wild ink

It is our choices . . . that show what we
truly are, far more than our abilities.

Writing is to publishing as cooking in your own kitchen is to running a busy downtown restaurant, as singing in the shower is to performing in a stadium, as a small beloved pet is to a great big zoo.

Some writers are content to write purely for the sake of getting the story down. Publishing doesn’t interest them. My grandmother was that way. She wrote wonderful stories for her children and grandchildren without a thought of offering them for publication. If you’re like her, you’ll miss all the entanglements of the business side of things. That’s perfectly okay. You might be happier, too. But most of us want to be published and get our books out there, so this chapter outlines the process of submitting your manuscript.

Editors at publishing companies are deluged with submissions. Consequently, large publishing houses have chosen to cut off access to writers who are not already represented by an agent. Thus, if you want an editor at a large publishing house to consider your book for publication, the next step after finishing your manuscript is to find a literary agent.

The difference between literary agents and editors is that literary agents represent authors, and editors represent publishing houses. Editors acquire manuscripts. Agents represent manuscripts. Literary agents sell manuscripts to publishers on your behalf. They know how to negotiate for you, because they’re experienced with elements of the market you may not understand, elements such as royalty advances, foreign rights, audio and screen rights, and contracts.

Your agent is invested in you. Agents are paid a fixed percentage of an author’s earnings (between 15% and 25%). An ideal agent believes in your work, is well connected in the industry, has a good idea of where your book would find a market, understands contracts and clauses, and manages time effectively. Such a person is invaluable to your career.

An agent is not required, but an agent makes the whole process easier for many reasons. Agents know the market. They know what is realistic. They’re highly trained professionals, and they’re in your corner.

Sometimes, though, authors meet an acquisitions editor of a publishing company, form a direct connection, and sign a contract without agent representation. If a publisher allows you to represent yourself, you’ll just need to understand contracts or involve an attorney.

So how do you approach an agent or editor you hope will take an interest in your book?

Write the best book you can write. This might sound like a “duh” piece of advice, but it’s first for a reason. You’ll be up against hundreds, if not thousands, of other submissions in the course of a single month. You’ve got to write something that stands out.

Agents and editors lament the volume of submissions they receive that are riddled with grammatical errors and typos, not to mention poor plotting, weak characterization, dull dialogue, lackluster setting, ambiguous point of view, jumbled style, and incoherent voice. If your book has an obvious problem in the first chapter, no one is going to read far enough to find out your second chapter is fabulous. The majority of manuscripts are rejected based on the first page. True!

Agents’ and editors’ days are jam-packed with responsibilities and obligations that have nothing to do with sitting leisurely in a chair reading manuscripts. You’ve got to hook them with the first page—and the second, third, 12th, and last.

Write a log line. In case you haven’t come across the term “log line,” (a.k.a. tag line), it’s a sentence or two that sums up your story in an enticing way. For example, here’s a log line from aspiring YA novelist Rebecca J. Rowley’s book My Way Home: “Fifteen and pregnant, Reagan Stiles longs to find support and acceptance from her estranged older sister before her water breaks.” My log line for The Seer and the Sword is, “A prince born to peace and privilege loses his father, his kingdom, his sword, and his freedom. How does he rise to become the greatest warrior of his time?” The log line for Seize the Story is “a writing guide for teens that reads like a novel while delivering elements of fiction such as setting, characterization, dialogue, plot, and point of view.”

A good log line will have an “ooh” factor. When you say it out loud to friends, they will nod and smile and say “Ooh.” A lousy logline will make people blink slowly or even cringe.

Writing a pithy log line can be challenging—but take the challenge. You’ll be glad you did. Then, when someone asks what your book is about, instead of staring blankly ahead with nothing but “uh” on your tongue, or launching into a rambling chapter-by-chapter description, you can bring out your log line.

Be ready to make a verbal pitch. A verbal pitch amounts to an in-person query. In a brief speech, you tell an agent or editor about your book.

Verbal pitches often take place by appointment at writers’ conferences. (Occasionally they happen more spontaneously—during mixers or dinner conversations.) A scheduled pitch will typically allow writers between 5 and 15 minutes with an editor or agent. One to 5 minutes are allocated to make the pitch itself, with the rest of the time assigned for feedback and conversation.

I’ve seen writers get sick over verbal pitches: sweaty palms, trembling voice, and overwhelming nausea. No wonder. How do you sum up your whole book in a couple of sentences without sounding rehearsed and wooden?

A tall order, for sure. It’s natural to be nervous. But verbal pitches are definitely worth doing. If you impress an agent or editor with your personality and story ideas, you’ve transformed yourself from a complete unknown to a person of positive interest.

To maximize your chances, prepare a good log line, and then relax. Be friendly and professional. The agent or editor is there because he or she is looking for great manuscripts—and you’re there because you have a wonderful story to offer. A perfect match.

During your verbal pitch, you may be asked about something known as your “platform.” This is not about shoes with mighty big heels. It’s not about your political stance. The agent or editor you’re speaking with wants to know how/if your background and previous writing experience will give you credibility and help market your book.

For example, when I pitched Wild Ink, I mentioned that I’d led well-attended writers’ conference workshops on how to write YA, and that I’d read a lot of YA books authored by people who might (and did!) contribute interviews for my proposed book. Also, I’d hosted a radio program about writing called The Page Turner. Finally, I was published internationally with many awards and honors to my name. That was my platform for Wild Ink.

Laura Resau’s books, including What the Moon Saw, Red Glass, and The Indigo Notebook, feature modern American teens visiting South America. Resau is a bilingual anthropologist. She spent 2 years in the mountainous Mixtec region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Her education and travels lend credibility to her stories—an example of a platform for fiction.

Admittedly, it’s easier to build a platform for nonfiction than for fiction—and when The Seer and the Sword was first written, I had no platform to speak of. I’d never entered a fiction contest, never attended a writers’ conference, and didn’t know diddly. So if you’re in a similar boat, don’t worry too much. A book can still float simply because it does.

Learn how to write a synopsis. With any submission of a novel, you are going to need a synopsis. A synopsis is a summary of your book, telling all of the main points about what happens, from beginning to end. Written in present tense, the synopsis cannot include any dialogue.

Why do you need a synopsis? Because literary agents and editors will ask for one. They like to look at a synopsis to see if your story hangs together.

Many writers, myself included, find it harder to write a synopsis than an entire novel. It isn’t easy to condense all of the nuance and craft you’ve put into your book into a brief story in present tense. It’s tricky to get the feeling of the book into a page or two—and conveying the feeling is a big part of your job. I recommend Pam McCutcheon’s book Writing the Fiction Synopsis. McCutcheon clearly presents all the information you’ll need to write your own synopsis.

Study how to write query letters. Every submission you make, whether by e-mail or hard copy, requires a query letter. A query is your formal introduction to yourself and your work. Queries are deceptively difficult to write because you have to figure out how to say, “I’ve written a book. Would you like to read it?” in a fresh, enticing style. You have to blow your horn without sounding like you’re blowing your horn. You must be pithy without being curt. Yeesh!

Writers who violate certain standards for query letters will be rejected on the basis of the query letter alone. The most common complaint I’ve heard from agents and editors? Query letters are too long. They want to be able to eyeball the entire letter and see only three or four short paragraphs. The whole thing should be no more than a standard 8 1/2" x 11" page when printed out.

Format for a Query

1. Establish a connection with the person you’re writing—either by reminding him or her of when and how you met, or by giving a simple, brief explanation of why you’ve chosen that particular agency or editor. Do not exceed two sentences for this, and double check the spelling on the person’s name.

2. In one paragraph, make your pitch about your book. Use your log line. If you’re pitching a novel, bring in the voice of that novel to give a short glimpse of what the story is about and who’s involved. If you’re pitching a nonfiction book, give persuasive, short bullets about your topic and its relevance to the YA market. This section of your query will be no more than one paragraph or a few sentences long, including information about word count and genre.

3. List your writing credits—publications, awards and honors, and contests won—unless they’re obscure or outdated. (Do not launch into an impassioned autobiography about how much writing means to you. Do not say how much your mother loves your book. This is unprofessional.) Also briefly list anything relevant to your general pitch. If you don’t have any writing credits, stick to info about yourself that supports your platform. Again, this should be as concise as you can possibly make it.

4. Close with appreciation. Attach your synopsis and any sample chapters that have been requested. After your signature, clearly show your contact information.

Research submission guidelines. Literary agencies and small publishers have websites listing exactly how they want to be approached, but many writers fail to study submission guidelines and therefore take themselves out of the running.

The first thing to look for is whether the agency or publishing company deals with YA titles. If so, search more deeply to determine which subgenres are included and whether your book qualifies. Carefully read submission guidelines and then follow them—to the letter! If an agent or editor requests a single-page synopsis, don’t fudge it and send 5 pages. If only two sample chapters are allowed, don’t send more. If a marketing analysis is required, don’t skip that part. And if e-mail queries are not welcome, print out your query letter and send it by snail mail. Do not assume all agencies or companies will be the same; whatever the agency or company asks for is what you should send.

The ultimate resource on submitting your work is Writer’s Market, edited by Robert Lee Brewer. It defines format requirements and markets, listing where and in what form writers can sell their work. By giving the most current information available, Writer’s Market spares writers a lot of tedious research. The whole thing is available in book form or via a digital subscription (http://www.writersmarket.com) that gives access to updates. (Updates become necessary because editors and agents change houses, submission guidelines shift, and publishers may go out of business or new ones may arise.) Writer’s Market is divided into sections: literary agents, book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, contests, and awards. Agents are listed with their contact info and submission guidelines. Publishers appear alphabetically with information on the genres accepted by each press and tips on what the editors are looking for.

In your quest for an agent, you might want to pick up Guide to Literary Agents, edited by Chuck Sabuchino, which lists agencies, the genres they represent, style preferences, and submission guidelines or how to obtain them. Other ways to find good agents include looking on the acknowledgments page of books by writers you admire to see if they have mentioned their agent. (Please do not e-mail writers and ask for contact information for their agents. This is inappropriate and will not win you friends.) You can also search the Internet, go to writers’ conferences, and hear about good agents via word of mouth.

Remember that agents and editors are not obligated to respond. When you approach an agent or editor who hasn’t asked you to submit a query, you’re in a category known as unsolicited submissions. Some agencies and many publishing companies do not accept unsolicited material at all. Doing your homework will help you make good use of your valuable time.

Expect a long wait. Agents and editors are overwhelmed with submissions. Depending on the agency or publishing company, expect to wait 3–12 months for an answer to your query. If you receive a positive response, you’re ready for the next hurdle: If your book is a novel, you get to send the entire thing, either as an attached file or as hard copy, depending on what is preferred. After that, expect to wait another 2–6 months before you hear back from the agent about whether he or she will represent you, or from the editor about whether he or she will accept your book. (If your proposal is for nonfiction, you will go through negotiations about your outline.) Please don’t call about your submission unless 6 months have gone by. Then you can make one phone call or send one polite e-mail asking about the status.

Consider submitting to more than one agent or editor at a time. If published authors are rejected an average of 10 times before being accepted and it takes up to a year to get a reply, the math is pretty obvious. Ten years is too long to wait for a “yes.” Simultaneous submissions may be the way to go, but at the same time, be smart. Research individual agents and editors, and then craft your queries to reflect their individuality. Don’t write a form letter query and blanket everyone you can find. A generic letter is easy to spot. It will tell the recipient you haven’t done your homework. This is important.

Always be clear with those to whom you submit material. When your submission is multiple, make a note of it in your query. (Occasionally, agencies or publishers will ask for exclusive submissions. It’s your choice whether to agree to this. There should be some trade-off for you such as an agreement to get back to you more quickly than normal, say within 3 months.)

If, after sending out several carefully researched query packages, you end up with more than one agent who wants to represent you, or more than one publisher asking for a contract, you have a hot property. How do you decide which one to choose? That’s a problem you want to have!

Be prepared: Your manuscript will be assessed for commercial value. If marketing were not the last word in publishing, how different the world would be. Lack of marketability automatically excludes some wonderful books. But publishing is a business, and the object of the game is to make money.

The publishing industry is in the midst of change as it continues to adjust to the implications of the Internet and other e-technology. For a long time, books, newspapers, and magazines were the province of the printed word. Now the Internet is a vast storehouse of information, offering fierce—and free—competition for the publishing industry.

Publishers are not designed to be lending institutions for artistic endeavors, and the days when large houses published books solely upon literary merit without a marketing angle are fading fast. Publishers are now forced, by the nature of the game they’re in, to gamble heavily on books, losing money on roughly 7 out of 10, breaking even on about 2 out of 10, and making money on only 10% of the works they publish.

Another way to look at it: If you belong to a writing group or class where you’ve had the opportunity to read unpublished writing, or if you’ve read fan fiction online, you know that some of it is well done. But would you pay for it? If the answer is yes, take it one step further and ask yourself if you’d invest money to print and market the work in hopes of getting a return. That’s the question publishing houses must answer every day. Agents who decide to represent you must be convinced they can sell your work. They must be able to confidently ask a publishing house to gamble—on you!

Another factor is commercial viability (or lack thereof): An agent or editor may have recently signed an author who offered a project similar to yours. This is where luck enters the picture. Let’s say you’ve submitted a brilliant book about triplets who explore string theory together once they’ve discovered their unusual genes give them the ability to slip in and out of other dimensions. But the agent has just worked hard to sell another series about twins who double for each other while slipping in and out of alternate realities. Though not exactly the same, the books are too similar to find a market with the same agent or publisher.

This really does happen. All of the time. It’s the luck of the draw, baby! But if you get a short note saying an agent liked your writing style but has a similar project in the works, take heart. Whoever took time out of a busy schedule to write you an individualized note meant every word.

Another dragon in the publishing world is trends. As discussed in Chapter 1, you may have written an excellent historical novel during a time in publishing when historical novels for teens are considered passé. Your book might have taken the world by storm 10 years ago or 10 years hence, but right now it’s not likely to get a hearing.

What happens if you receive a rejection letter with a note saying the person considering your work loved it but doesn’t believe it has enough market appeal? You could rack your brain for a marketing angle and then try to persuade whoever has rejected you of the merits of your plan. The chances of succeeding with that approach hover between zero and minus one, so it’s probably a waste of time. You could humbly ask if there’s anything you can do to ratchet up the market value of your work—in a note, of course, not a phone call. Then listen to suggestions. Maybe revisions are in order. Perhaps if you subtract a few peaceful scenes in favor of more action—or change the ending—you might begin to see how your story could be stronger and better. Tackle revisions gratefully.

Then again, maybe an agent or editor asks you to rethink your entire message, remove your true voice, or turn your female protagonist into a male . . . Now we’re getting into a tricky area. You want to be an author and get published, but at what price? At what point do reasonable requests to improve your story turn into demands to sell out? Personally, I listen very closely to everything I’m told, and then I let my soul be my pilot.

Realize that agents and editors are people, like you. Naturally, you’re looking for someone simpatico with your style. Sometimes this process takes a while! Just keep your head, your heart, and your patience, if you can.

Getting the call from an agent. If an agent decides to represent you, he or she will probably call you. (Oh fabulous day!) The call will include some effusion about how delightful your book is and an offer to sign with the agency. You’ll look over the agency contract before you sign.

Unlike book contracts, agency contracts are short and straightforward. (If you get one that’s long and unreadable, you should be suspicious, and check with an attorney.)

More waiting. Sorry to say, even once you have an agent, you’ll go through more waiting while your agent submits to publishers on your behalf. This can take from a few weeks to a year. Once a publisher says yes, take the time to celebrate before processing the fact that you’ll wait between 2 and 12 months for a contract. The contract will specify that your book will be published anywhere from 18 months to 3 years from the date of the contract. Whew! An ironic twist to an industry in which time is of the essence.

The publishing game is complex. When you’re new to the game, it’s possible to make some big mistakes. Here are some scams to put on your radar.

A true agent will help you more than you can imagine. Unfortunately, anyone can list herself as an agent, so be careful out there. Because so many writers are trying to break into print, the publishing industry has attracted its share of unscrupulous people trying to take advantage of naiveté. Some do this by calling themselves agents when they’re nothing of the sort. If an “agent” does any of the following, get out without looking back:

The “agent” collects reading fees. In other words, you are charged money because the agent has read your book. Legitimate literary agencies do not charge for reading your work. The Association of Authors’ Representatives Canon of Ethics specifically prohibits agents from collecting reading fees from clients or potential clients.

The “agent” offers you a contract that penalizes you or charges you should the agent fail to sell your work in a specified period. This is not a professional practice among agents. Always read contracts with care.

The “agent” gets cagey about revealing other clients and makes excuses when asked for references. Established agents are proud of their clients.

The “agent” asks for money up front to offset the costs of marketing your manuscript. Reputable agents do not charge up front. They make their money from a percentage of your sales. If they must buy extra copies of your book to market to foreign countries or have other extra expenses, they might charge you costs, but they will subtract those amounts from advances or royalties.

Another scam is bogus writing contests. Whereas winning large-scale and well-regarded writing contests can give you something to put in your query letter, please do not get scammed into sending exorbitant entry fees to Jack the Writer’s website contest. And don’t ever sign away your rights to a contest.

Winning a contest given by an obscure or unknown group will not increase your chances of finding a home for your book. To be worth your while, a writing contest should be run by a large magazine, a publishing company, a college or university, a legitimate awards organization, or an established writers’ conference. Entries should be judged by qualified people. This is more rare than you might think. Authors are busy, and many of us have no time to judge contests.

I’ve never entered a fiction writing contest. But I’ve read remarks from several contest judges about other entries submitted by friends. Some of these judges—unpublished themselves—have given what I consider to be appallingly bad advice. Some seemed to be interested in crushing the aspirations of the entrant into dust. So keep in mind it isn’t necessary to win contests to get published. That said, it’s true that if you want to add credibility to a blank writing resumé, winning a big contest can help. For example, Writer’s Digest sponsors several annual writing contests that are nationally known. And if you were to rack up several wins at conferences with good national reputations, all the better.

Yes, there are so-called publishers who really just want to take your money. There’s a bit more information about this in Chapter 10. In short, before signing with any agent or publisher, please do a search on that person or company. Before sending money to anyone who claims to be holding a writing contest, do your research. There are predators out there. Don’t be any easy mark.

The agents I’ve interviewed are, of course, active and trustworthy agents working with YA authors. Their words follow.

Bio: Edina Imrik works for the Ed Victor Literary Agency. She does not accept unsolicited queries.

What makes a manuscript stand out for you? What characteristics—other than good writing—make you sit up and take notice?

Having a strong narrative voice is important from page 1. However, writing is such a subjective business, every person will favor different things. Even if the work is well-written it may not be picked up by the first agent who reads it, so it is worth sending it to a few people.

What are some of the most common mistakes writers make when writing YA? When sending in manuscripts?

One of the most common mistakes writers can make is not researching their intended readership enough. How could anyone write for a specific age group if they don’t know what they like to read? Books, just like everything in the world, are changing all the time, and it is important to keep up with what is out there. Research is also important when submitting a manuscript to an agent. The writer needs to find out the name of the person they want to send their work to and if they are willing to consider unsolicited manuscripts. If the answer is yes, they need to find out what material the agent needs—usually three sample chapters and a synopsis. It is important also to send a stamped envelope big enough for the return of the work, or state in your letter that you do not want your work returned—this is common courtesy. Another mistake is sending random chapters, rather than the first three. Nobody should do this—random chapters don’t make sense. If the first three chapters are not good enough to be sample chapters, they need to be rewritten.

This is entirely up to personal preference. I personally read the chapters first and if they intrigue me, I like to see how the rest of the book will work before asking for the whole script. I normally never ask for more than a one-page synopsis.

If you could suggest one thing that would help writers find success, what would it be?

Write an interesting and engaging cover letter with your submission—it is the first thing the agent will see, and the more you engage them, the more likely they will read on.

Bio: After graduating from the UCLA School of Law, Lilly Ghahremani soon decided to “use her powers for good,” representing authors across a variety of genres. She is always interested in well-paced young adult fiction, multicultural themes and characters, and explorations of the undiscovered facets of teen life. (She says that a witty and self-deprecating character will always catch her attention!) Her agency is always happy to add talented new YA authors.

What makes a manuscript stand out for you? What characteristics—other than good writing—make you sit up and take notice?

We all say the same thing—that a manuscript stands out for us when it keeps us up at night. But what does that mean? In the YA genre, the most important thing you can do is create a character we can relate to. Does your character have interesting quirks and flaws? Is she a compelling, interesting, observant person? For my own taste, I’m a huge fan of humor—there is so much in adolescence to poke fun at, and I love when authors indulge themselves. What will make me take notice is strong writing combined with a youthful voice. Sometimes we’ll receive a beautifully polished manuscript, but it’s clear that the (adult) author is the ventriloquist. Keep an eye out for little slips—did you accidentally use a phrase from the 1980s that our fearless protagonist would never have known (because she wasn’t alive yet!)? Those sorts of slips take me right out of the moment.

For me, the beauty of the teenage years is the incredibly weird and unique worlds we create for ourselves at that age. I love to be invited into a world that wasn’t my own but to be invited in a way that makes me want to stick around.

What are some of the most common mistakes writers make when writing YA? When sending in manuscripts?

As I mentioned above, writers with the best of intentions will accidentally give an adult voice to the teen genre. Don’t get me wrong—our teen readers are brilliant and mature, but there are certain ways they wouldn’t speak—such as the way their 55-year-old author would. It’s common to see adult writers slip out of voice or write in a voice they think teen readers will relate to. The worst thing a writer can do is lose touch with their audience, to write in a cave. The best YA writers are those who are reading current YA, and paying attention to how the YA market is growing and changing. What magazines does your target reader read? Are you reading them? Are you watching their shows? Do you really “get” them or are you trying too hard to be the “cool” adult and not putting in the time?

Another mistake I see is trying to be provocative for provocation’s sake. People constantly ask me if they should write edgy since “edgy sells.” But with the process of publication taking as long as it can, your book may not hit shelves for a while. Write something that is timeless. If you’re going to be edgy, do it because your story requires it, and because you feel deep down that that is the most sincere way to tell your tale.

I’m also iffy on dating a book. Too many Lindsay Lohan/Aaron Carter references can date a book unnecessarily.

Being overly eager (a.k.a. the “Red Flag” mistake). You want agents to take their time and read your submission. If you “nudge” them before the 4–6 week mark and if you consistently badger them with e-mails, you will ensure your quick relegation to the pass pile.

Not checking what the agent accepts (a.k.a. the “Waste of Time” mistake). Make sure you’re sending your wonderful YA manuscript to the appropriate agent. Make sure you’re pursuing agents who are as excited about the YA market as you are.

Not being familiar with the genre (a.k.a. the “Amateur” mistake). If you are undertaking YA authorship as a serious career, you need to devote the time and energy to getting to know your industry as much as any other profession. What books are exciting young readers? Read about them in Publishers Weekly, and be sure to rub elbows with local librarians and bookstore salespeople. They know what is happening on the ground, and you should, too.

Is there something about the life of an agent that you wish more writers knew about or understood?

I wish authors knew how difficult our job can be. Our job is to pick out not only what’s “good,” but what is so excellent that we would stake our reputation (and time) on it. We work on commission, so we have to pick up projects we feel we can be fully invested in for however long it takes to find them that right home. On the flip side, you, the author, deserve an agent who feels that same excitement you do about the potential for your work. Ultimately I wish authors knew that an agent’s response isn’t a reflection on their eventual success. It’s a reflection of our workload and our own enthusiasm.

I often explain to my classes that our evaluation of a manuscript is exactly what you do at the bookstore—you pick it up, you read through a few pages, and if you’re not really feeling invested in taking it to the counter, you don’t. You want to match up with the reader who can’t wait to pay and hunker down with your novel, not the person who felt pressured to buy because it was at a sale price! It’s worth waiting for the perfect agent. We all work very, very hard, but you need more than just a hard worker. You need that perfect person.

Writers should also know that this is a small industry, so take deep breaths before sending “revenge” e-mails.

We’re all in this industry because books mean the world to us. Agents work around the clock to be sure there are new books for our readers. You may reconnect with an agent on another project (this has certainly happened for me) or you may run into him or her along the line. Stay positive and move forward. The perfect agent is out there.

I absolutely give sample chapters more weight. Sure, I have to be interested in the storyline, but I get a sense of that from the query already. The pages are what really count to me. Do I keep reading the submission because I can’t stop myself, or am I reading because I was promised something good in the synopsis? I don’t want to get stuck in that situation, so I read the book for the book and usually keep the synopsis to the side, just in case I need a refresher.

And as far as format, I honestly don’t mind what format a synopsis comes in (although 20-page chapter-by-chapter synopses are a bit much, and I imagine a nightmare to draft).

If you could suggest one thing that would help writers find success, what would it be?

I think a good attitude will get you very far in this industry. It sounds cheesy, I know. But it encompasses many elements—staying open to criticism and feedback, realizing there are possibilities and that “where a window closes, a door opens” (i.e., if an agent passes on your book, it might just mean a better agent for you is yet to come!), and to stay confident. We need wonderful books for our young readers. You are doing an important—no, crucial—thing in writing them. Good deeds are rewarded.

Bio: Erin Murphy founded Erin Murphy Literary Agency in Flagstaff, AZ, in 1999. She does not accept unsolicited queries or submissions, as she prefers to focus the bulk of her time on her client list, which includes authors and author-illustrators of picture books, middle-grade and YA fiction, and select nonfiction for children and young adults.

Two complementary things: the agent’s needs, and the author’s own needs. Authors should research agents—their client lists, their style, and approach, what they are seeking and what they are not—rather than approaching agents blindly. They should also know what they themselves need and what their expectations are. You can write a perfect query that informs the agent of your accomplishments, amazing contact lists, and available manuscripts, but if you don’t have a sense of what you hope to accomplish with an agent’s help, you don’t know what you’re looking for—and the agent might not see space for herself in your future, either.

Writing to trend. Focusing on concept over quality. Leading the characters through the action, instead of letting the characters become fully formed. Not developing an ear for realistic dialogue. Writing too young, which can also mean being afraid to go to dark/scary/edgy/realistic places. (In which case, a story can often turn out to be middle-grade instead of YA, of course; but authors often don’t realize the distinction and write a middle-grade story in which, say, a girl owns and drives a car.) This can also mean the writer is simply hedging bets and writing too safe, which makes for a bland story that doesn’t stand out.

Is there something about the life of an agent that you wish more writers knew about or understood?

Wow, good question! Well, I can’t speak to other agents’ lives, of course, but I suspect one thing we all share in common is we’re way, way too busy, as are editors. I know it can be easy to wonder, “What is taking so darned long? Why haven’t they gotten back to me yet?” I’m always feeling guilty about the things I haven’t gotten to yet; I’m well aware that keeping a writer waiting is deferring a dream.

If you could suggest one thing that would help YA writers find success, what would it be?

Listen. Listen to your own voice. Listen to good feedback. Listen to your instincts. Listen to your characters when they won’t stop talking to you.

Chapter 7

Submitting Your
Manuscript

Chapter 7

Submitting YourManuscript

Submitting Your
Manuscript