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Full Requests

January 4, 2010 in Advice, Agent | 40 comments

Alright. We are back in the saddle with some regular thoughts I have. Here, I want to explain my philosophy on full requests. I only request full manuscripts, not partials. Part of it is the same rationale as why I say you should send 10 sample pages with every query, regardless of an agency’s submission guidelines: instant gratification.

Imagine if I followed the partial request plan of some agents:

  • Ask for the first 30 pages, evaluate
  • As for the next 50/70 pages, evaluate
  • Ask for the next 100/150 pages, evaluate
  • Ask for the full

This is a bit extreme, but I have seen all sorts of iterations of this. Why bother? Well, here’s the rationale. An agent who asks for a lot of partials ultimately ends up rejecting fewer fulls, because their decision process is long and fewer manuscripts get all the way to the full request. On the other hand, there are also agents who request a full after reading only the query. They probably reject the vast majority (~99%) of their fulls, since the first time they see a writing sample is when they get a full manuscript. I request a full after reading the query and the first 10 pages. I reject a vast majority of my full manuscripts, but not nearly as many as the person who reads only a query and asks for the full.

The one downside to asking for a full is that, to a writer, a full request is a Big Deal. It is More Serious and More Important than a partial request. I wish this wasn’t the case. I only request a full so that I can read through the first 30, 50, 70, 100, 150, etc. etc. etc. and keep reading until a) the quality of the writing takes a nosedive, b) the plot stops making sense, c) the story takes some kind of bizarre turn, d) the characters warp, e) I lose interest. All of these things, unfortunately, happen sometimes. However, sometimes they don’t!

There are a million reasons to stop reading a manuscript but there are also a million reasons to keep reading. With requesting a full and not a partial, I don’t have to stop, ask for more, stop, ask for more. I can read for as long as I’m riveted and, if that extends to the end of the manuscript, I’m a very happy agent. With a full at my disposal, I’m free to take my time, have my process, really dig in and mull things over without going back and forth with the writer.

I wouldn’t advocate sending a full when asked for a partial, like I’d suggest you send a writing sample anyway, but I just hope you understand a little bit more of what goes through my mind and exactly what a full request from me means.

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Back From New Orleans

November 21, 2009 in Etc. | 6 comments

About once a year, I like to visit New Orleans, which is one of my favorite US cities. I usually don’t post about my personal life and what I’ve been up to, since that’s boring to everyone but me, but this is somewhat writing-related, so indulge me a moment.

Basically, my goal is to keep writers everywhere and especially my clients from having to do what this guy does out on Royal Street:

Charming as this poet and his typewriter are, I want to make sure everyone has plenty of work and lots of good writing mojo as 2009 winds up.

Things with me are great. I’m working with some amazing clients whose projects I love, I’m getting lots of good queries and I’m enjoying every moment, even now that my mini-vacation is over. There’s a lot to be thankful for this holiday season and all of you wonderful blog readers are definitely on the list.

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Send a Sample Anyway

October 20, 2009 in Advice, Agent, Queries | 24 comments

You will see many a frustrated agent harping over and over again that a writer should always follow submission guidelines. I will be the first to add my voice to the chorus: you should always follow submission guidelines!

But… you should always follow our submission guidelines. At ABLit, we request the first 10 pages sent along with the query. I’m here to say something a little controversial that might raise some hackles. I say, send the first 10 pages to all the agents you’re querying, even if they don’t ask for them. (Sorry, guys!)

Before we proceed, I will write one note of warning here — this advice is for Advanced Users Only. Your first 10 pages have to be solid gold, or you shouldn’t bother with this strategy. Try to take an objective look. Try to determine whether or not you’ve got Conference Polish Syndrome. If your first 10 are a marvel and the rest of the manuscript is even better, send them regardless of the guidelines.

Here’s why. When I read a query that catches my eye, I have absolutely no way of knowing if the writing is any good. And that’s all that matters at the end of the day. If I was judging a submission on query only, I’d have a very high chance of requesting something that ended up being totally off-base. Query writing does not equal manuscript writing, the two are completely different by nature. Or I’d request something and wait to receive it and forget what I liked about the query in the first place and so the sample would make no sense and I would’ve lost interest in the meantime or gotten busy with something else, etc. etc. etc.

If I do have some sample pages to examine along with the query, I can look at the writing  right away. There’s much less room for error in terms of requesting something that ends up a hot mess, and I have instant gratification. A query intrigues me and I can keep reading immediately. No wait, no chance to lose any enthusiasm. Sometimes, it’s a total let-down. Other times, I like the sample and get even more excited and request the full on the spot.

Before I joined the agency, I was an agented writer myself. My third manuscript and, hence, my third round of querying, landed me an agent (full disclosure: I am not longer with that agent, as that would present a conflict of interest). When I sent out only queries for my first two manuscripts, I got a lukewarm response and it took forever. With my third try, I decided to send 10 pages to everyone, whether requested or not. I think Sarah Palin might’ve called that a “mavericky” move. Almost everyone responded right away, the whole process took two weeks and I got offers from six agents. I’m not saying that’ll happen for everyone, but this strategy made it easy for an agent to a) read me right away, b) like me right away, c) get really excited. (Note to writers: I did mention above that this was my third try at getting an agent… that means I’d tried and failed many, many, many times… it takes a lot of practice to write a novel that agents consider publishable, let alone to sign a contract…)

That’s why I’m so happy the first 10 pages are part of our submission guidelines at ABLit. And I think there’s a good case for making it your subission strategy, regardless of guidelines elsewhere. Just make sure you paste the text in the body of an email if you e-query. The “No attachments” part of many submission guidelines is one you really shouldn’t ignore.

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Wake Me Up When September Ends

September 25, 2009 in Etc. | 3 comments

The title of the Green Day song is chillingly fitting right now as I seem to have startled awake and realized that September is thisclose to over. Where has this month gone? Seriously. Where has it gone? Is it coming back? No? Well, that’s rude… it didn’t even leave a note! I wish this was one of those times when I think it’s missing but I’ve really got it on the top of my head, like a pair of sunglasses. But I don’t think this is like that.

Anyway. One of the perks of living in the Bay Area — this, by the way, is me desperately trying to console myself after an amazing trip to New York which just made me want to move there all the more — is that we’ve got local punk rock and Berkeley Rep, an awesome theatre company. What happens when the two come together? American Idiot, a rock musical from the director of Spring Awakening that features music by my favorite East Bay boys, Green Day.

First, for those new to the phenomenon that is me: I’m a big Green Day fan, big pop-punk lover and a huge theatre nerd. So seeing American Idiot tonight was one part intellectual thrill, one part teenage squee-y dream come true for me. The show was awesome. It was a little thin on, er, plot — cue Beautiful Yet Pregnant Teenager, Suburban Kids/Big City and Ruined Love — but huge on thrashing-sweaty-moshy-rock-n’-roll. Best of all, there was almost no book, so it was 90 minutes of straight-up Green Day sung by incredibly talented performers.

This brings me to my point — I swear, I saw it around here somewhere, the bugger — and that’s this: Green Day is an incredible force of nature. Wait, wait, bear with me. I discovered them in middle school, when Dookie came out, and fell instantly in love. The funny thing is, that seems to be the consistent story. I can walk up to any 12 year-old, 17 year-old, 21 year-old or 25 year-old and tell them that I’ve loved Green Day since, like, middle school. And they’ll agree. Passionately. This band releases a monster CD every few years and captures an entirely new generation. How? They’re consistent.

Green Day has found a resonance, a groove, and they do it well. Sure, they’ve gotten more political with recent albums, but their themes are the same: boredom, anger, disillusionment, feeling powerless, being alone, going crazy. They’re great to listen to if you’re writing YA or upper MG, especially boy books. And they just go to show that once you find your voice and hit a stride with the themes you do well, you’ll capture readers over and over. Whether on stage at 924 Gilman Street or at Berkeley Rep, these songs all have Green Day’s unmistakable voice.

This phenomenon is something that writers can work toward, too. Once something connects to its audience, it will continue to roll and pick up generation after generation of readers, year in, year out. Don’t think I’m saying “Get boring, get complacent.” Do good work, come up with unique ideas, but put a certain stamp on it. This may not be interesting to everyone, but it works for the likes of John Green and Sarah Dessen, for example. Oh yeah, and Green Day.

Alright. That’s enough fangirl rambling for one night. I promise some real writing-and-publishing posts are coming up as soon as I get everything in order post-NYC.

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Dear Queriers

September 17, 2009 in Agent | 3 comments

Hey all. I am in New York through the end of next week (the 25th), so if anyone has queried me in the last few days or is planning on querying me through the end of the month, my response time will be a little longer than usual.

Thanks, as always, for sharing your work with me!

As for what I’m doing in the city, I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be meeting with editors. Sure, I’ll talk about some of the projects I have coming up but I’ll mostly be listening to each editor, getting to know them, learning their taste and getting the flavor of their imprint so that I can pitch them goodies in the future. Can’t wait!

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Getting Into The Swing of Things

September 14, 2009 in Agent | No comments

As a new agent, I’m very actively building my list and gearing up to do some serious championing for the clients I have. While I don’t want to reveal too many details at this moment, here on the blog, I just want to publicly take a second, look around and say: “Life is so good!”

While their numbers might not be legion (yet), my clients make me so happy. One just turned in an amazing revision that shows just how far she’s come as a writer. Another blew me away with a strong, beautifully-written character who jumps off the page and inspires me. Another client of mine, an author/illustrator, sent me a hard copy of her portfolio. It is so stunning that flipping through it brought tears to my eyes.

And these are just the things that have happened today!

This is why I love what I’m setting out to do. I get to work with amazingly talented writers and artists to bring their work into the world, to create books! What could possibly be cooler than that? I hope I can look back on this moment — of sitting there with my first illustrator’s portfolio in my lap, of reading a home-run revision, of falling so far and deep into a manuscript that time disappears — many years and many sales and many clients from now and proudly say that I’ve never lost this joy, this sense of wonder, this love for books and the crazy, wonderful, inspiring people who bring them to life.

No career is without its ups and downs, and I know some days I’ll glower at the slush, turn off the phone and want to crawl back into bed, but I know full well that I am the luckiest person alive to have found something I love to do and to be starting on this journey.

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Great News!

August 19, 2009 in Agent, Etc., Site Stuff | 8 comments

Since it is officially up on the website now, I can announce it: I am an associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency!

Check out my bio on the agency website!

If you are a YA, MG or picturebook writer, please think of me when you put together your query list.

As a result of my new position, I’ll be making changes to the blog, vetting some old posts and generally getting everything into brand new shape. Please pardon the dust while I revamp some of my old content and look for more content geared to aspiring writers in the future!

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Teenage Perspective Cheat Sheet

August 13, 2009 in Advice, Writing | 8 comments

One of my favorite parts of SCBWI (where I took no pictures, because I am made of #epicfail, by the way) was Krista Marino’s voice workshop, where we dissected and discussed what an authentic teen voice is. One of the keenest insights came when she invited her author Frank Portman (mastermind behind KING DORK and the forthcoming ANDROMEDA KLEIN) to talk about his songwriting for his band, The Mr. T Experience (better known as MTX).

Now, full disclosure time: Frank Portman didn’t land on my radar with his brilliant YA debut novel, far from it. I was a fan long, long ago. When I was 14-15-16-17, I’d pile into a friend’s ride or drive my junker Ford Taurus up and down the San Francisco Bay Area and go to MTX shows. (There’s a fangirl picture of me with Dr. Frank, in fact, that I tried to find for you guys, where I’m wearing a leopard print coat, a rockabilly dress, an Avril tie, knee socks… all the trappings of good teenage fashion sense, believe you me… It’s probably best that I seem to have misplaced it, on second thought…)

Dr. Frank and Krista made a very good point during the workshop. Writers, remember:

Teens aren’t stupider versions of adults. They’re just as smart, just as emotional, just as perceptive… they’re simply lacking the experience and perspective that most adults get in the process of living more years on the planet.

And, since your character will change over the course of your story, your narrative is just one way they’ll get some different perspective and evolve as people, right? Excellent. In the meantime, as you’re fleshing your characters out, MTX songs make an excellent primer in teen voice and angst.

Have you forgotten how desperate guys are to find a girl, any girl who likes them/wants to talk to them/can stand looking at them? Do you remember the sting of feeling completely alone and invisible to the opposite sex? Listen to the hilarious “Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend” off of Our Bodies Our Selves.

Have you forgotten the tremendous roller coaster of first love? The ups and downs and the dizzy compulsion to make it work despite any and all common sense? Try “Who Needs Happiness (I’d Rather Have You)” from Revenge Is Sweet, And So Are You on for size.

Do you remember the ecstasy of finding the one person who understands you? The relief of discovering an oasis amidst the torture of high school? Listen to “Thank You (For Not Being One of Them)” off of Love is Dead.

If you think your voice is lacking authenticity, if your teen emotions aren’t ringing true, do yourself a favor and pick up a couple of Mr. T Experience albums. And yes, this is extremely, extremely gratifying for my 16 year-old inner fangirl. Who knew my nerdy MTX fandom would pay off career-wise? You can check out their record label’s minisite by clicking here. You can also check out Dr. Frank’s website.

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Super Exciting Announcement Coming Up

August 2, 2009 in Site Stuff | 1 comment

Hey guys! I know it has been a while since I’ve posted regularly here but that’s because I’ve been cooking up something incredibly cool. I can’t go into exact details right at this moment, but I wanted you to know that there are amazing changes coming up. They will affect the site for sure, so here are some thoughts about that:

One of my biggest passions is working with writers so, in writing this blog, I’ve tried to keep it as writer-centric as possible. From the “For Writers” parts at the end of every book review, to interviews with questions aimed at writers, to articles on craft, my emphasis is on reaching out to people who write children’s literature.

This is going to be more and more the case here, for reasons that will soon become clear.

I want to know your questions, your frustrations, your ideas about writing. Though the opinions on this blog have always been and will continue to be mine and mine alone, but I’ve spent a lot of time amassing knowledge and experience in kidlit and want to be a valuable resource for all the writers (and kidlit fans) reading.

As this blog and my role in the kidlit community continue to grow and change, I want you to know that I’m here, I’ve got answers and I can’t wait to write even more articles aimed at writers!

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Dispatches From My Old Life

July 23, 2009 in Etc. | 1 comment

So, in addition to being a musical theatre geek and a complete kidlit enthusiast, I am also a huge foodie.

One of the best jobs I’ve ever had, hands down, was working for a restaurant in Mountain View called Chez TJ.

I didn’t do anything important there, mind you. I came in as prep cook several times a week and peeled carrots, de-veined shrimp, shucked oysters, roasted beets and got yelled at a lot for my two left culinary feet.

Ah, those were good days. Seriously. And I had the extreme pleasure of working with a chef whose food is marvelous, divine… all the delicious adjectives under the sun. This guy is a rock star and a superhero and his name is Christopher Kostow.

Now, Chef moved on to Meadowood Napa Valley and is no longer at Chez TJ. After getting the SF Chronicle Rising Star Chef award and plucking a small galaxy of Michelin stars out of the sky, he is doing very well. And he should be. His food is amazing.

He’s doing so well, in fact, that I had to do a double take when I looked at July’s issue of Food and Wine Magazine. (A bad image of the cover can be seen above). My thought was: “Wow, that looks like Chef.”

Then I looked again.

“That IS Chef!”

He’s the one in the glasses in the middle-right of the cover. And he’s got his own page inside the magazine where he’s briefly profiled and which features one of his recipes. All this great success comes as no surprise to me, of course. But it is just so awesome to look on the cover of such a prestigious glossy and see someone I “knew way back when.” (HA! Like he wasn’t already a genius when I rolled up in my newbie Danskos to devil quail eggs for him…)

Maybe one day, he’ll be checking out the cover of Kidlit Monthly (remind me to start publishing that…) and think “Wow, there’s that klutz who used to peel the asparagus all wrong.”

Congratulations Chef Kostow! Click here to read his page from the Food and Wine website.

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