Agent Jamie Bodnar Drowley of Inklings Literary seeks adult, new adult and young adult fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, historical, contemporary, horror, light sci-fi and thrillers.
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Author Archives: Laine Cunningham
New Life in Newspapers
Before the collapse of printed newspapers, owners could expect a 30% profit margin from their businesses. Then came the e-revolution.
Times change, and even the revolution can generate good things. After flailing around a bit to try new things like e-publishing, newspapers have returned to print.
Shocking, I know. But it’s working. Now owners can expect about a 10% margin…still very, very good in terms of a business model. Many of the bigger papers that had gone out of print or to e-models are returning to print version.
This is great news for writers. Because hand-in-hand with the rebirth of newspapers is the idea that papers, above all other news forms, are reliable, consistent, and provide quality.
Check around your local area to see what opportunities might have sprung up out of the ashes. And good luck!
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Agent J.L. Stermer of N.S. Bienstock seeks YA and women’s fiction (no paranormal romance, sci-fi, or fantasy). She is intrigued by dark, edgy stories, as well as those with a wry sense of humor. Particularly interested in a coming-of-age story from a male point-of-view.
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Agent Danielle Smith of Foreward Literary seeks picture books, early readers and chapter books.
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Agent Kimiko Nakamura of Dee Mura seeks contemporary fiction, narrative nonfiction, women’s lit, young adult, fantasy, paranormal romance, mystery, satire, memoir, spirituality, and health.
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Agent Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch seeks young adult and middle grade, women’s fiction, romance, paranormal, and mysteries. She also considers nonfiction.
The Difference between Memoir and Autobiography
Here’s a question I get all the time: How do I know if I’ve written an autobiography or a memoir?
The answer is simple: An autobiography covers pretty much your entire life. A memoir covers a specific aspect of your life (like a lifelong battle with lukemia) or a specific time period (a marriage that fell apart and the triumph built out of the life post-divorce).
Most people nowadays are writing memoirs. A few who have led spectacular lives (yes, ordinary people can live spectacular lives) are writing autobiographies.
Be sure to categorize your work correctly when you approach agents and publishers. You’ll also want readers to know exactly what they’re getting if you self-publish. The answer is simple yet applying the knowledge is important for your pitch and your marketing efforts.
How to Enhance Suspense
Often I am asked how authors can generate more suspense in a novel. The answer is simple…although it seems counterintuitive.
The best way is to slow down. That is, slow the pace of events in the section where suspense is needed. Focus on the details of what the protagonist sees, hears, smells and touches. Describe the setting in ways that enhance the tension or ominous tone. Bring in details one by one, and give each detail room to breathe on the page.
Why does this work? Imagine a film. You don’t get to see the monster right off the bat. The protagonist walks down a dark alley and hears a bottle clanging across the sidewalk but can’t see through the darkness to what threat might wait ahead. Utilize the same darkness by drawing out details leading into the big confrontation, and you’ll enhance suspense in your writing.
How to Shop at a Bookstore
This is a link to a great essay about shopping at bookstores for those who still love and cherish printed books.
World Book Night Stats
Here are a few figures from the success of World Book Night, which was April 23.
- 32% sales increase on WBN titles excluding new releases.
130 million people reached through their marketing efforts, up from 35 million for the first year.
607,000 visitors to WBN’s Facebook page during the week of April 22.
Celebrate reading! It is alive and well!
Agent Info
Agent Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis seeks picture books, middle grade, YA and adult projects. Loves a romantic angle and quirky protagonists. Especially interested in contemporary, horror, thrillers/mysteries, steampunk, urban fantasy, high fantasy,
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Agent Kathleen Zakhar of Harold Ober Associates loves all things YA. She’s also actively seeking adult science fiction, fantasy of all kinds, historical fiction, and horror. She enjoys quirky middle grade tales and also accepts picture books. Kathleen especially loves sweeping love stories, magical realism, inventive world-building, repurposed folklore, dark comedy, and genre-bending novels.
Advice from Famous Writers
Check out this link to advice from famous writers.
The Power of Books
Here’s a link to a visual montage about the power of books.
When to Introduce Backstory
Backstory is a collection of details readers need to know about a character or a plotline in order to make sense of what’s happening. But backstory is also embedded behind the current timeline…it is part of a character’s history before the book opens or is a collection of events that occured that get the plot rolling. If you start by filling in readers with all this information, the opening section (roughly the first 80 to 100 pages) won’t capture interest.
When you’re writing the first draft, it’s fine to write all the backstory first. This is the way most people write because it puts things into a chronological order. It can make the writing process much easier. So don’t shy away from writing things in the order they happen.
The rewriting process for the second (and possibly other drafts) corrects this issue. Take all that backstory and pull it into a different file. Then find places in the plotline where chunks of this information can be dropped in. By interweaving the backstory with the current timeline, your novel will become more compelling. You’ll also find that the backstory takes on a deeper meaning when it is placed right beside the point at which readers need to know some historic fact.
Writer's Resource/Sunspot Lit 