Agent Friday: Barry Goldblatt

It's time for the annual, amazing Pikes Peak Writers Conference--one of the 10 best in the country (according to agent Donald Maass). This week I'm racing between volunteering for the conference, and pitching, too. Here's who I've been matched with for pitching. Hope my nerves can take it!

Barry Goldblatt began his career working for several large publishing companies in subsidiary rights. His dream was to work as an editor in science fiction, but along the way, he fell in love with children's books. In 2000, he opened his own literary agency, Barry Goldblatt Literary.


Though you may not write young adult, middle grade, or picture books, there is a lot you can learn from this publishing veteran. Consider this quote:


"Don't write because you want to be published, write because you have to. Not every writer is going to get published, and if that's the only measuring stick you have as a writer for success and satisfaction, you are going to be in for a world of disappointment." 


Most of Goldblatt's blog focuses on his clients' new books, but here are a few posts you won't want to miss:


The 4 things agents learn about your from your query, in Query This.


Goldblatt's take on an almost perfect day. I like this quote: "And another thing: all you writers out there, agented or unagented, struggling to find a home for that book you've slaved over, worried over, revised and refined...don't ever give up. Sometimes it just takes a little while."


An interesting fact: Goldblatt gathers all his authors for a yearly retreat. I've never heard of an agent doing this, but it sounds fascinating. 


Many writers dream not only of publication, but of getting their book optioned for film. Goldblatt, married to stellar author Libba Bray(who has one of the funniest author websites around), explains what film options really mean, and what authors can expect.


Find out more about Barry Goldblatt in his Writer's Digest interview, and this interview.


Thinking about Goldblatt's first quote, do you write because you have to?

Agent Friday: Carly Watters of P.S. Literary

It's about time for another Agent Friday post. Today's agent is Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency. Watters began her career in London, and now joins the Ontario-based P.S. Literary. She's actively building her list, so Watters is a great agent for writers to contact. Check out the list of what she's looking for.

Here's a sampling of some of the great posts on her blog:

5 easy tips to make your query stand out

Why agents take on less than 1% of all queries

How are you going to grab the reader's attention in the first five pages?

Digital Strategy: Do you have one?

On writing: How fast is too fast?

Writing high stakes tension: are you too close to your characters?

Video blog: How to write a query letter

Video blog: Introduction to foreign rights

On Characters: from inception to conclusion

There are many more posts on Watters blog, with topics ranging from author brand to submissions to social media. Do you know of more blogging agents I need to feature? Check out the 65 highlighted so far.

Agent Friday: Amanda Luedecke

I haven't done an Agent Friday post in a while, mostly because I ran out of blogging agents. I was looking into Amanda Luedecke, a new agent with MacGregor Literary, since she'll be attending the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference next week, and I found she does have quite a few articles online. 

Luedecke represents literary fiction, YA, romance, women’s fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, African American fiction, middle grade fiction, nonfiction, and Christian non-fiction/fiction.

Here's a sampling of some of her posts:

Does an MFA matter?  Should you spend the money and time?

10 marks of a new writer Are you guilty of any of these? 

How to format your manuscript for submission and Kindle upload

How to attract an agent with your YA project Four tips to remember.

For inspirational writers: Breaking into Christian YA and The Current Status of Christian YA

Social Media

Luedecke's surprising thoughts on authors using Twitter: who's doing well and who's missing the mark. Also check out How to Write a Great Tweet and Why Authors Should Be On Twitter.

GoodReads: How to promote your book on GoodReads and 5 steps to build book hype on GoodReads.

Marketing:

How to host a successful book giveaway

10 steps to growing a public speaking platform

Platform:

How big should a writer's platform be?

Growing a platform is like dominoes.

Success with writing articles to build your platform.

Blogging:

Blogging as a fiction author

7 Ways to Grow Your Blog Readership

5 Rules of Blogging Well

And here's an interview on Chiseled in Rock, where Luedecke talks about the trends she's seeing in publishing, and what may be the next big thing.

How important is social media in your writing life?

Agent Friday: Peter Cox

Picture by John Buckman

Today we have a UK-based literary agent. Peter Cox is the founder of Redhammer LLC. He is also the published author of twenty books, and a former advertising executive.

Cox has written numerous articles on publishing, and writes a column for the trade publication, The Bookseller. Here are links to some of his articles:

In the new world of publishing, some agents are getting into the business of becoming publishers themselves. Cox weighs in on why your agent should not be your publisher. And he shares why he encourages other publishing professionals not to become literary agents. He also gives his own analysis of where the publishing industry might be heading.

On marketing: Cox lists ways that bookstores can increase sales, and the difficulties that publicists face. He shows how marketers who build a tribe have the most success.

Redhammer supports several sites for writers. One is Litopia, billed as the internet's oldest community for writers. It's free to join.

The other site is Radio Litopia, a site featuring free podcasts on a variety of topics for writers. You'll find all kinds of interesting topics to listen to on your computer, or to download to listen later.

Check out more Agent Friday posts here.

Agent Friday: Andrew Zack

Andrew Zack is the president and founder of The Zack Company, Inc. Zack has been a literary agent since 1993, and has an extensive background in publishing and bookstore management. He is primarily looking for non-fiction (see his extensive list of topics), but also takes fiction.

Zack has been blogging for several years at All Thats New(s) From A to Z. He is definitely interested in author rights, and is a former chairperson of the Association of Author Representatives Royalty Committee, working to keep things fair for authors.

Here's a sampling of his posts:

On queries: Zack provides links to several excellent articles on effective query letters.

On ebooks: Zack's Huffington Post article discusses the 'beginning of the end' of traditional books.

On formatting: How to format your electronic submission so agents and editors can read it easily on their ereaders.

On requests: Believe it or not, some authors who have gotten requests from agents don't actually send the chapters. Zack talks about why this happens.

On self-publishing: An interesting analysis of the quality of indie books. See if you agree with Zack.

On royalties: Zack details ebook royalty rates, and what you need to know.

If you queried an agent and he requested chapters, would you be prepared to hit 'send' right away? Why or why not?

Agent Friday: Jenny Bent

Jenny Bent is the founder of The Bent Agency, and has been in the business for 15 years. She blogs over at Bent on Books, and is fabulous not only for being a fantastic agent, but she lives in Brooklyn, where I grew up.

Here's a quote from Bent: “This sounds trite, but you cannot give up and you cannot stop believing in yourself. So many incredibly successful writers spent years and years trying to break into this business and you should take inspiration from how hard they worked and how they never stopped trying. That, and brush up on online promotion—increasingly it is essential for publishing success, both for published and unpublished authors.”

Jenny Bent has lots of great posts on her blog, including a series from her clients on how they got an agent. Here are some highlights:

Sometimes a little stalking is a good thing: how getting to know an agent can increase your query chances.

"Overnight Success": the agent story of Bent's client Lori Roy, who didn't write a good query letter. She shares the timeline of querying through publication.

How I got the right agent. At last. In spite of everything. The agent story of Ellen Bache.

On agent regrets: how agents feel about passing on particular manuscripts.

Think of me as a conduit, not a gatekeeper: Bent has a refreshing view of how important agents and editors are in the publishing process.

How writers disqualify themselves with their query letters: one of Bent's interns shares what she's learned reading piles of slush.

How I sold three 'first' novels in three different genres: Bent's client Jennifer Archer broke the 'rules' of writing different genres, and shares how it worked out.

Social media: Bent showcases her authors who do a great job with social media.

Even nepotism isn't enough: Wish you had a niece who was a literary agent? Read the story of Bent's aunt, Marta McDowell, and how she fought for representation.

There are lots more Agent Friday posts to check out. Don't miss them. And today is the last day of the Muse Online Writing Confrerence!

Agent Friday: Louise Fury

It's always interesting to hear how a literary agent got into the business, but Louise Fury's story is more fascinating than most. Now with the L. Perkins Agency, Fury initially researched queries and agencies for her husband, who planned to write a book. With a marketing background, she successfully helped him navigate a quick path to representation, and soon found herself with a new career. 

Fury represents both fiction and non-fiction, for adults, young adults, and middle grade. She particularly enjoys sci-fi, horror, and romance. Having been born in Cape Town, one of her passions is connecting with South African authors (and I know there are some who read this blog!).

Fury blogs at Louise Fury (I like how she mentions that a personalized rejection is not an invitation to resubmit your work). Here are some posts and interviews to find out more about this writer/agent.

Fury's list of query don'ts. Whether you're thinking of attaching a photo to your query, or wondering how long your book description should go, check out this post.

With so many bad book trailers out there, it's nice to see which ones an agent thinks are worthwhile. Take a look at Fury's favorites.

An interview by Writer's Digest's Chuck Sambuchino.

And another interview by the Romance Writers of America New York City chapter.

There are dozens more agents to check out from past Agent Friday posts.

Agent Friday: Meredith Barnes

Meredith Barnes works as an associate agent at Lowenstein Associates. She's interested in both non-fiction and fiction, and has a particular affinity for "blog-to-book" projects. Barnes also handles digital strategy and subsidiary rights.

Barnes blogs at La Vie en Prose. I browsed through her archives to share a sampling of her posts.

On self-publishing: Barnes discusses when to self-publish (and what to try first), the stigma of self-publishing, how many copies of your book you should try to sell in order to make an impression on publishers, and patience in the query process before you decide to self-publish.

On Online Author Marketing: Marketing when you don't even have an agent yet, what authors need to do, how to work on your platform once you're agented,

On Platform: Barnes describes a non-fiction platform, and an anatomy of a fiction platform.

On marketing in general: the importance of the book cover (you might also be interested in yesterday's post on covers), all about literary agencies with their own publishing divisions, and an excellent post on packaging and positioning your book.

There are lots more Agent Friday posts here.

Agent Friday: Sarah LaPolla

Sarah LaPolla is an associate agent with Curtis Brown, Ltd. She has been there since 2008, and represents both adult and YA fiction and non-fiction. She writes her own YA fiction when she gets the chance.

LaPolla blogs at Big Glass Cases, and has posted some really wonderful and helpful articles for aspiring writers. But beyond that, she also posts short fiction from her blog readers. Check out her site to see how you can be published on her blog.

Here are several of her blog posts that inspired me:

How to Get an MFA in Five Steps: LaPolla comments on the free MFA book (check it out here) offered on Amazon, and gives her own take on giving yourself an education in creative writing.

Things You Didn't Do: A list of items an enthusiastic queryer may have forgotten.

What the Fudge?: A thoughtful post on using strong language in fiction. When it works, and when it's distracting.

Do Endings Matter?: LaPolla examines the differences between satisfying and unsatisfying endings.

What I talk about when I talk about Revisions: The three things that most need work in a manuscript.

Triangles of Love: The ins and outs of love triangles in fiction.

The Beta and the Omega: If you're in the market for beta readers, you must read this post. LaPolla lists who your beta readers should not be.

My Inevitable Prologue Post: LaPolla doesn't care for prologues. Here, she explains why. See if your prologue should stay or go.

I've learned so much from spending a little time reading LaPolla's posts. I'll definitely be checking out more of her archives! What resonated with you?

Agent Friday: Weronika Janczuk

Weronika Janczuk (pronounced: Veronica Janchuck) is an agent with Lynn C. Franklin Associates. Not only is she a literary agent, but she's also a writer, student, and the editor of two literary magazines. 

I have no idea how she makes the time to blog, but she maintains Lightening + Lightning Bugs. The name comes from my favorite Mark Twain quote: "The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter-- it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."
-- Mark Twain 

I discovered Janczuk through WriteOnCon, and found she had such good insights, I wanted to see what else she had to say.

From WriteOnCon 2011: On Compactness. What is compact writing? Janczuk gives multiple examples to explain the concept.

From WriteOnCon 2010: Plot and Pacing Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

And from her blog:

Writing About Terrible Things: Janczuk shares her take on a workshop at a recent conference.

On Online Platform + Web Presence

On Agencies Aiding With Self-Publication

Agency Publishing and Conflicts of Interest

On Listening to Your Gut + Having Expectations

Janczuk represents both adult and YA fiction and non-fiction. Find out more about what she's looking for on her query page. She seems to be pretty speedy on the query replies.

Need more Agent Friday? Click here.

Agent Friday: Lauren Ruth

Lauren Ruth is a full-time literary assistant at Bookends LLC. She maintains a wonderful blog, called Slush Pile Tales, where she analyzes query letters for what the authors did right, and what turned her off. Reading her comments will make your query letters stronger.

I like how Ruth gives readers an opportunity for feedback on many of the query letters. She often ends the post with a one-question survey, so readers can share their own opinion. These query critiques are called Query Dice, and often answer questions writers have about what to include in query letters:

Query Dice 1: What if there are too many things happening in the beginning of the novel? What if the novel is too short?

Query Dice 2: What will an agent think if you leave out the salutation? Will typos earn a form rejection immediately? She also shares the need to include strong conflict in the query.

Query Dice 3: How writing credentials can make up for a less-than-stellar query.

Query Dice 4: What is the best salutation for a query? This query shows how small prepositions used closely together can make your writing look weak.

Query Dice 5: Is it ok to begin a query with a question? If it's a children's book, how specific should you be with the age-range of the reader?

Query Dice 6: Should you use ellipses or em dashes in a query? Is it ok to describe your novel by naming similar published books?

Other interesting posts: 

 If You Build It They Will Come: finding your voice

State of the Inbox Address: It's interesting to see what can be learned from an agent's statistics.

One Author's Journey: One of Ruth's clients shares her path to publication through self-publishing.

Have you written a query letter? How do you think it would fare under Ruth's scrutiny?

Agent Friday: The Rejecter

Today's agent isn't really an agent, but an agent's assistant. And I don't know if the Rejecter is a man or woman, or their name. But this anonymous assistant is invaluable in helping navigate the do's and don'ts of querying, because it's a whole lot easier to be honest when no one knows who you are.

However, I can see from the posts that The Rejecter is a published fiction author. So, since I can't give you a bio and an agency website, we'll get straight to the posts that caught my eye.

The Rejecter answers questions like:

How can I decipher an agent's rejection letter?

Would an agent reject my full manuscript just because they don't like the ending?

Is it ok to put my writing online? Will a publisher have a problem with that?

I have self-published a book. Should I mention it in a query letter?

Should I mention my manuscript is the first in a trilogy?

How much can I expect to make as an author?

How do authors make money on foreign rights?

I'm thinking about pursuing a creative writing degree. Will it help me get published sooner?

For more Agent Friday posts, click here.

Agent Friday: Quivering Through Queries? Lift your spirits with SlushPile Hell

You're probably in one of two camps: you're either preparing to query, or you're biting your fingernails waiting for responses (of course, if you're going the self-pub route, you can skip past all the angst). If you're in the anticipation phase or the waiting phase, you can really use something to take your mind off your worries.

Enter SlushPile Hell.

Written by a self-described (anonymous) "grumpy literary agent", SlushPile Hell posts snippets of the query letters you don't want to write. Think of the site as an education in what not to do.

This tongue-in-cheek blog has snippets of actual queries, with the agent's comments to the author. Don't worry, everything is anonymous, and the agent promises not to mock book concepts, plots, or actual writing. And it will probably make you laugh.

What can a writer learn from the mistakes of others?

Do your agent homework. Study the agent's website. Be aware of the agent's gender. Take note of the agent's preferred genres and submission guidelines. Personalize the query to the agent you're targeting. Do these tips seem obvious? That's because you're paying attention. Sadly, many writer's are not.

Don't only rely on spell-check. It's amazing that queries are sent with spelling errors, typos, and wonky grammar. Yes, querying can be stressful, but don't let your state of mind prevent you from running your query letter past your critique group. Don't have one? Check out these writers groups. Most have a forum encouraging writers to post their query letters for comments.

Don't overestimate yourself. Writers ought to have confidence in their work. After all, we do have to promote ourselves to a great extent. But watch the level of boasting in a critique letter. Telling an agent you're the next J.K. Rowling can sound pompous. Let your writing speak for itself.

Which SlushPile Hell entry made you laugh the most?

Agent Friday: Vickie Motter

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?

Agent Friday: Dawn Frederick with Red Sofa Literary

We're back with Agent Friday posts again. If you've missed some past agent highlights, click here to catch up. 

Today we have Dawn Frederick of Red Sofa Literary. Along with her interns Gwen Fitzgerald and Jennie Goloboy, she's looking mainly for non-fiction, but also fiction for YA and middle grades. Check out the details of what she's looking for.

The Minnesota-based agent maintains an informative blog, with a series of interviews on a regular basis. Here are some other posts you might enjoy.

We've all seen the many books-turned-blog Cinderella stories. Could your idea bring the same success?  Frederick examines the issue in Is your idea 'blog worthy' or 'book ready'?

Frederick has some great posts on querying:

Your query submission checklist.

What not to do during the query process.

What to do with rejection: some stories of making lemonade from lemons.

If you're thinking about a writing conference: preparing for the conference, and what to do after the conference.

On Marketing:

Branding yourself and building a platform.

Helpful links on planning a Book Blog Tour.

And, in this interesting post introducing her interns, Frederick asks them how their opinion of the publishing industry has changed now that they're more familiar with the business. Interesting and hopeful answers.

Do you think there's still hope for traditional publishing?

How long do you see it lasting?

Agent Friday: Hartline Literary Agency

 Why is Hartline Literary Agency called "the agency with heart"? Why do they have an amazing blog? Why did they just hit the Writer's Digest Top 100 Sites for Writers? Because they care, and it shows.

The four agents that make up Hartline Literary Agency are hardworking individuals. Joyce Hart is the founder, and she makes up a team along with Tamela Hancock Murray, Terry Burns, and Diana Flegal.

I met Terry Burns at a writing conference several years ago, and was impressed by his easy-going friendliness (and his ever-present cowboy hat!). It's interesting to note that Burns is listed as a top agent who helps debut authors to publish, and he's an author himself, with almost 40 books published.

The team of agents take turns blogging on From the Heart. Here are a few posts to let you see what you'll find: 

Everyone is talking about self-publishing these days. Are you a good candidate for the do-it-yourself route? Find out in Which Authors Should Self-publish?

The other hot button topic is ebooks, and how cheap it is to publish them without a traditional publisher's overhead. Think again. There are many expenses to consider, even for "just" an ebook. We Can Publish Ebooks for Free? will help you navigate the areas you'll be paying for out of pocket.

Another sizzling subject is social networking. One of Hartline's clients tackles the issue, giving guidance for sites like Facebook and Twitter. The Twitter links are invaluable. Check them out on The Value of Social Networking.

Interested in an agents numbers? How many submissions do they read, and what percentage of those end up as clients? While these statistics will differ from agent to agent, it gives writers a glimpse into the odds they're working with. Read all about it in A Numbers Guy.

And this one caught my eye, since I'll be attending a writer's conference next week (the Pikes Peak Writers Conference if you're interested in a fantastic one--this will be my third year). This post, written by a Hartline client, details three reasons why you need to go to a writer's conference.

If you're looking for more in the Agent Friday series, there's lots to check out. This happens to be the fiftieth post in the series.

I'm pretty tired here in Colorado. I managed 3000 words today, and I'll be doing at least that for the next six days. My eyes are at half mast. Any writing goals for you this weekend?

Agent Friday: Laura Rennert

I love agents who blog. But not all of them have the time. Some of them are busy agents who are also authors. Like Laura Rennert.

A senior agent, at the prestigious Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Rennert considers herself a "literary omnivore", taking on projects from picture books to adult fiction and non-fiction. She's been with the agency since 1998, and her experience includes a Ph.D. in English Literature, along with nearly a decade of experience teaching as a faculty member in several English departments.

Her own books so far are picture books. The first, Buying, Training, and Caring for Your Dinosaur, was illustrated by Marc Brown, creator of the Arthur books and PBS TV series. The next to appear will be Emma, the Extraordinary Princess, coming in 2012.

While Rennert obviously has little time to blog, her author website has links to articles and interviews that share a lot of helpful information for writers. Check them out.

Rennert includes two fascinating lists on her website. One is a checklist for picture book authors. Picture books are far more difficult to write than they seem. The list Rennert provides tips on word count, word choice, and how to get the story going. She also has a .pdf article for picture book writers: Big Deals for Little Books.

The other list is advice for fiction writers. Rennert's tips cover fiction of all types. I particularly like this point: "External pressures leading to internal ones inherently make for a fascinating read."

Rennert also compiled a great list of do's and don'ts for how to find an agent. It includes some great links to other writers' websites.

On the CBI Clubhouse, Rennert has a podcast (which can be downloaded as a .pdf file) on What Writers Need to Know to Succeed.

Interviews with agents are a great way to find out more about what they're looking for and advice they share. Here are three of Rennert's interviews:

A View From the Top

Cynsations

GalleyCat

Check out the rest of the Agent Friday posts. Forty-nine and counting.

Agent Friday: Steve Laube

Some agent blogs are little more than an interesting bulletin board of client's books. Not Steve Laube. Laube has been involved in publishing since the late eighties. He's been involved in bookstores, worked as an editor, and has been a literary agent since 2003. He's won numerous awards, including Editor of the Year, and Agent of the Year.

Laube has his own agency--The Steve Laube Agency. He represents both fiction and non-fiction, primarily in the inspirational category.

After three decades in the business, Laube could let new writers find their own way. But the busy agent generously spends time on his blog sharing his experience. Here's a sampling.

If the prospect of rejection seems daunting, check out Even the Best Get Rejected. You'll be surprised at which authors are on the list.

My favorite thing about Laube's blog is the way he explains the inner workings of the publishing industry in a way that's easy to understand. Ever wondered Who Decides to Publish Your Book? There are quite a few people involved. Another interesting post is Six Questions for an Agent.

With conferences on the horizon, writers all over are preparing to pitch to agents. Laube helps with the preparation with That Conference Appointment, tips on surviving a ten-minute face-to-face. And The Ultimate Sound-Bite is a great post on distilling your book into a one-sentence summary.

Writers gearing up to work on a query letter will really appreciate Laube's four-step guide in his hints for a great cover letter. And one of the most helpful and unique posts, Writer Beware, lists five important ways writers can protect themselves as they pursue the writing business.

Though I can't highlight all the great posts, here are two more. The first is Ten Commandments for Working With Your Agent, a light-hearted but true list. And the second one is just for fun: a list of creative texting shortcuts for writers, found in New Author Acronyms.

Laube also has links to quite a few resources on his site as well. Check it out. And if you'd like to see the rest of the agents highlighted so far, click right here.

 For this last day of spring break, I'm still writing steadily. Out of nearly 50 weekly Agent Friday posts, this is the one that still gets the most hits.

Our blogging agent of the week is Betsy Lerner of the Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Agency, which happens to be the agency that represents Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. Lerner spent sixteen years working as an editor before moving into agenting, and from what I've read about her, she was legendary as an editor.

Thankfully, Betsy Lerner passes on a huge amount of information through her blog, and in her book The Forest for the Trees. In the book, Lerner shares the perspective of editors in the publication process, and gives tips on making your queries and submissions stronger.

She also offers advice on handling rejection, dealing with ediors, and what to do if you experience writer's block. The book was published ten years ago, but Lerner is working on revising the information for the current world of publishing, and the new version will be released in fall 2010.

Lerner's blog is a humorous peek into the life of a literary agent, with its associated victories and travails. Her irreverent blog sometimes reads like a memoir, but because of that, it's fascinating. A selection of blog posts I like:

The ups and downs of publishing.

What happens when an author really revises.

Lerner's own query letter for a new project.

The importance of a good title.

Links:

The website of the Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Agency.

Lerner's other book, Food and Loathing: A Life Measured Out in Calories.

Any ideas why Lerner is so popular?

Agent Friday: Laurie McLean

 For the second week, we have an agent with publicity and marketing experience. Laurie McLean ran a public relations company for twenty years, before she became an agent with the Larsen Pomada Literary Agency. And with the digital publishing revolution, she decided to begin a company specializing in digital marketing consulting called Agent Savant Inc.

As an agent, McLean specializes in genre fiction, which includes romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, westerns, mystery, suspense, and thrillers. She also represents children's middle grade and young adult books. Because she is an author herself, she understands the ups and downs of the writing life.

McLean maintains a blog called Agent Savant. I've found a number of posts that will interest writers of many genres--including those considering the self-publishing route.

Are you confused about the term "genre fiction"? McLean comes to the rescue. Her post on genre fiction will explain whether this is what you write--or not.

If you're planning to ride the ebook wave, McLean, a publicity professional has some advice for you. You need to have what she calls a Digital Marketing Plan. No one is going to tout your book besides you (at the start), and you'll want to take note of her four important steps for digital marketing.

Another post on the topic is The Ebook Unbound. An excellent education on the changes happening as we speak.

I love her post, 15 Things Kurt Vonnegut Said Better Than Anyone. The translations of his words are though-provoking.

If you're writing supernatural fantasy, you won't want to miss this post that gives a great definition of the genre.

And the Larsen Pomada agency has a wonderful list of amazing resources for writers. Check it out.

Want more Agent Friday? Click here.