In light of the Danielle Smith/Lupine Grove Creative scandal last month, this seems like a good time to talk about questions that authors and illustrators can ask their prospective agent to make sure that the working relationship will be a good one. Every agent works and communicates with their clients in different ways, and it... Continue Reading →
Last year, I wrote about some common query missteps that I often see in submissions, and for this year's post, I thought I'd tackle some oft-overlooked, smaller snafus. Including the copyright year in the manuscript (unless it's the current year): I know that a common fear for newly-querying authors is that an agent might steal... Continue Reading →
When I first started working at Sheldon Fogelman Agency (so long ago that we only accepted printed manuscripts - SASEs were a must - and didn't take electronic anything), there was a running joke that January was always the worst month for our mail carrier. We would be overrun with submissions from authors eager to... Continue Reading →
I just got back from a wonderful SCBWI-Illinois writing retreat/workshop near Lake Bloomington (I hadn't seen that much corn since Iowa!), and I've had multiplicity on my mind ever since (no, not that multiplicity). Over the course of multiple days and multiple workshops, I got asked multiple questions (sense a theme here?) about best practices... Continue Reading →
One of my most frequently asked questions (right after "Do you really need all that ice cream?") is how far I will read through a query letter before I decide if it will be a rejection. The truth is, I will almost always read through the entire query, but I usually have a good idea... Continue Reading →
Sub It Club 