Hi all, Remember me? It’s been ages. You might wonder where I’ve been. Well, I’ve been off launching my debut nonfiction picture book, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane (illustrated by Tracy Subisak), which came out in February from Calkins Creek. But I haven’t forgotten about Sub It Club. After all, it... Continue Reading →
Whether you're drafting your first-ever query letter or have written a whole bunch of them, the truth remains the same: query letters can be tough. Each manuscript is different. Heck, each query letter is a little different! Even when you're querying the same manuscript to multiple people you still need to take the time to... Continue Reading →
This post is brought to you by the one and only, Lisha Cauthen. Your manuscript is shiny and happy. You've done your research and found the perfect agent for you, your novel and your career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCQ0vDAbF7s But there's a problem--the agent is closed to submissions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfMlk1PwGU Do you give up? Not necessarily. If you're convinced... Continue Reading →
So, Lisha talked about how to format your email sample chapters and I must say, she is good! But, I said I would do a post about emailing your picture book submission so here’s a few more tips about email submissions. They aren't really picture book specific because it's basically the same no matter what... Continue Reading →
This post is brought to you by the one and only, Lisha Cauthen. Agents/editors are busy people. And they read fast. Very, very fast. You might even say he/she skims a query letter to see if it merits the engagement of her/his whole brain. And if he/she sees any one of a set of toxic... Continue Reading →
This post is brought to you by the one and only, Lisha Cauthen. You can understand why agents/editors want First Contact with their potential authors to be through a safe, clean email. With the volume of correspondence they receive from strangers, the likelihood of viruses arriving in attachments is high. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaPpa-eoxi4 Fine. So I took... Continue Reading →
This post is brought to you by the one and only, Lisha Cauthen. Been a long while since we talked about the nuts and bolts of query-letter writing. Today, let's discuss a very simple step that if skipped, will sink your chances of getting an agent: CHECKING YOUR SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, AND SYNTAX First, use Spellcheck.... Continue Reading →
Today we put the whole she-bang together and look at how to deliver your well-crafted, long sweated-over elevator pitch. The elevator pitch is a great foundation for a query letter and a handy tool for participating in #pitchmad and other contests. But its true function is QUERYING AGENTS/EDITORS IN PERSON. Are your palms sweating? Well... Continue Reading →
First of all, I attended a talk by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff. The three of them met each other on line and became critique partners. YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING, thanks to our Fearless Leader, Heather. On to your elevator pitch. Today's advice is short and simple, putting it into action... Continue Reading →
