Publishing Pulse: 7/31/09

New Agents

Several agencies have new agents, and you know what that means!  People looking for great submissions!

Laura Wood has joined Fine Print.  According to the Guide to Literary Agents, she "specializes in serious nonfiction, especially in the areas of science and nature, along with substantial titles in business, history, religion, and other areas by academics, experienced professionals, and journalists." Her email address is laura@fineprintlit.com.

Ward Calhoun has also joined Fine Print.  He's interested in "nonfiction titles in the areas of sports, humor, and pop culture." His email address is ward@fineprintlit.com.

To submit to either, follow Fine Print's instructions: "For fiction, send a query letter and synopsis and the first two chapters via regular mail. If you query via email, do not send an attachment without invitation. If we’re interested, we will ask to see a few chapters or the full manuscript.  For nonfiction, send a query letter, proposal, and sample chapters via regular mail. If you send a query via e-mail, do not include an attachment. If we’re interested, we will ask for additional material."

Brenda Bowen is a new agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. Again according to the Guide to Literary Agents, she "represents authors and illustrators of children’s books for all ages (preschool to teen) as well as...graphic novelists, animators and maybe a surprise element or two."

To submit to her: "If you plan to query via e-mail: Please submit a query letter in the body of the e-mail, and the following as Word attachments: the first three chapters of the manuscript (for fiction), a book proposal (for nonfiction), a synopsis of the work, and a brief bio or résumé. If you plan to send a hard copy query: Please submit a query letter, the first three chapters of the manuscript (for fiction), a book proposal (for nonfiction), a synopsis of the work, a brief bio or résumé, and a stamped self-addressed envelope for reply. Original artwork is not accepted (send copies only). Enclose a stamped, self-addressed mailer if you wish to have your materials returned to you. We generally reply to queries within 6-8 weeks."

Jacquie Flynn has joined Joëlle Delbourgo Associates. She specializes in these nonfiction areas: "business and career, technology, science, psychology, self-help, and parenting."

Jacquie does not respond to email queries--you will need to snail mail her with a SASE at Joëlle Delbourgo Associates, Inc., 516 Bloomfield Ave., Suite 5, Montclair, NJ 07042.

Caleb Seeling is now an agent at WordServe.  You can get detailed information about how to query him here.


Insider Tips and Tricks from Around the Web

Literary agent Kate Epstein has just started Twittering at http://twitter.com/EpsteinLiterary.  She includes
- advice to writers looking for an agent,
- notes and thoughts on the business and product of writing,
- commentary on the publishing industry,
- and authors' publicity announcements.
Bonus--lots of her tweets are inspired by the queries she receives, so you'll get tons of information on what to do and what not to do!

Moonrat posted an absolute must-read post on publicity called My First Print Run Is Tiny!! How Can I Save My Book?

The Blood-Red Pencil has a great post on Self-Editing One Step at a Time: How to Identify Dragging Narrative.

Quips and Tips for Successful Writers gives you 6 Tips For Building A Successful Writing Career.

Rachelle Gardner summed up the most pertinent points from her From Proposal to Publication blog series last week. (They'll make you want to read the whole series!)

Everyone have a fantastic weekend and we'll see you right here next week!




Dr. Carolyn Kaufman is a clinical psychologist and professor residing in Columbus, Ohio. A published writer, she runs Archetype Writing: Psychology for Fiction Writers and an associated blog. She is often quoted by the media as an expert resource.