Tag Archives: Kristin Nelson

Lit Agent Links – Skype, Hype, and Passing the Slush Pile

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Do you think the Norse god Odin, who takes advice from a severed head, rides an eight-legged horse, talks to ravens, sacrificed an eye and hanged himself in the pursuit of wisdom, would appreciate us referring to his day as “Hump Day”?!

Well, okay… the “Hump” refers to finally suffering through the worst trials of the workweek, and looking forward to the pleasures of the Day of Frigg (his wife), so maybe he would appreciate the symbolism. *shrug*

As Odin was the literary agent of Norse myth, let us away to this week’s literary agent links!

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Lit Agent Links – Silence, Rejections, and Unsold Titles

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Oh what a week!  As critics and pundits debate the merits of non-literary fiction (whatever that might be), agents and writers are debating the merits of agents shifting from a representative model of payment to a pay-per-service model.

It’s getting hot up in here!  But, let’s slip quietly out the back door of this tavern brawl and just read some literary agent links, okay?

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Lit Agent Links – Queries, Book Deals, and a Day in the Life

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First of all, let me do a favor for Jessica at BookEnds LLC, and literary agents everywhere, by reminding all of you prospective authors out there that a “novel” is a fictional narrative longer than 50,000 words.  There is no need to say “fiction novel” and no reason to say “non-fiction novel.”

And now, let’s go on to the links! Continue reading

Lit Agent Links – Fewer Literary Feuds and Fewer Vampires?

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First link of the day comes from Jessica at BookEnds.  Following up on a fantastic post by Nathan Bransford about the importance of keeping a “series bible” to keep track of the little details in your fictional world, Jessica explains the difference between a series bible and a style sheet, and why an author should seriously consider developing a style sheet before his or her work goes under the editor’s knife.

I am using that as my intro today because Jessica’s idea hadn’t even occurred to me, even though I do maintain a rough series bible for the Observer Tales.  (The releasable stuff, I rework into Observer’s Gloss entries.)  Now I have another project!

On to the rest of the links: Continue reading

Lit Agent Links – Bookshelves, eBooks, and Lots of Query Advice

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Okay, so I haven’t dropped a chain of literary agent links since April.   Throw something heavy and hard at me. (I can take it.)

But, seriously, moving across town without hiring a moving company takes a lot out of a guy, especially when most of what you own consists of boxes and  boxes of books.  Kindle is looking real nice right about now.

So let’s get to those links!

Dystel & Goderich doesn’t disappoint!  Look at what the folks there have served up lately:

Jessica at BookEnds dives into the thorny issue of getting published after being self-published, and answers questions about resubmitting a reworked query letter, the purpose of query letter guidelines, and morality clauses in YA/MG contracts.  She also warns us that confidence in a query can backfire.

At her Pub Rants blog, Kristin compares different POVs, explains why enhanced ebooks will cause havoc, and tells writers why highlighting your age in a query is not a good idea.

Nathan Bransford reminds us that every writer gets rejected.

Rachelle Gardner at Rants & Ramblings reveals the secrets of a great pitch.

Enjoy!

The Latest From My Fave Agent Blogs

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We are back around into the lit agent arc of my new link soup cycle.  (Those of you who missed the big three-way split … psht!  There’s an RSS button in the sidebar now.  No excuse!)

Have fun; and if you know of a fantastic lit agent writing a blog I’m missing, let me know!

Jessica at BookEnds tells us how to submit a partial, and how to find agents and publishers.  She also published an updated version of her publishing dictionary, which reminds me that I have to keep mine updated.

Jennifer Jackson responds to reader questions about queries that don’t follow her agency’s guidelines, Kristin Nelson rants about the agency commission model for ebooks, and Rachelle Gardner says, “Let’s Hear It For Old Fashioned Books!”

Finally, Lucienne Diver wraps up her Debut Week series of guest blogs (which I featured in my last writer link soup) with an agent’s perspective.

Enjoy!

Writing and Publishing Links … With Love

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a big ol’ heart-shaped sampler of writing and publishing links.  Okay, okay … you’re very creative, so imagine that it’s heart-shaped!   And delicious.

My loves, you can resume your diet on President’s Day.  For now, indulge yourselves!

Joe and Lydia Sharp at The Sharp Angle answer the question “How do you know when to start and end a scene/chapter?” while Jessica at BookEnds responds to a writer who asks why agents keep telling her that her books are not the genre she insists they are.

Over at Dystel & Goderich, the other (but equally awesome) Jessica asks her readers how much they allow bad reviews to affect their reading decisions, while D&G’s Lauren ponders the future of browseable, brick and mortar bookstores.

Janet Reid explains why the final say in your book’s title lies far beyond you, your agent, and your editor, and also pointed me toward a funny piece at the Editorial Anonymous blog about what editors can and cannot fix.

Jennifer Jackson passes on more two more “letters from the query wars” while Kristin Nelson discusses the submission reading cycles agents go through, and the end of advanced reading copies.

Nathan Bransford offered up his own link soup on Friday, including a hilarious list of awful book covers from the past.

Rachelle Gardner tells authors how to keep money in its place, asks authors whether agents should edit, and reveals what makes her say “yes” to a book: craft, story, and voice.

Editor Alan Rinzler explains how to blend backstory into your narrative, while the Editorial Ass offers query letter advice from an engineer.

And yes, blog reader, I do love you even if I don’t say except after you’ve already said it. :-/  You know how I am about expressing myself.

A Snowstorm of Publishing Links

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Not much to do this weekend, given the Snowpocalypse besieging the East Coast.  I certainly will attempt to “write my ass off” but otherwise I strive to pick up where I left off posting a few writing and publishing links now and then.

So, let me start with commentary by Lydia Sharp, which I took to heart, that writing & publishing bloggers have been discussing the Amazon v. MacMillan conflict far too much.  Hear, hear.  I (think I) am done.  And, if the links in this post seem a bit light, it’s because I’ve purposefully skipped over any possible links dealing with ebooks or their attendant rights and royalties.

Also on the subject of beginnings, agent Kristin Nelson provides some good advice on why prologues often do not work, and why action often does.

Author Kelly Morgan describes what happens when a book “clicks,” while author Jade Smith offers some advice on authenticity which I whole-heartedly endorse: Let your fictional world be itself.

Agent Nathan Bransford tells us why it’s a great time to be an author, while agent Rachelle Gardner outlines the Top Ten query mistakes, discusses book trailers, and invites guest blogger Sandra Bricker to explain how a writer finds his or her niche.

Jessica at BookEnds answers writers’ questions about novel series (a subject newly dear to my writers’ heart) and querying as a youthful writer (a subject long far from my interests) as well as addressing the professionalism displayed by readily accepting the need for revisions (on which I completely agree with her).

I would be remiss not to direct you to three entries (1, 2, 3!) in Jennifer Jackson‘s “Letters From The Query Wars,” or Alan Rinzler‘s tips from 3 top agents about how YA fiction is “red hot.”

Enjoy!

Writing and Publishing Round-Up

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Yes, there were other things going on this week in publishing beyond half the world calling the iPad a savior and the other half poo-pooing its ability to spark a revolution.

Lydia Sharp at The Sharp Angle navigates a middle course to calm the nerves of writers who fear ebook piracy in the wake of Apple’s iPad with some very instructive anecdotes about how free can sell.

The ever-prolific Jessica at BookEnds, LLC, serves up a triptych of good info on: backing up your data, interpreting long query response times, and how agents are weathering the recession.  BookEnds also hosts guest writer Becky Levine, who advises writers how to find a critique group that’s “right for you.”

In the realm of publishing-related graphics, Michael at Dystel & Goderich discusses the perils of book covers, while Janet Reid provides photographic evidence of the role Alces alces plays in certain writing guilds.

Kristin Nelson explains why “often the deciding factor [for sample pages] is not whether the writing is good or not but whether the voice fits an agent’s taste.”  And Jennifer Schuessler at the New York Times explains reader boredom, why we’re so hesitant to admit it, and how it can lead to ecstasy.  And, finally, Rachelle Gardner explains how to become an editor or agent

Let’s just say there’s a lot of explaining going on.

Sunday Brunch Publishing Links

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Okay, so most readers won’t stumble over these links until well after Sunday brunch, but they’ll still be great for a rainy Sunday afternoon (if you’re on the East Coast) or even a Monday off.  So, let’s dive right in…

There are 18 print-on-demand Espresso Book Machines worldwide, and 5 of them are in the Seattle area.  Seattle Times writer/artist Gabriel Campanario provides an look into the dynamics of print-on-demand.

Rachel Gardner discusses some WordServe analysis of how online publicity efforts effect sales, and pointed my way to The Most Interesting Bookstores In The World.  Nice.  She also discusses why authors still need agents.

And if Rachel can’t convince you that you still need an agent, the Wall Street Journal digs into the reasons that publisher slush piles of unsolicited manuscripts are becoming a thing of the past.  However, Brianna Goodspeed responds that this may not be true for everyone.

On the subject of agent slush piles, literary agent Janet Reid explains how slush still works, and what exactly slush means.

You know how good things come in threes?  Well, Jessica at BookEnds tackles three topics dear to an aspiring writer’s heart: querying, submitting manuscripts, and avoiding scamsKristin Nelson also serves up one, two, three excellent pieces on query letters.

Finally, a completely different Jessica at Dystel & Goderich points the way to a piece in A Public Space on Cairo’s up-and-coming writers, and a New Yorker article on Arabic novels in translationŠukran jazílan!