The Journey of Your Book Continues…with special guest, Agent Jen Rofé (JOYB Pt. 4)

Schmooze Central here.  We’ve gotten so big for our britches that we decided to have “one of the little people” step in and slave over a hot keyboard for us while we get massages (patting yourself of the back causes tight shoulder muscles…who knew?) and take meetings with Terribly Important People.

We now hand this blog post over to the lovely and talented Laurie Young (although we fully reserve the right to inset a few obnoxious asides ‘cause that’s how we roll…exhausting, we know):

The Westside Writer’s Schmooze had the pleasure of a visit from Jen Rofé at our December Schmooze who spoke on what an agent does and why a writer needs one. Her willingness and

commitment to talk to our group was very much appreciated, not just because it was during the holidays, but one week before her wedding.

Jen has been an agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency for over 7 years.  She represents authors and illustrators of picture books through young adult, though she admitted that middle grade is her sweet spot. Some of her most notable authors include Meg Medina, Joy Preble, Kathryn Fitzmaurice, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, and our own LA chapter’s Eliza Wheeler.

She had previously been a journalist and an editor but spent 5 years in the trenches as a middle school teacher. She loves the business side of being an agent, especially negotiating contracts and writing pitch letters.

(Schmooze Central: Yes – all the things you hate! She LOVES them!! She was BORN to this!!!)

Jen started off the evening with a list of things she doesn’t like: Horror (although psychological is fine with her), gore, and especially zombie stories. She is also not fond of music stories, and anything involving a mixtape.  (She did admit to liking Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List…that is, until the mixtape chapter.)

Just no

To make it simple, here are her main ideas of her talk in bullet points:

(Schmooze Central:  Oooohhh!  Bullet points!  We likey! …That’s Karol. Charlie feels safer with arbitrary snippets of unrelated words implying unearned depth.)

How important is it for a kid lit writer to get an agent these days? What is the upside of having an agent?

• Contract negotiations—agents understand the boilerplate and can get you a better deal.
• Most publishing houses are closed, and editors know which agents they trust and want to work with.
• Agents advocate on your behalf and can step in to resolve conflicts.
• Authors shouldn’t have to fight with editors regarding business decisions. Agents help keep author-editor relationship clean and focused on the work.

How have you connected with the writers you sign? Where do you find your clients?

• Mostly through conferences and the AB Big Sur retreat. https://bigsurwriting.wordpress.com/
• One-on-one critiques.
•  Queries can be the last thing an agent looks at, however, Jen will open conference or workshop queries first.

How do you approach an agent at a conference?

•  Think of it as like interviewing for a job—be professional. 

What are the “no-no’s” for approaching an agent?

• Don’t be creepy. Don’t be a stalker.
• Don’t use social media to create a false sense of familiarity or use their personal information as an intro. Don’t assume a relationship just because you are “friends” on social media.
• Be professional on social media. Don’t bad mouth agents or editors.

Do you need to have a platform or blog?

• No. You can build a platform after your book is sold.
• The exception: Non-fiction. A platform is needed to show your credentials or why you are qualified to write on this topic. 

What do you look for in a query letter? (Schmooze Central:  aka Secrets to the Query Kingdom!)

• Basic format—

o      1^st paragraph: Why you chose this agent. Show clear reference, personalized, conscious decision.

o      2^nd paragraph: Jacket copy description (don’t give away ending.)

o      3^rd paragraph: Any relevant information about you.

• Keep it short, tight, professional, 1-page.
• Don’t say you are a first time writer. Don’t apologize.
• Can say if you are a teacher, but don’t say you read your work to kids and they liked it. Sounds naïve.
• Don’t write query as your character. Don’t start query with character.
• Don’t angst about the format—that said, send email to self first to check and see if it reads okay.
• Do angst about the quality of the writing.
• MOST IMPORTANT: CHECK EACH AGENT’S WEBSITE FOR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES BEFORE SENDING – AND FOLLOW THEM.

Author/illustrators: Jen will accept links to picture book dummies, but make sure your artwork is comparable to what is out there before submitting. Get feedback from conferences and workshops.

Other than great material, what other things attract you to a potential client? 

• Rapport, connection
• Similar vision for the work
• Good working relationship

Guidelines for submitting to agents? (Schmooze Central: aka (Secrets to the Kingdom of Agent Protocol!…we are ALL about snappy titles here at S.C.)

• Pick top 5-6 agents to start with and wait for a response.
• Tweak material, according to response and submit to new 5-6 agents. Repeat.
• Bad idea to submit to everyone at once—no opportunity to revise before sending out again.
• If asked for an exclusive, okay to give timeframe.
• As a courtesy, let agent know if this is a multiple submission.
• If you get an offer, as a courtesy, let other agents know before accepting. (But only an offer—no need to let other agents know if you get a request for full.)
• If an agent is interested in you and you are not excited, you should not have submitted to that agent in the first place.
• Don’t hire an illustrator for your book.

o      Waste of time and money

o      Editors will choose the illustrator

o      May hurt your chances to be considered

• Revisions can happen before rep—don’t ask for them, but be open to them. If agents want to offer advice or notes, they will.
• Holidays are a bad time of year to query. The end of the year is “wrap up” mode. You don’t want to get a rejection because an agent wants to go on vacation.
• A handful of rejections doesn’t necessarily mean you should self-pub. Revise first.
• A bad agent is worse than no agent. Make sure there is an exit policy.

Picture books:

• If you write in rhyme, make sure it is very good.
• You need to have multiple hooks.
• Query for best picture book, and then mention 2 of your other manuscripts with 1-line description of each. If an agent is interested, he or she will ask for more.
• Andrea Brown agents want at least 4 solid picture book manuscripts before taking on client.

Series:

• Can state in query that you envision book as a series. HOWEVER: Put it all into first book, don’t hold anything back.
• Series are often dictated by the publisher.

What is the etiquette for switching agents?

• Leave old agent before pursuing any new agents
• Let potential agent know if your manuscript already has been widely submitted to editors—it is likely dead. 

How long to wait for response after sending query?

• No set timeframe. Can be hours or months or longer.
• Don’t follow up with Jen. You will get an auto response, if no further response, consider that a “no.” (Schmooze Central: Re: that last part – maddening, ain’t it? But, alas, it’s the industry standard.)
• Be working on your next project!

What are typical terms for agreements between writers and children's literary agents?

• Jen uses a 1-page, straightforward agreement.
• No time frame, either party can walk away at any time. (If project is sold, it remains with agency.)
• 15% across the board, no reading fees or other fees. (Different rates for foreign and film rights.)

What happens after contract is signed?

• Revising may take a while, keep communication open.

Jen’s editing process:

o      Big picture—plot, character, elements

o      Writing tics (Schmooze Central: Everybody’s got ‘em!)

o      Doesn’t do much line editing.

• Jen makes a list of editors to submit to. Shares it with client and asks if client has any ideas.
• Submission timeframe can take hours or months or more.
• Be patient. It takes a lot of “yes’s” to make a book happen.

When you get an offer from an editor, what happens next?

• Jen discusses offer with client, asks client what is bottom line (starting offer vs. royalty rates, rights, etc.)
• Advances and royalties can range and depend on a number of factors:
• PB: 2K–15K, 5-6% of retail (split between author and illustrator)
• MG & YA: 8K+
•  Turn around: 6–12 months to finish art for book; 18 months–3 years, depending on the list, (publishers work years in advance.)

What do agents roll their eyes at?

• Neediness
• Not meeting deadlines (Schmooze Central: Ugh!  Fitzgerald never met deadlines!!)

Misc:

• You should not expect to make a living for a while.
• You do this because you want it more than anything else.
• You have to want it more than anyone. If your agent wants it more than you do, you will be dropped.

How does a writer submit material to you/what are your submission guidelines?

Click HERE for the Andrea Brown Literary Agency’s submission guidelines + plus a bonus list of great resources for writers.

…Ah, being Big Shots (even if only in our own minds) certainly does have its perks!  Thanks loads, Laurie!  (Sucker…KIDDING!)

Next up, the Journey of Your Book continues with our Picture Book Critique Schmooze on Wednesday, January 14^th.

Until then, keep passing the open windows,

Charlie & Karol (and Wonder Woman Laurie!!)

Writing, Rewriting, Discipline And Other Loathsome Necessities This Blog Post Endeavors to Cover

A smaller-yet-(even-more)-passionate-(as-proven-by-the-fact-that-they-showed-up) group of Schmoozers gathered for the November 12^th Schmooze to discuss the next step on the Journey of Your Book: getting the thing out of your head, onto the page, and into a readable form.

After the usual announcements of all the conferences and contests and contemplative confabs one can partake of in this crazy, mixed up SCBWI world we inhabit, Charlie started off with his standard exhausting research.  Sorry, we meant exhaustive. 

This time he focused on how folks get themselves to write, despite the terror, and where that terror comes from.  Here’s a smattering:

MG fantasy author Julie Berry had a great list of fears and advice on how to get over them: 

1               You lack motivation and often fail to choose writing over other temptations. Solution: “Blow up your TV, Twitter and Facebook.”

2               You find no writing time is left after day’s obligations are met. Solution: Recognize that writing will cost you something.”

3               You fear that you’re not good enough. Solution: Don’t confuse a draft with a finished work.”

4               You feel overwhelmed by all the plot decisions you have to make. Solution: “Dance between writing in the dark and making a plan. Use both the ‘outline’ and the ‘just write’ approaches in tandem.”

5               You feel like you don’t care about your book anymore. “Your characters haven’t hooked you yet,” diagnosed Berry, “because somewhere you took a shortcut and held back from  making them real and true.”

Some other tips:

1. Create a feeling of urgency to write.

2. Commit to finishing your draft by a certain date.

3. Hunker down when it gets hard.

 “You can get a lot of writing done if you just write,” she said. “The rest of the time, don’t write and don’t fret about writing.”
      

Joanna Penn had some good tips about getting the material onto the page. Charlie’s favorite: Get up really early and work while your brain is still half asleep.

Karol's philosophy in life

Not being a morning person, Karol found that tip completely unfathomable.

And here's another one that sent shivers down Karol's spine:

Trust the process of emergence. You won’t know what is coming until the words appear on the
page. Something happens when you commit to the page, to the word count goal and you write through the frustration and the annoyance and the self-criticism. Creativity emerges. Ideas emerge. Original thought emerges. Something happens – but only if you trust emergence.

Karol’s favorite tidbit of the night came from Schmoozer and The Pen And Ink blogger, Sue Burger, who said you should print out your manuscript, make a title page, and bind that sucker.  Heck, Karol thought – why not write a dedication and acknowledgements while you’re at it?  (Christmas/Hanukkah gift list – handled!)

Charlie went on and on (as he is wont to do) listing tops, including Simon Clark’s wise advice to get up and LEAVE the writing table when your first draft is done so that you can return to it some days or weeks later with a fresh perspective.

He finally finished with this sweet little bon mot from the comments section of the Ask the Writer blogpost :

Lastly, be generous with self-forgiveness. Writing is a process.

--Brandi Reissenweber.

Thanks Brandi, wherever you are.

At this point Karol wrested control back from Charlie and turned it over to the estimable Laurie Young.  She shared about a 7 HOUR REVISION CLASS she’d just taken the previous weekend taught by Liza Palmer at Writing Pad. We thought she was gangbusters, but Laurie felt that what she’d said was a tad muddled (and seriously, who could blame her after a 7 hour revision class??), so she us sent the following:

There was some real insight in Liza Palmer's class that I failed to communicate to the group. So here are a few points from the class that could be helpful:

    * Revision is about percolating. Take time to breathe.

    * Ask yourself why you are writing this story, now.

    * Break it down into acts. Make sure your tentpoles are strong. Plug holes.

    * Outline to the point of ridiculousness, then rewrite. Repeat as needed.

    * What does your character know? When do they know it? When does the reader know it? Map it out.

    * Passes: Look for word repetition. Check swear words to make sure they have impact and are not used carelessly. Make sure you have not pulled punches, and up the stakes wherever you can. Dialogue tags.

    * "When we have trouble revising, we are too close to the painting—obsessing about the small details when we need to focus on the big picture."

* And lastly, make peace with the fact that it will never be finished.

After that everyone got involved, sharing tips, once in a lifetime insights and the warm, supportive words of brilliance you’d wait a lifetime to hear. We’d recount it all here, but, sadly, we’ve run out of space.  Also, if we told you everything, why would you come to the next schmooze?

And speaking of the next Schmooze…we’ll be meeting again December 10^th and welcoming special guest Jen Rofé of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.  How cool is that?!  Answer: VERY.

So be sure to join us and, until then, keep passing the open windows,

Charlie & Karol

Links to articles referenced in this post:

http://metro.nyscbwi.org/news/stop-fiddling-start-finishing-julie-berry-on-getting-through-your-first-draft/
   

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/11/04/writing-first-draft/

      

https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/advice/427/a-writers-toolkit/revision/

      

http://www.writingclasses.com/WritersResources/AskTheWriterDetail.php?ID=10

Westside Illustrators February Schmooze News

                         

    Westside Illustrators Schmooze
              February 15, 2010

Monday Evening...7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

11624 W. Pico Blvd.,  Los Angeles, CA 90064

   'Through the Art Director's Eyes!'

   Art Director, Laurie Young 
will walk us through
    the job of hiring the right 
artist for the right project! 
Try your hand at this challenge.

 

    Laurie Young, Creative Director for Intervisual Books and Piggy Toes Press, will talk about what she looks for in an illustrator, the process of choosing an artist for a project, and how an illustrator can best position themselves for consideration. 

1)    RSVP and you will be sent a picture book text.
2)    Do your research.
3)    Bring 3-5 samples of different illustrators whom you feel would be a good match for the material.
4)   You can print out color samples from online pages, or bring in work of artists you know.

We will have a lively discussion of the merits of each choice and ultimately "choose" one artist for the job.
Can your portfolio & website spark the interest of a buyer?

Does it represent your style & abilities & range so that you might be considered for a possible assignment?

Laurie Young has been an Art Director and Graphic Designer for over 16 years, working in Children's book publishing for the last 7 years. She has worked for a variety of publishers including Scholastic Press, Walter Foster Publishing, Baby Tattoo Books, Phoenix Books, Creative Publishing International, and McGraw-Hill Publishing. Most recently she has worked for Dalmatian Press as the Creative Director of the Intervisual Books and Piggy Toes Press imprints. She specializes in creating novelty books for children and has conceived and written six books for the novelty market: This Dog That Dog, I See A Monster, Princess Polly and the Pea (The Chicago Book and Media Show 2007–Best in Show,) Counting Our Way to Halloween, Earth Helpers Counting (illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith,) and Monster Rescue Squad (illustrated by Gene Barretta.) 

AND  MORE...
Kat McDonough will demonstrate a great way to make a dummy!
AND... Participate in our materials exchange!
Do you have any art materials that are gathering dust?
Your unused junk is someone else's treasure.
Bring them to the schmooze & you can join in.


Come prepared to participate, ask questions and be inspired!
Let's enjoy a fun creative evening together & move forward in our common pursuit
of making a contribution to the world of children's illustration and literature!

RSVP???...  YES...   SoozyEB@aol.com

WHERE???...  11624 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064
This is a large gray building with ivy & bamboo on the facade.
The sign near the door reads -  "Alliance Francaise."
DIRECTIONS???... http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-05,GGLR:en&q=11624+W.+Pico+BLvd,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90064&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

PARKING???... Street parking only.  You don't have to feed meters after 6pm.  Do NOT park in the electrical warehouse parking lot next door OR the parking lot behind the building on the corner of Federal Ave.  You will be towed...FAST.

Looking forward to seeing you all!    xoxo...suzy
cell... 818 389 1950 
If you wish to be taken off this email list...just let me know.
 come visit me at...   www.SuzyEngelmanBlock.com 

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