Today we have one of the five agents from the Andrea Hurst Literary Agency. Vickie Motter started out as an intern after college, and made her way up to agenting soon after. Check out what she's looking for here.
Motter's blog, Navigating the Slushpile, is one you may want to add to your reader. I like her Wednesday posts, where she posts a review of a recently-read book. She puts a twist on it, by sharing why she might or might not be looking to represent similar books.
Here are a few posts that jumped out at me:
Motter answers questions on queries and partials, including what will bring an 'insta-no'.
When do you contact an agent who has your partial too long?
Did you know that agents really have three slushpiles? Find out which one your manuscript might land in.
Have you ever wondered what to do if you received 'the call' from an agent? Motter explains the protocol in I Got An Offer...Now What?
Here's something I've been thinking about lately. I often transfer submissions from my critique partners to my ereader (I happen to have a Kindle) so I can read them in odd moments. The unfortunate thing is the files often lose their indents, and sometimes run paragraphs together.
Agents often read partials and fulls on their ereaders, so it's in an author's best interest to make sure it appears the best way possible in an electronic format. Motter has a concise post explaining how to format a manuscript for an ereader. I'm going to give it a try.
Which of the slushpiles do you hope to be in?
Thanks for the links, especially the one involving how to format manuscripts for e-readers!
ReplyDeleteI just peeked at Motter's "insta-no" section and appreciate her candor. Isn't it always better in the long-run when someone speaks plainly to you and trusts you can handle the sting? I believe so, not that I haven't had to retreat and lick my wounds a time or two.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the helpful tip on e-readers and formatting variations from device to device. It's easy to take for granted that what we see on our screen will show up identically on someone else's.
Have an enjoyable week to come!
I agree, it's much easier to know someone's expectations. And I'm planning to play around with her formatting instructions. It should come in handy!
ReplyDelete~Debbie
Good luck in the Natalie Fischer contest!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jess! Did you enter any of them?
ReplyDelete~Debbie