Book Deals: Tom Ryan's I Hope You're Listening Acquired by Albert Whitman

One of the strange things about this business, is when a book gets acquired that you’ve known about for such a long time.

When Tom Ryan and I first started working together on KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF (coming your way next month!), he told me about a few of his other project ideas. And this was one of them. The story of a teen girl, a kidnapped best friend, and a podcast to help in a way she couldn’t.

I loved every single page.

Reading like a YA True Detective mashed together with Sadie by Courtney Summers, it’s a thrilling, twisty novel packed with so much heart. It’s a story about the enduring power of friendship, the importance of family, and how love can move you to do great things.

I can’t wait for readers to fall in love with I HOPE YOU’RE LISTENING, which will be published by Albert Whitman next year.

Here’s the blip from Publisher’s Marketplace:

Author of KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF Tom Ryan's I HOPE YOU'RE LISTENING, in which, ten years after witnessing her best friend's kidnapping, a teen copes by anonymously launching a podcast to help solve missing persons cases, but when a new abduction is revealed to have links to the original case, she has to decide how much she's willing to reveal to discover the truth, to Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman, for publication in 2020, by Eric Smith at P.S. Literary Agency (World English).

Congrats Tom. This book is something special.

Photo via Pexels

Perfect Pitch: Erica Boyce's The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green

Welcome to Perfect Pitch! When my authors’ books get closer to publication, I like to share their query letters, in hopes you’ll learn something from them.

When Erica Boyce’s debut novel hit my inbox, I read it in a single day. Family drama? Crop circles? Secret societies? Romance?! It was so good, so moving, so unique, that I couldn’t wait to send an email to schedule a phone call… so I just cold called, a total surprise, to ask if I could represent her work.

The novel will be published with Sourcebooks on April 2nd, and if you’re a book blogger, librarian, bookseller… you can still request a copy on NetGalley!

And if you find this helpful, please pre-order her book on the retailer of your choice, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local indie bookseller.

Now! Let’s check out that query (the novel was originally called Circles), and why it was so good.

Dear Mr. Smith: 

I’m seeking representation for my 82,000-word novel, Circles. It is an upmarket novel similar in tone and subject to Mira Jacob’s The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing. It’s very much based in reality, but with a speculative twist.

Daniel makes crop circles. As a member of a secret organization of circle makers, he travels across the country responding to requests from farmers and making strange works of art that leave communities awestruck and mystified. It is quiet, solitary work that he has enjoyed for several years, but after the death of his girlfriend and fellow circle-maker, his dedication is faltering. He’s hoping to get one last good project under his belt—his fifteenth circle, which will grant him special status in the group—before retiring to a more ordinary life.

But when Sam, a Vermont farmer who’s dying of cancer, hires Daniel in a last-ditch effort to bring publicity and new farmers to the town he loves, Daniel finds himself drawn into a family struggling to stitch itself back together before it’s too late. There’s Molly, Sam’s wife, who’s haunted by a mistake she made early in their marriage and the secrets she still keeps, including the dreams she’s shelved while caring for Sam. There’s Charlie, Sam’s son, who is estranged from his parents and the farming life and lives with his husband in California. And finally, there’s Nessa, Sam’s magnetic daughter, who wants nothing more than to bring Charlie home, but who has to grapple with her own mental illness in the meantime.

When Nessa convinces Daniel to join her in trying to get Charlie back, Daniel slowly begins to realize that life on his own may not be what he wants, after all. Written from three alternating perspectives, Circles is a story of loss, family, and community.

I began this novel as a Creative Writing and Environmental Studies student at Dartmouth College and recently completed it after a few years’ hiatus during which I earned a law degree and worked for a fishermen’s nonprofit. The lifestyles and struggles faced by farmers and fishermen are very similar, and I believe my time working closely with fishermen, as well as living with the same mental illness Nessa faces, makes me the right person to tell these characters’ stories.

Thank you very much for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Erica Boyce Murphy 

-#-

Goodness, there’s a lot to love in this query.

In the opening hook, Erica introduces the title of the novel, the word count, the genre and category, and an absolutely perfect comp title that worked especially well for me (Mira Jacob’s debut novel is one of my absolute favorites, and I talk about it all the time).

In the body of the query, she sums up the novel in three paragraphs. This is a complicated, shifting-POV literary novel with multiple characters and a really layered plot, yet here it is, dished out in three quick blips. Bringing up that it’s a shifting POV plot here is important, because I get a lot of questions about that from writers. Should you bring up every single POV? How deep into detail should you get?

Erica nailed it. There’s just enough from every person’s story here.

And in her bio section, she touches on how her personal experience helped craft this novel. Now, you don’t have to reveal personal things about yourself when pitching your book. I don’t want you to think there’s that level of pressure there. But hearing how she was the right person to tell this powerful story, was a really powerful note.

And there you have it. Erica Boyce’s perfect pitch. And again, if you find this helpful, please pre-order her book on the retailer of your choice, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local indie bookseller.

Manuscript Wishlist: What I'm Searching For in 2019

Hey there writers!

I'm opening up to queries again! I've been closed for a bit while juggling my own writing, a major move back to the East Coast, a toddler, and you know, life. And I'm just so excited to read new work again!

New here? Have a look at my sales and list. That'll also give you an idea what kind of books I work on.

Here's what I'm looking for in 2019.

-#-

Genre Blending Literary & Commercial Fiction

If you love novels like Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, The Last One by Alexandra Olivia, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneggerand, The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters, The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff, and every book by Colson Whitehead... then your work is a good fit for me.

I'm looking for genre-blending fiction... books that pull a bit of genre into the literary.

When it comes to my clients, Mike Chen's Here & Now & Then, Erica Boyce's The Fifteen Wonders of Daniel Green, and Alison Stine's The Grower, are the perfect example of this. Literary fiction with splashes of time travel, secret societies, and the apocalypse? Yes. Please.

I also really love literary fiction that takes you into small worlds and communities where I'm an outsider. A glimpse inside a complex family, or a workplace. One of my favorite novels of 2018 was Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li. I'd love to find a book like that.

As for weirdly specific things I'm looking for... I'm dying to find a great book about a cult or a survivalist or a plague... maybe all of them in one?

I'm hoping this will be a big focus for me this year and pushing forward, so please, query away!

-#-

Young Adult

Hey, it's that category I also write in! I'm always hungry to find bright new voices in YA.

As for what I'm specifically looking for, that's a hard thing to pin down. I read widely in YA, and enjoy just about every genre in it. I love moving contemporary reads, thrilling sci-fi, and lush fantasy.

To get a sense of my taste in YA, my favorite novels of last year were Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole, The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk, Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutski, Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston, The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding, and Contagion by Erin Bowman.

My favorite YA novel of all time is Hero by Perry Moore.

When it comes to my favorite YA authors, I've read every book by writers like Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, Nova Ren Suma, Mindy McGinnis, Zoraida Cordova, Meg Medina, Jeff Zentner, Brandy Colbert, Bryan Bliss, and Nina LaCour.

Very hungry to work on more LGBTQ+ YA novels and diverse, inclusive reads. I'd also love to see more YA non-fiction hit my inbox.

-#-

Select Science Fiction & Fantasy

I'm a bit picky when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy novels. I love them. I read a ton of them. But they have to be accessible.

What does that mean? It means that readers who don't traditionally pick up much sci-fi or fantasy, can pick up one of these novels, and enjoy it.

Some of my favorite recent sci-fi and fantasy reads include The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty, Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller, The Book of M by Peng Shepherd, Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne, and the Sleeping Giants series by Sylvain Neuvel. I also love anything Chuck Wendig, Kat Howard, and Delilah S. Dawson writes.

-#-

Memoir and Essay Collections

I love powerful personal stories, especially from essayists. I'm lucky enough to work with Bassey Ikpi, whose novel I'm Telling the Truth But I'm Lying is out this year. Some of my favorite essayists include Nicole Chung and Michele Filgate, whose books are absolutely filed in "books I wish I could have worked on."

All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung was my favorite memoir of 2018, and one of my favorite books of the year, period.

-#-

Cookbooks

I love quirky cookbooks that explore topics that are hard to find in the bookstore, or haven't been explored at all. Odd, single subject books tend to grab me really quickly. If you think your project is too niche, I might be right for you.

Recent projects of mine in this category include Eat to Feed by Eliza Larson and Kristy Kohler, a cookbook that dishes recipes that help mothers with breastmilk production,Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum? by Sam Slaughter, a cocktail book full of 90's inspired drinks, and Lindsey Smith's Eat Your Feelings, a mental health focus cookbook about pairing food with emotions.

Wildly different, right? But each are wildly unique and very specific.

Cookbook authors should be platformed... which doesn't necessarily mean a big ol' Twitter following. If you're writing articles for food-related places, doing speaking engagements, or run your own blog... that counts!

-#-

Non-Fiction History & Pop Culture

I love love LOVE books that introduce readers to untold stories. My author Alex Rubens' 8-Bit Apocalypse is the perfect example, telling the untold story of the creation of the game Missile Command.

I've loved every single book written by Mary Roach, and would love to find a non-fiction book along those lines. One of my favorite non-fiction titles ever is The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson.

-#-

And now, a quick rundown of what I'm not looking for, to save everyone's time.

What I'm Not Looking For:

• Middle Grade or Picture Books (pitch my colleague Maria!)

• Angel & demon love stories, Heaven / Hell stories.

• Adult epic fantasy or military sci-fi.

• Books significantly over 100,000 words.

• Douglas-Adams-esque sci-fi.

• Non-fiction about sports or politics.

• Your bad thriller about a white guy fighting terrorists.

• Portals.

• Novellas.

• Main-character-is-a-bigot-and-learns-a-lesson. Hard pass.

• Redemptive story arcs for abusers. Nope.

• New Adult books.

• Horror novels. I like them, but I don't know what makes a good one.

• Anything comped as "Lovecraftian" (he was racist, not interested)

• Anything comped to Orson Scott Card (if I have to explain this, we can't work together)

• Commercial fiction about sports (exceptions made for sports YA, I love sports YA!)

Perfect Pitch: Mike Chen's Here And Now And Then

When Mike Chen's query hit my inbox, I was all kinds of excited. From his comp titles to the exciting plotline to his love of corgis, this was one awesome pitch letter.

But, it took me a while to get to it.

I think there's a bonus lesson in this pitch, as Mike followed up a handful of times about the manuscript, sending polite nudges that eventually got me on board to read the book faster. Remember, when you're pitching agents, that following up is an entirely normal thing to do.

I often hear from writers who are nervous about doing this, but agents have to follow up with editors ALL THE TIME. It's a big part of our job, really. So don't be afraid to do it yourself. Nudges are important, and sometimes, they end like this.

Mike's debut novel, HERE & NOW & THEN, hits bookstores everywhere this month via Mira, has netted two starred reviews, and some fantastic blurbs from some of the best writers in SFF.

Let's dig into his query, and remember, you can read more queries from authors I've worked with here on my Perfect Pitch page. And if you find this helpful, consider ordering the novel from a retailer of your choice. Let's see that query!

-#-

Dear Mr. Smith (or can I call you Agent Smith and pretend you’re Hugo Weaving?),

Kin Stewart thought parenting a teen couldn’t get any harder, but then he got separated from his daughter -- by a century.

Before that, he was a normal family man, working and parenting teenage Miranda -- a far cry from his old job as a time-traveling secret agent from 2142. Stranded in suburbia since the 1990s because of a botched mission, he’d spent the last 17 years thinking about soccer practices and family vacations instead of temporal fugitives.

But when his rescue team suddenly arrives, Kin is forced to abandon his family and return to 2142, where everyone -- including his fiancee, who’s unaware of time travel -- thinks he’s only been gone weeks, not years. Ordered to cut all contact with the past, Kin defies his superiors and attempts to raise his daughter from the future. Until one day he discovers that Miranda’s being erased from history...and it might be his fault.

With time running out, Miranda’s very existence depends upon Kin taking a final trip across time, no matter the cost. Break time-travel rules, tell his fiancee about Miranda and his secret family, even put his own life on the line; those are risks Kin will take because there’s only one thing more important than the past and the future: doing right by his daughter.

HERE AND NOW AND THEN (90,000 words) is science fiction for people who hate science fiction. An intimate character-driven look at how far people will go for the ones they love, I believe the blend of sci-fi elements and traditional themes can go beyond genre readers and into the mainstream. Think The Time Traveler’s Wife as written by Nick Hornby with a dash of Torchwood.

A lifelong writer, my published credits include contributions to Thirsty? San Francisco, Fox Sports, SB Nation, Yahoo Sports, NYTimes.com, Maple Street Press, and various local arts magazines. I also run a freelance writing business.

May I send you the complete manuscript? Or can my corgi (who is snoring at my feet right now) deliver the completed manuscript to your corgi?

Thanks very much for your time and consideration!

Regards,

Mike Chen

-#-

Alright, so let's talk about this query.

Mike jumps right in with some personal hooks, making a playful joke about my name, which I loved and have frequently tweeted about. He also offers up pictures of his corgi, which he included in his followup nudge emails. He knew exactly how to catch my eye, and those little flourishes were nice.

Comp wise, he has FLAWLESS comparative titles. We ended up using these in the pitch to publisher.

And when it comes to the whole "book" section, summing up his novel, he manages to dig into a complicated plot in just three paragraphs. Queries should be able to do this, sum up something complex really succinctly.

Lastly, we have his bio, where he talks about previous writing credits. Remember, debut novelists. If you don't have writing credits, it's okay. You can still tell the agent a little something about yourself. I was already sold on story alone, but the fact that he had buy in regarding his writing was a nice bonus. But even if he didn't, and just mentioned being a geek with a corgi, I'd have read this.

And there you have it!

Here & Now & Then comes out January 29th!

Updated: Authors & Editors That Can Touch Up Your Manuscript & Query Letter

Updated: April 2024

A while back, the iconic fantasy author Kat Howard worked on Mike Chen's novel Here & Now & Then. Her guidance helped get the book where it needed to be, and it’s since netted acclaimed reviews. His next books, A Beginning at the End and We Could Be Heroes are in stores everywhere, with more novels to follow.

A good eye, can get you on track.

But wait. Why have someone else looking over the manuscripts by the authors I've been signing?

Well, here's the thing, writerly types. I can still miss things that need work. Generally when I'm picking up an author, I'll have read through their manuscript pretty quickly (if I'm in love with a manuscript, I read it like I read any book... by devouring it), and when it comes time for edits, I'll read it again, slowly, making notes. Then usually another time. And then again.

By the time we're ready for sub, I've likely read the book four, maybe five times. At that point, I'm probably missing stuff. If I didn't catch it by the fourth or fifth read through, I'm not going to. And if that book isn't quite landing with editors I'm subbing it to, another set of eyes becomes so key. This goes for my work process as an agent and as a writer, as well as any author working on a query letter or a rough manuscript. A new set of eyes will catch things you might have missed, and pick up on issues that are closer to them.

TL; DR: More eyes, means a better letter or a better book.

I thought it might be a good idea to roundup other authors and editors that offer up freelance editorial work. Because who better to help you work on that query / manuscript, then someone who has been there before? Authors and editors know what solid queries and manuscripts should look like, having read and written so many.

So... here we go!

Kat Howard (@KatWithSword): Kat's an author with Saga and a published short story writer with over 30 shorts out there in the world. And she has a Ph.D in literature, you guys. Check her site out for more info regarding what she edits and her rates. [Website]

Katherine Locke (@Bibliogato): The author of The Girl with the Red Balloon duology (please read these books!), Katherine knows their genre well, and works on Young Adult, Romance, and middle grade books. They offers up help on query letters, full reads, and line edits of manuscripts. [Website]

Shelly Romero (@_smromero): I chatted with Shelly plenty during her time at Scholastic and in other places through the publishing industry, and let me tell you, she’s one of the most brilliant people in this business. AND she’s available for critiques? Details on her website, but wow! [Website]

Sophia Jimenez: Sophia has worked on some astonishing books at S&S, including some of my very favorites from Laura Taylor Namey. She’s available for editorial assessments and sensitivity reads. [Website]

Hannah Morgan Teachout: With experience at agencies and a bundle of services available, you can scope out what Hannah’s all about on her site, here. [Website]

Victoria Rose (@WordsFlickering): During the first year of the Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl, Victoria came on board to write a bunch of blog posts and copy, and basically saved the day. She offers up proofreading and copyediting, amongst other services. Highly recommend. [Website]

Meghan McCullough: An editor I’ve been lucky enough to interact with plenty in my agent life, Meghan offers all kinds of critique and editorial options. Just visit her website. [Website]

Samantha Paige Rosen (@samanthaprosen): A local writer and editor I admire quite a bit, Samantha’s services are available via her website, here. She even book coaches! [Website]

Olivia Valcarce (@OliviaValcarce): A freelance editor for MG and YA, who has worked in the industry for quite some time. And I love quite a few of the books she worked on at Inkyard (see those here). Details on how to hire here, via her website.

Diana M. Pho (@writersyndrome): A former editor at Tor and a three time Hugo award nominee, Diana is amazing. You’ve absolutely read books she’s worked on, and she’s one of the most brilliant people in publishing I know. Details can be found here [Website].

Emily Ohanjanians (@storyphile): I was lucky enough to work with Emily a bit during her time at MIRA, and now she’s freelance editing. You can learn more about her services on her official website, and she’s also hirable via Reedsy. [Website]

Julie Scheina: Julie’s worked with folks like Tara Altebrando and Kami Garcia, working in publishing and as a freelance editor. You can get a sense of what services she offers via her website. [Website]

Koren (K.M.) Enright (@KM_Enright): A former literary agent, Koren also worked in various spaces throughout publishing, and also writes books! You can check out their rates on their website, here. [Website]

Kerry Kletter (@kkletter): Kerry wrote one of my favorite YA novels of all time, and her adult books have been astonishing. And you can hire her for critiques and edits! Details here [Website]

Revise and Shine: Run by a number of experienced folks including Lesa Cline-Ransome, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Jo Knowles, and Rob Costello, they offer a bundle of editorial services. Check out their website.

Laura Silverman (@LJSilverman1): A YA rom-com titan, Laura’s works are fantastic, and she offers up editorial services. Details here [Website]

Lori Anne Goldstein (@loriagoldstein): An author of several books I adore, Lori’s available for coaching, edits, and even runs a retreat. More info on her website.

Natalia Sylvester (@nataliasylv): I’ve been a big fan of Natalia’s novels ever since her debut, and watching her take over the kid-lit world has been amazing. Guess what! She offers up critiques and editorial services! Details here on her website. [Website]

Sarah LaPolla (@sarahlapolla): A former agent who I’ve been at dozens of events with, Sarah’s gone freelance editor! I’ve adored the romance and YA novels she’s worked on, and you can learn more about how to hire her via Reedsy [Website].

Diana Gill (@dianagill): I’ve read a bunch of the books Diana has worked on, and goodness, do you want an opportunity to work with her. A former editor at Tor, HarperVoyager, Random House, and more, you can find her details here [Website]

Lauren Smulski (@LaurenES): So Lauren was the editor of Don’t Read the Comments, my first book over with Harlequin / Inkyard Press, and she’s worked with a whole bundle of authors you adore. She’s worked on New York Times bestsellers, even! And you can hire her, what! Details are here on her website. [Website]. You can also hire her via Reedsy.

Amy Spalding (@theames): If you’ve ever listened to an episode of Hey YA or talked to me about books, you know how much I adore Amy Spalding’s brilliant YA contemporary novels. You can hire her for book coaching and more. Details on her website. [Website]

Kendall Davis (@kenashcreative): Kendall has written for all your favorite geek outlets and writes books of her own, with plenty of experience working at major publishing houses. You can check out her services here [Website]

Julie Eshbaugh (@JulieEshbaugh ): Author of the Ivory & Bone series and other wonderful YA novels, Julie is available for writing coaching, critiques, and more. [Website]

Sonia Belasco (@SoniaBelasco): Philly author and writing coach Sonia Belasco writes really lovely in-verse YA and more, and is available to help with critiques, query workshopping, and more. Details here! [Website]

Lilly Dancyger (@lillydancyger): An author with Seal Press and an essayist for sites like Catapult, Lilly offers up a bundle of editorial services. [Website]

Michelle Meade (@MichelleEllise): So Michelle is the editor who acquired Mike Chen’s acclaimed Here & Now & Then, and thus, has a special place in my bookish heart forever. [Website]

Rebecca Enzor (@RebeccaEnzor): An author I was lucky enough to work with early in my agent career, Rebecca is great at helping out with queries and synopsises. [Website]

Bev Katz Rosenbaum (@bevrosenbaum): A former editor at places like Harlequin and McGraw Hill, as well as an author of Young Adult novels, Bev comes with experience from both sides of the business! Details on how you can hire her for critiques and workshops, here on her website. [Website]

Laura Lee Anderson (@LLAWrites): Laura, like me, is an author with Bloomsbury's digital imprint Bloomsbury Spark. Her novel, Song of Summer... well, you're going to have a lot of feelings after reading it. Have tissues ready. She looks at query letters and full manuscripts. [Website]

Alison Weiss (@alioop7): In my agent life, Alison worked on two of my favorite projects, and is such a wild champion of kid-lit. You can hire her freelance via her website, and goodness, if you need a recommendation, I will scream about her to anyone who will listen. [Website]

Sangeeta Mehta (@sangeeta_editor) A former acquiring editor of children’s books at Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster, Sangeeta is now a full-time freelance book editor specializing in middle grade, young adult, and commercial women’s fiction. She also writes articles featuring literary agents she admires, including this Q&A about how agents approach diversity. Visit her website for more information.

Nicole Frail (@nfrail17): Nicole's an editor over at Sky Horse Press (and also worked on three books by authors I’ve worked with), and she's also written a few non-fiction titles of her own. You can check out her rates here. [Website]

E.C. Myers (@ecmyers): The author of Fair Coin, Quantum Coin, The Silence of Six, and so many more books, Eugene is an awesome YA author that I'm a big fan of. And guess what? He offers up some freelance editing services! Manuscript critiques and the like. Drop him a note regarding availability. [Website]

Jon McGoran (@jonmcgoran): An author with Tor, Jon's DRIFT series is a favorite of mine. Drift, Dead Out... all killer thrillers, that you should be reading. And his YA series Spliced is brilliant. He's taught a number of writing courses and novel editing classes, and is available for select projects. Drop him a line, especially if you're working on thrillers or mysteries. [Website]

Ashley Kuehl (@ashley__kuehl): Ashley here does proposal critiques, edits, and manuscript consultations! You can see all the details on her website here. [Website]

Angela James (@angelajames): A founder of publishing presses and an editorial extraordinaire, you can hire Angela to polish up that manuscript. Details regarding rates and more can be found here. [Website]

Sarah Hannah Gómez (@shgmclicious): A prolific author, podcaster, and just all around excellent human, Sarah’s available for edits, critiques, you name it. Details here on her website [Website].

Samantha Wekstein (@SWekstein): A literary agent who also offers up freelance editing services. [Website]

Lexi Small (@lexi_smail ): A former editor at major publishing houses in NYC, Lexi is available for freelance services. [Website]

Jay Whistler (@JayWhistler): I met Jay at VCFA! You can work with her or anyone else on her editorial team via Angel Editors. Details here. [Website]

Sarah Jane Singer (@TheNewSarahJane): A freelance editor who has worked with New York Times bestselling authors and more, details here on their website [Website].

Ilana Masad (@ilanaslightly): I was lucky enough to work with Ilana early in my agency career, and I am such a massive fan of her work. And hey, she critiques and edits. She's won scores of awards for her short stories, her debut novel is AMAZING, and you definitely want to work with her. Drop her a line regarding her rates via her website. [Website]

Lara Willard (@larathelark): Working on comics? Graphic novels? Picture books? Lara's the gal for you, specializing in work with a visual angle, though she does other stuff too. You can learn more about her via her site. [Website]

Jocelyn Bailey (@thebookhooker): A former editor at Thomas Nelson and a freelance editor for places like Pegasus, Jocelyn's a rockstar. You can see what she offers up on her website. [Website]

Megan Manzano (@megan_manzano):  Has worked with some PitchWars folks, and these days, is a literary agent at D4EO. Check out her website for her rates and details [Website].

Kaitlyn Johnson (@RedPenKaitlyn): Freelance editor and literary agent at Belcastro, I’ve done a ton of events with Kaitlyn, and she’s just great. Check her website for details and rates in her freelance editorial life. [Website].

Mary Dunbar (@MaryCDunbar): YA author and editor! Details on her rates can be found on her site. [Website]

Liana Brooks (@LianaBrooks): An author with HarperVoyager and loves science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance, and crime fiction for any age group. If it goes boom, bang, kiss, or crash, she can help. Check out her rates on her website.

Celeste Paed (@CelesteReads): A writer who has served as EIC behind two literary magazines, Celeste offers freelance editing, copyediting, and other services with query letters and manuscripts. First her websites and contact her for rates and information. [Website]

Adalyn Grace (@AdalynGrace_): A Young Adult author who is now open to critiques and editing services! Check out her offerings, here on her website. [Website]

Holly Ingraham (@holly_ingraham): A former editor at St. Martin's Press and a former literary agency assistant, Holly has experience across the industry! Check out her rates here. [Website]

Julia A. Weber (@JAWeberEdits): A former literary agent gone freelance editor? Yes! Julia works across categories and genres, check out what she offers on her personal site. [Website]

Dev Petty (@devpetty): Looking to get notes on your picture book? You can hire this published picture book author (I Don’t Want to be a Frog is a favorite of my toddler), to give that manuscript a look. Details on her rates and availability on her website. [Website]

Raquel Henry (@RacquelHenry): Raquel has been published in way too many literary journals to name here (just check out her website), and does freelance editorial work. You can learn more about what she offers here [Website].

Ekta R. Garg (@EktaRGarg): An author and editor who offers up edits and critiques. You can see her rates and what she works on via her official website. [Website]

Swati Hedge (@SwatiHWrites): A published with with Bell (check out Match Me if You Can), Swati offers up editorial and coaching services [Website].

Melissa Ann Singer (@maseditor): A former editor at Tor, Nightfire, etc. who worked on a number of books I love (and you likely love too!). Check out their Reedsy profile here. Novella or full novel length projects only, please!

Jennifer Prokop (@jenreadsromance): Yes the voice behind your favorite romance novel podcast does freelance edits. I cannot imagine how awesome it would be having a pro like Jennifer working on your romance novel. Details on their website.

Kristen Weber (@kristenwEditor): A former editor at Hachette (Grand Central, Mysterious Press, etc) Kristen is available for query letter packages, manuscript critiques, etc. [Website]

Jennifer Banash (@jenniferbanash): An author who offers up editorial services, ghostwriting, and more. [Website]

Have someone you'd like to add to the list? Are YOU that someone? Email me! ericsmithrocks at gmail dot com!

2018: What I Learned in Agenting & Authoring This Year

This was a good year for books. On the books? For the books?

I was lucky enough to see several of my authors' books hit bookshelves everywhere, many of which you should purchase for your friends and family this holiday season, such as:

• Love Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

• When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker

• Brave Enough by Kati Gardner

• The Girl You Thought I Was by Rebecca Phillips

• A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

• 8-Bit Apocalypse by Alex Rubens

• Mammoth by Jill Baguchinsky

Oh, and Rebecca Phillips' These Things I've Donewent into paperback!

Some starred reviews, a movie deal, a New York Times bestseller... it was a good year. And in my author life, The Girl & the Grove came out over the summer, and Reclaim the Sun sold to Inkyard Press (aka Harlequin Teen). It'll be out in 2020, which means we'll probably see a cover soon and ARCs sometime in 2019. I'm already sweating.

A busy year, with a lot of lessons. Let's chat.

-#-

THE BOOK FOR YOU VS. THE BOOK FOR THEM

I think with every book I write, at some point, I've muttered something along the lines of "this is THE book" to a friend, and almost always, to my wife. Honestly, I think she's heard me ramble that far too many times. I've got a new book into the hands of my agent, and off I go, prattling on about how this will be the one. Or I'll point at a house while we're wandering downtown, and say something ridiculous like "the next book" while nodding at it.

When I say THE book, it's usually not about a book just being published. It's THE book that launches you into that mysterious, magical successful place. Where yes, I will buy this adorable house with this advance and royalties and foreign sales and-

I can already see all my author and agent and industry friends shaking their head at me. What? Let me dream.

Earlier this year I got some sales numbers on some of my books that were... well, less than I was hoping. And it hurt a lot. And I was pretty crushed about it. And I kept wondering what I'm doing wrong. Where is THE book I keep promising myself and the people I care about?

And then at a book festival this year, a little girl came up to me with two of my books, and said in a small voice, that she was adopted too. And how much these stories I wrote, and stories I collected, meant to her. And it broke me apart. I got similar stories over the past few months since The Girl & the Grove came out, from adoptees and teens, discussing what the book meant to them.

It turns out, the joy isn't always found in writing a book that is THE book for you.

That really, it's less about a book being THE book for you, and more about it being THE book for someone else.

Yes, yes. It's a business and we all need to make money and get paid. But sometimes, it doesn't quite happen in the way we daydream it will. And there are other ways to look at it. Maybe the next book, maybe Reclaim the Sun, will be that book for me, that breakout one. Maybe.

But what I really hope, is that it's THE book for a young reader who needs it.

-#-

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY EVENT, PLAN AHEAD

I've started rethinking the ways I treat festivals and conferences. I went to a number of them this year, and I almost always end up texting my wife and friends (both bookish and pals at home) from signing lines, about how maybe I've signed a single book, and I'm left sitting there for an hour.

Now, I know this happens to authors of all types. I'm used to it, it's fine. And I always wrote off that experience because festivals are great networking opportunities. You spend time with booksellers and with fellow authors. Other publishing people.

But... there's also no guarantee that's going to happen? People are busy. Everyone has their own itinerary and schedule.

When it comes to festivals and conferences... I'm still learning that it's important to plan ahead. Schedule meetings. Reach out and make sure you've got a plan to hangout and chat. Whether it's for professional reasons, like meeting up with editors, agents, authors you want to collaborate with... or just for social reasons, to chill with writers you love on social media. Make plans.

Because if you've flown across the country for a book festival, signed one book, and then you're in your hotel watching Netflix right after dinner... you might have wasted a trip. And if I'm going to leave my one-year-old and my wife behind for three days, you best believe I want to get everything I can out of a trip.

At a festival this year, I made solid plans to hang out with one specific author, and while we were out and about, we plotted out an idea. Fast forward a few months, and we've got a proposal ready, and are hoping to pitch around a new book next year. One we're working on together.

If I hadn't thought ahead, I'm not sure we would have been able to sit down and hash this out, the way we did at this festival. Take the time.

-#-

THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES YOU WORKING YOURSELF TO TEARS, IS YOU

With the big move back to the East Coast quickly approaching, I found myself hurling myself into work at the end of the summer through the rest of the year. This wasn't just client based, but had a lot to do with my teaching. I took on a full course load at a community college here in Ann Arbor, closed to queries, and while I adored all of my students (if you're seeing this, hi!), that combined with my agent life, my writing life, my MFA mentoring...

There were definitely some stress-induced shower cries.

But, I kept going, saved up, and hooray, we're going to be just fine when it comes to the move. But I didn't have to do a lot of it. I was stubborn and pushing too hard. And now I've got these strange pains in one of my hands, and I'm off to the doctor to figure out what's going on, likely from late nights typing away until I absolutely should have been in bed.

Listen.

No one else is going to know about those late work nights. About the sleep you lost. About the pushes to relax that you ignored. There's no trophy for it. Your medal isn't in the mail. So take a breath, take care of yourself. No one else is going to, especially if you're not willing to let them try.

Self care is just as valuable as working hard.

-#-

It's okay when they don't choose you, and vice versa

NOT EVERY BOOK IS FOR YOU, AND THAT'S OKAY

This bit is a little more agent-specific. This year I've passed on some books that went on to sell in a big way. And I've had some near misses with projects I absolutely adored, that are going to be coming out in the next year or two. I see them, on the ol' social media and publishing newsletters, and sometimes it stings a bit. I won't lie.

I think about this tweet from Saba Sulaiman (one of my favorite agents in this industry, she's amazing, follow her please) fairly often.

It's an interesting alchemy, publishing. While a lot of it is certainly based on talent and creativity, and a lot of it based on knowing the market and the people behind-the-scenes, there's just... so much luck to it. Pitching the right book to the right person at the right time...

I think about the books that I tried to get, or the books that I passed on, and when the "what if" comes up... if I had taken a chance on them, or they had taken a chance on me... what would have happened? There's that odd something you can't quite define in the business.

Would I have pitched this book to the right person? Would I have made edits to the project that changed it, and made it into the wrong kind of book? Would I have found it a home someplace that maybe didn't make it a big book?

There are just so many what if's, so many things up in the air. It's wild, and it's okay.

Just because you didn't get the book, doesn't mean you weren't good enough.

And just because you passed on something big, doesn't mean you were wrong.

-#-

YOU CONTINUE TO MATTER MORE THAN EVERY BOOK

And I'll keep making sure you know it.

Free Conference Passes for Marginalized Writers for 2019

In my agent life, I'm lucky enough to get asked to go writing conferences all over the place. And while these are wonderful and fun days full of networking, I'm aware of the fact that a lot of them aren't really accessible.

Conferences about writing and publishing can be expensive. And back as a young professional / graduate student in my 20's, there was no way I would have been able to afford to go to these. So I like to give back when I can.

Are you a writer eager to learn about the industry and connect with editors, agents, fellow authors? I'm offering up a free pass to the following events, to a marginalized writer (authors who are PoC, disabled, LGBTQ+, Native voices) in these respective regions:

Saint Louis Writer's Workshop (Saint Louis, MO) March 29th, 2019 www.stlouiswritersworkshop.com

Kansas City Writer's Workshop (Kansas City, MO) March 30th, 2019 www.kansaswritingworkshop.com

KWELI Children's Literature Conference (New York, NY) April 6th, 2019 www.kwelijournal.org/the-color-of-childrens-literature-conference

Pitch Publish Promote (Pittsburgh, PA) November 2nd - 4th, 2019 Note, this is a full weekend pass, and includes VIP workshops. www.pitchpublishpromote.com

Philadelphia Writer's Workshop November 23rd, 2019 www.philadelphiawritingworkshop.com

When I'm free over the course of the workshop, we'll hang out, and I'll introduce you to industry folks. We'll grab coffee. Or you can just wander around. You do you. These passes don't include hotel stays or transportation though. It's just a pass for the conference / workshop.

So please, only email me if you're from the area. I can't stress that enough.

Interested in attending? Email me with the following (but not for the online one, there's an application there already):

Name: You know, your name. Who Are You?: A bit about you. Why you write. Your WIP: What are you currently writing? Twitter: What's your Twitter handle?

To ericsmithrocks at gmail dot com, with what conference you'd like to attend. I'll pick someone one month before the day of the conference.

Perfect Pitch: Jill Baguchinsky's Query for Mammoth

When Jill Baguchinsky's query hit my inbox, I knew I had to read this book. It was a drop-everything-and-read-it-in-a-day sort of description, and that was exactly what I did. I offered to represent her the very next day.

And with her book almost here, publishing with Turner next week, I wanted to share the query letter that hooked me so quickly.

The hook part here is important, because that's what got me. We'll dig into that in a minute.

I've done this before with the query letters for Samira Ahmed, Anna Hecker, Kati Gardner, and more, which you can read collected here on my Perfect Pitch page.

And if you find this helpful, do consider pre-ordering her novel from your book retailer of choice.

Let's see that query!

-#-

Dear Eric Smith:

The summer before her junior year, paleontology geek Natalie Page lands a coveted internship at an Ice Age dig site near Austin. Natalie, who's also a plus-size fashion blogger, depends on the retro style and persona she developed to shield herself from her former bullies, but vintage dresses and perfect lipstick aren't compatible with prospecting for fossils in the Texas heat.

When Natalie's paleontologist hero steals the credit for one of her accomplishments, Nat has to unearth the confidence she needs to stand out in a field dominated by dudes. To do this, she'll have to let her true self shine, even if that means defying the rules and risking her life for the sake of a major discovery.

Then there's Chase the intern, who's seriously cute, and Cody, a local boy who'd be even cuter if he were less of a grouch -- Natalie's got more than just mammoths on her mind this summer.

MAMMOTH puts a paleo spin on a DUMPLIN'-style young adult contemporary narrative -- it's ELEANOR AND PARK meets JURASSIC PARK, just without the gene splicing and marauding velociraptors. Natalie's battle to reclaim her self-image will appeal to plus-size teens and any readers who struggle with being themselves, and the dig-site setting will engage anyone who geeks out about science. MAMMOTH is complete at 68,000 words.

MAMMOTH is a story about discovering and appreciating your strengths at any size. It's a great fit for the body positivity movement that's going strong on social media -- there's a YA readership out there that's eager for greater diversity in terms of body type. Also, young readers need to see more female characters excelling in scientific fields -- stories like HIDDEN FIGURES inspire girls to consider science-based careers, and the paleontology content in MAMMOTH plays into that. While drafting MAMMOTH, I worked with with several paleontologists and trained in fossil excavation and prospecting at the Waco Mammoth National Monument. My contacts at the Waco site are excited to help promote MAMMOTH as soon as it finds a publisher.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely, Jill Baguchinsky

-#-

Okay, so let's talk about this. Namely, the hook.

"MAMMOTH puts a paleo spin on a DUMPLIN'-style young adult contemporary narrative -- it's ELEANOR AND PARK meets JURASSIC PARK, just without the gene splicing and marauding velociraptors."

What! That is what got me. I also ended up using this hook when pitching editors down the line. A good hook can do just that. Hook someone in. And Jill did a spectacular job of that in this pitch.

She also does a fantastic job summing up the story and introducing the themes she's exploring when describing the book, and then she goes the extra mile by talking about her research.

The details she added in about visiting dig sites and really getting to know her subject definitely grabbed me. That's something a publisher doesn't have in a database. It brings a lot of value to the table, and we discussed these dig site ties in the proposal for the book.

So, if there is some kind of tie there with your work, I think it's a good idea to bring it up.

Hope you found this helpful, and consider pre-ordering Mammoth from your book retailer of choice.