, if I’m so excited and eager to edit it instead of wary about the work a book will need, I do try to respond within a week or two.

If I see great potential in a book, but also that there are somewhat substantial edits necessary, it takes me a little longer to weigh my love for the book against the work I’d be asking the author to do. I might read it a second time, more analytically. And sometimes I’m just swamped with reading--redrafts from my clients, books I promised I’d look at for fellow agents, submissions I requested first. So that can definitely slow things down.

KV: Ms. Lee, what tips do you have for fellow writers as they work on their queries?

ML: It’s important to have other people read your query, but be selective about who those people are. When I first started, I posted my query on a few online forums. I got a lot of feedback. So much feedback that I became paralyzed by it. I couldn’t sort out what was worth applying and what wasn’t.

It also battered my self esteem a bit; with so many people picking apart my query (and the plot of my manuscript!), pretty soon there was nothing about it that someone hadn’t said they hated. When you’re querying you have to keep your confidence in reserve, because it is so fragile and hard to come by. You can’t waste it on random people online who may or may not know what they’re talking about.

Ask people whose opinion you value to read your query and give you advice. It’s also handy to ask people who haven’t read your manuscript to read the query. If they can understand your plot, then you’re in business. 

KV: Same question to you, Ms. Podos. What query-writing suggestions do you have?

 

RP: Focus on your story. Not an anecdote about the idea for the novel occurring to you in a greasy spoon diner on a cross-country road trip. Not how much your friends and family loved the manuscript when they read it. Not how nervous you are about the querying process. Just like the back cover of a book has a limited space to convince you to pick it up and take it to the register, you have a few paragraphs at most to convince an agent you can tell a story with great ideas, with a compelling plot and with beautiful details. Choose the right details, do justice to your characters and show us your voice.

KV: Any last words of advice or encouragement you’d like to share with us?

ML: Like most writers, I have major self-confidence issues. I am miserable at talking about my own writing and I’m usually pretty shy about even admitting that I write. But when you’re first starting out, you are your only advocate. So be confident in yourself and your work. If you are querying, you’ve already made it further than a lot of people do. You have finished a novel, which by itself is a sort of miracle. Be proud of that! 

Also, as soon as you start to query, you should also start working on your next project. Rejection is easier to take when you have something else to be in love with.

RP: It only takes one person, the right person, to say yes to you and your book. When the right person says yes, the ten or twenty or forty no’s will cease to matter.  Read everything you can, write the best book you can, do as much research as you can before submitting, write the best query you can, use what criticism you can, and leave the no’s behind you (as best you can.)

Excellent advice, Ms. Lee and Ms. Podos. Thank you for these thoughts and for sharing this small part of your journey together with us. I cannot WAIT to see DEATH AND THE GLASSMAKER'S DAUGHTER on the shelves:)